Lost in Transmission - Little Nightmares AU

Escaping the Signals | 6

       My music box.

       There is me, and the music box, and the music.

        I'm in the cabin again, but I think the Hunter is gone. I used to be scared of him. I don't hear him anymore. There's no stomping, or creaking, or bangs. No explosions from that stick-thing he carried.

        I think that means I'm safe here now.

        It's quiet except for the music box. I keep turning the handle. I don't want the music to stop. The music means that I'm safe. No one can hurt me while I have my music box.

        Little sounds of music float through the air. I can't remember why, but I think that maybe they're called notes. Notes. That's a funny word.

        The marks I made on the walls are gone. I remember scratching every single one, one for each day. There were so many days.... If I could count, I would have tried to keep the number in my mind. All I had were the marks. The marks, and my music box.

        This has to be somewhere different, because if I was back at the cabin, I think everything would look the same.

        It doesn't matter where I am. I just need my music box. That's all I-

        "Hey!"

        I look up. Who said that? Nothing's there. I stand up and walk around, holding onto my music box the whole time.

        "HEY!!!"

        There's a sound like something's smashing. My music box starts to crack. Dents and rips appear. The music keeps going. It's hurt, but it isn't dead yet. No one can hurt it! No one can hurt me EVER AGAIN!

         I can't let it die.

       "HEY!!!"

        I scream and yell back. I don't seem to scare away the monster. All I can see is the cabin. Nothing else. There's no one here. What's hurting it?! I try to find whoever's hurting my music box. The smashing sound comes back. Another crack spreads across the music box. "NO!" I scream.

        "HEY!!!"

        The yell bounces off the walls. Where is it?! Who said it?! What keeps hurting it?! I set my music box on the ground - just for now - so I can run through the cabin and search everywhere. There's nothing here! There's nothing anywhere!

        SMASH.

        "STOP IT!" I shriek. My throat starts to hurt. I don't care. I just want the voice to stop hurting my music box. I sprint back to the room and hug the cracked metal, tears filling my eyes. "DON'T HURT IT!"

        "HEY!!!"

        The voice is so loud now. I have to let go of the music box to cover my ears. The scream bounces inside my mind. It hurts my head. "Stop it, stop it, stop it," I whisper. Tears are streaming down my face. "Please, please, please, STOP!"

       "HEY!!!"

        CRACK!

        I open my eyes.

        There is no more music box.

      There is a broken something on the ground, making a sharp, whistling sound that's not my music. It's almost completely crushed. I reach for it, sobbing. "No, no, no, please don't die, you keep me saf-"