Revolt

2

I'm used to hearing only my boots clunking along by now. No pitter-patter of small, unshoed, cold little feet treading along behind me. No little voice singing in her angelic, unearthly dual-tones. No humming. No chattering. No giggling.

Alone.
But sometimes I hear others- sometimes I hear other daddies, sometimes with little sisters, their daughters. Sometimes I hear big sisters, all on their own, hunting. Sometimes I hear splicers, wicked and cackling like hyenas, in clans or alone, scavenging. Hideous faces hidden behind filthy masks.
I avoid them. All of them.
They're not Amelia, so why bother?
But sometimes......sometimes the little sisters, the ones with the other daddies, they'll say something that sounds just like her, a word or a phrase. A few of them even look like her.
But I know they're not her.
She's.......gone......

I keep clunking along until I hear a screech, and then I freeze, waiting. It comes again, an angry, glitchy voice like mine, but higher pitched. A big sister. She's going to try and kill me.

Then a scream.....a scream like....oh no, Amelia- it's Amelia, she's in danger! It's Amelia!

"No no no NO!!" I holler inside my helmet, but another pair of boots, clinking, clunking armor, is already by her side in the passage ahead- it's not Amelia, but she's little like she was and her dress is the same color blue, and her hair is the same tainted bronze, and-

*SCREECH!**WHAM!* *CLANG SHING BAM*

The big sister lunges at him. She tries to puncture his helmet, but he shoves her away, keeping her occupied as he tries to land a decent punch. She's latched onto his cage like a squid and he's trying to tear her off of him......

He's losing the fight......
He's going to lose the fight......
She's going to kill him and go after-

"NO!" I yell, running forward, and swing hard at the big sister. She tumbles off of him, sprawled a moment on the floor, confused, but gets back up and I hit her again, activating my drill. She swipes at me with her harpoon but I grab that arm, ramming the drill through her suit and it makes a bloody, horrible mess. She falls limp and I drop her to the ground, the drill scrolling to a still. I look at the other, and he seems to look at me- but I can never be sure. He's a Mr. Bubbles. He has lots of eyes. Well, they look like eyes. They're windows, like mine. But I only have one.

~I wonder.....face.......under.......big bowl.....lots of eyes.......~
"Ow......" I mumble. Thinking hurts.

He turns away from me, picking up his daughter. She holds her doll close, leaning on him from the cage on his back that supports her. I have a cage like that. It used to carry Amilia......
"Amilia."
The other looks at me again.
"*whir*?"
"Amilia," I say again, though it sounds more like "Hmerlr" to anyone else.
"Hmerlr," he says back. I can only stare.
Does he understand?
"Amilia?" I ask, turning so he can see my empty cage.
He bounces slightly, since he can't nod. I understand that.
He understands me.
I think....
"Crwra," he replies, gesturing with a thumb at his daughter.
Clara. It sounds like Clara.
I bow slightly, since I can't nod either.
He bounces back.
"Crm-orn." Come on.
And he starts to walk, but pauses and looks my way again. I start to follow, and he starts to walk again.

I guess I'm not alone anymore.