This Thing A Quiet Madness Made

Chapter 30

"Your parents must be very worried about you."

"...sorry..."

"No need to apologize to me, dear; you should say that to your parents instead. I'm sure they'll be happy to know you're safe."

The boy hesitated for a moment before nodding faintly.

The group remained quiet for the rest of the walk, only the sound of unseen crickets filling the warm evening air. The girl occasionally snuck glances at the boy across from her. Once, he caught her gaze and offered a small smile, though he received only an inscrutable stare in return.

It didn't take long for a small building with its lights on to come into view. It was a little police box, the bright fluorescent glow spilling through the glass windows facing the street ahead.

The man crouched down next to the young boy, pointing a finger toward the police box. "You see that lady there? Go tell her you're lost, and she'll take you back home, alright?" he smiled at the boy's curious gaze, patting him on the shoulder as he nodded. "Good, go on now."

He offered an encouraging grin as the wandering boy shuffled towards the police box, occasionally glancing back at the pair uncertainly. Once he reached the front of the small building, he softly called out to the woman behind the window, who quickly brought him inside and asked if he was looking for his parents, just as the nice man had said she would. The boy nodded, and the policewoman quickly turned to the phone, dialing a number and bringing it to her ear, all the while holding his hand comfortingly. The boy glanced out the window as the woman spoke to someone on the other end, distant phrases like "reported missing" and "notifying family" coming from the speaker of the old phone as his gaze wandered down the vacant, dimly lit street.

The man and the girl were no longer there.

...

"Manager?"

"Yes, Unknown?"

"Why didn't you take that boy? You said I needed siblings."

"You're right, but remember, not everyone is fit to be a part of our family. We need to choose wisely."

"How do we choose?"

"Well, it depends, but you don't have to worry about that. For now, just remember one thing: children who run away always have people looking for them, and we don't want that, do we?"

...

"He only ever took orphans or ones who were thrown away. No one looks for those kinds of children," Unknown smiled dryly, casually tilting her head to the side as if she were merely talking about the weather.

Aizawa observed her carefully, seeming to look for something. After a moment, however, he looked away, letting out a silent breath as he slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Well, it's over now. He'll be punished for what he did, he won't be able to hurt anyone anymore."

Unknown didn't respond, her quiet gaze still fixed on Aizawa.

"You look like you want to say something," she observed after a moment, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"It's unrelated."

"Regardless. I'm in no hurry."

Aizawa remained silent for a moment longer, seeming to consider his options before finally speaking.