Blackbird Lullaby- Paperhat

Chapter 10

Darkness.

Darkness everywhere, covering everything with its black, cold coat. There only was a single ray of light coming from above, indicating the way out.

Around Blackhat, there was only water. Water and cold stones, placed in a circular shape. His feet were not touching the ground, and he was floating in water. Or at least, that's what he tought it was.

It was more of a black, sticky liquid, and it smelled... strange. Like sadness, a voice inside him said, and he realised that if unhappiness could have had a odor, it would have been that one.

He grabbed one of the stones with his claws, and tried to lift himself up. The black liquid had made his clothes heavy, but he was trying to climb towards the light anyway. He wanted to get out of that well, he wasn't feeling good inside of it. He was afraid something would have popped out the water below him, and if that ever happened, he wanted to be out of reach.

But something wasn't right. He was feeling weak. And the more he tried to crawl to the light, the more his legs couldn't bear his weight, and a heavy, unpleasant feeling was now crushing his heart. He was finding it hard to breathe, and before he could realize it, tears started running down his cheeks. But he didn't even know what was going on. He didn't even know how he got to fall in that well...

And then, he saw him.

He was standing outside the well, reaching out with his hands towards Blackhat.

-Take my hand!- he yelled, and Blackhat pushed himself up the slippery, humid wall to reach Flug. He was fighting the weakness, reaching out with his right hand for him, tears still running down his cheeks.

-I can't!- he answered, his voice cracking by the weight in his chest.

-What are you afraid of?- Flug asked, and his words echoed painfully inside Blackhat's mind, resonating in his skull like a lone string in a cave.

That weakness keeping him from climbing to the end of the well, that weight pushing him down... was that fear? But what was he afraid of, then? What was the thing he had never been able to let out, and that was keeping him inside the darkest place in his mind?

Feelings. He was afraid of his own feelings.

Suddenly, the walls around him began to shake, and one of his feet slipped, sending him back into the cold, black water. He screamed, and yet again, Flug's eyes were the only thing he saw before falling inside the shadows.

When he woke up, he gasped and grabbed the blankets, breathing heavily. He was feeling strange, as if something was missing, and it took him a few seconds to realize what it was: his scientist.

For some reason, Flug wasn't there anymore. And if he was not in his bed, there were only two places inside the whole mansion where he could have been: his own room, or the lab.

Blackhat grabbed his gloves and his monocle, and headed to the door, led by the determination to find Flug.

-For the last time, Demencia: go play with 5.0.5 or something, but please leave me alone!-

-But he's sleeping, you're the only one awake to talk to right now!-

Flug screamed internally, and brought his hands to his paper bag to hold his head. He was almost done with the second tracking device: this one was meant to fit his own ankle, while 5.0.5's was resting on the table, buried under blueprints and random pieces of paper.

-Alright, what do you want to talk about?- Flug surrendered, and grabbed his coffee mug.

-About Blackhat, of course. Even if you don't want to tell me, I think I figured out what you did to get all of his attention!- Demencia announced proudly. Flug rolled his eyes, and tapped on the table with a finger.