When I was little, I used to be scared of dolls. Yep, especially the ones that moved. dunno they still creep me out to this day, I just hate the way they look at me.
2k+ words
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crunch, crunch, crunch. The snapping of porcelain between her teeth filled the ventilation system. Six gripped Mono's hand tightly, he could feel her entire form trembling as more horrid growling came from around the corner. She had her other hand clasped to her mouth trying her best not to make a sound. But whether it was intentional or not, a tiny cry escaped Six's lips. The woman shrieked, the bones in her neck cracked with every twist and turn. Mono rushed to shield Six, pushing her as far back into the darkness as possible, far enough until his back hit a dead end with nowhere left to run.
"I'm sorry, I'm-I'm so sorry..." Six whispered in a trembling voice.
"Shhh, stay behind me..." Mono said. He stood there unmovingly and uttered not a single whisper. He could see her shadow looming, its mangled form drawing closer and closer to the corner. Mono's heart leaped to his throat as he felt a shiver running down his spine, his muscles went stiff and his throat has gone dry.
Moments later, her head peeked around the corner, her horrendous features coming into view. It was the same as that woman in the portrait, only the portrait was much more generous with her features. Her skin was folded against itself, wrinkles covered her entire face, her eyes were bawling out so far they might slip out of their sockets. As she chewed, tiny bits of porcelain fell from between her teeth and bounced off the surface, the woman made obnoxious growls as her head prowled and slithered through the narrow path.
She suddenly snapped in their direction, her deathly stare boring into Mono. He tightened his grip on Six, fighting hard not to scream. The woman didn't lunge to bite them, nor did it shriek, she just looked around. She can't see us? It appears so... they were hidden in the shadows, hugging the wall behind them and not moving a single muscle.
Soon enough the woman lost interest and slowly slid out of the vents, her head neatly adjusting back into her shoulders as it had been. It made a few more chewing sounds before gulping down the pieces of porcelain. Mono saw her exit the library and slam the door shut behind her, the click-clacking of high heels fading away with each step she took.
Mono let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, he held his collar and rubbed his hand up and down his chest, soothing that burning sensation. that was way too close. After he caught his breath he went to check on Six. She didn't move from her spot, she was still there, hugging her knees and trembling. And in her eyes glimmered a faint reddish color.
"Hey... She's gone, we should move." Mono said, kneeling beside her. "Hey. You alright?" he said, gently grabbing her hand. "Come on, we can do this, yeah?"
Six nodded in response, squeezing his hand, "Yeah."
"That's it." Mono said as she stood back on her feet, "We'll get out of this, alright? trust me." He gave her a pat on the arm. That made her smile, she lifted her head and regarded him warmly. The crimson glow in her eyes fading away.
"Yeah." She said. Mono held her hand and led her through the vents. They passed the spot where the doll had been torn to pieces, only its right arm and both legs remained. Mono slipped one last glance at it, first a crazy man with a gun, an endless night, towers that bend, TVs that call his name, and now little dolls with a noodle-necked teacher. What's causing all of this? Nothing was ever that hard before... or was it? Mono could hardly remember. Now that he'd thought about it, he never really knew what happened before he came out of that TV back in the woods, for every time he tried to recall, all he'd get was this black image, and a vague vision of a blurry figure towering over him. And if he tried to dig deeper back into his memories than that, his head would start to ache terribly.
They finally reached the end of the ventilation system, below them was a casket laden with dirty laundry. Mono tried pushing the vent shutter upwards, managing to break it loose but not all the way up. Six lent him a hand. With tiny grunting sounds, she lifted the shutter until it completely tore off the wall and fell to the floor, "Right, after you then." Mono said, standing aside.
Six hopped down and landed gracefully in the pile of cloth, she grimaced and plugged her nose from the stench that stung her nostrils. After she jumped onto the floor safely, Mono leaped off the edge and landed in the pile. jeez! how long were those sitting there?! the awful smell of sweat and rot almost made him puke. He rushed out of the casket and rubbed his hands against his shirt.
Six looked around the room, rusted washing machines were tumbled against each other, blocking the door that seemingly led to the hallway. But to their left was a staircase to the second floor. Six pointed towards it, suggesting they should try their luck with it. Nodding in approval Mono led the way, one step after the other, he hauled his tiny form up the stairs. He was panting by the time he reached the top, they were greeted by rows of dark green lockers, the rectangular lights overhead creaked as they swung from one side to the other with just one chain supporting them to the ceiling.
Six took the lead, her head turning in all directions as she went through the hallway, doors with glass windows flanked them, on those windows were words like admission office, infirmary, and teacher lounge. Mono was close beside her, he didn't like the hallways, there was barely any place to hide if that woman decided to show up again, he kept looking around nervously until he discovered that the rectangular lights weren't the only thing hanging from the ceiling, a bucket filled with hammers and screwdrivers and a drill machine was tied to the roof with a rope...
Something wasn't right here, and it made him feel sick. His attention turned back to Six, who was still walking, completely oblivious to what's hiding around her. "Six, wait up..." Mono said, quickening his pace.
She didn't stop, and before long her foot fell in the wrong spot, the wooden plank below her sunk into the floor, springing a trap. Clatter filled the room, and Mono went on a full sprint in a blink, "LOOK OUT!" he screamed, flinging his entire body towards her. Six yelped as she was tackled to the ground. They fell on the floor, Mono held Six's head low as something swooshed over their heads. Mono held his paper bag, keeping it from being blown off. Six lifted her head, her crimson eyes wide in shock. "You okay?" Mono said.
Six gasped as she saw the bucket coming back towards them, they ducked again as the bucket flew past them and crashed into the lockers behind them, spilling out all the tools inside. Six looked behind her then back to Mono, "Thanks for that." She said, standing up first and extended her hand for him.
Mono smiled and reached for it. And by the time she helped him up to his feet, sniggering echoed around them, making them both stand on edge. Mono saw something peeking its head out from behind the locker. It fled into a tiny crack into a wall, giggling as I did. "Those dolls again!" what the heck do they want?!
More and more came into view, they sprang from the top of the lockers and ran across them, reaching for the vents in the ceiling and climbing into them. Six's hand balled into fists, her teeth gritting. Mono wasn't going to lie, those plastics tried to get them killed twice, and it was stirring up his anger too. He could hear the tiny tapping of footsteps from the ventilation above, and not long after that something crashed, and a doll came flying out of the vent. It fell onto the wooden floor, its head shattering into pieces. But it didn't stay down, the doll struggled back to its feet.
"Six. This way." He said, making for where the bucket had crashed. Six stayed close, always on edge. He grabbed a tool with a blunt edge, a hammer. Mono was no fighter, he was far from it. But right now, nothing else mattered to him more than Six. Come and try it... he said, bracing himself for what's about to come.
The doll's wobbling stopped, Mono couldn't tell how the doll knew where they were with that half shattered head, but it shrieked and lunged at them. It tripped over a loose wooden plank on the floor, and it came falling down, right at his feet. The opportunity presented itself, and Mono took it, he brought down the hammer on its back, smashing it to pieces.
"MONO BEHIND US!" Six cried, Mono turned to see a doll with pigtails, sniggering at them as it prowled about. He gripped the handle tightly, waiting for it to sprint. But it didn't do anything it just stood there pulling out her plastic tongue at them.
"Oh... don't make me come over there." Mono growled, if he dragged that hammer all the way, he wouldn't have any more strength to use it, it would be like swinging an anvil. Rustling came from above them, Mono snapped in that direction in a blink, it leaped at them from the top of the locker. Six dodged out of the way, as it crashed into the floor, tearing off its legs. Another opportunity, with great effort Mono swung the hammer, smashing its head into smithereens. The doll that had been taunting recoiled, as if it was taken aback. It snarled at them and went out of sight, Mono could hear the tapping of her plastic legs against the floor. And with that everything seemed to have gone quiet, and the only sound left was Mono's ragged breathing.
He moved his hand under his paper bag and wiped the sweat off his forehead, "Is it over? what happened?"
"Let's just get out of here." Six said.
"You read my mind. come on..." Mono said, as much as he wanted to keep the hammer, carrying that thing around was a bit too much his tiny form could handle. he dropped it aside and rubbed his hands together. They have overstayed their welcome, surely that teacher had heard all the racket from earlier, and running into her now was the last thing they needed.
While leading the way, Mono turned back to Six, "Watch the floorboards, Si-"
A thundering crash came from all around him and he was surrounded in pitch darkness, Huh?
"MONO!" Six's voice came from the other side, then came the violent knocking of a fist against metal. "MONO, ARE YOU OKAY!"
Mono waved his hands around and felt the cool metal, how did this happen? Six?
"SIX? where are you?"
Her voice was muffled from the other side, "Hold on! I'm gonna- I'm gonna get you out of there, okay." She said. He could hear her grunting from the other side, and before long light seeped into the dark. He could see her tiny fingers lifting the thing trapping him.
He joined in, lifting the locker from his side. "Come on, almost there." Six said. They got it halfway before something crashed on the metal surface above Mono. Six gasped and fell backward, the weight too great for Mono to lift alone. He drew back letting go of the locker.
"SIX!? What happened!? SIX! Can you hear me?! HEY!" Mono shouted.
"M-Mono..." Six muttered, her voice trembling.
Mono bashed the metal from the other side, "SIX!" he called, and soon he could hear the sniggering of these infernal plastics, coming from everywhere. No... No! they're everywhere. Moments later they screeched all at once.
"GET OFF ME!" Six cried out.
Mono's eye went wide in despair, but that feeling quickly turned into rage. He struck the metal, again and again, his thunderous strikes drowning out their laughter. "DON'T YOU TOUCH HER! Lay one finger on her, AND I'LL RIP OFF YOUR ARMS AND SMASH YOUR HEADS IN WITH THEM!"
"MONO HELP!" Six called, Mono grabbed the edges of the locker and began lifting again, "MONO!" her voice was fainter this time. SHE'S BEING TAKEN AWAY! His mind screamed at him. Adrenaline surged through him, he heaved the locker upwards with sheer strength he never knew existed. finally, he managed to escape.
"SIX!" he called, jumping back on his feet. "SIX!" his voice bounded off the walls. He ran after them, following their giggling and her cries for help. "GIVE HER BACK!" he rounded the corner and saw them dragging her up a ladder and into a hatch in the ceiling. They pulled at her hair, and held her by her arms, she kicked and struggled all she could, but all for nothing. "NO! SIX!" he called out her name.
"MONO!" was the last thing she said before the ladder was lifted up and the trap door was slammed shut behind them. leaving Mono with nothing but the ringing in his ears. Rage overwhelmed him, blinding his sight in a curtain of red. Back then, he regretted burning down the shack. But now. He wouldn't leave a piece of this place standing.
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"Hello there, traveler! You made it all the way down here, might as well take these while you're on it!" 🍖🍖🍗🍗🍺🍺
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Until next time!