Enjoying my last days of freedom! Here's a desperately put-together chapter, I pulled straight outta the dumpster! Oh God, it sucks...
Am I seeing this right!? 6k reads 386 votes??? THANK YOU THANK YOU! You guys are truly wonderful!!!
Total words 2776
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When they left a few minutes later, the weather had cleared, and they set out into the dimly lit alleyway, holding each other's hands as they strode along the uneven ground, avoiding every crack filled with rainwater in the floor.
"Where are we going?" Six asked, following his lead.
Mono hadn't the faintest clue... now that she'd mentioned it, where exactly was he going? At first, he thought about going back to the place where he hid from the rain, but that was just blocks and blocks away from here. Scratch that one! "Well, I dunno... let's just get out of the streets, find someplace warm, and then we'll see from there." He said.
And so they went on, hurrying past the black rivers pouring down the drain system, past great heaps of garbage and discarded clothing, and under the balconies were TVs with shattered screens that hung from the railings. Six cocked her head up, observing the scene around, open-mouthed and in awe. "What do you think all this means?" Six said, and Mono looked back at her then looked up, seeing the TVs dangling above him, swinging to and fro in the wind. "Why would anyone hang those around like that?"
Mono thought back to the time at the boat, when he saw countless TVs drifting around in the dark waters, the ones stacked atop one another in the school, and the ones back in that shack. They seem to come to life at either the best time possible or the worst... just what were they trying to accomplish? At times, they would guide him. At other times, they'd pull him in and send him hurtling down an endless spiral abyss with no hope of escape. He did not understand any of it, but what he knew is that whatever was living inside them... had a mind of its own. "It's probably just for decoration."
"Really...? Pretty horrible taste..." Six said, brooding.
"That's sarcasm, Six..."
She looked at him and tilted her head, "Sarcasm?"
"Y-You know... when you say something opposite of what you mean." Mono tried to explain. But six was still as clueless as ever, "Come on, Six... Sarcasm!" He tried again, waving his arms all about as if that would help her understand.
Six smiled and let out a muffled laugh. She's messing with you, idiot... He sighed and whispered an inaudible 'I hate you.'
"What was that?" Six said from over his shoulder.
"I bate you..."
"You bate me?"
Mono made queer sounds and kept his head forward, pulling her by her hand.
Six snickered, "Is that supposed to be sarcasm too, Mono."
"For pity's sake! Could you stop bullying me!?"
"Well, you started it!"
"Did not!" Mono said, "You know what? Forget it! Let's go!" He added, pulling her by her hand. If they got caught in another downpour while wasting time like this, they would be in trouble, Mono thought. But at least she's back to normal... smiling and joking again. Mono thought he'd never see that side of Six again, but there it was... and he couldn't be any happier.
Minutes later, they reached the end of the alleyway and found themselves standing on a pavement flanked on each side by rows of convenience stores and shops. There were even restaurants and bars farther down the road, Mono could tell from their faintly glowing neon signs. Across the street in front of them stood a tall spiked gate, its black irons fashioned into blooming flowers, tree roots, and coiled black lines stretching all the way from the top. Beyond it, Mono saw but the remnants of something that used to be beautiful. The garden was nothing more than a ruin, burnt trees with blackened barks, dead bush limbs scattered all about the stone walkway. Doubtless that there was any worth of going there anymore.
"Six..." Mono said.
She turned and looked up at him, "Hm?"
"Let's check the stores. See if there's any way inside. We need a place to stay for a bit." Mono said, and Six nodded, "Right then! I'll check those on the left, and you go down there a see what you can find. Just stay where I can see you, alright?" He said, pointing down the road.
"Okay!" Six said, letting go of his hand and went striding down the pavement with her feet tapping against the stone.
"Yell if you find anything!" Mono said as she was halfway down. She gave him a thumbs up and went to look through the windows of the stores and shops before going further down the walkway to check the restaurants.
Mono sighed and looked up and saw thick clouds gathering around the moon once more. They were running out of time. He had to find someplace warm and quick. So he went the opposite direction, going up the pavement and passing under the flickering light of the vintage street lamps. First, he checked that small store that used to sell ice cream. He hopped on the elevated surface and pulled himself up the rough stone. He stood up and skipped between the table pedestals, then grabbed a chair by its legs and pushed it towards a wall under a glass window. Then he climbed up the chair and jumped onto the sill, and peered inside.
He couldn't find anything, no light, no food... just a bunch of empty boxes stacked atop one another, even the cabinets on the walls were plundered. Nothing to see here, moving on... He jumped off the sill and onto the chair, then down to the floor. He wiped his palms against his coat and looked down the road, searching for Six. He couldn't see her anywhere and felt a sudden panic, his chest becoming heavy. But then there she was, he saw her under the light of the street lamps, crossing the street and making for the bar.
Mono let out a sigh of relief and resumed his search. He went from one store to the next, doors either locked or barricaded from the other side. Even after looking through the windows, he found nothing but black pitch...
Something on the other side of the road caught his eye. A bunch of colorful stuff could be seen through the shattered windows of the shop. Weird-looking masks, deflated balloons, garlands of red and blue, strange cone-shaped hats with multi-colored circles, and whatever that was: a rubber coiled against itself and tied to a plastic, were neatly set across wooden shelves...
Struck with curiosity, Mono crossed the road and made for that small shop, although he knew it would be a waste of time. Oh, where's the harm? Maybe there's something of use. He hopped on the pavement, then up and over towards the window sill. He stepped inside and made for the shelves, mindful of the glass teeth poking out of the window frame. However, he saw no way into the shop. Because as it turns out that this was made just for window shopping.
"What is all this stuff?" Mono thought aloud, picking up the paper hats and examining them. He tried them on, but they completely enveloped his tiny form. He tossed the hats away and rummaged through the other stuff. That weird rubber-looking-thingy piqued his interest. He picked it up and took a look into the hole in the plastic, "Hello?" He called into it. His voice sounded funny... then an idea struck him, what if he blew in it?
Mono lifted his paper bag and sucked in a breath. He brought his mouth closer to it and blew. The rubber inflated and unrolled, making a silly high-pitched sound. "Ho Ho!" Mono said in amusement. But before he did it again, he saw a sign made from carton. Blue background, and yellow letters and numbers, 'Happy New Year!' the upper sign read, and the lower sign '198*.' the numbers were whited out. He couldn't make out the rest of it...
"New year..." Mono said in a low tone. He remembers hearing it somewhere before, a TV commercial? A talk show? A movie? He didn't know. Maybe this is what the old folk used to celebrate. "Wierd folk..." Mono added, "A good kind of weird." This stuff is fun! And he didn't know why!
He brought his mouth closer to the plastic again and blew, and then came that sound. Then he blew in rapid succession, the sound coming and going with a brief peep peep. Alright, last time... Mono promised himself. He heaved in a long breath, leaving the best one for last. And then let it rip, but suddenly the high-pitched sound cracked and died as if it was screaming in surprise. Mono hacked and choked on his own breath as he saw Six standing there below him. Behind that black curtain of hair, she regarded him queerly. Her lips were slightly parted in bewilderment.
"What on earth are you doing?" she said, tilting her head.
"Six?!" Mono cried, his cheeks flushing under the paper bag, "Y-You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"
Her lips made a straight line. She pointed her thumb to the back, down the road, "I found a place..."
"I thought I told you to yell!" Mono said.
"Did you? I forgot..." She said, eyeing that item in his hand, then her lips curled into a mischievous smile. "Am I, uh-"
"Don't!" Mono blurted.
Six raised her hands, "I haven't said anything!"
"I know! Just don't!"
"Alright! Alright!" Six said, giggling, "My lips are sealed!"
They then set out down the pavement. Six led the way, her hand firmly clasping his. They hopped off the pavement and crossed the street to the other side, passing many ransacked stores and shops before stopping in front of a bar with blue neon lights, 'Last Swig.' the sign read. It has an outdoor terrace, but there were no tables and chairs there. It was nothing more than a hollow space.
As they climbed up the steps, Mono found shapes carved in the red cobblestone beneath, a mermaid laying back against a rock, doing her hair... Mono whistled in his head. Even the sandblasted windows had fancy shaps of roses and thorns. "Wow... you've got good tastes," Mono said, awestruck.
"Hmm, mmm!" Six said, nodding ferociously.
"But is there a way inside?"
"Yep, door's unlocked. Come on." She said, pulling him by his hand and leading him towards the wooden door. Together they pushed open the door. It wouldn't budge. "Push! This is heavier than the rest..." Six said, panting.
Mono placed his back into it and pushed with all his might. The door slid slightly open, wide enough for one of them to squeeze through. "Go, go!" Mono said, holding the door for her.
Six slipped through to the other side and grabbed onto the edge, and kept it open. She grunted as she struggled to keep the door from closing, "Now, come on!" Mono let go and hurried through the gap, squeezing his tiny form through. Six wrenched her fingers away and fell back on her rear, allowing the door to close on its own. She stood up, rubbing her hands together to soothe the pain.
The smell of wood and sawdust filled their nostrils. Somewhere in the dark, he could hear Six sneezing, "Six? I can't see a thing." He heard more rustling, then the sound of a lid opening, and then a click. Sparks flew, and for a brief moment, Mono saw her tiny form standing there in the dark. Another click, and then there was a faint warm light.
Six waved her lighter around then stopped as soon as she found Mono, "I'm here..." Six whispered, rubbing her nose with her other hand. "Stay close and watch your step... there should be a power switch around here somewhere." Six said.
"Right, I know the drill..." Mono said, moving closer to Six. She held up the lighter and went from one side of the room to the next. Mono spotted a few barstools propped against the counter, a huge pool table in the middle of the room, and hanging from the wall to the left was a rack laden with billiard sticks, multi-colored balls, and the plastic triangle. Strangely enough, everything was undisturbed.
They moved along the wall and kept following it until they came upon a machine. Right, things should be easier now... "Look up there..." Mono said, pointing with his forefinger. Six waved her lighter upwards, and now she saw it too. Wires stretched from the back of the machine and up to the roof, "Follow the wires. It could lead us to the switch..." They went on, making for wherever the wire overhead led them. They kept on going for a while and stopped in front of a door held open by a carton box filled with papers. Mono shouldered the door open, it slid the rest of the way and scraped against the wooden floor, making the both of them jump.
They heard the soft humming of electricity. Six held up her lighter, illuminating the room. They were greeted by sets of electric panels and blinking green and red lights. Mono was no electrician, but something told him that that blinking light over there meant something. Maybe start there.
"That must be it. Up there, see that light?"
"Where? The green one?"
"No, the other one. Help me up there. I'll see what I can do."
Six seemed hesitant for a moment, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, just set the lighter over there and give me a boost." He said, making for the panel.
Six placed the lighter on the floor and propped her back against the wall, "Ready?" She asked, cupping her arms together below her waist.
"Ready when you are..." Mono said. He saw her give a firm nod in the faint yellowish light.
He went and placed his foot in her hands, steadying himself against her shoulders, "Watch my hair!" Six cried.
"Sorry!" She lifted him and kept him steady, He reached with his hands to grab for the edge, but still couldn't quite reach it. "A little higher, Six!"
"Heave HO!" Six said, tossing Mono upwards. He waved his hands around at the sudden force, but then he caught the edge and pulled himself to a sitting position.
"Right! Now try to keep your lighter steady..."
"Like this?" She said, and as she did, Mono could clearly see the switches in front of him.
"Yes! This will only take a moment." First, he tried flipping the switches up and down, nothing. then he tried pressing the glowing buttons, but as it turns out they weren't buttons at all and were just lights...
A few moments later and Mono realized he had no idea what he was doing. "How about those wires over there." Six said from below. Mono looked at the wires and saw that some of them were dangling loosely and out of place. That could work...
He grabbed the wires and connected them with the other cables, "Hey!" Six called, excitedly, "That did something!" Mono looked beyond the door and saw that a machine had come to life...
"Alright! Let's try this then!" Mono connected the second cable, and now there was light!
Six shut the lid of her lighter and placed it back in her pocket, "Hey! good job... Now come on down." She said beckoning.
"Wait there's one more wire here," Mono said, grabbing the last nylon wire, as he connected it with its cable, it zapped, making Mono yelp in pain.
"What did you do?!" Six said.
Mono waved his hand around, he lifted his paper and blew on it. "Did that do anything?"
Six went to look beyond the door, "Not really..." at that Mono sighed. As he hopped back down, Six beckoned to him, "Come quick! You have to see this!" her voice was full of excitement.
Mono rubbed his hand up and down his coat as if that would make the pain disappear. He made his way towards her, she wouldn't let up, she kept telling him to hurry up, "Alright, alright! I'm coming!"
Six moved aside for him to see. And it was like staring at a painting.
"Woah..." Mono said, eyes darting left and right, "Are you kidding?"
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Made you wait 9 days for this garbage, time to commit sudoku! I HAVE BROUGHT SHAME AND DISHONOR, FAREWELL!
Tell me of any mistakes and I'll check'em very soon.
Oh and here's cookie 🍪