The ringing seemed like it would never end, and for a moment Mono thought he had messed up his ears. Luckily the sound quit after a few minutes and he was able to open his eyes without the room constantly swirling. Seven was sitting next to him, not doing any better. When he got up to check on Mono, his body stumbled and begged to lay back down and rest, but his overly worried mind overridden that feeling and made sure Mono was okay. Then after he saw that the mysterious paper bag boy was indeed alive, he immediately let his tired body crumble next to Mono.
They didn't think about The Hunter still being alive, since there hadn't been a sound from the man since the blow. Though he could be unconscious, it seemed very unlikely. Afterall, the bullet most likely went through his chest, which would kill practically anybody instantly. This allowed Seven to relax a bit, finally safe from his kidnapper, but Mono was a different story. He didn't think of anything at first, letting his brain try to rest so the consistent buzzing would stop, but when he began thinking more clearly again, it hit him. He killed another person, well he didn't exactly lay the final blow, but he had helped kill them. It made him sick to his stomach for a second, thinking of how the man most likely was on the ground out there, body growing cold, no longer any life in his eyes.
He tried to think about how the murderous man had it coming, of how he deserved it for all the terrible things he's done. All the rotting corpses hanging up in nets, to the stuffed people in his house, to the kids he has hurt and hunted over his lifetime. Even with all of those things, Mono couldn't help to remember that The Hunter was human. A human with thoughts and goals, and maybe a past self that wasn't so bad. He saw how this world can shape people into terrifying creatures if you let it. Maybe The Hunter was the same way, perhaps he was forced to be like this.
That would mean that he and Seven had killed a somewhat innocent person, but he couldn't let himself think that. The Hunter may have not been in complete control of his actions, and he may have, but that still meant he had let the world turn him into that. Which means that he wasn't innocent, at least in a way. Mono wasn't like the man, he didn't kill people who didn't deserve it, he tried to help others and be kind to them. That's who he was and nothing could change that, not even this nightmarish world, he wouldn't let him become a monster. There was a small feeling he wasn't in full control of that.
Seven noticed Mono was stiff, and that his breaths were becoming more uneven. Seven called out to him quietly, but it seemed to go in one ear and out the other as the boy didn't move an inch. He was starting to get worried, and he didn't know what to do. "Mono?" He tried again, his voice soft but a little bit louder than earlier, Mono didn't acknowledge him. "Mono, are you doing alright? Are you still hurting?" Seven reached his hand out to Mono, barely touching his arm when Mono flinched away. Seven winced as well, not expecting the sudden movement.
It seemed to drag Mono back into reality though, since he was sitting there staring at Seven. Seven used the opportunity to try and talk to Mono again. "Are you hurt somewhere?" Mono shook his head and stared at the ground. Seven didn't know what to do now, if Mono wasn't hurting then what could be bothering him?
He didn't have to ask this time to receive an answer, because Mono began speaking. "Do you- do you think he's dead?" Mono asked hesitantly, glancing over at the broken door and then to Seven. Seven tilted his head, confused, wasn't it obvious? Why did Mono almost seem scared of the answer? Shoulders stiff and slanted backwards, head tilting away from Seven's deep stare.
Then Seven remembered something, something that happened to him when he was younger. Mono had never killed anybody before, or at least a person. Which was strange considering where they live. Still, Seven can vaguely remembers when he first had to kill somebody, or more like it, defend himself from being murdered. It has been several years now, but he still knows the feeling he felt when it happened. At first he was shocked by what he had done, then slightly disgusted and a bit scared of what happened, then finally he accepted that if he hadn't killed them it would've been him who died. Even though he knew that it was either them or him, it didn't feel fair, but that's also the day he learned that the world he lived in wasn't fair.
Seven was by himself then, and had to figure that out alone, suffering from the guilt for weeks on end. He wouldn't let Mono do that to himself, not while he was right here. "Yes, he's dead." He started out blankly, and Mono looked back over the door, before the boy could go back into a whirlwind of pointless thoughts, Seven continued. "Though I wouldn't dwell on it too much. It was bound to happen one way or another. If not him than us." His words were what he told himself all those years ago, he didn't know if it was helping Mono any, but he hoped that it brought some sort of comfort.
Mono listened to what Seven had to say, his words circling in mind on repeat. Mono then understood that Seven has been through this before, that he has killed somebody before. Mono looked at Seven more intensely than a few minutes prior, wanting to know what all the boy had been through. He knew that wherever Seven came from was rough, but he never thought it went that far. It made Mono realize much more that he didn't understand everything about this world or how cruel it may be. Perhaps he would have if he could remember more about his past.
Seven's words made Mono feel somewhat grounded to the point he no longer felt like curling in on himself. He looked at Seven, who was now looking away and at the floor, and smiled. He wasn't alone anymore.
Both were taken out of their thoughts when Seven's stomach let out a loud growl, causing Seven to grip his shirt where his belly was at and curl inward. The pain Seven felt was worse than before, probably since all the adrenaline he just had wore off while they were talking. Mono then remembered what he promised Seven and stood up, ignoring the fact that his body ached and that his stomach was also clawing him in pain. He needed to find them some food, or at least some for Seven, Mono believed that he could make it a little bit longer without anything, it was the small boy he was worried about.
Most kids in this world were scrawny and underfed, stunting their growth and discoloring their skin. There were a few that still managed to maintain a healthy diet, and even fewer that got so much food that they didn't have to ever worry about starving. Unfortunately, these two boys were part of the majority and ate whatever food they could find whenever. Although it would get them by for the most part, a lot of the times they would go to bed hungry or burn more calories than they were ingesting. Dying by starvation was a horrible way to go, but it wasn't the worst, so they kept pushing.
Mono was now out of the old shack, going out of the window behind them instead of the busted doorway with a dead man right outside of it. Seven insisted on coming with him, but Mono forced him to stay behind, convincing him by telling him that he needed to keep watch in case The Hunter was still alive. It was an excuse more than anything, but Seven took it, as long as he didn't feel completely useless.
It took longer than Mono would have liked it to, but he did eventually find a few mushrooms that he learned were edible after he saw The Hunter gathering them and eating one. He didn't try to think about how his stomach turned sour at the thought of the man or how the picture of the door getting blasted burned in his mind. With a couple of mushrooms in his arms, that were a little hard to carry due to the fact that they were about half his size, he returned back to the shed he left Seven in.
That's when he realized he wouldn't be able to go back through the window again. He stopped dead in his tracks, the thought about stepping over the man and going through the door made him feel sick again, the smell of the mushrooms not making it any better. He closed his eyes and thought about Seven's words again, and then told himself that he needed to hurry to the said starving boy. He made his feet go one in front of the other, making his way to the door. The smell of blood and the hum of several flies almost caused him to throw up, but he swallowed it down and looked the other way. He hopped over the splintered wood of the door and quickly made his way to Seven, setting down the mushrooms in front of him, before spinning around. He put his hand on top of his mouth and begged his body not to vomit, he needed to keep what little nutrients he had inside his body.
Seven didn't start eating the mushrooms that laid in front of him, no matter how much his mouth wanted to water from it even without having the liquid to do so. He wanted to make sure that the food was completely safe to eat, and he also didn't feel completely comfortable with eating other people's food without them giving permission. Mono may have said that he was getting food for him, but it still felt wrong to eat without him. Which is why he wrapped his arms around his knees and leaned forward, almost impatiently waiting for Mono to sit down and eat.
After successfully getting himself to not throw up, Mono stood up straight and walked back over to Seven and sat down. He noticed that Seven wasn't eating yet and got confused. Did Seven not like mushrooms? Maybe he should have asked that before going to search for food. "Do you want to eat this?" Mono asked, Seven looking up at him and nodding his head.
"Yeah, uh..." Seven's small voice trailed off and he glanced at the two mushrooms. "Is any of it bad to eat?"
Mono was shocked. Has Seven never eaten a mushroom before? Well to be fair he doesn't think he had either before he came here. Maybe they didn't grow in very many spots. "No, you can eat the whole thing. Though some parts do taste a bit better than others." Mono hardly cared for the taste of most food he ate, but he didn't care as long as he got something to eat. There were many days when he didn't even get lucky enough to get anything.
Not needing any more info, Seven picked up one of the plants and examined it. It had been torn out of the ground from the bottom, some specks of dirt still littering across it that he quickly wiped off. The fungi looked nothing like what he was used to, but that didn't stop him from tearing a piece off and stuffing it in his mouth desperately. Definitely wasn't the most tasty, but it felt amazing in his mouth and his body relaxed from the food. He devoured the whole thing in an instant after the first bite, not caring to take his time.
Mono had eaten around half of his mushroom, his stomach still threatening to puke right back up whatever he gave it. When he noticed that Seven had finished his, Mono offered the rest of his to the other boy. Seven looked at it, and shook his head, but Mono only pushed it towards him more. "I'm not that hungry, I don't think I can hold down much more."
Seven gave him a skeptical look, as if he didn't believe him, but Mono only put the food in Seven's hand and nodded his head. With a small thank you, he began to eat the food, more slowly this time trying to savor it. He was grateful for Mono giving the rest of his food to him, but it made him feel somewhat guilty since it was Mono who got it in the first place.
It was only a minute longer before Seven was completely done eating. He didn't know if he would be able to eat it all, since he felt a little sick from suddenly eating in the first place. He's learned over the years that eating a lot after not eating in a long time could cause him to get sick and not be able to do much for a bit. He hated when that happened, since it was like his body was deliberately trying to work against him. He could only hope that it won't happen to him right now, that wasn't something he thinks they could handle at the moment.
He was glad that Mono seemed to be doing better than earlier. He was scared that Mono would lock up for a while after they killed The Hunter. Seven didn't enjoy death any more than Mono did, but he was more used to it. He would have to make sure Mono remained okay for the next few days.
Actually, what were they going to do now that they were free? Seven did not plan for anything after escaping, as he didn't know much about what lay in the world other than the Maw and a few other faraway places. He didn't believe that Mono had anything planned either. Sure Seven thought about trying to find a place that he wouldn't have to worry about his next meal or who was after him, but now that he was out here he doesn't know if a place like that exists.
"So what are we going to do now?" Mono was surprised to hear Seven's voice again, it seemed like Seven was feeling more talkative today. It was too bad that Mono didn't have an answer. He didn't know what to do from here. He wasn't the type to plan things and more so wandered around. The only times he deliberately left a place was to get away from something, mainly through a television. That was the only moment his weird powers came in handy.
Now though, Mono did have somewhere he wanted to go. A safe place for him and Seven. It might be a place that didn't exist, but he wouldn't know if he didn't look. He won't find it staying here, he knew that. There could be other people he didn't know about in the forest, or more people might start showing up since The Hunter is dead. They would have to leave, he knew it, he was sure of it. "We need to leave this place, who knows what other dangers remain here."
Seven nodded his head, fully agreeing. He didn't want to know if there was something else out in this wasteland. Then he thought about how he ended up here after landing in the ocean, perhaps that's what separated everything. They could cross the water and find somewhere new and get away.
Right now he only felt tired, and the thought of moving again made his bones ache. He didn't say anything, not if Mono wanted to leave right away. He has already been enough of a burden, he doesn't want to hold back Mono anymore. He was surprised that the boy still wanted him around and was willing to help him, it was a miracle surely because Seven might have died in that forsaken house.
Mono sat there, thinking of what to do much like Seven at the moment, but he glanced over at Seven to try and see if he could tell what he was thinking. That's when he realized how exhausted Seven looked, his shoulders hunched and head loosely hanging. That's also when he felt how tired he was too. After everything that happened in the last twenty four hours, how could they not be in need of rest?
With that, Mono began taking off his coat, now used to it from their past nightly routine. Seven gave him a confused look and Mono shot one back at him until he figured out why Seven was looking at him like that. "Um," Mono was trying not to stutter. "I thought we could rest up and then leave?" Seven seemed to understand and shrugged his shoulders, not attempting to answer with his throat already becoming sore. Mono took off the rest of his coat and gestured for Seven to lay down, which he obliged and curled up on the ground. Mono laid close to him and put the coat over top of them both, not wanting Seven to be cold. He wasn't used to sharing his coat or taking it off in general, but he didn't mind when it came to his new friend.
It didn't take long for Mono's small breaths to become deeper and more even. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Seven who was still laying awake. He was warm and pretty comfortable to be laying on wood floor and close to a rotting man, but sleep wouldn't come. It might've been all the thoughts running through his head while all he wanted to do was forget about it and shut down. He needed sleep, so why wouldn't it come to him? Again it seemed as if his body was working against itself.
After a while longer, he couldn't take it anymore and rolled over to face Mono, using the boy to block the remaining dim light from the window. He clamped his eyes closed and demanded for sleep. It still wouldn't come, his mind was still too worked up over everything. He would get like this every now and then, his mind would stay alert while his body wanted nothing more than to rest. He hated it, but he usually just ignored it until he eventually fell asleep, even if it took hours to happen.
Tonight though, he needed to go to sleep. He was going to need energy for anything that might happen tomorrow. Since he's gotten food all he craved for was water, which was very limited. Usually water was either too disgusting to drink or was from the sea and people were unable to drink it. It made Seven grateful for every sip of water he got, but he wished that he didn't have to worry so much about it. Hopefully tomorrow he could find some drinkable water and he and Mono could be hydrated once more to continue on.
That would mean he needed to sleep soon so he could have enough strength to do anything. He curled up tighter in a ball, the sleeping position he had the easiest time in while he slumbered. From the place he was in before he mainly started doing it to stay warm, but now it was just normal for him. He wondered how Mono slept like he did, his limbs spread out and sticking up in random places, sort of reminding Seven of a disformed starfish. The thought brought a smile to his face, but he then remembered that he needed to be asleep, not thinking about the boy next to him.
Said boy had suddenly draped one of his arms across Seven's head, the back of his arm lying awkwardly overtop him. Seven froze from the contact, but didn't try to force the arm off, since he was afraid it would wake Mono up. He closed his eyes again and tried to ignore the new weight on top of his head, proving to be more difficult than it seemed.
Shockingly, it didn't take too much longer for Seven to fall unconscious and in a deep slumber, his dreams undisturbed by any kind of nightmare. Everything was blank, unusual for the boy, but welcome all the same. These were the types of sleep that made him feel the most energized in the morning, so he was going to appreciate it.
When he did wake up that next morning, the arm on his head disappeared and he quickly realized that he was alone. Mono had once again left his coat on top of Seven, keeping him warm while he slept. He didn't like it when the other boy woke up before him, since it felt wrong for Seven to keep his coat while he got up to do things.
Seven rubbed his slowly opening eyes and peered around the small room. For a second he almost forgot that he was in a shack and not the room in the house he escaped from, and started looking for the corner with the music box that he would sometimes find Mono at. Then he remembered that they had made it out, and there was no more music box. That's why when he saw Mono was not in there, he didn't freak out but remained sitting down for a moment longer, wanting to enjoy the soft rays coming through the cracked door.
He may not like waking up in the mornings very much, but he did like the fact that they are almost always the brightest part of the day, where the sun rises up and casts warm rays down to bless everything it touches. It was the time the birds would sing the loudest and the crickets would play their last tune before turning in for the day. It was the time when the gray world turned somewhat colorful for a bit, allowing it to feel normal if only for the moment. The terrible things that happened all seemed to be forgotten for a second, making Seven feel like he could breathe for a second. This time was the only thing he looked forward to when he woke up. Well, not the only thing anymore. Now he had somebody to enjoy these mornings with.
Speaking of that person, Seven was starting to wonder where Mono had gone. He got up, picking up the coat, and was about to head out the front door when he stopped and stared straight at the rotting corpse that laid on the other side. The Hunter, who was becoming unrecognizable, had a huge hole in the middle of his chest, flies swarming that area the most. Small maggots could also be seen worming their way in and out of the exposed flesh, feasting on the smelly meat. The man's limbs had landed in a weird spot when he fell, making them awkwardly splay out around him. Which seemed so strange and unlike the man, even though Seven hardly knew him.
Seven had to quickly look away and swallow the already rising acid back down to his stomach. He tried hard not to breathe in as he walked back into the room and made his way to the window. Now it made more sense why Mono exited this way the day before. The corpse on the other side was disgusting and probably only reminded him of what they had done.
He was also glad when he saw that Mono was just outside the window, on the beach pulling a piece of wood more on the sand. Seven curiously looked at him as he walked over, not sure of what the paper bag boy was doing. He walked up to Mono and waited for him to notice he was there. Which didn't take long as Mono jumped whenever he saw a figure next to him, clearly spooked.
Seven almost laughed from the reaction but instead quietly apologized while trying to hide his smile. Mono only huffed, seeing the smirk that Seven was failing to hide and the amusement in his voice. That didn't stop a smile from blossoming on his own face though, not like he would tell Seven that.
"So, what are you doing?" Seven asked after getting himself to not laugh. Mono looked at him and thought it was obvious, but when he saw how Seven's expression didn't change, he knew that he was going to have to tell him for him to know.
"We're crossing the water to find someplace better."
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Yayyy another chapter uploaded on time! To be honest I'm not all that proud of this one, but it's good enough so here you go! I hope y'all still enjoy it. Also I've been very stressed lately due to school putting tons of work on me and me writing some fics for Halloween. Speaking of that, I'm planning on making several Halloween fics on various fandoms (including Little Nightmares), so if you're interested you can check it out on the 31st. Idk if I'll be able to get them all done though, since I have a lot to do for the next few days. Haha I hate what I do to myself sometimes