It happened 7 years ago. The day I was created. I was created for one purpose and one purpose alone: to be a birthday gift for our master's granddaughter. Her name is Karrie. Around that time, I think she was…maybe six? Yes, I think that's it. Master loved her so much…he poured his heart and soul into every stitch he made in me. Even when I was barely scraps and ribbons, I knew I was going to be something special. I felt so excited when I was finished. As he tied a red bow around me, he called out Karrie's name. She was playing in the corner with some sticks she found, but dropped them as soon as she heard Master.
I very clearly remember being torn out of Master's hands (not literally, thank goodness) and into her's.
"Thank you so much! I love it!" she cried. She looked like the happiest person in the whole wide world. But her expression shifted to one of confusion quite quickly. She pointed to a place on my green, stuffing filled body that I couldn't see. "What's this patch here for?" she asked as she turned me towards Master. Master just laughed nervously.
"I uh, may have ran out of fabric…I'm sorry if it's not—" Master didn't even get to finish his sentence before Karrie interrupted.
"It's okay." She snuggled me tightly before putting me on her head for the first time. "I love him just the way he is~!" Her head was very comfortable. Her hair felt soft against my insides, and it would bounce constantly under my brim as she walked.
"I think it might like you, too!" Master noted. He was right. On the outside, I never moved, but on the inside, I felt like I wanted to squeal with joy. She's only had me for a few seconds, and she already loved me. To her, I was perfect. And to me, she was perfect.
For the next few weeks we went everywhere together. It was basic kiddy things, playing outside, going to the park with her and Master, and enjoying the occasional snack (or at least they did. I couldn't eat). Every night before she went to sleep, she'd never forget to bring me along to comfort her. It was so nice…but we weren't alone for long.
While Karrie and I had some quality time, Master was working on something special. Neither of us knew what it was, or whether or not it was another birthday present, but we didn't care.
That changed when Master suddenly called out her name. Quickly, she scooped me up, placed me on her head, and rushed over to Master. When we arrived, Master was in his sewing chair, as usual, but he was holding something that I couldn't quite see. Karrie started bouncing with excitement when she noticed what Master was holding. It was the project that he was working on for all those weeks. "What is it? What is it?!" She was this close to bounding off the walls with excitement. I was a little excited too, but in the back of my mind, there was a thought that scared me:
What if the new thing Karrie is getting…replaces me? It had only been a little while, but it was a possibility. I started to panic. Karrie could've gotten tired of me, or she could've told Master to make something else behind my back and then leave me, or—
"Aaaah! A blanket! Thank you so much~!" Karrie squealed, crashing my train of thought. I focused my attention to what was going on down below. Karrie was holding the blanket that Master made, and she was holding him just as lovingly as she did to me. The blanket was adorned with a baby blue bow that held its folded self together. I could tell from quiet muttering noises I heard that it was asleep, but also happy with the love and affection. She lifted a corner, showing a green underside to the blanket.
"I made that part using the scraps from your hat there," Master pointed out. "Looks nice, don't it?" I have to admit, it did look nice on the lil guy.
"Oh, yes, yes, YES! Thank you so much!" Karrie ran around and snuggled the new blanket tightly. She then dashed over to her play corner and began to pretend the blanket was a monster attacking the poor dolls strewn across the floor. She didn't even seem to remember me until I accidentally fell from her head. "Oops!" She cried. "You wanna play too, huh?" She then went on to pretend that I was helping the blanket monster terrorize the poor civilians of Dalespring (That was the fake town's name. Very creative, I know.). She continued to play with us until dinner came around.
Normally I'd sit on the table next to her plate, or, if she was feeling playful, give me my own seat to sit on. Not today. That blanket took my place while I sat on her head still. I was getting worried. Was I correct about the blanket replacing me? Was she really getting bored of me? Who was I gonna blame for this, the blanket or her?
No. It's not her. It COULD NOT have been her fault. She's a nice girl. Heck, I was sure she still thought about me sometimes. But I was sure that it was that blanket's—no, that THING'S plan to get me out of the picture. He could be brainwashing her with his plushiness for all I knew.
No, stop it! you're acting crazy, I thought. It's just a phase. She's just…excited. I kept telling myself that whenever the idea of that thing kicking me out made me angry. I eventually believed it. Until Karrie finished up and decided to go to bed early.
Not unlike previous bedtimes, she kept me close by her side to watch over her. But the blanket…she kept him even CLOSER. I was still in her arms, yes, but I was behind the newbie. Farther away from my owner. My idea was affirmed now. He WAS trying to make Karrie love him more and it was WORKING. I didn't sleep a wink that time. Instead, I planned. Planned to get that thing out of here.
I decided to start at breakfast. I knew that dirty things always get cleaned, but if they're REALLY filthy, they get thrown out. What's the stuff that always does clothes in? Food.
I just had to get him all covered in food, he'd be gone, then Karrie'd be mine again. That morning, I initially saw no opportunities to carry this out…until Karrie took a bathroom break. She placed me on the table, excused herself, and dashed off, abandoning her syrupy, mostly eaten pancakes. I was right next to him now. Perfect. Now, I needed to get him messy. I decided the best way was to get him on the floor, then dump the food on him. I checked him to make sure he didn't know I was there. All I heard was the occasional mumble of a sleeping, vulnerable blanket. The coast was clear.
At least, it would have been if I hadn't hit a roadblock. I was so busy planning that I hadn't taken into account the fact that I couldn't move. So none of this would even be possible. I felt a combination of rage and embarrassment wash over me. Because of my idiocy, that thing is gonna keep Karrie, and I'm a goner. The thought of it just made me angrier. I could feel myself heating up. I felt like I had reached a boiling point when…I fell over. Right into the blanket, knocking him off the table. He landed with a soft "pomf" on the ground, and didn't stir a bit. No one heard a thing. Not even Master, who was only a room away reading a newspaper and eating pancakes, too.
Did I… move? I asked myself. I had. I HAD moved! On my own! I tried getting up, and I managed to fling myself upright again. Anger really does makes you stronger, I guess. And now, I could execute the other half of the plan perfectly. With an internal smile, I scooched over to the plate and pushed. As the plate scraped the table, it made quite a bit of noise. So I pushed pushed the plate in bursts. Push, wait, push, wait, push, wait. Eventually I reached the edge. The plate of pancakes was tottering on the table's end, syrup dripping and cakes slipping, right above the blanket. Mustering up my newfound strength, I gave the plate a good hard shove.
As the plate hit the ground, the blanket awoke with a yelp as it was covered in syrup, pancake pieces, and plate fragments. The loud crash that accompanied the food's fall alerted Master and Karrie (the latter just came out of the bathroom) to the mishap, and Master started to clean it up. I observed it all proudly. I just had to keep up the win streak and he's gone. As I looked around, I noticed Karrie had picked up the blanket and was hurrying him to the sink. To my shock, she started to scrub the blanket vigorously, trying to clean it.
What are you doing?! I internally yelled at her. Don't bother to clean him! He's finished! She didn't listen. The blanket became squeaky clean, and I became furious. Was she really that far gone already? My hatred only grew stronger, and I knew I could do nothing but push forward if I wanted her back.
I then felt myself being picked up and placed on Karrie's head as she told us we were going somewhere with Master. I didn't hear nor care where we were going. My focus was entirely on that blanket. That. Stupid. Owner-hoarding. Blanket. Many, many thoughts were running through my mind at the time, most of them filled with awful intentions. I heard the little blanket giggle with excitement, and I tensed up. That thing sounded so unbelievably pure. So sickeningly innocent. I wanted to vomit. It wasn't until I heard the train arrive when I knew immediately where we were going.
Karrie and Master only took this route when they went to Cafe Shanista. It's a place full of tasty cakes and sweets that would make anyone instantly hungry. Master always took Karrie there for special lunches if she'd been a good girl (which she always was). Once we boarded the train, she took a seat and placed the two of us on her lap. I've always liked train rides, but this was was insufferable. I was right next to—no, TOUCHING the bane of my existence.
I hate this. I hate this. I repeated to myself. I hate this. I HATE this. I HATE THIS. I HATE THI—
Whyyyy~? An innocent voice asked. I looked over to where it came from, and it piped up again. Why do you hate this? I like the train. It was the blanket. Talking to me. Great. I tried to avoid the conversation by staying silent, but it kept pressing. Why? Why? Why? Whyyy? Whyyyyy? Whyyyyyyyyyyy-yuh? I wanted to scream. So. Very. Badly. But, I somehow managed to stay collected long enough to give a non-ear piercing response.
I don't like being in tight spaces.
Oh. That makes sense. Brief pause. So you're Karrie's hat, huh? he asked.
Are you orange? Of course I am! I retorted.
Then…can I ask you something?
*sigh*…What?
What do you think of Karrie? Our owner? I didn't even have to think to say,
She's the most wonderful, caring person I know! If I could tell her how much I love her, I definitely would. I wanted to say so much more, but I held myself back. The blanket squealed in delight.
I feel the same way! It's only been a few days and I feel…so LOVED! Y'know, her hugs are the beeeee-est! Especially before bed!
Her head is very warm, too~! I could just sit there all day! My mind wandered off, thinking about all the positives of this girl. MY girl. It took me a second to remember who exactly I was talking to, and I started to snap out of my blissful state and fill with rage. Trying to stay calm, I decided to talk more. Maybe I could get something out of him. Maybe get him to admit what he's doing and force him to leave…? I can tell you love her a lot, don't you?
Mhm~! The blanket was in a state of bliss. She's my everything~!
Soooo…if someone else were to love her too, and this someone loved her more than you, would you, say, leave them alone?
But why? I can't just leave her! The blanket sounded adamant. She needs me to keep her warm!
But what if this person could also keep her warm? Maybe even better than you? What then?
Th-then… the blanket seemed at a loss for a second but quickly recovered with a response. I don't know what I'd do exactly… but if that did happen, I know she wouldn't replace me! She loves me enough the way I am! There was a brief pause before he continued. Say, why are you askin' all of this?
Uuuuh, no reason. Just curious. I lied. He didn't seem like he was planning on doing anything malicious. No plan to replace me, no abandonment, nothing. Or, at least, he wasn't saying it out loud. Yeah, that's it. He's bluffing. He's gotta be. Just gotta push a little harder.
"Arriving shortly at Springdale Central Station." The conductor said suddenly, making me jump. We were here already? That felt surprisingly short. Nevertheless, Karrie excitedly scooped us up and rushed us out into the cafe's direction, the desperate footsteps of Master clamoring behind us. In what felt like a flash, we were there. If I was every asked the question, "What's the definition of fancy?" my response would definitely be Cafe Shanista. Sure, it's small. But gosh, does it look pretty. Coffee cans pretty much line the back wall, along with some pretty mugs in one corner. Windows are everywhere, so the place basically has natural wallpaper. Everything looks so professional, like you know someone put their heart and soul into this place.
The selection of sweets is a mix. Yeah, it's got cookies, lemon squares, the basic stuff. But then there are the pancakes and the parfaits. Like I've said, I couldn't eat, but looking at that was the closest I'd ever get to being hungry at the time.
Razzle dazzle…! He stared at the lovely location with a childlike wonder and shivered with excitement. Seemed like he was capable of movement too, but only slightly.
Enjoy it, I thought, cause this is the first and last time you'll see this place. Despite the friendly exchange, I hadn't forgotten my plan. Friendly or not, try to replace me and you're going DOWN. Karrie placed us on one of the two tables and left to continue to look at the sweets while Master watched over us. Cute, sure, but this was going to impede my plan to ditch him. If he saw anything, my cover'd be blown. I had to wait for a distraction.
"Hey, Grandpa! Come look at this!" Karrie called out, coming in with the save.
"Coming, sweetheart!" He cried to her before leaving us behind. Now it was just him and me. Another perfect opportunity. This place was so far away from home, if Karrie were to come back for him, it'd be too late.
Aaaaah~! the blanket sighed, having turned himself around to face the glass case of baked goods. That looks good… Taking the opportunity, I scooched closer to him, gently nudging closer and closer to where he was until we touched. Unfortunately, he noticed and twitched in surprise. A-are you…? He seemed shocked and a little excited. …trying to cuddle me?
Uh—no—I—wait—no— Before I could even form a response, he whirled around and launched his flat body straight into mine, knocking me over.
Ahuhu~! No need to be shy~!
No—stop—there's been a mistake, stop— The blanket couldn't hear my cries underneath his soft, squishy body. Or he was ignoring me. But either way, I was stuck between a blanket and a hard place.
I was pinned down for what felt like hours until Karrie came back with her dessert of choice, a cheesecake slice, and noticed our situation.
"Hm? You guys are together?" She sat the two of us upright, but still close. "I should ask Grandpa what that means. It might have something to do with the tsu-ku-mo-ga-mi stories he tells me!" Tsukuma-what now? I had never heard that word in my life, and I was sure the blanket hadn't heard of it either. She sat down on the chair we were closest to and began to eat the cake quietly. The blanket, still against me, started nuzzling.
I love you already, he sighed, You're nice, you like cuddles…that's more than I could ever ask for! What was this guy trying to do? Charm me? After what he's done so far, I'd LOVE to see him try. Suddenly, Karrie scooped me up and placed me on her head. As I was carried away, I heard a disappointed "Awww…" from the blanket. I sighed in relief. Finally some space. Master soon came over and sat down, with a strawberry shortcake as his choice.
"Grandpa," Karrie started to ask, "I found the hat and blanket a little closer when I came back. They looked like they were cuddling." I felt her head tilt underneath me. "Does that have anything to do with Yo-kai?"
"Indeed it does," Master started, munching on his cake. "Remember when I told you that all objects have souls?" Karrie nodded. "Well, a soul starts out very weak, and can only feel emotions. Over time, it be comes stronger, becoming capable of slight movement. Whenever you see something knocked over or on the ground, and you swear you didn't leave it like that, that's the reason." He took a small bite of cake before continuing. "The key to development is emotion. If an object feels strong emotions, regardless of the kind, its soul will grow. It seems that your little friends have grown quite a bit since you first got 'em." Another bite of cake. "As for the cuddling, they might be seeing each other as friends, or heck even brothers." Brothers. The word echoed in my mind. No. No, no, no, no, no, NO. There was no way that I would EVER consider that thing a "brother". In my eyes, that thing was not related to me and I'd be very, very happy if he agreed.
"Awww…that's so cute…" she cooed.
Shoot me. I thought. Karrie suddenly jumped with a shocked "oh!"
"I should give them names, shouldn't I?" She looked to the blanket first. "Hmmm…Patches for the li'l brother…" She then pointed to me. "…And Tatters for the big brother!" Hmph…of course the blanket gets named first…Not even a few seconds after I was named did an ear-piercing squeal ring through my body. Guess who.
Thank you, Karrie! I love it so much~! The blanket, who was now Patches, was practically seeping excitement. Quickly, he looked up to me. Big brother, this is the bestest day of my life~! I did a double take.
…What?
I said that this is the be—
No, the first bit.
Ohhhh, "big brother"? That's you~! I don't know what it means, but I think it sounds nice~! You don't mind, do you, big brother?
Uuuuuuh—
Good! Thanks, big brother! He said, tossing me into the role like a can into the trash.
"Grandpa, you done yet?" Karrie asked, having finished her cake already.
"Already?" he asked, shocked since he was only 3 bites in. "You must've been hungry, huh?" Karrie nodded. "…Alrighty, guess I can take this to go. Let's get back to the train."
"Okay, Grandpa." Karrie agreed.
As we took our seats in the train again, the blanket and I were once again seated next to each other. I could feel Patches jittering as he excitedly spoke.
Big brother! Big brother, that was amazing! When can we do it again, huh? Huh?
Silence.
Big brother…? he stopped jittering, and sunk down a little bit in disappointment. You okay…?
I didn't respond. I didn't want to hear any more of his nonsense. I could only feel boiling hot emotions coursing through me. None of my plans were working. And now, to Karrie and probably Master, we were family. I wasn't going to let this go on much longer. I knew what this meant. Last resort time.
If I couldn't get him dirty, and I couldn't ditch him, then the only option left…? Garbage dump. Where the truck'll chew him up and spit him out into nothing but a pile of stuffing and felt. I wasn't going to let this thing become FAMILY. This, yes, THIS was the thing that would end him once and for all.
We were home now. Karrie had taken us to bed and both her and Patches were sleeping. Once again, I was farther away. Carefully, I wiggled myself free of her grasp. Now close to Patches, I wiggled him free of Karrie, too.
Mmmmm… he wriggled in his sleep as he felt himself move. And yet he didn't wake. Propping him up, I pushed him across the room, and towards the back door. Since it's a sliding door with no lock, it was always slightly ajar. In went Patches, and I followed. The pile of rubbish was there. Gently, I managed to squeeze him in between two bags. Master always grabbed them in bunches, and I presumed the pressure of the two trash bags would keep him stuck. With Patches gone, I triumphantly went back to my rightful spot in Karrie's arms. She was all mine now.
Morning came and, as I suspected, Karrie started to panic. She searched everywhere for the blanket in every shelf, nook, cranny, and crevice she could find. She even checked where the trash pile once was, but it was gone. It broke my heart a little bit, seeing her like that, but I figured it would subside eventually. At least it was over. She sat at the table for breakfast, solemn and in tears.
"H-he's gone…*snf* He's gone…" Karrie's head was in her hands, and she refused to eat any of her toast.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart." Master comforted her. "I…I could make you a ne—"
"N-no! Don't replace him!" Karrie stood up in protest. "N-nothing ever could…" She looked up to me, and took me off of her head. "At least y-you're still here." She held me close. "I won't let anything happen to you…" I felt my heart lift upwards so much, I thought I was gonna take off and fly away. Her affection was mine once again. And yet…I felt uneasy. There was a pit of something forming in the back of my mind. But I shook it off. I spent the rest of the day as normal, and went to bed with no issues. Until I had a dream.
It was dark. I couldn't see a single soul anywhere. All I could hear were the sounds of someone crying. For some reason, I followed the sound until something came into view. It looked like an orange blob an first, until the shape became more defined and I quickly recognized the shape. It was Patches. I stopped in my tracks and gasped. The blanket stopped crying for a second, and asked in that familiar, childish voice,
Big brother…? Are you there?
Y…yes. I'm h-here… For some reason, I sounded scared. No matter how hard I tried to calm down, I just couldn't.
…I thought you loved me…I just wanted to be there for you… the voice started to quiver. Why did you leave me? Why did you leave me? Patches's voice echoed throughout the area, until the echoes became different voices entirely. Screaming out, WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?! WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?! WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?! WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?! The voices only seemed to multiply, growing and growing and growing in volume until…
I woke up. I was shaking so much. I looked around. It was night still, and I was still in Karrie's arms. What happened? I hated Patches with everything in my soul…why did my subconscious make me feel that way? Do I really feel guilty for this…? No, no. This'll subside. It has to. This is just morals getting in the way of everything, as they always do. But still…I swore I could still hear his cries as I sat there. Looking outside, I could see through the sliver of an opening on the door that it was rainy, and the ground was covered in mud. The cries were coming from outside.
Look, a voice in my head spoke up. You can't deny it any longer. You were awful to him, and he deserved nothing that you did to him. If he really is out there, then go apologize, and bring him inside. Despite what the voice said, I laid back down and tried to go back to sleep.
Waaaaaah! The cries from outside persisted. Big brother, big brother! Please! Someone, ANYONE! BIG BROOOOOTHER! My stone cold heart built to withstand Patches's nonsense started to crack. My guilt was growing stronger. It hurt. It hurt so much. Finally giving in, I launched myself towards the door and slid it open with strength I never knew I had. Sure enough, in the muddy grass, close to the patio, Patches sat there crying.
It's okay! Big brother's here now! I blurted without thinking. Patches was alerted to my presence and practically lit up with joy.
B-big Brother… He was gasping and sobbing like no tomorrow. You—Y-you really came…
Are you stuck? C-can you move? I asked. Patches tried wiggling around, but he was glued to the ground by the mud.
Yes, big brother! I'm stuck! He cried out. I didn't know what to do. If I went out there, then I'D get stuck, and we'd be trapped. Thinking quickly, I hurried inside and shoved a broom in between me and my ribbon. Rushing back outside, I laid down so the broom reached maximum length. I eased the broomstick into Patches's ribbon, then flicked upwards in an attempt to move him. But the bow untied itself and blew back into the house. Trying again, I laid back down and stuck the stick into Patches's folds instead.
Hold on, and don't let go! I cried. He obliged, and I could see his body tense up around the stick. Again I flicked upwards, and Patches broke free of the earth, ending up on the top of the stick dirty and grimy. Patches's body relaxed, and he fell down next to me.
B-big brother-r-r…! He was freezing cold and sounded like he was gonna cry. You-you saved m-me…! He was so elated that he forgot he was dirty and snuggled up against me. I snuggled back…then froze. I snapped out of my soft-hearted state and realized what I had done. He was back, and it was my fault. I groaned frustratedly and flopped over. Big brother…?
*siiiiiigh* You win… I threw in the towel at last.
Huh? What are you talking about? He asked innocently as he started to warm up.
STOP PLAYING DUMB! STOP TAUNTING ME! SHE'S YOURS NOW, GO AWAY! My voice became wavery. L-let me wallow in my losses…
L-Losses? What? Patches continued the innocence. Big Brother, please tell me what's wrong.
What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG?! I'll TELL YOU what's wrong! My voice rose beyond any volume I thought I was capable of. Ever since YOU came along, Karrie's been loving YOU and ONLY YOU. She stopped loving me because of YOU. I'M the reason why you fell off the table, I'M the reason why you got pancake on you, I'M THE REASON YOU WERE IN THE MUD. And yet… I took a deep breath. You're still here, happy and cheerful and pure. I've lost. You won. She's all yours. Patches stayed silent for a minute.
Oh…well… he said before another long pause. That's okay!
…What? What's with the forgiveness? I asked. There's no need! Just go with Karrie and leave me alone!
But you saved me! When I thought I was all alone and gonna stay stuck forever, you came for me! You may think of yourself as the bad guy but, he nuzzled me lovingly. You'll always be my hero, Big Brother! I love you! I could feel myself warming up with embarrassment.
S-stop buttering me up! I protested. Why are you even still with me? Go back to bed with her!
But you'll be cold, big brother! Just sleep in the bed for one more night? Please? He pleaded.
…Alright, I said. But only one night, and then you leave me alone, K?
Yay~! He cheered, and the two of us snuggled back into our positions as if nothing happened. Nighty-night, big brother!
…Night, Patches. He sighed deeply as he laid next to me, then conked out, snoring softly. I felt…bittersweet. On one hand, I lost my owner to a soft, squishy, puffball with zero backbone. But on the other, that puffball gave me just as (if not, more) unconditional love than Karrie ever could. I could see that now. Maybe he could bother me for just a while longer
. . .
"He's home! He's home!" Karrie snuggled Patches tightly with joy in her eyes, ignoring his earthy, dirty smell. I was behind him, seemingly unnoticed.
…Get used to this, Tatters… I told myself. This is only the beginning…
"Grandpa, Grandpa! He's home, he's really home!" she dashed over to Master's side, and he too started to laugh.
"Now I'll be…" he gave Patches a smile. I huffed.
"Hold on! Aren't we forgetting someone?" Karrie shifted our positions in her hands, and I was surprised. "Tatters stayed with me no matter what happened! That's good too, right?" My mood fizzled away, and I started feeling tingly.
"Of course! They both are gonna be great companions!" Master assured her. Patches shook a bit, and my "tinglyness" grew stronger. "Remember, you have to leave today, so don't forget anything now!" Patches gasped.
Leave?! Why?! Patches immediately looked at me. B-big brother, where are we going?
I-I…uh… I snapped out of my feeling and, taken aback, made something up. W-well, we're going to our second home! I immediately regretted what I said, and Karrie put us down in the meantime.
Huh…? Patches asked.
Yeah! Knowing I couldn't back out now, I kept going. You see, Master brings Karrie to two homes. One is his home, and when he gets tired, he brings her to another home where she's cared for! Then Master takes her back here when he feels good!
Hmmm…I guess it makes sense…soooo when do we come back?
I told you. when he's ready. And that changes a lot.
Ohh~! Now I get it! Thanks, big brother~!
You're welcome! I said with faux confidence. Looking around, I noticed Karrie was packing stuff into a bag. Oh! She's packing! Get ready to leave!
Yaaay! New home, new home! He cheered.
I'd didn't take long before, once again, we were crammed into a train full of people, on our way to our "second home". The ride was long, so long that Karrie and Patches fell asleep. Master and I stayed awake. Patches was so close, I could feel the warmth he stored from Karrie's leg. He mumbled quiet, unintelligible words. I sighed. He was—dare I say it—cute that way.
I looked up, and watched the little screen that said where the next stop was. The red text scrolled by, spelling out a location that I didn't recognize. It made me think about how far we were we from our old home. I looked back to Patches, who despite the constant rumbling and bumping of the train was still sound asleep. I could never fall asleep to that racket, even if I wanted to.
"*BEEP* Arriving shortly at Springdale Central Station." The loud, sudden intercom startled Master and me and woke Karrie and Patches up with a jolt. Patches perked up a little, only to sink back down into Karrie's leg.
Ahhhhh...Good afternoon, big brother! He giggled, unphased by the sudden noise.
"We're home!" Karrie started to bounce, and the train came to a stop. I looked at the window. The station beyond the door looked like nothing I'd never seen. There were people everywhere, mostly adults, who were bustling about the place. It was extremely bright and very expensive looking. Patches and I were practically gawking at the size of it...it was much bigger than anything we were used to.
Before we knew it, we were hoisted up and Karrie pushed herself out of the train, but not before giving Master a hug and a kiss. She put us up to his face, and he kissed us too with her insistence. Master waved goodbye as the train closed its doors, and Karrie was left in the hands of a man and a woman we didn't recognize.
"Mommy! Daddy!" She hugged them lovingly, and they hugged her back.
"Good to see you, Sunshine." Said the man. He then noticed us, squashed in between him and Karrie. "I see Grandpa gave you your birthday presents." Karrie pulled away and held us up in one arm each.
"Mommy, Daddy, this is Tatters," She shook me a little bit in the air. "And this is Patches!" She then shook Patches. I was unsure of these people, so I didn't greet them.
Hi, Mommy! Hi, Daddy! Patches cheerfully greeted the strangers.
What are you doing?! I snapped at him.
I'm greeting Mommy and Da—
How do we know we can trust them?
If Karrie trusts them, we should trust them too, right? I was about to retort again, but then I realized he was right. Karrie wouldn't trust some strangers.
Maybe... I muttered. Karrie placed me on her head and took "Mommy's" hand. We were led to a house that looked a bright blue in the moonlight. Karrie walked us inside, and up some stairs into a pinkish room.
"This is your new home, you two!" Karrie walked us over to a door and opened it up to reveal multiple articles of clothing. She pushed aside the junk, leaving a space large enough for the two of us to sit. She placed us gingerly into the spot, but not before giving us each a short peck beforehand. "Have a good sleep!" She said before closing the door and turning off the lights. It was very warm, and surprisingly comfortable in that place. We'd later learn that it's called a "closet". Patches snuggled up to me, giggling.
Big brother?
Yes, Patches?
I'm excited, and you wanna know why...?
...Why?
'Cause now, we get to spend the rest of our lives here! With Karrie...With Mommy and Daddy...and with each other! We're gonna have so much fun, Big Brother! If I had a mouth, I would have smiled.
Of course we will, Patches, I said as I started to drift off. Of course we will.