Chapter Nine

"I'm sorry, sir, but do you know somewhere my fainted friend and I can rest?" the young and concerned Snivy asked the Haxorus, the (old-looking) guy with those axe-like tusks on its face, and mustard-colored crests on its body, its grey underbelly and its red claws on its feet and hands.

"An Oshawott… hmm…? You can rest in this house that's for rent… or should I say 'for borrowing'?"

"You mean it's f-free, sir?"

"Well, yeah, sure, little girl. I can let you sleep unless…"

"…There's a catch?"

"Don't worry. It's easy!"

"W-well what is it then?"

The Haxorus held his hands at his back, sighing. "If you know how to play a musical note, then I'll let you in. And I don't mean any musical note, but a note played by a specific musical instrument. Do you know how to play that instrument?"

"Well, how am I to know when I don't know the instrument, sir (That's not easy!)?"

"I think you'll know."

"Okay. Maybe…" She trailed off, trying to think of the answer.

Then again, since you obviously know the answer, why would I tell you?

Seriously? You really don't know? Oh well. When people are too focused on one thing, they really want the flow of the story to tell everything. You people…

"Here's a clue, little girl: it's not expensive, it's not cheap, and it's not a flute, although it's close to one." He said, as he took pity for the girl who really thought… hard, too hard. "And it isn't a riddle. It's just a clue. If you ask me for a riddle, I don't know a thing." He added.

"…But I-I'm scared to use it. Someone just might…"

"Don't worry; no one will laugh at you. If I did, I would punch myself."

"B-but you're old! Wouldn't you get a bit 'too' hurt, sir?"

"I ain't old, ya hear? I'm as healthy as a person who jogs a million times!"

"S-sorry, sir. I-I was just concerned."

Snivy was going to say "No, that's not it", but the Haxorus just ignored her and told her to play.

"O-okay. Are you sure that you won't tell anyone?"

"Yes of course."

"O-okay…" Snivy grabbed a falling green leaf and raised it up. "Here… this might be out of the question, but… here."

"Now, play the note and I'll let you and your friend in."

"Okay." She laid down the Oshawott carefully on the grass and held her mouth to the leaf. "O-okay… then."

She did not know how she did it, but she… well, did it! She blew the leaf with her mouth, and the leaf practically whistled a tune. "This brings back memories…" she thought as the horrible memory came into her mind. Now, instead of smiling, she was frowning, and almost shedding a tear. She stopped playing.

"I-I'm sorry…I-I have something that… I…" she shook her head. "…Sorry, but that's all I can play. Is it…"

"Why it's perfect!"

Snivy flinched when she saw the gleeful Haxorus clap his hands. "You can go!"*

But the look in his eyes made her shiver when she entered the little house.

…

Snivy gasped. She shook her head when she slowly perfected her vision. "I'm gonna have a marathon of nightmares and flashbacks sooner or later…" She said to herself as she sat up from her bed.

"Hmm? Oshawott's gone." She wondered as she stared at the empty bed beside her. "He's probably…" she looked at the kitchen, but it was empty. "That's the only place that he could wander off to… hmm? What's this?"

She stared at a torn piece of paper that was taped to his bed. It had writing on it that was almost impossible to read but apparently readable at the moment:

I'm out doing stuff for Christmas. It's Christmas Eve tomorrow, don't ya know? Snow's starting to fall; It's late winter huh?

Sorry if you're feeling really lonely,

Oshawott

"Oh, I'm lonely, Oshawott…" she said in a hushed voice. "…I'm lonely."

*Flinching. Yep, it was an indirect Fake-Out.