Mable: Here we are with the next chapter; where Eight and Six search for Seven and Nine in the Beyond Lands, amongst the Sawdust Eaters. This chapter was shockingly difficult to write and I had to review Six's last adventure to write it properly. Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!
The Inmates Run the Asylum
Chapter Thirteen: Six and Eight into the Beyond Lands
"Be careful." Six murmured softly as he stepped forward from the grass onto the crumbly ground of the desert. Almost immediately it turned from normality into something direr. "If one of us isn't looking or doesn't have a hand on each other we can't look away, or we'll get separated from each other." Eight looked ahead into the distance, "That quickly?" Suddenly Six's hand grabbed onto his in a tight and protective manner, "That quickly." Eight looked back to the younger and immediately walked straight into something. "Oomph!" He grunted in pain and looked down at the table he had ran into.
It was a corner that caught his front and he rubbed it as he looked down at the object. "A table?" Six was disturbed as well but, not releasing Eight's hand, began to look over it for some sort of clue. "It changes, this place, but sometimes it can't change unless we're not looking. Underneath it he found nothing, but as he stood again he noticed that something else had slightly changed. Or at least he didn't notice that the table was set when he went under. "So what's this place actually called?" Eight asked as Six fiddled with a teacup. It was filled with yellowish water and some dirt had settled at the bottom of it.
It didn't have a scent or anything. "The Beyond Lands." Six answered and set down the cup as Eight crouched down, "Tables are a normal thing?" Six nodded in amusement, "Sort of. Furniture is. There isn't anything here though." He was surprised when Eight answered with, "So you checked this little door under the table?" The Artist sputtered and dropped down to peer under. As Eight had predicted, there was a small door on the underside of the table. The Artist crawled underneath, "Hold my ankle." He instructed and Eight got an amused look and took ahold. "Didn't think this was going to get this hands on."
It was a terrible joke and still Six felt a sudden heat coarse through him. He reached upwards and pushed the door open, standing to peek through it. It only led through the top of the table and knocked over some of the teacups when he opened it. Everything almost looked the same, even Eight's feet sticking out from under the table, except for something standing somewhat out in the distance. "…Eight, can you see those?" Eight looked out from under the table only to see it as well, tightening his grip on the Artist's leg. In the distance he could see what looked like a circle of tin soldiers.
They were stiff and covered in a thin layer of rust. They held fake guns and instead of faces there were paper cards somewhat pasted over their face. It was almost as though they were supposed to be reminiscent of card guards, but in a much more disturbing way. Eight actually shuddered, "That's creepy… Here, come out of that." Six crouched down curiously and climbed out from under the table. They could see that the tin soldiers were circling in every direction and Six sputtered, "This isn't good… We need to close our eyes, we'll go somewhere else."
Eight almost agreed before murmuring, "…Wait… I got an idea. It's either incredibly genius or really stupid." He pulled his hand back from Six, to the smaller's horror, and grabbed ahold of the wooden table. In a swift motion he flipped in onto the ground and crouched down. He tried to push at the doors, but naturally they wouldn't give. However, when he pulled back it opened to reveal something odd. A dark hole underneath it. "…It worked." Eight was almost alarmed and Six sprung forward, "Hurry! They're getting closer!" Eight grabbed Six's foot and looked over towards the soldiers.
Indeed they were much closer and he suddenly realized what kind of situation they were in. Six stuck his head inside the door only to realize that it wasn't a tunnel. Instead it was a curtain hanging around the hole, and tugging it free revealed the room to view. The floor of the room was filled with about a foot of water and looked close enough to drop onto. He reached back to grasp Eight's wrist and shifted himself. His feet were lowered into the hole and Eight moved him down. Finally he let go and prepared to land in the water. Instead his feet hit the top and stopped, him falling onto his backside onto the hard ground.
It wasn't water at all and instead was thick glass. It surprised Six and he looked upwards, "Careful." "I'm not going to fit down there." Eight pointed out in immediate response and looked back towards the soldiers. "But you have to!" Six insisted, "If you don't we'll get separated… And we probably won't find each other again." His voice was filled with fear, almost as much as what was on Eight's face when he looked back. "They're right behind me. I'm coming down one way or another." He tried to pull at the door only for it to peel away. He stared at it only to feel over the doorframe; it was like a waxy substance.
The Guard peeled a bit more away before squeezing himself through legs first. Six covered his mouth and stared; he couldn't help it, but he had to struggle not to snicker at how tightly the male had to squeeze through. Suddenly the Guard jumped down, landing on the glass which cracked beneath him. Immediately liquid spurted out from the cracks in the floor. Both of the Stitchpunks backed away from the crack and it elongated, water now shooting out with another pressure to strike the roof and doorway. The doorway got a strangely wavy look before peeling and melting, like a piece of wet paper.
Now the only doorway had vanished and the two were in a room that was rapidly filling with water. Six looked around frantically before suddenly noticing a narrow door in the corner. He waded over to it and turned the knob, "Here-Oh!" The knob dropped off into his hand and the hole that it had been wedged into gaped open. He felt around the crack of the door only to realize it didn't exist and was yet another waxy illusion. "Can you get it open?" Eight managed to get behind him, the water to his waist, and Six sputtered, "I can't! It's not really a door!" Horror welled in his optics as he looked back.
"Move, I'll get it down!" Eight insisted and Six slipped out of the way. The water was at his shoulders, so when he stumbled a little his mouth dipped underneath. The Guard looked back before firmly commanding, "Get on my back or something! I'll get us out of here!" The Artist didn't argue and hopped upwards, clawing along Eight's weapon and making it to his shoulders where he clung on. Eight braced himself before ramming his shoulder into the door. It slightly bowed in like wax instead of wood, but much thicker wax. It refused to give and he struck it again with all of his weight, it bowing slightly further.
He started notice that the bottom was giving a slightly bit more. Now Eight began to start kicking at the bottom and surprisingly his somewhat sharper indented feet began to break through. After a few kicks the waxy, clay-like door gave in at the bottom and water started to pull out. Eight expected this to drain the water and that his weight would hold him, and Six, steady in the room. The current of water was stronger than he could have ever anticipated it being. Suddenly he started to get drug downward. He growled a bit in strain as he struggled to hold onto the door and Six merely stared in horror.
Eight's fingers dragged down the door, leaving trails in the waxy structure. The small hole he kicked seemed to widen and sucked him inside. He only had a chance to take a breath before the world was a mismatch of swirling water and bubbles. He flailed his arms around in an attempt to grab something as he felt Six still holding onto his shoulder guards. Six managed to get his head out of the water quicker and was blinded by the sun which suddenly appeared. Eight managed to pull himself upwards and looked around as well, but he was more in a panic, not paying attention to his surroundings.
While Eight struggled to grab for some wet rocks surrounding them, Six suddenly realized that they washed out of the room and into a stream of some kind, but before he could dwell Eight suddenly knocked into the bank. Eight grabbed at the large tufts of grass while the water continued pulling Six down the way. "Eight!" He cried after the larger male who looked over to see the striped Artist floating away. Before he could get too far Six suddenly found himself halted, his backside and legs landing on a rocky and sandy bottom, suddenly getting into suddenly shallow water and beaching himself.
Mismatched optics blinked as he stared at the Guard who stared back. Then Six finally stood and quietly waddled over to the bank, his canvas soaked with cool water. The sun kept him feeling comfortable as he climbed onto the bank and sat in the grass to catch his breath. Eight climbed onto the bank and started over before standing beside him. He looked down at Six who reclined in the grass, his hands resting on his belly. "Hmm?" Six inquired, trying to figure out why he was looking, and Eight looked towards the stream instead. Wax from the room was starting to float down.
A large mass of the substance, which may have been the entire room itself, flowed down the creek before spreading out along it and overtaking it. The brownish beige wax then shifted strangely and formed lumps and indentions in itself. Grass and tiny trees suddenly sprung from it and covered the wax. The wax which then seemed to morph into a more dirt-like substance. In only a few short seconds the creek vanished and a new mass of land had appeared where it once was. Eight watched it until he chuckled a bit. Six looked to him again questioningly. "I think I'm losing it." The Guard remarked in amusement.
Six smiled back and replied, "I think I'm already there." Eight offered him a hand and Six gave a hesitant look as though he expected Eight to draw it back when he reach out. Regardless he finally reached forward and took it, smiling wider as Eight didn't trick him. But instead of pulling him to his feet the Guard glanced upwards and hesitated, staring at something past him. "…What?" Six asked with dread and Eight responded with, "There's a doll over there." Six sputtered, "What?" He turned his head to look back past him. Sure enough there stood a porcelain doll.
Its glassy eyes and pale face didn't show any visible emotion as it stared at the two Stitchpunks. Suddenly it stiffly turned around, its head turning to look back only once, and rushed off through the weeds. Six pulled himself to his feet with Eight's hand as leverage. "I-I think it's a Sawdust Eater!" He sputtered out and the Guard grumbled, "Of course it had to be a china doll." Six briefly questioned before realizing that he was referring to the Seamstress. The Artist still encouraged, "But she'll probably lead us in the right direction." He started to climb through the tall grass after the doll, and the Guard reluctantly followed.
The thick grass obscured Six's vision, but he could hear the sound of grass rustling before him. "Wait, please!" He gasped out to the creature dashing away. Finally he shoved the grass out of the way and could see the doll who was pulling open a section of wire fencing. She noticed him and moved almost impossibly quicker, vanishing into the fencing. Six hurried over to the front and tugged at it. It was a strange type of wire, like a netting wall to keep something confined, and he tried to drag it out. It was almost stuck and he rested a foot on the edge before pulling.
It wasn't until Six's foot slipped and hit a wall, a wall that was painted like a greenery and sky background, that he noticed that they truly were in some sort of room. He looked towards the sky and now could see the sun better, and the wire that attached it to the blue ceiling. "It looked so real!" He mentally noted and Eight appeared, grabbing onto the edge of the door and helping him pull it open. The door drug along the dirt as it was pulled open. Six stepped inside and allowed himself to wait for Eight; after all it had become a bit darker inside.
The walls were still of the wire material with distant wood walls that kept him from seeing outside. If there was an 'outside' past the walls. The Artist quickly spotted some of the doll's dry hair as she disappeared out of view far into the hutch. "I see her. Or saw her." Six pointed out and looked back towards the large male who shut the door behind them. Six waited until he was done before rushing ahead and starting on the next door. Eight helped him and then they continued to the next room, which they could see through the wires. Then the next small room, and the next small room, and the next, and then the next.
By the fifth Eight noticed that his head was dangerously close to the ceiling. By the sixth he had to lean down. Soon he was crouching and while Six didn't have to he noticed that the room was shrinking. "She was… She was just right there." Six explained as he peered through the wire doors in the distance. Eight shrugged and worked on the next one, "It can't go on forever. Eventually we'll- It's getting even smaller?!" The roof in the next room was down considerably and Eight groaned, "You'll need to crouch and I'll need to crawl." But suddenly the Artist became hesitant, imagining that the roof would continue closing.
"No…" He looked back at the grating behind them only to notice it changed. "…It would go on forever, but not if we go back." The Guard looked back only to look surprised, "…It changed. It changed that quickly." Six nodded slowly and stepped aside so that the larger could open it. Once the door opened Six peeked his head out and could see something much different. On the other side was a small pantry lined with shelves, though it was human sized compared to the Stitchpunks. There was an actual door that led in, but it was sealed closed and looked undisturbed.
Six stepped out into the pantry and looked at the rows of shelves lined with cans and jars. There was no sign of the female doll whatsoever so they were currently at a standstill. "Where now?" Eight asked quizzically and Six sighed softly, "I don't know…" He detected a depressed tone and shut the grate before looking to him, "Something going on?" The striped one bit his lip, "Yeah, Eight, something is going on…' He fondled with his key before taking it off and simply staring at it. "I… I think it was a mistake, me coming here…" He then added in quickly, "Not to the desert, but to Wonderland."
"What do you mean by that?" Eight asked in confusion and Six murmured, "You'd think that someone as insane as me would be able to figure out everything down here, but I can't… And I feel like every time I come back I cause everything to go wrong." When he paused to take a breath Eight broke in, "Six, you're not crazy." Though unfortunately for him the smaller shot back with, "Of course I am. You told me yourself, and you know what? You were right." The larger winced at that and exhaled softly, "I say a lot of things, Six, that doesn't mean it's true."
Six still seemed disturbed and Eight reached out to grab his shoulder, turning him further towards him, "I don't know why now you're suddenly discouraged, but listen to me-…" He paused and started at the smaller, and Six became confused, "What is it?" Eight's face twisted in suspicion, "So what is it? What aren't you telling me? Because this was how you were acting after the Diamond Kingdom-." Six interrupted desperately, 'I'm not hiding anything! I swear, I just… I'm frustrated." He looked upwards at the ceiling of the dim pantry, "I'm frustrated with myself. I wish I could do more."
"And?" Eight coaxed, but Six stayed firm, and so the Guard let himself soften a bit. "…Alright… You know, sometimes your weirdness, your differentness, made me feel normal." Six looked to him in surprise, "It did? But… But Eight, you are normal." Eight bluntly scoffed at this, "Normal? I'm a walking freak show. Err…" He suddenly remembered the smaller male's dislike of the work 'freak' and worked around it. "I was always the odd one out in the group before you were created, and even then you're still the right size… Maybe that's why I was harder on you, maybe it was something else, but nothing I said had merit."
The Artist seemed torn and looked downwards, "Oh, Eight… I never took what you said- When you used to- I don't think I'm like this because of anything you said… I think it because even now I don't have any control. No control here, not even of my thoughts anymore…" He could remember the incident at the Diamond Kingdom well. It still haunted him even now. "I'm in the same boat, Six. It's not like I really know what I'm doing. I thought nothing game sense before, down here- I'm guessing it's 'down' here." He started to look around the pantry and Six almost playfully added in, "I think I was created before you too."
"Nah, you're younger than me… Right?" Eight suddenly looked curious and Six paused and blinked, "I… I don't know actually… I thought I was, but if I was created first then wouldn't I be older?" The Guard shrugged, "Yeah, I guess- No… No, because the twins aren't older than either of us and they were born before both of us…" They stood there until Eight broke down in a few chuckles. "We're both losing it now." Six chuckled a little as well, finally feeling himself lighten a bit. Though this suddenly changed as Eight reached forward and rested his hands on the smaller's shoulders.
It was a sudden gesture and for a few seconds Six just looked down at him. Affectionate gestures from Eight were very rare and something in the touch elected a warmth in him. He smiled upwards at Eight and fought with the light that wanted to spread across his face. He looked upwards again to Eight and was pleased to see that he was smiling a little too; this was new for the both of them. That was until his mismatched optics focused past the larger to a small window at the top of the pantry. There peering through the glass with its hands cupping the window was the Sawdust Eater doll.
"Eight!" Six cried out and Eight retracted his hands. A brief look of concern or fear appeared on his face. Almost like he thought that Six was calling him out on his actions. "No, not that! That was nice! It- There!" Six decided to halt the babbles and pointed towards the window. The larger looked back to catch a glimpse of the doll before Six sprinted towards the pantry. "Maybe she can help us." He insisted, "Or at least take us somewhere. Maybe she knows where Nine and Seven are." He pulled out a slightly open can and climbed onto it, the lid sinking in slightly into what smelled like salty liquid, and climbed to the next shelf.
Eight followed and managed to climb quicker as he could reach the shelves with less effort, but Six somehow stayed in front of him as he climbed seven or eight shelves. By time he got to the top Six was feeling an uncomfortable soreness in his arms, but dashed over to the window and unlatched it. He then stood aside as Eight came forward to hoist it open, still practically in awe at how easy it was for the guard. Once it was shoved open Six slipped underneath and stepped into an alley courtyard. The size had changed again and the alley was proper sized for both Eight and Six. It had to have been a pantry in the basement as well.
The courtyard was small and led to a series of concrete steps winding into a building. Again the sky was visible, and as Six looked upwards he was amazed at how far the buildings stretched. "Do you think… That's the real sky?" He asked Eight who answered with a shrug, "Don't know… Even if it was, how are we gonna climb that?" He then looked forwards to the steps, "She must have gone that way. Or I'm guessing it was a girl. It was wearing a dress." He followed by looking directly at Six who lightly blushed and almost shielded his clothing, "It just looks like a dress." He corrected and Eight smirked, "Yeah. Maybe hers does too."
Then he began to stride to the steps, climbing them quickly and once again being shaded in the dim lighting inside of the concrete structure. The stairs led to a small concrete bridge over stairs further below and stairs somewhat forward. "Which way?" Six asked before a sudden snap interrupted him. He gasped in alarm, "That- This way!" He barged past Eight and down the steps, them circling around to the lower steps and guiding down a damp, narrow hall. "Slow down!" Eight called after him, "I'm having trouble keeping my eye on you." At that Six abruptly stopped and Eight ran into his back.
"I didn't mean stop." Eight added in and Six reached back to lay a hand on his chest, to quiet him. "Eight, look!" He exclaimed quietly. Down the hall at a corner they could see the doll. Oddly enough it was now doll sized compared to them and its leg was pinned in a large mousetrap. Six shushed Eight again to keep him quiet and inched ahead, "It's okay…" As he crept closer the Sawdust Eater noticed and tried to pull away from the mousetrap. "No, don't, you'll hurt yourself." He insisted and knelt down beside the trap, reaching forward and grasping the metal holding her down. Surprisingly to him he could pull it back.
As the trap was loosened she slipped out and he smiled, "Better?" As he tried to set the trap to the side it snapped closed again, pinching his finger briefly before he pulled it free. "Ah!" He shook his hand out and could hear a small chuckle from Eight. Six fought with the idea of sending the Guard an unimpressed look to show his own feelings, but the Sawdust Eater came forward instead. She tenderly took his hand and pulled it forward, pressing her parted, pink painted lips against his large hand in a show of gratitude. Six felt heat fill his cheeks and gave an awkward smile down at the female, "Thank you…"
The Sawdust Eater looked upwards at him and Six pleaded, "Please, our friends are stuck down here somewhere. Their names are Nine and Seven; one's the March and the other's the White Queen. We have to find them!" The Sawdust Eater raised a hand to her lips, face still not changing, and paused for a while before nodding. Suddenly it began to run down the hall. Six looked back at Eight and smiled, "Let's go! I think she might help!" Eight looked a bit impressed and the two followed behind her. After a short walk they appeared at a door at the top of five short steps. The Sawdust Eater pointed to it, but didn't approach.
"I'll go first." Eight insisted and started to climb the creaking steps which struggled to hold his weight. Six sat down on the floor and the Sawdust Eater climbed into his lap, where he held her affectionately. The large male peered inside of the room and looked around. It was a strange room; it was actually wooden instead of concrete and along the walls were more shelves, like another pantry. On the walls were a series of displays. Some held stuffed animals, some held skeletons of animals, some held butterflies incased in glass and held with tacks, and all of the items were unnerving.
Eight groaned in distaste and continued to another door, this one rickety and missing a doorknob, covered in scratches. "Yeah, this isn't disturbing or anything." Eight remarked with a grumble and opened the door only to see a nearly empty room, save a box in the center on a table. He could hear talking as he approached and peered inside. It was more than a box, it was a top view dollhouse. With a roof of glass covering it, muffling the noise from inside, there were four small rooms inside. The dollhouse had a bedroom with two beds, a bathroom a small kitchen, and a sitting room inside.
Along with this were two small dolls who Eight recognized as Nine and Seven. He knocked on the glass and both looked upwards from their place in the sitting room. There was surprise and relief in both of their optics as they stood, calling out. Eight could hear their muffled words. "Eight!" Wonderland Nine cried in surprise and joy, "What are you doing here?!" Seven interrupted him and added with, "Let us out! Quickly! We have to get out of here!" Eight nodded, "I'm on it." There was a strange thumping noise back in the pantry and Eight guessed that Six was crossing through. He wedged his fingers under the heavy glass and lifted it.
While it was an easy task for him, Eight doubted that Seven and Nine would be able to lift it at their size. He set it aside on the floor before reaching in. "How did you get down here?" Seven asked in surprise, "I thought they were still guarding the door… And where are your clothes?" She seemed confused as she was carried and Nine glumly added in, "Maybe they took his stuff too." Indeed, Nine was missing a hat and his rabbit ears were visible, twitching and listening for any threats nearby. "It's a long story." Eight announced, "There's two of me, two Nines, the kingdoms' are in danger, and Six is outside."
"Six?" Seven asked and Eight nodded, "He came down the Rabbit Hole." He was going to say more when he opened the door and could see what happened. All of the skeletons, the stuffed creatures, the displays, everything was turned to face the doorway and the Stitchpunks. Eight already knew that there was going to be trouble and placed Nine and Seven on his shoulders. "Hold on…" He could see Seven pull out a tiny, white, clock hand spear threateningly. "It's them." It was almost as though this triggered something as the creatures suddenly went insane.
There was a mixture of clatters and clicks as the bone animals, most with large gaping maws and heads too big for their body, jumped down and started to run circles around the large male's feet. He began to run down the hall with heavy footsteps, dodging the butterflies and moths that had pulled from their display and were now flying around his head. What looked like a crudely stuffed rodent with awkward buck teeth bit his foot and while not affecting the metal it got a short cry out of Eight as he barreled through the door, stumbling down the steps. Six stood with a start and was interrupted before he could ask.
"Run!" Eight commanded and Six turned to zip down the hall, the larger following, behind him the rabid Sawdust Eaters. "Do you know the way?" The March Hare asked as he stared back at their captors. "Which way?!" Six promptly asked the doll in his hands. She paused and then pointed off down a separate hall that only just seemed to appear. It was wooden and carpeted with an antique rug, leading them to another small flight of winding stairs, then abruptly ending at a wooden wall with a small grate near the floor. "There!" Six announced and crouched down, attempting to pry it off.
"I'm not going to fit through that." Eight pointed out and followed with, "Move over." Six went to slide and then paused, "No, wait, I've got it." He leaned back, nearly onto Eight's himself, and kicked the vent. "They're coming!" Seven warned as she looked down the stairs from Eight's shoulder. Six gave another firm kick and the vent fell inwards. Six set the Sawdust Eater girl inside and looked back towards the Guard, reaching upwards. Seven and Nine were set into the Artist's hands and he placed them in the vent tunnel as well. He then started to crawl inside.
Eight managed to squeeze in behind him, the Sawdust Eaters clawing at his legs. Six had to close his mismatched optics to block out the growing feeling of claustrophobia. It was starting to gnaw at him as he scrambled along the metal square of a tunnel. He could hear Nine speaking, "It is… Getting smaller?!" Six's optics closed tighter and soon Nine remarked, "We're going to have to crawl…" A short time passed until he added in, "Eight, how are you still able to fit?! Are you-…Oh!" Six's optics were still clenched and he trembled a bit until Nine added in, "Oh, that's it!" He gave a slight chuckle of amusement.
Six finally peeked and could see Nine looking back at him. Unlike what he expected the tunnel hadn't shrunk, but Nine himself had grew, and the crooked smile was so similar to the other Nine's that for a moment Six forgot they were different Stitchpunks. He smiled back until Eight suddenly stumbled into his back awkwardly. The striped male blushed in embarrassment and continued further on until the tunnel ended. As Seven started to climb out the gravity seemed to shift and a horizontal tunnel opened into the barren center of the Beyond Lands. "Careful climbing out. It's a little… Strange."
She climbed out, Nine followed, then Six and Eight followed afterwards. The Guard watched the vent carefully as Six looked to the two. Nine looked basically the same as he was before. Seven had slightly different armor; it looked a bit lighter and the bone that made it seemed to have intricate carvings in it, most fleur-de-lis symbols. Regardless the armor looked better cared for as though she had been using it more since their first adventure. "We've been looking for you! Two, Nine, Five, all of us! They just- Five got injured so they had to head back and-!"
He rambled and Nine spoke, "Whoa, slow down. What's going on?" The Artist smiled and insisted, "I'll explain on the way. First…" He looked around and noticed the Sawdust Eater doll watching nearby. "Thank you for your help! Do you know the direction to the Hearts Kingdom?" The doll hesitated, as she did, and then pointed out past them. The Artist thanked her and stood, "Then I guess… We should leave. You can come if you want." The doll didn't give an answer and soon the group started to head off through the desert, Eight leading the way.
"Let's go…" Eight insisted and sighed in relief, "And let's be glad that nightmare is over."
Mable: Once again, the Beyond Lands are fully inspired by the Alice in Wonderland movie made by Svankmajer. It's currently able to be found on Youtube and is worth a watch! It is unlike any Alice movie I've seen and manages to pull off a curious and even occasionally creepy atmosphere. The next chapter will be finished soon; I hope everyone enjoyed!