Stuck together on the Maw seeming to be the only two children trying to escape their prison. RK is too trusting, too ready to help someone who's made it clear they'll leave him behind. Six feels guilt twist in her gut every time RK tries to help her do anything. She doesn't need him, or anyone.
Six's head jerked up at the sound of someone calling out a soft 'hey'. Why did her chest ache when she looked at the kid standing next to her cage? Why did she feel disappointed? She felt like she should be looking at a familiar face but she didn't know why. She turned to look at where his cage had been. How had he gotten out of it? He called out to her again, his small hands reaching up to grab the bars of Six's cage.
Six stared at this kid bewildered as he started to pull on her cage. Kids didn't help each other very often in the Maw. Helping others never seemed to end well for anyone involved. Six didn't have time to dwell on this idea though. She flung herself against the cage sending it tumbling to the ground. The kid let out a yelp as he barely moved out of the way. Six landed hard, smacking her head against one of the bars. She was trying to ignore the pain while listening for any sign that the Janitor was coming back.
She let out a soft sigh relieved that the noise they made didn't seem to be enough to alert him. Six glared out the top of the cage at the kid. She stifled a groan at the pain in the side of her head. She stared at the letters etched into the kid's shackle. What did R.K stand for?
RK had flinched when he watched the girl hit her head against the cage. He watched her from where he lay on the ground trying to make sure she was okay. Didn't seem like there was any blood so she couldn't have hit her head that hard. RK cautiously moved to the top of the cage that had broken open. He offered out his hand to help her up. He knew his head would be spinning if he'd hit it as hard as she had. The girl pushed past him, though he didn't miss the glare she was giving him. He wanted to spit out that he could have left her in the cage, but kept his bitter words to himself. He watched as she rubbed the side of her head through her hood and looked around the room.
"I'm RK," He said quietly offering the girl a smile. She turned to meet his eyes. He couldn't see her face any more than he assumed she could see his. Long bangs covered his face and RK couldn't recall the last time he'd seen a pair of scissors.
"What's your name?" He asked watching her head tilt to the side slightly - RK assumed maybe she didn't have one. Or maybe she didn't even know what he was asking for. It happened, some kids never learned or forgot how to speak. Others seemed to speak an entirely different language.
"If you don't have one we could make one up. Or can you not understand me?" They stood there in silence that dragged on for far too long. RK almost felt like this kid was trying to size him up or figure him out. Kids didn't usually help each other, though even more rarely did they actively hurt each other. Something about this kid felt dangerous though. Like she was seconds away from snapping. RK could feel there was something different about this kid. She felt powerful and monstrous, like the adults of this world. He thought on that, and decided using her would be a good away to get himself to freedom.
She suddenly looked away from him like something was calling her attention. RK looked in the same direction at a pull cord that would open the door to the next room. It was too high up for either of them to reach it alone. RK thought about telling the girl to boost him up to grab it, but after looking at her he decided he better not. She looked like she would fall over with a strong breeze, there was no way she'd be able to help him up. So instead he stood under it motioning to her that he'd boost her up to pull it down. His smile was met with a scowl so deep he felt fear overtake his entire body.
Something in Six felt broken watching the kid. Her stomach churned like she was going to throw up. She could feel her face twist and she watched as the boy froze. She couldn't see the look on his face, but she knew he was terrified. The corners of her mouth twitched up slightly as she watched him. Something about him just felt so, vulnerable. Like the Nomes were when Six would hug them. He was much bigger than a Nome though and probably...
Six stomped over to RK pushing him to the ground. She didn't need his help. She'd made it this far without someone, she didn't need anyone now. Monsters weren't a concern to her. If her blurry memories were anything to go by then she'd faced worse than what was here on the Maw. It was just another thing to get around. Another obstacle standing in her way. Just like the kid who was now prying her hands off the cage she was pulling. She smacked his hand away giving him another firm push to the ground.
"You can't drag around kids in cages," He argued with her, standing up to pull on her arm this time. Six looked at him like he was losing his mind. These kids didn't care about escaping. If they did they would have said or done something to show they wanted help. This kid wasn't even looking up at them. They were slowly rocking back and forth in their cage. Somewhere in Six's mind she'd seen this before, but she couldn't recall when or where. She just knew helping kids in this condition wasn't worth her time.
She pulled the cage despite RK's protests. He was attempting to talk to the kid in the cage, but when his face fell Six knew he'd come to the same conclusion she had. You can't save those that don't want to save themselves. Giving RK a look that said 'finally' she climbed up the cage. She jumped grabbing the cord and fell back onto the cage with a loud bang - and the door closed almost as fast. She wouldn't be able to run fast enough to get through it.
"I'll pull it down," RK called up to her. She didn't hesitate to jump off the cage and go stand by the door. It was fine by her if he wanted to open the door for her and be stuck here. He could wait for the Janitor while she continued on her path. Six peered into the room before stepping though the doorway. The door the Janitor had gone through was shut and Six wasn't sure if there was any way of opening it. She turned around glad the door was still open, she wouldn't want to be stuck in here. Her eyes trailed up from the door noticing a hole in the floor above. She could climb up as soon as he closed the door.
She looked down at RK as he started swinging on the cord and then launched himself in her direction. Six wouldn't admit that she was disappointed when the door didn't land on and crush him. She supposed she had company for the time being. Part of her told her she was content with this, she wanted a companion. She looked over at the kid and squashed that thought like a bug.
"So what is your name," RK asked her again, standing next to her after they climbed through the hole in the floor. He looked around the room, always interested by the things the adults kept in their areas. He couldn't clearly remember life outside the Maw, but he remembered other people's stories. RK watched as the girl walked over to light a candle. He wondered for just a moment if she knew what those candles had been placed around the Maw for. If this girl had any idea that the kids who did escape used them to signify a safe passage forward.
She turned and continued walking without looking at him or even saying a word to him. He followed as closely behind her as he could without actually touching her. She was bright yellow so it wouldn't be easy for him to lose her, but she was small which meant she was fast. She could probably outrun him if the situation called for it and he wouldn't put it past her to leave him as a sacrifice to the monsters. She seemed like the type who was only trying to save her own skin. When they landed on some cloth covering the floor, she put her arm out like she was trying to keep him from going forward. He wasn't foolish enough to believe she was doing that to help him. If either of them made too much noise it was dangerous for them both.
He let her lead the way though. She moved with such confidence in her actions. Something about the way she held herself made RK not want to question her. The floorboards creaked under her foot as she tried to gently put it down and before the Janitor had the chance to move in their direction she was running. She hid in an open cage and RK was right behind her. His eyes settled on two kids in the cage next to them. He reached out pulling on the sleeve of one of the kids. They mindlessly fell into his pull like you'd expect a doll to. He had a feeling the other kid wouldn't be much better.
He turned not having noticed that the girl had left their safe spot. RK saw a flash of yellow on the other side of the cage going through a small hole in the wall. He scrambled to catch up to her. It was almost kind of comforting to know that he was right in thinking that she would leave him behind without thinking about it. It was better to know something like that right away than have to wonder if this person was going to betray you somewhere down the road.
She had grabbed a crank and was putting it into the slot when he made it into the room. She glanced at him before starting to turn it. The Janitor let out a sound that made RK's skin crawl. RK followed the girl as she dropped down into the vent. It was things like this that made him believe she was worth following. It was like she knew there was no danger down here. She was so unaffected by the environment RK started to wonder if she'd been here for a while. There were kids that would move from place to place on the Maw, never leaving and always finding new places to hide. She could be one of them, but from what he understood of those kids, they were never alone. So who exactly was she?
Her movements slowed for only a moment when they entered a larger area in the vents. RK watched as she lit a lantern and lingered by it for longer than she stayed next to anything. She walked over and let out a soft sigh as she sat on the nearby suitcase. RK watched her from where he sat in the vents. He wondered how someone so small had survived this long and if she'd always been on her own. He didn't like that she was silent though. It made him uncomfortable, the kids in the nursery were always talking to each other.
"Where'd you get the lighter?" RK asked her pulling his knees up to rest his chin on. Her head moved up in his direction, but she didn't say anything. She did pull out the lighter and flick it on. They sat there in the quiet for too long as she let the lighter burn before abruptly snapping it closed and climbing up into the vent above her. RK was quick to follow.
When RK asked that question Six had vague memories of wandering in a place where it was always raining. She pulled out the lighter, igniting it. She recalled prying it out of the hands of some dead adult. It was just her size, or close enough. It was something that helped warm her when she could feel her fingers and her toes start to go numb. Then she had a memory of sharing body heat with another and she snapped the lighter closed. She'd never share her space with someone else.
She climbed through the vents again ignoring the kid behind her. He liked to get himself left behind and if the Janitor was going to grab anyone with his freakishly long arms Six was sure it'd be him. Too curious, looking too close at the small unimportant details of the environment. Just like someone else she knew.
Six stopped moving as she landed on a suitcase in a room covered in shoes. She didn't know anyone else. Why would she think that? RK landed next to her daring to put a soft hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off looking over at him.
"I don't like this place," He said to her his bangs falling to one side as he tilted his head. Six saw the fear in his eyes, like he knew something she didn't. She looked away from him wondering what could be so bad about a bunch of shoes? Despite the obvious fact that they didn't know where they'd come from.
"There was an old lady in the depths." He said and Six gave him an odd look as he spoke. "We should hurry through this," Six noticed the way his hand twitched like he was going to reach out and grab hers. She pulled away from him jumping into the shoes before he could. He let out a soft cry jumping in behind her. She could hear something moving, something big. Six didn't turn around, wasn't making sure that the kid was still behind her. She didn't care what happened to him. They both made it to the other side safely though and Six felt a little disappointed.
Six felt like her nerves were on end when they walked into the room she'd been captured in. She felt embarrassment twist in her gut. Getting trapped like a wild animal, like a rat that walked right into a trap. Except that she knew it was a trap. Her hunger just didn't care about any of her logic or survival. With a newfound anger and determination she pressed on faster than before. She heard the Janitor and felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She started running towards the open elevator at the end of the hall. She didn't know if RK was keeping up, but she could hear his heavy foot falls behind her.
Together they hid in the elevator. Six sat holding her breath, but RK seemed to be having a harder time keeping his breathing quiet. With something of a low growl she put a hand over his mouth. Six hated how close they had to huddle in this box and thought for a moment about kicking him out of it. He wouldn't be her problem anymore if the Janitor took him away. She was seriously considering it when a group of Nomes ran out drawing the monster's attention. She pushed RK out of the box anyway a faint smile on her lips when he landed face first on to the floor.
RK stood at the entrance of the next room rubbing his face. He watched in amazement as this small frail looking girl pushed a box that seemed far too heavy for her to move on her own. She dropped down below the floorboards and he wondered how she knew what to do. It probably would have taken him ages to notice the loose floorboard and push the box out of his way. RK followed her dropping down softly beside her. RK could see a Nome hiding just in front of them. He pushed past Six to go after the little guy. He didn't see them much in the nurseries.
"You know," he whispered wrapping his arms around the Nome "some of the kids in the nursery couldn't talk because the adults had removed their tongue. They would always get really upset with me when I would try to talk to them. Are you like that? Do you have a tongue?" He moved closer to her hoping he could make her uncomfortable enough to get her to say something. He moved one of his hands towards her face keeping his other arm firmly wrapped around the Nome. RK froze when a growl came from her and she bared her far too sharp to be normal teeth. He pulled his hand back and dropped the Nome.
"W-we should keep moving," he sputtered out taking a step back from her. She pushed past him going through the hole to the next floor. RK followed behind her trying to wrap his mind around what just happened. Her teeth were so sharp. Sharp enough he was sure she could have torn his arm off without even having to try. It looked like there were too many, and the sound she'd let out wasn't human. His head was spinning with ideas, wild thoughts, and possible accusations he could throw at the girl.
She threw a monkey past his head barely missing him. He couldn't see it, but she frowned when she missed – her aim was never that bad. He looked up at her as she ran into the next room. She really didn't care about what happened to him and he knew that, had known that for a while. The thought was just starting to really settle in now though. He followed her, much like the Nomes followed him. He was as blindly trusting as they were.
The two of them moved quickly into the next room climbing up a dresser that lead up to a vent. Six wanted to scream when something fell off of it. She looked down. A music box. The sight of the thing left a tightness in Six's chest that she couldn't explain. She and RK moved upward as the Janitor came back into the room, his long arms starting to search for them. Together they moved the box out of the way and scrambled into the vent.
The next room was filled with clocks. Six pointed at the carpet sure she had to remind this kid not to make any unnecessary noise. They walked towards a rotting door trying to push it open. As it fell it knocked over a clock that was nearby. Six stood motionless as the Janitor came down from the ceiling. She eyed the button in front of her and looked at the shoe on the ground. She walked over as quietly as she could and grabbed it ready to run after she threw it.
Without warning all the clocks started going off. Six threw the shoe and looked back at the Janitor. He didn't hear the door opening. She caught sight of RK holding his hands over his ears and looking back at the Janitor. She didn't think when she grabbed his arm and started pulling him along as she ran down the hallway. When they approached the door at the end of the hall Six snatched her hand away like touching him burned her. She glared at him unsure why she pulled him along in the first place. She slipped though the crack in the door, eyes traveling upward to look at the tall stacks of books and even taller bookshelves.
She walked forward starting to climb up the shelves. At this point she was sure RK was starting to wonder how she always knew where to go. She couldn't tell him about the shadow, even if she wanted to. He wouldn't understand. If she could keep that to herself till the end of her days she would. Six lit the candle sitting nearby as if on instinct. She didn't know how to explain why she did it. RK jumped across to the swinging piano before her. Six followed him, only she paused on the keys when she landed instead of climbing up to join RK.
Six ran back and forth across the keys. She remembered doing this before. She remembered watching someone else do this. The smile on her face faded when she looked up at RK. She shrunk a little climbing up on top of the piano and then jumping across to the other bookshelf. She was faster than him. She was trying to be so she could run away from the embarrassment she felt. She knew he was trying to keep up with her, but she was really willing to leave him behind this time. It was one thing to do childish things when she was alone, it was terrible she did it with someone else around.
She was quick and slipped in front of the Janitor as he came down from the ceiling. She ran past him ignoring the sounds he made. She weaved her way through the bookshelves knowing he'd have to go around them to catch up to her. She climbed a stack of books and dropped into a small room. Part of her had hoped that this would be an exit. Of course it wasn't. She'd have to go back to that kid. If he was smart enough to stay behind rather than try to follow her. She smiled at the idea of him attempting to do the same thing she'd done.
The room was empty except for a TV and a music box that sat above it. She glared at both of them wondering which one was the lesser of two evils. Six climbed up and threw the music box. It didn't do anything more than ping as it landed. She sighed heavily, walking up to the TV. She could feel the static cling and she hadn't even turned it on yet. She pushed the button moving away from it quickly. Her hands shook as she watched it. She felt like she was waiting for something to come through it. Something just on the other side that wanted to grab her and pull her into the static.
Six jumped slightly when the door opened and the Janitor walked in. Just like every adult in this world the Janitor glued himself to the front of it. Six grabbed the crank and ran out of the room. He didn't notice, but he did notice when Six used that crank to raise up the Piano. RK was there sitting on top of the piano like he'd been waiting for her to come back. Six's mind was telling her that she was the one always left waiting, but she didn't know what that meant. She walked past him jumping to the other ledge. Of course he followed her. It's what he'd been doing since he helped free her from the cage.
He did not understand why this girl was so unwilling to let him help her. He watched as she grunted, pushing a cart towards the door on the other side of the room. A door they could easily reach if she'd boost him up or if she'd let him boost her. She'd gabbed his arm pulling him out of the clock room, and she'd yet to do anything that actually endangered him. RK watched her with a questioning gaze as she jumped towards the door, dropping quickly after the handle was pulled. They walked though a room that was more hole than floor.
"Why won't you let me help you with those things," He asked her quietly as she tested one of the boards before stepping on it. It was the first time he'd seen her be actively cautious. It felt strange. She looked back at him, face hidden by darkness, and he just frowned at her. He was starting to miss conversations with other kids. If he didn't keep telling his stories he would forget them and he wondered if Six had stories to tell. He didn't want her to forget things too.
Six lit another lantern and again RK wondered if she knew what those meant. As they were walking though RK heard the Janitor before he saw the man. He reached out pulling Six back as an arm came through the vent searching for them. RK held her arm probably a little too tight before she aggressively pulled it away from him. They snuck past the arm and RK whispered another question to her before they left the vent.
He didn't expect to be slammed up against the side of the vent. He looked down at the girl who had his shirt in her fists. It was the clearest he ever saw her face and he wanted to run. He could clearly see her teeth as she sneered at him. They were really sharp and his heart felt like it was dropping as he looked down at her. One of her hands clamped down on his mouth as he opened it to say something to her. His heart was pounding as he tried to figure out what she was doing and why. He reached up to pull her hand away when she quickly stepped away from him. One of her fists stayed clamped down on his shirt though.
"You talk too much," she spat out like venom.
"Oh," he said, his voice breathier than he liked. "So you can talk. Kind of rude for you to be ignoring me this entire time." RK regretted poking fun at her when she grabbed his shoulders and slammed him up against the wall again. He could feel her fingers pressing into them. RK swallowed hard trying not to make any sound indicating this was hurting him. She was strong, much stronger than she looked.
"Stop talking. If you don't get us killed, I'll kill you myself." She pulled him closer and then shoved him back into the wall leaving RK breathless as she turned away from him. He stood there for a moment watching her walk away. He wondered why he kept following her. Maybe it'd be best for him to find his own way to travel, away from her. He didn't though, he trailed right behind her jumping out of the vent.
The Janitor was pounding on the door and finally burst through it. Six was running, once again not caring if RK was behind her. He ran after her, thinking to himself that this was better than trying to get away from the Granny. Running didn't require as much of his body and there wasn't the threat of drowning. They slid under the door that was being held open by a cage. Six got on one side of the cage and RK grabbed the other side as the Janitors hands started to slip under the door. The hand nearly grabbed him as the cage broke. The door slammed shut severing his arms and the room was filled with screams from the man.
RK stood holding a hand over his mouth looking mortified. Six looked at him wondering how far he was going to make it in this world if something like this bothered him. Six kicked at the arm just to make sure they weren't going to move on their own. Once satisfied she jumped up to the vent that popped open. As if on instinct she turned around and offered RK a hand up. She didn't realize what she was doing until after she'd pulled him up. Her hands shook and she quickly pulled them away from him. Six barely heard him ask her if she was okay, and she didn't respond to him as she turned away.
Six watched the wrapped bodies hanging from hooks move past them. The shadow grabbed on to one of the bodies. Six didn't like the idea of hanging from these things, they smelled like food that'd gone off. She grabbed onto an empty hook instead, but she nearly gagged when they landed on top of a pile of bodies. The boy who landed next to her did gag. She might have picked on him for that if she hadn't felt the same. She held a hand over her mouth and nose nearly running into the next room. She watched a rat run away from her and she felt the hunger tightly grip at her stomach. She doubled over in pain. When RK came to stand next to her she nearly turned on him.
She could barely keep herself from biting him as she collapsed to the ground. She held her stomach clenching her jaw tight. She wasn't going to eat a person. Tears clung to Six's eyes as she fought against her urge to bite. He was talking to her, but his words were muffled. She wanted to tell him to run away, to get away from her. Warn him that she was dangerous. It was one thing for the monsters to get him, it was a whole different thing for her to be that monster. Six heard him walk away from her and she tried to watch him, her vision already blurry. She was looking around wildly for something to eat, but she could barely pull herself off the ground. Was this hunger going to actually kill her?
She felt someone shaking her gently. Six groaned looking up at RK. She couldn't understand why he was helping her or why he'd come back. He should have left her here and gone to save himself. His gentle hands were helping her sit up. Her head was spinning as the hunger in her stomach still gripped her tightly. He was putting something in her hands.
"Eat," he said to her taking a seat beside her. Six shoved the food into her mouth nearly swallowing it whole. She looked at him with her head still spinning, but the hunger did seem to be subsiding. She didn't know how she'd managed to not bite him. The look on his face made her stomach feel weird. She'd been nasty to him even though he hadn't done anything but try to help her. She wanted to maintain the cold composure, but her shadow could only make her harbor those negative emotions for so long. It was exhausting.
She looked over at him piecing together that he must have gone into the kitchen and grabbed some food for them. He held a loaf of bread in his hands that was nearly as big as his head. Six reached out ripping off a chunk. RK protested weakly with a "hey" as she bit into it. She continued to sit next to him staring off into the distance. The bread wasn't satisfying, but it was enough to keep the hunger at bay it seemed. Of course it didn't stop the hunger completely and some part of her knew she wanted flesh.
"I'm Six," she told him quietly before shoving more bread in her mouth. There was a silence that followed her words. It was surprising to her, considering how much he'd wanted to know her name. She spared a glance at him watching as he picked at the food in his hands.
"I've met other children with numbers for names," he mused quietly. His gaze was dark when he turned to look at her. "You're not the first Six I've met and I doubt you'll be the last." Something in her shuddered at his words. Some faint memory tugged on her mind. She willed it away. Thinking of the past distracted her from her objective.