Colin shot up at the throbbing noise of persistent banging on his door. It sounded like a hammer being hurtled against the wood and he had to cover his ears. His artificial heart pounded and ink rushed throughout his body as he tiptoed to the entryway. He had his axe propped up in the umbrella stand for cases like this and carefully grabbed its handle. The banging was growing ever louder, and he knew they were out for him specifically.

He threw the door open and lunged his axe forward, assuming that the enemy would go down like a felled tree. Instead, he felt a foot fly into his stomach which sent him reeling and crashing into the floor. He looked up to find his hands empty and the axe in the visitor's possession. It must have flown out of his hands from the impact. The intruder threw the axe into the hall behind them and steadied themself for more conflict.

Colin turned on his mouse cursor and flew towards the enemy but was halted almost immediately. The strange man, as he now saw, grabbed him by the arm, raised him in the air, and threw him back on the floor like a toy, somehow managing to crack the floorboards! It felt like a child smashing a plate in anger. Colin winced and tried to stand back up again, but the man just kicked him back down every time he made progress, forcing the breaks in the wood to spiderweb out farther and farther. The kicks were far too strong for any normal person; there's no way some human was stronger than him! And it hurt like hell too! The man finally let up and stood over the boy menacingly.

Colin got a good look at the attacker's face. It... it was the same man he bumped into all those months ago! The one with the blue hair and scary eyes! Why had HE managed to stick in his memory? This was no doubt the same person. As he struggled to pull himself together, all he seemed to be able to do was say, "How did you know about the axe..?"

The man chuckled a dry, hollow laugh. His voice was full of emptiness but his eyes showed a dulled malice hidden behind that veil. He lifted Colin off the floor and groaned out, "I've been watching you for a long time. Come, let's talk."

He gestured towards the living room and the two settled down.

...

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions Colin, but before we begin anything, I'll answer a few things. My name is Roy, and I am here because I have a job proposition for you."

Colin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Job? That was... not exactly what he was expecting. "Why me though? What sort of job would want someone like... me?"

"How astute of you." Roy popped his knuckles one after the other. "You see, I have a very specialized job in mind. Only certain objects will do well for it. Certain objects like you, Colin." His mouth spread into a strained, cracked grin.

This man thought he was an object. No, not thought, knew. This man knew what everyone else was denying to be the case. And not only that, he was a SPECIAL object. He didn't know what that meant but Colin was suddenly much more eager to hear out this stranger who broke into his home and assaulted him.

"You see, I have these three boys of mine," Roy began to explain. Colin had a feeling this was important, so he listened closely, trying desperately to keep it in the good part of his memory. "They used to be so good, but the seem to have all rotted up by now. They've become... dissident to how I've expected of them. They don't give a care for me or my notions anymore and I have to punish them for this. In very certain ways. In the only ways I know will stick with them. And your job is to help me."

"I don't see how I can help with that, sir. I'm not very good with punishment, just killing." Even though it was true, Colin was surprised with how naturally it came out of his mouth.

"Oh no, you see, that's where I come in." He crossed his legs and folded his hands under his chin. "I will tell you exactly what to do, and how to do it. I am the scriptwriter. The director. And you are the actor. The teacher."

"Teacher?" Colin tilted his head to the side.

"Don't worry about that. I just need you to say yes."

Colin hesitated. This was something new. Something exciting. But... remember what all the other new exciting things had done to him. Even if he couldn't remember some of it well, it all came to a crystal clear understanding of what it led him to. Something was telling him this was dangerous as well. And could potentially cause heartache.

"If I got someone hurt during this," he ventured, "would I get in trouble?" The emotional trouble went unsaid, although something told him that Roy would not understand that, even if it was verbal.

"Oh, of course not."

The walls seemed to grow a little smaller.

...

"It's a deal."