A/N: Before we get into this chapter there's a few things I think that it's only fair for you guys to know. See with all of the other specimens (most of them anyway) I had a plan for how I wanted their encounters to go, because they inspired me in some way. With Specimen 6... that's not really the case.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like 6 or anything like that, he just doesn't inspire me like the others. I can't really control what inspires me and what doesn't. I suppose I'm trying to say that I can't promise the quality of the upcoming chapter will be that great, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

Research Report # 162

I now have solid evidence that Specimen 9 definitely has plans other than killing my next possible recruit. She's sound asleep, her guard is completely down. Any specimen would seize this golden opportunity. Every one except 9, apparently.

My next corse of action will be doing something to prevent whatever 9 is planning, but that'll be difficult since I don't know what 9 is planning. I'll still have to try, though.

Mmm... feel the ocean breeze...

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Ah... clear blue skies...

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Oh... wow... a cotton candy surfboard...

ZZZZZZ—"AAAAGH! OH, SHIT!"

Quick question. Have you ever wanted to be awakened from a nap with a clay skull inches from your face, staring into your soul? No? Well I didn't either, but unfortunately I had no choice in the matter. "What the hell, Taker?" I sputter, breaking my personal record for consecutive swears.

Taker, for his part, seemed completely unbothered by this. "I didn't take you for the swearing type."

"And I one hundred percent took you to be the 'staring at people while they sleep' type. After all if you can do it while I'm awake, you'll have even less problem doing it while I'm sleeping." I take a moment to allow my heart to return to its normal resting rhythm before continuing. "How long was I out?"

"About five, maybe six hours. Plenty of time to rest before continuing, in my opinion."

I debated on remarking that his opinion didn't really matter in this case since he didn't need to sleep, but ultimately decided against it. I had had a pretty good rest after the whole demon incident, and I felt a lot better. Yeah, I was ready to keep going. So I stretch, yawn, roll out of bed and began packing up my things.

Now that I thought about it, I had been in this mansion for about a day now; I wonder what Mom did when I never came home from school? Probably went over there to ask my teachers... I hope she's not too worried about me, though she's probably living in a constant state of panic at the moment. I wished I could contact her somehow, just to tell her that hey, I'm okay. Just off on a quest of impromptu heroism. I promise to be careful. But of course, thanks to the lack of reception, that wasn't an option. Freaking Spooky... I suppose for now I'll just have to keep going and make it out alive, like I told myself I would... last night? Was it night? It's always lit in here and it's hard to tell through the windows... I'm just going to assume that it was and I'd fallen asleep at my usual bedtime since my body is good like that.

After I've finished packing and used the conveniently placed bathroom next door, we were off. As we rode yet another god forsaken elevator (which thankfully would only appear every one hundred rooms now) I pondered my strategy for dealing with (and possibly recruiting) Specimen 6. According to Taker, 6 was a guy who had turned himself into a puppet, for reasons that I'd need to find out myself. No clue what that meant, but I guess I was going to find out. He also informed me that he couldn't move if we kept eye contact, unless I stayed still for too long. Now, that is what I call helpful information. So yeah, as you can see, it pays to have a specimen on your side. They have all the juicy info. As for recruiting the puppet guy... I honestly have no idea. I guess I'll have to learn more.

Well, as you could probably guess we eventually ended up in another room. This room had puppets, masks, and other creepy things. It also, of course, had notes. But these weren't the ramblings of some random victim, oh no. These told a story. A story that I'm pretty sure was made up or otherwise embellished, but I'll give you a short summary and you can decide for yourself.

So, in an unspecified town in a time that's probably in the olden days since there's merchants, there was a merchant. This merchant made puppets and trinkets, toys and other crap. The kids were like, "Heck yes!"

But the grownups were like "Heck no! We can't make a prophet because this one dude's attracted more customers than we ever could in a lifetime."

"Hey, man! I know what to do!"

"Improve the quality of our products?"

"Nope."

"Come up with innovative new ideas for newer, cooler products?"

"Nope."

"...drop the prices?"

"Nope nopity nope nope."

"Ugh, I give up man, what're you suggesting we do?"

"Let's throw this guy's puppets, trinkets, toys and other crap into the river!"

"...but dude, can't he just make mo-"

"Nonsense dude, it's a great idea!"

"Well okay, if you say so..."

So the grownups threw this guys puppets, trinkets, toys and other crap into the river. "Noooooo!" The guy screamed. "My children are drowning!" Ugh, really? First the whole Mother thing with Specimen 5, and now this? What is the world coming to?

But anyway, the merchant was really sad and mad about this, and he jumped into the river to save his stuff. But he ended up drowning himself. It was probably a grindylow, that's what they're famous for after all. But this tale ain't over yet, because no sooner did the merchant drown that scary things started to happen. Bet you never saw that coming.

"Hey, dude?"

"Yeah, man?"

"Look I'm starting to think that your idea of throwing his puppets, trinkets, toys and other crap into the river might not have been the best thing."

"Why not, man? We're finally able to make a freaking living for once!"

"Not all of us."

"What do you mean?"

"Well yesterday Susie May went missing, and when I went to look for her I found this."

"Huh, that puppet looks just like her!"

"And that's not all man, this has been happening to other people too!"

"Okay, but how do you know this is connected to throwing the guy's puppets, trinkets, toys and other crap into the river?"

"I just do, man! I just do!"

Despite this weirdness, the townsfolk were still horrible people and no one lived happily ever after.

THE END

Sorry about that, that ended up being a little more than a summary. But hopefully you didn't mind. After all, a story is good food for the soul, almost as good as music.

But anyway, I'll bet you're wondering why I think this particular tale is fake, or at the very least embellished. Well, I'll tell you. You see, I seriously doubt any town would be that cruel. I could be wrong of course (bless my innocent mind am I right?) but I just find this hard to believe. My best theory at the moment was that this story was written by The Merchant himself, and thus he showed the townsfolk in the worst light possible. After all, everyone knows you put a little bit of yourself into every piece of writing you create, no matter how hard you try not to. And this guy... well, let's just say I doubt he was trying not to.

Having a feeling that said writer was in the next room, I take a moment to address my companion. "I've thought of a strategy to get past this guy, not so much recruit him but at least I know how I could get past without dying. Or being turned into a puppet, or whatever he does."

Instead of asking what my strategy was, Taker's response was simply: "Good." Ah, taker. A socially inept guy after my own heart. I guess I'll have to be more specific.

"The strategy involves you."

That got his attention, and he seemed to think about this for a moment. "What is it?"

There we go, the response I was waiting for. I take a deep breath and clear my throat. "Well, I'm basically going to do what I guess everyone else does, and walk backwards while looking at 6. What I'd like you to do is go ahead of me and tell me which way to go so I don't get hurt unnecessarily. ... Can you do that for me?"

This caused Taker to think longer than before. Probably something about friendship and trust, and how stupid I was for relying on a powerful killer specimen to guide me. But think about it this way, if he **does** end up betraying me and steering me wrong, or he's simply bad at directions, the outcome won't be any worse if I went it alone and stumbled into stuff like I'm so, **so** prone to doing.

Taker must have came to a similar conclusion, for he agrees. "...Very well."

"Yay! Now let's go, we've got a puppet to run away from!"

"Left."

"Why do you trust him?"

"Why do you care?"

"Right."

"Are you aware of who he is, child?"

"Left."

"He's not the one chasing me with a needle."

"Right, no wait! My apologies, I meant left."

"Ow..."

"Do you see what I mean now?"

"Nope, all I can see is stars..."

"Left, and then right, but only slightly!"

"Ouch! Okay, let's just get something straight, you did embellish that story, didn't you? The one in the rooms back there?"

"I can assure you that that tale was one hundred percent true."

"Yeah, okay. Ow! Come on Taker, step up your game!"

A/N: And there I go, writing a big chunk of filler and cramming the actual specimen encounter as a dialogue only section at the end. But hopefully you enjoyed the chapter anyway.