Before today, Dunce was just another Bully. Just another Bully, doing what Bullies do. Which is bully people. That was how it was for as long as he could remember. The School was one big playground. He could do whatever he wanted to whoever he wanted; The Teacher didn't care as long as he showed up to her class and shut up while she did her thing. ... Whatever that was.
But now, all of a sudden, everything was different. Because of them. The bag-wearing boy, (The Mono) and the dark girl (The Triple.) And also maybe a little because of that other girl they were trying to find. The Six. That's what they called her.
Dunce was pretty sure they were the ones who knocked down The Teacher's favorite bookshelf. Wait, was it the shelf that was her favorite, or just the books on it? Anyway they knocked it over, but The Teacher thought that one of her students was the culprit. So she punished all of them and moved on. At least, that's what they all thought would happen. But as it turned out, they wouldn't be getting so lucky after all. Or at least, Dunce wouldn't.
The Teacher thought that he was the one who did it. That was the basics of it, anyway. In retrospect, Dunce realized this wasn't too big of an out there assumption to make. After all, he had been a bit rowdier than normal lately. Was it the huge rat he'd brought in from recess that pooped on the piano that was the last straw? Or maybe when he tied up one of the others with a jump rope because she wouldn't stop singing? Or something else he'd forgotten about? At any case, that is how he ended up on the end of a leash, wearing a cap he could not remove, hoping that his drawings would satisfy The Teacher enough to release him. That was a longshot though, as it was quite difficult to properly represent something you never understand.
The Teacher was always going on about eyes during her classes, but neither Dunce nor any of the others learned much from it, not that learning was ever one of their goals. For them, class was just a necessary evil. Behave well enough to not be punished then go back to hitting things. At least that's how it was suppose to go. And that's how it did go until now.
As The Triple's weird darkness stretched towards him again, Dunce's first instinct was to leap away. But he refused to stoop to that level again. He could hear the mocking voices of the others should they ever know how he'd writhed and squealed earlier. "Wimp! Wuss! Scardy cat! You scared of own shadow, too? Bet you are!" It took all his willpower not to growl at the thought. Dunce could handle a couple shadows, thank you very much. Especially if they were going to set him free.
It was a single tendril that snaked towards him this time, tip sharp as sin. Despite his resolve, Dunce held completely still so that The Triple would not damage him accidentally. Time seemed to slow as it neared. Dunce couldn't keep his eyes off of it. Although it was truly terrifying to him, there was still an undeniable beauty to it. Even though it was pitch black, it was also somehow sparkling. But it didn't glow or shine in any way. How weird.
His trance was suddenly snapped to an end along with the leash that had been tightly around his neck a mere fraction of a second ago. It fell to the floor, severed and useless. The Mono gasped when it landed, taking a few steps back. At once, Dunce was filled with an overwhelming urge, to run and pounce, to
bully. But then, he saw The Triple.
The shadow had not sunk into her body like it had before. This time, it and several other wispy tendrils hovering around her, ready to be called on in a moment's notice. He couldn't see her eyes, but Dunce knew with certainty that she was watching his every move like a cat tracking a particularly delicious looking mouse. If he tried to bully The Mono, she would protect him, and that would be that. So it would probably be best for him if he didn't go back on his word like they were both clearly expecting him to. Instead he took his emotions out on the leash, stomping on it [which made The Mono jump again, what a wimp] then kicked it across the room. He then paced back and forth a couple times, stretching and taking deep breaths. He didn't need to do the latter, but it helped him to focus, to pull his mind from the storm of temptations bombarding it. He'd never done it before. No Bully had done it before. But it was necessary for his survival, so he supposed he would just need to get used to it.
"This way," he said, motioning for the children to follow him as he left the room. They did, though they still seemed tense. The Triple remained close to The Mono, still not putting away her shadows. Which was probably for the best, since Dunce had no idea how any other Bullies that saw them would react if they saw them together like this.