B looked around at the empty jars littering his side of the room. His stomach grumbled and he sighed.
"I need more jam…" He mumbled, and stood up.
"I'll come with you." K said, looking up at him timidly.
He helped her up, and they walked out the room and headed down the hallway. K rubbed her eyes. It was dark, she couldn't see a thing. She tried to stay close behind Beyond, following the sound of his footsteps. The wind blew and the house let out a series of creaks and moans.
"Shouldn't we get a lamp or a flashlight or something?"
"We're fine; I know where I'm going."
There was suddenly a drop in the floor and K, not noticing the steps, tripped forward. B quickly got a firm hold on her arm, preventing her from a painful tumble down the stairwell. She nearly screamed, but stopped herself.
"Stairs, don't fall." She heard him say.
"…Thanks." She answered, holding onto B's shoulder and gaining her footing just before he continued down the stairs.
"Wait!" She whispered, clawing at the darkness.
B laughed a bit. She eventually grabbed onto his shirt, and stayed close to his back as they descended. K sighed with relief when they finally reached the ground floor, and released her grip on B's shirt. She stuck her thumb in her mouth as they continued their trek to the kitchen. It made her feel safe. "This way." Beyond whispered, taking K's wrist in his hand. She was pulled to the left, practically dragged. As they approached the door, B stopped without warning and K bumped into his back.
"Sorry."
"Its fine."
He rattled the doorknob and sighed.
"The doors locked." He chewed on his finger then let go of K's wrist.
"Stay here, I'll be right back."
K wasn't going to ask any questions, he was obviously going to get the key. So she stood there, in the dark, sucking her thumb. She leaned against the wooden door. The wind outside continued to blow, and the house creaked creepily. After a while K heard footsteps, but they were from the opposite direction that B had gone.
"Beyond?" She whispered. She saw a figure come around the corner, and they had an oil lamp with them.
B didn't have a lamp.
She scurried down the dark hallway in the opposite direction, searching desperately for Beyond. K still couldn't see anything, she simply ran blindly down the hall until she came in contact with a door. She slammed hard into the wood, and backed up a bit, rubbing her nose. She let out a little whine.
The person with the oil lamp turned and started walking in her general direction. K ran to her left, and was suddenly grabbed by the arm and pulled into a closet. She let out a shriek, and a hand clamped over her mouth.
"Shhh-" It was Beyond.
She could smell the strawberry scent on his skin. The two listened as footsteps approached the door, and passed by. B slowly opened the door and looked around, then he and K sprinted back to the kitchen door.
B unlocked the door and they slowly entered, closing it behind them. The light above the stove was on, and K was thankful to be in an area where she could actually see. She remembered Mr. Wammy showing her the kitchen. It wasn't like a normal kitchen, it was more of a kitchen you find in restaurants, fit to feed many people.
K sat on the counter and watched as B went over to one of the refrigerators and pulled out a few jars of jam. He sat next to her on the counter, and opened one of the jars.
"Your nose is bleeding." B pointed out, looking at her blood staining his fingers before jamming his hand into the jar.
"Ew." She mumbled, wiping furiously at her nose with her shirt sleeve.
She stared at B as he put his jam- and blood- covered fingers into his mouth.
"My blood is all over your hand." K said, scrunching her nose up. B shrugged and sucked the jam from his fingers. He let out a moan of satisfaction. K giggled. "That's gross."
B grinned at her. "If its so gross then why are you laughing?" He asked slyly.
K bit her lip and looked down at the blood stains on her sleeve trying to think of something smart to say.
"Got ya." B said with a laugh, nudging her with his elbow.
K laughed again and elbowed him back. They were quiet for a while, only the sound of B eating his jam could be heard. He finished the jar and opened a new one.
She continued to watch him.
"Is that all you eat?" She asked, head cocked to one side.
"Yes." He looked at his fingernails for a second and started biting them, then continued to eat. "Want some?"
He held the jar out to her. K looked down at the bright red substance.
"If I had some toast, yes."
"You don't need toast its great right out of the jar, here." He got close to her face.
"It doesn't look so appetizing B." She said putting her arm up, preventing him from getting any closer.
"C'mon its good I promise." B smirked at her.
K sighed. She scooped out some jam on her finger and put it in her mouth, holding it there for a minute to acquire the taste. She hummed. "Its pretty good." K said with a small smile.
…
They snuck the jam back up to B's room and sat crisscross on his bed. K played with her fingers as Beyond ate his snack. He stared at the air above her head and watched the floating numbers slowly change. K looked up, sensing his glare.
"…What?" B binked.
"Nothi-" She suddenly sneezed; blood getting all over the bed and B's face. K clapped her hand to her nose as blood started to drip out again, and B gave her an amused smile. "I'm so sorry!" She squeaked.
He was laughing now, and A shuffled in his sleep in the bed next to them. B covered his mouth, still laughing, and pointed K to the bathroom. She shuffled into the room and stood over the sink, removing her hand from her face. Blood poured from her nose into the sink and she mumbled a few 'ew's before turning on the faucet. The blood that coated her hand stained the handle and the sink counter. She sneezed again, slow to cover her nose, and little drops of blood splattered on the mirror.
"Beyond." She whimpered, both hands over her nose. "Help."
He walked in, still laughing a bit, and made her sit on the toilet.
"Just shove this up your nose." B said, handing her a wad of toilet paper.
K took the tissue and tilted her head back, only to have B yank her by her hair upright.
"Don't do that, you'll choke on your blood and die." He said bluntly.
Her face dropped and B snickered. "Its not funny B." She said putting the tissue to her nose.
"But I'm being serious."
K stood and walked back to Beyond's bed, sitting in the manner she was before. B sat across from her and kept eating. He stared at her and she stared at him. He watched as the expressionless face in front of him began dozing off, tissue still held to her nose. It was 1:00 a.m. when she finally gave into sleep, and B just sat, stared, and ate his jam.