Chapter 2-Seeing Things

7 knew exactly where 9 was headed. Before they had released the souls of their friends, 9 took 7 and the twins into the first room to show them the Scientist's message.7 had only had a brief conversation with the Scientist about how there were others like her that she needed to find and help protect. The twins, apparently, had never seen this man before in their life (perhaps they had woken up and scurried off when the Scientist wasn't in the room) and were in complete awe of the human they saw.

The next day, 9 had gone back to listen to the message again.

"Do you really need to hear it again?" 7 had asked. "You did what he asked you to do."

"I just want to listen," was 9's response.

7 pursed her lips. He didn't do it every day, but 9 seemed to have grown fond of journeying back to the first room and listening to the Scientist's message and then sitting by the man's corpse in silence. 7 assumed 9 felt he never got the face time with their creator the way 7 and the others did (excluding the twins of course).

"What was he like?" 9 had asked.

"I don't remember. I mean, he really didn't say much. He seemed nice though," 7 responded.

This question had been followed with a question about 2. 2 had been 9's first friend and 9 seemed eager to know more about him. As 7 explained 2 to 9, she could see in his eyes that he was trying to imagine the friendship he could've had with the elder ragdoll.

A month had passed before now and 7 was busy reading a book the twins had shown to her. It was something called The Grimm Tales and was filled with dark and mysterious fairytales. 7 had become fascinated with the stories but was not the fastest reader and had barely gotten past the third chapter since she had been introduced to the book.

7's slow reading was partially due to the fact she couldn't stay in one place for a long time and would often get up in the middle of a page and wander off to do something else. She had gotten to the passage where the woodsman burst into the Grandmother's house to save Little Red and the Grandmother from the wolf when she heard: "You never were the fastest reader."

7 looked up at 2, nodded, and smiled. She went back to the story when she paused. She looked up to see 2 again and froze. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

2 arched his eyebrows. "I just came to talk. Is that alright?" he added with a chuckle.

"Bu-but I don't understand. You-you're…" 7 looked at 2 then back to her book and then looked back up at 2 to see he was gone.

7 shuddered a little bit and shook her head. She went back to reading when she heard: "Ah, Little Red Riding Hood. Interesting. It's a bit morbid for my taste but still quite a story."

7 jumped at the sound of 2's voice and crawled away when she realized he was reading over her shoulder. She cautiously moved forward with an outstretched hand and tried to touch 2's shoulder. This was the third time 7 had hallucinated that 2 was there and it was scaring her more and more. The first time had been a month after she left the cathedral. The second time was a couple of weeks after the souls had been released. This was the first time 2 had spoken.

2 turned just before 7's hand could reach him. "What is it?" he asked sympathetically.

7 shook her head. She couldn't tell what was triggering this. She figured the first time was because she was remembering everyone she had left behind when she ran away. The second time was most likely because the souls had all been released and that memory was still fresh in her mind. Why now? Was it because 9 had brought up everyone who had died; how he felt guilty about it? Was 7 guilty?

"7?" 2 asked cautiously.

"2…why are here?" 7 asked, shaken.

2 looked confused.

"Are you mad at me?" 7 asked.

2 looked taken aback. "Why would I be mad?"

7 eased up a little bit. "It's just…nothing. I just thought you were upset with me."

"Well, I am but I'm not angry."

7 froze. "What?"

"Well, you just left," 2 said.

7's mouth formed a thin line. Every other time she had imagined 2 was there he always looked disappointed. It hurt more knowing exactly why.

"2, I didn't leave because I was mad at you."

"Oh, I know," 2 said waving his in a reassuring way. The look on his face, however, was anything but reassuring.

"I'm sorry. I just…I just couldn't stay trapped in that tower any longer," 7 explained.

"7, I know why you left," 2 said.

"You didn't seem mad when you saw me again," 7 said referring to when she had saved 2, 5, and 9 from the Cat Beast.

"7, I'm not mad!" 2 said laughing a little. Normally, his laughter could ease anyone's nerves; it just made 7 feel worse.

"But you're disappointed."

"Yes."

"Why?"

2 rested his hand on 7's. Even though 2 wasn't really there, 7 could feel his hand closing around hers. "You were my friend. You were like a daughter to me and you just got up and left!"

"I left because…"

"I know why you left, 7!"

"Then what's wrong?"

7 had never seen 2 look more disappointed than he was now. "You didn't even say goodbye."

7 shrunk into her shoulders. "I…"

"It hurt. I mean, I know you and I were growing apart. I started spending more time with 5 and you with the twins. You didn't even take the twins with you, they went after you!"

"I'm sorry!"

"The twins aren't mad at you," 2 said.

"I know…"

"No one's mad at you, 7. The twins and 5 and 6 all forgive you."

"But do you forgive me?" 7 asked.

In the blink of an eye, 2 disappeared. "2," 7 gasped. She reached out but felt nothing. She looked around wildly.

"2!" she called out louder. "TWO!"

Nothing. 2 wasn't there.

7 feel to her knees and buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry," she said barely above a whisper. With her face still in her hands, she shrieked: "I'M SORRY!"

The twins rushed from their spot in the library to find 7 bent over in agony. They rushed to her side and hugged her. She trembled a little and squeezed their hands. They were like her children. They were better children to her than she had been one to 2. She felt sick. Shaking her head, 7 slowly stood up, with some help from the twins and looked out the window. It was getting dark and 9 still wasn't back yet.

7 looked down at the twins. "I'm going to find 9."

The twins gripped 7's hand tighter. They hated when she left.

7 knelt down to their height and placed her hands on their shoulders. "I'll be back, I promise." She gave them a warm smile.

The twins gave her a small smile back. As she headed out, their faces fell. They looked into each other's eyes before finally deciding to go back to their books.