There was Val, and there was Vince, but neither could really tell the difference between each other and themselves. They were smashed together, heads where arms should have been, legs where arms should have been; there was simply too much.
Jharā.
The house got painted. Mr. Police, could you take us home?
Jharā.
Things started to become clearer. The spirits began to claim different parts of their vessel, allowing them more coherence. The twins realized that they weren't alone. There were two others in the room.
Puppet? What did you do?
Where is Easter's light?
There was still too much to see and too many voices. Finally, another presence took hold of the twins and their carry ons.
Stop. You must calm down.
A picture came through.
"Hehehehey kikids? Are yoyoyou haviiiinnnngggg ffffffffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnn?"
We are still in Italy.
You need to pull yourselves together. Look at me.
The twins looked and saw the Puppet from the Prize Corner, floating in the air.
The closet's door under the bed is open! The sweater is a monster! It is! No strings!
I'm not here to hurt you. I want to help you understand what has happened.
The school is bad, the teachers are toys. They have no strings. Jharā.
…
Something was very wrong here. The condition of the spirits in the Mangle was even more twisted than the last time the Puppet had seen the animatronic. The twin's spirits were confused and scared. They weren't making any sense, though the Puppet sensed that the twins were trying to.
…
It's difficult to understand you. I'll need to continue as if you were one of the others. But your circumstance is different. In order for you to be able to understand what has happened, you will need to look at each other.
Our windows are dirty…
The twins turned their heads at the same moment to where they thought the other was.
Vince saw the new Foxy staring at him in the face with its one eye.
Val saw an animatronic head staring at her with one eye.
Both twins screamed.
A snake is biting our doors! Jharā! Jharā! Jharā!
You must calm down.
The twins turned to the Puppet. As they turned, they saw the opposite head turn. They turned back to each other.
Rats live in the wet house…the rats and the snakes are in the church…
Just…calm down…Are you able to speak to me?
The heads rolled over to the Puppet.
Dōla…no strings…The door has no hinges!
I'm sorry. I don't think I can understand you. I will try to explain your situation…
Jharā.
Please calm down…You were killed by the Purple Man. I had to put you two in this body. I…don't know if it was the best thing for me to do. It was the only vessel that could hold two spirits at once.
Poor plum…mean mauve…bad Barney…bad bad bad baron bad Barney… jharā… jharā… jharā… Jharā!
I am sorry for what has happened to you. I tried to warn you. I tried to stop the Purple Man. He was ready though. I am sorry.
The Mangle's heads curled and twisted, the eyes rolling around in their sockets as they passed over the Mangle's body.
There were no strings on Elmo when he threw out Oscar's garbage can.
You weren't moving on. None of you were.
The house had no strings to follow to the X-men.
One of them was younger. He seemed very close to you.
Both of the Mangle's heads snapped up, staring at the Puppet.
Horse food in the wolf's house?
Do…you want to see him?
The Mangle tried to claw its way towards the Puppet.
The horse isn't eating strings!
I'm not certain you can move.
The Mangle tried to push itself up, but its hydraulics weren't in the right order anymore. For a while, it writhed around on the floor like a beetle that had been flipped over on its back. Eventually, the arms began to grab at nearby objects. When they grabbed onto something solid or heavy enough, the Mangle was able to use them as anchors to pull itself. It used this form of locomotion to drag itself after the Puppet as it left the Kid's Cove. The Puppet stopped in the Game Area, in front of the Balloon Boy.
Hayden, your brother and sister are here.
The Balloon Boy turned to the Puppet, and then looked down.
No. No! I want my brother and sister! That's not them! Where are they?
The horse is too fat to leave the wolf's house?
The Puppet looked from Hayden to the twins, trying to understand who to address first.
Hayden…this is Vince and Val…
No…I don't want them to be…it's not fair.
The house will keep the horse safe from the wolf!
The Mangle's heads looked from the Balloon Boy to the Puppet.
He was the smallest, so I thought that this vessel would be good for him.
The Mangle dragged itself over to the Balloon Boy.
The horse and the wolf sleep in different rooms…
The Balloon Boy was facing away from the Mangle, but it looked down at it.
…I'm sorry VeeVee…I'm so sorry…