Duster's house reveals itself to be a strange little place. It's traditional, a wooden cabin, similar to many other buildings in this section of Tazmily.
Upon entering a brief hallway, we pass a diverse selection of hats, which leads us into a lounge dominated by a painting of a family. There's a cross between a double bass and a cello in the corner, alongside a delicate arrangement of plates, mostly ornamental. A small, brown dog features in a lot of the pictures strewn across the mantle, and there's a childish drawing of a vase of sunflowers above them.
Duster walks with a noticeable limp, but he outpaces me to the kitchen, babbling on about this and that.
"Do take a seat, m'chap." He gestures towards a wooden chair that looks as if it hasn't been touched in several years. I sit, willing it not to break underneath me.
"Thank you," I say. "I've been travelling a while. It has been an aeon since I ate properly."
"Then I'll heat y' some stew," Duster says keenly, rushing over to light the fireplace. "Pork 'n' Apple. Meat's proper cheap round here. 'Tis marvellous!"
I smile. There's a particular excitement in Duster's tone; certainly, he seems grateful for the company. I get the overwhelming impression that this man may be very, very lonely.
Duster pours a portion of stew into a big, black cooking pot hanging over the fire. I, meanwhile, look out of the window. Sunflower fields cover most of the view, but among them… I shiver in spite of myself. What sort of beastly force could bring the dead back to life? What evil power could have evoked this? No doubt Porky will still be looking for me, but could he even pass by the Dead Alive?
Going to my home in Onett is, regretfully, far out of the question. Tazmily is at least three days' walk from it, and the rumours of bandits in those forests are no fallacy. At least Duster seems to be a reasonable fellow, even if mildly eccentric, though some say I am eccentric too. I'm slightly surprised he doesn't recognise me, but I'm thankful for it nonetheless. I wouldn't want my origins revealed to anyone unsavoury.
Duster produces a pot of tea from nowhere and pours it, handing me a mug, which I graciously take. He sits opposite me, staring into my eyes with some vigour.
"How old do y' think I look?" he asks.
"Erm... Forty?" I'm taken aback by the question, but I choose to reply politely. It's better to underestimate than to overestimate.
"Forty?" Duster scoffs. "For the sake of the Lord above! Everyone calls me an old codger, but forty? Good heavens! I'm thirty, man. Thirty!"
I refrain from raising my eyebrows. Duster must either be lying or delusional. There are lines on his face, what hair he has left is greying, and there's a general air of decrepitude about him.
"Thirty!" I remark. "I am sorry, I did not mean to offend you. I see it now. You have youthful… eyes?" I lie my way through it, but thankfully, Duster eats it all up.
"Yes, that's what I say t' those folks, too. But ah well. They're just a load of young ragamuffins anyways."
"Ragamuffins," I repeat. "Uh, we don't have that phrase where I'm from."
"Ah..." Duster takes a sip of his tea. "Then, perhaps, rambunctious scamps?"
We're getting far off-topic, so I decide to steer the boat back in the right direction.
"So, about this Porky Minch-"
"Porky Minch!" Duster raises his hands to the air. "May all the blessings rain upon him."
"Uh, yes. That." I bite my lip. "Porky Minch is behind all the developments in this village, correct?"
"Correct, good sir!" He nods vigorously. "Ah, what a man. I'd kiss him if he were 'ere. Sadly, he only pays us visits once a week."
"Oh? When is the next visit?"
"Why," Duster beams. "Tomorrow, of course!"
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(Lucas)
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When my family first arrived in Onett, there'd be a protest every Wednesday morning. They marched past my window, waving signs and shouting, making as much noise as they could.
At the time, I did not understand what they were doing. If I ever asked Father about them, he'd tell me to ignore them.
I thought it was some sort of carnival, full of pictures and colourful signs. We'd had carnivals in Tazmily, those were a lot of fun, and this looked just the same. But if I ever asked to join them, Father would get angry and tell me that we couldn't, that we needed to keep our heads down and be quiet. I did not understand that either.
That didn't mean I couldn't watch. Every Wednesday, I'd get out of bed bright and early, and I'd watch them go by. After a little while, I started to recognise some of the more regular protesters, and in turn, they started to recognise me. One woman in particular, who always wore a sunshine yellow coat, would wave as she walked past. I happily waved back.
This continued for a year or two. Then, everything ended at once.
The woman had waved. I'd waved back. It was 7:46 in the morning, and her coat was especially bright in the mid-June sun. Her hair was tied back in a bun, and she held a placard that read Down with Lies, Up with Equality.
At exactly 7:47, twenty trained members of the Onett First Brigade swarmed the protesters, massacring them one by one. I watched, horrified, as with slick silver blades, the faces I'd come to know melted into blood. I stared as the yellow coat was torn into ribbons, mangled with the woman's flesh. Screams of torture, brutality, fear, they filled my mind, and it was at that moment I knew.
I knew that Onett was a dreadful place.
Ness hadn't been able to get a word out of me that day. What was left of my innocence had been torn and butchered, like the protesters they hung up on display in our street. Examples, they said.
I hung the woman's blood-soaked placard on my wall.
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~~o00o~~
Chapter 16: The Damage Sustained
(Lucas)
~~o00o~~
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.
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"I need to tell you something."
We're sitting on Ness's bed. My heart pounds, full of worry. After delivering his letter, Ness came into the sitting-room and insisted we have a discussion.
I'm worried about him. I hope this is good news or at least a sign that he's strengthening. Ness always has been a little more fragile than most, and the pressures of the mystery are tearing him apart piece by piece.
"Lucas," he whispers.
"Ness?" I say, uncertain. My hand is in his. "What's the matter? What is happening?"
"I don't know. Too much." Ness's shoulders slump a little. "It's been, well. Manic."
"Manic?"
"Yes." Ness picks up a pillow before suddenly launching it across the room. The pillow falls sorrowfully to the floor. "Do you remember what I told you before? About, uh. Not really finding girls attractive?"
"Of course."
Ness screws up his face. He looks like a prune. I point this out, earning a prod.
"Lucas," he says, clearing his throat. "You see, the matter is... actually, it's nothing. Forget I spoke."
"Ness." I twist my hands around, uneasy. "Don't lie."
"Fine. Lucas, I'm, well, I think I may be, well…"
All at once, he plunges himself under the covers. I wrestle with them, just about managing to slip underneath.
"You can tell me, Ness."
"Not this time!"
"Why not?"
"You'll think me insane!"
"I know you are insane. That's why I like you."
Ness makes a small noise, and I take the opportunity to wrap my arms around him.
"Lucas…" He tries surreptitiously to wipe his eyes.
"Ness, tell me," I urge. I'm burning to know, filled with a carnal need to save him. It must be something terrible; usually, he'd have given in by now.
"I might fancy men," he says suddenly. "Instead of women."
"Oh?"
"I'm sorry!" Ness exclaims, plunging his face into a pillow. "I'm sorry I'm so — wrong! I'm so sorry!"
"Ness!" I hold onto him tighter. "Don't be so overdramatic. So, you mean, you prefer men to women?"
Ness nods into the sheets, and there's a short pause.
I mull the new information over. Oddly, I find myself relating to it. Objectively speaking, men are prettier than girls, and they give much better hugs, as well. To me, girls seem like they would be irritatingly delicate to hold, besides, their hands are so, so small. How could a hand like that fit over my own?
But, when thinking scientifically, homosexual behaviour makes no sense. Surely it's wrong, because it goes against human nature? Against biology? Perhaps it's a form of population control, a curse, or a punishment — but then, what sort of god would invent that?
It makes my mind ache. Perhaps it's the act of homosexuality that's wrong, not the feeling. But that narrows the whole thing down to sex, not love… I sigh. Either way, the government that made it illegal is the same one that killed those protesters.
"Lucas?" Ness says. I realise too late that he's waiting for an answer.
"I, uh—" I flounder. "I think it's okay to prefer men."
"You really think so?" Ness looks up slightly. He's shaking.
"Yes. I wouldn't say so if I thought otherwise."
"But, Lucas." Ness's expression wibbles, and his head drops back onto the pillow. "It's forbidden."
"Only if you act upon it," I say. "Nobody else needs to know."
"That's what Toon Link said. B-But they would have to, wouldn't they? If I wanted to be with someone."
"Well, uh." The thought of Ness being with someone is strangely jarring. "I think it's only, uh, sex that's illegal…"
"Not anymore! Toon Link says there's a whole new law!" He looks wretchedly at me. "Some amendment last year outlawed all homosexual behaviour. Even sending a love letter is illegal."
"Well, you could lie? Say you are just close friends?"
"Toon Link said that too, but – but I don't want to, Lucas!"
He looks miserably at me, and I frown, not sure whether to hug him or not.
"How does Toon Link know about this?" I ask.
"I told him," Ness says, glum. "I would've told you first, but I just — I was talking to Toon Link, all the words sprung from me… and I was nervous."
"Nervous, why's that?" Now I do hug him. When he hugs me back, I can sense the relief in his grip. Did he really think I wouldn't accept him?
"In case it would make things uncomfortable," Ness says, recoiling slightly, jumpy again. "It doesn't, does it?"
"Why would it be uncomfortable?"
"It doesn't matter. Just, promise me everything's all right."
"It is." I hug him tightly. But he slumps against my shoulder. I frown again. "Ness, what's wrong?"
"I don't want to be this way. I don't want to be — a sodomite."
There's a slight pause. I'm suddenly unsure if I'm actually doing any good at helping him.
"Ness, I have no problem with you preferring men. I don't know why you do."
"I don't even know if I do or not! I'm a state, an absolute wreck."
I hold him closer. His body trembles in little quivers, and I can feel his heart beating rapidly against my own.
"I feel so stupid and angry, and tired, so tired, all the time, and I'm always worrying, and — the voice in my head won't shut up. Lucas! What do I do?"
"You need to see someone," I say, my voice catching in my throat. "These nervous breakdowns aren't healthy, Ness—"
"If I see someone, they'll send me to an asylum!"
"Rosalina then," I say, scrambling. "She'll help, she wouldn't send you away — she'd understand—"
"She'll probably think I'm possessed!"
"Well, perhaps you are," I say, and Ness groans.
"I'm not. This voice, it's like it's a manifestation of my own… you know? And everything else, it's just the same as normal. They're the kinds of thoughts I've had forever, only they've gotten worse."
"Then tell Rosalina that. Please," I say, my eyes watering a little. "I think you are sick, Ness. All these dark things have made you ill."
"Fine," Ness says. "But I'm not telling her about the homosexuality. Or Buttercup."
"That's all right, just — let's go. Come on."
.
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.
A few minutes later, I knock on Rosalina's door, Ness standing by my side like a dejected puppy. Rosalina has always been kind and has always been good when we needed her. She'll be an expert on this sort of sickness, I think.
Rosalina emerges, but her face falls when she sees Ness's expression. I tip my cap, looking down at the ground.
"May we come in, Professor?"
"Of course — good heavens." Rosalina is quick to usher us into her office, shutting the door behind her. "Whatever can I do for you?"
"Ness's mind is sick," I say. "Can you help him?"
Rosalina sits down to catch her breath. I think I've worried her. I already want to leave.
"What do you mean by sick?" she asks.
"I'm scared," Ness speaks up. He looks ashamed, and I grab his hand tighter. "Troubled," he says. "All the time. I get - get all caught in my head, and I'm so tired of it, Lucas having to make me better every day. It's everything happening, the disappearances, the Future Humans, Dark Pit…" His voice trails off. Rosalina reaches out to touch his arm.
"Ness, it's okay to be worrying about this. A lot is happening at the moment. It would be foolish to think you'd be all right."
"Is there anything you can do for him?" I plead.
"Yes," Rosalina says. "Usually, I'd send him to Dr Mario, but he can be… ah, abrupt, when it comes to sickness of the mind. Ness, I can mentor you, regularly, about this. I know a thing or two about diets that are supposed to help, and about the latest advances in treatments."
"Not without Lucas," Ness says, childishly grabbing at my sleeve.
"Of course." Rosalina notes something on her clipboard. "Come by any time I'm here. So long as I'm not busy, I'll be glad to talk."
"Thank you, Professor."
"Don't mention it." Rosalina sees us off with a gentle smile. "It's the least I can do."
.
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.
.
.
"It's good," I promise, when we're walking through the corridor later on. "We're going to get you back to happiNess again."
"That was a terrible pun," Ness says, but he smiles anyway.
"You'll get better," I find myself saying. "This won't last."
"I hope so," Ness says weakly. "Thank you for everything, though. For always being there—"
"Ness—" I hug him for the millionth time today.
"Lucas—"
"I'm—"
"Lucas, I love you," he says. I'm surprised. Ness isn't usually one for verbal affection.
"I love you too, Ness."
"No, no, Lucas, I love you."
Now I'm just confused. "What do you mean?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"No?" I say, wilting a little bit. Ness just rubs his face. "What do you mean, Ness?"
"I don't even know what I mean," Ness says, taking my hand. "But come on. We should find the others. Toon Link planned a sleepover in his dormitory tonight… that should cheer us up."
"Okay," I say, my voice shrinking with the distinct feeling I've missed something. "Let's go."
We enter the sitting-room again, after a quick visit to the bathroom to look less bedraggled. My mind has filled itself with thoughts again, but I ignore them for now. Ness was honest. Ness admitted that he's sick. At long, long last.
"Everything sorted?" Villager asks, lying lazily across a sofa.
"Yes, thank you." I try to smile. Ness nods.
"Good, good. It's a little late, so we should head to Toon Link's dorm before we're sent to bed." His voice sounds off. I think he's worried about us.
"We should," Red agrees. I'm not sure when he got here.
"Yes… c'mon," Toon Link agrees. He sounds even worse. Is this how it's going to be now?
We take the short walk into Toon Link's dorm, and we just about catch Link on his way to Zelda's room. But as Link leaves, Red immediately finds a problem.
"There are two beds, but five of us."
"Almost seems deliberate," Villager says, looking at Toon Link.
"Well, Toonie and Villager can share Toon Link's bed," Ness says casually, with a strange look at them both. I'm unsure why. "Lucas and I can share Link's," he adds, and I suddenly feel a small, fluttery feeling inside of me.
"That works," I say.
"What about me?" Red asks.
Toon Link shrugs. "You probably don't want to share with one of us, do you?"
"That is true, but—"
"You are banished to the floor."
"Delightful," Red says. "I'll get my bedclothes."
Red leaves, and the rest of us sit on the carpet. There's absolute silence, though it's not as uncomfortable as I was expecting.
"You've a nice room," Villager says. "Time for me to steal everything you own."
"You wha — excuse me!" Toon Link exclaims as Villager pulls open the wardrobe. But Villager's disappointed to see it full of piles of clothes, so he tries the drawers underneath, which provide better results. He tugs out some paper, some socks, and...
"Aha! What are these?"
Villager holds up a selection of scented candles. Toon Link flushes pink.
"I like candles," he protests. "They're pretty."
"Let's light them," Ness says with sudden energy.
"I have matches," Toon Link says, chucking them over. "There's enough for lighting the corners, plus some to light Link's possessions on fire."
"We are not doing that," Villager scolds.
"Well, it wouldn't be the first time a fire had been started to burn something," Toon Link says lightly, suddenly seeming excited.
"What d'you mean?"
"The fire that started in Headmaster Hand's office. I took the liberty of, uh, poking around last night…"
"What?" Villager balks. "That area's not safe!"
"Nothing says 'come in' to me more than an area being unsafe."
I ignore that. "Did you find anything?"
"I did."
"What was it?"
Toon Link brings his hand into his pocket, taking out something small. It's the spine of a book. The edges are tattered and dark, but the words are clear.
Magical Monsters and Mythical Creatures.
The book from the library! The one containing Future Human! But in the headmaster's office? I take it, when something hits me.
"Why did you pick this up?" I ask.
"I don't know," Toon Link says. "But it was in the fireplace. Meaning someone burnt it."
Phew. Okay. Toon Link doesn't know about Future Human. But someone deliberately burnt it... why? I look closer at the spine, hoping to find an author, but just my luck, the author's name is blackened to a scorch.
I look closer at the title. There's something else, hidden beneath a flap of curled paper. A small, inscribed V.
Engrossed, I stare at it. What could V be? Is that the author? But no, it's definitely part of the title. Had there been a V before? I cannot quite remember.
"Something interesting about that?" Villager comes over as well.
"Uh." I'm suddenly aware that I've been staring at it for a while. "It's just strange, that's all. Who would burn a book about magic?"
"I don't know..." Villager eyes it closely. "It's interesting, though."
I give Ness a quick talk later look, and I pocket it, my mind swarming with theories and ideas again. I can see it now. What if someone snuck around to find one of the only fireplaces in the school, the Headmaster's, while he was out in the conference room? They could've thrown it in the fire, it caught ablaze, but then it spiralled out of control…
Which has to mean it's someone in the school, I think. Someone in school is behind the Future Humans, someone is sending them after me perhaps, and they tried to burn the book so I wouldn't… know? Unless someone snuck through the passages to do it, but who, why? Did they have information to hide?
It's just a shame the book is gone. I'll never know the author, so I cannot investigate much more. I'm going to need to keep looking closely, I think. I need to examine everything, noticing all the details. This will be crucial.
"...Lucas?"
"Sorry!" I snap out of my reverie, alarmed, but I calm myself fast. "What did you say?"
Toon Link grins.
"I asked if you wanted to play Truth or Dare."
"So long as there are no big trees," I say, wincing. The injuries from the incident still sting. So do my feet, from going outside, and my head, from the shower attack. I realise I've been quite accident-prone this term. And I got sick — hopefully, that means I've fulfilled my damage quota for a while.
"Don't worry, we'll stay safe," Toon Link assures me. "That tree looked awful, even from the ground."
"We still haven't lit the candles," Villager points out.
"It is dark," Ness agrees. "We should light them."
"I was saving them for a special occasion…"
"We should light them all," Ness furthers evilly, and Villager distributes them. They claim to be blueberry scented, and I wonder whether lighting twelve of them might fumigate the room. But Villager lights every single one with great pride.
Toon Link sighs. "Now you've butchered my candles, can we start admitting our embarrassing secrets?"
He's interrupted again though, as Red finally comes back in, dragging a duvet across the floor. I'm ashamed to say I'd forgotten about him a little bit.
"Why's it looking so romantic in here?" Red asks, seeing the candles and giving us a strange look. "That's a lot of fire."
"We're summoning Satan," Toon Link says.
"What!?"
"I'm kidding."
"You'd better be!" He sits down, mellowing out almost immediately. "What are we doing, then?"
"Truth or dare."
"Oh yes," Red says, fiddling absent-mindedly with his pillow. "That ended in disaster last time, did it not?"
"It won't this time," Villager promises. "Else I might be forced to castrate dear Toon Link and hang him from the clocktower."
"Ha." Red's lip quirks. "You are the most chaos-inducing individuals on this earth. I suppose Toon Link should bid farewell to his testes."
"Can we stop discussing my balls?" Toon Link runs a hand through his hair. "Can we perhaps, and I know this is fastly becoming a radical concept, start the game?"
"Of course," Red says. "All I'm saying is that I don't want to end up like Dark Pit, so we had better be safe."
There's a horrible pause.
"Let's not talk about Dark Pit," Villager says hurriedly. "He might be alive. In fact, let's believe he's alive. Let's not worry about that yet, let's just have a nice time, okay?"
We all nod.
The tension fades as Toon Link smirks, looking at us all one by one. "Villager, I nominate you."
"Of course you do," Villager sighs. "Go on then. One of your finest dares, please."
"I dare you to sing a love song."
"A love song?" Villager looks unwell. "Do I have to?"
"Just because all of your romantic endeavours have ended in disaster, cough, Zelda—"
"Alright, you can shut up now." Villager prods Toon Link with some force. "Here goes nothing..."
He sings a verse of something immensely saccharine, before faltering, red-faced.
"Is that it?" Toon Link asks.
"Sorry," Villager says. "Copyright laws are restrictive. That's all you're getting."
"All I'm getting?" Toon Link gasps. "Well, I'm flattered."
"You idiot." Villager shoves him again, laughing through the embarrassment. "It wasn't about you."
"You've got a good singing voice," I note. He has, actually. I never thought of Villager as very musical.
"Thanks." Villager blushes further. "Uh, anyway, Ness, truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"What is your most embarrassing memory?"
Ness sighs. I laugh a little, because I'm sure I know which story is coming.
"All right," Ness says. "This is the story of the worst day of my life."
I smirk.
"Last year, I got trapped in the bathroom. The one down our corridor. I tried to climb through the window, but I forgot I was a whole storey above the ground. Lucas had to get a professor with a ladder to let me down. So many people saw..."
I burst out laughing. I cannot help it. He's so ridiculous.
"Lucas, it's your turn, for laughing at me," Ness says. "Truth or dare?"
"Truth," I say, once I've finally calmed down.
"I've got one," Toon Link says as Ness opens his mouth. "Have you ever been kissed by anyone?"
"Erm." I blush, a little confused. "No. Unless my mother counts." I wonder vaguely what kissing even feels like. Toon Link gives Ness a significant look, and he reddens as well.
"Me neither," Toon Link agrees. "Suppose we're both even bigger virgins than we thought. Who are you gonna ask, Lucas?"
"I'll ask you."
"Truth," he says before I can say anything else.
"On a scale of one to ten, how attractive do you think you are?"
Toon Link thinks hard. "Ten on a good day, one on a bad day. Red! Truth or dare?"
"Truth, I suppose," Red grumbles.
"Who do you think is the most attractive in the room?"
Red looks at each of us in turn. It's like he's calculating something when he stares at me, taking in my bony cheekbones and pale complexion.
"Ness," he says, after some time.
I draw the same conclusion.
Many more truths and dares are done, and soon, it's finally Toon Link's turn to dare Villager again.
"...And have I got a task for you, Villager," he says, beaming. "You've got to stay inside my wardrobe for five whole minutes."
"That's not even that bad," Villager laughs, standing. "It's huge, I'm expecting to find Narnia in there."
"Well, you know what they say about men with big wardrobes."
"I'll stop you right there," Villager says, opening the door. The wardrobe is giant, certainly bigger than the one in mine and Ness's room. Villager enters within, almost knocking down a small clock, and Toon Link scolds him.
"He'll hate it in there," Toon Link says once he's inside, and we listen with bated breath.
"Agh!" Villager cries. "Why does it smell so bad?"
"Link's dirty laundry," Toon Link cackles.
"Vile!"
"Well, he's a dead man," Toon Link informs us. "Red, your turn to ask someone."
"I choose Ness."
"Truth, I suppose," Ness says.
"Would you prefer to… take the honey from a beehive, or take a pound coin from Wario?"
"The honey, any day," Ness says. "If Wario caught me, I'd be skinned alive and barbecued."
"Can I come out yet?" Villager asks.
"It's been about thirty seconds," Toon Link says, laughing, but he's suddenly interrupted by another knock, this time at his door.
There's a beat of silence.
Red frowns. "Were we expecting guests?"
"I don't think so…" Toon Link stands up slowly, looking back towards us for just a second. He advances towards the door. It's strange, it's late, why would anyone be here? Perhaps Link forgot his pyjamas… but then, why are the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end? Why does the room suddenly feel… colder?
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Whatever it is, it's keen.
Toon Link glances back at us again, reaching gradually for the door handle. Why is my heart beating so fast? Why have we all fallen silent? There is no reason for anything bad to happen, it's just a knock at the door, but... I trace the spine of the book inside of my pocket, and Ness takes my other hand in his. It's as if we all somehow know that something isn't right.
All at once, Toon Link pulls the door open.
There's nobody there.
"Hello?" Toon Link peers outside. There must be nothing, because he comes back in again, shrugging.
"What happened?" Villager asks, stepping out of the wardrobe.
"Someone trying to be funny, I think," Toon Link says.
"It was weird," Ness says sort of distantly. He still hasn't let go of my hand.
An abrupt jab of fear hits my chest.
"Search the room!" I exclaim, suddenly standing up. A fierce heat is coursing through me. "Search it, now."
"What?" Toon Link half-laughs.
"Quickly!" My eyes sting. "I don't think we're alone."
"Lucas, how would anything have gotten—"
"Just do it!"
Feverish, I tear through the bedclothes. Ness catches my eye, a worried expression on his face. He adjusts his hair, but he follows my command and starts to look underneath the wardrobe. I don't know what it is or what I'm feeling, but something is utterly, inconceivably, wrong.
Sensory check. Smell, blueberry candles. Sound, the clock ticking on the wardrobe. Taste, nothing. Touch, the air is cold, but it was already cold, the window is hanging open…
I shiver.
I've missed something. I saw something, but I missed it. I retrace my steps, shuddering, lost, what was it? I'm stupid, so stupid, what had it been? I let my subconscious guide my eyes upwards, upwards... until...
The clock on the wardrobe.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
A growing sense of trepidation arises inside me, and I move to bring the clock off the shelf.
It's just a normal clock. I look closely at it, at every nook and cranny. The polite golden engravings, the tempered glass face. It's old, really old, even. The time is wrong, in fact, it's so old that it's stopped completely. It's probably been still for quite a while. The time reads 4:13, but it's definitely past ten.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Oh.
I know what is wrong.
"Toon Link?" My voice quakes.
"Y-Yes?" he stammers. They're all on edge. Even they feel that something's wrong.
"This clock," I say, my voice shrinking. "How long has it been broken?"
"It's - it's Link's… it hasn't worked for a couple of years."
"Then," I say, gulping. "Why can we still hear ticking?"
There is a horrible silence.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
"It's coming from the wardrobe," Ness says sharply. He's right.
"But I was just in there…" Villager edges toward it. "I saw nothing."
"It's a big wardrobe," Toon Link says.
"Let's just get this over with." Red folds his arms, but I can see he's trembling.
Ness takes my hand again, and I inch to his side. This is queer, too queer for my liking. Fear prickles again at the back of my mind.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Villager takes initiative, and he pulls the wardrobe door open. The ticking gets louder, but there seems to be nothing there. Toon Link was right about the smell though, it reeks of flesh, like one of the slaughterhouses in the Farming district. It's then that I notice another small noise amid the ticking, something less rhythmic, coming from beneath a pile of clothes. It's a noise that fills me with curiosity.
Crying.
"I don't remember this being here," Villager says, glancing back at us.
"It's a big wardrobe," Toon Link mumbles again. "Well? Who's gonna do it?"
"It's too dark to see," Red says, looking closer.
Thud.
I jump about a foot in the air. That came from behind us. I've missed something again; I whirl around, frantic. When the knock on the door had come, when we opened it and there was nobody... There's more than one thing going on here. There has to be. Something has come in. But what, where? Fretting, I turn around again as Ness pulls the stack of clothes away from what looks to be… some sort of creature.
There's silence as we look at it. The ticking gets louder. It seems like it's coming from the creature itself.
My mind flashes. In the middle of the woods. Being chased by Future Human. Screaming.
Ticking.
"Everyone, back!" I cry. "Future Human, it's you!"
Everyone scrambles away, except for Ness. But it's weeping, emitting quiet, hiccupping sobs. Like a dying animal, coughing up the last of its heart. And once again, it has a different face. I remember what Ryu said.
They.
Of course, there's more than one of them. But how did this one get here?
"Hello?" I say, approaching it.
"Placet..." It looks up, a dishevelled heap. "...Auxilium."
I usher everyone back again, suddenly finding myself in a strange position of leadership. For now, I am responsible for my friends.
"Please help," I translate. "I know what that means. Tell me, what are you doing here?"
The Future Human vibrates. I glance back at the others. They're all white as a sheet. Stay calm, Lucas.
"Cruciatus." It looks up at me.
"It's Latin." I glance at Red, lost. "Could you—?"
"It means Torture," Red says. He sounds hollow.
A chill runs down my spine. I turn back to the Future Human.
"What are you?"
But it continues to cry, heaving out broken, miserable coughs. I don't understand. Ness approaches, taking my hand.
"Come on out of there," Ness coaxes. "Don't hurt us. We might be able to help you."
That gets its attention. It shuffles, very slightly, climbing mechanically out of the wardrobe. The cogs tick inside it, continuing to fill the silence. In the light of the candles, its visage is warlike, peeling away, rotting. Its flesh is turning grey, eyes bloodshot, hair mostly gone. I sense the others holding their breath behind me.
No wonder it smelt so awful in there.
It's disgusting. It's horrible. I hate it. I don't understand what they are. It looks more advanced than the one we last saw in the forest, with more metal plating over its arms. There are white gloves on its hands, and steel bars crossing its armour. There are even blades, I think, attached to its hands and feet, those same feet covered by steel boots. I step back, the smell overwhelming me. It's sick. It's putrid. It stands there in dismay, crying messily into its hands.
"I don't know why you're here, or what you want," I say, but I'm cut off.
"Interficias me."
"Kill me," Red translates, standing back with alarm. I step back hastily as well.
"T-There's no need for that," I stammer. "L-Let's... how about…"
But suddenly, the door to the bedroom bursts open. Ryu steps inside, his hands raised.
"Stand back, at once! I will deal with this."
"P-Professor?!" Toon Link cries out, utterly bewildered.
"Quickly! This being is dangerous."
"How did you find us?" Red asks, staring at him.
"He somehow tracks these creatures," I say, suddenly confused by my own explanation. "How, Professor?"
Ryu ignores me, advancing with purpose. The Future Human steps back with alarm.
"What are you going to do?" Ness asks.
"Destroy it."
"No! Don't!" My voice comes out higher than usual. "It's, it's not dangerous, this one is - it's crying!"
"Crying?" Ryu's expression remains firm, though he slowly lowers his hands.
But at that, the Future Human runs noisily from the room, its steel boots clattering into the corridor. Ryu gives chase, but it's fast, inhumanly fast, and it turns a corner, down the stairs to who knows where.
I gasp for air, only just realising that I'd been holding my breath from the stench. I'm wordless.
"What - w-what the hell was that!?" Toon Link demands, shrunk back against the wall, him and Villager gripping one another like vices.
"Well," I begin. "Erm."
"I don't — you knew it," Toon Link points shakily at me. "Are you in league with it? Explain, please, explain—"
"It's a monster." I tremble, sitting down on the bed. "It's some sort of creature, and there are more like it. They've been following me around, and mostly they've been trying to kill me."
It sounds ridiculous. They won't believe me. What if they think it's my fault? Is Ryu going to come back?
"I don't - I don't understand," Toon Link says, shuddering, clutching onto Villager like a child. "It was horrible!"
"It was hurting," I say miserably.
"But - but what is it?" Villager asks, his voice faint.
"I saw it in a book." I take the spine from my pocket. "This one. It was called a Future Human, and since then I've been seeing them everywhere I go. In the library, when I thought it was a dream, in the forest, and then in the forest again, and now here — and they're changing every time! They're getting stronger, and Ryu thinks they're coming for me."
My courage breaks all at once, and I have to sit down. Where did this fear come from?
Ness swoops down, hugging me from the side. Toon Link and Villager scramble over, following suit. Toon Link is still shaking, I can feel it against my back. It's my fault, they came after me. I'm putting everyone in danger.
"I'm so scared." I shake, covering my face with my hands. "I don't know what to do."
"Why'd you not tell us earlier?" Villager asks.
"Because I didn't know how to explain it," I say pathetically. "I didn't want to scare you. I didn't think you'd believe it—"
"What are they made of?" Red asks. He's sitting on the floor, staring dejectedly at the wardrobe. "How are they built?"
"I don't know," I mumble. "I just want them to go away."
"Me too. I'm terrified," Toon Link says.
"Same here," Villager says, muffled against the rest of us.
"We'll sort this," Toon Link murmurs, and I think it's the most serious I've ever heard him. "These, these Future Human things, that gravestone, the disappearances, it must all be connected somehow. One way or another, you and Ness are tied up in it, and that means the rest of us are too, right?"
"Yes," Villager agrees. "We'll help. This is our fight now."
"Thank you," Ness and I mumble in unison.
I wonder if Ryu is still chasing it. I wonder how Ryu has saved me all those other times. He must have saved me in the library, because he'd been there. He'd said. He must've saved me in the forest, because he'd been there too. But how? What did he do?
With renewed fear, I huddle up to Ness, Villager and Toon Link, letting their presence keep me warm. I need them. I need them more than ever. I'm just a boy, I'm not ready for all this. I'm not strong enough.
"Lucas," Toon Link murmurs, but he's lost for words.
We all are.
There's no coming back from this.
"We should sleep," Villager says after some time has passed. My emotions have levelled a little, but we're still lying in a sort of heap on Toon Link's bed. Red joined us at some point, but he still sits a little way away, looking uncomfortably out the window.
"That's a good idea," I say quietly, breathing slower now. Tomorrow is a Saturday. Perhaps I'll finally have a normal day, away from the Face, away from Future Humans, from whoever is doing this. "Sorry this became a mess."
"It's not your fault," Ness says, but I cannot believe him.
We all scramble up, taking turns to change into pyjamas inside the wardrobe. Something's still bothering me, though.
The knock at the door.
I don't feel safe.
Regardless, Ness and I take Link's bed, and Toon Link and Villager take the other. Villager falls asleep almost immediately, and Toon Link seems to as well, a fair distance away from his counterpart. Red is the last to go, laying out his makeshift bed on the floor and quietly hiding beneath his covers. I think he's more affected than he lets on. I have a feeling he's seen a lot throughout his life, but I'm afraid to ask.
I breathe deeply, and I catch the scent of Ness. I feel slightly safer.
"This bed smells," Ness mutters.
"Of what?"
"Masculinity."
I stifle a giggle, but I sigh.
"Ness, who'd burn Future Human's book? The author?"
"I don't know," Ness murmurs, taking the spine from my pocket and reading it. "What is that V?"
"I don't know. Another mystery." I put the spine back away, and there's a brief pause. "It was… crying, this time."
"It was awful." Ness shakes. "It's like a child's nightmare."
"Why me, Ness?" I bury my face into his chest. "Why do they want to kill me?"
"I don't understand it either," Ness says, miserable. He puts a hand in my hair, gently threading it through. It's surprisingly comforting.
Every little detail. Everything.
"Why are they called Future Humans?" I ask.
"It's as though they were something else beforehand…" Ness begins, but then his brow tightens. "What if they were people?"
The idea makes my stomach drop to the centre of the earth.
He continues, sounding unwell. "What if they were ordinary people, made into Future Humans against their will? What if that's why they're asking for help, and why it hurts them?"
"Why the hell would anyone do that?"
"I don't know. I feel sick," Ness says, shuddering. He clings onto me, and I try to think harder.
"The book's author must've created them. What if the book isn't just a book — perhaps they're blueprints?"
"But who is the author?" Ness asks, and his voice says it all. We're lost. We have no idea.
"It has to be someone in school," I reason.
"Agreed." Ness rubs his face. "But why use those metal men rather than normal, actual people?"
"I don't know."
"And why Latin?"
"I don't know—"
"...I'm scared."
"I'm scared too."
"At least we're together," Ness says, and I tremble.
"Agreed."
There's a pause while we digest each other's words, and I pull the covers over us.
"Seriously Ness, thank you," I say into his shoulder. "Thank you for being here."
"You were here for me earlier," he says. "Terrible things are coming. We need to have each other's backs."
"I just want it to end. I want it to go back to normal."
"We'll figure this out," he promises. "We'll be all right in time. But let's sleep for now. I'm tired."
"Yes," I say.
But I've been tired for so long. I don't know how much longer I can do this.