The next day was a little more chilly than usual. David was wearing a light jacket and Ball had a small heating blanket attached to the back of her backpack.
"Why are you bringing your backpack?" David asked her. They were just outside of the science building.
"Johnson still thinks I am going to school," Ball explained dryly. She looked at the ground. She was in the midst of mixed emotions.
"Oh ok," They walked from the science building on their usual route until any eyes from Johnson were out of the picture. They did so in silence until the suburb started to dot the land with it's purple grass and short shrubs.
"Is there something wrong?" David finally asked, "You're really quiet today,"
"Thoughts are bothering me," She said.
"Oh?" David was ready to listen.
"I am not the only living object," Ball said.
"Well there's Rocky," David mentioned. Cars going into the city passed them by.
"Yes, but even more. But they are created by accident, and are space pests. They are murdered if discovered," Ball looked at the floor still.
"Oh..." David said sadly, "How do the space aliens think of you?"
"I am not sure," Ball said.
"Hmm, well, just think of it this way: There isn't much you can do about it right now, so try not to worry about it. We should just focus on today," David said to her. Ball thought for a moment.
"Do you think I am similar to Johnson?" Ball asked looking up at him.
"W-hy do you ask?"
"Since I am Johnson's object he says that there are things in common with us both, but I think he is a sour man," Ball said looking away again.
"Honestly, I don't know Johnson well enough to make any judgements, but, if you don't want to be like Johnson than you can just go ahead and be yourself," David said. They waited to cross the road.
"I am worried that I will be like him in the future if I just continue like that," Ball said.
"Then be better than Johnson. You're so worried about what you might do, but just being worried is a sign, because you want to be better. Does Johnson?" David tried his best.
"No. He just does whatever he feels like. He has no self control or will to change,"
They walked across the street.
"See, there's a difference!" David said waving his arms up.
"I guess," Ball sighed.
"Cheer up. We're almost there. Maybe after a few hours we could go out to lunch," He suggested.
"I am not hungry," She never was.
"You don't have to eat. Eh-it would just be relaxing," David shrugged his shoulders.
"If you want to," Ball sighed.
A few minutes later they arrived at the house. The front door was wide open, and the yard was surrounded by piles of dirt reminiscent of termite mounds. They reached every end of the property in varying sizes.
The entire scene caught Ball's attention, and she practically lit up.
"For what reason were these created!?" She said curiously. Ball walked up to the mound and tapped it with her foot.
"There's shovel marks. You think she might've put them here?" David observed.
"I would not assume anyone else would have a reason. I just wonder why she would need so much dirt!" Ball looked up at him for a moment before looking back to the mound.
"Well I guess we better ask her then. The door is open. We can investigate in her home," David turned to look at the house.
"We should!" Ball rushed over to the steps and went inside. David passively followed her while she took off her backpack.
The inside of the first room seemed devoted to moving dirt, but there wasn't much except for dust on the floor. What was prominent in the rest of the house was the stacks and stacks of garbage laying about. There were more organized piles, and then entire rooms dedicated to a hoard.
"This reminds me of a TV show," David said worryingly as he entered another trashed chamber.
"This one is a little different," Ball said pushing a door open. The room had less trash and more living space. It was different for its crowded words written in marker all along the walls. Ball spent a good time looking at the bed.
"I would take a picture, but I swear Rudd would kill me," David gazed at the ceiling.
"Move the bed," Ball commanded.
"Why?" David asked.
"There is something underneath! Perhaps where the daughter is," Ball explained. So David moved the bed. Underneath was a trap door with light coming out of the cracks.
"Oooh! This is really weird," David complained. Ball moved the trap door's entrance to reveal a dark tunnel illuminated by Christmas lights.
"...Well?" Ball couldn't climb ladders on her own.
"What if there's a guy with a knife down there?" David said just looking down.
"We are on a lead. You are powerful, you should not be worrying," Ball also kept looking down.
"I'm more powerful, with a knife," David remembered seeing one in another room. He swiftly walked out and then came back. It was more rusty than he expected but he felt a lot better anyways.
"Now are you ready?" Ball asked.
"As I'll ever be," He put the knife uncomfortably in his pocket, and then picked up Ball as well as he could using one arm. David feared more and more the deeper he went. Ball just looked down to see if she could seek a bottom.
"How you holding up?" David asked her.
"Well. I am excited. This has taken my mind off of my troubles from before entirely," Ball said smiling.
"I think for me it's just added some," David said.
"...Are you afraid David?" Ball looked at his face.
"...Yes," He said honestly. He couldn't keep eye contact with her.
"I am not. Yet I do not have any arms or sharp teeth to protect me. You, should not be scared if I am not," Ball said.
"...If I die, would you bring me back to life?" David asked. He was thinking of reasons for Ball to be so brave.
"Of course! You are my best friend and ally. Although, it might take a while for me to figure out how," Ball said. She looked at his face again, "You act different when you are scared,"
"Don't we all?" David could see the ground level now.
"Yes, but you are never scared," Ball said.
"That's not true. It's just, I don't like small spaces I don't know. I'm claustrophobic," David landed down into a long imperfect hallway. Carved in the sides of the walls were shelves stuffed with more garbage. It was silent, dead, still.
David looked down the hall with dread. Ball hopped out of his arms and went to look at the kept garbage.
"Why would someone work so hard just to put all of this trash here?" Ball's words did not echo, instead they seemed to just be absorbed by the walls themselves.
"David?" She turned around to look at him gazing down the tunnel.
"Are you sure she hasn't died down here?" He said worriedly. He was focused on the amount of air he was getting down there.
"Well I guess we better figure out. I will bring you back to life if you die. It is a promise," Ball said.
"I still don't want to die twice any time soon," David started to inch into the tunnel. He tried not to touch the walls as he wanted to prevent a collapse.
"Twice?" Ball had forgotten.
"Well one day I'll have to die and not come back. I don't live forever," David sighed.
"Oh... but why? Do you not wish to live forever? -since you have the chance?" Ball asked him.
"I donno. I guess when my day finally comes I'll probably be to scared and start being immortal, but I think people will notice if old man Sechley keeps dying and coming back. That or they think I have a secret ocean of clones somewhere," He chuckled nervously.
"We have to go faster David," Ball noticed that he had stopped again.
"Well this is an ameture dirt tunnel that probably has zero air in it the further I go down, so right here is a pretty good place to be," He rambled.
"I do not understand this! You are a fearless fighter! Why are you so overwhelmed with this tunnel!?" Ball said rather loudly. The sound this time rippled back like some groan from deeper in.
"Nope nope nope nope nope nope," He repeated over and over again.
"It is nothing," Ball rolled her eyes, "Would you rather me leave you?" She started to walk backwards away from him deeper.
"MMM! ok fine! But I am keeping my eyes closed,"
David inched a greater distance now to keep up with Ball. Further in was more shelves, and even rooms connected by one long hallway. The rooms were filled with the obvious, but occasionally a bottle filled with a color-changing liquid was scrunched up between the trash. It was strange, but they never ever stared too long. While they were walking towards a dead end, a shovel came out of nowhere and almost hit David.
"WATCH IT!" Ball alerted. David screeched and flailed backwards. He fell over on his back, and waited a moment. In one of the shelves a woman with a shovel well hidden.
"Who are you?!" David said as loud as he dared from the floor.
"I missed... I never miss," The lady dropped her shovel and crawled out of the shelf, "Sorry about that," She went to give him a hand to help him up, but she noticed that Ball was behind her, so instead she jumped and hit her head on the ceiling.
"The nonhuman!? Here!?" She gazed at Ball.
"Please don't ever do that again," David was talking about hitting the ceiling. He was covering his face as some dust landed on it.
"Sorry. Ya'know I don't usually have robbers... or guests," She gave him a hand and finally lifted him, "But still- why the f!%# are you in my house and my hole?"
Ball and David looked at each other and then looked back at the woman.
"What was that thing you just said?" David asked her. Ball was thinking the same thing.
"What?... F!%#?" the lady shrugged.
"Yes, that one," Ball said.
"It's a curse word. It's just one of my many gifts. Well it's not really a gift," She leaned forward and smiled,"but you can't remember the word can you?"
"No, I can not..." Ball was amazed she could forget something so profound so fast.
"Come on let's make some connections since you're here. You still haven't told me why you're in my hoarding hole though," She scooched past David to get to the front of the group.
"Well we were trying to find you for your dad. He's my, our- principal," David explained.
"Oh, dad," She said briefly.
"Why do you store so much garbage down here and in your home?" Ball asked.
"Eeh, it's a long story. Was saving it for when we got back upstairs," She said.
"Oh thank heavens!" David said full of relief.
"He is afraid of small spaces," Ball explained to the lady.
"Well this place is only this small cause I made it myself. It's just for me. I never intended for anybody else to see it..." She sounded a little more embarrassed.
"Is it important to you?" David asked he followed behind her.
"Not really. It's just free space. I have it because it's space," She signed. A minute later they passed by a color changing bottle. David took the glass thing out of its shelf and pointed to it.
"What are these?" He asked.
"... Please put it back," she said eerily without turning around.
"ok," David said even quieter.
"What is wrong with that bottle?" Ball asked.
"It's a bottle of bad luck. I always find them, so I put them down here. I'm the only one who keeps finding them too. It's like somebody wants me to have them, but I've already had enough," She continued walking.
Up the ladder they re-entered the first floor bedroom. David let Ball out of his arms before collapsing on the floor. The lady rolled her eyes at him. She then began to think about the other rooms of the house. How about we just stay in here.
"Ok!" She pushed trash off of a chair and sat on it, "You want to hear my sorrowful tale despite what you have heard?" She asked them.
"What have we heard?" Ball asked sitting on the bed.
"Nothing!" the lady said dramatically.
"Can you just start?" David suggested. He sat up on the floor.
"Ok, I'll start in the beginning. When I was a sophomore in college, I had accidentally mistook one of those bad luck bottles as a coke. I fell into a coma that lasted me 3 years before the worst of it had worn off. In those 3 years symbols cried out to me, and visions dazzled me. Like a dream I'm not entirely sure what I saw. When I woke up I had a new obsession, and it's collecting things that people don't want. I can also read souls and... other things,"
"You collect objects that are unwanted?"Ball asked.
"Yes. I can't help it. In fact if you ever want to keep any of my endless piles of trash just take it because if it's wanted I don't care for it anymore," She said.
"What about your name? Why can't I know about it?" David asked.
"My name... I can't tell anyone my name because I will have to leave something behind," She said.
"Leave something behind?" David made a face.
"When I die, If certain people know my name than I will have to leave behind: a part of my soul, and a part of my history, and a thing of my comfort. I've been telling people to just call me the one who digs because I spend a lot of time in the tunnels," she said.
"Can I just call you Diggs?" David asked.
"You can, but just always remember that that is not my real name," Diggs said, "...Can I see your souls?"
"Why?" Ball asked.
"...It's fun," She put her two pointer fingers together.
David leaned over to Ball.
"This sounds like a lot of talk if you know what I mean," He whispered.
"Hey! You wanted to hear my story. If you don't want my knowledge than you can just leave. You both are here for a reason. My wisdom is useful and guiding," Diggs stood up.
"How!?" David stood up too. Diggs just grabbed his hand and shook it.
"Oh s# $," She said.
"What?" David pulled his hand away.
"Your body and soul are at a disagreement. It means you're about to become very very sick, or something worse. Your body is so frail. It's like it's flaking off or shifting or something," Diggs said. Ball got a little worried.
"How does my soul and my body even have a disagreement?" David said. He rubbed his wrist.
"They don't really talk to each other. You would know if they did. It's just when somebody has a decaying body and a restless soul it's usually because you're gonna be sick," Diggs said.
David looked over at Ball.
"Is it the gummies?" Ball assumed that was what he was thinking of. She was stressed.
"I would have to look again to see if there was any sort of breaker agent," Diggs said.
"No way," David said.
"Why not?" Ball asked him.
"It hurt, and it's kinda freakin me out," David said rubbing his wrist still, "If I get sick I'm going to blame you," He was talking to Diggs.
"Well that just isn't fair. You should be blaming the nonhuman for everything," She pointed to Ball.
"What? What did I do!?" Ball glanced at both of them.
"According to my vision you are the most unluckiest being in the entire world. I mean, I'm only in hiding here because you finally showed up. Your bad luck is so terrible, I was afraid I would die as soon as I met you, but I'm still alive and your companion didn't get hit by my shovel, so I guess I was meant to talk to you. Since you're here...can I read your soul?" Diggs said.
"I am unlucky...like the bottles?" Ball assumed.
"Not exactly, uh... Just give me your soul," She took a few steps over to Ball and shook her foot.
"Are you sure it works if I do not have hands?" Ball asked after the shake was already finished.
"Oh yeah it works," Diggs sat back down and just gazed at Ball. She had one hand over her mouth and an expression of deep thought.
"Is there something wrong?!" Ball was worried because she wasn't saying anything.
"No, it's just you're like the most interesting thing I've ever read," She said quickly.
"But why?" David asked. Diggs chuckled out of nowhere and looked at the ceiling.
"I'm sorry, I was just thinking of something funny. I don't want to tell you because I think you'll be mad at me. Uh, the nonhuman doesn't have a regular soul. It's a part of a soul, and a bunch of other stuff, uh But, ok, I'm gonna tell you the thing. You guy's, wait let me start over! Uh David, pretend this fork is a regular person anywhere,"
"Where is this going?" David asked slowly yet impatiently.
"WAIT I'VE GOT IT! David... isn't fully human anymore! That's it!" Diggs started to laugh outright.
"You've got to be kidding me," David put his hand on his face, then took if off in a face palm, "Then what I am then?" David asked rudely.
"You're a little, HEH! A little more like her!" She pointed to Ball.
"Why is it funny?!" David hissed.
"It's just uncanny. OH, and another part of the nonhuman's bad luck," Diggs said.
David looked at Diggs with a burning gaze for a moment.
"... This is just a trick isn't it? It's funny cause it's fake!" David tried to have his words hit hard.
"Geeze! Slow your roll! Ok hold this," She gave him a little smooth stone. Diggs didn't want him to be upset with her, "Ok now give it back to me,"
David did what he was told despite the confusion. After he gave the stone back to her he felt much calmer.
"What'd you do?" He asked.
"I stole your soul. See now it's in this stone," She fiddled with it.
"Give it back!" David pointed to the floor.
"Why? I thought this was trick?" Diggs snickered.
Ball awkwardly watched the scene. She had questions, but she was afraid of David blaming her for the possible sickness that might've spawned from the gummies she gave him every day.
"That's right... it's just a trick. So I am not going to take that 'soul' back any time soon. Come on Ball let's go. Diggs or whatever her name is isn't really missing. Mission accomplished," David walked out of the room in a huff.
"Oh please don't leave it here..." Diggs mood flopped. She tried to follow him out, but David didn't look back. Ball was standing in the doorway looking at her, "You bring it back to him Ok?" She placed the stone on top of Ball's head for her to balance, "He can only get it back if he wants it back, just like I have to want to steal his soul with the stone to accomplish it with the stone," She said solemnly, "I can hear it loud and clear, at least when I'm holding it anyway. It's really scared, and regretful. I was gonna put it right back, but David decided to be stubborn," She put her pointer finger on the stone for a moment before taking it off again, "Oh shut up I was trying to get you to believe me, not this," She said to David's soul.
"What is it saying?" Ball asked.
"It's just yelling at me saying this is my fault. I mean it is a little, but it's more it's fault," Diggs crossed her arms. David leaned into the hallway he had already left.