The door slid open and quiet footsteps entered the room. The door slid closed again and the sneaking figure crossed to her.

"Hey, it's me. Tobias. We have to be super quiet because I'm supposed to be asleep right now. But anyways, I came to deliver your gift."

Small clothing rustles came again, and he tapped something against her.

"Here. It's a mask. All of the Bunchlings wear them. And I want to make sure you become a Bunchling too. I'll put it on for you."

He fiddled around with the mask for a moment, then touched it to her. He moved away when it stayed.

"There we go. Now you're one of us."

The door opened. "Tobias? What are you doing?" It was Rex. "You're going to get caught! Get out of here!" He stormed over. "What is that?"

"I gave her a Bunchling mask! She's a Bunchling now."

Rex tore the mask off of her. "'She?' What do you mean, 'she?' That thing is magic, it's nothing. So don't get attached to it, because just like what happened with your father, it's just going to hurt you. It's already hurt me."

Tobias let out a small gasp. "Rex, your hand is bandaged. Did she do that to you?"

"Yes, it did. See what happens when you trust that thing? It hurt somebody you loved, somebody you cared for. Next time, it's going to hurt you. When that happens, you'll see exactly what I'm trying to warn you about. But it would be too late by then. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Rex stormed off, tossing the mask on the ground. Tobias grabbed it and put it back on her. "Don't listen to him, he doesn't know what he's talking about. Rex will grow to like you, he'll see. You won't hurt anyone, won't you? You didn't mean to hurt Rex, did you? But what should I name you? I'll have to think about it. Oh! I also brought you this."

He gently lifted her from the floor, then let her rest on something soft and plushy.

"It's my favorite cushion. Rex and I stole it from a caravan a few months ago. But now I'm letting you have it, since now you're my favorite stolen thing. I love you."

His footfalls grew quieter as he left her. Sound slowly died as she drifted off to sleep.