Null - Shadow Figure
- Quiet, gentle
- Loves the children, even those who can't see him
- Can interact with physical objects
CAUSE OF DEATH: Lethal fall
At ten years old, I knew that it was rude to stare, but I couldn't help it.
I was trying to focus on my lesson, the arithmetic problems on the board in front of me, but my attention was constantly drawn to the window where the stranger stood. He was a man, dressed in a yellow shirt and blue jeans, and he looked almost normal if not for the mournful mask that covered his face. From the fact that nobody else was looking at him, I was pretty sure that he was one of my invisible friends.
The man held a lit cigarette in one hand, occasionally lifting it to the mouth of his mask and drawing in a puff of smoke before letting it out in a cloud or ring. This went on for several minutes, in which time I tried my best to focus on Madam's teaching, before the masked man turned and stared directly into my eyes.
"Do you want to try?" He asked bluntly. My gaze flicked to the cigarette, then back to his mask-face, and I shook my head. "Then quit staring."
"Gabby?" Madam's voice had me whipping back around to face the front of the classroom, where she was looking at me with a perplexed look on her face. "Are you alright?" I nodded hurriedly, looking down at my desk and trying my best to ignore him.
As I carefully wrote out the math problem on my slate, a figure stopped beside my desk, and I looked up to find the masked man leaning over my shoulder.
"Multiplication?" He gestured to the slate with his cigarette. "You're smarter than me, kid. I never learned that stuff." I couldn't help a little grin, hurriedly looking down again before Madam Agatha caught notice. "It's Gabby, right?" He went on. "Nice to meet you, Gabs. I'm Lick." I wrinkled up my nose. What kind of a name was that? "I think you're the only one in this godforsaken country that can see me," he went on cheerfully. "That's nice." I glanced up at the front of the classroom, ensured that Madam was looking elsewhere, then made a gesture for him to shut up.
"Alright, alright." Lick put his hands up in surrender, backing up to sit down on top of Amos' desk where the older boy sat on my right. Amos, of course, continued writing on his slate as if no one was there. "I'll just watch." Satisfied, I went on with my schoolwork, ignoring him until the lesson was over and I could talk to him alone.
When the settlement came into view, it became immediately obvious to me that my idea and Entity's idea of 'friendly people' were two very different things.
The 'people' he had claimed to have found for me were within the ruins of a large village which seemed to have at one point been set aflame. It had been supplemented by tents and makeshift shelters amongst the houses that they had found to be salvageable, as well as a couple of newer buildings that seemed to be in the middle of construction. The people that I could see were mostly men, and were dressed in dirty, ragtag clothing. Some of them I could tell were carrying pistols and knives. They looked tired and irritable, and there were far more of them than there were of me.
"I don't like it," Bane muttered at my side. "Not at all. I haven't seen more than two women in there."
"Still, it's the only place we've seen," Herobrine pointed out testily. "She'll starve if she doesn't get some food in her."
"Right," Entity agreed. "And if they bother her, we'll just…" he wiggled his fingers in a suggestive manner. "…deal with 'em."
"Yeah," Jade muttered. "I don't think throwing a stick at them is going to scare off four dozen grown men." I shifted from one foot to the other, staring at the village from where I stood at the bottom of a low hill.
"I think…" I began slowly. "…I'm going to either freeze or starve if I stay out here on my own. I might as well try the option that might help me survive." I looked to Villainsbane for support, who pressed her lips into a thin line.
"Alright," she finally said. "Go try it, kiddo." I nodded, then lifted my numb feet and began to plod up the hill.
I attracted more than a few looks as I began to approach the village ruins, some of the men on the outskirts stopping where they stood as they watched me draw near. I didn't make eye contact with any of them, not yet, staring either at my feet or off into space. It wasn't until I had nearly reached the border of makeshift tents and shelters that I stopped, finally looking up to address the residents there.
"Hi," I called out, unsure what else to say. One of the grimy men stepped towards me, his gaze sweeping up and down over my body.
"Can I help you, young lady?" He asked gruffly. I tucked my arms tighter around my chest.
"I hope so."
"Where'd you come from?" He went on. "There's no other villages here for kilometers around." I hesitated, trying to determine what was best to reveal to him.
"I was taken from my home," I finally said. "I escaped. Um… I don't know where I am," I finished half-heartedly. Hopefully that would be enough to garner myself some pity. The man took a step closer, frowning now.
"It's awful cold to be out without a coat," he finally said. "Come on, come get warm by the fire." Cautiously grateful, I hurried closer, letting him point me towards the center of the village.
"Here." A young woman stooped over me with a woolen coat, helping me get my arms into the sleeves. I accepted it gratefully, extending my frigid toes towards the roaring fire as I buried my chin in my arms. I'd been given water and a bowl of vegetable soup, and already I was far more comfortable here than I had ever been with the men that had taken me from my home.
I had been herded to the center of the village ruins and introduced to the man's wife, Marjorie, who sat with me and served me while I explained to her my story. She had been very sympathetic to my plight, easing the fears of the ghosts who lingered near the fire. It wasn't until I had finished speaking that she began a tale of her own, explaining who she and the rest of the village were and what had happened to them.
"Security around the outside edges of the kingdom has suffered since the takeover," Marjorie told me, "since so many men were killed in the war. His majesty has yet to see fit to restore the surveillance around his borders, so we on the outskirts are vulnerable to attack from whatever brigands and ne'er-do-wells are looking for an easy target." I winced, taking a sip from my bowl. I knew this already. My own hometown had always suffered under the threat of raiders, and had given up more than one crop in order to prevent being attacked and burned down ourselves.
"The raid was early this summer," Marjorie went on. "And we've been working ever since to rebuild, but the early frosts have made it difficult. At this point, we're just trying to hunker down and make it through the winter." And yet they didn't hesitate to give me food and warm clothing. I was quiet for a few moments longer as I wondered if I might be able to repay them.
"Oh," I said at last. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be sorry, love," Marjorie scolded me. "You've got troubles of your own. I know it's a long way home, but one of the men may be able to escort you."
"No, I…" I coughed, pushing my soup around in a circle. "I'm going after the younger kids."
"After them?" Marjorie echoed. "What for?"
"If nothing else, then to be able to take care of them when they arrive."
"Well, why run in the first place if you're just going to run back to them?" Marjorie caught my eye, obviously confused. I flushed and lowered my chin.
"I don't know. I was scared."
"As you have every right to be." Marjorie frowned at me, but didn't protest further. "At least spend the night here."
"S-sure." I hugged the coat tighter around me, not looking forward to having to give it up. "Yes, please. Thank you."
"Don't mention it, love." Marjorie stood up, dusting off her apron and skirts. "You eat, I need to check on my little ones." I nodded, and she strode off towards one of the soot-stained houses, leaving me to curl up by the fire.
On my left, Villainsbane gave me a meaningful look. "You're getting a good offer here, kiddo."
"I know I am." I shoved another spoonful of soup into my mouth. "But the little ones aren't."
"They're being taken back to the capital for a relief program," Herobrine pointed out. "Surely they'll be well taken care of."
"That's what they say, anyway," I mumbled stubbornly. "But we were not being treated well on the trip there, which does not inspire much confidence that they were telling the truth." Despite my bold words, my conviction waned with every bite of hot food.
"Perhaps not," Herobrine agreed. "But going after them with no food, no mode of transportation, and no shelter? That's not smart."
"I know." I glared down at my bowl of soup. "But I would never be able to forgive myself if I just left them." The ghosts exchanged glances, and they were silent for a moment.
"Hows about you sleep on it?" Herobrine finally suggested. "See how you're feeling in the morning."
"Sure," I agreed, shutting my eyes and letting my head tip forward for a moment. Maybe that would give me time to figure out how the heck I was going to make it to the end of this journey alive.
I opened my eyes and turned onto my back, staring up at the split in the charred boards that made up the ceiling above me. I could see stars winking down at me, their light barely hindered by that of the sliver of moon that had crossed over me hours before. It was late, likely past midnight, and despite my long walk that morning and the stress of my journey so far I was having a very hard time going to sleep.
I had been situated for the night inside one of the surviving houses, with a straw mattress and two worn blankets, along with about six of the village residents. Between the blankets and the borrowed coat I still wore, I was warm enough - no colder than I would have been in the children's home, anyway. But my mind was racing, working endlessly at the matter of how I was going to make it all the way to the capital.
When we had been picked up by those men they had told us that the journey would be four days long, and that was in horse-drawn wagons. I was on foot, with nothing but the clothes on my back to my name. Surely it would be at least a week further on foot, if not more, and I was very unlikely to come across such friendly folk every step of the way.
I rolled over on my side again and stared at the far wall. I could see two pinpricks of light in the corner from where Null sat, watching me quietly as I attempted to sleep. He shifted when he saw me looking, and I averted my gaze, pillowing my head on my arm and trying to relax. The other ghosts had dispersed around town, exploring, I assumed. Most of them had stayed with me at the children's home for several years, only occasionally venturing out, so this must be quite the adventure for them. And, since they didn't have to worry about starving or freezing to death, their adventure looked as if it was going to be a lot more fun than mine was.
I was sure that it was just my difficult day, but I had a strange feeling of unease that just wouldn't go away.
I shut my eyes and huddled up in my borrowed coat, huffing a warm breath into my sleeves. The thought of leaving the younger children to their fate made me feel horribly guilty, but I was beginning to come to the conclusion that I may not have a choice. The ghosts were right- I had no food, no warm clothes, and no transportation. I was no use to the children all the way out here, but I was no use to them dead, either.
A rush of cold air hit me through the blankets and I shuddered, huddling up tighter. I heard the sound of fabric rustling, and I reluctantly lifted my head, wondering if one of the villagers was getting up. Surely it wasn't morning already?
Instead, my gaze landed on a luminous figure as it staggered its way through the curtains that separated the inside of the house from the cold night beyond.
I froze up at the sight of it, holding my breath as the ghost took a dragging step inside of the house and looked all the way to the right. It was tall, dressed in singed, ragged clothing, and its skin was scorched and torn. As I watched, its gaze slowly roved across those who slept around me, before finally it spotted me and lunged.
I reacted on pure instinct, jerking up with a gasp and trying to get away, but my legs tangled in my blankets and sent me crashing to my back on the ground. The ghost's face was twisted in a horrible grimace as it came for me, and I flinched away in anticipation, but an instant before it reached me a dark shape tackled it and threw it to the ground.
I untangled my feet with trembling hands as Null grappled with my attacker, who was making horrible choking noises where it twisted and fought beneath him. As soon as I was free, I fled from the house, shuddering and grasping the wool overcoat to myself as I ran for the center of town.
The fire still burned, albeit low, and that was where I stopped to reorient myself. I turned back around towards the house to see the ghost coming for me again, one twisted hand extended in my direction. I felt a wave of fear go through me when I realized that I could no longer see Null. I backed up to the other side of the fire, but the ghost merely walked through, and I couldn't scramble back fast enough to escape as it swung at me.
Pain bloomed in my arm and I cried out, directly before an enormous silver blade crashed down on my attacker.
"Gabby, get back," A voice snapped from over my shoulder, and I wasted no time before I turned and fled. "What's the matter, motherf###er?" Entity sneered after the ghost as I ran. "You scared? You scared now? Come back here!" It wasn't until I had gotten to what I deemed a safe distance before I stopped to look at my arm, where the ghost had cut through both the coat and my shirt beneath it to make two shallow cuts in my forearm.
"Gabby! Hey." Bane materialized from a wall beside me, looking first back at Entity before she looked at my arm. "What on earth happened?"
"It…" I stammered, my teeth chattering from both cold and fear. "I… that." I pointed with my good arm to the ghost, which Entity was steadily driving away.
"Oh." Bane let out a strained breath, placing a hand on my arm. "Of course. I'm so sorry, Gabby."
"It's not your fault." I hugged my arms to my chest again, looking around myself warily in case any more were nearby.
"No, but we should have warned you." Bane's lips pressed into a thin line. "Come on, get back inside, we should-"
"Gabby?" A new voice made me whip around in shock, and my eyes fell upon Marjorie, standing in the dim street with a candle in hand. "What are you doing up?" She exclaimed. You're going to freeze out here, quick, come back inside."