Chapter Text
When Six woke up, the ever-weak sunshine was pouring through the window.
It's daytime already?
Six sat up and slid off of the armchair, being careful not to wake up her companion. Now that there was a little bit of light, she was pretty sure she should look around to see what supplies they had.
A couple bottles of that clear stuff that people feel less warm after drinking-- that'll be useful... this stuff that grown-ups drink and feel sick after-- we probably shouldn't drink that... a can-- empty. Jar? Empty. Uh-oh...
Six walked back over to the armchair. "Um... Monoooo?"
Mono lifted his head, opening one eye. "What is it...?"
"Don't... don't have any food..." Six said, somewhat sheepishly.
Mono looked concerned. "Will... be hungry, unless going out to get more, then?"
"Yeah, I think..."
"Uh-oh," Mono mumbled under his breath.
Six heard it. "Um... I-I'm sure we'll be okay!"
Mono smiled slightly, but he still looked somewhat worried. "You hungry right now, Six?"
Six shook her head. "I think we can wait for while."
"Okay."
Mono and Six nodded to each other, both mentally preparing for the kind of life they'd have to live-- the kind of hiding and sneaking they'd have to do. Here goes nothing...
A few days later, things weren't faring so well. They still hadn't found any food, they were running low on the clear drink-- water, Mono had called it--, and the mood was overall quite dour.
Mono stared out the window, getting as high up as he could without running the risk of being spotted too much. "Come on, Mono, think..." he said to himself. "Try to see something..."
The adults outside were doing something. They were all gathered in the marketplace...
A marketplace... maybe they're all there because...!
Mono ran over to Six and shook her awake. "I think I know where food might be!"
Six opened her eyes and tilted her head. "You do...?"
Mono nodded. "Maybe! Bunch of people at marketplace... might be because there's food there again!"
"Is... risky, Mono..." Six said, cringing a little. "What if we get caught?"
Mono smiled reassuringly. "I'll protect us. Don't worry! If they see us, we'll hide. Adults aren't that smart, really... right?"
"I guess not..."
Mono offered Six his hand. "So, let's go, then?"
Six nodded, and took his hand. "Let's go."
Mono and Six eased their way out of the house. They made sure to be as quiet as possible.
No adults seemed to see them yet. So far so good.
"Let's get looking," Six whispered in Mono's ear.
Mono nodded, and both children crept forward.
The adults trundled along, not even looking down. They each clutched a piece of paper-- a flyer of some sort, Six noticed.
The table, Mono noticed, was not stocked with food.
"We should go," Mono said. "No food here."
Six looked disappointed, but she didn't voice this. "Okay," she replied.
Mono began walking back to Six, but suddenly a blinding pain shot through his head. It was as if a blade was being shoved into his skull, and--
"Hey!"
Mono looked up, trying to ignore how much the world was spinning around him like a top. Pointing at him was an adult— this one was frighteningly skinny, with spidery hands with claw-like fingers on each of his four arms, large all-black eyes, and pale grayish skin— with what looked like the world's ugliest sneer.
Six went rigid at the adult's exclamation.
"They saw us!" she cried, looking back over her shoulder. "We better run, Mono-- Mono? MONO?!"
Nonononono, where did he go?! He was right behind me?!
Six stopped in her tracks, squinting in order to focus. Someone was moving behind the crowd.
Nononononononononono...
The crowd parted a little, and Six saw him. The adult. And in his hand...
Nonononononononononononono!
Mono struggled to escape the adult's grasp, but the hand around him was too tight.
The adult walked away from the market, towards the docks.
"Leave him."
The shadow appeared in front of Six, crossing her arms. "He's going to die anyway. No sense in getting yourself killed too."
Six stared into the void where the shadow's eyes should be. "I'm not leaving him."
The shadow tilted her head, almost quizzical. "You're joking, right?"
Six glared at the shadow, before running forward.
The adults were letting out exclamations upon seeing her. She didn't care. She felt their steps vibrating in the stone street. She did not care.
"Hang on, Mono!"
Mono looked back over the adult’s shoulder. “Six, run—!”
The adult knocked on the door of the ticket booth.
Six stopped in her tracks as she heard shuffling and footsteps inside of the ramshackle, storm-battered building. The door slowly creeeeeeeeaked open, and out of it came an adult with a fisherman’s hat, a trench coat, and a face that almost looked like it was melting.
The Ferryman. Six had only heard about him from the other Nest children. A chill ran down her spine.
“You found another?” The Ferryman asked.
The adult nodded. “He was scampering through the marketplace. Like a rat, or a cockroach.”
“What was the other one doing?”
The adult briefly looked somewhat flabbergasted, before looking behind him.
“Ah!”
The adult picked Six up in the same iron grip he had Mono in, and looked back up at The Ferryman with a sheepish smile.
“With the other, I assume?” The Ferryman said, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
The adult nodded. “Probably.”
The Ferryman leaned close to Mono and Six. Six winced and looked away— he smelled like a combination of fish and something rotting.
“Hmmm… they’re scrawny ones,” he commented. “I’m unsure if she’ll want them.”
Who’s “she”?!
“Come on, Ferryman!” the adult whined. “She always needs supplies this time of year!”
The Ferryman sighed. “You realize she likely will make you come this year, don’t you?”
The adult shuddered, but forced it away. “Anything can happen! Especially if I give her more supplies!”
“Why are we being called… Supplies…?” Mono asked.
“Hush! The adults are talking!” the adult snapped.
The Ferryman gazed at the children and the adult gripping them with slight pity. “She won’t let you go another year, Aolius. These children are simply too small— she’ll just do away with them, and nothing more. I’m afraid I can’t accept your offer. We don’t need any purposeless—”
Aolius groaned, wringing his two free hands through his greasy black hair. “You never know! Come on, Ferryman, come on! I can’t go! I have a job to do here!”
“Yes, and I’m sure retrieving bones from the sea and mailing them back to their families is sooooo important,” another adult said as she walked past.
Aolius sighed. “Please, buddy, just try?”
The Ferryman sighed. “I suppose there’s a chance she may take them. Give them to me.”
The Ferryman held out his hands, and Aolius deposited Six and Mono in them.
Six looked over at Mono as The Ferryman stood up, and turned to his boat. They were too high up now— they couldn’t jump, or they’d either die or be too injured to run away anyway. Six silently extended her hand, and Mono took it.
This is it, isn’t it…?