A story of a broken Bell

Jack

Finding himself back in the hallway, Bell passes multiple rooms built to look like outside, with children playing happily in each of them. Laughter echoes down the hall.

"Hey I'm Jack, what are you doing out so late?" A man asks.

"I have amnesia, and I don't know where I live." Bell says simply.

Jack looks at Bell with interest. "That's very interesting... I've never heard of such a thing before."

"Where did my parents go?" Bell asked "Somewhere in this house?"

Jack thinks for a moment before replying. "Well, they're probably dead."

"How do you know? They could be kidnapped or something..." Bell trails off, tears already streaming down his face.

Jack flinches as Bell begins to sob and wail. Honestly he didn't think there were kids so attached to their parents anymore.

"Your parents aren't really dead!" Jack says, in a desperate attempt to calm the child.

"They have to be! I can't find them anywhere!" Bell wails miserably.

Jack falls silent, letting Bell cry it out. He wasn't emotionally intact enough to comfort Bell, no matter how much he needed it.

Soon Bell's wails turn to a hoarse sniffle.

"My parents are gone..." Bell sobs quietly.

As Bell wipes the tears off his face, something stirred in Jack's heart, and he pulled him into a gentle hug.

"It's ok..." he whispers "It's alright, It'll be alright..."

Bell returned the gesture, managing only a hoarse 'thank you' to Jack.

Soon the pair began looking for an exit, now that Bell was feeling a little better. As they walk down the silent halls, Bell hears a strange noise behind him. Jack simply watches as Bell turns around and heads back to investigate. Turning the corner of the hall, Bell finds a girl clutching a knife in her hands.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" She screams, getting ready to make a slash at Bell.

Jack, alerted to the danger, runs down the hall as fast as his feet can carry him. Bell stumbles back to a wall behind him, holding up his arms in defense. The girl, noticing Jack running at her full speed, runs off and hides in one of the rooms, slamming the door behind her.

Bell was still shaking, his face pale and eyes wide. His breath hitched as he began to cry again, in a mixture of fear and relief. Bell ran to Jack and hugged him, burying his face in Jack's shirt. Jack hugged him back and did his best to comfort him, both of them crying together.

"It's going to be fine, we just need a plan of attack." Jack says, composing himself "We just need to escape this place somehow."

Bell silently nodded, his head still buried in Jack's shirt. Jack sighed and picked up Bell, balancing him on his back.

It doesn't take long before Bell and Jack find themselves outside of the mansion and heading back into Lantern Town. Going through the town's streets and alleyways, the pair make it to an old abandoned building. Inside is a group of several people standing around talking to each other. Jack shifts Bell's weight and waves to the group.

"This is my little group." Jack whispered to Bell. "Go on and say hello."

Jack gently put Bell on the ground, but he was a little wobbly from exhaustion so he grabbed Jack's pants for support.

"Um...hi." Bell said meekly.

Bell looked around the group. The people looked friendly enough as they returned his greeting. Jack gently guided Bell to what seemed to be a makeshift living room, with about a dozen or so chairs pulled into a circle around a coffee table. Putting Bell on the couch, he brought him a bowl of warmed chicken noodle soup. As the soup warmed his face and his tummy, he began to feel the day catch up with him, so as he started to nod off, Jack picked him up and tucked him into one of the guest bedrooms. Rain began to patter on the windows and soft thunder echoed distantly. It wasn't long before he fell asleep.