Hold On To Me

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Little Nightmares franchise. All rights belong to Tarsier Studios.

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The others weren't lying about the wild nature this part of the world contained. She had yet to see the ferocity of this North Wind they kept talking about, but strong tornados nearly matching its strength (according to the children) would still rip across the barren prairie land. She had also never taken into account how far the Maw had drifted on its set path, realizing that they were several miles north of the city. It would take a few days to get there. If she didn't have this ragtag band accompanying her, she would have no idea which direction to go.

Six set her jaw, the memories of the Pale City rearing up in her head. Of course, she had been from the sprawling metropolis itself, just like Mono. Her experiences there before the signal were... not as pleasant. She almost envied her friend for all the fortunes he was blessed with before the world went to shit.

Her mother was a woman who was extremely into men, and Six had been a result of that. She didn't mean to get pregnant, but there was no one who was willing to give her an abortion, what with it being illegal and all. Consequently, Six was treated as the mistake she was, ignored at best and mistreated at worst. The woman hardly felt like a mother to her; she didn't even give her a name. It was hard to generate any sort of positive emotion for her.

At some point, someone had noticed her plight, and the boarding school in the city became her new home. It was really swapping one hell for another. The teacher there was strict and mean, tolerating nothing but the best behavior. That was hard for her. All the other children would make fun of her for not having a mom and dad like they did. It led to many skirmishes and long sessions in the detention room. She hated that room. All the staff there muttered about her when they thought she wasn't listening, calling her a bad egg among the harvest. No amount of punishment, however, would make her behave. Then, one day, she had finally crossed the line.

Something feral in her had reared its ugly head, lashing out at the threat. If she recalled correctly, she had nearly bitten the bully's finger off. In the moment, her classmate's pain-filled screams had her satisfied. It was quickly dashed when she was deemed too dangerous to be around others, and that something had to be done. That's how she ended up locked in the psych ward of the city hospital.

The nurses were as nice as they could be, but they knew to keep their distance. Being sent here wasn't all that bad, anyway; people left her alone, which was what she preferred. The doctor there had to be one of the most hideous people she had ever seen. His body reminded her of a fat leech. It at least made the experience slightly amusing.

The change was glaringly obvious. All the nurses seemingly disappeared. It was only the doctor who examined her now, performing more invasive procedures than he did previously. She could tell something wasn't quite right with the man. He had developed a manic habit of pulling away his bottom lip, stretching it away from the gums. He was constantly muttering to himself, most of it being gibberish. It was disconcerting, to say the least, while he was taking the umpteenth blood sample from her.

Other children arrived at the hospital. However, each was confined to their own separate rooms. She could occasionally hear soft crying behind the locked doors as she was dragged along to the examination room for more "tests." There was one in particular that got her attention. She could tell that there was another girl behind it. She could faintly hear the faint scraping sounds of nails scrabbling away at dirt. After every meal, she snuck from her room to the girl, sliding her spoon underneath the heavy door. A few days later, the spoon was returned, cracked and bent. She slid another one through as soon as she got the chance.

This continued for several days. It was obvious to her that this girl was trying to escape. She would help in any way she could. However, one day, the spoons just stopped. The room that had housed the girl was now empty. Hundreds of tally marks had been etched into the walls. The sight made her stomach turn. It was then that she knew something was very wrong.

Her escape attempts were shoddy, at best. Obviously, they didn't work. There were other people from the outside, other adults, who would come and speak to the doctor. She couldn't quite catch their conversation, but she figured out that she was being referred to as "Number 6." Not long after that, those same adults arranged to have her sent to the Nest.

Events unfolded from there.

She didn't know why the sight of the boy had captivated her so much. Despite the paper bag hiding his face, he could feel his eyes on her, regarding her with interest. Something about him felt so familiar, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on what.

She was grateful to him for rescuing her, she really was. At first, she didn't understand why he was being so kind to her. From her experience at the Nest, and what had transpired at the hospital, it was better for it to be any man for themselves. Mono was the first one who seemed to care. Care like no one else in her life had. The feeling of taking her hand into his became something she didn't want to lose.

The irony of that thought stung, sending tears to show themselves. She quickly swallowed the well of emotions, fixing into her stoic demeanor, one she had to learn to develop at a very young age. She may have lost his comforting presence, but she would get him back. She had to.

She didn't know what she would do if she didn't.

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Author's Note: Ugh, I hate how short this is. Anyway, here's a bit of Six's backstory that I made up, assumedly if she was born before the Signal arrived. Also, the North Wind is mentioned.

Week 7 of Friday Night Funkin' dropped.

Praise is appreciated and constructive criticism is encouraged.

See you next time!

-The_Mayflower