Hidden Mysteries

Beneath Closed, Hidden Doors

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling listlessly, Merripen's words echoing in my head. I grit my teeth, turning on my side and trying to think about something else, anyone else. I just couldn't wrap my head around it; what was Merripen saying back there, implying that Baseball was hiding things from me? Sure, Baseball might've hid some stuff from me, but he told me about it, and he said there wasn't any more! Surely he wasn't lying to me!

...Right?

I get out of bed, putting my slippers on and shuffling out of my room, heading downstairs. I just need to think for a minute. I think we have everything for hot chocolate downstairs, maybe a cup or two will clear my head.

I open the fridge slowly, the light illuminating my face as I take the milk out, staring at the cool carton in my hands and sighing. Just don't think too hard about it, Suitcase. You don't have to—

"Suitcase?"

I scream, nearly dropping the milk as I turn around quickly, relaxing once I realize it's only my older brother. "Knife! You scared me!"

"Did I? Sorry, kiddo." He chuckles slightly. "You're up kinda late, aren'tcha?"

"Couldn't sleep." It's not necessarily a lie, I was having trouble trying to sleep, after all. "I just thought I'd make some hot chocolate."

"Want me to lend a hand with that?"

"Uh, sure, I guess." I shut the fridge as Knife gets out the tea kettle, handing the milk over to him before I sit down at the table, staring off at the window. It's silent between the two of us for a while as Knife pours the milk in the kettle, putting it on the stove and turning up the heat.

"Hey, are you doing okay?" he finally asks, turning over to me. "I mean, after the whole monster thing that happened today in town?"

"Knife, I'm okay, really. I'm not hurt or anything." Lifering had already checked me over for any injuries earlier, and besides some minor cuts and scrapes, I was perfectly fine.

"No, I mean in here." Knife gestures to my heart. "You've just been kinda out of it since you guys got home. Did something happen? I mean, besides the monster attacks?"

"No, not really, it's just..." I bite my lip, looking away. "I guess I'm still...processing things, you know?"

"I guess that's fair. I mean, finding yourself completely lost when a bunch of freaky monsters are parading around...that's not something you just forget about." He pours some of the warm milk into a mug, dumping in a couple scoops of hot chocolate powder. "I'm glad that all of us were okay, though."

I hum absentmindedly, glancing back up at my brother. "Knife?"

"Yeah, Suits?" Quiet, little clinks fill the air as Knife stirs the hot chocolate with a fancy-looking coffee spoon, a Christmas gift from Silver Spoon.

"Can I...ask you something?" I drum my fingers on the table, anxiety bubbling inside of me.

"Of course, kiddo. You know that I'm always here for ya." He hands me the mug of hot chocolate, sitting down in the chair across from me. "What's on your mind?"

I take a long sip of the hot chocolate, feeling the warm, rich drink slide down my throat before I begin to talk. "Do you ever get the feeling that someone is...hiding something from you? Even if they've been completely honest with you?"

Knife raises a brow. "What exactly brought this up?"

"I'd...rather not talk about it. Nothing personal, it's just...complicated." The warmth of the mug feels soothing in my hands. Focusing on that makes me feel better, in a way.