Two

The Kitchen: Part 3

Mario was trapped in what seemed to be a small cage. However, there was no lock. It looked like he could just swing the door open and crawl out. I wondered why he didn't. Especially since the person supposedly watching him was asleep.

"Mario, what happened?!" You quietly asked, reaching for the bars of his cage. He immediately shook his head no at you, causing you to draw back, acting almost as if the bars were some kind of poison. 

Mario looked similar to you. He had the same blue eyes, only his were slightly lighter. He was also shorter and a little plumper. He wore a red baseball cap with a sloppy M written on it, only unlike yours, his had a few rips and tears in it. 

I looked at his right wrist to see the number 20 engraved in tiny letters.

A much higher number, but still rather extraordinary. Especially since he appeared human as well.

Mario held his finger up to his mouth as if signaling to remain quiet. He then went on to quietly explain what happened after you got taken away from him. 

Apparently, he tried saving you from the Janitor, but the Janitor didn't care about him. Instead, Mario was shoved back into the water. By the time he swam over to get you, you and the Janitor were long gone. He panicked and climbed up the ladder, desperately calling your name and searching for you, but it was far too late. The Janitor was long gone, and he had no idea where he went.

So... he searched and searched and searched until he was eventually found and caught by the two chefs, who locked him up for the time being. Mario said that the chefs made it seem like they were going to use him for materials, whatever that meant.

I shivered, remembering that doctor back at the factory who only kept me alive because he wanted to use me for parts. I hated thinking of that place. I hated thinking about how I left that one girl there... the one I promised to save.

I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to now...

You frowned, then asked Mario why he didn't just open the cage and leave. There weren't any locks after all. Mario lightly smiled at you, then pointed to the rusty hinges on the cage door. I immediately could tell why he wasn't just walking out. The hinges would squeak very loudly if moved, waking and alerting the sleeping twin. 

"He can't," I whispered to you. "It'll squeak. So here's what we're going to do..."

You looked at me as I spoke, maintaining eye contact and nodding to show that you understood as I made a plan. I was always pretty good at coming up with plans on the spot. 

I hated to admit it, but there was almost a feeling of familiarity that came with the current situation we were all in. It felt like this was what I was meant to do. No, it wasn't ideal and I hated how dark and cruel the world around me was, but I was almost comforted by how familiar the situation was. I've been learning how to avoid grown-ups who wanted to kill me for as long as I could remember.

I explained the plan. It was clear that you were very nervous about it, which made me doubt myself slightly, but my confidence was restored when Mario nodded, grabbing the rusty bars of his tiny cage and saying, "Alright One. Let's do it," in a quiet, yet confident tone.

You tossed me your lighter and got into position, hiding under the bed within the shadows. If it weren't for the reflection of the bright orange flame from the lighter dancing in the pupils of your eyes, you would have been completely hidden.

It almost looked cool. The way you were surrounded by darkness, yet still had a flame of light dancing in your eyes, surrounded by blue. It was a mix of dark, calm, and fierceness. It seemed like such an odd blend, but at the moment it made sense.