Thirteen (Mono×OC)

Six and a Stranger

I crawled through the rafters of the cabin. Connor was out, so I had the place to myself. Long nails left crescents in the wood as the house creaked and shifted. I heard footsteps on the porch, and the door swung open. I landed softly on my feet and went to the front. The Hunter, also known as Connor, had a large, bloody bag of fresh kill, and a cage with something alive and scurrying.

"What's that?" I asked, peering through the bars. "A kid. I figured she could keep you company." He said, hanging the full bag on a hook and going down to the basement. I followed, and he opened the rotting door, locking it behind us and setting the cage in the middle of the room.

The girl was unconscious, so I set her on the bed. I waited for her to wake up, and once she did, we where slow friends, but I thought she was warming up to me.

A few weeks after Six showed up, I was sitting in the basement with her, drawing as she played with her music box. Suddenly, I heard the door open. I sniffed the air, the footsteps lighter than Connor's. An unfamiliar smell hit my nostrils.

Six kept playing the music box, and I heard the footsteps come down the steps towards us. Someone pushed on the door, before retreating. They came back a few minutes later, dragging something behind them.

I heard a grunt, and with a horrifying crash the blade of an axe came through the door. Six and I skittered under the bed. A boy with a bag on his head came in, kneeling beside the bed.

"Don't be scared... I'm here to help. What're your names?" He asked. Six hesitantly began reaching for his hand, only to shoot past and knock him to the ground in her attempt to escape.

I knew why she wanted to leave. I had seen The Hunter kill trespassers too many times before. That side of him scared me, but I could never find a way off the island, and he never acted violently towards me. Six was probably scared of him too. I helped the boy stand and we followed after Six silently. "Thirteen." I said as we climbed the stairs. "Huh?" He asked. "My name is Thirteen. The girl was Six. Her name, not her age." I said. "I'm Mono." He said, extending his hand again. I shook it and we went after the twelve year old.

Mono gasped when he saw Connor's taxidermy family, but I grimaced and kept walking, tugging him along by his trench coat.

We found Six trying to reach a pulley. I sighed and gave her a boost, cupping my hands for her to stand on. She grabbed the pulley, but wasn't heavy enough to bring it down. I groaned and cupped my hands for Mono, who took the hint and jumped up, grabbing Six. Still not enough. I grabbed Mono's ankles and pulled them down.

The stairs to the basement fell down with a loud clatter, and we climbed up, seeing more mannequin bits. I lead them through the dark attic that later transitioned into my room, pausing for a moment to grab my bow and arrows, along with a sketchbook/journal I kept. The strap for it attached to my belt.

After a bit more walking we ran into the prey bags, and a key on a hook. "Why is he so ridiculously tall?" I asked, glaring angrily at the hook. With some help from us, Mono traveled on without us, promising to return. Six and I gave each other a "is he serious?" look before sitting back.