oh noes

Dream 6

It’s been a few days…and I still don’t trust that kid.

He always looks so nervous, like he’s about to get caught by something…but then again, how can I say that when his entire face is covered? Maybe he’s just fidgety.

I sigh. He and Ellie are alone for the first time, just for a short while. The two just left…and I can’t stop myself from thinking about it.

Ellie seems very happy about it and mask kid doesn’t seem to mind, but…what if he does something to Ellie? I can’t just trust him…

…on the bright side, at least it looks like he likes someone else. That’s one less reason for him to do something weird…

We’ve been doing pretty fine since he got us out of the slums…and it’s a good thing he did, because the messenger came back and said, “The slums are to be sealed off and burned!”

Screaming. For days. Angry yells, loud thumps, and all of that angry, desperate mob stuff. But the king’s magicians are doing a good job of keeping those “sewer rats” inside, where they won’t contaminate us…

For the most part, I can understand the reasoning…they’re getting rid of an evil for the greater good. If the people within the slums die off, there’ll be less of a chance that they spread more diseases to us.

But with a world like this…I’m sure the slums will come back at some point. Us townspeople…we’re already eyeing the Colievians with us, even though they moved here long before the war. If anything, we’ll just find a way to starve them, and the cycle will repeat again.

As long as it’s not us…I’ll be fine. And if it ever does come to happen, I’m taking Ellie and we’re leaving. Forget mask kid…I only need her.

Thinking of them…Ellie said they were going to the butcher, but she had that lying look on her face…if they go anywhere weird, I’m never letting her out again.

I glare out the window, tapping my foot impatiently. It feels weird…not having to worry about work for once. When I woke up this morning…I just lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. I couldn’t make myself fall back asleep.

…

…

…

…I’m going to follow them. Gods know I can’t stand this…

The chair scrapes against the floorboards as I stand up and leave the house, annoyed. They probably haven’t gotten that far yet…

…just in luck. They’re about to disappear around the corner. Any later and I’d have no idea where they were.

I catch up to them, keeping my distance while staying close enough to make sure he can’t do any funny business.

“So who do you work for?” Ellie’s saying. Mask kid responds with a series of signs that I have no interest in learning about.

“You don’t? But you look like-”

More signing.

“You’re…comfortable with this…appearance.”

A nod.

“That’s…weird. Say, why don’t you work for him?”

Some more signing.

“We have the time for long stories!”

A small bit of signing.

“Oh…well, if you’re not comfortable, you can always share it when you are!” She pumps her fist. Mask kid seems relieved, judging from the way he relaxed after she said that.