The Future, the Past and the Ugly (Untrusted Love: Electric Boogaloo)

Ch 8. Six

It's not technically Wear It Purple Day currently but I'm still going to wish you a happy Wear It Purple Day 

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Mono was able to remember pretty much everything from that point on. He knew how to sneak past the Hunter, to avoid his light and the crows. He remembered where all the hiding spots were and how long they needed to stay before it was safe to move again. He was quick to get the gun, too and was a little more graceful using it. The recoil on it still sent them tumbling but Mono recovered much faster then he did last time.

Currently, the two were drifting across the lake to reach the Pale City. They sat next to each other, distance between them. Neither said anything. Mono had eventually, if by reflex, taken her hand so she could pull him to safety from a daring leap across a decaying bridge. Her hand against his felt wrong. It was so unnatural to feel her skin touch his, their scabs and scars brushing against each other. What was worse was the flashes of falling he received, but it was so fuzzy he couldn't stay focused on them for long. Though Mono managed to quell the lump in his throat for now, he was unsure how long it would be before that memory spilled over and out of him like an infected wound.

Mono was familiar with the silence as they travelled. He didn't like it but his throat still hurt so speaking was to be strictly kept to a minimum.

"What's.. your.. name?" He choked out. He wasn't sure if using it again made his voice box feel better or worse. His question startled the girl.

"Tell me yours first," she said quietly.

"Mono," he said. The sound of constantly rushing water was new. He could barely see it because of the fog but occasionally, if they hit a strong wave, some would come across the door. It was cold and got his feet wet but they also cleaned them slightly so Mono didn't mind.

"Six," the girl replied. Flashes of memory bombarded the child as he finally recalled his best friend. Emotions overwhelmed the boy. Guilt, sadness, relief, happiness, to name a few. Wanting nothing more than to tell her that he was okay and he didn't hate her, Mono could only open and close his mouth under his bag. Eyes welled up with tears as he remembered how strange it was not to know her and think her touch was bad. Mono loved holding Six's hand, how could that turn into such an alien experience to him? Six looked over to him, it had been some time since he last saw her without her raincoat. Six looked a little confused until Mono realised it was because he said nothing and was just staring at her, not that she could see into his bag.

"..Six?" He repeated, barely able to believe it. Her ruby eyes narrowed and a scowl crossed her lips.

"Don't laugh" she warned, her impressively sharp teeth flaring. Mono shook his head; he would never!

"Six.. it's me" he tried, unable to contain himself. His full body faced her as she looked him up and down.

"I've never met a 'Mono' before" she explained, shuffling back a tiny bit. Mono felt heartbroken.

"You.. don't...remember me?" Mono asked, feeling crushed. Six shook her head in response. With his voice on fire and heart in pieces, Mono hugged his knees to his chest. Given that everything reset but his memories, he hoped that maybe hers may come back to her? Could he remind her of him? Prove that they were inseparable? His mind couldn't come up with anything that wouldn't freak Six out. She'll remember me eventually, he told himself, she has to, right?

/ / /

It was easy getting in and around the school. Mono, with all his memories back, knew how to avoid the traps. They seemed so obvious that he felt a little stupid for falling for them in the first place. He and Six didn't say much as they went but Mono wanted to hold her hand again.

A loud creak reminded Mono it was too late.

Maybe not all his memories.

Everything went black as a locker trapped him in. Mono hated when he had to listen to Six being dragged away the first time.

But the second time was worse.

Way worse.

The knowledge of what they were doing to her and where they were taking her combined with the sudden panic of being inside a cramped space sent him spiralling. Mono wasn't sure why he suddenly felt like the locker was collapsing in on him and the air in his lungs was being squeezed out. It was like waking from a nightmare without waking up. Six was always there for him if that happened. He needed Six, to get her away from the porcelain bullies.

Mono kicked his legs against the locker until the weight holding him in left, allowing him to push it off and get out. The relief of getting out was similar to getting off the chair.

He was going to find Six.

/ / / 

Mono had almost forgotten just how creepy the Teacher was, her stale eyes and stiff mobility still deeply unnerved him. The bullies were no better, really. The shrieks and merciless cries rang in his ears and gave him a splitting headache.

The school seemed to go on forever before Mono snuck into the cafeteria. The ability to smash the heads of the tormentors into sharp ashes gave him a sense of control he had yearned for. He didn't have to run from them; he could, and would, fight back.

Upon knocking the head from a bully off, Mono knew that to sneak past effectively, he'd have to wear the porcelain like one of his masks. For some reason, Mono really, really didn't want to. The thought of stuffing his face into a cramped space, where his own hot breath would surely reflect back onto his skin, creating a moist environment he would need to inhale through? He'd rather not. But the hesitant boy distinctly remembered not having a problem doing this the first time. So why was it such an issue now?

As he stood there, hollow mask in hands, he thought of Six. He knew that by now she would be hanging upside down and being relentlessly teased. Anger boiled under his skin. Mono would do anything to save Six and if cramping himself down into a corpse was one of them, so be it!

With one, massive, deep breath, Mono crammed his head securely into the fragile sphere.

Stalking carefully but with haste through the cafeteria, the child slipped unnoticed with minimal issue. One close encounter here and a near miss there, Mono finally made his way from the students.

The second he was free, he happily, but still quietly, smashed the head into dangerous shards. Feeling like he could breathe again, Mono started to prepare for facing the Teacher but not before saving his friend.