Gaze

Chapter 14: That's Not How You Feed A Child!

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Inside the blot puddle...
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AUUUGH, my head! That final blot attack hurt like a bitch!

I place my hand on my forehead to rub it reassuringly, wincing at the pain. I touch my neck, making sure it wasn't cut off by the blot blade. Good, it wasn't severed.

I get up, dusting myself off. Where am I right now anyways? I look around and notice that I am in a rose maze- but this rose maze is not Heartslabyul's rose maze. It is the same rose maze in my dreams. The rose maze where I met Alice, but filled with fog.

I hear something shuffle, and I duck behind a nearby rose tree, peeking out to see who or what it was. As I look, there was a gigantic card soldier, a three of spades holding a large sword, tainted with blot. He was searching for something. Or someone.

"Off with their heads... Off with... head..."

I don't think that it'd be a good idea to go up to him.

I slowly sneak away from where the card soldier was, escaping into a pathway splitting into three directions. I then see someone's shoe and the end of a blue dress in the corner of my eye, disappearing into the path on the right.

Alice?

I follow the figure that looks like Alice through the maze, hiding from any card soldiers I came across. There were blotted heart card soldiers crying into their cups, blotted diamond card soldiers running around and pleading as the faded gold chokers connected to heavy boulders they wore around their necks dragged them down, blotted club card soldiers waving wands and painting roses, and blotted spade soldiers hunting someone down, unsure of who they were.

"Mother... Mother..."

"I want to... Just once..."

"Must follow... Have to follow... Lways corr..."

"Off with... Off with..."

The card soldier's voices, warped and deep, surround the areas around me as I do my best to follow the figure. The figure disappears into the dark, and I find myself small and tiny, standing at the top of a fireplace, in a living room that was furnished nicely and neatly. A polished table in the middle of four chairs, a wide window, bookcases everywhere, a tall woman, and most importantly...

...Awwww, he's just a baby! Who is that adorable little boy? Oh wait, it must be Riddle when he was a child! So cute! Look at those soft cheeks!-

Get yourself together Yuu.

I pinch myself on the cheek, pulling myself back on track. Whatever this is, it's probably an image of the past of some sort. You can't adopt small Riddle, even if you want to.

Besides, the real Riddle, although very short, isn't as short as Small Riddle right here, and is probably trapped somewhere in this maze. Anyways, back on track.

Sitting at the table was a small, adorable Riddle, looking no older the age of ten, smiling at-

what.

what the fuck is that.

Is.

Is that a white powdered cement block??? On a plate???

Wait.

Why does it have a candle.

Is that cement block a fucking cake???

"Happy eighth birthday, Riddle." The woman spoke, her voice faded. "This year's birthday cake is a low-sugar recipe chock full of nuts and lecithin-rich soy flour to improve your cognitive function."