[OLD] Deep Underground

6. S-A-V-E T-H-E-M

Darkness. That's all I could see.... Suddenly there was an explosion of light.  I  was  in  what looked like the main auditorium at Circus Baby's Pizza  World. There was  a crowd of kids in front of me.  To my left.... was HIM. He smiled at the  children. I couldn't move but I could look around.

The crowd wasn't very large, but still a nice sized amount. Maybe 15 kids? Maybe 20? I didn't feel like counting. I  tried  to move my head but it was like I was frozen. HE was talking. HE  disgusts me so much... Why couldn't I remember his name? Names have power. I thought to myself.

"And this..." he gestured to me, "...is Baby! New and improved! She can  inflate balloons right at her fingertips. She can take song requests. She can even..." he paused for effect, "... dispense ice cream..."

The children's  eyes were wide with wonder  and curiosity. They crowded  around me and only  then I could move, but not the way I wanted. My arm moved as if it wasn't really me, but someone else. Baby. Baby. Baby. OH! THAT BABY! FROM THE PIZZA PLACE! Why am I Baby?  I'm sleeping.... I think. I gave someone ice cream. Another kid gave me a balloon and looked  at me with hopeful eyes. I put  it on my finger, and blew it up.  I tied a string around the end and handed it back to the delighted child.

This continued on for... three hours? maybe more? It could  have been five minutes....  Some children walked happily out the door. Others cried, not wanting to go. There was a mirror near me,  I  glanced  at it, then  did a double take. I really WAS Baby. I knew that, but deep down a part of me couldn't believe it.

S...

The single letter echoed in my mind. HE walked toward me. Why couldn't I remember his name? Why did I hate him so much? I forgot...

He  stepped onto a platform next to  my stage.

He opened a keypad hidden in the wall.

There were two buttons. A red and a blue. They looked familiar but what did they do.... Turn off the lights?  Deep down I could feel that it was something... darker.

He pressed the blue button first. A light came on above my stage, lighting up the area. He grinned at me and then chuckled.

"Oh Baby.... Such a shame that you don't have any friends.... I'll have to MAKE some for you..."

He slammed  his fist down on the red button. The world turned to darkness.

I was on the main stage again. Something moved next to  me.

"Hello."  someone said in the darkness. "My  name is Ballora." I felt like I should know that name...

A...

"What's yours?" The mysterious 'Ballora' stepped into  a small square  of  light.

She was a  ballerina. Her eyes were closed, why?

"My name is Baby." I said.

I knew that wasn't my name and I didn't know what was going on...

"Baby..." she repeated.

I could see her endoskeleton mouth moving inside of her suit. She opened her eyes. They were bright magenta orbs.

"Your eyes are pretty." I said.

A light pink blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Thank you."

I heard faint whistling. My head turned toward the noise. I noticed that HE  had come  in the room.

"Ahhh~ My  beautiful Baby and my darling Ballora!~ How nice to see that you two are friends! TWO doesn't make a circus though... Perhaps you'd like some... new additions...?"