She's a Little Slow on the Uptake (Inanimate Insanity)

Just the 2 of Us

Apple woke up that night with a scream, glancing around feverishly, wild-eyed, panting.

Nothing was there... Nothing but the stars, the grass, the cage, and the number two. That'd been how it was for months, after all.

Two, to be exact.

Better put, nobody was there.

"Nobody's here?" Apple asked the emptiness around her. Her voice echoed through the night.

Upon getting no response, she rambled, "Oh, it was terrible! I had a dream, and that vile Marshmallow was in it! She and I were playing that one game. You know, the "Pencil" game, where you're supposed to scream "pencil" as loud as you can? And when she screamed it at me I went deaf because her voice is so high-pitched and annoying. And then she was going to treat me, and her hands were super soft, but the needles weren't, and it was horrible!"

Every word was yelled into the night, as if the louder she spoke, the more likely someone was going to answer for her.

She hummed, glancing around. 'No response. Not unexpected, considering I'm all alone, but...'

Idiotic Island. It had the same initials as Inanimate Insanity, but it was by far the inferior II, honestly. There were a lot of times where she heard voices even though nobody was there, and it was boring to have nobody to play with.

Her stomach rumbled. 'Plus there's no food anywhere. I'm staaaaarving!'

Rubbing her stomach, she groaned. "This is the one time I wish Marshmallow was here," she mumbled. "Not to play doctor or with me, but to bully and maybe eat. The one time. And it's because she's the only other food-based contestant besides Pickle and Taco, who are, like, my allies, so I can't eat them. What does 'ally' mean?" She paused.

No response, once again.

"...Oh. Right."

'Stop pounding, heart,' Apple berated herself. 'It was just a dream about Marshmallow, and she's not scary, she's stupid! I don't even miss Marshmallow! I don't miss anyone!'

Her fist balled up at her side.

'The only thing I miss about Marshmallow is punching her,' she decided. 'She's so soft that it takes a lot of force behind a punch to really hurt her, which lets me practice my killer left-hook! ...Then again, I don't think I ever actually hit her. She's hard to hit. But I will!'

'Why am I still thinking about her, anyway? She's nowhere near me.'

Apple laid back in the grass with a sigh. "She's so annoying. When I see her again, I'll be on top. She'll see me as her rival, and I will punch her."

"Apple, is it really worth it?"

She crossed her arms. "Oh come on, mental voice. If I ever forgive Marshmallow for being a Scrooge, it'll be too soon."

"Forgiveness is a virtue, child."

"I'd never forgive her unless she said she was sorry! ...Wait a second... I don't know the word 'virtue.'" Apple sat up and glanced around. "Hello? Is anybody there?"

"There is only one other here..."

Apple looked pointedly at the dismantled cage, the only place where anyone could hide on the island. The number two was still perched against the cage. She gulped, heart beginning to pound.

"I'm in plain sight, Apple... Just look for me."

Apple glanced between the cage and the big number. "I-I won't hurt you if you show yourself... I'm just lonely and need someone to play with. And explain what gap means!"

The number two's eyes blinked open. They were huge and bulged, and the face of it was split apart in a scary smile...

Apple woke up again right after that with another scream. She may not have learned any words' meanings, but she did learn two things:

The number two was terrifying, and she should never look at it before bed. And most importantly...

Being alone sucked.