The 7 Nights of Halloween

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

       I was starting to regret letting Ray leave the room so he wasn't cramped up in that control room all day. Normally, Ray could walk around perfectly fine as long as he had Kotaro with him. However, now that I had to be the one to guide him around, Ray was acting like he could just ignore me and run off wherever he wanted.

       "Ray, you dumbass," I said, grabbing his arm to prevent him from crashing into one of the ticket kiosk. "You're going to bump into something."

       "But I miss walking around on my own," Ray said in a whiny voice. 

       "You definitely weren't walking around on your own," I said. "You were running. There's a difference between walking and running."

       "So what you're saying is I can walk on my own?"

       "That is definitely not what I was saying."

       "I don't know," Maddox said, swinging the bat around. "It did sound like you were telling him he can walk on his own."

       I glared at Maddox. "Don't encourage him."

       "Come on, Archie," Ray said. "You know I still have light perception."

       "Didn't you just tell me that your light perception is very weak?" I asked. "Almost up to the point where you basically don't have it? I'm sure being in this dark arcade isn't going to help you at all."

       Ray scowled, knowing that I was right. He may be stubborn at times, but he also knew when other people had a point and when he should no longer go with whatever idea was in his head. Though sometimes, he didn't give up his idea when debating it with me since I was just as stubborn as he was.

       Not to mention neither of us liked losing. Baseball games, video games, any kind of game, arguments. We would rather quit baseball than want to lose.

       Mo suddenly stopped in his tracks, gripping his baseball bat tightly. "I feel something coming closer."

       "Oh, it's the monkey," Ray said. "I hear the cymbals clapping together. Like crash! Or maybe... No, definitely crash."

       "I don't think now's the time to decide what sound a cymbal makes," I said. "Also, why didn't you tell us that you could hear the monkey."

       "Because it's rude to interrupt conversations."

       I sighed. Sometimes, I really wondered what made me fall in love with this dumbass. Apart from the fact that we was a complete ray of sunshine and just an endless ball of energy. Not to mention he was an extremely hard and dedicated worker. Oh, and of course I couldn't forget how adorable yet hot he was.

       Okay, I knew exactly why I was in love with him.

       He was still a dumbass.

       Daisuke and Mason kept saying we were a match made in heaven because apparently, I was as dumb as he was.

       I didn't get it.

       "Well, why are we still standing here?" Maddox asked. "I mean, of course I want to beat the monkey with the baseball bat, but I think we should give Archer and Ray a chance to get a baseball bat."

       We started walking towards the batting cages as Ray was skipping with each step, though I was now holding his hand to make sure he didn't crash into anything.

       "I can't wait to get a baseball bat!" Ray said. "I haven't swung one in such a long time! It will be like a piñata! You know, because you have to be blinded to hit it. At least, that's what I think. Do some people not get blindfolded? That would be boring. Like you know exactly where you're aiming for and you just have to hit hard. Imagine if you're a baseball player. You already have a powerful swing and--"

       "Ray, we get what you're talking about," I said. "As cute as you are, you don't have to keep rambling."

       "Awe, you think I'm cute?!"

       "Obviously. I wouldn't have been dating you for three years if I haven't."

       "I would say you're cute too but honestly, I don't remember what you look like. You could be ugly for all I know."

       "Shut up. You remember exactly what I look like. You still gush about my looks all the time."

       "I'm starting to see why Sterling wanted to switch rooms with someone," Mo said. "You two flirt too much."

       "We're not even flirting, idiot," I said.

       "Name calling isn't nice, Archie," Ray said. 

       "Why don't you tell him to stop calling you dumbass, then?" Maddox asked. 

       "Does he?" Ray asked. "Huh. I haven't noticed. I guess I got immune to it."

       As soon as we got to the batting cages, I picked up a bat and handed it to Ray. "Don't swing unless I tell you it's safe. I don't need you hitting one of us, or even hitting anything else in the arcade."

       Ray did a few small swings, as if he was up at bat in a game and preparing for the pitch. Even though he was trying to hide it, I could tell he missed batting. The only thing he could do in baseball now was pitch, and that was only because he could stay on the mound and wouldn't have to run around afterwards.

       The more Ray did those small swings, the more I noticed Ray wasn't doing any better at hiding the fact that he was upset about not being able to bat anymore. In fact, he looked like he was on the verge of breaking down. I didn't know if it was the fact that he was holding a baseball bat, or it being close to midnight that boosted his emotions, especially when he was normally asleep by now.

       Ray didn't break down often. In fact, since I've met him, I had only seen him fully broke down twice; once when his dad left and once after he told me he went blind.

       "Hey," I said softly, resting my hand on Ray's shoulder. "You going to be okay?"

       Ray nodded, but he handed the bat to me. "I don't think I can do it..."

       I took the bat from him. "That's okay. Maddox and Mo will beat the animatronics for you."

       "What about you?" Maddox asked. 

       "As much as I want to, I'll probably end up fully breaking the animatronics," I said. "I only came because Ray wanted to leave the control room, and I promised his mom I'd be the one to guide him around."

        "Alright, then let's go destroy the rest of the animatronics," Maddox said.

       It didn't take long.

       Before we destroyed the clown, I took a picture of Ray with it since I promised Ray. Although, the three did want to take a picture with the clown lying on the floor, short-circuiting.

       Right as I took the picture, the lights suddenly turned on. "Oh, shit!" Maddox said. "Is it the cops?!"

       "Congratulations to the twelve of you," a distorted voice suddenly rang out throughout the arcade. "We've been waiting for one of you to figure out you were allowed to hit the animatronics with a bat to win. And thank you, for following the note and not destroying it. Our lovely hacker will be able to fix them, no problem. Anyway, you officially passed this round. You are free to leave."

       "Hey, if you guys can hear me, fuck you all!" I said.

       "Don't be rude, Archer. Geez. You're so moody compared to that sunshine boyfriend of yours. You should be more like him."

       "And you should shut the fuck up, whoever you are," I shot back.

       "Sorry, what was that? You're cutting out. I can't hear--" The voice was cut off.

       Seriously, whoever was behind this was pissing me off.

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plot twist: archer is behind it :o

okay so far, i'm most likely giving these boys the christmas story. i already have a basic plot with it woo. and i'll be back to writing in ray's pov, like the book i'm writing off wattpad! (well i'm writing two, the og and a fantasy one. the og is ray's and the fantasy is archer's)