(OLD) The events of the convention, Volume One

Chapter Twenty-Six - ???

Do you know where a light switch is?

He had been talking to the marionette, Mari she called herself, for a while now. He still couldn't see very well.

What she had said pretty much confirmed what he already knew.

She had been Moira's first victim. Three older children had locked her out of the restaurant as a joke, and put a box over the puppet that was supposed to watch the children.

When it finally got out, it found Mari's body. Dead and broken.

When she woke up, she was trapped in a box.

Hearing her story just made him angrier, but it didn't help anything. He still was no closer to the girls, he still didn't know what he looked like, and he still was in the dark.

There's got to be one around here somewhere. Assuming this building still has power.

Why would it not have power?

Maybe someone was fixing it? I'm not sure.

Someone flicked a circuit board switch.

I got it!

Great job, M-

He had never realized what she looked like, either.

All things considered, she still looked like a girl. Still with the anime aesthetic, wearing a black jumpsuit with white buttons, pale as the moon besides two purple tear marks going down her face, and the red on her cheeks.

If it wasn't against his principles, he would have said she was beautiful.

You can stop staring at me now.

Was I? Sorry.

Dammit.

Anyways. Do you think we can find a way out?

There is no way out.

He turned around in a circle.

Did you say something?

No? She sounded confused.

Then who did?

I did.

It felt like someone was tapping him. He spun to look.

They can't be here still.

We are.

The golden bear was looking at him.

We tried to help you, but as you can see, we're-

-Stuck.

The second voice was almost too familiar, and sounded sadder than anything he'd ever heard.

Veronica? Is that you?

Yes.

I didn't think that...

What? Veronica's voice was bitter and spiteful, nothing like it had been before. You didn't think I would still be here? Yeah, me neither. Her voice shook. You have no idea how much it hurt. Dying in this thing, then waking up, not to find a peaceful expanse, but a tomb.

The golden bear spoke again. She screamed for hours. When she stopped, we knew she was alive still, but could not help. I cannot move and Mari was stuck. We simply had to watch.

That must have been terrible.

A thought came to him.

Mari, what do I look like?