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Mono burst through another tv, groaning as he got up. He heard a chirping whirring like noise and gasped, it was one of the Viewers looking down at him, angrily. And rightfully so since he broke through his precious television. Mono barely had time to run before he was snatched up and brought to the Viewers face.
This is the end for me, Mono thought, closing his eyes to accept his fate. But the Viewer was oddly still, looking at Mono with a wondrous look.
The amount of Statik the boy gave off, it was way better than anything the TVs, or even the Signal Tower gave off! He could remember almost everything from the time of before, how the sun would shine, how kids would play, and how people would bustle about the streets happy with their jobs. He could even smell the faint scent of chocolate, his favorite thing, he could even taste it a little bit! It was barely there, but it was enough for the Viewer.
The Viewer made a strange noise similar to purring and brought Mono closer to his face. The boy was addictive, more addictive than the TVs. He would be his new tv, his new drug. He wouldn’t let anyone else have him, the boy was his! He found him first! He had to hide. Hide himself and his special treasure. He looked around frantically, trying to find a place to be private with his new toy, when he felt a sharp prick in his hand. He squealed and let go of Mono, who had bitten into his hand and run off. The Viewer screeched and ran after Mono, trying to catch up to the bag boy.
Mono ran through the streets of the Pale City, panting heavily. The screeches of the Viewer chasing him rang in his ears, and Mono ran faster. He turned on a TV with the remote hoping it would stop the Viewer, but when he turned around he was shocked. He had completely ignored the tv and kept chasing Mono! Why?! That always worked before! He had no time to wonder what just happened, he just kept on running as fast as he could, this was super weird.
The Viewer and Mono’s chase was catching the attention of others, and they stopped looking away from their precious TVs to see what was going on. When they laid their eyes on Mono, they were hit with a whiplash of memories. Memories of sunlight, laughter, good tasting food, life before the Signal Tower. It was so much better than the TVs, which just lulled their minds into security. They wanted the waves Mono gave off. They wanted HIM.
The Viewers tore away from their TVs and screeched as they ran after the boy. Mono panted as he tried to get away, why were they still chasing him?! He didn’t have time to think, because right that moment he tripped on a piece of fallen debris and nearly got the wind knocked out of him. He groaned quietly and could barely feel as he was picked up by a Viewer and cradled in its arms, as the other Viewers crowded them and chirped and cooed at the boy.
Mono looked up at them frightened. What would his fate be now?
——
The Viewers stumbled through the streets, trying not to trip over themselves. It was another good day, they were going to see, feel, watch all the things they used to do. And all because of their bag boy.
They stumbled into the movie theater, an old one they had repaired just for him. They took their seats, most of them trying to get the front seats to see the boy, and looked up at their bag boy.
Mono was up in the air, in a cage large enough for him, suspended by a single cable cord as he was put on display for all the Viewers to see. He whimpered quietly as he was watched like a screen, a new drug for the Viewers to enjoy that was even better than the TVs.
He was on a schedule, he would be suspended in the air with The Viewers watching him like a prize in the day while at night he would be fed, bathed, and have his bodily needs taken care of with three or four Viewers to help him. Mono tried to escape multiple times, but the Viewers were too big, too fast for him. So he learned to live with it.
Now he was a new TV for the Viewers, a prize for all of them to see.