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Sleep is a state of vulnerability.
Six can’t sleep. If she makes a mistake, just one , then she’ll get taken. Then she’ll die. Horrifically.
Opening her eyes, Six looks around. She’s surrounded by the sea, the only thing keeping her from drowning is a wooden door.
The sea is full of junk and TV’s, the murky waters not allowing any insight as to what hides below. Whatever lies underneath, whether that be giant blood sucking leeches or fish that have found an appetite for human flesh , is a mystery. Six is only protected by a stray wooden door.
Admittedly, she's made a huge mistake by getting on.
Sitting beside her is a boy. His name is Mono. He is very weird. The moment they got on the wooden door, he fell into a slumber. Six can tell because he snores very loud.
In the span of about an hour Six has escaped captivity, ran from a crazed beast with a gun , killed said monster, and now this. It’s been a busy day. She can technically thank Mono for everything thats happened. But… Six thinks his name is Mono. Throughout their escape, he has said many things. The only thing Six understands is the word Mono.
Six exhales, keeping her knees close. She’s in foreign territory now, anything could be waiting for her once she reaches land. Anything.
That is, assuming they reach land. Maybe they’ll stay stuck on this raft forever, drifting endlessly until they stave.
“Ay su madre…”
Six lifts her head to look at Mono. He’s awake now, looking onwards towards…
From the shadows emerge giants, beasts made of steel and death. They lean and croak, like their bellies rumble just at the sight of the new prey. Six swears, some of the towers actually move . From behind the steel beasts, the sound of crashing rain slithers out to say one thing:
You are entering hell.
Six blinks, trying to gulp down a single breath. But nothing.
It’s happening again. That thing where Six can't breathe, like a toxin destroying the body from within. She can barely move, let alone breathe as she looks at the colossal beasts ready to crush her.
Without Six noticing it, the door reaches the shore. In front of them lies a pathetic excuse for a beach, the sides fizzling out to more sea. The only way out is to go into the belly of the beast.
“Oye, estás bien?”
Six moves her eyes to see Mono standing a few feet away, his bag muffling his words. He remains still, not content with leaving behind his new friend.
The cold breeze of The Pale City pushes forth a seawave, almost soaking Six completely. This ice cold water forces her to stand, chugging a breath of air. She starts moving, her feet sinking into the cold sand.
Six keeps her head down, whimpering ever so quietly as the looming presence of giant beasts engulf her whole. She needs to keep moving, no matter what. Mono follows behind, watching Six with curiosity.
Without knowing it, they both enter a place made of nightmares.
Of all the places Six wants to be, school is almost dead last on her list.
Granted, Six doesn’t want to walk around in rainy streets where her teeth shiver from all the cold, but the fact remains.
Six follows behind Mono, looking around at the walls and toys laying around. Despite just arriving in this school, Six is already on high alert.
It’s a long climb back down. If they get spotted, things could go bad fast.
Mono walks into the only room available, bunk beds almost entirely filling the room. It dawns on Six that kids may live in the school. With working lights and beds, maybe Six can rest here.
Maybe.
The school is dead quiet. Maybe something got inside, snatching up everybody inside, leaving the place a graveyard. Maybe the monster is still here.
Looking to Mono, Six hopes to see someone ready to keep moving. But she doesn't get that. Instead, she sees Mono who somehow got into a bed and passed out, snoring without a care in the world.
Six sighs. She can leave right now and he won't even notice. Maybe she can run off to find somewhere better. Somewhere where there are no monsters, nothing to fear or cry about. That would be nice.
Six turns around, walking out the room for a quick glance. The place is still empty. Likewise, a feeling of unwelcomeness remains.
But there's something.
A sound, soft but close. It’s not getting closer, maybe it's watching, waiting, hoping for a chance to sneak up on Six when she's vulnerable. After all, she is. She may as well be dead meat.
Six glances around quickly. The sound hides in the room.
Six walks towards the sound, coincidentally walking towards Mono. Perhaps there's a beast that hides under the bed, or behind it, or inside it. Or worse, the monster is Mono. Maybe she's making a mistake walking to him.
Six needs to run. Hesitation will get her killed.
She takes a step back. It’s survival of the fittest now.
“Six…”
Wait.
Six listens close.
“Six… Mi Amor…”
Mono shuffles in his bed, joy interlaced in his words.
Six stands still. She tries to breathe, having some struggle in the process; she’s never felt so stupid before.
But she's not going to stand around until something actually happens.
Six marches over to Mono, standing by his bedside. She grabs the steel frame and shakes it violently.
In no time Mono yelps awake, jumping up to accidentally hit his head on the bunk above him. He whimpers, looking at Six after truly waking up.
Six just waves him along, walking off and out of the room. Mono follows along, rubbing his head all the while.
Six dangles above marble flooring, her surroundings blurred while tears and exhaustion fill her.
Of all the ways she expected to die, this was the worst one.
She’s going to die slowly, painfully, all alone. Even if she is released, the monsters will tear her apart. They’ll munch on her bones like wild dogs. And they’ll laugh all the while.
Six can't help but let tears fall as another gulp of air fails to make her feel any better. It’s almost impossible to breathe.
Six chokes on her own tears. Maybe she’s wrong for trying so hard. Surviving is pointless if, in the end, she will just die alone.
With how loud the ringing is in her ears, Six doesn’t hear the growing sound of cracking porcelain. Likewise, when the sound of dragging metal enters the room, her ears turn deaf.
Suddenly, Six falls.
“Mi Amor… despierta. ¡Despierta, por favor!”
Six whimpers, the hot pain in her skull still remaining. She can barely open her eyes, everything around her is still a haze.
As the world comes back to Six, it immediately becomes apparent that she's being held by someone else.
Someone with brown clothing holds her.
Six is almost smothered when Mono pulls her close, hugging her with an all encompassing hug.
“Mi Amor… soy feliz que estás aquí.”
Six remains completely still as everything comes to her in pieces.
She’s alive, somehow , and Mono saved her.
He saved her.
Six pushes Mono away, denying his hug. She looks around the bathroom, the remains of shattered porcelain all around her. The school, filled with terrible laughter, sounds so quiet.
Finally, Six looks at Mono.
She feels his hands holding her sweetly. He struggles to breathe as heavy puffs emanate from his bag. There's an unspoken bond between the two.
But, most importantly, Six can see beyond the bag. Hiding behind those dark, baggy holes, Six sees the sadness in Mono’s eyes.
Six fills her lungs with clarity, finally connecting all the puzzle pieces. With tranquility slowly spreading throughout, a strange new thought emerges.
Hug…
Six looks back at Mono.
And hugs him.
Attachment will only lead to regret. Six has wasted her time on people who were taken away too soon. Even now, Six knows this moment is fleeting.
If they stay dormant for too long, they’ll both be captured. Or worse. Six can't deny that.
But as Six embraces Mono, he sighs sweetly. He pulls her in closer, resting his head on her shoulder.
Six can't help but feel warm inside. All those loud, anxious thoughts go quiet. The moment is fleeting but it’s refreshing.
Six smiles. She’s never hugged like this before.
Cold rain crashes down, leaving the concrete of the pale city forever wet.
A watchful eye scans the city, their appetite for revenge yet quenched.
Two kids hide from danger, holding their breaths from death.
In no time, the watchful eye slinks back to their abode, never to return again.
The world continues like normal.
Mono and Six hide inside a trash bin, almost submerged in water. Mono tries to sneak a peek at the teacher…
But Six grabs his jacket and pulls him down.
Six holds Mono’s jacket with a fierce anger; she isn't going to let her fate be decided by someone else’s mistake.
The two sit inside the trash bin, Six still holding onto Mono. As the fear of being caught rises, her lungs beg for air. Six gulps, knowing that she needs to control herself.
Closing her eyes, Six focuses on breathing. Her body tries to relax as it takes in air. She listens to the rain, hearing its soft touch on various things. Concrete, metal, plastic, more water, it fleshes out her surroundings. She tries desperately to imagine something comforting, like a warm light or soft blanket.
Yet her mind wanders, searching for whatever is nearby.
All she can remember is the hopelessness of death.
All she knows is death.
When she was taken, all they did was laugh. When they tied her to the ceiling, they never stopped laughing. When her tears fell to the floor, all she could hear was their terrible laughing.
If she gets taken again, they’ll laugh even louder.
Six whimpers, her surroundings becoming louder and angrier.
Until she feels something.
It’s different from what Six knows.
As her eyes open, she sees Mono holding her quaking hands with sincerity.
Six looks at the blank holes that make up Mono’s face. His gentle hands are foreign, yet comforting. Like the subtle heat of a flame or the softness of a blanket.
Six looks at what forms between them. She notices how gentle he is. It’s like his hands let Six feel something different. Something new. Something scary.
Six slowly pulls her hand away. She can't bring herself to open back up.
In no time, Six returns to an odd calmness. She allows Mono to peek above the trash can, assuring that there's no harm coming their way. With that, the two begin to walk on cold concrete, pushing onwards.
“... gracias.”
Mono speaks, his words barely audible over the harsh rain. But for the time they existed, his words sounded warm.
Six nods. She could’ve left Mono to the mercy of the teacher, but it’s only fair she helped. An eye for an eye.
As the two walk forward, Six keeps her eyes to the floor. She watches her feet step in small puddles of rain, making her smile. It’s like she’s a giant, each step making giant reverberations in the land.
When Mono stops walking, Six doesn't waste any time to look at him and whatever he may be looking at. When Six notices what lays ahead, her heart drops.
The city is split in two, like hell has opened, eating whatever falls within its clutches. The only way forward is by walking a thin line across it. The idea of even getting close to that giant chasm is insane, Six knows something will make her fall.
And she’ll fall. Hundreds, if not millions of feet below; she’ll never stop falling. Her screams will reverberate throughout the city, a sign that hell has consumed another.
Six turns around, looking at the school. She groans in dismay, picking the lesser of the two evils. Mono seems to agree, already on his way to the thin line that can be called a bridge.
When they reach the beginning of the bridge, Mono goes first, hesitantly looking down as the bridge seems to go on forever. As for Six… she can't stop shivering.
She’s cold. The rain will make walking difficult, she might slip and fall, or worse, her shivering will get so bad she’ll stop halfway. Any desperate attempt for warmth will be thwarted by the bone chilling sight of whatever lies below. And if the bridge were to give out…
Six takes a step back. Her eyes return to Mono, hoping for a little sign of hope. Yet her heart begins to ache when she notices how far he’s gotten without her.
Without Six.
Mono doesn't need Six now, they can be separated and he’ll be fine. He’s survived this long, Six isn’t necessary for his survival. All he needs to do is cross the bridge and he’ll be free of her. Free from all her insecurities and fears.
Without Mono, Six begins to bite her hand. She tries not to bite very hard, but as Mono goes farther and farther, she can't help herself. A part of her wants to shout his name, break the silence and say something. But if she managed to startle Mono, he would fall.
Six bites harder. She needs to cross the bridge.
Taking an anxious step forward, Six glues her eyes to the bridge. Step by step, inch by inch, Six keeps moving. Compared to Mono, she’s barely crossing the bridge. Yet she keeps trying, every step careful and calculated.
Before long, Six is nearly one fourth of the way done. But that’s when she hears something.
“Pssst!”
Six stops moving and looks up. It’s Mono. Despite what his instincts might tell him, he stands still. The two vaguely look at each other before Mono keeps moving.
Six feels a smile creep upon her face. With a real purpose to keep going, Six gets across the bridge in no time.
When the two successfully stand on safe ground, they sigh a breath of relief. Six automatically goes to Mono, taking his hand into hers. She intertwines their fingers, squeezing tight. Six keeps her eyes on their hands. Even if she can't see his face, Six wants to enjoy this indulgent feeling without judgment.
And so they walk, keeping the silence between them. Eventually, Six finds a raincoat.
It reminds her of an old friend. Wearing it would dishonor her memory… but Six is tired of being wet and cold; she can't linger on the past forever.
As Six dons the new raincoat, Mono is quick to say something.
“¡Te ves bonita!”
Six smiles. Everything Mono says is gibberish, but in some instances, Six likes the way he speaks. In a weird way, it’s flattering.
A change of scenery is something Six desperately needed.
After entering a hospital and exploring, both her and Mono find themselves inside a playroom for children. The walls are plastered with drawings, toys, teddy bears and alphabet cubes. The room invites a false sense of safety. With the gray hues of the hospital’s color palette staining the surroundings and the children’s drawings portraying monsters the two have yet to see, Six has no reason to let down her guard.
Afterall, this small room has only one exit. If a monster were to block the exit, they would be helpless to escape. And if the monsters from the school are persistent, it’ll be impossible to escape the city before they find them. Or worse…
“zzzzzZZZZZZZZzzzzz…”
Six blinks. Looking towards Mono, the boy has already laid down and passed out. While his bag makes it a question if he’s really asleep or not, the muffled snoring confirms it.
Six sucks in a struggled breath. She still can't believe how effortlessly Mono falls asleep. The fact that he's still alive remains a mystery to Six, especially considering this nightmare of a city they now must escape.
The sound of buzzing electricity permeates throughout the room. Six looks at the light above, trying to breathe as her mind makes everything worse. The light reminds her of the school, the helplessness she felt when the monsters surrounded her. They effortlessly took her away, giggling all the while. That terrible, hollow giggle echoed through the hallways as they dragged her away. tens, if not hundreds of those porcelain monsters were there, just laughing at her for being so weak.
They could’ve killed her with such ease. But they never stopped laughing. And all the while, the terrible hum of the lights stayed. Scratching at her ears, joining the laughter and mocking her cries.
If Six stays still, the monsters will find her. They’ll laugh while ripping her apart. She’ll be defenseless.
Six shakes Mono awake, desperately trying to hide her sobbing.
As Mono wakes up, he groans in discomfort. But he goes silent when his eyes find Six’s face. Even under her yellow hood, the sound of broken cries are all too clear.
“¿Qué pasa, Mi Amor?”
Wiping away her tears, Six struggles to breathe. Her mind is cluttered with fears, unable to even think rationally. But a small, quiet thought speaks above the loud fears.
Warm…
Six scoffs, looking away from him. Without either of them saying another word, Six closes the gap. She shoves herself into Mono’s embrace, hoping for the same comfort she found so long ago.
She doesn't want to lose him. It’s embarrassing to admit.
Six’s thoughts remain constantly loud, slowly switching to fear for Mono. For a moment, Six fears he can hear her thoughts too. But Mono slowly wraps his arms around her, letting that same comfort from before return. His heartbeat increases, letting butterflies rise in Six’s stomach.
This moment may be fleeting, but it is perfect.
“Te amo…te mantendré segura, te lo prometo. Agarra mi mano fuerte y estaremos bien.”
Six expected Mono to sleep at one point. But this is a new low.
Sitting in front of a furnace, Mono sleeps. Inside the furnace is a monster who chased the two near seconds earlier. The fact that they’re alive is a miracle, let alone how they managed to kill another monster. If Six didn’t know any better, she’d call Mono her lucky charm.
Six walks to Mono, enjoying the warmth of the incinerator. The ashes of the doctor slowly trickle from the bottom of the incinerator. A part of Six both disturbed and amused by the embers. One of the ashes floats to Mono, disappearing before really touching him.
Mono sleeps without a care in the world. It’s fascinating.
Six turns around, looking for anything out of the ordinary. No living hands… no mannequins… no giant doctors… The coast is clear.
Nervously, Six moves to sit on the floor. She keeps looking around, awkwardly making sure Mono isn’t awake. Slowly but surely Six shuffles next to Mono’s side.
Then the space between them is no more.
Six leans onto Mono’s side, enjoying this small moment of silence.
The quiet hum of the incinerator churn heat, it's like music to her ears.
The constant flow of embers and ashes from the bottom looks like fireflies in a dark night.
The smog that fills the air makes the whole place warm, cozy, and most especially, comfy.
Like a cherry on top of everything, Six gets to be next to Mono. She can feel a strange feeling wash over her. It makes her eyes heavy and body relaxed. Normally, Six would be scared.
But she isn't.
This moment is perfect.
Suddenly, the incinerator goes cold.
No more humming, no more embers, no more heat, it's all gone.
Six stands up. The moment was perfect, but good things don't last long.
Giving him a little nudge, Six wakes Mono from his slumber.
The two leave the hospital, no words exchanged on the way.
Rain falls from the sky, hitting the metal roofing below. Six and Mono walk together, their hands keeping each other close. While there's a sense of urgency to leave the rain, the two don't separate. They cherish each moment.
Six looks at her surroundings, finally glad to see something aside from the dreary walls of the apartments. After waiting an eternity for Mono to fix the elevator, the two have temporarily left the apartments to keep moving.
The cold, ominous look of the city has yet to change. As Six looks around, she notices a tower.
A tall, foreboding tower with a strange light at the tip. It’s different from every other tower, its almost hypnotizing.
“Todo bien?”
Six blinks, looking over to Mono. She didn’t notice she stopped walking. With that little slip up, Six keeps walking. The two continue onwards, back into the apartments.
Silence.
Complete, empty silence.
Six is awake. She’s alive.
Rubble. All around her lay the poor foundation of the apartments.
Six tries to move. She’s stuck under something.
The smallest movements are excruciatingly painful, but Six looks up.
More rubble.
There is a flashlight, it points at a specific pile of rubble. Six recognizes the shape of Mono’s bag.
Mono lays on the ground, some logs lying atop him.
Six tries to move. She needs to check on Mono.
Twisting slightly, Six sees what crushes her. The sight of a giant brown couch makes her stomach drop.
She’s trapped.
Six looks at Mono. He lays motionless, almost like…
No. That can't be possible.
Six tries to move. There's a lump in her throat that wasn't there before.
There are no monsters nearby, but the emptiness of the area makes Six worried.
She tries to recall what happened before all this.
Six remembers… her foot getting stuck. She was running, but she got caught on the floorboard. She watched Mono fall.
Six tries to push the rubble that crushes her.
It’s impossible. She’s not strong enough.
Six looks back at Mono. She’s fighting back tears.
He can't be dead. It’s not possible.
Six tries to move. It’s getting harder to breathe.
Shutting her eyes and wincing, Six opens her mouth.
“m… mono…”
Six coughs, her voice raspy and small. Even in the dead silence of the apartments, it’s not loud enough.
Six sniffs, wiping away some tears. She opens her mouth and tries again.
“Mono… Mono…”
Nothing. Maybe it's pointless to try… Maybe this is how Six really dies.
Not ripped apart by monsters, not eaten by giant leeches or crushed by giant towers. But she's going to die alone. Slowly and painfully, right next to someone she loved.
Love. Its never done any good for her. Now, it will only make her death worse.
Six sobs unapologetically. The tears rolling down her face make it even harder to breathe, like everything has come together to make the worst nightmare possible.
With a desperate gasp, Six yells.
“MONO!”
Six lets her body go limp, her sight sinking to the floor. It’s all over now.
Wait.
There is another sound.
Movement.
Six looks up. She watches Mono lift the debris off himself, she watches him struggle to stand.
His bag almost exclusively looks towards her.
Six tries to move. Mono stumbles toward and pulls on her hands.
The weight of the debris slowly dissipates.
Then they fall.
Six looks up.
Her body is numb. She can move again.
Right in front of her is Mono.
He’s laying on the floor with her. He saved her.
They stare at each other.
At that moment, Six realizes something.
She likes Mono.
Purple light.
Creaking wood.
Floating toys.
Tranquility.
The sound of old music fills the air, inviting comfort to all who hear it.
Six hears it. She loves it.
Music is noise. Noise brings monsters. Monsters make death.
But Six isn’t afraid anymore.
No more troubled breathing, no more sore feet or sleepless nights.
Six knows what she's become, she can feel every inch of her body changed.
Pain is temporary.
Fear is eternal.
Now she becomes the thing that haunted her.
Now she is free.
As Six listens to the hollow music box, the door in front of her opens.
A small boy walks into the room.
Then everything comes crashing down.
The world comes to a halt.
Mono dangles by a thread.
Six holds him with a weary grip.
Even with shadows covering his face, the look of fear on Mono’s face is clear.
Six has to make a choice.
If she doesn’t pull him up, Mono would die.
She would kill him.
And maybe… he would come back. A ghost, or a monster, forever lingering, forever watching. Then she’ll never be free. Always haunted, always plagued by fear. She’ll be tormented by every little moment they share. She will never forget him. And if she doesn’t do something now, she’ll never leave this place.
But… There is a thought.
One small, loud and proud thought.
It shouts, barely audible through the screams inside Six’s mind.
It says something simple.
You like him.
Six likes Mono.
Six likes the way he holds her hand, likes the way his words make her feel special, loves the way his hugs make her feel warm.
Mono is everything Six isn’t. She likes that.
With a heave, Six pulls Mono up. They both fall onto unsafe ground, the tower around them still falling apart. With little thought, Mono rushes to his feet and yanks Six along, escaping the signal tower.
Six opens her eyes, feeling disoriented after falling. Lifting her head, nothing but darkness lays ahead.
Six slowly stands up, feeling an odd pang of hunger inside her. It’s weird, she can usually ignore the feeling.
Turning around, Six notices Mono laying on the floor.
Not far from him stands a TV that shines brightly.
It almost tries to protect Six from the evils that lurk around her. All this light keeps her from complete darkness. But it can also be a lure. Maybe there's something already coming to get her, either inside the TV or in the shadows.
Looking into the light, Six feels a familiar emotion brew under her skin. It makes her teeth grit, letting a thought rise to the surface.
Break it.
Six shuffles forward, ignoring the fact that darkness is death. She can’t save herself from whatever hides inside.
The buzzing of the TV screen grows louder, trying to silence the thoughts in Six’s head. Swirling colors, comforting sounds, they invite comfort and warmth in a world of darkness.
But Six isn’t stupid.
Curling her fist into a ball, Six pulls back and holds her breath.
In her mind, Six knows…
She is no moth to a flame.
Hurling her fist forward, the TV screen shatters.
Darkness.
There is no sound, no sight, no sanctity.
Six is at the mercy of her own thoughts.
Darkness has never been a stranger.
Monsters reside within, death sneaks within it.
The uncertainty of escape has never been more prevalent.
One misstep is all it takes.
Six looks around, her memory painting pictures of monsters.
Wait.
There is a sound, a faint one.
Shuffling, moving, breathing.
“¿Mi Amor…?”
The question bounces around the room, filling the darkness with some light.
Six steps towards the sound.
But she cries.
She keeps walking, even with the glass sinking into her feet.
If she does not hurry, the blood will flow.
And monsters can smell blood.
“¿Amor?”
The question is said again, but less dazed.
There is uncertainty in his question.
Six walks closer, holding in cries as the glass in her feet makes every step cruel.
She can't stop walking now.
Then, her foot hits something.
There is silence.
Then, a feeling.
A hand caressing cold skin.
It is a foreign feeling for both of them.
Yet it gives an answer.
Six reaches out, scanning the air around her.
Eventually she feels something.
Cold, squishy, odd.
Then, another feeling.
Warm, comforting, familiar.
A hand upon a hand.
Six follows the feeling, resting on the floor.
Eventually, his hand finds her face.
“Mi Amor…”
When the words reach Six, they sound beautiful.
Mono’s comfort returns, despite the darkness that envelops them.
The two shuffle closer, staying as close as possible.
Six knows they can't stay here forever.
Monsters will come, starvation will plague them, escape may never reveal itself.
But her thoughts waver.
She has Mono.
Six rests her frail figure against Mono’s comforting care.
In no time, his arms surround her.
And she is held.
Six has never felt so sleepy before.
Maybe it's time Six truly places her trust in Mono.
Upon closing her eyes and sinking into Mono’s embrace, Six hears one more thing before dreams fill her mind…
“Duerme Bien, Mi Amor.”