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There was a weird teacher today.
Yellow tried to hold still, not draw attention to himself. It was something Red practiced with him, to keep out of the spotlight. Not that it usually worked, but maybe it made Red feel better to think he could try to protect Yellow.
Yellow didn’t know. His head was too fuzzy to know how anything worked.
The teachers today weren’t very sing-y. The music was too low and fast, and they just kept talking. About light, about dark, about being inside and outside of things.
The main one was a little doll’s house, with a little sun and moon who spun around her head. For a long second Yellow swore she looked familiar, but the moment passed and he was lost again.
He didn’t think he liked her.
The themes of the song didn’t go together, Yellow was sure of it. He didn’t know how he knew, but he did. But if he said so, he’d be punished, and probably the other two, too, so he tried very hard not to think while they were dancing around.
This lesson was in the living room. Duck and Red were in their regular chairs, watching the teacher with disinterest. Yellow slid out of his chair on accident earlier, so now he was camped on the floor, too nervous to climb back up while the song was going.
“Sooooo don’t you wanna go outside?” the House finished, stumbling forward as the music trailed off. She was a clunky thing, like a full dollhouse on too-short legs, but her voice was too grating to be sympathetic. “Wasn’t that nice, boys? Don’t you wanna leave?”
The red one perked up at that, eyes sharpening as he snapped to attention. Yellow wasn’t surprised - they all knew Red felt the strongest about getting out of their personal nightmare. “Uh, yeah,” he ventured quietly, hopeful. “Do you know when we can go?”
House grinned, pointing. “I was hoping you’d ask that!” she cheered brightly. “In fact, you all are getting close to leaving!”
“Really?” Red said, incredulously. He even hopped to his feet, charging forward as if getting closer to the teacher would make her answer faster. “Tell me how. Tell me!”
Yellow scooted backwards, just a smidge. He couldn’t help it.
The red guy never yelled.
Red inched closer and closer, something unhinged in his stance. “Tell us how to leave,” he demanded, jabbing a finger into the doll house’s chest. The house paused, blinking in surprise, before her smile grew into something just as frenzied as Red.
“You want to know?” she asked, matching Red’s gaze. “I wonder. What would you do for your freedom, hm?”
Red didn’t hesitate. “Anything. I’d do anything to get out of here.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Duck cut in abruptly, with a scowl. And then he was on his feet too, marching up to Red. “You know bargaining with them doesn’t work, don’t be daft. The song’s over, let’s be done with this.”
“No,” Red snapped. “Not when we’re so close! I want to go away, I want to get out of here.”
Yellow cowered where he was, transfixed. Normally he would jump into the conversation, but the other two had never fought like this before.
Stay small, he reminded himself, wrapping his arms around his knees. They won’t hurt you if you don’t give them a reason.
“Fine,” the doll house said loudly, over the argument. “You really want to go? Here’s how.”
And then she turned her big body, seemingly getting taller by the minute, until she towered over them.
“That one,” she said, finger pointing at…
Uh oh.
“Me?” Yellow asked, startled. His friends looked equally surprised. “But I don’t know how to leave, either!”
“Not like that, stupid,” the house snarled, and suddenly her face twisted into that familiar dark expression again. Yellow hopped to his feet and backpedaled, bumping into the wall. “It all depends on you!”
The other two stood behind the house, watching the interaction. Duck seemed nonplussed, though his brow furrowed at the idea. Red’s face was neutral as always, that impossible-to-read mask, but there was no hiding the intrigue on his expression.
It made Yellow want to run away, to be the center of attention. But Red wanted this, and Duck probably secretly did too, so he made himself be brave.
“What do I need to do?” Yellow asked hesitantly.
The house laughed, screeching and high-pitched, and Yellow flinched against the force of it.
“Oh dear,” she chucked darkly, shaking her head. “You have no idea. You really want to know?”
This was a bad idea. Yellow could tell, the way he sometimes just knew things he shouldn’t. But…
Mutely, he nodded.
“Alright, then!” The house shrieked, jabbing a finger into his chest. “When you run out of batteries, your friends can finally be free! You’re the reason they’ve been trapped here, idiot, it’s always been you!”
Yellow blinked rapidly, trying very hard not to be sick or panic or anything. He needed to think, to try to understand.
“What?” Duck thundered, shoving the house with his arms. Being the littlest, it didn't do much other than gain her attention. “What do you mean? Answer us!”
“His father had the idea,” the house twittered on, smirking. “Teach him a lesson. It got a bit literal, didn't it? But it still stands that no one leaves until he’s out of batteries.”
Yellow covered his ears, trying to block out the words. “Stop it!” He yelled, screwing his eyes shut. “Stop, you’re not supposed to say that! I need my batteries!”
The batteries kept him running. That’s what Electracey told him, and that’s what his dad had said so long ago, and he knew bad things happened when he didn’t have batteries.
But his friends…
“I’m tired of this,” the house said, stamping her foot against the floor. “I’m sure your friends will know a faster way to kill your battery than we do. Isn’t that right, Red? You said you’d do anything to be free.” Her grin was too wide, to creepy, too scary. “Well, here’s your chance!”
“He won’t,” Duck snarled, something ugly in his tone. “Tell her, Red.”
Red didn’t react. Didn’t say anything, or move. In fact, when Yellow glanced up, Red was staring right at him.
‘Your fault,’ Yellow realized. It was like all the fog vanished with the one thought - for the first time in so long, he could think for just a second.
This was Yellow’s fault, that they were here. This was just supposed to be his nightmare, wasn’t it? But the other two were stuck here, all because of him.
“Promise,” Yellow said abruptly, eyes darting back to the house. All the noise and arguing and chaos fell silent around him, as though making room for his words. “You promise that when my batteries are out, they can go?”
Duck made a strangled noise, stepping forward, but Red quickly reached down and snagged him by the jacket.
Yellow had to do this alone.
The house tilted her head, that human face appearing ever so faintly. “I promise,” Lesley told him condescendingly. “When your ‘batteries are out,’ yes. They’ll be free.”
Yellow nodded again.
Then he snapped open the battery hatch in his chest, and, before anyone could move, yanked the batteries loose. Then he held them out in one dirty hand, with a small smile. “My batteries are out,” he announced. He looked to his friends, ignoring their horrified expressions, and said, “You guys can go now. Thanks for being my friends.”
Lesley screamed, like a dying animal, and the other two started shouting, but it all felt more distant by the second. Darkness swept across his vision, muffling all the colors and sounds of the world.
Everything became snapshots, after that.
Someone yelling his name.
Fuzzy hands on his face.
Being up off the ground, floating.
The ground rumbling, the world shaking.
More screams.
“-his batteries, tell me you got-“
“Of course I did, but he’s not-
“-can you hear us? Yel-“
“-losing him, put them back-“
Light. Yellow blinked hazily, trying to raise one hand high enough to block his eyes. It was all too bright. “Whassat?” He slurred, disoriented. “S’ too bright.”
Something shifted in front of him immediately, making a shadow, and he fought to open his eyes again. “Better?” A voice asked. He swore he felt a hand on his forehead, brushing back his hair.
Yellow hummed agreement, trying to focus.
His head was in someone’s lap for sure, probably the big red one. Which meant the other one was making the shadow. Sure enough, when he tilted his head, the duck one was kneeling beside him. “Hallo,” he greeted quietly, around the fuzziness in his head. “What happened?”
Duck met his eyes, guilty and worried and relieved. “You took out your batteries, remember?” He asked, reaching out to tap where the hole in his chest would be. “You’re lucky we remembered o grab them. You scared us so much.”
“Sorry,” Yellow answered, with a bit of regret. “But I wanted you guys to get to leave.” He turned to look up at Red smiling at the blurry figure.. “That’s what you wanted, right?”
Red looked down blankly. Most people probably thought he didn’t feel anything at all, but Yellow knew better.
Sure enough, after a moment, Red tugged him up further into a hug. Duck leaned in too, squeezing Yellow from all sides. “It’s not worth it. Getting out wouldn’t have been worth it, not without you,” Red informed him, with a steely ‘do not question me’ voice. “Where would I be without you lot, hmm?”
“A rug, perhaps,” Duck snarked on the other side. Red pulled one of his feathers in retribution, much to his immediate dissatisfaction.
Yellow, though, was distracted by looking around. Suddenly everything looked… different. Not the felt and fabric and clay feeling of everything around them. It looked…real.
“Wait, where are we?” Yellow asked, swiveling his head around.
Red, who had yet to let go, sounded more than a little smug. “Well, you were technically out of batteries. And the deal never said we couldn’t take you with us. So yeah, we left. We’re outside.”
Yellow gasped, jaw dropping, and he didn't even mind when his friends laughed at him.
“What about the house lady?” He couldn't help but ask. She was important, somehow, but he couldn't quite remember why.
“Dunno,” Red said, shrugging. “She disappeared. The, uh, real house did too.”
“Alright, come on,” Duck said at last, shooing them both upwards and ending the hug. “We don’t know where we’re going, better start walking.”
Yellow nodded and started to get up, except that suddenly Red’s arms wrapped around him. Before he knew it he was up in a piggy back ride, face full of red string.
“Oh no you don’t,” Red told him, already walking forward. “If you get shut down, you get carried. That’s the rules.”
Yellow didn't know any of the rules, but Red probably did. “Okay,” he agreed easily, snuggling in for the ride. “Thank you.”
The last thing he heard before drifting off was Duck demanding a turn next.