Chapter Text
“Welcome back, Scott.” Void, I hate how Joel’s voice sounds these days. Tainted with laughter and insanity.
He adjusts his white top hat so I can see his eyes. I check to see if he’s been freed yet, as I do every time he reveals them to me. No luck. The same, spiral-shaped pupils spin inside his irises, the left iris red and the right one blue.
“Would you like some tea?” He asks calmly, and I shake my head. Rule Number One: Don’t, under any circumstances, drink Mr. Shadow’s- The Hatter’s tea. It takes away your ability to disobey him.
“Rule number one.” I mutter under my breath.
I slowly move my eyes up to his face again, over his white suit with red-and-blue highlights. I wonder if he isn’t The Hatter, if he’s a poor fool who drank the tea. Who forgot Rule Number One.
“You and your rules. Anyways, I have a job for you.”
I stiffen instantly, shooting straight up in my seat. “What is it?”
He slides a small packet of some powder across the table to me. “Give this to Mayor Goodtimes’s secretary. He knows what to do.”
I flinch as I realize what it is: a tea bag. He wants to put Hatter tea in the Mayor’s drink. “Yes, sir.”
“Good man, Scott. Remember what happens if you fail.” He references the Galactic runes on my back. The runes for making a Creaking sentient.
If you carve out or scrub off the runes, I’ll just go back to what I was before-a monster. This is why I have no choice but to work for Joel. One wrong move and he’ll either trap me in my heart again, or worse, revert me.
“Give me my heart so I can leave the building then.” I snap.
Joel laughs. He laughs too much. Reaching into the fireplace behind him, he pulls out a burning stick. Dunking it in water, he passes it to me across the desk. “Scott~, don’t fail. You’re a useful Golem to have around, I’d rather not have to turn you back into what you were~”
I nod, walking out of the room using the same door I entered through, clutching the stick in my left hand, and the tea bag in my right. The eyes of all sorts of people are on me, wondering what the boss could want with a Golem. A monster.
Rule Number Two: Don't disobey Joel SB Shadow.