Togetherness? - Little Nightmares - Mono x Six

Still City

Enjoying my last days of freedom! Here's a desperately put-together chapter, I pulled straight outta the dumpster! Oh God, it sucks...

Am I seeing this right!? 6k reads 386 votes??? THANK YOU THANK YOU! You guys are truly wonderful!!! 

Total words 2776

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When they left a few minutes later, the weather had cleared, and they set out into the dimly lit alleyway, holding each other's hands as they strode along the uneven ground, avoiding every crack filled with rainwater in the floor. 

"Where are we going?" Six asked, following his lead.

Mono hadn't the faintest clue... now that she'd mentioned it, where exactly was he going? At first, he thought about going back to the place where he hid from the rain, but that was just blocks and blocks away from here. Scratch that one! "Well, I dunno... let's just get out of the streets, find someplace warm, and then we'll see from there." He said.

And so they went on, hurrying past the black rivers pouring down the drain system, past great heaps of garbage and discarded clothing, and under the balconies were TVs with shattered screens that hung from the railings. Six cocked her head up, observing the scene around, open-mouthed and in awe. "What do you think all this means?" Six said, and Mono looked back at her then looked up, seeing the TVs dangling above him, swinging to and fro in the wind. "Why would anyone hang those around like that?"

Mono thought back to the time at the boat, when he saw countless TVs drifting around in the dark waters, the ones stacked atop one another in the school, and the ones back in that shack. They seem to come to life at either the best time possible or the worst... just what were they trying to accomplish? At times, they would guide him. At other times, they'd pull him in and send him hurtling down an endless spiral abyss with no hope of escape. He did not understand any of it, but what he knew is that whatever was living inside them... had a mind of its own. "It's probably just for decoration."

"Really...? Pretty horrible taste..." Six said, brooding.

"That's sarcasm, Six..."

She looked at him and tilted her head, "Sarcasm?"

"Y-You know... when you say something opposite of what you mean." Mono tried to explain. But six was still as clueless as ever, "Come on, Six... Sarcasm!" He tried again, waving his arms all about as if that would help her understand. 

Six smiled and let out a muffled laugh. She's messing with you, idiot... He sighed and whispered an inaudible 'I hate you.'

"What was that?" Six said from over his shoulder.

"I bate you..."

"You bate me?"

Mono made queer sounds and kept his head forward, pulling her by her hand.

Six snickered, "Is that supposed to be sarcasm too, Mono." 

"For pity's sake! Could you stop bullying me!?"

"Well, you started it!"

"Did not!" Mono said, "You know what? Forget it! Let's go!" He added, pulling her by her hand. If they got caught in another downpour while wasting time like this, they would be in trouble, Mono thought. But at least she's back to normal... smiling and joking again. Mono thought he'd never see that side of Six again, but there it was... and he couldn't be any happier.

Minutes later, they reached the end of the alleyway and found themselves standing on a pavement flanked on each side by rows of convenience stores and shops. There were even restaurants and bars farther down the road, Mono could tell from their faintly glowing neon signs. Across the street in front of them stood a tall spiked gate, its black irons fashioned into blooming flowers, tree roots, and coiled black lines stretching all the way from the top. Beyond it, Mono saw but the remnants of something that used to be beautiful. The garden was nothing more than a ruin, burnt trees with blackened barks, dead bush limbs scattered all about the stone walkway. Doubtless that there was any worth of going there anymore.