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saphiccdisease · 10 days ago

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Little Nightmares: Sewer Toys

| Prologue : Sink Into the Darkness |

There were distant splashes and the sound of a little, dark figure sprinting on puddles, panting loudly. It appeared to be carrying something.

Avoiding the big cracks and shards that littered the streets, the small figure hurried through the deserted, dark streets. He managed to climb over a pile of damp cardboard and jump over a shattered fence before halting under a streetlight to unveil himself.

A slender youngster was holding a large, strange-looking fish. The child paired his brown fisherman overalls with a dorian gray blouse. He had a fishnet around his waist, and a wet, bleeding bandage wrapped around his ankle. He must have stepped on some of the shards on his way because the blood was still fresh, and he had left a trail of blood behind him.

He had a golden necklace with an eye sign around his neck and a paper boat on his head as a hat.

Where precisely did he acquire that...?

He proceeded back to his base while the light flickered overhead.

At last the child had arrived at the base, squatting to get into the narrow crevice in the wall. He observes his buddies seated in a compact circle in the dimly lighted room, which feels a bit too claustrophobic for the five of them.

Since it has been raining in this metropolis for a while, the campfire keeps these children warm and dry. It's been nearly a month. The weirder part is that the campfire hasn't died yet, until now...

“Null!”

The red-haired girl with the pigtails said, as she rushed to embrace the newly arrived boy. She was dressed in a white shirt underneath a short, filthy green blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and had a torn yellow skirt, an eye sign was clipped onto her to keep the blanket cape from falling.

The other three didn't smile; they just coldly stared at him.

How long was he gone...?

It felt like he left the base days ago..

Their faces soon lit up with a warm smile once Null, the boy, brought out the fish behind him and dropped it in front of the group of kids. After consuming dead rodents, and wriggly insects they found, they were at last enjoying some good normal meal for tonight.

“We can't stay here like this forever... You've been gone for days, Null. Where were you exactly?”

The boy in a cap stood up, his top visor protecting his eyes, much like the rest of them, eyes covered. His cap resembled a police cap, and it bore the golden eye symbol, which is also found on Null's golden eye necklace. He had brown hair and wore a tattered police uniform. He must have gotten those clothing from where they discovered him, the police station.

However, Null was aware that he had only been off the base for an hour. He listened because, after all, time is broken in this city. Seeing how hungry his friends were, he wasted no time in getting the ingredients ready to cook the fish. It was a strange fish, it never had scales..

“I had been hunting for food. But I stumbled upon a close by shore, I fetched us a fish instead. Oh, and I also discovered a broken boat just by the dock.”

With a gentle smile, the ginger girl listened to Null as she carefully cooked the fish over the campfire by inserting a metal rod through its mouth. Despite the fact that the boy in the cap crossed his arms, a little annoyed, the other two children remained silent and simply sat there, enjoying the warmth.

After a few minutes, they all gathered for a small feast, enjoying the fish Null had caught from the docks. Although it tasted strange and salty, it was sufficient to satisfy their empty stomachs.

“But what is the plan now? Jail and I both agreed that we couldn't live in this city forever. We will decay and end up like the children we saw at the hospital where we met Knight.”

Softly spoken, the blonde girl in the pink dress cuddled up to a boy wearing a bucket helmet. She looked very different from the other four, yet her voice was as gentle as her appearance. Unlike Null and the others, she was clean and unharmed. She appeared to be new to this city.

“Yeah, I agree with Princess and Jail,”

Said the ginger girl.

“we can't live like this forever. I mean, being stuck in a tiny hole in a city that rains forever... We need to move places. I heard that other children were heading to the Coastlines, maybe we can find safety there? Maybe something more, like a way back home!”

Jail stops the red-haired girl for a moment.

“Wait, where have you heard about this?”

“Before you guys found me, I was actually supposed to be with a group of other kids that's supposed to go to the Coastlines. But I got separated from them due to panic, and you guys saved me. I would've been a goner if you weren't there. The Coastlines might have a way for us back home to the waking world... We'll be free!”

The four exchanged anxious glances... Then, as if their hope had diminished, a television noise from a distance broke the silence with a quiet, gloomy humming and whistling.

“Light... Do you have a map to the Coastlines? How will we get there?”

Princess questioned. It appeared that she was more concerned with this particular plan than actually carrying it out.

Light sighed and lowered her head.

“My group had the map, but they're gone now... The way to the coastlines however.. Null did mention a boat, right? We have to cross the ocean's border to get there. It won't be easy.”

Seeking for a plan, everyone looks at Null.

“Uh.. What are we talking about..?”

Null questioned.

“Null, can you get us to the boat you found earlier?”

“Oh, it's a broken boat... It would be useless to cross the border. Unless we're going to repair it, then maybe there's a slight chance we could make this work..”

Jail pats Null's shoulder.

“We can make it work. Light, Chunks, and Princess can gather wood for us. You, me, and Knight will repair the boat. We just need to block some holes and.. hope for the best.”

“Jail, I don't think that's how it works..”

Said Null.

“It's not entirely broken, it's just missing an engine and mechanical parts.”

“Ah..”

Jail giggled.

“Then it's not broken at all. We don't need those. All we need is to paddle the boat.”

Princess shakes her head.

“There's no way I'm doing that...”

“I will!”

Light protested.

Knight raises his hand, volunteering on paddling the boat as well.

“Then it's settled. Light and Knight will have to paddle, Null will be the compass, I'll be the lookout, and Princess...”

“Please don't...”

Princess muttered out.

“I can see that you're afraid of getting dirt on you. Just stay at the back and make yourself comfortable. If you see anything, just tell us, okay?”

“I'm just.. not sure about this. I know we have to move places before we all rot here, but do you think we can cross the border with a small boat? I'm pretty sure the other kids are in big groups and they probably found a bigger boat. It's just the five of us out here.. and Chunks..”

Light then wraps Princess into a tight embrace.

“Five... or maybe six if we include Null's mushroom fairy Chunks... Six is better than twenty! You know... It's hard to maintain the group if we're too many, and we'll run out of food quickly if we kept recruiting more kids to the team. Some kids are bad, and some are.. unpredictable.”

Princess embraces her back, frowning as if about to cry. Light hugged her tightly and comforted her.

“You're right, Light..”

Princess whispered.

“...alright. I'm ready.”

“If anything happens, Knight and I will protect you, okay? Jail and Null will too! But sometimes, you need to learn how to protect and save yourself in situations too. You don't have to be dependent on us. If we all get separated, then who would protect you?”

Light reassured Princess by patting her back again.

“Okay, don't waste your tears, Princess. We don't have much time. Everyone, grab your stuff and leave the unimportant ones. We're moving now.”

Jail yelled, pointing to the baggage near Knight, as everyone began to gather their belongings.

Hurrying to the corner, Null grabs his homemade nets and fishhooks and glances at his origami artwork. Knowing that it will no longer be useful, he chooses to leave it alone.

Princess frees herself from Light's embrace and dashes to her doll purse, which is nearly as large as Null's bag. She removes her dresses from the purse and replaces them with supplies such as food and snacks for their travel. Of course, she would not forget her doll, even if it was unnecessary, because the doll makes her feel less alone.

Without considering the potential challenges they may encounter in the near future, Light joyfully marches to her belongings and begins packing them. Her new friends, who saved her and later recruited her, are all she is thinking about.

However, Knight was still a new member of the group and, as a timid kid, he didn't feel important or relevant to the group. A child in a bucket helmet with a malformed face. He believed that he unnerved people, but not Princess. He knew he had to keep her close to him since he felt a connection with her.

He approaches Princess and assisted her with packing because he doesn't actually carry much things. He donned only a grey shirt and a beige coat, along with a pair of black trousers, with a sticker on his helmet that resembles a golden eye, same with the other four that had the same symbol.

A tiny figure would emerge from the shadows and stutter behind Light's leg. It was a small creature with a head that resembled a pointy hat. It creaked softly, then saw Null, its companion, and sprinted in his direction. Null joyfully hugs the tiny creature.

“Oh! Chunks, the mushroom fairy!”

Said Light.

Jail was extending his hand out of the entrance to feel the raindrops before turning to face the others. Knowing that some of them knew a little bit about survival, he became a little concerned. If they had the time, he hoped to at least train them.

He inhales deeply and let it out.

“Is everybody ready? Null will go first, followed by Light; Princess will stay behind Light, Knight must guard Princess, and I will be in the back, okay? Now go. Lead us to the docks.”

With everyone nodding in unison, Null crouches down and sneaks out first, followed by Light with Chunks in her backpack, then Princess, and Knight. Jail took one final look at the campfire before leaving the base. The raindrops soak everyone, yet they manage to keep going without drawing attention from the city's residents.

“The rain is too strong... I can barely see anything..!”

Null whispered.

“Gah.. Null, keep going!”

Light whispered back.

Null abruptly collided with something while they were proceeding. Light catches him when he stumbles backwards due to something repulsive and mushy. Null slowly looks up and realizes that it was one of the residents, but it didn't attack him. The viewer seemed to enjoy the loud static noise the television made while focusing on it located just behind a large glass window. As the other four attempted to retreat, Null froze in terror,

not until...

Something explodes out of the television, smashing the screen. It was a child wearing a paper bag hat with two holes for eyes; the resident let out a shrill shriek and slammed its fist at the window, cracking it. The paper bag child looked at the five children before fleeing away and climbing into another television, leaving the five with the monster.

The viewer slowly turns to the five, making disturbing noises like its bones were breaking.

“Ah.... AH... AAAHHH!!!!”

Princess jerks back, screaming her lungs out, as Knight grabs her wrist and yanks her away.

Null kicks his legs in terror, tripping Light from behind and dropping Chunks to the damp ground. Jail instantly gets a metal pipe from his backpack, rushes behind the viewer, and slams it behind its calf, causing it to stumble back.

“GO! GO! TO THE DOCKS!”

Jail screams, as everyone disperses, more viewers begin to arrive, making their way over to the five. Jail snatches Chunks from the damp ground and takes off running. Null stands up and swiftly drags Light along with him.

Null eventually ushers everyone into the docks despite the pouring rain and gestures toward the boat, which is atop the dock rather than in the sea.

“What?! How are we going to get that down?!”

Princess yells.

“PUSH IT DOWN!”

Null yells back.

As Knight rushes to the boat and bangs himself on it in an effort to push it down the pier, Light glances around quickly and rushes to grab two planks to serve as paddles. Princess remains in her posture, her heart pounding rapidly. While Jail tries to slow down the Viewers by blocking their path with a barrel, Null sees Knight struggling and decides to rush over to help him.

“Any minute now!”

Said Jail.

The boat eventually plunges into the water with a last push. Before hopping into the boat, Knight rushes to Princess and grabs her by the waist. Light then leaps into it as well, followed by Null.

“Jail!”

“Hop in!”

“C'mon!!”

Jail raced and made a great leap, clinging to the edge of the boat as Null untied the rope. Behind him, the Viewers plunged into the water and drowned. Jail is swiftly hauled up into the boat by the three kids.

“Are you okay?”

Light pats his lap as they return their attention to the docks, the Viewers twitching and moaning in response. The boat slowly floats into the ocean mist. Another cry could be heard from the back. A child screams. It seems they didn't have anyone to rely on for help. The gurgling bloody scream quickly faded. The viewers most likely killed them.

The five drifts away silently. They were overcome with dread, terror, and remorse. This was their last goodbye to the Pale City.

#YOU ATE QHUEGWHSOAHQUSUS #YUMMY IN MY TUMMY DONT MIND IF I DO #maybe I should actually write out dreams train instead of idk... making it up with a rough outline to go off of

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