Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Wake up.

Wake up.

Gabby, wake up.

Wake up.

I jolted awake with a start, chin whipping back and forth instinctively as I sought out the source of the voice. Nothing. The bunkroom was quiet, every cot quiet and still as the rest of the children continued to sleep. As I continued to search, though, I noticed the window, brightened by dawn. With a jolt, I promptly pushed myself up and slung my legs over the side of my cot. I’d overslept.

I padded down the stairs in my socks to the furnace room, a threadbare blanket tucked around my shoulders as I shivered in the autumn morning chill. The firewood was stacked beside the furnace, and I was forced to abandon my makeshift cloak for safety as I hauled open the cast-iron door and lugged up a heavy log to shove inside. Once the furnace was fueled, I took a large step back and slammed the door shut, turning on my heel to head to the kitchen and start breakfast.

Standing directly in front of me was a man.

His clothes were dirty and bloodstained, his teeth sharpened and yellowed like an animal’s. His hair was unkempt, and his eyes were blank, shimmering an eerie white in the dim, furnace-lit room. He sneered at me, eyes narrowing into hungry slits.

I swiped at him, my hand passing harmlessly through his head as if there was nothing there. “Get out of my way, I’m busy.”

“Tch.” The man scoffed as I stepped around him, falling into step behind me as I retrieved my blanket and wrapped it around my shoulders again. “You’re so ornery when you get up late.”

My name is Gabriella Belladonna, and I can see ghosts.

The white-eyed man, Herobrine, followed me down the hall as I made my way to the kitchen, settling himself on a countertop and watching as I carefully lit the gas stove and began to heat up a pot of water. He couldn’t do much to me- I’d learned that a long time ago. Other than cause the electrical system to short out and scare me silly while I was trying to clean, he was harmless. 

“Oatmeal again?” Herobrine grumbled as I began to measure out the dried oats.

“Hush, you don’t have to eat it,” I scolded him. Herobrine merely bared his teeth at me and looked away. As the water heated, I lugged out a sack of potatoes and began to take them out, one by one, to wash them and cut them into slices. My uninvited audience stayed where he was, watching quietly with one leg swinging freely where he sat on an uninhabited bit of countertop.

It had been almost ten years since I first started seeing the spirits. At the age of five, the fact that I could see people that nobody else could wasn’t really that alarming. Especially since the first ghosts that I had seen had been very friendly to me. Yes, I wasn’t able to touch them like a normal person would, but to my five-year-old brain that wasn’t really an issue. It wasn’t until, at the age of seven, the Madam took little Gabby to a priest for an exorcism that I realized that it might be freaking everybody else out.

From then on I stayed quiet about my undead visitors, except when alone and out of sight. There were six of them in all, who had gradually found their way to me over the years and had stuck around ever since. Some of them said it was because they were bored, others told me that they were lonely. I could understand that. It must be hard having no company in the world other than the dead.

I carefully hoisted up the pot of water, pouring half of it into another container before replacing the pot on the stove and scraping in the potato slices. I could hear the first sounds from the floor above me, the earliest risers starting to stir in their beds. Evelyn, Henry, and Jean were always the first ones up. Jean always liked to help me with breakfast, while the other two just liked to sit and watch the sunrise.

“What were you up so late for last night?” Herobrine muttered. I cast him a glance over my shoulder, mixing the hot water in with the oats.

“I was finishing today’s reading lesson materials. You could’ve asked Bane.”

“Bane’s not here,” Herobrine grumbled. I raised a brow. 

“When did she leave?”

“Last night.” Herobrine leaned back, his weight-bearing hand resting in the air next to the countertop. “Crept out around midnight.” He let the silence stretch out for a long moment, and I set aside the bowl thoughtfully. The ghosts usually didn’t go far, if they did at all. It was Jade who I expected to be the most of a wanderer.

“Gabby?” The voice made me turn, and I found Jean standing in the doorway, rubbing her eye with a small fist. “Who’re you talking to?”

“Myself, sweetie,” I told her, giving her a reassuring smile and beckoning her over. “You wanna help me watch the potatoes?”

I put Jean to work watching the potatoes, and while those softened I sliced up apples and collected them in a bowl. Having fruit was an unexpected luxury for us, but a kind farmer had dropped off a bushel that had fallen from the trees before their time. This place, Madam Agatha had told us, had been struggling even before the war, and afterwards we survived mainly on the kindness of strangers. A teacher passing through town with books and paper to spare, the milkman with a cart full of milk, or a farmer with a bushel of apples.

Jean squeaked as the boiling water spat at her, and I hurried over to turn down the gas. Jean was only ten, and rather small for her age compared to some of the better-fed 10-year-olds that I had encountered. Still, she had been helping me around the kitchen for two years now, and I trusted her not to do something foolish.

“I think it’s done,” I announced, reaching in with a fork to prod at the biggest slice. “Hop down for me.” Obediently, Jean jumped down from the stool she had been stood upon, allowing me to haul up the pot and strain it over the sink. “Go get everyone up,” I instructed as I looked out the kitchen window. The sun was fully visible now, illuminating the early risers as they rushed to and fro in the town square.

It was not until breakfast had been served and eaten that Madam Agatha herself appeared. The Madam had suffered a bad fall several months prior, and still hobbled when she walked, meaning that I had taken over a large portion of the physical work around the home. I didn’t mind. All the better to keep an eye on the little ones with.

“Good morning, dear,” Madam greeted me as she passed by. I gave her a smile, going to find the plate I had set aside for her.

“Morning, Madam.”

“Very warm day out, for November,” she commented. I nodded as I brought her her breakfast.

“Yeah, it is.”

“I should like to see the children get some exercise today.” Madam sank down carefully on the kitchen bench, sighing when she was allowed to relieve the pressure on her leg. I set down the plate in front of her.

“I'll have Evelyn take them out to the field.”

“Thank you, Gabby dear.”

While Madam ate, and the kids worked on their reading and writing, Jean and I cleaned up from breakfast. The sky was clear and blue outside, promising sun for the rest of the day. Herobrine had, at this point, slipped away, apparently bored without being able to bother me, so as soon as morning lessons were over Evelyn and I rounded up the younger ones and took them outside to play.

Once upon a time, Madam had told us, there used to be a playground outside the home, but it had been stripped for its materials during the takeover and we were left with only a bare patch of dirt in its place. So, when the weather was appropriate for going outside, Evelyn and I would take the younger ones out to a field that was resting between crops and let them run around to their hearts content. The older ones knew to stay close, so most of my attention was on the little ones. 

There were only three of them that were under the age of five, Franklin, Emmie, and Benjamin. Benny was the youngest, only just over two, and he had a habit of tearing off across the grass and wildflowers as fast as his little legs would take him. Today it was my turn to watch him, and I followed him faithfully around the field, redirecting him if he got too close to the roads and picking him up when he crashed to his knees in the grass.

It was directly after one of these falls that I saw the strangers in the distance.

I had Benny on my knee, brushing the grass off his pants, when the movement caught my eye. There were at least a dozen horses coming up the main road, hauling two enclosed wagons behind them. It wasn’t like we never got company here, even larger groups like this, but… something about these men gave me a very uneasy feeling, which only grew stronger as they seemed to be approaching the children’s home.

“Evie,” I called, not looking up from the horsemen as I straightened and set Benny on my hip. “It’s time to go inside.”

Madam Agatha stood stock-still in shock in the doorway, her chins wobbling for a moment as she struggled to come up with a response. “Take them??” She echoed at last. “All of them??”

“No, ma’am.” The man at the door was dressed in a decorated uniform, gray and blue with several badges pinned to his jacket.  “Not all. Only those ten years old or older.”

“But where??” Madam protested. “What on earth do you want them for??”

“There’s no reason for alarm, ma’am,” the soldier told her, his face betraying nothing where he stood just outside. “This is a part of His Majesty’s relief program. The children will be well cared for.” I stood silently at the back of the front room, my arm around Jean where she leaned into my side. 

Evelyn and I had only just gotten the children safely inside when there was a knock at the door, and when I answered it I was greeted by the horsemen- two uniformed men with guns at their sides and grave looks on their faces. It was no wonder that Madam was alarmed when I fetched her, having been ordered by the men to bring them the woman in charge. Now I stood with the more curious of the children, making sure they didn’t run out into danger.

“Begging your pardon, sir, but we’re quite alright here,” Madam told them. “We get by well enough.”

“You’ll get by a little easier without so many mouths to feed, won’t you?” The man pointed out. “Rest assured, His Majesty has only the best interests for your orphans in mind.” His voice grated on my ears, and my arm tightened around Jean’s shoulders. If he was trying to be comforting, he was doing a terrible job of it. 

“Sir,” Madam went on, pleading now. “I have a bad leg. I need the older ones to help me take care of the little ones.” The man exchanged a glance with his companion.

“His Majesty’s order was clear,” the second man said. “We are to bring back with us every child ten years old or above.”

“But-“

“We will not be taking no for an answer, ma’am,” the man interrupted loudly. “Have the children pack their bags. We will be leaving by nightfall tonight.”

Chapter Text

I hauled up my bag from the floor, setting the strap over my shoulder and turning to the rest of the group. There were no words exchanged between us as I looked at them one by one, taking in reddened eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

“Okay,” I said quietly, shifting the strap on my shoulder and stepping towards the door. “Come on. Let’s go.”

I was still numb from the order. With only half a day’s warning, I and more than half of my siblings had been ordered to leave the place we had stayed for all our lives, to be carted off to the capital city for the king’s ‘relief program’. It would be a four-day trip, they said, during which we would be expected to stay inside the two covered wagons that they had brought with them for transport. I wondered if we would even be allowed to stretch our legs.

I beckoned the children with me and began to make my way down the stairs, Jean tucked into my side and clinging to the bottom of my top. We each had a small bag, which easily contained everything that we owned. In most of our cases, that meant a single change of clothes, and maybe a toy if we were lucky. I wondered if the king’s relief program could afford to get us new clothes.

As I led the children down the hall, one of the shadows seemed to stretch and grow, pinpricks of light appearing in the form of eyes as a dark silhouette stepped out of the corner. Without a sound, he fell into step beside me, and I felt a whisper of pressure as a hand rested on my back.

Null was the very first of the spirits that I had encountered, arriving ten years ago and never going away. He never spoke- I was pretty sure that he couldn’t. But he was sweet nonetheless, entertaining little Gabby when the older kids would not and tucking me into bed when Madam was too busy with the younger ones.

My wooden teacup slipped from my chubby hand as I froze, my wide eyes focused on the tall, jet-black figure who stood nearly twice as high as I did. I took a step back, craning back my head in astonishment, and the stranger tilted his head down to meet my eyes.

“Hi,” I greeted him. The stranger just blinked back. I stooped down to collect my teacup, offering it up to him, but he just looked at it.

“Who’re you playing with?” The voice made me turn, and I found one of the older kids giving me an odd look. In response, I just pointed to the shadow.

“Him.” I turned back to my new friend, the only person in the room who was paying attention to me. None of the other kids had wanted to play tea, so I had been serving fake tea and cookies all by myself for a little while now.

It was a moment before the shadow man reached out, taking the teacup delicately between fingers that seemed to wobble and warp in the light. Crouching down, the stranger sank down to sit cross-legged before me, setting the teacup on his knee and waiting expectantly. Recognizing the prompt, I popped up immediately, grabbing the block I had been using as a teapot and pouring him a cup of tea.

“Here you go,” I said, plopping down on the opposite side of my makeshift table setting. The shadow man’s bright eyes crinkled up as he lifted his cup, taking a small sip of pretend tea.

“We’re ready.” I was sure that the dismay in my voice was clear, mirroring the distress and grief on the faces of all of the children. Even cheerful Henry was grave, his face blank and joyless. Madam Agatha was waiting in the front room with reddened eyes, though she gave us a wavering smile for our sakes.

“Good, good.” She pushed herself to her feet, favoring her bad leg as she straightened. “Let’s get some food in you before you leave, alright?”

“No need,” the soldier by the door interrupted, standing stiffly with his hands behind his back. “We have plenty of food for the trip, and I would like to make as much ground as possible before we lose daylight.” He stared Madam down, as if daring her to argue with him. “Come along, children.”

“Alright.” Madam’s voice was strained as she turned to meet your eyes. “Go on, loves.”

I herded the children towards the door, hesitating for just long enough to throw my arms around the woman who raised me and give her a quick squeeze. “It’ll be okay,” I managed. And I was okay, for now. As long as I was focusing on the kids and not on my own well being, I would be okay.

Madam Agatha returned the embrace, and a pang went through my chest as I felt her breath quiver. Before the soldier could get upset, I pulled away, giving her a final, little smile before hurrying out the door.

Behind me, Null’s form seemed to shrink a little bit as he stepped out into the sunshine, stripping away several layers of dark fog and revealing his lanky limbs in more detail. The wagons were parked out in front of the children’s home, doors open, and the first of the children were being hoisted by uniformed men into the backs. I came last, Jean at my side, and I smacked away a hand trying to tug her away from me. 

“I got it,” I told him, and I picked her up under her arms and lifted her into the wagon.

I climbed up after her, and was immediately treated to the sight of eight small, scared faces. That left ten more in the other wagon, I concluded as I sat down by the door. A moment after, a black shape melted through the wall beside me as Null settled down on my left.

“Where are we going?” Thirteen-year-old Lizzy asked softly. I gave a little shrug.

“The capital, I think.”

“Why?” Eleven-year-old Irene chimed in.

I shook my head. “I don’t really know.”

Outside there was a shout, and the wagon door slammed shut, plunging the interior into dimness. I heard a click as it latched- or maybe locked, I wasn’t sure. A moment later, the wagon lurched forward, and I clutched Jean’s hand as we began to move.

I had ridden in a wagon before, though it had been a long time, and when I was pulled behind the farmer and his donkey as an eight-year-old I had been able to see where I was going. Now, for all intents and purposes, I was trapped in a small box that was constantly bumping and jolting over everything in our path, occasionally hitting a rut and causing all of us to scramble to catch our balance. It was getting late, the sun was already low in the sky when we left, but nobody could get to sleep with the constant rattling, so we all just stayed quiet.

It wasn’t until it was dark out, the only light inside the wagon being Null’s pinprick eyes, that the wagon finally shuddered to a halt. I lifted my chin, jaw aching from having clenched my teeth for the majority of the ride, and I grimaced and rubbed at my face as the door clicked and swung open.

“Out,” one of the uniformed men ordered. “Eat, then we’re going to bed.” I pushed myself up off the wall, crawling out of the wagon and positioning myself by the exit to help the others down.

The wagons had been pulled to a stop around a campfire, which was the only source of light other than the stars above us. As far as I could tell, we were in a field, the tall grass stomped down by heavy footfalls to create a makeshift campground. The horses were tied at the outskirts, bent down and nibbling at the grass and flowers that hadn’t yet been trampled underfoot. Several of the men were seated by the fire already, talking and laughing amongst themselves like they weren’t dragging twenty-odd unwilling children away from our lives and family.

We were herded towards the fire and given food and drink, and we ate in relative silence. This was mostly because when Henry and Irene began to talk about the horses, they were told quickly and rudely to shut up. Even chatty little Irene wasn’t willing to try and talk after that.

I could see Null slinking about in the outskirts of camp, all but invisible with only his pinprick eyes giving away his location. I hadn’t really considered when we were leaving whether I would be taking him and the others with me. I still wasn’t sure. He was the only one I had seen so far, after all.

As we finished our meals, Jean tucked herself into my side again, leaning her little, blonde head against my shoulder. I reached around her to rub her arm, shivering in the chill even so close to the fire. Would they have blankets for us? How could they justify transporting us in wooden wagons so late in the year??

“Back to the wagons,” we were told once we had all finished eating. “We’ll be setting off again at dawn.” I pushed myself upright, tugging Jean with me, and I spoke up bravely,

“Can we have some blankets?”

“We don’t have any,” the man said bluntly. I blinked, then glanced over to the fire, where I could plainly see two of the soldiers wrapped in woolen blankets. “No extra,” he snapped, following my gaze. “Huddle close if you’re cold. Go on.” He waved us away, and I turned back to the wagons, seething as I led the children back to where we were to sleep. 

It was a long, uncomfortable night for all of us. It wasn’t as if we were accustomed to soft blankets and feather pillows, but the cold, wooden floor of the wagon was even more uncomfortable than the straw-stuffed mattresses that we had grown up with. I instructed the children to get the youngest ones in the middle of the huddle, while I stayed with Lizzy and Henry on the outside. I wasn’t sure how much sleep I got that night. Not enough.

As promised, we were roused at daybreak, one of our guards wrenching open the wagon door and handing in a sack full of bread and dates and a sealed canteen full of cold tea. We were barely given a chance to untangle ourselves before the wagon lurched into motion again. 

The second day of our trip was just as miserable as the first. The children hadn’t gotten more than a few moments to get up and walk around since yesterday, and they were restless. My neck was sore from trying to sleep hunched around the little ones. The food and tea barely filled our bellies, and the younger ones were complaining of hunger by noon- or, at least, I thought it was noon. It was hard to tell when the only light we got was the filtered sunbeams that seeped through the cracks between boards. 

Null had remained with us, but I had yet to see any of the others, and the lack of them lowered my dampened spirits even further. Maybe they hadn’t seen where I’d gone, and had been left behind. Herobrine had been there that morning… surely he, at least…?

As the day wore on, I began to feel the consequences of my poor night’s sleep. I found my head nodding, bumping against the wagon wall when I hurriedly tried to wake myself up. It wasn’t until Null settled beside me and wrapped a half-corporeal arm around my back that I managed to fall asleep.

“Gabby.” I was roused by a whisper and a nudge, and I lifted my head groggily to find the children watching the wagon door. A moment later, it was opened, and we were beckoned out to eat by the fire for the night.

I stumbled out first to help the little ones down, looking around at our surroundings as I did so. We were in the woods now, in a small clearing beside a worn-down dirt road. They had told us that it would be four days, but we left rather late on the first, so we may not arrive until the fifth. Either way, we must be nearing the halfway mark. 

It was even colder tonight than the last, I realized, sinking down next to the fire with a shudder. What kind of ‘relief program’ involved dragging twenty children across the country in November with no blankets??

At least the food was warm. Tonight’s fare was beans with chunks of pork, accompanied by warm biscuits to soak up the broth, and I ensured that the children had all been served before I got myself a bowl of my own.

“I’m tired,” Jean murmured at my side, her bowl empty where it rested in my lap.. I rubbed her arm through her sleeve.

“Do you want to go back to the wagon?” I suggested. She wasn’t the only one who was done eating. Being trapped in the back of a wagon all day had done nothing to diminish their appetites. She nodded, and I pointed out Lizzy and Irene. “Go with the girls, okay? I’ll be back in a minute.” Jean pushed herself to her feet, wrapped her arms around my neck in a hug, then skipped off to climb back into the wagon with the older girls.

I took my time with my dinner, watching as the younger children gradually filtered away to go and sleep. I could see Null passing between the wagons, checking on one group of children before crossing back over to the other. The soldiers were occupied with their own conversations, and I could see a flask being passed around. I gave them a dirty look when they weren’t looking. Yes, the children were going to bed, but… really?

Before I knew it, I was the last one at the fire. I set aside my empty bowl and tucked my arms against my chest, enjoying the warmth while I waited for the soldiers to notice and send me back to the wagon.

The more time I spent around these men, the more I doubted their claim that we were being taken back to the capital in the name of better care. Yes, they wore the uniform of the king’s men, but they were callous and unfriendly towards the children that they claimed to be here to help. Perhaps they were bitter about being selected for this task… a lot of the boys in my home village delighted in violence and little else. But would they not at least send blankets for us??

Movement caught my eye to the left and I looked up, my gaze alighting on a red-haired, blank-eyed woman as she melted out of the shadows.

“Gabby.” She muttered as she sank down at my side. “You’re a long way from home, kid.” My throat tightened, and I glanced at the soldiers to ensure they weren’t looking as I blinked back unexpected tears.

“Yeah,” I whispered. “I am.”

Villainsbane was the only woman among my undead companions, and her appearance was the most similar to Herobrine’s, with her white eyes, blood-splattered clothing and unnaturally sharp teeth. This was, as they had told me, due to the fact that they had suffered the same fate- both she and Herobrine had fallen in battle. Null had not been able to tell me himself, but I was certain that his death had been something far more gruesome, as his current form held little more than a trace of the body he’d had while he lived.

“This lot behaving themselves?” Bane asked curtly. I glanced over to the soldiers again and gave her a small shrug.

“Enough, I guess.” I looked back to her, then over her shoulder. “Where is everyone else?” 

“Null and Jade are around. Brine is rounding up the other three.” Bane nodded over her shoulder. “He’s pissed. They’re all pissed.”

“Can’t blame them,” I whispered. “These men have no business taking the children on a four-day trip in November without any warm things.”

“They don’t.” Bane gave the men a nasty look. “If we’d caught up any sooner, I would’ve burned these wagons to the ground for you.”

“I don’t think that would help,” I said hastily. “If these men didn’t return, they would most likely just send more.” Bane scowled, but didn’t argue.

“You’re going to have to be the one to tell the Entity that,” she muttered. I winced, not looking forward to that conversation.

“Right…” I leaned forward as close as I could get to the fire, shivering as a cool breeze wormed its way beneath the neckline of my top. I was not looking forward to getting back into that wagon.

“What are you going to do?” Bane asked quietly. I shook my head.

“I don’t know,” I murmured. “I don’t know what I can do. Take care of the children as long as they let me, I suppose.” Bane frowned, but stayed silent.

“Hey.” A loud voice caught my attention, and I whipped around to find one of the soldiers standing a foot behind my shoulder. “Get back t’ the wagon.”

“Oh.” I hurriedly scrambled upright, starting to retreat from the welcoming warmth of the fire.

“Wait.” The soldier seized me by the wrist, jerking me to a halt, and I flinched as he pulled me close. “Who were you talking to?”

“Uh.” I froze, looking to Villainsbane where she had shot to her feet. “Myself.”

“No.” He leaned in closer, and I could smell the bitter rank of alcohol on his breath. “You were talkin’ to someone. Who was it?”

“Just myself, I-“ I stumbled over my words, trying to twist my arm out of his grip. “I talk to myself, I’ve done it since I was young.”

“Carefully, Gabby,” Bane muttered.

“You got friends?” The man’s grip tightened where he felt me trying to squirm away, lifting his head to scan the pitch-black woods. “One of your little urchins trying to make a break for it?”

“No! I swear,” I pleaded. “I’m tired, let me go to bed.”

“Not until you tell me the truth,” he growled. I blanched, knowing that ‘I speak to ghosts’ was not going to be an acceptable answer.

“What’s the matter here?” The man in charge called over, rounding the fire to come and take a look.

“She was talking to someone.” The man pointed at me accusingly.

“I was talking to myself,” I tried again, but the leader shut me down with a withering look.

“Are you mad?” He asked bluntly.

“No.” I tried again to yank my wrist free, to no avail.

“Give her here,” the leader ordered, and I was all but shoved into his grasp. “Come on, we’re going around camp. Just to ensure that there’s no one waiting out there for you.” I grit my teeth as I was pulled away, stumbling over my feet before catching my balance and falling into a rhythm. Obviously I had nothing planned, but why on earth did they care so much?? What did it matter to them if one orphan escaped?? Or were they afraid that my hypothetical savior was armed, and posed a danger to them as well?

I shivered as I was pulled between the trees, my captor keeping a firm grip on my arm as he began to make a wide semicircle around the camp. It was freezing, and I tucked my free arm against my chest, only to scramble in a panic as I stumbled over a root.

“You’ve got a look to you, girl,” the man muttered as he dragged me through the woods. “I’m not so sure I like it.” Abruptly, he stopped, turning to face me, and I became suddenly, intently aware of how far away we were from the rest of the camp. “How’d you end up in an orphanage on the outskirts of the country?” I stared at him, my mouth dry.

“Th-the way most orphans do,” I managed, my teeth chattering. “My parents were killed.”

“Right.” He leaned uncomfortably close, searching my wide eyes. “And, out here, no one would miss you if you disappeared, would they?”

Supernatural strength flooded through my veins, and almost against my will I wrenched my wrist from his grasp and tore into the woods.

I heard his shout as if muffled through a pillow as I ran, virtually blind, the only illumination being the sliver of moon that hung in the sky above me. My skirt caught on something and I heard it tear, but I didn’t stop, even when pain began to bloom in my lower leg. It wasn’t until my limbs were begging for respite did I even begin to slow, eventually staggering to a halt and slumping against the trunk of a tree. I felt oddly calm, as if the consequences of my mad flight hadn’t quite registered with me yet. I slumped down into the brittle grass, curling up and tucking my face into my arms, and then I remembered nothing more.

Chapter Text

My hand was halfway towards the dipper when a sound behind me made me freeze, and I cast a guilty glance over my shoulder. Nobody. Maybe I’d made the sound myself, and just hadn’t noticed.

I knew I wasn’t supposed to be up so long after dark, but I was thirsty, so I had crept downstairs from the bunkroom for a drink. The pitch-black, creaking stairwell was a little frightening for a nine-year-old, but I was accustomed at this point to seeing strange shadows and figures out of the corner of my vision, so I wasn’t bothered. At least, I told myself that I wasn’t.

I again reached for the dipper, ignoring the feeling of being watched. Usually that was just my friend the shadow man, who crept around at odd hours of the day and night, so it was a feeling that I was used to. I held my breath as I lifted the dipper and stood on my tiptoes in order to see the top of the water barrel, scooping up a generous portion and bringing the dipper to my lips. After I had drunk my fill, I replaced the dipper beside the barrel and turned around, passing my sleeve over my lips as I went to return to my room.

A stranger stood in the doorway.

I thought for the barest moment that it might be the shadow man before I registered his face, and his clothes, and the enormous sickle that rested in his grasp as he leered down at me. His eyes were red and glowing, casting an eerie light that reflected off of his shark-like teeth. He was dressed in tattered, white robes, winding around his gaunt limbs like the wrappings that I had once seen on a corpse.

I remained frozen for nearly twenty seconds, my mind racing as I stared wide-eyed at the stranger like a fawn caught away from its mother. The stranger made no move towards me, only shifted his weight to get a better look cocking his head in a manner reminiscent of a puppy. Slowly, I eased to the left, wondering if I could escape, and his gaze followed.

“Oh, I like you,” he suddenly exclaimed, making me jump. His voice was raspy, and weirdly high pitched. “What’s your name? Let’s be friends.”

“Um.” My voice shook when I tried to respond, and I hugged my arms to my chest nervously. “Who are you?”

“I don’t have a name. But I asked you yours, little girl.” The white-robed stranger crept closer, crouching down to my level as he got close. “Come on, none of your friends can see me. Why don’t we have a chat?”

Before I could even come up with a response, my view of the stranger was abruptly blocked as the shadow man appeared between me and him. The shadow man held out his hands to either side, blocking the stranger’s path, and the stranger growled. “Oh, come on, Null, don’t be a spoilsport.”

“Null?” I echoed, standing up straight and leaning around my friend to look at his face. He was staring the stranger down, and I glanced over to meet the man’s red eyes. “Do you know him?”

“Oh, Null and I go way back,” the stranger told me. “Way, way back.” ‘Null’ still refused to budge, and eventually the stranger sighed and straightened up. “I don’t mean any harm,” he insisted. “Can I shake your hand?” I looked up at Null, who met my gaze, and after a moment gave me a little nod. Slowly, I crept around his side and extended my hand.

“I’m Gabby,” I told him. The stranger reached towards my hand to take it, but his fingers slipped straight through.

“Oops,” he said with a sharp-toothed grin. “I forgot about that. It’s good to meet you, Gabby. Do you usually run around the house in the middle of the night?”

“No.” His scary features were becoming less and less frightening, and I found myself breaking into a little smile. “I was just thirsty.”

“Tch. Now you’re going to be up again in a few hours.” He clicked his tongue and stood up again. “Now, back to bed, little missy.” He gave me a formless pat on the head, and I nodded, scampering away to return to the bunkroom.

I gradually woke to the sound of quiet voices around me. I curled up instinctively, a tiny shudder running through me as I tried my best to conserve the warmth that I had gathered while I had been asleep. At my movement, the voices around me ebbed, and a moment later I heard my name.

“Gabby?” The voice drew me closer to wakefulness, and I scrunched up my face, stretching. Immediately, pain shot down my spine, and my eyes shot open as I emitted a small grunt.

“Hey.” Villainsbane’s face was a couple of feet away, peering down at me in concern. I blinked at her, then lifted my head, staring in bewilderment at the small fire I found crackling at my feet.

“What’d-“ my voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. “What- how’d you get this burning?”

“They helped.” Bane nodded to her left, and I followed her gaze to find the rest of my undead friends gathered around the other side of the fire.

Null was the closest to me, watching me with a look that I had known him long enough to know was concerned. Beyond him was Herobrine, and beside him was the Entity, his head tilted in his characteristic manner with his scythe resting at his side. Beside the scythe was Lick, dressed in a torn, yellow sweatshirt with a white mask over his face, and Jade, whose entire body was tinted a sickly green.

“Oh.” I looked to each of them in turn, then back to the fire that had helped to keep me warm through the night. “…oh.” In an instant, the events of the previous day rushed back to me- sleeping in the wagon, talking with Villainsbane, being confronted by the guards and being dragged into the woods, then fleeing into the darkness. I must have lost them, as otherwise I would have surely been caught by now. It was growing close to dawn, the sky above me streaked with the first hints of sunlight.

Guilt washed over me, and my hands fisted in my skirt as tears sprang to my eyes. Why had I run?? I’d left all the little ones behind, and if those men were willing to put their hands on me, surely they would be no less cruel to them.

“Gabby?” Bane scooted closer, staring at my face in concern. “Are you alright?” My throat was tight, but I managed to choke out,

“The children,” before I dissolved into tears.

The ghosts were quiet as I cried, hiding my face in my arms and soaking my sleeves with tears. I felt a breath of pressure as Null rested a shadowy hand on my knee, and I shivered miserably. I had never felt so wretched in my life.

It wasn’t until my tears had stopped that Bane caught my attention, pointing out the tear in my skirt. “You’re hurt.” I looked. Sure enough, there was a long scratch down my leg where something sharp had caught me through my skirt, and my skin was smeared with blood around it from before it had scabbed over. I hadn’t even noticed- I was far too cold to feel the pain from a scrape.

“Oh.” I wiped off my face, sniffling and resting my hands in my lap. “I-I don’t know what to do.”

“You have to find shelter,” Herobrine pointed out in his rough voice. “You won’t last long out here.”

“But I have no idea where to go,” I protested. The ghosts exchanged glances, wordless communication that I didn’t quite yet understand. It was a moment before any of them spoke, and, in that time, Null quietly got to his feet.

“Where you going?” The Entity asked him. In response, Null pointed off into the woods.

“What?” I followed his pointing finger. “That way?” Null nodded, beckoning. Obediently, I stood, dusting off my dirty skirts and beginning to step away from my only source of warmth. 

The ghosts trailed after me as I wandered through the dimly-lit woods, my arms tucked to my chest in a weak defense against the chill. My gaze remained on my guide, who slipped in and out of the early morning shadows as he charted a path through the trees. Bane had, I noticed as I walked away, put out the fire that they had lit for me. She was always responsible like that.

Presently, we came to the road. I could see overlapping sets of tracks, from two wagons filled with children. We must be behind them, then.

Null turned to me now, and gestured to the road ahead. I looked down either way.

“I suppose I’ll run across civilization at some point,” I murmured.

“Westward is home.” The Entity crouched down at my side, peering down the road to the west. “Go back to the old lady.”

“I can’t go home,” I said stubbornly. “What about the kids?”

“Gabs, you’re a kid.” Lick interjected. “They’re not your responsibility.”

“They are,” I argued. “They have been for years. Madam isn’t here to take care of them, and I’m not putting that on Henry and Evie.”

“You might not have much choice, kid,” Bane pointed out quietly. “They’re on horseback, and you’re on foot. You’re not going to be able to catch them before they get to the capital.” The lump swelled up in my throat again, and I swallowed.

“So I turn myself in.” Why did I run??

“You haven’t done anything wrong, ” Bane argued. “You’re not a criminal. That man was plainly threatening you.”

“Yeah, I know that, and you know that, but I don’t think anyone else is going to listen.” I straightened up, huffing a breath and watching it mist in the frigid air. “Either way, I need to get going or I’m going to freeze to this spot.” With that, I began to march off down the road in the direction that the wagons had gone.

It was a few moments before I was approached again, and this time it was by Jade, who fell into step with me at my side. He didn’t speak for a little while, just walking beside me, and I looked down at my boots as I walked. My feet were all but numb- a warm pair of boots hadn’t been in the children’s home’s budget for years now. There was a tear halfway up my skirt as well, exposing my leg to the chill. I was trying not to think about the very real possibility of me dying out here from exposure.

“Gabby,” Jade finally broke the silence, and I looked up to meet his gaze. He was tall, with wavy hair and a stubbly beard. We had known each other for the shortest amount of time, as he had only turned up at the children’s home a year ago now. As such, he was the one that I was the least close with, but he was still pleasant enough. “You need a plan. You can’t just start walking and hope for the best.”

“I have a plan,” I told him. It wasn’t very well thought out, but I had one. “I’m going to find a village and find a place to get shelter and food.”

“That’s not gonna be easy without any coin.”

“I know.” I took a deep breath, hugging my arms tighter to my chest. “What else am I supposed to do? I can’t walk all the way back to Madam Agatha with no food or water.”

“No,” Jade agreed. “You can’t.” We lapsed into silence again, and I saw forms in the corner of my vision as the rest of the ghosts followed.

Finally, Entity strode forward and stopped in front of me. “I’m going,” he announced. “I’ll see you later!” With that, he skipped two steps away and vanished in a flash of light. I stared after him wearily for only a moment before I began to walk again.

About midmorning, the road passed through a stream, and I took the opportunity to drink as much water as I wished before drying my hands on my dress and splashing my way carefully through the shallowest part of the water. Not long after that, the trees began to thin out, suggesting that the forest was coming to an end.

The water had helped somewhat, but my empty belly was making itself very known as I made my way down the road. I had gone hungry before, when the children’s home had struggled to make ends meet, but then I had not been expected to walk throughout the entire day. I was feeling fairly weak, and I suspected that I had a lot further to go.

Just as I was passing out from beneath the last of the trees, Entity reappeared, directly in front of me with his eyes bugging out and his teeth bared in a hideous grin.

“ Boo! ”

“ Ahh! ” I jolted, nearly pinching myself in my fright. “ Entity! ” The ghost only laughed, and I fixed him with the most furious glare I could muster. This wasn’t the first time he had jumped out on me, but usually I wasn’t starving and freezing at the same time.

“You can’t be too mad at me,” he said, his grin never faltering. “I’ve found you some people.” I perked up a bit at that, glancing over to Jade where he still walked along on my left.

“Where?” I asked.

“Straight ahead.” Entity pointed, leaning back to point towards the road ahead. “Over that hill, and about a kilometer north from there. They seem nice,” he added. “I think it looks like a great place to spend the night.”

Chapter Text

At ten years old, I knew that it was rude to stare, but I couldn’t help it.

I was trying to focus on my lesson, the arithmetic problems on the board in front of me, but my attention was constantly drawn to the window where the stranger stood. He was a man, dressed in a yellow shirt and blue jeans, and he looked almost normal if not for the mournful mask that covered his face. From the fact that nobody else was looking at him, I was pretty sure that he was one of my invisible friends.

The man held a lit cigarette in one hand, occasionally lifting it to the mouth of his mask and drawing in a puff of smoke before letting it out in a cloud or ring. This went on for several minutes, in which time I tried my best to focus on Madam’s teaching, before the masked man turned and stared directly into my eyes.

“Do you want to try?” He asked bluntly. My gaze flicked to the cigarette, then back to his mask-face, and I shook my head. “Then quit staring.”

“Gabby?” Madam’s voice had me whipping back around to face the front of the classroom, where she was looking at me with a perplexed look on her face. “Are you alright?” I nodded hurriedly, looking down at my desk and trying my best to ignore him.

As I carefully wrote out the math problem on my slate, a figure stopped beside my desk, and I looked up to find the masked man leaning over my shoulder.

“Multiplication?” He gestured to the slate with his cigarette. “You’re smarter than me, kid. I never learned that stuff.” I couldn’t help a little grin, hurriedly looking down again before Madam Agatha caught notice. “It’s Gabby, right?” He went on. “Nice to meet you, Gabs. I’m Lick.” I wrinkled up my nose. What kind of a name was that?? “I think you’re the only one in this godforsaken country that can see me,” he went on cheerfully. “That’s nice.” I glanced up at the front of the classroom, ensured that Madam was looking elsewhere, then made a gesture for him to shut up. 

“Alright, alright.” Lick put his hands up in surrender, backing up to sit down on top of Amos’ desk where the older boy sat on my right. Amos, of course, continued writing on his slate as if no one was there. “I’ll just watch.” Satisfied, I went on with my schoolwork, ignoring him until the lesson was over and I could talk to him alone.

When the settlement came into view, it became immediately obvious to me that my idea and Entity’s idea of ‘friendly people’ were two very different things. 

The ‘people’ he had claimed to have found for me were within the ruins of a large village which seemed to have at one point been set aflame. It had been supplemented by tents and makeshift shelters amongst the houses that they had found to be salvageable, as well as a couple of newer buildings that seemed to be in the middle of construction. The people that I could see were mostly men, and were dressed in dirty, ragtag clothing. Some of them I could tell were carrying pistols and knives. They looked tired and irritable, and there were far more of them than there were of me.

“I don’t like it,” Bane muttered at my side. “Not at all. I haven’t seen more than two women in there.”

“Still, it’s the only place we’ve seen,” Herobrine pointed out testily. “She’ll starve if she doesn’t get some food in her.”

“Right,” Entity agreed. “And if they bother her, we’ll just…” he wiggled his fingers in a suggestive manner. “…deal with ‘em.”

“Yeah,” Jade muttered. “I don’t think throwing a stick at them is going to scare off four dozen grown men.” I shifted from one foot to the other, staring at the village from where I stood at the bottom of a low hill.

“I think…” I began slowly. “…I’m going to either freeze or starve if I stay out here on my own. I might as well try the option that might help me survive.” I looked to Villainsbane for support, who pressed her lips into a thin line.

“Alright,” she finally said. “Go try it, kiddo.” I nodded, then lifted my numb feet and began to plod up the hill.

I attracted more than a few looks as I began to approach the village ruins, some of the men on the outskirts stopping where they stood as they watched me draw near. I didn’t make eye contact with any of them, not yet, staring either at my feet or off into space. It wasn’t until I had nearly reached the border of makeshift tents and shelters that I stopped, finally looking up to address the residents there.

“Hi,” I called out, unsure what else to say. One of the grimy men stepped towards me, his gaze sweeping up and down over my body.

“Can I help you, young lady?” He asked gruffly. I tucked my arms tighter around my chest.

“I hope so.”

“Where’d you come from?” He went on. “There’s no other villages here for kilometers around.” I hesitated, trying to determine what was best to reveal to him.

“I was taken from my home,” I finally said. “I escaped. Um… I don’t know where I am,” I finished half-heartedly. Hopefully that would be enough to garner myself some pity. The man took a step closer, frowning now.

“It’s awful cold to be out without a coat,” he finally said. “Come on, come get warm by the fire.” Cautiously grateful, I hurried closer, letting him point me towards the center of the village.

“Here.” A young woman stooped over me with a woolen coat, helping me get my arms into the sleeves. I accepted it gratefully, extending my frigid toes towards the roaring fire as I buried my chin in my arms. I’d been given water and a bowl of vegetable soup, and already I was far more comfortable here than I had ever been with the men that had taken me from my home. 

I had been herded to the center of the village ruins and introduced to the man’s wife, Marjorie, who sat with me and served me while I explained to her my story. She had been very sympathetic to my plight, easing the fears of the ghosts who lingered near the fire. It wasn’t until I had finished speaking that she began a tale of her own, explaining who she and the rest of the village were and what had happened to them.

“Security around the outside edges of the kingdom has suffered since the takeover,” Marjorie told me, “since so many men were killed in the war. His majesty has yet to see fit to restore the surveillance around his borders, so we on the outskirts are vulnerable to attack from whatever brigands and ne’er-do-wells are looking for an easy target.” I winced, taking a sip from my bowl. I knew this already. My own hometown had always suffered under the threat of raiders, and had given up more than one crop in order to prevent being attacked and burned down ourselves.

“The raid was early this summer,” Marjorie went on. “And we’ve been working ever since to rebuild, but the early frosts have made it difficult. At this point, we’re just trying to hunker down and make it through the winter.” And yet they didn’t hesitate to give me food and warm clothing. I was quiet for a few moments longer as I wondered if I might be able to repay them.

“Oh,” I said at last. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, love,” Marjorie scolded me. “You’ve got troubles of your own. I know it’s a long way home, but one of the men may be able to escort you.”

“No, I…” I coughed, pushing my soup around in a circle. “I’m going after the younger kids.”

“After them?” Marjorie echoed. “What for?”

“If nothing else, then to be able to take care of them when they arrive.”

“Well, why run in the first place if you’re just going to run back to them?” Marjorie caught my eye, obviously confused. I flushed and lowered my chin.

“I don’t know. I was scared.”

“As you have every right to be.” Marjorie frowned at me, but didn’t protest further. “At least spend the night here.”

“S-sure.” I hugged the coat tighter around me, not looking forward to having to give it up. “Yes, please. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it, love.” Marjorie stood up, dusting off her apron and skirts. “You eat, I need to check on my little ones.” I nodded, and she strode off towards one of the soot-stained houses, leaving me to curl up by the fire.

On my left, Villainsbane gave me a meaningful look. “You’re getting a good offer here, kiddo.”

“I know I am.” I shoved another spoonful of soup into my mouth. “But the little ones aren’t.”

“They’re being taken back to the capital for a relief program,” Herobrine pointed out. “Surely they’ll be well taken care of.”

“That’s what they say, anyway,” I mumbled stubbornly. “But we were not being treated well on the trip there, which does not inspire much confidence that they were telling the truth.” Despite my bold words, my conviction waned with every bite of hot food.

“Perhaps not,” Herobrine agreed. “But going after them with no food, no mode of transportation, and no shelter? That’s not smart.”

“I know.” I glared down at my bowl of soup. “But I would never be able to forgive myself if I just left them.” The ghosts exchanged glances, and they were silent for a moment.

“Hows about you sleep on it?” Herobrine finally suggested. “See how you’re feeling in the morning.”

“Sure,” I agreed, shutting my eyes and letting my head tip forward for a moment. Maybe that would give me time to figure out how the heck I was going to make it to the end of this journey alive.

I opened my eyes and turned onto my back, staring up at the split in the charred boards that made up the ceiling above me. I could see stars winking down at me, their light barely hindered by that of the sliver of moon that had crossed over me hours before. It was late, likely past midnight, and despite my long walk that morning and the stress of my journey so far I was having a very hard time going to sleep.

I had been situated for the night inside one of the surviving houses, with a straw mattress and two worn blankets, along with about six of the village residents. Between the blankets and the borrowed coat I still wore, I was warm enough - no colder than I would have been in the children’s home, anyway. But my mind was racing, working endlessly at the matter of how I was going to make it all the way to the capital.

When we had been picked up by those men they had told us that the journey would be four days long, and that was in horse-drawn wagons. I was on foot, with nothing but the clothes on my back to my name. Surely it would be at least a week further on foot, if not more, and I was very unlikely to come across such friendly folk every step of the way.

I rolled over on my side again and stared at the far wall. I could see two pinpricks of light in the corner from where Null sat, watching me quietly as I attempted to sleep. He shifted when he saw me looking, and I averted my gaze, pillowing my head on my arm and trying to relax. The other ghosts had dispersed around town, exploring, I assumed. Most of them had stayed with me at the children’s home for several years, only occasionally venturing out, so this must be quite the adventure for them. And, since they didn’t have to worry about starving or freezing to death, their adventure looked as if it was going to be a lot more fun than mine was.

I was sure that it was just my difficult day, but I had a strange feeling of unease that just wouldn’t go away.

I shut my eyes and huddled up in my borrowed coat, huffing a warm breath into my sleeves. The thought of leaving the younger children to their fate made me feel horribly guilty, but I was beginning to come to the conclusion that I may not have a choice. The ghosts were right- I had no food, no warm clothes, and no transportation. I was no use to the children all the way out here, but I was no use to them dead, either.

A rush of cold air hit me through the blankets and I shuddered, huddling up tighter. I heard the sound of fabric rustling, and I reluctantly lifted my head, wondering if one of the villagers was getting up. Surely it wasn’t morning already?

Instead, my gaze landed on a luminous figure as it staggered its way through the curtains that separated the inside of the house from the cold night beyond.

I froze up at the sight of it, holding my breath as the ghost took a dragging step inside of the house and looked all the way to the right. It was tall, dressed in singed, ragged clothing, and its skin was scorched and torn. As I watched, its gaze slowly roved across those who slept around me, before finally it spotted me and lunged.

I reacted on pure instinct, jerking up with a gasp and trying to get away, but my legs tangled in my blankets and sent me crashing to my back on the ground. The ghost’s face was twisted in a horrible grimace as it came for me, and I flinched away in anticipation, but an instant before it reached me a dark shape tackled it and threw it to the ground.

I untangled my feet with trembling hands as Null grappled with my attacker, who was making horrible choking noises where it twisted and fought beneath him. As soon as I was free, I fled from the house, shuddering and grasping the wool overcoat to myself as I ran for the center of town.

The fire still burned, albeit low, and that was where I stopped to reorient myself. I turned back around towards the house to see the ghost coming for me again, one twisted hand extended in my direction. I felt a wave of fear go through me when I realized that I could no longer see Null. I backed up to the other side of the fire, but the ghost merely walked through, and I couldn’t scramble back fast enough to escape as it swung at me.

Pain bloomed in my arm and I cried out, directly before an enormous silver blade crashed down on my attacker.

“Gabby, get back,” A voice snapped from over my shoulder, and I wasted no time before I turned and fled. “What’s the matter, ############?” Entity sneered behind me as I ran. “You scared? You scared now? Come back here!! ” It wasn’t until I had gotten to what I deemed a safe distance before I stopped to look at my arm, where the ghost had cut through both the coat and my shirt beneath it to make two shallow cuts in my forearm.

“ Gabby!! Hey.” Bane materialized from a wall beside me, looking first back at Entity before she looked at my arm. “What on earth happened??”

“It…” I stammered, my teeth chattering from both cold and fear. “I… that. ” I pointed with my good arm to the ghost, which Entity was steadily driving away.

“Oh.” Bane let out a strained breath, placing a hand on my arm. “Of course. I’m so sorry, Gabby.”

“It’s not your fault.” I hugged my arms to my chest again, looking around myself warily in case any more were nearby.

“No, but we should have warned you.” Bane’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Come on, get back inside, we should-“

“Gabby?” A new voice made me whip around in shock, and my eyes fell upon Marjorie, standing in the dim street with a candle in hand. “What are you doing up?” She exclaimed. You’re going to freeze out here, quick, come back inside.”

Chapter Text

Marjorie tucked the strip of cloth under itself and stepped back, scrutinizing her handiwork for a moment before she took my sleeve and pulled it back down over my arm. “Alright,” she said, collecting the coat I had been lent and resting it over my shoulders. “Now will you tell me how you got that cut?” I lowered my chin, huddling up in the coat as I stared down at the floorboards below me.

“I fell.”

“You did not fall, Gabriella,” Marjorie’s voice was sharp. “Did someone attack you?”

“No.” I shook my head, not meeting her eyes. Not anyone living, anyway.

It hadn’t taken long for Marjorie to notice that I was injured, and she’d hurried me to the town’s makeshift doctor’s office. It was a simple and clean cut, as if I’d been struck by twin knives, and she had wrapped it up without much fuss. In spite of her questioning, I had stayed tight-lipped about where I’d gotten it thus far.

Null had appeared not long after we arrived, looking none the worse for wear, which was a relief. Entity had joined him not long after, and Herobrine, Jade, and Lick had trickled in after him. Bane had remained at my side, not willing to leave me alone after the attack, but due to Marjorie’s presence she had yet to have been given an opportunity to explain what she had meant about warning me.

“Gabby.” Marjorie bent down to my level, catching my eye where I sat on a wooden stool. “If there’s danger in our town, I want to know about it. Do you think someone is going to hurt you if you tell?” I shook my head again.

“No.” I just don’t think you’ll believe me.

I had been the sole witness to a number of strange, paranormal events in my life. Yes, occasionally one of the other kids would see a floating teacup, or a shoe tossed from an empty corner, or a candle that seemed to have lit all by itself, but I was the only one that claimed to see people that nobody else could. I had been open about these experiences up until I was seven, at which point I realized just what the people around me thought of me.

Waking up in the middle of the night was a fairly common occurrence for 7-year-old me. I would often wake up between the hours of one and three, and lay awake for some time, quietly contemplating the day ahead. Often my friend the shadow man would come and sit for me for that time, and neither of us would speak, just sit in each other’s presence.

Tonight, however, I had woken up to voices.

“Hush, you’ll wake them up,” was the first voice I heard, which after a moment I was able to attribute to Nancy. Nancy was one of the oldest kids, sixteen years old, which meant that she likely wouldn’t be here for very much longer. Usually once the older kids got to be seventeen or eighteen, they would either leave in search of a job or leave to get married. 

“Okay,” came another voice. Cathy, who was fourteen, was a notorious chatterbox, and I wasn’t surprised that she had to be told to hush up. I was good and awake now, and since I didn’t expect to be able to get back to sleep for some time, I simply settled into my bulging mattress and tuned into their conversation. 

“Anyway,” Cathy went on quietly. “I think we should talk to Madam Agatha about it.”

“She already knows,” Nancy whispered back. “I’ve talked to her. She says she’s going to take her to the priest soon.”

“What good is a priest going to do?” Cathy hissed back indignantly. “She talks to the walls. A priest isn’t going to be able to help with that.” A bad feeling crept up my spine, and I squeezed my eyes shut. Were they talking about me?”

“Yes,” Nancy went on. “If she is mad. But that isn’t the only explanation. She…” Nancy trailed off, and I could hear her shifting in her bed. “…could be possessed.”

“Possessed?” Cathy echoed.

“Demon possessed. Perhaps she’s not talking to walls, she’s talking to the devil.” Nancy’s voice was low, and I wilted slightly into my sheets.

“Oh.” Cathy was quiet for a moment. “Then she shouldn’t be here.”

“She’s a little girl, Cathy, we’re not going to throw her out on the streets,” Nancy scolded her. “Madam will take her to the priest, and if he can’t help, then… well, I don’t know. We’ll figure it out then.”

“Okay.” There was a beat of silence. “I’m going back to sleep.”

“Okay. You’ll be just fine, Cathy, don’t worry.” With that, they said nothing more, shifting around in their beds until they were comfortable before finally going still.

I felt a little sick, my throat tight, and I bit my lip to keep it from trembling. I wasn’t mad, at least, I didn’t think I was. And the shadow man wasn’t the devil, he didn’t mean anyone any harm. Other people had seen him picking things up and moving them, I wasn’t crazy!

A dark shape blocked the window at the far end of the bunkroom, and I blinked up through tears to find the shadow man sitting down beside me. I just looked at him, my throat too tight to speak even if I wanted to. He tilted his head at me, his glowing eyes staring down at me in unnerving silence. I just shut my own eyes, burying my face in my arms and trying not to wake anyone with my tears.

“I swear I fell,” I repeated. “I needed some air, so I went out for a walk, and I tripped and cut my arm on a rock.” Marjorie frowned at me, clearly not believing my story.

“Alright,” she finally said. “I think you should stay inside for the rest of the night.” I nodded at the floor.

“Yeah.”

“You’re welcome to sleep in here, if you’d like,” Marjorie offered. “It’s a little quieter here.” I nodded again, looking over to a wooden cot with a thin mattress on the other side of the room.

“Okay. Thank you.”

“Of course.” Marjorie tucked the coat a little tighter around my shoulders, then walked out, leaving me alone in the building with a single candle to light it.

I waited until I heard her footsteps fade out of earshot, and only then did I turn to Bane where she stood beside the stool. “Alright,” I said quietly. “Warn me about what?”

“About the ghosts.” Bane’s face was twisted into a grimace. “I- all of us, our spirits have lingered due to the nature of our deaths. Often a person who is killed in a violent or cruel fashion will stick around. Since this village was attacked and burned, I should have known…”

“But that doesn’t explain why he came after me,” I protested, my voice weak. “Nobody has before. I haven’t even seen any ghosts other than you guys.” The ghosts exchanged glances, and Bane finally caught my eye.

“That’s because we’ve been keeping them away,” she said. I stared blankly at her, and she went on. “Most ghosts aren’t… as coherent as we are.” My gaze flicked unthinkingly to Entity. “They’re feral, like animals,” Bane went on. “And, for whatever reason, they’re attracted to you. And, as you can tell from tonight, their intentions aren’t exactly good.”

“Also,” Herobrine spoke up quietly. “We can’t hurt most people like that.” He nodded to the cuts on my arm. “Not physically. But you- you’re… physical, to us.” He shifted, folding his arms across his chest. “Which is why they can do that.”

“But, why…” I trailed off, realizing that they didn’t have any more of an idea than I did. “I… ugh. ” I buried my face in my hands. Being able to see ghosts was one thing, but now I was being hunted by them?! 

I felt a breath of pressure where Bane rested her hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay,” she said quietly. “We’ll watch out for you.” I didn’t answer for a moment.

Finally, I took a shuddering breath, lifting my head to look up again. “Is he gone?” I asked. “The ghost?”

“I chased him off.” Entity thumbed over his shoulder. “But I couldn’t kill him. You can’t kill a ghost, you see- we’re already dead.”

“Right.” My shoulders slumped, and I hid my face again, my mind whirling for several moments as I processed this new information.

At last, I mumbled, “I can’t stay here.”

“Since we don’t know how many lives were lost…” Bane trailed off. “No, I don’t think you can.”

“What are you going to do, then?” Jade spoke up quietly. I shrugged helplessly. I was caught between a rock and a hard place - stay here, among an unknown number of hostile ghosts that wanted to kill me, or attempt to make my way all the way to the capital by myself in mid-November.

“I don’t know,” I finally said. “I guess I’ll figure it out in the morning.”

Marjorie reached forward to button up the top button of my coat, then took a step back. “There you are, dear.” I murmured my thanks, reaching up to feel at my neckline. “You have everything you need?” She went on.

“I think so.” There was a knapsack that rested between my shoulder blades, containing a blanket, a firestarter - which I didn’t need, but I wasn’t about to tell them that - food and water to last me at least the next few days, and a slightly-oversized change of clothes, all of which Marjorie had been able to cobble together in the last four hours since I had gotten up and told her of my intention to leave. She had even given me a few silver coins. She had apologized for not being able to get me an escort, but the supplies she had given me were already more than enough - she even let me keep the coat.

“Thank you for everything, Marjorie,” I said as I adjusted the knapsack straps over my shoulders. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t been here.”

“Don’t mention it, Gabby.” She gave a pointed look in the direction of the cut in my sleeve, but I ignored it. She still hadn’t given up on what had really happened last night. Unfortunately for her, neither had I.

“I should go,” I said.

“You should,” Marjorie agreed, then beckoned me with her, and together we began to make the walk towards the edge of the village.

My feet were numb beneath me as I crunched through the dead grass. Maybe, if I didn’t have to spend it on a room, I could use the coins Marjorie had given me to buy myself some thick socks.

When we reached the outskirts, Marjorie stopped. “You be safe out there, alright?

“I’ll try.” I grinned at her, but it didn’t reach my eyes. Marjorie offered me her arms, and I gladly leaned into her embrace. She reminded me of Madam Agatha, and a pang of loss went through my chest. What good fortune I’d had by running into Marjorie here.

“Alright,” Marjorie said as she leaned back, and she pointed to the dirt road at the bottom of the hill. “Down the road to the east, it’s about thirty kilometers to the next town. If you keep on your feet, you should be able to reach it by nightfall. Alright?” I nodded, gave her a final wave goodbye, and began to walk down the hill.

When I reached the road, I immediately sought out the tracks from the wagons, which had been preserved in the half-frozen dirt. It seemed like this road saw little use, at least during this time of the year. I gripped the straps of my knapsack, then looked up and over my shoulder to address the ghosts that followed me.

“Shall we?” I asked. In response, Entity strode forward to lead the way, and I fell into step behind him as we began to make our way down the road.

Chapter Text

The sound of crashing nearly made me jump out of my skin, and I turned, wide-eyed in alarm at the sound of a shout from the bottom of the stairs.

It was midday, and eleven-year-old Gabby had been in the midst of washing the lunchtime dishes when the commotion had jarred me from my work. Everyone else was supposed to be outside, but I feared the worst, and I hurriedly wiped my hands on my dress before abandoning my post and running towards the stairs.

When I arrived, I found not a child who had slipped and fallen, but a semi-transparent man laying flat on his back on the floor.

Entity stood at the top of the stairs, a wicked grin on his face and his scythe poised to attack as he stalked his way down the steps one at a time. The other man, unfamiliar to me, scrambled back as Entity approached, and I shrieked,  “Entity, stop!!”

Both men froze, turning to me, and I realized abruptly that the newcomer had blank, white eyes, like pale marbles set in his eye sockets. I shivered.

“Gabby,” Entity’s voice was half whining, half pleading. “He started it.”

“No!” I set my jaw, fixing him with a glare and stomping my foot. “No fighting in the house!”

“Hello there, little lady,” the new man greeted me, pushing himself up to sit on the floor. “You’re a character, aren’t you?”

“Um,” I wasn’t sure what that meant, so I just turned my attention back to Entity. “What are you two doing, anyway??”

“It’s fine!” Entity leaped the rest of the way down the stairs, giving me a sour look. “He’s already dead anyway.”

“Still!” I wrung my hands, looking back at the new man in concern. “What if you knocked something over?”

“Yeah, you’d get the little lady in trouble,” the newcomer chimed in. “We can’t be having that.” He hauled himself to his feet, towering nearly half a yard over my head. “I’m Herobrine. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Gabby, isn’t it?”

“A pleasure,” I repeated automatically, sticking out a hand for him to shake. The man grinned at me and gave my hand a pat, which of course I couldn’t feel. “Why are you two fighting?”

“He said-“ Entity began, but Herobrine cut him off.

“I may have said something rude,” he offered nonchalantly. “About his mother.” I wrinkled up my nose.

“So he attacked you?”

“He pushed me down the stairs!” Herobrine glared fiercely at his white-robed opponent, who stuck his tongue out at him. I pinched the bridge of my nose, amazed that these fully grown ghost men acted exactly like eight-year-old boys.

“Alright,” I finally said. “If you’re going to fight, then do it outside, okay?” 

“Understood, Madam Gabby.” Herobrine bowed low in deference, then slipped through the wall and vanished. Entity bared his teeth and lunged after him, then they were gone, and I stood silent for a long few moments before I retreated back to the kitchen to finish with the dishes.

I hugged my coat tight to my body, keeping my chin lowered and my knapsack straps clutched in white-knuckled hands as I made my way down the cobblestone road.

“Little lady!” A voice shouted, and I started to turn, only for Herobrine to hiss in my ear,

“ Don’t look.”

“Mmh.” I obeyed, keeping my eyes forward as I walked.

This was the largest town that I had been in in my entire life. The streets were filled with people, some of which moved with purpose in their step while others seemed to be as lost as I was. There were carriages and wagons making their way down the centers of the roads, and I even caught a glimpse of an automobile. I had tried not to stare, but I had never seen one before, so I was sure that my eyes had been bulging out of my head a little bit. 

I could tell that people were watching me, and I couldn’t blame them. My clothing was drab and dirty compared to their garments, which were of a slightly different style. My own dress was a hand-me-down from someone in the village, as were most of the clothes that made their way to the children’s home, so it didn’t surprise me that I was behind the latest fashion trends. Not only that, but I was sure that I looked just as exhausted and frightened as I felt.

“Where’s Jade?” I mumbled, hoping that my voice would be lost in the hubbub of the people around me.

“No sign of him yet,” came Bane’s response from my left. I squared my shoulders and pursed my lips, pressing onward. It was growing late, and Jade had volunteered to try and seek out a safe place for me to spend the night, as none of the ghosts were keen on me curling up in an alleyway. I couldn’t blame them.

“Look at them.” Entity swung his massive scythe idly, and I flinched despite myself as it passed through the head of a woman making her way past me. “Scuttling around like ants. What a depressing place.”

“I think it’s nice,” Lick countered, and I turned to see him eying a shop window in which a young woman was modeling a slinky dress. Bane smacked him in the back of the head. “ Ow. ”

“Either way, it’s safer than the open road,” Herobrine pointed out. “Why don’t you two go out and help Jade find a safe inn?”

“No need, I’m here.” The voice had you turning to look, and you found the green-skinned ghost phasing through the passerby to get to you. “There’s an inn down the road, I’ll show you.” Jade stepped in front of you, pointing straight down the cobblestone road. “It looks pleasant enough.”

“Okay.” I nodded, my spirits raising slightly as I quickened my pace down the road.

It wasn’t a long walk, and in the waning daylight nobody bothered me despite my obviously foreign appearance. Soon, Jade was leading me up the front steps of a building, emanating from which was the appealing scent of fresh-cooked food.

“Now go up to the counter and say you want a room for the night,” Bane instructed as I pushed my way through the heavy door. The front room was filled with tables and chairs, some of which hosted men and women who were in the process of eating their dinner. It wasn’t too crowded yet, which I was thankful for as I made my way up to the counter.

There was a man behind the counter, facing the other way as he attended to something in the kitchen. “Excuse me,” I tried, fumbling in my pockets for the bag of coins that Marjorie had given me.

“Not yet,” Bane hissed in my ear. “Wait until he tells you the price until you show him how much you have.” My hands stilled obediently.

“Yeah?” The man turned, dark eyes passing over me once before he met my own. “What do you need?”

“A room.” I felt a little cowed under his gaze, scrambling my mental script. “Um, I’d like a room for the night, please.”

“Alright.” He dipped his chin in a nod, ambling over to the counter and resting beefy forearms on it. “Three silver.” I nodded, shaking the contents of the bag into my hand and counting out the three coins. That left me with five left… hopefully I’d be able to get some hot food as well, but if I needed to conserve them for a safe place to sleep then so be it.

The man took my coins, sliding them underneath the counter. “Room comes with dinner,” he said before I could say anything more, sliding a key with a number imprinted onto it across the counter and intro my reach. “Have a seat.”

“Oh.” I perked up at that. “Thank you.” I hurriedly turned on my heel, seeking out an empty table in the corner and making my way over to sit down closest to the wall.

As I waited for the server to make her way around to me, I looked around the room, observing the inn’s other patrons. There were more coming in every minute, it must be nearing supper time. The inn was filling up fast, and I caught more than one curious look sent my way. I fervently hoped that anyone with ill intent would consider the other people to be too many witnesses.

Entity sat in the chair to my left, glaring down anyone who looked in my direction. “I don’t like this,” he muttered, echoing my own thoughts. “If they make a move…”

“I turn out the lights, and you pummel them,” Herobrine chimed in. I gave him a wry smile.

“Why don’t you just take your food to your room?” Villainsbane suggested. I glanced over to where she stood on my right, then faked a cough to hide my mouth behind my hand.

“I can do that?” I muttered.

“You can ask,” Bane offered. “Here she comes.” I turned, and, sure enough, the server was making her way over to my table.

“Good evening, dear,” she greeted me cheerfully. She looked a few years older than me, maybe in her mid-twenties, and was dressed in a black dress with a trimmed white apron. “What can I get for you?”

“Just…” I glanced over to a nearby table, making out a bowl of soup. “Just some soup, please. Can I take it up to my room?”

“Of course, what’s your room number?” The server asked, scribbling something on the notepad in her hands.. I looked at the key in my hand.

“24.”

“Alright, if you’d like to go up and wait there, I’ll have it up for you in a few minutes.” The server bobbed a curtsy, then turned and went on to her next table. Relieved, I quickly gathered up my possessions and hurried for the stairs on the far side of the room.

“Over here,” Lick called from the second hallway as I reached the top of the stairs. I let out a quiet sigh as I stopped in front of the door, fumbling the key into the lock and letting myself inside.

The room was dim, even when I flicked on the light, about three yards by three yards with a neatly-made bed taking up the majority of that space. I locked the door behind me and set down my knapsack in front of it, a halfhearted attempt to protect myself from any would-be intruders before I slumped down onto the bed.

“Oh,” I breathed as the mattress sank underneath me. This was so much nicer than straw.

I lay there in silence for a few moments, my eyes shut, listening to the sounds of voices muffled through the floor below me and the footsteps of the ghosts as they made their way into the room. Eventually, I opened my eyes and sat up, ensuring that all six of them were there.

“Hey, Null,” I greeted him, and got a nod in response. My shadowy playmate had been in and out of view all day, having frequently disappeared while I made my way through the town to the inn.

“Well, this isn’t too bad.” Bane patted the mattress before sinking down to sit beside me. “For three silver, anyway.”

“Mm.” I let my shoulders slump, resting a hand over my empty belly. I was really looking forward to that soup.

I stayed quiet until there was a knock on my door, and I peered through the peephole to ensure that it was the uniformed server before I opened it to accept my meal. I was handed a tray that contained a hearty bowl of soup, a piece of warm bread, and a cup and pitcher of water. I had gotten it safely to the tiny table beside my bed and locked the door once more before sitting down and allowing myself to breathe.

“Okay,” I began quietly as I heard the server’s footsteps descend the creaking stairs. “Do you all have anything else you want to tell me?”

“Else?” Bane echoed where she sat on my right. “What do you mean?”

“I mean-“ I stole a glance around at the room, which felt rather crowded with seven occupants. “I mean, you all never told me that I was being hunted by mad ghosts. Is there anything else that you think might be important?”

“Ah.” Bane made a face. “I’m sorry, Gabby. We just didn’t want to scare you.”

“It’s fine,” I brushed her off. “I just want to know if there’s anything else I should be worried about.”

“Well…” Bane looked over at Herobrine, who shook his head. “…I’m afraid not. Not anything that can explain your connection to us, anyway.”

“Ah.” I picked up my piece of bread and took a large bite in an attempt to hide my disappointment.

“Where are we going from here?” Entity asked as I dunked the rest of my break into my soup. “Down the road to the next town? We don’t know if it’s under a day’s journey or not.”

“If not, she’s survived a night in the woods already,” Lick pointed out. “She’s a smart cookie.”

“Maybe so, but it’s only going to get colder,” Jade muttered. “And I’m not exactly keen on letting our girl sleep alone in the middle of the woods.”

“I’m not alone,” I muttered around my bite. “I have you guys.”

“That’s right, she has us guys,” Entity said gleefully. Jade gave him a flat look.

“We’re dead. ”

“But not forgotten,” Herobrine chimed in. “And we may not be able to rip and tear like we used to, but we can still do some damage if the situation calls for it.”

“Let’s just hope the situation doesn’t,” Bane cut in. “And keep our girl out of trouble.” In the corner, Null gave a quiet nod.

The food was a welcome treat after several days of traveling in the cold, and I had to restrain myself from eating too quickly. By the time I had finished, I was ready to take advantage of the plush mattress, and I stacked up my dishes on the tray and left it outside in the hall before turning out the lights.

Despite my sleepiness, I laid awake for some time, listening to the ghosts as they murmured quietly to one another. At one point, Lick and Herobrine slipped out into the hall, having agreed between themselves to keep an eye out for anyone who might mean me harm. I wasn’t sure what exactly I would do if someone did… maybe get out the window, I was only on the second floor.

I wondered if the children had reached the capital by now. Today had been the fourth day, hadn’t it? Or the third? I was already losing count. Madam Agatha and the children’s home seemed like a distant memory now, even though it had only been a few days since I and the rest of the older children were stolen away.

If they truly wanted to provide aid, why take the older children, I mused as I stared up at the ceiling. Wouldn’t it be better to take the younger ones, who require more care and supervision? Or did the capital simply only have the resources to take those that they could treat as adults? It made little sense… and it continued to grate on me.

Eventually, my exhaustion claimed victory over my thoughts, and I nodded off.