The janitor loomed over me, a pleased grin on his face. This wasn't good. I hadn't spent more than five minutes at the new school, and it seemed like trouble had already managed to find its way into my path. "Er. Okay?" I said.
"Yes. Yes. See that janitor over there?" the janitor used his mop to point across the lawn. It wasn't hard to see who he was thinking of - a plump man with a kind smile, holding a far cleaner mop than the ones I were used to. "I need to know his name."
I frowned. "Why don't you just ask him yourself?"
The janitor frowned right back. "Better things to do."
I sighed. "Fine. I'll get his name."
I scurried across the lawn, smiling at Penny as I passed her. You don't face animatronic monsters and dead-friends-turned-ghosts without coming out at the other side as either close friends or bitter enemies. And bitter enemies we most certainly were not. Everyone had been pleased to know we'd be able to keep in contact easily - Monty and Carla especially, who were now chatting by the handicapped sign, Monty in his brand new wheelchair. They waved when I went by them, and I waved back. At least none of us would be particularly lonely here.
The friendly janitor turned to face me when I approached. "Hello there, little buddy!" he said. "You're one of the new students!"
"Yeah," I said. "Er... what's your name?"
"I'm Bob! Nice to meet you," Bob said, smiling kindly.
I barely remembered to reply to that before I turned and began walking back. Penny was still alone, smiling emptily at the playground. Huh. How strange. Her and Nugget had gotten off on the right foot last week. Odd that they weren't talking together now. Where was Nugget?
Well. I didn't have time to worry much about that. From experience, I was fully aware that the janitor would not treat slowness kindly.
"Yeah? Ye got anything?"
"It's Bob."
He leaned back onto his mop with a satisfied nod. "Ah, so my nemesis has a name... Bob."
I frowned up at him. "Do you have a name?"
He had allowed Penny and Carla to call him JJ, back at - well. But I was neither Carla nor Penny, so I thought it wisest to ask. Just to be on the safe side.
The janitor hummed, tapping his chin with his mop. "I guess ye can call me JJ if we're gonna work together. So yeah, I sure got a name. It's JJ." He pulled a folded paper out of his pocket, fishing out a pen right after and scribbling something hurriedly "Anyway - here. Deliver this to ol' Bobbo over there."
"What is it?" I asked, accepting the paper.
"Declaration of war."
"Oh - wait, I'm sorry, what?"
"Declaration of war," JJ repeated. "Aren't ye listening?"
I glanced down at the paper, reading through the contents as best as I could. "You - you're going to kill him?"
JJ raised an eyebrow. "Didn't know ye could read."
"I hide it - that's not the point! I don't want him to die!"
"Well, that's easy to solve," said JJ, shifting to point the end of his mop at me. "Do you want to die?"
Bob or me.
"I'll be right back," I said, rushing over to stuff the paper into Bob's hand.
"Thank you, little bud," said Bob, smiling a warm smile.
I managed a poor excuse of a smile back, then hurried back to JJ. "I feel sick."
"Eh, you'll get used to it. Did he get the declaration?" I nodded. "Excellent work, kid! Now, I'm sure the bell rings any moment now, so, get ready for class. I'll be in the boys' bathroom. Come find me, I might need help."
Rocks pooled in my stomach, and I staggered back a step. "I - I don't want to kill anyone!"
JJ rolled his eyes. "Who would you be able to kill, eh? You're what, seven? Kids aren't good murderers."
Before I could make a proper response to that, the bell rang, the new principal calling out a cheery, "That's the bell!"
I cast a last look at JJ, who had the audacity to give me a thumbs up.
*
"I need to get upstairs."
The new hall monitor - Steve, if I remembered correctly - shook his head. "No can do, kid. Unless an adult gives you permission, you're staying downstairs."
A moment's intense fear at the thought that I might fail JJ's mission hit me. I knew what awaited me - the stains on his mop were more than just old grime and dust. "But - the janitor," I stammered.
"Then the janitor can come to tell me himself," Steve said, nodding once.
"I... okay," I said, ducking back into the boys' bathroom. "Uh... J... JJ?"
JJ looked up from inspecting his mop. "Huh - what? Yeah?"
"The hall monitor stopped me."
JJ's expression turned thunderous. "How dare he," he said darkly. "Come on. Follow me."
I followed close to his heels as he marched over to the stairs. "Oi! Hall monitor! Ye giving my errand boy trouble?"
"Rules are rules, mister Janitor," Steve said. "If - "
"Stevie!" came a call from upstairs. Right - Stevie, not Steve. The hall monitor from my old school - Jack? - stood at the top, looking down at us with a concerned frown.
"Hm? Yeah, Damien?"
Damien, not Jack, apparently - gee, couldn't get a single name right - cleared his throat. "Better, uh, better do as he says. Trust me."
Stevie frowned. "But..."
"Stevie," said Damien, glancing between Stevie and JJ. "Please."
Stevie huffed, and scowled, and grumbled, but gave in. "Fine! Fine. I'll let him pass. But I won't like it!"
"Ye don't need to," said JJ coldly. "Ye just need to let him do whatever the hell he wants the rest of the day. Got it?"
Normally, I'd cheer at a promise like that. Today? Today was not 'normally.'
"Got it," said Stevie, and I could've sworn he was pouting.
"Now," said JJ, prodding my shoulder. "Get to it."
"Yes, yes," I muttered, jogging up the stairs.
Damien moved to let me go aside. "Look, man, I dunno what you're doing getting into business with the janitor, but you gotta be careful. That man ain't no good."
I couldn't make myself meet his gaze. Not when I knew exactly what 'business' I was on. "I know," I said. "But. Well. I'd like to stay alive for as long as possible, thanks, so when he says it's this or death..."
"Wise choice," Damien said with a nod. "Go now. I won't hold you up any longer."
*
"Monty," I hissed.
" - Jay? What are you doing here?"
Dr. Danner turned to talk to Penny; I ducked behind Monty's wheelchair. Wouldn't want to be thrown out before I got what I was looking for. "I need your elevator key!" I said, lowering my voice even further. "The janitor wants it."
Monty squinted. "The nice janitor?"
I grimaced. "Uh, no, the. The one we were at... you know... with."
"He'll probably say I owe him a debt or something since he pushed that. Thing. Away from me," Monty grumbled. "Here. Take it. Just... get it back to me before lunch. I can't get down without it."
I took the card. "Thanks. I can't promise anything since it's going to the janitor, but... I'll try, okay?"
"Good enough," Monty sighed. "Get going now. You're a goner if Doctor Danner sees you."
Nodding, I snuck back out of the room.
Once I was downstairs once again, I handed the card over to JJ. "Could you please give it back to Monty if you see him up there?" I asked. "He - I - would... appreciate it."
JJ took the car and scoffed. "Tsk. I guess I should do somethin' in return for your cooperation. Fine. I'll give the little brat his little brat card. But now... now we ride to war!"
I stepped back and let him ride to war. Just as the elevator doors closed behind him, the bell rang, and Stevie rounded on me. "Now! Lunch! You can disobey rules as much as you want, but everyone has to eat."
"Okay, okay! Easy," I said, holding up my hands as I moved towards the cafeteria. "I'm going, see?"
"Best for you," grumbled Stevie, and closed the doors behind us.
I walked two steps into the cafeteria, looked around for someone to sit with, and jumped almost four feet into the air as the walkie JJ had given to me earlier beeped. I fished it out, hiding it cautiously between my head and the wall. "What?" I asked.
"I need ye up in the bathroom," said JJ, somehow sounding both extremely cheerful and a bit reluctant at the same time. "Things got a bit... sticky."
"But - I'm at lunch!"
"So? I'm sure some kid in there could get ye out. I don't care how you do it, just get over here! Over and out!"
Well then. Fine. I looked about the room once again, looking for someone who might help me out rather than a seat-mate this time.
I'd go to Monty, but he was just as new as me... ah! Carla! Basically just Monty in a different body, right?
She glanced up from some blueprints when I came over. "Heya, new kid. What's up?"
"I have a name. And how do I get out of here?"
Carla laughed. "Looking to cause some trouble? Good for you, Jay. As for how to get out... I'm happy to help - "
"For a fee," I sighed. "Got it. How much?"
"Monty got through to you, hm? Well, let's see... usually, a distraction costs five dollars, but since I like you, we'll shorten it to two."
I pulled the money out of my pocket and handed it over to her.
She took it with a pleasant, utterly fake smile. "Excellent. This won't last long, so be quick. I'll be right back, Monty."
He waved his hand at her. "Thanks for getting the key back to me," he said, to me. "Wouldn't like not eating."
"No problem," I said. "Glad it found its way back to you."
Monty nodded absently, twisting in his wheelchair to look over at the lunch lady. "Okay! That's your cue, go!"
Startled, I rushed off and bolted out the door. Damien stood by the stairs, but when I simply said 'janitor,' he paled and let me pass.
I paused outside of the girls' toilet. While I knew I had to go in, I was terrified of what I'd see on the other side of the door. Blood I'd seen enough of before - I'd been with Monty, after all - and while I wasn't comfortable with death, it wasn't news to me, that, either.
But this was different.
This was directly my fault.
I took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
JJ was whistling merrily away as he mopped at a large pool of blood. In the middle of the blood lay Bob, expression blank and blood soaking his hair.
I drew a deep breath. The stench of blood stung.
Not now. Not now. Not now. Anytime but now. Anything but this.
Later. Later. Yes.
A chill went over me. My fingers tingled, briefly, but I clenched my hands together and gritted my teeth, let the gut-clenching pain wash over me and pull me into ice-cold waters.
"I'm here," I said, and my voice didn't shake.
"Ah, great," said JJ. "As you can tell... I won the war."
I glanced back over at Bob's corpse.
Not now. Not now.
"Congratulations," I said.
"Thank you, thank you," said JJ, touching a hand to his chest. "I'd like to thank my allies... that would be you." He inhaled, leaned against his mop, and looked over at Bob. "Well. I'll need you to run me a little errand. You gotta get me something from the weapons closet."
"The... weapons closet?"
"Yeah? Where the janitors keep their weapons."
"Right. Of course. My bad. Go on."
JJ nodded, apparently pleased with that answer. "You gotta get me a chainsaw or something. It's a small model, you should be able to carry it with ease."
I didn't have to ask what he'd need a chainsaw for. Bob was... big. "Chainsaw. Got it."
"Here's the key," said JJ, and handed me a bloodied key. My fingers slid against it. Sticky. Wet.
Not now.
"I'll be right back," I said. True to my word, five minutes later, I was back in the bathroom and handing off a chainsaw.
"Great," said JJ, taking the chainsaw with a little manic grin. "Step back, kiddo. Wouldn't want blood on you. Makes people a wee bit suspicious."
I stepped into the corner by the door, and no matter how cold the pain made me, I couldn't muster a single shred of courage. Not enough to watch, anyway - and so I squeezed my eyes shut and counted loudly in my head to try and muffle the indescribable sound of metal slicing flesh.
Eventually, the saw stopped. "Ah, now that's done," said JJ cheerily. "Probably time for you to go to study hall soon, too. Good timing!"
I opened my eyes to even more blood now and far more dead-body-pieces than when I first entered the room.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" JJ unrolled a black trash bag from his belt, then turned away and scooped something into it. "C'mere. Here. Have his head - you deserve it."
Enough courage to take the black bag could be found, apparently, for I reached out with trembling hands to grab it. It was still warm. "...thanks," I managed to say.
Not now, not now, not now, not now -
The bell rang.
*
When I wasn't contacted again during study hall, I thought I got away and that it was over.
Gym rolled around, however, and the walkie activated while I was walking through the hallways. I stared at it in horror for a moment, then I stepped into the shadows, disappearing away in the array of children.
"I dropped some of Bobbo's body in the janitor's closet," JJ said, going straight to the point. "I need you to get it to me by the dumpster at the back."
I glanced about, hoping no one had heard. "I - why me?"
"Cause I know you can do it. Now shoo! I can't carry all this out on my own."
Shrugging further into the shadows, I ducked my head, waiting for the coast to clear. Damien watched me from the other side of the hallway, but I shrugged helplessly and mouthed 'janitor,' and he looked away.
"I'll see what I can do."
The last child disappeared up the stairs, and I bolted across the hallway and into the bathroom. The bags JJ talked about were lying still over by one of the walls.
A moment later, I was carrying them in my arms, along with poor Bob's head. I stared resolutely ahead, refusing to think or even consider what I was holding.
The schoolyard was empty and still, the swings creaking slightly in the gentle wind.
Not now. Not now. Not now.
I pushed the gate all the way open with my foot, then turned the corner. JJ stood by a green dumpster, clothes bloodied and mop propped up beside him. He was inspecting a pair of bloody bags. "Ah, good! Yer here."
Nodding, I put down the bags I'd collected beside the others. "May I go now?"
"Nope," said JJ. "Now we're dumping them in here." He tried to open the dumpster.
Nothing happened.
"Uh," I said.
"Who the fuck locks a dumpster?" JJ cried, slamming his hand into the dumpster. "God, how do we - "
"Heheheh!"
Silence.
"Did you hear that?" JJ asked. "Or are the voices in my head getting loud again?"
"I heard it."
JJ hummed. "We need to get them outta there. Maybe they can help. But how..."
Frowning, I walked over to the dumpster and banged on the side. It was only polite to knock before one entered, after all.
The top flew off, and a woman shot up on the inside, a grin on her face. "Hehehe! Who are you, and why are you here? Do you have food for me?"
"No," said JJ with a frown. "We just wanna dump something in your dumpster."
"Hmm," said the woman, leaning onto the side of the dumpster and squinting down at us. There was a banana peel in her hair. In her hand, she held a tall wineglass. Green goo swivelled around in it. "You have beautiful eyes, the both of you. Looks a lot like mine! Hehehe."
She was right; her eyes were a similar shade to mine, just a bit paler. I hadn't noticed JJ's eyes, though - I glanced up at him, now, just to double-check.
His eyes were sunken and dark, beneath a heavy brow lined with hardship and age. Beneath the shadows it cast, however, lay a pair of eyes almost the same brilliant shade of green that I sometimes saw in the mirror.
It was unnerving, to be sure, but I'd seen others with similar eyes, and so it wasn't all too strange.
"Huh," I said.
"Don't see it," said JJ.
The woman chortled. "Well, what are you nice boys wanting to dump, hm? Be honest now!"
We looked at each other once again. "Dead body," said JJ, at the same time as I said, "Bloody bags."
"Hehe! Well! I'll say! Together you tell the whole truth. Dump 'em right in." She lifted the top of the other dumpster like it weighed nothing, gesturing at the opening.
We didn't complain, only heaved the bags up and away. I hoped it would be the last time I'd ever have to touch something like that again.
Blood from the last bag slid against my fingers, and I had to squeeze my eyes shut.
Not now. Now now. Please.
"Good work, kid," said JJ, clapping his hands together. "Go get yer things. School's almost over."
I left.
*
"Oi! Jay! Wait up, ya idiot!"
I stopped, turning back to the school. JJ jogged up to me - his clothes far too clean and with not enough blood. Huh. He must've changed.
"What is it?" I asked, hiding my shaking hands behind my back.
With a flourish, he pulled out something from one of his pockets. "Behold! I bestow upon you the spoils... of war."
Bob's toolbelt dangled from his fingers. It was still bulging with tools. JJ swung it towards me, his grip loosening, and I had no choice but to take it, lest it hit me in the face. "I..." I said, staring at the belt as stones sunk in my belly. "I... don't..."
"Take it," said JJ, waving dismissively. "You've earned it."
Earned it. Earned it. Earned it.
The leather was still warm to the touch.
Not now.
"Thank you," I said, and wrapped my fingers around it. "I will... cherish it."
JJ glanced over my shoulder. He blinked, then grimaced. "I have to go. If someone sees me talking to a kid again, I'm going back to prison." Raising his mop in salutation, he shuffled away.
"JJ!" I blurted. He turned, raising an eyebrow. "There's blood in your, uh, your beard."
"Ah. Thanks, kid."
*
Later, when the darkness had come creeping through the window, and I was done with homework, and chores, and had nothing else to think about, I lay in my bed and wept.
Bob's toolbelt was clutched to my chest, and I was shaking, shaking and sobbing my goddamned heart out. Death. I couldn't think about anything else. Just - Bob's body, and Bob's blood, and Bob's warmth - and his toolbelt, rough against my skin.
There was a desire growing in me, blooming and blossoming somewhere deep in my chest. It snuck around my heart, squeezed around my lungs, gathered and materialized and crystalized into a single, sharp point.
I will change it.
Not 'I wish I could change it.' Not 'I would change it if I could.'
I will change it.
My fingers tingled.
My arms tingled. It spread - up - settled deep in my bones, draping across my shoulders - rushing down my ankles, all the way to the tips of my toes. My hairs rose, on my neck, on my arms, even the hair on my head stood straight up.
The whole universe crackled.
I sat up with a gasp, Bob's belt digging into my palm. Frantically, I looked around, searching for the source of the tingling.
My eyes landed on my bedside clock. The date glared back at me.
as a short person, can i just say that tall ppl are so????? amazing??? sometimes im jealous bc i wish i was tall but other times im just jealous bc i want to be friends with a tall person!! they all just have this,,,, vibe. tall ppl always just seem so cool and chill and maybe mysterious? maybe its just bc i cant see their face cuz theyre so far above me agshfjgl but i swear every tall person ive ever known has had some kind of cool untouchable thing going on idk agsjdkf also?? so gorgeous? long lanky legs? yes i live for them. goddamn it no matter what tall people wear they always look so good ugh its not fair agshdjfkgl and!! when i borrow a tall persons hoodie!!!!!! my tiny lil body is just absolutely s w a m p e d i am completely a burrito it is perfect im lov and! when i am wrapped in tall person arms????? completely enveloped in warmth and love???? thats the good shit right there. just tall ppl man ugh i appreciate them
Can we have a sneak peek of the imagine you were working on yesterday, before the blurb?
“He’s got you now though and he’s not letting go, not until he’s seen every sleepy smile, every bright-eyed gaze, not even then. Wants all your laugh stained midnights, your tear soaked dawns, can’t help but be greedy with you.”
Wondering if the Sarolins were either adapted to the darkness of the Deep Dark or if they were blind and used echolocation like thw Warden
And what happened to them at all..? To say they've gone extinct doesn't feel correct, but I certainly don't know where they are if any still exist.
The Entelolins, on the other hand, are extinct to my knowledge. They existed in the age of Sniffers, yes, but it's extremely unlikely any still exist from that era.
