Black-water splashes as I work, as my hands get close to finishing their hallow task on the face of the sleeping hero. I look back at the other two behind myself, already done, and I hold my own face and laugh. I showed them. I showed them! Haha! I showed them how strong my CONVICTION is. The fingers attached to my hands grasp my face, pulling down on my lower eyelids so that I can see him better. So that I can see them better. So that I can work better. It’s really important, you know, guy? Having a strong work ethic! You should really consider it sometime, you know? You know? I really showed them! Haha!

  I lean in towards the hero’s face, sitting on top of him and smelling his eyes, as I tap the implement against his forehead. If you work hard enough you can become JUST LIKE ME! I smile. That would make me happy, guy. If you grew up responsible and dedicated to a cause like I am. It’s important to have some to strive for, you know? I run the thing along his sleeping face, he only makes some strange mumbling noises, as he turns his head from side to side, staining his own face as the sharp metal tip runs along his perfect, beautiful hero skin. It’s stained. Besmirched. Befouled. Black-water. Black-water! I salivate as my head shakes in excitement, a dribble of spit leaks out of the corner of my mouth and globs on his cheek. But that’s fine. That’s fine! I’m sure he understands! The itch in my brain lessens a little, now that my work is nearly complete.

Pushing down with the sharp thing in my hand, I watch as more black-water squirts out. My eyes go wide as it oozes out, as it sinks into his skin. I watch as I finish my holy work. Haha! I feel so…

My hands clutch my blushing cheeks, smearing them with black as I let out a human squeak. It’s so embarrassing!

But it’s done. Black-water covers my hands, black-water covers my eyes. Black-water covers their faces. But it’s done. It’s done. It’s done! Can you see it? Can you feel it? I press my ear to his neck.

Thook-thook.

Haha!

  Getting up, I toss the inkwell and scribing implement down to the grass. The glass container splashes open sideways, all of the black contents splashing out of the little jar and staining the wizard’s clothes in a rather unfortunate way. I can’t help but smirk at the sight, as I walk backwards away from them, my gaze never leaving them as I move.

  I’m a professional, you know? So I didn’t take advantage of the situation, at least not more than what was justified. We don’t get involved, remember, guy? We’re just here to do the job, you know? You know? The fingers clawing at my cheeks find their way into my mouth as I suck the ink off of them. It tastes like goo.

But that’s okay!

  I laugh as I look one last time at my work. At the make-up I’ve applied to them. They look beautiful now! Their eyes stand out even more than they usually would! All hundred of them! I look at the dozens of eyes covering their faces, covering their arms, covering their bodies. Especially the wizard. I laugh. I didn’t just draw eyes on her. I showed her! I showed her not to steal MY FRUIT! OOH! OOH! I bite down on my fingers. Red-water leaks into the ink on my tongue.

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OOH!

Going back to my sleeping friends, I stretch and yawn and, without further delay, fall down and flop on top of the monk who is laying on her side in the lush grass, her muscular arms holding Madison.

“Hey! Hey!” I press the tips of my toes into the grass, shaking her by rubbing my body against her side. “Hey! Hey!”

“Mmmrh…”

“Hey!” I say again with CONVICTION!

She doesn’t wake up. I narrow my eyes. There’s no time for this. There’s no time for SLEEPYHEADS IN MY DUNGEON.

“HEY!”

  She doesn’t stir. A loud, annoyed grumble leaves my throat as I look at her sleeping with her eyes shut so tightly closed. She’s hiding her eyes from me. I don’t like that. I DON’T LIKE THAT! My fingers claw into the grass, sinking into the dirt below as I clamber up on top of her side, my head above hers. As my tongue begins to spasm, as my neck becomes taut. Snap shut. Snap shut!

  “HEY! HEY! DID YOU KNOW?! DID YOU KNOW?!” I laugh, as I wiggle us back and forth. “DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE’S SO MUCH WORK TO DO?!” I don’t like sleepyheads. There’s so much to do! So much to see! I tap the side of her nose once with every syllable as I speak. “You- just- need- a- lit-tle CON-VIC-TION.”

SNAP SHUT!

Red-water coats my tongue as my teeth meet her neck. SHE SCREAMS.

The scream shifts, into uh… hmm…

Awkward. I forgot she likes biting. Don’t watch, guy. You aren’t ready.

Pushing me off to the side, she looks at me somewhat bothered and yawns, rubbing her eyes that sit above her blushing face.

  “Wh-what are you doing, s-stupid?” She looks away to the side, embarrassed. “Don’t do that while everyone is h-“ Her eyes open wide. YES! YES! She looks around at where we are and jumps to her feet, wobbling a little as she rises upwards. Her fearful eyes scanning the world, she looks at her sleeping friends who are napping just over there. I chew on my fingers in excitement. Look! Look! Look at those eyes, guy! They’re perfect! They’re perfect! I wish I had them. I want them. I want them. I chew. The ink tastes bitter. It tastes like red.

Madison flops to the ground and I pick her up and shake her too. She doesn’t budge and just mumbles. I glare, how dare you keep your eyes closed?!

  Grabbing her covers with both of my wet hands, I pull her open and she squeals, squirming around as I draw another eye inside of her, staining a page with a wet mixture of ink and blood and spit. She probably doesn’t like it, but she needs it! Everyone needs an extra eye! You never know when you’ll lose yours! She pulls out and away, flying up.

“Why, good morning, Madison! Are you on your way to see the miller to-”

*Thwack*

  Ow. My hands rub my face, holding the cheek that she slapped herself against. I guess I deserved that. In magic-tome culture, ripping a book open is considered a fairly dicey move, outside of the dark corner of the library at least, which is where you usually go when you want that to happen, if you catch my drift.

“How about some personal space, jack-ass?!”

“You don’t need personal space if our eyes are touching!” I tell her, leaning in.

  “…What?” she pulls back and looks at me confused. She doesn’t get it, whatever. They don’t need to. It’s my job. It’s our job to get it, guy. Not theirs. I roll my eyes, annoyed, and get up. The spell that covers this entire floor is broken on us for now, but it won’t be long until it comes back in full force. How much time did we lose? Hours? Days? This might be the longest life I’ve ever had.

No…

No. It couldn’t be that long. The dungeon-master wouldn’t waste this opportunity. They’re probably… I narrow my eyes, so that it can’t see them. They’re probably almost here actually.

I look to the monk, realizing that she has a choice to make. It hurts me. It hurts me. But that’s okay, because there’s no one here but me, so it’s okay if it hurts.

“Come on, we need to go,” she says and grabs my hand, turning to run, looking away from her sleeping comrades.

Clank. Clank. Clank.

  Her head turns back around to look back at the entrance behind us, towards the clanking that is coming up the stairs. A troop of hollow-armors, pikes at the ready slowly marches up the staircase, heading towards us. But there is something in their way. There are three sleeping somethings in their way. Her fingers grasp mine tighter.

She has a choice to make.

I rub my eyes with my free hand, smearing ink into them. For some reason they’re loose again.