I yank Weylin's arm while trudging over grey corpses. As much as staying here forever might not be the worst idea I want to move on. Some of their eyes follow us but, that's as much as I get. I make sure to step on the faces of them as I want. These people are all worthless. Wasting away for eternity like fossilized shit.

Weylin is doing the opposite as I have to force him to my pace.

The light starts to gradually fade as we get further and further from the source of light. That sky that is way too out of reach. Not like people can be retrieved? I don't think so anyway.

Eventually my face stomping antics have to end as we start to walk in the dark carefully. A few minutes later...

I smile!

"Huh? What? Why did you let go?"

I start running~!

Fuck this guy! Weylin Wylos.

Well, I don't plan on actually losing him. Just to make him panic a little!

"Hey! What are you doing! Hey! Wait...."

I lay down on another body and hide. Quiet.

*tunk

*tunk

I hear the sound of his feet along with the ruffling of clothes? He's moving. I thought he would've wallowed a bit before eventually getting a move on.

I'm not oblivious to the implications of the two of us being the only 'living corpses' here. A man and woman? Pfftt. I won't fall into some mediocre role like that. Still I will follow a bit back. Being alone is the worst thing in the world. Even at the Asylum... Well.

"'The Songbird in the Cage'. In an Old Kingdom, long lost to the waves of time, there was a noble family. One of great prestige and wealth. Yet within that family lied a sickly daughter. She would fall Ill easily and could not eat what most could. She had adverse reactions to many different things. A horrifying existence that drowned her family in guilt for having created her. So they built her a detached tower.

Still the daughter did not want to be alone. She begged them to have it built in the city. Wrecked by guilt the family agreed."

Weylin begins talking to himself. Or perhaps he has an inkling that I'm following him? Loves his stories doesn't he?

"Thus a tower sprung up in the place of an old clock tower, well more like remodeled.

The daughter having a place of safety decided that even if she could not be with others, she would still express herself. Her passion, singing. Every night from then on she would sing a few songs. They carried over the city in waves.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

Many people living mundane and draining lives perked up. Including a certain warehouse worker.

He had no meaning. His appearance was wretched, vile. His mind simple and feeble. His parents did not pass anything beneficial to him. His physical ability was all he had.

After drowning in meaningless toils alone. For a long time, he twisted. Until the old clocktower was changed. Trying to sleep, the wrenched Maggot tossed and turned until he heard a voice break his violent silence. Soft melodies carried him off to sleep. For the first time since he died inside.

A lonely birdsong for a lonely Maggot.

In an unchanging world this Maggot found solace in her songs. A love began to fester in him. He found his desire.

Yet the world is cruel.

He found out that the singing came from a sick noblewoman. He researched about her. Rumors. Servants who worked for the family. Even a few doctors were investigated by the worker.

Satisfied. She belonged to the world, up in that tower. His twisted self was rushed with happiness as he realized that no man would have her. He could live in a delusion.

For years he did. Until a miracle happened. With no warning he received breaking news. The Songbird of the city was cured. At first the Maggot was delighted. His delusions. They had a chance. Yet a warehouse worker like him could not easily engage those above. He had to explain how she changed his world. Express himself like she had done.

Effort led to nothing. He couldn't reach her. Rather he had never reached for her while she suffered.

A Doctor agonized over the young noblewoman. For years he studied foreign medicine. researched. experimented. The miracle was manmade.

With that miracle was a fresh love. Between the Songbird and the Doctor. They married.

The Maggot drowned in a great pain. Hatred. Madness. A never to be, love.

The Songbird was with child. For months she and the Doctor were in the heights of their life.

Unaware of the festering.

The Maggot twisted too much. He broke in the end.

Driven by Mania, he snuck into their home. With a knife he slew his... Enemy.

Shocked and filled with terror, the Songbird was paralyzed. Why is her life so cruel to her? Who is this, this Maggot!?!

The maggot was nervous, she was finally before him!

He expressed his love, he told her everything. His whole life. How she saved him. He who would be forever alone.

The songbird did not react. How could she. What is this?

Reality. Started to settle into itself for the Maggot. He had murdered her husband. Leaving the mother and unborn with no husband and father.

Taking the knife out of the Doctor, the Maggot plunged it into his throat.

As he collapsed his last vision of the Songbird. Even more horror drawn on her face. This vision gave a final solace to the Maggot."

This is pretty fucked. Weylin seems to like his tragedy. It makes even someone who worked at an Asylum feel depressed. The world is at fault for birthing some into itself. Can that apply to a lot of people? Should the blame be entirely on the Maggot. A murderer who is psychotic? His parents? The city? The Doctor, or even the Songbird herself?

"The Songbird twisted and broke. This sickening darkness that lay before her broke because of her. The Doctor Died because of her. Even her Unborn, would die because of her.

For she took the knife out of the Maggot and plunged it into her own throat.

....

Four have died, and two of those Lie in the Pit."

I give up my charade and clap at the end. Telling a story like that is just evil. It ruins moods. A very human story.

"Thought so. An actor through and through. Still, can you not do things like that? It's upsetting."

"What do you mean? Perhaps I had enough of your awful stories and thought being alone would be better?"

"You gave that up when you started clapping at my story. Oh, this one actually happened as well."

I walk towards his location. I start handling him until his wrist lies in my hand. that was a fun little distraction. Might be hard to do to much more to this guy. Seems like he has caught on.

"Onwards Partner?"

I ask with a grin he can't see.

"Yes. No more of those games like I said. Unless you actually want to part ways."

Perhaps I should be more subtle. Push and pull at this guys strings.

"Yep~! No more games!"

"I'm not even going to accept that promise. Perhaps this is actual Hell."

Rude!

How can I be anyone's Hell!