♡ Life and Death ♡

16: Gasping for the last of air.

Nickel hadn't been very welcoming to the group, despite their willingness to allow him to join. Of course Balloon had to apologise of his behalf and explain his stubbornness, frustrated with the coin but he had already tried reasoning with him, and that hardly worked. Balloon got along well with the others despite Nickels annoying behaviour, he seemed to bond well with Pin specifically. Pen and Eraser already seemed to have a bond so it was harder to befriend them.

The group had set up a temporary camp - Pin knew how to set up fires and they had needed one, so slept amongst this area once once had been set up, rocks surrounding it. They agreed it was better to preserve their energy for now, and look for food later. They had all come to terms with the hunger, and even though Nickel insisted it wasn't a problem he was clearly weaker and even more irritable than usual.

"So you liked baking?" Balloon wondered aloud, his legs crossed with his arms tucked together neatly on his lap. Pin sat opposite him, sitting against a large tree, big enough so that both Pen and Eraser sat next to her but more as their own pair as they talked to each other, and Nickel was sat away from them, looking miserable and uninterested in socialising. Balloon was trying to learn more about their competition and their lives, as he had already shared about the hotel and the island.

"Ah..so-so. I did it whenever .. I guess.... but, the others seemed to really like whatever I made." She supposed with a weak laugh, waving her hand to placidly dismiss her comment. Balloon raised an eyebrow with a small smile.

"Guess you had a natural talent, huh?" He joked, his gaze drifting across the leaf riddled floor into the distance. "..I know someone who would get along well with you.. she loves baking." Balloon exhaled gently, losing his smile.

"Who..?" Pin wondered.

"Someone called Tea Kettle. Ah, sorry.. I just miss everyone and.. home." Balloon supposed, his voice trailing off into a murmur as memories of better times flooded into his head. He closed his eyes for a prolonged moment, wanting to go back.. but he couldn't. Eraser leaned over, having been eavesdropping in on their conversation now and again.

"I get you. Kinda feels like we took everything for granted back then, huh?" He added on, looking off into thought. Balloon gave a few nods, opening his eyes tiredly.

"Y..Yeah.. I.. just never expected to be in this kind of situation... so.. never prepared for it..." his voice faltered, and Pen got the message that they needed a change of topic. He clapped his hands together, gathering attention he didn't know what to do with.

"How about we talk about something else, huh?" He eagerly prompted, looking at each of their faces for permission. Nickel avoided looking at any of them, his eyes glued to the ground intensely, not daring to look up.

One of the group of possessed objects grabbed a rock from the pile around the inactive fire, it was Remote, some of her buttons were missing and her batteries had been ripped from her back. She swung the cumbersome rock around in both of her hands, knocking Pin right across the face with it and shoving her to the floor with the impact. The cries of the group around her grew, Eraser too occupied with fighting off Saw and Flower to help her. Pen sprinted over desperately to help, yelling bluntly as he was pulled backwards by his arms and retrained, unable to see who was holding him, only able to feel their sharp fingers digging into his wrists.

Eraser didn't see it, but Pen was forced to watch as he jerked his body away with all his efforts, shaking his head and yelling as he was dragged backwards from Pin. His eyes widened in horror as he witnesswd Remote whack her across the face with the sharp rock over and over as she lay on the ground, Pen choking on his yells as tears formed in his eyes. He couldn't see, he didn't want to see, but she didn't make any sounds. He assumed she was dead, maybe knocked out before but definitely dead now. He kept jerking his body away in all directions, but the grip on his arms was too strong.