An Error's Doll

Chapter 17

Blue turned a few confusing corners before reaching a staircase. You were starting to get really tired of the amount of stairs you had seen in recent days. Couldn't these skeletons have houses that did not include stairs?! You were not sure if it was a preference, some kind of personal torture, an unfortunate accident, or all of the above. You were too small for this! Thankfully, you had plenty of people to cart you around. Otherwise, you are sure you would have cried, not that you could.

Blue took an unconventional way up the stairs. He skipped. Despite his hold being gentle, but firm, you were still jostled a bit with the movement. It was not as terrible as when Ink held you, but it made you miss getting to ride on Error's shoulder again. His scarf acted as the perfect cushion to keep you from being uncomfortable whenever he moved.

When he reached the top –again? Why is it always the top floor?!--he turned right. In the hallway you appeared in you noticed two doors. Only one had a plaque with a name. It was Blue's room. That knowledge was a small relief, at least it was not Ink next to you. He bypassed his room and opened the door across from it.

"HERE WE ARE, YOUR NEW ROOM!" he announced, gesturing widely with his free hand, "WHAT DO YOU THINK?" he asked with a grin.

You looked around. It was clean and not as extra as you feared. You appreciated the simple black walls and wood floor. There was even a single, big bed in the center. The blanket on it was a soft purple with small, white x's lining it. You were surprised to see anything white here. If this Ink feared the color as much as his other variants, you expected there to be none. This being the only time you have seen the color in this house so far makes you think he did.

You decided to ignore it. It was practically impossible not to have something white around. You looked away to continue scrutinizing the room. The pillows were charcoal black, and looked perfectly fluffed. Beside one side of the bed was a brown dresser with a purple lamp on the other. In a corner was a brown desk and chair. You turned to answer Blue.

"It's better than I thought it'd be, thank you," you answered honestly. Blue had been kind so far, so you chose to return the favor. Although you would not be able to use most of the things in here, you could at least sleep on the bed. Plus, it was nice to have a little privacy. Blue's smile widened.

"YOU ARE WELCOME! I WILL JUST LEAVE YOU TO YOUR REST THEN," he said. He walked over to the bed and gently set you down to sit in the center. Then, he turned and walked back to the door. You suddenly thought of something.

"Hey, Blue?" you called. He turned to give you an inquisitive look, "Where are the other's rooms?" That was something you were curious about. You only saw Blue's door and yours here, you had not seen the other ones. His face brightened in realization.

"AH! THEIR ROOMS ARE IN THE OTHER HALLWAY, TO THE LEFT OF THE STAIRS!" he informed you. You nodded your thanks. He moved to turn again and paused, looking back at you, "DO YOU WANT THE LAMP OR THE LIGHT ON?" he questioned hesitantly.

You had not thought of that. You guessed if you were going to sleep you would rather there be some lighting, if just so you could see if you needed to. You were not sure you felt safe enough to sleep without one here, even if there was not any real danger. Since you did not want to be blinded by the ceiling light, you decided to ask if he could leave the lamp on.

"Can you turn the lamp on?" you asked, a bit tentatively. It was a little embarrassing asking out loud, but he's the one who offered, so it was not too bad. He nodded, turned back again, and moved to turn the lamp on. Its soft, purple glow felt somewhat soothing. He walked back to the door, turned off the light, and stood outside. He turned his skull back toward you.

"Goodnight, Stitches," he whispered softly. You were surprised. It was the first time you had ever heard his voice be so quiet. Before you could respond he had already closed the door. Hearing his faint footsteps, then a muffled thump led you to believe he went to his room.