An Error's Doll

Chapter 10

The tension in the room grew the longer the silence stretched on. It felt almost like an unseen weight was pressing down on you. You'd have sweatdrop if you could. Nightmare's gaze continued to bore into you both. As Error hesitated, you resolved that you wouldn't make him choose to reveal you, it wouldn't be right to make him.

You felt him jolt as you tugged the scarf down, exposing yourself. Standing slowly, you patted his cheek. When he looked down at you in shock, you pointed silently to the table, conveying you wanted to be set down. He paused, before carefully grabbing you and setting you to stand on the table. Then, you looked to Nightmare, raising your hands calmly.

"My name's Stitches, I don't mean any harm," you introduced yourself. You decided to use the nickname Error gave you as your official name, it's not like you remembered your old one anyways. You watched as Nightmare's eye socket briefly widened, his tendrils stopping their swaying, before he schooled his expression. He scanned your form, eye socket squinting in suspicion.

"Hmm, and where did you meet this 'Stitches'?" he directed to Error. It seemed that perhaps he and the gang weren't aware of Error's hobby, if he was, he wouldn't have asked that, and probably would've questioned why he'd made a Dream doll. It wasn't like Error would've kept anyone else's creations. Even with that discovery, you felt irked that he'd ignored you, before reeling it in to avoid raising his suspicion. It probably didn't help that Error wasn't the one to answer him in the first place, you'd chosen to reveal yourself while he'd hesitated to. He stiffened, eyeing Nightmare warily as he responded.

"I met them in the Anti-void," he answered vaguely. You appreciated he didn't mention how he was unaware you were alive before you'd actually met him, and that he'd 'made' you, or at least, your vessel. You weren't sure you wanted Nightmare to know exactly of your unusual origin and suspect anything of it.

"Really?" he asked, intrigued. Even though he expressed curiosity, you could see the distrust in his eyelight as he regarded you with skepticism. You stood straighter and held his gaze, choosing to speak and spare Error the questions.

"Yes," you confirmed firmly. As his stare sharpened, you could see a calculating glint appear.

"And why does 'Stitches' resemble Dream?" he asked, fixing his gaze back on Error. You internally cursed, he wasn't letting up as easily as you'd hoped, trying to force answers out of Error that he either didn't have, couldn't, or wouldn't give. Before he could so much as open his mouth, the door to the office was banged open. You both turned, staring at Killer, whose foot was raised in the air. It was obvious he'd just kicked the door open.

"I've returned FUCKERS!" he shouted, a triumphant expression on his face as he looked straight at Nightmare. You were shocked, was he allowed to do that?? He'd just broken the door off its hinges! Not to mention he just cussed at his boss! As you stood baffled, you heard a long sigh and looked past KIller. Behind him, you finally noticed the other two skeletons present.

To his left stood Dust, who was hunched over with an exhausted air. He wore the classic black and white shorts, a white shirt, blue and white sneakers, and a dark blue and gray jacket. His entire outfit was covered in flecks of dust. You were sure none of it was his, and felt your stomach churn. His mismatched eyelights glowed dimly in half-lidded sockets.

To Killer's right stood Horror. He wore almost the same outfit as Dust, except his feet were adorned with pink slippers and his jacket had a matted, furred hoodie. His clothes were ripped and faded, and you could make out spots of red scattered around. You hoped it was ketchup, but knowing their job, it was likely blood. He had a hand gripping the dead socket on his right side, the eyelight in his other glowing a bloody red. He seemed distracted, staring off to the side.