Pairs of feet splashed through a puddle as Climber and Clarice ran. Rain poured down all around them. Climber had already re-drawn his mouth twice and the bottom part of his left eye was gone, but there was no time to stop now.
Behind them danger gave chase.
     The day had begun rather well, actually. It was sunny and Climber had met Clarice at the park entrance. She had been coming to visit the park on and off, and her visits always made Climber happy.
     They spent the day strolling through the park, Climber telling her how the park used to be full of people and often reminding her how much he loved the music player she had given him and the cyan shirt she wore. As the day grew late storm clouds rolled in. Climber was walking Clarice back to the gate when the sound of a violin drifted through the air. Karl had been quiet all day, Climber had hoped that the statue wouldn’t’ve made himself seen or heard at all. The sky had steadily grew darker and suddenly, with a cackle of thunder, it began to rain. Lightly at first, but becoming progressively worse. The sound of the storm drowned out the violin, but Climber knew that a storm didn’t stop Karl’s playing. “I-I don’t think its safe for you to go all the way back to the exit, Clarice. We need to find shelter.” Clarice nodded, looking around before pointing at an old building, “we can stay in there.”
     They ran inside as the heavy rain became a downpour, Clarice shutting the door and turning only to find Climber (who was lucky enough to have not had any rain wash off part of his face) in awe. “Ferris wheel! Clarice, this is the food court I told you about!” The dark sky emitted very little light. Climber could see the room perfectly, but to Clarice all she saw was the outlines of some table and chairs and counters.
     Outside thunder clapped. In the silence that followed the door suddenly opened and swung shut. Footsteps walked across the room to where Climber and Clarice were. Climber defensively stood in front of Clarice and the footsteps came to a stop a few feet away. “Deary me Cloth-Guy, that girl can’t see in the dark, you should know that.” Even though Clarice couldn’t see who was speaking, she recognized the voice and glared in the direction it had come from “what do you want?” “Merely to escape from the rain,” Karl said, walking past the two to lean against a counter, “Arma hates to get her feathers wet.” Nothing but silence followed, so Karl continued “my it certainly is dark in here, especially for a human. You wouldn’t even be able to tell if some dangerous person was about to attack.” Climber moved between Karl and Clarice again, feeling rather defenseless without his pickaxe. Ever since he had gotten back from that asylum, Jackie had held onto the weapon. Karl merely laughed “you think you can stop anything without that pickaxe?” “I-I won’t let you hurt Clarice!”
     Lightning streaked across the sky and Climber glanced nervously out the closest window. Karl smirked “you really don’t like lightning, do you?” When the mannequin didn’t respond Karl continued “quiet tonight, aren’t we? What’s that Arma?” The statue glanced down at where Arma was sitting on the counter, “hmm, perhaps. Let’s find out, shall we?” Only Climber saw Arma hop onto Karl’s hand as he approached the doll, “Arma believes you don’t like lightning because it causes fire. Is she right, Cloth-Guy? Are you really,” Arma transformed into lighter!Arma and a little flicker of light appeared as a tiny flame burst into life right before Climber’s face, “scared of fire?”
     With a cry of terror Climber quickly back stepped only to trip over a table and find himself flat on the ground. All Clarice could see was the flame, which came closer as Karl approached her, after a quick laugh at the mannequin‘s expense. “Now it would seem you’ve forgotten the rules, miss,” Karl said, the flame disappearing. From the floor Climber could see Arma transform into something else, but from the angle he was at he didn’t know what it was. Clarice couldn’t see anything, but when something cold and sharp pressed against the tip of her neck she took a step back as Karl finished, “humans aren’t allowed in this park anymore.”
     Clarice took another step back and felt something quickly move right where her head had been. Climber got to his feet, looking around for something he could use as a weapon. A flash of lightning glinted on something behind a nearby counter and Climber ran to it only to find an old ladle. Knowing it was better then nothing he ran back to find Karl swinging a blade at Clarice, who had been cut a few times but had managed to dodge the fatal attacks. Climber approached Karl, who had managed to trap Clarice against a table and was about to swing the blade down on her when Climber swung the ladle and struck Karl’s head. The statue paused for a moment before quickly spinning around and slicing Climber’s arm off. “Now Cloth-Guy, its not polite to interrupt.” Karl turned only to find that Clarice had gotten around the table and was looking around trying to find the exit. He quickly walked towards her, leaving Climber to try to get to Clarice first.
     Clarice was trying to find something that looked like a door, while every few seconds looking over to try and make out where Karl was. Noticing he was approaching her she quickly moved away, feeling her way past the tables and chairs. Looking back trying to make out his outline she suddenly bumped into something soft. “C-Clarice?” She looked up at the voice and found Climber’s face inches from her own. “Are you ok?” he asked, looking deeply concerned. Before she could answer another flash of lightning showed Karl right behind Climber, about to strike.
     Seeing her surprised expression he quickly turned around, only to step back as a blade swung past his face. Behind him, Clarice tried to see the full room in the dark in hopes of finding a weapon. Something nearby seemed out of place; running over to it she noticed it was the ladle that Climber had use earlier, as well as his arm. Picking both up she heard a soft tearing sound as Karl had sliced Climber across the chest, making the doll fall over. “Climber!” Clarice called, throwing the ladle at him. He glanced over as the ladle fell right behind him, quickly picking it up and blocking Karl’s next attack awkwardly with his right hand. The weapons broke apart and Climber got to his feet just as the statue swung at him again; a quick swing of the ladle and Karl was forced back a step. Climber threw the ladle against Karl’s head again and used the opportunity to run to Clarice “Clarice, i-its not safe here.” “No duh,” Clarice said, holding up his severed arm, “but I can’t leave you in pieces.” “I know a place where I can be fixed, I’ll show y-” he reached for Clarice’s hand but stopped, he knew she didn’t like it when he touched her. So he was quite surprised when Clarice grabbed his hand, “just hurry and find the door!” Climber looked over and immediately found the exit, running towards it with Clarice right behind. They hadn’t even taken a few steps, though, when a table behind them was sliced in half as Karl ran at them. With a panicked gasp Climber ran for the door tugging Clarice along. Reaching the exit they burst through the doors, Karl following moments behind.
     The duo ran through the pouring rain, Climber’s mouth melting in the process. Keeping his helmet lowered to protect his face from the rain, it was hard to find the place he was looking for. Running under an outcropping they paused as he re-drew his mouth and risked a glance up to see the building nearby. With a smile he picked up the pace, “Clarice, there’s the place!” he cried, pointing at the hall of mirrors. They ran inside, and Karl paused at the entrance. His eye twitched before he sighed “you’re right, they’ll have to come out eventually.”
     Deep within the hall, Climber and Clarice had come to a stop. “W-we should be safe now. He hates mirrors.” “Yes, but I can’t stay here forever. But first things first,” Clarice pulled out her cell phone and held it out to Climber, “take this.” As the light from the phone shone upon her she reached into her pocket and took out some thread and a little container with a needle in it, “we need to patch you up.”
     Climber held still, the phone light shining upon Clarice as she quickly sewed his arm back on. Breaking the thread with her teeth, Clarice stood back “there. Now I need to get to the gates. And the sooner the better.” As soon as she finished a clap of thunder sounded. “um…shouldn’t we wait for the storm to stop?” “That’s just what that creep’s thinking I’d do. He’d think it was something a normal person would do, which is right. I need to go now, when he won’t be expecting it.” “I’ll go with you then.” “Climber-” “F-for protection!” Clarice sighed, the mannequin meant well, even though he couldn’t do much to protect her without a weapon. Still, it would be better then nothing “alright. You can come.” “Ferris wheel! Thank you!” Clarice walked back to the entrance of the hall, Climber right behind.
     Outside the rain still poured down, thunder clapped an lightning flashed across the sky. The storm was not showing any signs of weakening anytime soon. Climber and Clarice ran off in the direction of the gates. Behind them, Karl smirked down to Arma “you were right. She is thinking differently then a mere human. Even so, she needs to know where she’s not wanted.” He quickly gave chase.
     Climber and Clarice stopped for a moment underneath another outcropping so Climber could draw another mouth. As Clarice looked at him in annoyance he replied “I’m sorry Clarice.” She simply sighed “let’s go” and was about to take a step when she paused. “Climber, do you see anything?” “Like what?” “I don’t know. I just have a feeling like I’m being watched.” Climber looked around the dark park, not seeing anything out of the ordinary when he suddenly caught a small red speck in the dark. Arma.
     Pairs of feet splashed through a puddle as Climber and Clarice ran. Rain poured down all around them. Climber had already re-drawn his mouth twice and the bottom part of his left eye was gone, but there was no time to stop now.
Behind them danger gave chase.
     After rounding past a concession stand they were able to see Pirate’s Cove. As much as the two of them disliked the area, it was a sign that they were close to the exit. They had paused momentarily to figure where Castle was in relation with the Cove and were about to continue running when suddenly Arma came flying out of the shadows and sliced Clarice’s arm. Gripping the cut she began to run past the Cove, Climber quickly following, and Karl close behind. Past the Cove the carousel came into view, which was directly across from Castle. Climber smiled “Clarice! We’re almost there!” Behind them Karl kept running. He knew he could easily gain them but decided to let them think they could reach the gates.
     As they came up to the carousel, the Castle stood ahead of them; the exit. Clarice sped up a little as she ran to the towering entrance. Karl picked up the pace, aiming to stab her before she got too close to Castle. As she neared the gates a sudden bolt of lightning struck the ground, lighting a small patch of grass on fire. It was quickly dying in the downpour, but it was still enough of a flame to make Climber jump back…
…right into blade!Arma.
     Climber stared down at the blade sticking through his chest. He didn’t feel any pain, but he hated being harmed either way. Karl pulled the blade out and pushed the mannequin into the mud before advancing on Clarice. “Dear girl, you left before and yet you still came back? Looks like you’ll have to learn why this park’s off limits to humans.” He charged at her, Climber lifting his head “Clarice! Run!”
     She didn’t need telling twice. She spun around and headed for the gates, Karl gaining with each step. As she reached the gate and yanked it open, Karl landed a cut on her shoulder. Wincing in pain as he wrenched the blade out and prepared to strike again, she managed to slip through the exit, the blade slicing into the door inches from her face. Hoping Climber would be alright she turned and ran for home.
     On the other side of the gate Arma landed on Karl’s shoulder as he walked away, the rain washing off the blood. Looking to his right he saw cloth-guy’s silhouette; the mannequin had fled the moment he realized that Clarice was safe. Karl sighed, “I know. However I have a feeling she’ll be back.” The rain began to slow down to a drizzle as he walked back through the park.
                                      “Some humans never learn.”