Young Writers Society

Bo looked down at Aquarius and Bobby. Bobby didn't seem to want to talk about how he was doing at the moment, and Bo could understand that. They had literally been turned into mannequins. Nothing about this was even remotely normal or explainable, and it was understandably traumatizing. Bo didn't really want to get into it either.

His eyes scanned the shelves and walls around them. Near the back he thought he could see what looked like masks - any maybe the kind you could pull over your head.

"Oh!" he peeped. "Hey, Bobby! Aquarius! I think I see more masks. Wanna take a look with me?"

Aquarius wanted to say yes. He had been trying to stop wearing his mask lately, now that he didn't have to wear it, but feeling a mask on his face was comforting. He couldn't see one exactly like his mask where the masks were, but he knew he could find a replacement for it if he looked hard enough.

But he wasn't sure Bobby wanted to, and he didn't want to leave Bobby alone.

"I do if Bobby wants to," Aquarius said, giving a little glance over in Bobby's direction.


Over by the wigs, Télos still couldn't find one that matched his hair. He did find some black ones, but they were all too short. The only one that was nearly the same length was white with dark blue highlights. It seemed like something one of his brothers would do with their hair.

He pushed back his hood and took of his hat. Once the wig was on, he put the hat back on and started the task of braiding his hair. It wasn't that hard. He usually just changed his form to do it, but sometimes he actually put in the effort of braiding it himself.

Bobby hesitated. Don't follow people places, all it'll get you is trouble. But...was there a choice here? He didn't know where he was, it wasn't like he'd be able to figure out where to go if he left. And he was made of plastic, too. At that thought, he wanted to cry. In the absence of a face to show that, though, it was his secret.

He gave a slow nod.

Bo smiled. "Okay!" he said in a sing-song voice as he led the way over to the masks.

He was surprised to find a pretty big selection lined up on the wall, and down at the bottom in bins. He started looking up and down, before his eyes locked on a horse-head mask. It wasn't quite a mask, though, really. It was like... a horse head you just pulled over your head (if you had a head, which he didn't).

With a little laugh of triumph, he picked one up and plopped it over his nub of a neck and threw out his arms in a grandiose gesture.

"Look! I'm the headless horseman!"

Aquarius just stared.

Télos, on the other hand, had finally started paying attention to the conversation - right as Bo put on the horse head and made the joke. Liz had told him the story after the Incident that Will Not Be Named or Ever Mentioned, but he was pretty sure that having the fake horse head meant Bo wasn't headless.

But maybe he was just overthinking it.

He gave a tiny laugh.

"Horseless headman," Bobby squeaked, not sure if he was about to laugh or cry.

Bo snorted and then did his best imitation of a neigh.

He pointed to Bobby with finger-guns, laughing. "He gets it."

"I get it too-" Télos started to protest.

But then he started getting the feeling that they weren't alone. Aquarius seemed oblivious to it. He was digging through the masks without even glancing towards the entrance to the store.

Télos wasn't sure if Bobby or Bo had noticed, but he didn't bother to check. He silently made his way over to the door. If he strained his nonexistent ears hard enough, he could hear the sound of very distant footsteps.

Footsteps that were heading in their direction.

And if he looked hard enough, he could see a human - a human with actual skin, not one made of plastic like everyone currently in the store. The human in the distance came to a sudden stop.

If Télos had a breath, he would have held it.

But then they turned and started peering in the display of one of the other stores farther down the hallway. A few moments later, they had disappeared inside of it.

He rushed back to the group, miraculously staying as silent as before.

"We have a problem," he said. "There's a person here - and they're not a mannequin like us. They went into one of the other stores, but..."

Aquarius paused, holding a plain white mask awkwardly in his hand.

"...They might come in here," he guessed. "And then they'll see us."

Bo's horse head turned to the source of the sound and he followed Telos to check out the source of the noise. He was just as surprised to see an actual person as Telos was, but he hadn't considered it would be a problem for the person to see them.

"I mean, if you're worried they'd hurt us, we can just take some stuff from this store to cover up and plastic parts before talking to them. But considering they're the first real person we've seen, I think we should go talk to them. They might know what's going on."

Or be the person behind it - but Bo didn't want to say that.

Bobby made a squeaking sound at the back of the throat he didn't have anymore and backed further away from the door. He couldn't be caught in here, what if they through he was stealing? He wouldn't last a night in jail. He wouldn't last an hour.

He had to get away.

Aquarius glanced between Bobby and Bo.

"...I don't think we should go and meet them," Aquarius said. He moved a little closer to Bobby. "Bobby and I are both smaller than other people, so I don't think we can explain ourselves..."

He looked at Bobby.

"We could hide," he hesitantly said. "...Maybe Télos and you can go and meet them. Télos is already almost entirely covered. He would probably just need to let his wig down."

If Télos had a face, Aquarius was sure it would have been frowning - he knew his brother had just put a decent amount of time into getting the braid just right.

Bo looked from Telos to the Aquarius and Bobby.

"... I mean, we could do that. But uh, kid-sized people are normal? I don't know what you're talking about. Children exist."

Télos stared at Aquarius.

After a second, it finally clicked.

Ohhh, he thought - resisting the urge to say it aloud. Aquarius was trying to be subtle. Wishing he could give his brother some kind of sign to convey that he got it without having to actually say anything, Télos grabbed onto Bo's arm and stared to lead him towards the door.

"We'll go meet them first," Télos offered. "See you both in a bit!"

He pulled Bo out in front of the store.

When he was sure they were far enough away to go unheard by Aquarius and Bobby, he finally let go of Bo's arm.

"Bobby didn't want to go out," Télos said, keeping his voice soft. He glanced back in the direction of the store. "I think Aquarius was trying to avoid bringing it up - that, or he didn't want to be seen as a kid."

Bo stumbled out of the store after Telos, letting himself be dragged, though full of confusion. He glanced back into the store. He had a horse head mask, sure, but he still had plastic arms and feet showing. He was a bit nervous.

He stopped and listened to Telos, nodding his head a little bit.

Okay. That makes sense I guess.

"Okay," he said. "Well... I need like... shoes and a jacket or something real quick. And gloves," he said, looking down at his plastic fingers. "Then we can go find the person."

Télos nodded.

"Okay," he said - wishing more than ever that he could give Bo a grin. "If you go into one of the shops and grab something to put on, I can wait out here for you."