23.

[shockability]

Daddy? Where are you? I waited just like you said!

Daddy? Don't go. I promise I'll be good. I promise I'll work harder. I promise I'll be your little trooper, just don't go.

Please?

Comments

[Voice]

[asilvertongue]

Where'd your daddy go?

[Voice]

[shockability]

I dunno. We were in a room, and I was doing --something secret-- and then I was here. Where's yours?

[Voice]

[asilvertongue]

Maybe our daddies went away together. Mine left me in a diner with weird people and threw mommy out of the car and-- [really quietly]her head was broken.

[strategistmedic]

We can find your daddy, right?

[gamepatch]

Daddies always go away. Mommies too.

[shockability]

That's not true! Daddy would leave me! I did everything daddy said!

[Voice]

[berceusedefou]

Elle...?

[Voice]

[shockability]

Who're you?

[Voice]

[berceusedefou]

Of course.

A-

[He pauses, sighing softly, and continues. Embarrassing but he hopes it would work.]

Freddie. I'm a friend of yours, don't you remember?

[Voice]

[shockability]

Nope! I had a stuffed bunny named Freddie, once, but I lost him when I was little.

[Voice]

[kakolookiyam]

Elle? So you are affected also.

[Voice]

[shockability]

Affected...?

Are you like that other guy? Did daddy send you, too?

[Voice]

[kakolookiyam]

[A pause.]

Yes, Elle. There are bad people putting curses on us. They cause us to temporarily lose memories and become younger.

Other guy? Who did your father send?

[Voice]

[shockability]

Curses? Isn't that a swear word?

He didn't tell me his name. He just said daddy sent him to test me on "surviving stitasions with 'noth adult".