Figures

"You sure took your sweet time packing."

"I was mostly daydreaming rather than packing."

"You think you're funny?"

"You know I am."

Two people were having a conversation with each other. Doug couldn't make out whose voice it was. He still in dazed from his nap. Or was it a sleep? Whatever it was, Doug rubbed his eyes, supposedly to make his eyes clearer instead it got more blurry. He looked outside the window and watched the stars twinkle in the sky. It reminded him of his childhood days when his mother used to read him bedtime stories. She used to sing lullabies while reading. She would tell him stories of fairytales and dragons and the adventures of the knights and princes, but most importantly, fairies. But that wasn't important. Had he slept the whole day? What happened to getting adopted? "Look who's finally up." Mikaela was pissed. Obviously, since Doug had slept for so long. "Get up already, I want to go to our new home." Mikaela pulled him off the sofa. He needed at least 5 more minutes to fully wake up but that didn't matter already. "Bye, Nanny Oswald!" Mikaela said happily. They both waved at the nanny and exited the orphanage forever.

"Oh, you guys are finally ready to head out?" Ed asked them. Doug and Mikaela both nodded. Ed didn't have a fancy car but it was not shabby. Mikaela called shotgun, while Doug sat at the back. He wore his headphone and opened Spotify. Ed started driving as soon as he got in the car. The whole car ride was quiet and peaceful. Something both Mikaela and Doug hadn't felt it ages.

The ride to Ed's place took about 2 hours. Mikaela had fallen asleep halfway through. Doug had enough sleep back at the orphanage. Ed had some novels in his car for some reason. Without him knowing, Doug finished 3 novels. When they arrived, Doug took a couple looks around the neighborhood. The houses all seemed normal and fine. Except for Ed's. His house wasn't a house. It's something even I, the writer can't explain. It was a round glowing white thing with lightning around it. Not sure if it is lightning. It was also like a portal. Doug didn't dare to get close to it. What if it sucked him inside and he can't never get out? Mikaela, who was still in the car was also as scared as Doug. This place wasn't what they had expected.

"Make yourselves at home." Ed said. He walked towards the bright hole and disappeared. Maybe it was a portal. Maybe it's purpose was to hide the magnificent beautiful house. It made Doug calm for a while. He gathered his courage to go inside the bright hole. Mikaela followed him from behind. Inside was also, wasn't definitely what they expected. Everything was white and endless. The hole they used to enter the weird white endless void disappeared. This was 100% not a place two teenagers could call a brand new home. They saw Ed's suit thrown onto the floor but he was nowhere to be seen. It was empty except for the suit. Doug began to feel scared again. He looked around and saw nothing but white. They both searched for Ed. Left, right, up and down. He was nowhere. Suddenly, Mikaela and Doug's breathing was rapidly decreasing. The white floor suddenly had shadows, but it wasn't theirs. They looked behind them and a couple of black weird figures were staring at them. They didn't have anything except eyes. No nose, mouth, ears and genitals. They were just black figures with jet black pupils. Like Ed's. Some of them was shaped like a human but some are distorted. One's head was square, another one's legs were as sharp as a knife. Mikaela and Doug wanted to scream but something was stopping them.

"Don't worry guys, they're my new children." Ed said. He suddenly appeared behind those black figures. They all dispersed when Ed said that. He came close to Mikaela and Doug then crouched in front of them. He extended his hands to them while looking at their faces. "Welcome my new children." He smiled brightly. Mikaela and Doug looked at each other and then at Ed. Then they looked back at each other again. Then they slowly reached their hands towards Ed. They didn't know why exactly did they want to touch him. Maybe they wanted to know if it really was Ed, not some ghost. But when they did touch him, he was warm, like a human. Mikaela let out a relieved sigh. Ed chuckled as he got up. "You needn't be scared of them. They're my friends." Ed pointed to the figures. "They won't harm you unless you harm them or me." His warm smile was gone and his voice was low when he said it. Doug got goosebumps all over his body. He felt like Ed will do something to them. Something terrible.

"You can think of how you want your room to be and they will make it happen for you. Try it." Ed turned them both facing the figures. They weren't sure if they had to close their eyes to make it happen but they did anyway. Mikaela wishes for a room with a queen sized bed, her own makeup table, some posters of her favourite movie and singers and a big wardrobe that can fit all of her clothes. Doug wished to have a room with a single comfortable bed, his own computer, a television, an Xbox, some posters of his favourite band, a picture of their parent and a drawer that can fit his clothes. They closed their eyes and counted to 10.

When their eyes opened, the room they had wished for came true! Mikaela couldn't believe her eyes. "This is amazing, Ed!" She was thrilled. Doug simply stood there dumbfounded. His eyes were open wide, as wide as saucers, looking around his room. "I didn't realize you could actually create something this good..." His voice trails off. Ed laughed lightly. Mikaela smiled brightly. "Thank them. They're the builders." His head turned to the figures. They all bowed to Mikaela and Doug then vanished in a blink.

In Ed's endless white dimension, it never went dark. That's why sometimes they were confused when Ed called them to eat dinner when it was still bright. They've talked to Ed about it. He said he'll try to discuss with his black figure-friends, but Doug and Mikaela hadn't heard anything about it from him. They had even forgotten it.

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