The Dhani urged him to calm down, and he tried his best, taking a few, deep breaths to slow the somewhat-panicked beating of his heart. But it was a hard thing to do when you were worried, and even harder to do when you were scared. Miss Maya was all alone, out there, surrounded by things that could hurt her; things that slunk around in the dark and hid in the shadows, things with teeth and claws and scary glowing eyes that watched you wherever you went. They were bad things—evil things—and he hadn't been able to tell her about them before she'd went in. She had said that it would all be fine, had sworn that it was all just one big illusion, but it wasn't, he knew that it wasn't, and she didn't. So what would happen if she ran into some of them?
Mister Ekans was quiet for a moment, seeming to mull over the situation, and Phobius stared at him and waited, hoping with all of his heart that he would be able to think of something for them to do. If anyone could do it, it was him; he was smart, like Miss Maya, and the boy had a feeling that he thought of things that other people didn't; maybe he even saw things that other people couldn't.
"Who says you have to go?" he finally said, hissing some of his words. At the mention of the knife, the boy looked down at it and frowned; it still felt wrong in his hands, with its cold metal blade that he thought he could cut himself with if he wasn't careful.
"No," he said, sounding disheartened. "No, I never used one. Not to hurt people. I don't want to hurt people. I don't want to hurt anything."
Then he fell silent, his eyes fixated on the knife as he tried to imagine himself stabbing something with it. The mere thought was enough to make him feel sick to his stomach, and for a few ticks he considered dropping it, not wanting to have to touch or see it ever again...but he didn't, and clutched it instead, as though he were suddenly afraid of losing it.
"But...but if I have to, to help Miss Maya, then I will. I don't want those monsters hurting her."
Having made up his mind, the boy looked up at the Dhani, feeling a bit more determined than scared. True, no one had said that he had to go through the door, and he definitely didn't want to—not when he could think of a million and one other things that he would rather do—but he and Miss Maya had agreed on going together, and he still needed to find Araphos. Staying out here and twiddling his thumbs wasn't an option.
"I'm going," Phobius said, and he hoped that he seemed confident. "You should go, too. Don't you wanna find Miss Maya?"
Mister Ekans was quiet for a moment, seeming to mull over the situation, and Phobius stared at him and waited, hoping with all of his heart that he would be able to think of something for them to do. If anyone could do it, it was him; he was smart, like Miss Maya, and the boy had a feeling that he thought of things that other people didn't; maybe he even saw things that other people couldn't.
"Who says you have to go?" he finally said, hissing some of his words. At the mention of the knife, the boy looked down at it and frowned; it still felt wrong in his hands, with its cold metal blade that he thought he could cut himself with if he wasn't careful.
"No," he said, sounding disheartened. "No, I never used one. Not to hurt people. I don't want to hurt people. I don't want to hurt anything."
Then he fell silent, his eyes fixated on the knife as he tried to imagine himself stabbing something with it. The mere thought was enough to make him feel sick to his stomach, and for a few ticks he considered dropping it, not wanting to have to touch or see it ever again...but he didn't, and clutched it instead, as though he were suddenly afraid of losing it.
"But...but if I have to, to help Miss Maya, then I will. I don't want those monsters hurting her."
Having made up his mind, the boy looked up at the Dhani, feeling a bit more determined than scared. True, no one had said that he had to go through the door, and he definitely didn't want to—not when he could think of a million and one other things that he would rather do—but he and Miss Maya had agreed on going together, and he still needed to find Araphos. Staying out here and twiddling his thumbs wasn't an option.
"I'm going," Phobius said, and he hoped that he seemed confident. "You should go, too. Don't you wanna find Miss Maya?"
