a trail of white pebbles

Hello?

What did you do?

[mumbling]

M: I don’t think that’s a great id-

[wood creaking]

M: Shit, shit, shit, Teddy, get off of my arm!

[shaky breaths]

[shuffling]

[door squeaking open]

[heavy footsteps]

?2: Maria?

M: Keeper! K-Keeper, I-

[door slamming]

?2: Who were you talking to?

M: Teddy.

?2: Are you sure?

M: Mhm!

[slow footsteps]

?2: Are you sure it wasn’t that?

M: What’s th-that-

[something touching the mic]

[static]

get͏ ̴you͞r ̶own ͞t̛o͟ys.

Depends on who’s offering.

do you want some advice?

[giggling]

M: There’s no kind people, that’s what he tells me. Just protectors, thieves, and the n...um... naive. Naive! How did I forget that? 

[groaning]

M: Dyslexia’s got me all mixed up.

[pause - two seconds]

M: If the keeper has what you’re looking for, ask him. He knows things that I don’t, he’s the adult. Duh.

[pause - four seconds]

something’s wrong

you seem to have your hands in all the wrong messes, don’t you?

[sighing]

M: You know I can’t tell you, right? You’re playing the game, too. Everyone is. The whole point is so you don’t know.

[sniffle]

[sigh]

M: We talk with the neighbors, but not usually. Keeper and I play games with them - the kind of secret games where only we know that we’re playing.

[rattling]

M: Usually, it’s the game where I talk school and make up kid friends to pretend I know. Or the one where Keeper talks about rent, even though we don’t pay it. Sometimes we play one where he says he fell and hit his head... that one’s for special occasions.

[giggle]

M: It’s okay! Everybody dies. 

[distant babbling]

M: Oh, that’s Teddy, he m-must’ve just woken up…

[shuffling]

[sound of mic moving]

[footsteps]

M: We’ve been with Keeper for a really long time, yeah, but I only remember… I mainly remember the last few years. That’s silly and weird to me, but whatever.

[door creaking]

[whispering]

M: Teddy bear, Teddy, Teddy…

[humming]

M: Who’s... “Chase”?

[mumbling]

M: You must be confused, too. I don’t remember the last time I saw my dad, I was a baby. That’s why we live with Keeper. Uh-

[clears throat]

[silence - ten seconds]

M: I…

[static buzz]

M: You..

[pause - six seconds]

M: We go from place to place, like... what are they called? Normands?

[tongue clicks]

M: Maybe it’s normads... nomards... no... nomads. Nomads!

[pause - two seconds]

[laughing]

M: Oh, I should be quieter. Oops.

[soft giggling] 

M: It usually is just us! It isn’t... cozy, though. A little moldy, not very light, but I like it anyway. Makes me feel like I’m in a storybook. And we’re u-

[choking]

[pause - one second]