“Felicity, Torpor…why don’t you finish your conversation inside,” said Pitch. “There’s no need for you to stay out here and scare these children. I don’t think they’re going to stay long.”

The stone giants lumbered into the cave in a sort of hesitant way. But they stayed within sight near the entrance, seemingly watching the two visitors out of the corners of nonexistent eyes.

“Were they…talking before?” asked Dreadlilocks, curious. “I didn’t hear anything.”

“Most people can’t hear them. Not until they learn to listen,” Pitch answered. She narrowed her eyes at Lucid Fright. “Anyway, what are you doing here?”

“That’s not a very n-nice way to greet an old friend…” Lucy mumbled.

“We aren’t friends, and we especially aren’t old ones. I only wrote to you because I thought someone ought to know what became of me, and you were the only one I could think of who wouldn’t act foolishly if I told them. Until now…”

“I’m not being f-foolish; I came here for a reason. To ask you for help. Dreadlilocks and I are going to the moon.”

Pitch lifted an eyebrow. “To the moon? Why?” she asked.

“To stop the unwriting. You know what it is; it was already happening before you left…”

“Yes, I know. But what makes you and this…baby think you can stop it??”

“I’m not a baby!” Dreadli protested. “I’m eleven years old…! And I don’t know if I can stop the unwriting, but I’m going to try! I’m going to at least try to find out what’s going on!”

“Trying and succeeding are two different things.”

“Maybe, but…if enough people try, someone has to succeed. The world needs triers…nothing would ever get done without them.”

Pitch’s expression seemed to soften a bit at that statement. She sighed. “…What exactly were you thinking of asking me to do?”

“W-well, it’s not exactly a small favor…” Lucy began. “We want you to come with us. I know you’re strong enough to fight against the ph-phantasms.”

“And I’m guessing you aren’t. So you want me along to protect you.”

“Yes, please,” Dreadli finished.

Pitch shook her head. “Do you even understand the enormity of this request??” she asked. “It will take weeks to reach the moon. The phantasms are getting more dangerous by the day. We could die. We’ll almost certainly die if we try to cross the Margins at a time like this.”

“If you don’t want to, you can say no,” said Dreadlilocks. “You don’t even have to give a reason. We’ll understand.”

Pitch narrowed her eyes again, as if the very idea of being offered such sympathy from a little girl was shameful and insulting. “…I’m going to think about it,” she said, turning back towards the cave. “You may wait for me inside.”

~~

Pitch’s home was a dark and wondrous place, another sight the two girls were glad they’d gotten to behold, whether they ended up getting what they came for or not.

Lucy found a stick and began poking at all the glowing fungi on the cave walls, occasionally poking into some animal’s nest on accident and paying for it in fright.

Dreadli, on the other hand, sat silently by the stone giants, watching them intently and straining to listen well enough to hear their voices.

At one point she could have sworn she detected some faint, barely audible whispers coming from their direction…but before she could be sure they weren’t just coming from her imagination, Pitch reappeared, teacup and saucer in hand. “Here,” she said simply.

“Oh…thank you,” Dreadli replied, accepting the drink. She took a sip…the taste was strong but smooth, like one might imagine the flavor of an autumn storm cloud.

“…I’ve decided I’ll go with you,” Pitch said. “Tomorrow morning. But first, there’s something I want to know…why?”

“Why??”

“Why are you going to the moon? Besides the fact that someone has to; everyone knows that. What made you decide to take on the responsibility for yourself?”

“You have to have some kind of purpose to believe in,” Pitch continued. “Something real. Something that will keep you going when it would be much easier and less painful to just give up. Because a moment like that will come. Or haven’t you thought that far ahead…?”

Dreadlilocks thought for a moment…but found she didn’t know what to say. Shamefully, she hung her head. “…If I can’t answer you right now, does that mean you won’t come?” she asked.

“…No,” Pitch answered, turning to go. “But I’d appreciate it if you would think about it.”

With that, she disappeared into the darkness of the cave. Slowly, Dreadlilocks took another sip of tea.