A flash of lightning briefly illuminated the dark and dreary kitchen as Harry and Six tried to figure out just where they were supposed to go. The first thought they had was the door itself, but getting to it was a whole problem in and of itself, as the thousands of noisy bugs reminded him.


    If only there was some way to get rid of them. They knew they were afraid of the light, but that didn''t help them much as they only had a single flashlight, and Six doubted her lighter would do anything to scare them away. It was handy in a pinch, but it really didn''t provide much light.


    Thinking about that did give Six an idea though. Looking up, she noticed a light fixture, one that was frustratingly dark. If they could just get that on, then maybe the bugs would run away. It was worth a shot.


    "Hairy, point the light there," she requested. Harry turned to see where she was indicating and shone his light on the ceiling. Now that she could see it better, she frowned at all the filth covering it. Hopefully that wouldn''t hinder the light enough that the creepy crawlies remained.


    "We need to find some way to turn that on. It should help us with our bug problem," Six said, making Harry nod in agreement. And even if it didn''t, Harry would not say no to a little more light.


    "Right, so now we just need to find a switch or something," Harry mumbled, already searching the room for just that. He didn''t remember seeing one while inspecting the room earlier, but perhaps he just missed it? Wouldn''t be the first time he failed to recognize something important.


    He first walked over the leftmost edge of the cabinet they were on and started his search there. He was hoping that the switch, or whatever it was they needed to find would conveniently be right next to them. However, as his light illuminated the area below him, all he was met with was disappointment.


    "Of course, can''t have things too easy now, can we?" he grumbled, making Six''s mouth give a little uptick. He really should have known better. Things are never that simple here in the Nowhere.


    With a despondent sigh, he began searching the rest of the room, starting from the left, he slowly scoured the walls. But besides the normal dirt and grim, he didn''t see anything that looked remotely like a switch. He passed the sink with all the dishes, passed the countertops and the stove with the pot on it, but there was nothing. It wasn''t until his light made its way to the rightmost wall, the one with the door on it, that he finally noticed something.


    "There, is that it?" he asked, turning to look at Six. Her ruby red eyes had been following along the trail of Harry''s flashlight, hoping to spot the thing they needed. They narrowed in frustration when they landed on what Harry was pointing at; a large switch against the far wall near the corner.


    That was not what she was hoping for. There was no possible way to make it to the switch without them traveling along the floor, which was covered in bugs. They were the main reason she wanted to turn the lights on in the first place. Not only that, it looked like it was too high up for them to reach without boosting each other up or finding something to stand on.


    "Looks like it," she mumbled, almost absent mindedly, already looking for a way to reach it.


    "Great, now how are we supposed to get there?" Harry grumbled, when another flash of lighting lit up the room for a brief second. But that second was more than enough for Six to spot something that may prove useful.


    "I think I see something. Let me see that," Six said, grabbing the flashlight. But rather than take it from him, she just redirected its focus, placing her hand over his and none too gently pointing it to where she thought she saw…


    Yes, a chair! It was nestled in the far right corner, barely visible from this angle, but she was able to see it. Like the light, it wasn''t in the most ideal location, but at least she knew where it was. After that, it all came down to planning and execution.


    "So what are we supposed to do with that?" Harry asked, not understanding why Six was so happy to have found it. Sure they could use it to reach the switch, but that didn''t solve the infestation problem.


    "Hmm, let me think," Six said, moving his arm with the flashlight around the room, much to his amusement. He would have gladly given it to her if she had simply asked, but he didn''t exactly mind the warmth of her hand either.


    "I think I have an idea…" Six said after a while. Harry expected her face to be more enthused about it, but the frown she wore suggested he wasn''t going to like this plan.


    "You don''t look too excited about it," he mentioned, getting Six to release her hold on him. She sighed, running her hand through her tousled locks.


    "I''m not, but I don''t see another way forward. One of us is going to have to go down there and move the chair while the other follows along with the flashlight to keep the bugs at bay," she said. Harry was right, he didn''t like that plan.


    "That''s way too dangerous. We don''t even know if these things will attack us. Who knows, maybe they''re friendly," he suggested, but his tone spoke volumes about his real thoughts on the matter. Six merely raised an eyebrow at him, her entire expression screamed, "Really?"


    "Ok, the chances of that are slim, but still! There has to be a better way," Harry said. His eyes traveled down to the moving floor below, flinching at the sounds they made. Like wet rubber squeaking against itself.


    "I know it''s not exactly ideal, but if you have a better idea, I''m all ears," she suggested, crossing her arms over her chest. Honestly if he did have a better plan, she would gladly go for it. Just because she suggested one of her own didn''t mean she was keen on it. She just didn''t see another way forward.


    Harry looked around the room, hoping to have some kind of epiphany that would reveal the secrets of the world and make it so neither one of them had to traverse the almost certainly deadly floor. But after about a minute of searching, nothing came to mind. He didn''t even see anything he could use his magic on that would help, not that he was in any position to use his magic in the first place. He still hasn''t recovered from the previous room.


    "Alright, alright, we''ll go with your plan. How do we start?" he asked, sounding defeated. Six gave him a pat on the head, making him glare at her. But she just smirked in return before turning to look at the dark room before them.


    "Ok, first we need to find a way to get to the middle island. It looks too far to jump, so we need to get to the chair and drag it over here first. That way we can use it as a stepping stone," Six said, getting a nod from Harry.


    "After that, we''ll have to drag the chair to the other aisle so we can get to the far countertop. From there, it should be a simple matter to drag the chair over to the light and flip it on. Hopefully it works," she muttered. Not like it would be the first time if it didn''t.


    The plan itself was rather simple, Harry had to admit, but that didn''t mean it was easy. One wrong move from either of them could spell the death of the one on the ground.


    "Alright, that''s about as good as it can be, I guess. So the only question left is, which one of us is moving the chair, and which one of us is pointing the light?" he asked, green eyes meeting red.


    "I''ll go for the chair. You''re too tired so it''s safer if I go," Six stated, her tone brokering no argument. As much as Harry wanted to, he couldn''t. She was right, he was very tired. But still, the thought of her going down there amongst all those scurrying insects made his stomach twist into knots. The image of them swarming her and ripping apart her flesh while he watched, unable to do anything but listen to her screams was almost too much to bear.


    Just like with Rose.


    "Are you sure? I mean, I can-" he started to say, but Six cut him off by reaching out and giving his hand a squeeze. Harry let out a breath he didn''t even know he was holding, his shoulders sagging as tension fled from his body.


    "It has to be me, and you know it. I''ll be fine, I trust you to keep me in the light," she said, her eyes firm yet gentle. Harry stared at her for a moment, searching for something he wasn''t even sure of. Assurance, maybe? As if that was some sort of guarantee.


    After a minute, Harry shook his head, a rueful smile on his face. "Alright Six, you win. I''ll stay back and make sure none of those little buggers gets anywhere near you," he said, a feeling of resolution worming its way up from within.


    "You better," Six said with a stern glare, making Harry chuckle. With that settled, the two of them prepared for their next life threatening stunt. Harry moved to the far side of the cabinet while Six began her climb down.


    The cabinet itself was filled mostly with plates and dishware, so she had to be extra careful not to knock any over. Not only to prevent making any noise, which was basically her M.O, but she also didn''t fancy slicing open her feet on the broken shards.


    Harry was shining the light down onto the ground, scattering hundreds of bugs, their frightened and painful chittering the only indication they were ever there. Six would have looked down to make sure they really were gone, but she trusted Harry.


    And wasn''t that a strange notion. Her trusting someone so completely as to put her very life in their hands. If someone had told her that just a few days ago she would have thought them insane. And yet, here she was, ready to drop down onto the ground with what was certainly a horde of flesh-eating insects.


    Life sure was funny sometimes. But mostly it was horrifying.


    Six halted her movement as a large, white, porcelain plate rattled as she gripped it. She carefully continued her way down, taking special note not to rattle any more. Once she was nearly to the ground, she casually dropped the last little bit.


    She landed on the sandy floor, kicking up a small cloud of dust. She let out a small cough, waving her hand in front of her face to get rid of the remaining particles. Once that was done, she turned around, watching with curiosity and a hint of fear at the bugs surrounding her, the only thing between her and a grizzly death was a flashlight.


    They were far more disturbing up close. Their exoskeletons were glossy black and spiny, with long legs covered with painful looking barbs. But it was their mouths that were the most disturbing, looking almost like a pair of serrated, end cutting pliers. She did not want to be caught on the wrong end of those.


    She looked back up, and saw Harry giving her a comforting, if shaky smile. He was just as nervous as she was, which surprisingly made her feel more at ease. You''d think it would be the opposite, but no. Knowing he was that worried, over her safety, only encouraged her more.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    So she squared up her shoulders and prepared to make her way through the endless swarm. She carefully took a single step, Harry following her with a razor sharp focus. The bugs squealed as the light hit them, frantically trampling each other to get away.


    This is how they moved forward, with Six taking slow, cautious steps towards the chair, making sure she never veered close enough to the bugs to be in danger, with Harry closely following along with the light. A few of the more eager, or hungry, bugs made daring leaps towards her into the light, and Six felt herself snort thinking about Harry calling them friendly. Thankfully, they retreated before taking a bite out of her.


    It took a few minutes, which seemed to stretch on for hours, but eventually she reached her destination. The chair was made of old, rough wood, making Six sigh. Looks like there was a sliver in her future.


    She grabbed the chair by the legs, right underneath the seat, giving her ample leverage. Taking a deep breath, she began to pull, wincing at the loud noise. That was the opposite of what she wanted to hear. It wasn''t nearly as bad as the cage from the floor below but it still made her hackles rise.


    Hopefully a certain someone wouldn''t hear it.


    Harry kept his hands as steady as he could as Six slowly dragged the large piece of furniture towards the closest aisle. He did his best to ignore the sweat that coated his palms, unwilling to wipe them off in fear he would shake the flashlight and move the protective circle that kept his friend safe.


    As she neared the cabinet and made to pass it, Harry was forced to also move for the first time. He made sure to take slow, even steps so he could keep the light where he wanted it. Before long, she had successfully pulled it to where she wanted it, more or less, which was right in the middle of the aisle.


    Once that was done, she sighed in relief before hopping up onto the chair and then onto the island, heart beating a mile a minute. She turned back towards Harry, who was also sagging in relief.


    Now they just had to do it two more times, no biggie.


    "Alright, now you need to come over here," Six said, getting a firm nod from Harry. He made his way to the leftmost edge again before hopping down onto the countertop. It wasn''t a steep drop, thankfully, and he landed safely with a dull thud.


    Except…


    "Ew…" he groused, feeling something slimy sticking to his feet. He looked around for something to wipe them off with, but of course, the only thing he could find was a cloth so dirty he was sure that if he used it to wipe off his feet, he''d only be making them dirtier. So he just scraped them against a slightly cleaner spot on the counter.


    Six watched this with mild amusement. He was really going to have to get used to stepping in gross things. She didn''t particularly like it either, but she didn''t make a big deal out of it like he did.


    Once Harry got his feet about as clean as he could, he made his way towards the edge of the counter, carefully avoiding any more muck. Looking down, he frowned at the bugs swarming around the chair legs. Thankfully they didn''t seem to be climbing it, which was a relief. Now he just had to make a couple of jumps and not fall into the squirming mass of death.


    It kind of reminded him of the castle with The Leecher, and all the writhing worms in the moat. At least this wasn''t as far of a drop, but it was still just as unpleasant.


    Stepping away from the ledge, Harry gathered his courage, preparing to make the leap. It wasn''t like it was very far, but he had proven to be somewhat… clumsy. Normally Six would find that entertaining, much to his frustration, but she certainly didn''t want to see him die because of it.


    Or at all really.


    The green eyed boy took a small run up to the ledge before leaping onto the chair. Thankfully he didn''t slip and fall, merely wobbled a bit, using the back of the chair to steady himself.


    Exhaling, Harry righted himself, giving Six a cocky grin, making her roll her eyes at him. Though she did have a slight grin on her face. After that, he made the leap onto the center island, with Six helping him up.


    "That wasn''t so bad," Harry said, slightly out of breath. The jump wasn''t hard, but the fear of failure and the following rush of adrenaline made the effort far more exhausting.


    "Good job. Ready for the next round?" Six asked, making him groan. It was safe to say he was not ready, but they couldn''t just sit there either. There was still the worry of some kind of apex predator in the room, one that instilled an instinctual fear into the mass of bugs below.


    It was far better for them to get a move on.


    "Not really, but let''s do it anyway," he said. Six patted his shoulder in a conciliatory manner before moving past him, ready to jump back down into the hornet''s nest.


    "Hang on, let me make sure I have a clear path up here," he said, getting Six to stop. She turned around, watching as Harry went around the edge of the island, making sure nothing would get in his way of providing the light they needed. He ended up moving a couple of pots/pans out of the way, and Six was glad for the foresight.


    Once that was done she jumped down onto the chair, Harry''s light scaring off all of her would be assassins. She then hopped onto the floor, watching the creatures warily. Just because she did it once did not mean she wasn''t worried about the nasty little things.


    She then started to push the chair back the way she came, as it was the shortest path around the island. She shivered at hearing the constant chattering around her, almost as if they were talking.


    "Hungry."


    "Food."


    "Kill."


    "Eat."


    That''s what she imagined they were saying, over and over again on repeat, like it was some kind of religious chant. She didn''t actually hear any voices, thankfully, as that would be a whole other mess of problems, but her imagination was frustratingly vivid at times.


    As she made it out of the aisle she maneuvered herself around the chair so she could start dragging it. She still winced at the sound of the wooden legs scraping against the floor, wanting to get this over with and return to precious silence.


    Harry above her did his job, not once letting her out of the circle of light. It wasn''t easy, especially when the blighters leapt at her, as all he wanted to do was shine the light directly on them when it happened. But he didn''t, knowing that if he faltered or altered the course, that was it. Six would die, and it would be all his fault.


    So he didn''t, and she made slow, but relatively safe progress around the island, until at last, she had placed the chair right between the island and the far countertop. She quickly jumped up onto the chair and again onto the counter, not wanting to be on the floor any longer than she had to. Not that Harry could blame her.


    Once that was done, Harry followed suit, making it across the dangerous gap with relative ease. It reminded him of the games some kids would play, where they pretended the floor was lava.


    Far better than hungry bugs, in his opinion.


    All that remained was the light switch. The pair of them took a minute to gather their strength. Neither one wanted to mess up due to exhaustion when a few minutes of rest might very well save their lives. As strong as Six was, moving a large chair across the room wasn''t a walk in the park. Harry felt a bit bad that he couldn''t do more to help, but even if he wasn''t tired from magic use, having Six do it was probably still for the best.


    His arms were basically noodles after all.


    After recovering for a bit, the two of them continued. They were in the home stretch now, just a few more feet and they would finally be done with this, and Six, for one, couldn''t be happier.


    But just because she was more than a little eager for this to be over with that didn''t mean she would rush things. Slow and steady, more often than not, kept you alive. Sure there were times when speed was more important than stealth, like when they were climbing up the chain, but this was not one of those times.


    At least, it wasn''t supposed to be. As irritating as it was, Six would have been content to take things as slowly as she needed to get the job done without placing herself in excessive danger. One could argue she already was, but that was more semantics than anything else.


    But when the light that was keeping her safe started to flicker, she knew the slow and steady route was about to be tossed out the window. Why did things always seem to go wrong in the eleventh hour? Was it just the Nowhere plotting against them, seeking entertainment, or was their luck really that bad?


    Harry, who had seen the light blinking in and out, felt his whole body go cold. Six was close to the switch, but not close enough to make the jump with certainty. And now, if she didn''t get a move on, she wouldn''t be.


    "Six, hurry!" he shouted, uncaring for the loudness in his voice. There were more important things to worry about, like his friend getting devoured by hungry cockroaches.


    Not needing to be told twice, or even once really, Six began pushing the chair with all her might. Harry did his best to keep her within the shimmering light, but that was somewhat a moot point at this juncture.


    The bugs, as if sensing the weakness in their prey, started chittering excitedly, nearly drowning out the raging storm outside with their laughter. Every flicker of the light saw them rush towards Six, only to screech angrily when it turned back on.


    For the two of them, the time it took her to get within range seemed like an eternity, when in reality it was only a few seconds. Without her taking cautious steps, it didn''t take any time at all.


    She had wanted to bring the chair all the way to the wall, not wanting to risk her failing the jump, no matter how unlikely that was, or having the switch not work at all. Such a thing would almost certainly mean her death. But now, it seems like she didn''t have a choice.


    As the light blinked for the last time, Six stopped pushing, leaping onto the chair, barely avoiding the ravenous creatures lunging after her. She swore she felt one brush against her bare foot, but paid it no mind, her entire focus now on getting to the switch and hopefully turning on the lights.


    But there was just one little problem… She couldn''t see it anymore. The entire room was now cast in darkness. She looked down, trying to spot the hungry little beasts, but as good as her eyes were, even she couldn''t see them.


    "Six, are you ok?" Harry called out, nervous that he couldn''t see her anymore. He smacked the flashlight, trying to get it to turn back on, but his efforts proved fruitless. He should have figured, as that never worked when his uncle or cousin did so when the telly went out.


    "I''m fine, but I can''t see the switch," she called back, making Harry sag in relief. But her words made him realize their newest dilemma. If she couldn''t see the switch, there was no way to safely jump to it.


    "Maybe I can find some batteries," he said.


    "In the dark?" she asked back. She was right, of course. The chances of him stumbling over some batteries he could use was slim to none. He was more likely to fall off the countertop and get eaten, and that was the last thing he wanted.


    "Yeah… yeah, you''re right. What are we supposed to do then?" he asked. Six wondered the same thing. It was good that the bugs didn''t seem to want to climb the chair, but there was no guarantee that would last forever. Hunger, being the powerful motivator it was, had a way of overcoming fear. She needed a solution, and fast.


    The lightning? Maybe. It did light up the room pretty well, but they were sporadic at best, no way to time when another strike would come. She didn''t want to rely on something so unreliable.


    Could her lighter provide enough light? Only one way to find out. Reaching into her pocket, Six pulled out the dented little thing. Even now she was surprised to find something like this. Not a lighter, per say, but one that was small enough for her to use.


    She flicked the ignition wheel, relief filling her as the soft glow of the tiny flame drove back the shadows threatening to strangle her. It wasn''t the brightest light, but even something as small as it could help guide her along the way.


    Looking towards the switch, she could just barely make it out. That would have to be enough. She placed the lighter on the ground, which thankfully kept producing light without her need to have a finger on it.


    Harry watched this, a nervous reassurance filling him at the sight of the flame. Humans were naturally fearful of the dark, or more accurately, the unknown it represented, the danger that lurked within. But light brought knowledge, and knowledge was the best tool to fight fear.


    That, or a gun. Guns worked too. But seeing as they didn''t have one of those, knowledge would have to suffice.


    "Six, can you see the switch?" Harry asked, as she placed the light on the seat. He himself couldn''t really make it out. He might be able to see it, but then again, he might not. It was clear that Six pushing the chair was absolutely the right call.


    "Yeah, just barely though," she said, staring at it.


    "Can you make it?" he then asked.


    "Easy," she said back, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt. The switch itself wasn''t too far away, but with it barely visible through the gloom, she wasn''t as assured of her success as she would normally be.


    "Ok, just… be careful," he called back, making Six roll her eyes. How was she supposed to be careful? She would either make the jump, or she would fall to her death, there wasn''t enough time for caution. But still, she couldn''t stop the small smile from blossoming on her face.


    Six took a step back, until she could feel the edge of the chair seat with her heel. It wasn''t much of a running start, but it was better than nothing. Taking a deep breath, she ran, springing off the chair and soaring through the air while small monsters cried out in hunger, leaping at her with clacking, drooling mandibles.


    But none of them could reach her.


    Thankfully, she didn''t have the same problem as them, grabbing onto the switch and gripping it tight. For a second, nothing happened, the switch stubbornly remaining in place. But after a few seconds, it finally gave in.


    The lights immediately came on, much to Six and Harry''s relief. But they were the only ones. The cockroach-like creatures screamed in pain and panic, stampeding in every direction looking for somewhere to hide from the light.


    It was kind of enjoyable to watch, a feeling of satisfaction entering both of them from their victory. More often than not, it was them running away in a panic, but not this time. This time, they were the monsters, and it felt good.