The Monster's Room - Chapter 75
Mary Hunt, John Doe’s most successful creation, was the last to awaken from the nightmare and remembered nothing. Her ability to handle nightmares had vanished.
She had become an entirely ordinary child.
<Do you have any guesses as to why?>
“Well…”
It seemed the SCP Foundation was suspecting that Marie might have done something to the child.
“What about the probability of it being an expendable power?”
It was not uncommon for anomalous entities to lose their powers, with various reasons behind it. The case of abilities manifested during childhood disappearing was so frequent that it was almost unremarkable. It appeared that Mary Hunt had followed this pattern.
<We’re already leaning towards that explanation. However…>
“But?”
<There are doubts about whether the success story chosen by the unidentified corpse was truly an anomalous entity with expendable powers.>
“Oh.”
<We’ll find out as we observe.>
Brooks did not press further. After all, there was no evidence. The risks of probing with only suspicions were too high.
<The child will be cared for in a stable environment. She will be under the Foundation’s observation for a long time, but if there are no further variables, she will be classified as neutralized and return to a normal life.>
“That’s good to know.”
<Once again, thank you on behalf of the Foundation. Thanks to you, we were able to eliminate the threat with minimal damage to the facility.>
“I’ll be adequately compensated.”
<Of course. But would you be willing to take on similar assignments in the future?>
“I’d prefer to stay in my own area.”
<That’s something the higher-ups will likely appreciate.>
Their conversation concluded at that point. Marie sighed as she watched the screen go dark.
– You did well, my love.
“Yeah.”
– It was a perfect eradication of evidence.
“….”
In truth, the SCP Foundation’s suspicions were correct.
Marie was the one who had erased the child’s abilities.
– Will you continue to hide it?
“Yes.”
Marie recalled the events of that time. The nightmare, unable to escape due to her lovers’ efforts despite their bodies being destroyed, was inevitably subjected to her real power: brainwashing.
Marie had gritted her teeth and poured all her strength into it.
There was no nightmare.
First, she erased the abilities from the child.
Forget everything about John Doe as well.
Marie had erased all the sins accumulated with John Doe. Initially, the child had resisted fiercely, but eventually succumbed to the overwhelming power of her abilities. Marie had commanded the nightmare to release the monsters, and the brainwashed child let them all go.
That should have been enough.
But at the very end, Marie cast one final layer of brainwashing.
Become happily ordinary.
Thus, Mary Hunt became an ordinary child. Why had she made that choice? Marie felt she understood why she had done it, yet she was engulfed by a contradictory emotion of not wanting to know.
Still, Marie had succeeded in hiding her abilities from the Foundation.
A brainwashing ability that works on both monsters and people—if this were to become known, it was clear that Marie’s peaceful life would be shattered.
– My love.
“Yeah?”
– Where are you going today?
Marie pulled out of her thoughts by Spiegel’s question and checked the schedule on her tablet. Since she had visited the Iron Horse Knight yesterday, it seemed best to visit the Marionette Troupe Leader today and then look for J. And take a rest tomorrow.
– You said you’d rest yesterday, too.
“Hmm.”
That was because the Iron Horse Knight had called her, leaving no choice. If it had been a matter of simply whining or insisting, Marie would have firmly refused. But since he had invited her politely and without breaking any doors, it was a bit difficult for Marie to turn him down.
Moreover, the monster had always been gentle.
When Marie permitted it, he would gently lift her up and walk around the spacious room while listening to her stories. He paid careful attention to the trivial chatter Marie shared and would create things she liked by detaching parts of his own body. The results were the items that lay near Marie.
Black bells flowers, for example. Delicate bracelets made of tiny rice-like beads, and sometimes hair ornaments to adorn her flowing hair—he treated Marie with great care.
Like a true lover.
Recently, it seemed he wanted to walk with Marie along a small path with flowing valley water, but since going out was not an option, Marie was considering asking the Foundation staff to create a new space for them.
– You didn’t rest the day before yesterday either.
“Hmm.”
Coincidentally, the day before yesterday, Marie had been with the Marionette Troupe Leader. Since the nightmare incident, his marionettes had started approaching Marie on their own, even without orders. The Troupe Leader would either permit or dismiss them based on his mood, drawing Marie towards him.
<They are ultimately my extensions, after all.>
With a smile that seemed both joyful and sorrowful, the Troupe Leader spoke, his stitched lips curling into a strange expression.
<I can feel even the faint emotions and pleasures left in them.>
But, Lady.
The puppeteer said this as he seated Marie on his lap and buried his face in her shoulder. His voice, coming from a gramophone, posed no problem in being heard despite his position.
<I must come first.>
His hand slid between Marie’s legs.
<You love me, don’t you?>
