paradisa | page five

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henry mills

page five

I guess a lot of people have been leaving lately, huh?

[It's kind of an obvious observation. People have been filing in and out since he got here, but this is the first time it's hit someone he knew, someone from his own world. He hasn't talked to Belle in ages, and now he's realized it's because her nameplate is gone.

He's not quite sure how he feels about that, yet.]

How does the castle pick? Who goes and who stays. Does anybody even have an idea? It can't just be random.

[Right?]

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We would first need to know its reason for keeping us here.

Nothing is random.

[Here, she is on firm ground.]

I always assumed it just got bored with certain people.

Maybe they have a secret lottery.

... Oh. Yeah. [He hadn't really thought of that.] Well, does anybody have ideas about that?

Sometimes they are. But not here, not with the castle. I don't think.

You really think that's all it takes?

[pause]

You mean like with tickets and stuff?

Sure, why not. Maybe we all get drawn numbers, and if our number's up, we go home. If not, we forget all about it until it's time to draw again.

Yeah, I mean... to it we're probably just toys. And when you get bored with toys or break them too much you get rid of them.

What makes you say that?

[Because she believes the instincts of a child over an adult. Any day of the week.]

I was told the castle sustains itself on us, our thoughts and emotions.

And why can't it be random?

It eats our feelings?

I don't know. [He sounds a little less sure, put on the spot like this, but only a little.] It just seems like the castle would have a reason for everything.