6 had had a long day at work, and was exhausted. But it was not going home just yet. Instead, 6 was going to engage in its one guilty pleasure. Seeing 9.

6 and 7 had been together for only a short while, since March of last year, but their relationship had moved fast. They moved in together into the small apartment 7 lived in on the nice side of town, and 6 was happy. Well, mostly. 7 was perfect. It always had its life put together. 7 had helped 6 out of a bad time in its life, forgotten, devalued by the other numbers. 7 was in its prime.

6 was always compared to its parents, 2 and 3. It lived its life in their shadows. The only number who got it was 9. 6 and 9 had been in the same boat, and they used to be a thing. And well, whenever 6 needed something that felt real, it went back to 9. It knew it wasn’t fair to 7, and 6 hated that. But at the same time, 9 was addicting. 9 was really, really good in bed. 

That’s why 6 was back again, at 9’s rundown apartment in the bad part of town. That’s why 6 pushed down the little voice in its head saying ‘this is wrong’. That’s why, when 6 unlocked 9’s door with the key on its keyring, it had convinced itself that things would be okay. They weren’t.

Blood on floor, in the entrance way. A shit ton of blood. The house was eerily silent. 6 knew it should leave, but it couldn’t. It had to know what had happened. The house wasn’t entirely silent, now that 6 listened. There was a faint sound, something slightly animalistic, deep in the house. 6 crept forwards, following a trail of blood on the ratty carpet. It led towards the bedroom. Just outside the door, 6 saw a crumpled up piece of fabric, the blood soaked lingerie that 6 had so often seen on 9’s perfect square body.

The noises stopped. 6 froze.

“Darling, is that you?”

That voice, it couldn’t be…?

6 looked into the darkened room and saw, to its horror, the familiar shape of 7, drenched in blood and smiling a toothy red-specked grin.

“7, what have you done?”

“What was necessary.”

“Where is 9?”

7 gestured behind it, and 6 saw the mutilated, partially devoured remains of 9. 6 vomited in the doorway. How could 7 do this? This was crazy! 7 was an odd number, but this… this was unprecedented.

“It will be okay 6. Now there are no secrets between us.”

7 was less than a foot away from 6 now. It’s caring smile churned 6’s stomach, but there was nothing left to expel.

“Let’s go home, 6. We’re even now.”

6 was dragged away from the scene in a terrified daze, 7 keeping a cold arm around it all the while. 7 was humming to itself: 6-7, 6-7, 6-7…