a_gentle_boy: (Surprise)
Lucas ([personal profile] a_gentle_boy) wrote2010-05-09 12:10 am

Ninth PSI

[He awoke in a bed.  That was strange.  He had gone to sleep on a chair, having successfully made it around the neighborhood to visit anyone who was ailing.  The Netherlands hadn't yet returned when he'd snuck back into the house, pretending as if he had never left in the first place. What was even stranger was that he was apparently in his pajamas and . . . looking out the window . . . There was no haze.  There was no rubble.  There were no hazmat men.  There were no corpses.

 . . .

He slowly walks downstairs as if in a trance and sees the familiar sight of his kitchen.  Tears immediately coming to his eyes, the boy rushes to the telephone.]


Hello?!  Is this Mayfield?  Am I . . . Am I back?!   Did we win?  Did . . . Did we all make it?  Is everyone.  Is everyone OK?  Mr. Netherlands?  Mr. Netherlands, did we beat them?

Is this real . . . ?  If this is really Mayfield, someone please answer me.  There were so many things we found in Westport.  And last night -- Last night, that voice.  Richard Grey's last message.  You all heard it too, right?

EDIT:
Kay's right.
We all found clues over there that everyone should see.  I have a copy of the note that Kay and I found in the library and the one that Miss Alice and I found in the car.  If anyone wants to come see them, that's fine.  We should all get together sometime soon.

[identity profile] a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com 2010-05-09 04:34 am (UTC)(link)
That's right. He is now that you've helped him. And of course.

[He responds without hesitation.]

I. I still have some of the minor injuries and stuff, but I'll be fine. There might be people who're still really hurt -- I should go visit them.

[identity profile] windmill.livejournal.com 2010-05-09 04:40 am (UTC)(link)
[There are no hazmat men here, no poisonous gas, but... He can't help but be worried, and then he feels an abrupt pang of something else. Lucas still wants to be out there helping selflessly.

...But, still. To leave him on his own...]


I know it's... safer here, but you should take care of yourself first. [ . . . and his real concern: ] But if you're going to do that, it doesn't have to be by yourself. I can make rounds with you, if you want.

[identity profile] a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com 2010-05-09 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
. . . Aha! That's fine. I'd like to see you, very much. Just to make sure I'm not dreaming.

[identity profile] windmill.livejournal.com 2010-05-09 04:56 am (UTC)(link)
I'll be there right away.

[and he'll be pulling up to Goldberg Street in his car ten minutes later.]

[identity profile] a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com 2010-05-09 05:02 am (UTC)(link)
[Lucas attempts to hug the man. It doesn't work too well until he actually enters the car. After he's finished.]

We made it to the end together. Thank you, Mr. Netherlands.

[identity profile] windmill.livejournal.com 2010-05-09 05:34 am (UTC)(link)
[Hugging Lucas back, closely.]

I'm glad. ...I'm so glad. No- thank you.

[identity profile] a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com 2010-05-09 05:38 am (UTC)(link)
Me, too. Even the people who died are OK. I was afraid for a moment, but . . . It looks like everything's turned out just fine.

W-Why thank me?

[identity profile] windmill.livejournal.com 2010-05-09 05:41 am (UTC)(link)
You saved my life. I'd have died if you didn't. [ . . . ] And more than once, you gave me perspective when I needed it most.

[identity profile] a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com 2010-05-09 05:48 am (UTC)(link)
Oh! . . .

[He doesn't like being thanked all that much for his healing work (wouldn't anyone do the same thing?) but that last part was new. He contemplates it for a few moments. He nods.]

You, too, Mr. Netherlands. Back during that second day or so . . . I was almost going to give up already.

[identity profile] windmill.livejournal.com 2010-05-09 05:57 am (UTC)(link)
[squeezes his shoulder.] It made all the difference to me. So... Dank u. Thank you.

[identity profile] a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com 2010-05-09 06:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[Lucas blushes deeply and shakes his head again.]

We . . . We all just did what we had to do. But thank you. That means a lot to me.

[identity profile] windmill.livejournal.com 2010-05-10 12:30 am (UTC)(link)
[ruffling his hair, hngh] And we learned a lot, so we're more than prepared for the future.

[identity profile] a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com 2010-05-10 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
[He doesn't seem to mind.]

Hopefully. After we all rest for a few days, we really should get the clues together.

[identity profile] windmill.livejournal.com 2010-05-10 01:13 am (UTC)(link)
[starting the car up] Good idea. America and I are going to start having nation meetings, too.

[identity profile] a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com 2010-05-10 01:27 am (UTC)(link)
So Mr. America is a country, too? Are Mr. Russia and your sister? It seems like there are a lot of them . . .

[identity profile] windmill.livejournal.com 2010-05-10 03:28 am (UTC)(link)
...Yeah. Belgium is my sister. There's hundreds of us.

[identity profile] a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com 2010-05-10 03:44 am (UTC)(link)
H-Hundreds?! All from the same world? . . . Wow. There was only one where I came from.

I wonder if the Nowhere Islands might show up here as a person.

[identity profile] windmill.livejournal.com 2010-05-10 04:02 am (UTC)(link)
Nowhere Islands? Is that where you're from?

[identity profile] a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com 2010-05-10 04:07 am (UTC)(link)
T-That's right.

[There is the tiniest trace of quiver in his voice. He'd forgotten that he'd never said anything about his past to the Netherlands. They'd gotten so close that it hadn't even crossed his minds.]

And my town was called Tazmily.

[identity profile] windmill.livejournal.com 2010-05-10 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
[He drives slowly.] I'd like to learn more about where you come from. [He's genuinely curious.]

[identity profile] a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com 2010-05-10 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
Tazmily was a wonderful place. It was . . . It wasn't even much of a town. It was a really small village, where everyone knew everyone else. The type of place that I guess isn't very usual for other people. But I loved living there . . . I really did. But . . .

[Lucas's voice trails off. He doesn't really want to keep going. Not now, after what they've just gone through.]

[identity profile] windmill.livejournal.com 2010-05-10 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
[He detects the subtle change in mood, but smiles kindly.] Tell me more about it later, ja?

[identity profile] a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com 2010-05-10 04:51 am (UTC)(link)
OK.

[And he smiles. The Netherlands understands.]

I promise I'll tell you all about it sometime later. Just some other day, maybe.

[identity profile] windmill.livejournal.com 2010-05-10 05:04 am (UTC)(link)
Whenever you're ready.

[and instead of hunting for injured people, he's ... pulling up to the malt shop]

[identity profile] a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com 2010-05-10 05:11 am (UTC)(link)
[Lucas does not notice until they are about to leave the car.]

This is -- Ah, weren't we supposed to be . . .

((Gotta go to bed now, night!))

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