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 Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:20 pm
Repressing a squeak as she got an unexpected nudge in the ribs, Crow hopped off and waited for Liam to lead. Julian got up out of his corner, silent as a shadow himself, and followed Björn out.
Unable to repress a nervous snicker at the mishap with the door, Len grabbed hold of Ethan again and dragged him along with her.
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:27 pm
Liam followed Björn with a sigh, clinging hard to Crow's hand.
"Did Jean say where they lived?"
"No, but we can guess."
"Huh?"
"I've never seen them. They must live in the woods somewhere."
"Left or right?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:29 pm
"Left," Ethan said.
"Right."
"Um. Wait a second."
Ethan dug a quarter out of his pocket.
"Call it."
"Heads."
"Heads. Right."
Crow shook her head, rolling her eyes and declining to comment. Julian didn't even bother to react.
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:32 pm
Björn nodded and headed right, toward the Town Hall and thereabouts. If they got to the Wall, they'd know they had gone the wrong way. Until then...
Liam followed Björn, eyes facing the ground.
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:37 pm
Crow let herself be lead, boots scuffing occasionally on the street. Julian walked beside them though he stayed at a distance, and when she glanced sidelong at him she shivered at how expressionless his face was.
"C'mon," Len muttered to Ethan, clutching his hand hard.
Ethan nodded, allowing his hand to be crushed.
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:46 pm
Suddenly, Björn stopped and turned, recieving Liam's head to his stomach.
"Wrong way. Turn around."
"How can you tell?" Liam begged, trying to see by the fleshmountain in his way.
"Liam, don't--"
Too late. The man had already let go of Crow and bolted around Björn to see what he was being held back from.
He immediately wished he hadn't.
Only a few feet away, with the Vavvian flag planted rudely in the centre, was what had once been his home.
There was even a bit of caution tape still flapping in the wind.
It took Liam a moment to react, and then he bolted forward, falling to his knees rather painfully in a pile of ******** them."
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:54 pm
Unsure what was going on but pretty certain it wasn't something to ask about at the scene, Crow watched the tape flapping wearily in the wind and said nothing, though she ached to ask. Julian stood beside her, stone silent and looking at the sooty ground.
Len watched Liam, gnawing at her lip, and clung to Ethan a little tighter.
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:57 pm
Liam stood after a moment and brushed his hands off on his uniform. He peered almost longingly toward a nearby staircase that led to nowhere, tears pressing at the backs of his eyes. Hell, why not? Liam mounted the first step, tested the next with his weight, and then scampered up to the top.
Second floor. He'd lived three above.
Regardless, the young man closed his eyes and lifted his head slightly, imagining.
"...Faar?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:02 pm
Wanting to follow Liam but not sure if she should, Crow hugged her arms around herself and watched Liam anxiously. Obviously the place was important to him, though she just did and didn't want to ask why.
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:08 pm
In Liam's mind, he was back in his apartment. His father was sitting in the kitchen while he fixed his guitar, Liam guessed. After all, his body had been mostly intact. His mother? Probably by the window in her rocking chair, watching the sky or mending.
Except this time Liam was there himself, sitting at her feet, young and vulnerable.
And then the tiny little black dot, followed by a tiny little tail of fire...that got bigger. And bigger. And bigger. It nearly filled the entire room with shadow before anyone noticed, and then it was too late.
Boom.
Byebye, Mommy. Byebye, Daddy. Byebye Liam, too. That's how it should have happened anyway.
Outwardly, Liam was sobbing near-hysterically, and yet silently. Tears streamed down his face and his chest heaved, but no sound erupted. His arms were spread out horizontally, his face to the sky and his body half-arched, looking for all the world like he was going to either fly or fall.
"Go on. Go to him. He's your little orphan."
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:15 pm
Crow nodded, stepping over the sooty ground as though certain it would shatter beneath her. She climbed up the stair slowly, ignoring the occasional creaks. She was half-afraid to touch him, afraid she'd startle him into falling or make him jump, but she got closer until she was half a step beside him and waited. She didn't speak. She looked at his face, studying every inch of it and wishing she could help get rid of the suffering that seemed to distort it. It hurt her to realize she didn't know why he was this way, and a few tears sprang up but stayed unspilled, pure instinctive response to Liam's pain.
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:17 pm
Liam's knees suddenly weakened and he fell to his knees, head and arms drooping. He seemed to sway for a moment, as if he was going to go over the edge and plunge down to the shards of concrete and rebar protruding from the ground.
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:20 pm
"Hai!"
Crow darted forward, bruising her knees as she smashed them against the stair, and caught Liam up in her arms, instantly panicked. She clung very tight, overwhelmingly paranoid he would pitch forward and kill himself if she dared to let go.
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:24 pm
Liam's eyes opened suddenly, dazed and blank and dull. He slowly awakened from his stupor and turned slowly. He studied Crow like a deer in headlights and then, too exhausted to cry or shriek, he clung to her, burying his head in the curve of her neck.
Björn sighed and shifted the trunk on his shoulder.
"Poor kid."
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:28 pm
Ignoring the frantic beating of her heart as the sudden adrenaline faded off again, Crow hugged Liam close and ran one hand over his hair, gentling him and discreetly sliding them both away from the edge.
Julian watched with a flicker of uncertain worry, then glanced at the sooty ground again. He'd ask Crow, if she ever got the nerve to ask about what happened herself.
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