Hi! Thank you so much for the positive reviews for The Force of Pain! Considering there was only one other story, I think I did pretty well. I don't really know how this came around…maybe I'll think up a better answer later.
I don't own any of the characters, or the world in which they reside. :(
You've Got Mail
The fire crackled softly in the darkness as Sam made his way toward the light, his feet crunching over the gray gravel littering the island. He had been on the far side, twenty feet away up in the branches of the only tree on the island—an elm, his mind wandering back to a simpler time; a time before he was constantly looking over his shoulder for crazy, murdering aliens with gills.
Drawing closer, he could see the silhouettes of his companions, two of which were both curled, backs leaning against boulders John had brought over a few hours ago, breath coming in slow bursts. But John was over by the edge of the island, the tips of his shoes just hanging over the edge of the cliff, looking up into the stars.
Changing direction, he came up and stopped by his right shoulder, staring straight across the calm, fresh water of the lake surrounding them. The moon was full and bright, so close that Sam felt he could touch it if he reached up far enough, the soft halo surrounding it making it look ethereal, and the sight took his breath momentarily. Moonbeams fell gracefully from the sky, and the water glimmered as it moved in small, gentle waves. Stars twinkled in the water, and the reflections of the evergreens across the lake on the banks darkened the water to pitch black by the edges.
They stood in relative silence, neither acknowledging the other's presence yet sharing so much of themselves at the same time. The call of the owls around them soothed his frayed nerves, and made him forget about the trackers edging closer to their location with every second. Only yesterday had they almost caught up to them, and Sam still could still replay the exact moment that one of them turned and locked eyes with him, singling him out from the group. The howl of a lone wolf searching for its pack made his shoulders clench, and it wasn't untill he felt John's firm grip that he relaxed them. He smiled, before turning and heading back to the fire, his shoes crunching underneath him and he suppressed the shudder running through his body when John's fingers grazed down his back.
The fire was warm and comforting, providing the false security that he had desperately needed for a few nights now, and he stared into its beauty untill he saw John sit down across from him, his eyes never leaving the moon. He could understand why. Behind it, in the vastness of space laid the ruins of his planet. Shuddering, he lowered his gaze, before fishing his backpack from behind him and pulling out a pad and pen.
He held the pen tightly, rubbing his thumb along the shaft, feeling the familiarity. His father had given him this. It had been one of his favorites, and he had caught him admiring it several times before he had been given it as a present; for being the' best explorer any dad could hope for'. He shook his head, clearing it before turning to a new page, the yellowed paper crackling under his touch. Leaning against his knee, the tip of the pen tracing the outline of his lower lip, he scrunched his nose like he did on every occasion where thought was important, his brain searching for the words needed to soothe one of the most important people on the planet.
"What are you doing?"
"My will and testament…I don't want anything valuable going to the wrong people." He smirked, and John returned it as he threw in another log. The fire crackled again, and sparks danced upon the air, blinking out one by one.
"No…really. What are you doing?"
"I'm writing a letter."
John looked intrigued, and leaned forward, cocking his head. "To whom?"
"Sarah."
He recoiled, his fists balling. "We can't involve her, not after working so hard to keep her out of the radar." He was fighting to control himself, he knew. But he also knew that John knew that this was what was needed.
"I know. Which is why I'm writing it and not you. They can track you by smell, and by now they know what your handwriting looks like. Me on the other hand…they don't give a rat's ass. She won't be endangered as long as you keep your smell off the paper. And I'm being careful. She won't know where we are…I'm not putting anything dangerous into this. It's just…she's as much a part of this as I am and she deserves to know what happens."
He frowned. "I still don't like this."
"You don't have to. But if I was in her shoes, I would want to know too. Hell, I'd be going crazy NOT knowing. So I'm doing this for her. She won't be able to reply, but that's not what's important. What's important is that she stays connected so she knows when to hope, when to pray, when to run."
"Hopefully she won't need to do anymore running."
"But we don't know that. And Six thinks it's a good idea too."
"Oh? Been sharing ideas with her and not me now are we?" He stood, turning his back.
"Doth I hear a slight hint of jealousy?"
"No!" He turned, lowering his voice when Six shifted in her sleep. "No. But I see you Sam. You're growing closer and closer to her by the day. And…I miss you sometimes."
He smiled, putting the paper down and slipping the pen into his pocket. "You haven't lost me as a friend. You're just being introverted and quiet…like I was. But now I feel more at home than I have for a while, and even though this is the most dangerous shit I've been in, I love it. I'm sorry if I hurt you John. I've just been overwhelmed and overly excited."
John nodded, smiling. "Plus, you and Six seem to be getting close."
Sam smiled, nodding. "That too."
They fell silent again, and John looked back to the moon. They stood like that for a while, neither moving, the sounds of lapping water, the crackling fire, and their breathing the only comforting sounds in the world. Finally, John turned, sighing. "You can write the letter. But please, don't drag her into this any more than she is."
Sam nodded, rubbing his shoulder, before giving it a gentle squeeze. "I wouldn't dream of it. You can trust me, you know?"
John nodded, taking his former position by the fire, and he found himself back in the same spot he was a few minutes ago. Flipping back, he took a deep breath, nodding once for courage.
Sarah,
Hey. It's Sam. I just wanted to…well to write to tell you all the stuff that's been happening to us so far. We've been traveling a lot lately, usually on deserted roads and along open ground, and when the sun is rising or setting, you can hardly tell where the earth ends and the sky begins. We've all been getting along pretty well. Six and I are bonding quickly, and John seems to have assimilated to sharing leadership pretty damn well.
I can't tell you where we are. I can't give you an address so that you can send us back a letter. I wish I could, but besides the point that if I did your boyfriend would kill me I frankly don't know myself. Each day is just as long and difficult as the last, and there's so much uncertainty around that I don't know where we'll end up by the time day ends.
I'm going to cut to the shit now. John had some hesitations about me writing this. But I talked him into it because I think it's important to know what's happening. Yesterday they found us. We were driving through a forest, when they fucking blindsided us. The truck came flying in from a connecting road, and it almost knocked the truck over. You would have been proud though. The fight was like a mix between the Matrix and a Fast and the Furious movie. And I shot out one of the tires. Hopefully I killed one or two when the truck went barreling through the trees on it's side. But Sarah, I've never been so scared in my entire life before. And I didn't like the feeling I got when I saw death so close to us.
We're hiding now, hoping they can't smell us over the distance of water. But I'm not so sure it's working. Reset assured John will stay safe. I won't let anything happen to him. Besides the fact that he's my best friend, he's the only chance we have of thwarting them because as far as we know he's the only other Lorien with his abilities under control. Bottom line, retirement sounds really fuckin good right now, and with sleep being so scarce, you can bet I'll be playing catch up long after this is over. You're as much a part of this as anything.
I have to finish this now. We can't have the fire going all night, it's not safe. Here is a clue as to where we're headed. Write em down, and I'll try to send one with each letter, so you can at least track the general area of our persons.
Clue 1: It's near the hometown of the person who played Ariadne.
Hope that helps. I can't give you any more information, except that we're so close to finding Number 5, we can almost taste it. I'll be relieved when we do, but that also means more stress because as they come together more, the charm will start to stretch. And when they all unite, it'll break and they'll be able to kill whoever they want.
John says hi. He's been taking care of himself, I promise. And he loves you. He wants me to tell you that you need to stay safe. Don't mention him in public. And that he's been taking pictures with that camera you got him. They're turning out really well.
Stay safe. Keep your spirits up and know we're safe and he's always thinking of you.
From your friend.
Sam.
PS: Tell Mark where we're headed. Maybe get him to lead his father in a whole different direction if he can. We're headed into another place entirely, but anything he can give would be great. And tell him thanks for us. He was never really told how much that initially helped.
PSS: Burn this. If John's stench is on this, or if the police find this, it'll be the end. It's for the best, even if you're in desperate need to keep it so that you know what you're feeling isn't because of some really good, fucked up dream. I know how that feels, but it's imperative to everyone's safety that you do. I'm sorry Sarah. I wish I could tell you to keep it.
John has something for you. Keep this if it helps. If not…well…keep it anyway. Let him have some peace.
When he was done, he fished out an envelope, carefully wrote out the address, and sealed it before layering a few stamps onto the front. Nodding in satisfaction, he turned to see John staring at him, a bucket of water in hand.
"You ready?"
He nodded, smiling. "Night John. I'll keep first watch?"
He nodded. "Wake me up if you hear anything. Got it?"
He smirked. "I know the drill."
"Good."
He doused the flames, sending them into total darkness and Sam grew uneasy in a second. Taking a few deep breaths, he stood up, grabbing a flashlight in one hand, and the gun in the other, hefting it up over his shoulder. Turning, he started toward the Elm again. It was the best vantage point anyway. He had just passed the boulder marking the edge of camp, when he heard John call for him.
"Sam?"
"Hm?" He called, his eyes scanning the top of the ridge on the bank opposite him, looking for the silhouette of big ass dogs and scary looking men.
"Thanks."
He didn't need to ask for what. He didn't need to respond. But he shook his head anyway, before moving on. It's what friends did for each other. And he'd keep doing it as long as he was in that category. John was settling in behind him, and he heard him sigh as he stretched out.
"Night John" he whispered, moving back into the shadows. Let them come.
So. How did you like it? It's not over, but I don't know how long this'll go. So if you have any suggestions or thoughts, tell me. I'd love to try to incorporate it. Thanks again for reading. Reviews mean so much, so thank you for every one of them. Please continue to show your support through them. Till next time.
Troypayisbetter
