Chapter 2

The Explanashuns of My Life

{Todd}

"Knowledge is dangerous and men lie and the world changes, whether I want it to or not."

New World
Pathways' End
Spackle Tent
7:24pm

SHE AIN'T gonna stop staring at me. Ever since she opened her eyes, they ain't left my face, not never.

"Yer can tell me if there's something on my face, yer know." Viola jumped a little when she heard me speak. I don't blame her, even I was a little shocked to hear how hoarse and broken my voice sounded.

Well, I guess that's what yer get for being practically dead for... I don't know how long cuz Viola ain't told me nothing yet, just been staring at me.
I reached up and started runnin' my hands over my face cuz I have to admit that being stared at for over half an hour is making me just a little bit conscious. I looked up at her, only to find her eyes still fixed to my face.

Has she even blinked yet?

"Will yer stop that! It's creeping me out!" I reached out to grab her wrist but she had already thrown her arms around my neck, nearly making me collapse in a heap on the floor.

"What took you so long?" Viola whispered into my shoulder, causing a shiver to race down my spine.

She wasn't crying. But, believe me; if yer didn't know Viola very well, then you'd probably believe that she was crying.
Cuz her voice contained such pain and happiness that even one the toughest guys on New World would find it hard not to drown in their own tears.
And, even tho my stomach is probably six feet under the ground already and there's a huge ass lump in my throat, I don't even have the strength to say sorry.

I have so much to say to her. So much that I'm speechless. And it reminds me of something I said before, something I said when I barely even knew Viola.

Yer can't say everything, so yer don't say nothing.

"Two months!" I shouted slightly too loud.

Viola was sitting next to me, her head resting on my shoulder and her hand entwined with mine. She exhaled softly.

"Yes. The new settlers landed not long after...you know. And then I've just been waiting for you to wake up. Believe me Todd, a lot has happened in two months." She patiently explained to me with a slight tone of exhaustshun.

I've already told her to get more sleep about ten times but she keeps refusing and saying that she doesn't want to miss one moment with me before the new settlers come and snatch me away.
I want to ask about Ben but I'm too afraid. Afraid that maybe something happened while I was asleep.
What if another war broke out?
What if 1017 attacked him like he did to me?
That son of a-
And I find myself worrying so much that my stomach is hurting.
And my Noise must be full of terrifying images of what might have happened to Ben.
Cuz Viola is squeezing my hand and beginning to talk again.

"Ben is doing fine. Great, in fact. All the new settlers respect him a lot and really take his opinion into consideration. The Sky is cooperating with him as well so building an inhabitable town is fairly quicker than it would be with just men. But, I have to say that even though you can't tell from his Noise, Ben has really missed you Todd."

And I can feel my throat closing up, cuz I know what it feels like when you think you've lost someone. And I've had that feeling way too many times.

"Todd, the new settlers are really anxious to meet you. They think of you as-"

A Hero.

I stop thinking.
I stop breathing.
Cuz its Ben.
It's effing Ben.

Viola is still sitting next to me. But this time, I have Ben sitting on the other side. His hand resting on my shoulder reassuringly. He probably thinks that if he ain't keeping contact with me, I'm gonna disappear.

I've nearly lost you before, I ain't losing you again.

Ben's Noise is still has clear as ever. Pulsing thru my mind like the ring of a bell. Which reminds me, why ain't my Noise like Ben's? The same thing happened to me right? I died and then the medicine of The Land saved me.

Yeah, I've been wondering about that too.

Viola shifts a little next to me before leaning forward to look at Ben.

"Do you think it's because of the Mayor? Like, the Mayor taught Todd how to control his Noise and use it like a weapon. Maybe it's because you never really tried to silence your Noise, that's why it's so free and clear now."

I froze up a little when Viola spoke of the Mayor, cuz to be perfectly honest, I ain't really thought about him since I woke up. Viola's grip tightened on my hand as she read my Noise.

I'm not sure. I was thinking that maybe it was cuz Todd just don't wanna have Noise like I do.

Ben tilted his head a little to look at me. And I looked away. I had to. Cuz I know what Ben said was true. Viola was finally able to read me without my Noise and I didn't want anything to change.

But it did.

It did.

Everything changed whether I wanted it to or not.

But it didn't change, Todd. You're still you and your Noise is still the same as before.

But, it did change. The new settlers are here, waiting for me. Waiting for me to step out of this goddamn spackle tent with a gleam in my eye and a spring in my step and my Noise crammed with knowledge and my voice full of enthusiasm and a whole bunch of ideas that are supposed to make their futures here a whole lot brighter.

I just woke up not two hours ago for God's sake!

Why me? Isn't Ben a good leader? And his Noise is a lot clearer than mine, not to mention a lot politer.
I ain't no leader and I'm as sure as hell I ain't no hero neither.

Yer a pretty good one from what I've heard.

I saw Ben look at Viola out of the corner of my eye. Viola had the decency to look away when my Noise had gotten a little tinge of red in it.
Ben sighed quietly and stood up before kneeling down so he was looking into my face. He opened his Noise for me. And I gasped a little at how much love was in it.

Oh, how you've grown.

My son.

You're awake.

I've missed you.

I believe in you.

Our salvashun.

A/N: Hi again! I apologise for taking so long in writing this! It's just been so hectic this week and OMG IT'S BEEN SO HOT! It's like September and it's 28 degrees and IT'S THE UK! Normally it would be endless rain by now! So, yeah, as you now know, I don't like the heat and it's made it incredibly hard to write :/ But, it's here now so I hope you enjoyed it. I'll try extra hard next week to get the next chapter out sooner so please forgive me :)

CBurgy96 x