After 30 minutes of walk, Lucy finally reached the theater downtown. She never walked so far from home on her own. So, the knots in her stomach only tighten the more she drew away from the house, leaving her sleepy family unaware of her departure.
The weather was really chilly tonight, fortunately she took time the time to put her heavy winter gear: constituted of another pull under her vest which was also under her hooded coat.
As she came closer to the theater, she passed below a scaffolding from a shop that was renovated. The window display has been installed but a part of the wall wasn't build-up yet. Some bricks were laying there in the snow, waiting to be installed. In front of the theater, some cars were parked. Surely those of the peoples who are there to enjoy the show a well. Lucy even spotted the grey car of the mother of Haiku, meaning that she was already in.
The theater had been reserved for the occasion so they also hired for a gloomy looking groom. He wore a long black coat which stopped above the knees and a grey cap. He even had eyeliner to make him more suited to the scene.
Except this employee nobody was in front of the theater. At this hour and with a weather like this, no one was staying outside.
Lucy walked to the entrance but a hand stopped her to go further. It was the gloved hand of the gloomy groom. "You have a ticket, young lady?" He asked her, with a tired tone.
The girl promptly pulled out her invitation and handed it to the groom. He grabbed and checked it. He was so tired he had to put it closer to his eyes, then he narrowed them to identify the ticket.
"Seems clear." He told her as he handed back the black invitation. The gloomy groom opened the door "Have a good evening." Lucy walked in and directly went to look at the room. As the small goth girl disappeared in the hallway of the theater, the gloomy groom took a look at his watch.
Half past eleven.
The groom lost his gloomy mood for a content smile: the organizer told him that nobody could enter after half eleven to prevent annoying latecomers who risked to ruin the experience. Not that he cared much about the last part, but the only thing he was waiting for all the evening was this hour.
The groom entered and closed the door from the interior. After that he searched for something in his back pocket and pulled a note. He hung it to the door with a piece of tape that was already on it. The groom went to take a seat in the hall of the theater. He took a green seat that lured him and immediately began to doze after he put his cap on his eyes.
30 minutes later in the streets of Royal Woods.
Chattering teeth, almost frozen limbs and a burning determination.
That's the actual state of Lincoln Loud as he walked in the cold streets to the theater. Each time the boy exhaled, his breath was becoming more opaque and more withe than it's normally possible.
However, he kept walking. He kept walking on the icy crossroad, under the black cloudy sky and the bright poles. He kept walking with slow, frozen yet heavy feet. He held himself, his iced finger rolled around his arms.
The face of the boy was pink, result of the blood trying to warm the body of Lincoln. His eyebags were also more pronounced and his nose was twitching time to time.
Despite the state of his tired body, he kept walking. To bring his little sister back home.
"That was clever to not bring any gloves… or cap… or even socks!" The boy ironically told himself. He left in such a hurry, he didn't take the time to put something else than his coat and his sneakers. Leaving him at the complete mercy of the harsh cold weather of Royal Wood's night.
He had the doors of the theater in sight. Lincoln walked faster, almost run and grabbed the handles. He pulled with all his might but it didn't budge. "Come on…" He pulled again. Nothing.
He looked at the door and saw that something was on the other side.
A note.
"Representation ongoing. Ends at 02h00, re-opening of the doors at this hour."
Lincoln clutched the handle while staring at the paper. Hurting his fingers because of the coldness of the frost on the door.
"Seems like I have… To wait." The almost frosted said in his breath, which began to sound raspy. Lincoln looked all around him. On the other side of the road, Lincoln spotted an empty cafe with tables and chairs outside of it.
Sighing tiredly, he walked to cross the road. But when he descended the crossroad he tripped, and bumped on a car, hurting his left shoulder. Lincoln stood up, trying to brush it off by holding the place where he hurt himself.
At this hour, no one was on the road. At least no in a town like Royal Woods. Lincoln didn't take the time to check right and left. His exhausted spirit forgot to warn him, but luckily for him, no car came.
Once on the other side, Lincoln took a chair and sat. He took a moment to look at his hands. They had beginning of frostbites on his right index and thumb. As for the left hand, only the pinky finger was hurt. Otherwise both of his hands were turning white.
The boy tried to form a fist with his right hand but it hurt so much that he had the impression that the skin was opening itself.
"Waiting fo' something to happen?"
Lincoln looked at his left where a voice came out. It was a man, at another table, further from where he was. At the state of his clothes and his messy grey beard, Lincoln assumed it was a homeless man.
"If ya do, keep loking at your hands: it makes time pass faster." He said again before drinking something from a paper bag.
He wore a red knit cap and a patched coat. His pants were patched as well and his shoes were covered by snow.
"I-I'm waiting for someone." Lincoln told the man while chattering his teeth.
"More like waiting for the cold to take you, kid." He got up and drunkenly walked to the boy, he offered him his paper bag. "This shall warm ya."
"No t-thanks. I'm g-good."
"More for me." He took a loud swallow, and followed "There's other to warm yourself. Maybe with that gal you're wating for." Lincoln turned to him with shock as he began to walk away from the café. His shade of pink turned red. Maybe it was the temperature? "It's the only reason a boi would come this late in a place like tis."
"I shold find myself one as well." The man muttered loud enough for the boy to hear. "Don't catch a cold, kid." He shouted a last time before drinking again and disappearing in the dark street between the theater and the in-renovation shop.
Lincoln was really alone this time. He put his frosted hands in the pockets od his coat and sunk his head in the stuffed collar until his mouth was covered. He stared at the door of the theater on the other side of the street with heavy eyes.
"That could let me some time to think of what I'll do after…" The boy thought, trying to fight the sleep.
"I can't tell mom and dad about that obviously, because I would be in trouble as well and I don't want her to be punished too severely." Lincoln knew it was surely the most mature thing to do, but he can't resolve himself to just put someone he loves in any form of troubles. "I'm not the kind of guy who takes advantage of someone because I have dirt on them." Even if it sounded appealing in a way, his caring and sweet nature prevented him just to think of that as an option. "What can I do then?"
He stayed silent for a moment before letting a big sigh "I'm really a bad brother."
12h00
Gloomy groom grumbly open the doors of the theater. He was even more tired than before because he was in a deep and comforting slumber just to be awoken two hours later by the alarm of his watch.
Soon the entrance of the theater was filled with dark-shows-of-all-sorts lovers. Talking, discussing, debating about what they just witnessed. For some it was a first time so an experience they would remember as their example for future plays they would go. For the "veterans", it was one of those plays that were "not the greatest but far from mediocre." And, for others of the same kind, it was a show "among so many others."
After ten minutes, everyone disappeared into their cars and drove away in the night. However, our little Lucy took her time to go out of the theater, by passing by the bathroom to put her thoughts together. She wetted her face several times before looking at herself in the mirror.
If she had to be honest, the only part of the evening she had like was the show. The not so pleasant part was when it was over, when she now had to return home. She will have to keep everything from her family. Not so hard when no one pays attention at you.
Except Lincoln.
Lucy, on this last thought, called it a night and went outside of the theater. At the moment she stepped outside the doors locked again, this time until the normal openings hours. She breathed some hot air in her hands, the weather just got a bit colder the time she was in.
Lucy began her walk back home, dragging a bit her feet on the frost of the crossroad. She let out a little yawn. The fatigue was beginning to catch her.
During this little moment of inattention, an enormous hand violently pulled her into the streetway by a brutal grip on her right arm.
Lucy let out a yelp before being shut off by another big hand.
"I was looking for someone more mature. But ya'll do te trick."
A deep voice whispered in the neck of the frightened Lucy. She tried to jerk her feet, only to find out that she wasn't even touching the ground anymore.
The assailant pressed her front to a wall, he took off his hand from her mouth. At this moment she had the occasion to call for help.
But she didn't.
She was so scared that no sound came out of her mouth, her right eye was free from her bangs. It showed pure fear and tears as she watched the hand which muted her earlier put her cape on the side, to get an access to her back.
The little goth began to silently whimper while the man grabbed her vest and lift it with her pull, leaving her back free to the cold and to the sight of an adult.
She felt his hand brushing against her skin, but it never touched it. She heard something break before the grip on her arm release itself and she falls on the cold ground.
Lucy looked behind her and saw her assailant on the ground. She only saw his shape and couldn't look longer as a shadow covered her.
Once again she turned scared. When she saw who the shadow was, a mix of fear, shock exploded in her.
Standing there was her brother. Standing in the light, covering her in an imposing shadow, was Lincoln.
Lucy stared wide-eyed at her brother with only one question resonating in her head: Why?
Why was he here? Why did he come? Why does he look so terrible?
Lincoln lips were dried, almost frozen. His eyebrows were covered by ice that formed during the time he stayed outside. His nose and cheeks were bloody red, like his eyes which now had full black bags.
He was panting heavily as he looked at his sister he was looking for. At his little Luce for who he was worried something happens. Something like this.
Lucy, still on her knees and whimpering, kept staring at her brother until this one breaks the silence with a hurt and raspy voice, a voice that wasn't almost his.
"Home…Now…"
Lucy, too afraid, got up and walked out of the street way. She shivered, not because of the cold, but because of what just transpired.
When she was far, she turned to see Lincoln following her. He was walking with his hands formed in fists and he wasn't looking in front of him. He was looking at the ground as he kept walking. He was also heavily panting, so loudly that Lucy could hear him in the quiet night.
She quickly began to walk again, trying to keep in mind that it's only her big brother who is behind her.
As the two children walked home, the sky began to pour snowflakes on the town of Royal Woods. Beginning to cover the roofs, the cars, the ground.
And the corpse in the streetway between the theater and an in-renovation shop.