A.N. My loyal reviewer Quavera Tava gave me the idea that I should write one or more alternate endings to the story. I think that it is a great idea and so this is what I have decided to do. I have also decided that I am going to write one epilogue. So, I'm going to make a poll for you to vote which ending I write an epilogue for.
Chapter 8 – Alternate Ending
Mike knocked on the office door and opened it, smiling when he saw Sully sitting at the desk.
"Hey Sull, you ready to go?"
"I'm not going Mike." Sully said, avoiding his friend's gaze.
"What? I thought you really wanted to get her to warm up to you."
"I don't think that's such a good idea. She still doesn't remember anything and I don't wanna push her."
"But…Sully, she was warming up to you I swear she was."
"I don't think so Mike. She's still so scared, I don't wanna be the reason that she's scared."
"But Sully-"
"No buts Mike! I'm not going and that's that!" Mike sighed, closing his one eye and then looked at his friend.
"Ok Sully, it's up to you. We leave the kid alone."
"Good." Sully nodded.
"Well, see you then." Mike said retreating. Once he had left the room, Sully put down his pen and sighed, leaning his head on his hands. In truth he wanted nothing more than to go and spend the evening with Boo, trying to prompt her memory. But he still remembered the look in her eyes. The distrust, the fear and he couldn't stand it. She'd grown up so fast; he hadn't been able to believe his eyes when he had seen her. Though of course his surprise had been immediately overshadowed by concern when he had seen that she was lying on the floor. Suddenly, he was overwhelmed with an impulse to run and see her. But no! Enough was enough. He had a mounting pile of paperwork and he hadn't slept at home in days. Sighing he picked up his pen again and got down to work.
Mary's Room…
Mary sat on her bed, eagerly awaiting the return of her two monsters. They hadn't said for sure that they would be back but she was sure they would. She couldn't wait to tell them that she remembered.
As time passed she felt her eyelids drooping and shook herself to try and stay awake. It was almost midnight. They were very late. She read her book to try and keep her brain active but the pages blurred and she felt her eyes slowly closing. Her head rolled forward and the book fell into her lap.
Mary opened her eyes and lifted her head, wincing as a sharp pain shot through her neck. Rubbing it she blinked blearily at her alarm clock, feeling a pang of sorrow when she saw it was eight in the morning.
"They didn't come." She whispered feeling like someone had punched her in the stomach. A minute later her mum knocked on the door.
"Come in!" she called.
"Hi honey, I just wanted to talk to you about the house your dad and I saw yesterday? We think it could be the one."
"Really?" Mary asked, her interest peaked; her mum was a known perfectionist and Mary thought it too good to be true that her mum had found something that she liked so quickly.
"Yeah, it has everything I wanted. We're gonna take another look later today do you want to come with us this time?"
"Sure. I mean I want to know what my new home will look like."
"Ok then, we're going at about 11 so be ready."
One month later…
"Well, that's the last of it." Mary said to herself as she taped the final box shut. She sat back on her heels and looked around her bare room. The rest of her stuff had been gradually packed over the last week; this box was just the necessities. She was really going to miss this house.
"Mary! Time to go!" Her dad yelled up the stairs.
"Coming!"
Mary took one more look around the room and then stopped, her eyes resting on the closet. A lump caught in her throat and she felt a familiar pang of grief as she thought about her friends. They had never come back and now…she wouldn't have a chance to say goodbye. She reached out and gently touched the smooth wood.
"Goodbye." She whispered. Then took a deep breath, blinked away the tears that threatened to spill and walked out.
In Monstropolis…
Sully took a deep breath as he stood outside Boo's door. It had been a month since he had last seen her and he had finally decided to give in and try again. But now that he was standing in front of her door he was nervous. What would he say? What would she say? Would she be upset? Slam the door in his face for being such a lousy friend? Would too much time have passed, sending them back to square one? There was only one way to find out. Swallowing his fears, Sully reached out and gently turned the doorknob.
He peeped round and seeing the room in darkness, slowly opened it. His breath caught in his throat. Empty. The room was empty. There was no trace that Boo or anyone else had ever been there. He looked around wildly, for any sign, any clue of what had happened. He found none. But where could she have gone? He was broken out of his musings by a distant slam. He darted to the window and saw Boo! She was carrying a box and heading for a car.
"BOO!" He shouted desperately and struggled with the tiny catch on the window. "BOO! He tried again, but she didn't hear him and he could only watch as the car reversed onto the road and drove away. He turned from the window and slumped to the floor, burying his head in his hands.
Boo was gone. He was too late.
