Author's Note: Final chapter, this is all for now folks!
I had like three to five songs for this chapter so I picked this one. I don't know if I'll be re-writing something else at the same time I'll be trying to write All Your Friends without fucking it up... so, see you soon in the meantime!
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Disclaimer: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs belongs to Sony Pictures Animations.
The respective OC's belongs to me.
Oh, all that I know there's nothing here to run from...
Cause yeah, everybody here's got somebody to lean on...
Don't Panic - Coldplay
...
Reaching the grasslands, Alice got down his back and took his hand to walk beside him, not understanding where they were supposed to go. The skies were clear with a few puffy clouds upon the island, which meant no rains for now… they were passing by the same place she lost control of her emotions, passing next to that stone Flint used to leap upon her that now had giant marks of claws on it, making her feel embarrassed. The reason he realized that was because she squeezed his hand slightly more…
The wind felt fresh, dragging some of the salty air of the ocean, slowly and softly undulating the grass, some parts did get lower than others, everything felt so nice… calm, natural and perfect… her long, black shirt of "I got the brains" that still looked like she was using a dress due its oversize was levitating softly along her hair with the wind, giving in some way this sensation of peace she's been needing for a long, long while…
How long have they've been walking already? Fifteen minutes maybe? It was away from the town, maybe deeper in the grassland, somewhere only he knows, maybe somewhere special he wanted to share with her... sounded a lot like it indeed, otherwise he'd probably told her where exactly before leaving the laboratory, and it had something to do with that photograph he held before getting out. She looked back, it seemed so far away now they were crossing the hills…
"Where are we going Flint?" She asked, he seemed… distant, "Flint?"
He yelped softly popping out of his thoughts, then looked at her with this tiny, melancholic smile reflecting some sadness and… pain? Well, that's what she could translate out of his expression, he seemed sad, distant and in certain amount of internal pain, just like she was before telling him her entire story, this just felt like an untold story incoming… anyway, he avoided her question, even after she asked him if he wouldn't like to fly there… it made her tilt her head to a side like a confused animal.
And after what was in total twenty five minutes of walking they arrived to this big walnut tree in the middle of nowhere, it had some fruits growing around, not too far from being mature enough for its consumption, she could sense the sweet smell detaching from it which she liked a lot, next to the tree almost at its feet there was this crystalline lake (more like a large-sized natural pond) that extended towards the west… there was this joyful glint in her eyes showing her love for the place, getting on her knees by the shore to peek inside curiously: at the same time she saw her reflex, the inside was clear…
If he wasn't so distracted looking to nowhere he'd realize she finally looked happy...
If you're telling her about us, bring her here after whatever is going on down there is over. I know she became special to you, otherwise, you wouldn't have brought me here years ago…
Again he found himself trapped in a constant cycle of leaving and coming back to his mind, with memories flooding his head as a song was playing in his head – well two from the same artist, in a jumbled mix to pour down his feelings… he just disconnected for a moment, not realizing he was singing softly the verses of a song against the trunk of the tree; there were verses that highlighted his current mood:
"Why… why do I come here…?" He sang softly, sounding smooth, "Seeking out the memories I hold dear... 'cause you put a spell on me, made me live in memory… and I'm frozen in just the wrong time..."
"Oh, you like Keane too…?" She asked with a soft smile popping him out of his thoughts, looking at her to her eyes, "They're my second favorite band..."
"So… that's how they're called then..." He replied, smiling a little bit, "I heard them on the radio when I was ten-eleven years… didn't know how they were called neither how to look up so… I sing this song every time I come… if it's not the other one… but I'm going off-topic..."
"What are we doing here?"
He looked towards the water in, still a distant way, feeling like he was talking to himself instead of her, and that she was just a part of his imagination; maybe all the times he came alone carrying his worries, thoughts, hopes and fears made him just have that behavior…?
Huh…
It's been days since the last time he felt sure of what was going on… like if everything that's been happening for the last week (how fast…) was nothing but a crazy dream…
"This place is where I used to come with mom when I was a kid in a frequent way whenever I felt… blocked or something similar. She told me that if I was ever bringing someone here, that person should be special for me..." So there they were, "And… I have something to tell you… you've been so honest to me telling you your story so… I feel like I have to tell you my stories too…"
"You don't have to if–"
"I want it and I really need to let it out… even if the townsfolk already heard this, you didn't… and I wanted you to know some things about me but I've been feeling so afraid of… you… changing your mind and leaving or something like that…!" He felt stressed all over again, he felt done, his throat needed to scream out loud to let that despair get out in the same way he did to Max when he told him about his losses…
"Is that bad what you have to say…?" She asked, he didn't give a reply asides of a heavy silence as he looked down towards the water, "Flint… I trusted you to tell you about my life and even forgave you for yelling at me, tell me your secrets and ask me your questions..."
"Oh let's go back to the start..." He sung softly, "Running in circles, coming up tails… heads on a science apart..." Tears started to stream out his eyes as he sniffed hard, "Nobody said it was easy..."
"Flint calm down… please… it's alright..."
"Is not alright!" He exclaimed sounding so… distressed, "Is not and it will never be alright for me! Okay…?!" He was breathing heavily this time, she quickly hugged him tight, carefully to not hurt him with her strength, "She's gone because I couldn't save her and– and…!" There he felt a slap on his face that made him snap out of his anxious attack momentarily.
"Just calm down, and explain… slowly and steady..."
Flashback
November 6th, 2006.
Once there was this huge snow storm from somewhere in the north-east. Winter was hitting harder than usual the tiny island of Swallow Falls covering it in a white, thick layer of snow; the vision was reduced to like a few inches, with the streetlights barely seen as yellow-ish white-ish blurred lights, the storm quickly covering any trace of footsteps or living beings… and there we have a 14 years old Flint struggling to make it through the cold storm.
Oh yeah, why our beloved inventor was out in such a horrible storm? Well, he was trying to make his way back home from Cannery High before freezing the hell out there and become a human palette, even with his super winter outfit the cold felt like stinging his skin deep, his hands were frozen and he could barely open his eyes at the point he couldn't even see the way he was going. It would be wiser to go back to the school, but he still was working on what was supposed to be a Flying Car (just designing some prototypes, the actual project had to be delayed until spring or even summer or even a couple of years until he had a driver's license)…
"Shit..."
The little he could hear was the crunching sound of the snow, realizing someone was going to his direction, turning around he saw this girl with brown curly hair going out from a blue beanie, struggling to reach him, he reached out his arm to her, she did the same, quickly putting her next to him with a weak smile.
"Thank you!" She shouted, "I thought I was the only one out here!"
"No, you aren't!" He shouted in response, "And you're welcome! What are you doing out here too?" He asked, "Don't you have a ride home?"
"My dad is a fucking bastard and decided to not pick me up!" She replied shivering, "I guess you don't have one either." He nodded in response, his lips were freezing, "Hey, look! I think we can hide down there!" She pointed to a light in the distance, to then grip to him again feeling right about to fly away by the blizzard.
Holding each other they walked towards the source of light, with an arm in front of their faces in an attempt of covering from the blizzard, when they reached the place, it turned out to be a gas station. Luckily for them, a store near it was open. Without hesitating they got in, now recovering their vision, the inside was warm enough, which was perfect to recover some of their body heat… both of them stopped shivering after a while, safe from the storm. Weird that it was open, normally that was something that didn't happen, but well, it was better than being freezing out there that horribly… just to recover in a better way they bought coffee.
She first asked for his phone now they were safe, digging his hands in his backpack he got it out and handed it to him. As much as he could say for her face for this quick moment, she wondered why it was so big and looked strange but didn't say it out loud; she just opened it and called her father. He wondered who it could be, looking at her face for a moment brought up a familiar, scary sensation… weird.
A while later, after arguing for a while on the phone she hung up and gave it back to him.
"He won't come?" He asked curious, she groaned in response, "Oh… well…"
"He says he can't pick me up because of the storm and I have to go walking..." She replied, "That's so nice, isn't it? It's been a stressing day for me already and now I'm stuck here..."
"Hey, at least we ain't freezing outside..." He said trying to lit up the mood a bit, "By the way, I'm Flint. What's your name?"
"Marlene, nice to meet you Flint."
He extended an arm to her with the intention of shaking hands, she looked at it a little bit like hesitating, then smiling and grabbing it. He felt warm, nice… gave her a really nice sensation of trust, kind of, the feeling was mutual.
Just to get something to talk about for a while he asked her where did she live and if there wasn't someone else to pick her up from there, for the first thing she replied that her home was on the Main Street, which with the blizzard outside was a far walk, about the other question she went all gloomy first, to then reply she just lived with an asshole dad and a shitty adopted brother. Expanding the thing about her mother, she didn't know if she was alive or not, she didn't remember anything at all asides of the fact she was called Christina and her father never brought up the topic neither what happened to her… actually she felt invisible for him in the same way he didn't seem to care about her at all (similar to Alice in present time).
In the same way, maybe he did, deep down…
By his side he told her that he also lived with his father, controlling certain anxious feeling when it came to talk about how Fran died four years ago in a fire that went to his leg going up and down uncontrollably; she remembered that day and mentioned that a few of her friends also lost someone back in the day. Mention how Tim cared a lot about him – but not about his inventions brought up how she still remembered about his walking TV running away from the house, taking out a soft giggle out of her and getting him slightly blushed with this tiny, dorky smile as he scratched the back of his head nervous…
It kinda made him wonder what happened to it, if it still was running around somewhere or if it just broke down and died. He was still eight at the moment so… it could still work someday.
Just to not leave a long, awkward silence between them they kept talking about whatever the first thought came up to their minds, finding some things in common asides of the thing of their parents until they decided it was time to leave as none of them would spend a night in the gas station. Nice thing and timing was that when they got outside and stepped out the gas station roof, casually the blizzard stopped… Weird… he thought, then looked to each other with a grin and walked away.
Their way was similar, they kept randomly talking nicely, he felt safe to be nerding out a bit to her about the climate or some other stuff like maybe some sci-fi movie…
The bubble popped out when they reached his street, having to part ways: by one side he got finally home while she kept walking back home… little she realized that he just stared at her going with a little smile…
End transmission
"Well asides that dad almost murdered me with a bear hug I… I looked up to this book that comes out every year that got everything about this place and…" There was this little smile as some tears were coming out his face again, "can you believe that she was the daughter of someone as vile, creepy and shitty like Albert Shelbourne?"
And, he hated it or not, she became Brent's step-sister even if they didn't actually adopt him in a very official manner.
In a beginning he was afraid that he'd appear dead due this unusual hatred he got against the Lockwood family, but they became friends for… a year if he was right, whenever Shelbourne got to go to the US for some of his businesses – an often thing even now and then – or whatever the hell he was invested in, they always used to hang out together almost in secret.
Why in secret? Because even she was afraid of her father. Maybe the thing that got him more scandalized about it was when she had enough strength to show him some bruises and even a couple of scars upon her skin, which pretty much confirmed a lot of his fears around the mayor minus the reason of his erratic behavior, which also became the reason of why he gets so panicked whenever he thinks about… things that could happen around him.
Even Brent knew all along, he didn't ditch anything just to make her a favor and even if he was as afraid of Shelbourne as them… it was just one of those very few things he did right for Flint, because it was also for her.
Other things that were around was that she used to love blue campanula flowers, never said why, but he thought that it was because they reminded her of his eyes… they also found Steve together when he reached the island in a box, she was the one who gave him his name after Stephen Hawking… he started to shake again.
The idea of the Monkey Thought Translator was indirectly her fault after wondering what was he thinking about… and it was also the way he found to find himself less alone those days they couldn't see each other… he sniffed hard.
They tried the Flying Car together. She playfully teased him for days for forgetting the wings.
Maybe the most precious memory he got of them together was recorded in that photograph of her in his lab, which was a dance for Valentine's day (thankfully, Shelbourne didn't give a fuck about the ball because oh, surprise! He was at the US), almost the only time in his entire life where he wore an actual tuxedo (of course, his lab coat underneath) and got to dance with someone – he was pretty good at it even if it was just waltz… the first time he got to dance with an actual woman…
The very first time he actually did fall in love.
You look so pretty...
"I'm sorry..."
You look nice too, Tony...
And one day he brought her to that special lake for the first time…
This place is my special place Mar, and I… I wanted to share it with you… is not a big deal but…
It's beautiful, Flint… I love it!
He was crying in utter silence, with a pain he wanted to kill so badly in his chest once again.
My mom told me once upon a time to bring here the people that I really, really cared for… so… here you are… you are special for me… and I really appreciate you didn't turn me down like everybody else…
They're stupid, not you. If they won't take their time to know someone as amazing as you then they can just go and fuck themselves… they are the ones that should change… I think you are way too good for them…
And every time he was there, all he heard was conversation as a painful reminder that he'd never see her again just like his mother. He heard her voice right next to him, as if she still was present, constantly reminding him how special he was… was there a way to kill the pain in his heart?
Then the glass surpassed its limits and he broke down in an angry sobbing, Alice quickly wrapped arms around him again trying to calm him down one way or another, but he couldn't calm down… now she felt helpless about his condition… the only thing left to do was let him pour down his rage and all the heavy feelings he had inside… she wondered for how long did he had all of it inside, how much he's been wanting to scream about that story to somebody… the least she could do now was lift up his gaze with her hands on his cheeks softly and look straight to his eyes.
"Flint Lockwood, focus on me… and calm down..." A few tears rolled down her eyes, but she didn't flinch nor look away, "Please… just keep going… I'm here..."
His face was so red, his breathing quick showing his panicked state. One of his hands went upon hers as he slowly recovered his mind… he looked down for a moment, hugging her back as tight as he could, needing to feel that she was right there and nothing of what was happening was a dream; again, at that point due all the weird things of the last week he wasn't sure if there was such thing as reality, but he now knew she was real, trying to tune down his anxiety attack as much as possible before it could become way violent…
"It's my fault she's gone…!" He whimpered, "She died because of me…!"
"Hey, hey… calm down… why do you say it's your fault…?"
"Because he saw us talking in a street once!" He yelled, his hands gripping his head this time with anger, "He hates me and my family and I don't know nor understand why! He hated to see his daughter hanging out with the freak of the town…! That's why she's dead..."
Now there was silence asides of the wind crunching the walnut tree and the grass softly, he sniffed hard as she looked at him surprised… he looked away curling in a ball with evident anger towards himself… she understood him, her case was a "what if" thing, while his… well… was a fact… slowly she sled into his arms and cuddled him in a desperate attempt to calm him down and take his mind back to reality like he did earlier.
"Flint please… just tell me the full story… you didn't judge me after I told you about my life… I will do the same… I promise I won't judge you… let me in..."
She let him in, he did it too first about the story of his mother and good part of his life in a nutshell, now it was his turn to let her know about what was one of the most haunting moments in his life… he kinda wished he could just avoid talking about it, the first time he roughly gave an explanation to Max was because he was fucking done with his abuse towards Alice – or maybe was it a reflex of that affair? Whatever, he didn't give a flying fuck if her family vanished his, the fact the panther man implied he was a naive teenager who didn't know what emotional pain was is what made him vent it out…
She just brought out what he said about her: how she was someone who didn't want anyone to help her to carry her world, who wanted to do things alone and with a pretty fragile heart… he was right the same as her… and she was now desperately trying to take part of that heavy load on her shoulders… he understood it, he didn't need to be alone again, she was his friend already and showed to be tough enough to endure anything… he didn't have anything to fear as long as she trusted him and vice versa.
He first apologized as he was feeling his mouth and throat dry for all the crying, without hesitation and quickly she separated from him and flew in direction towards the city, coming back five minutes later with a bottle of water that was in the fridge of the house, lending it to him; for a moment he looked at it, then to her seeing her smiling softly, slowly he took it with a weak "thank you", drinking half of the bottle in one shot. The cold made him start to calm down, having needed it to turn down the fire in his inside for a while… there she sat next to him, leaning against his arm which he wrapped around her…
Alice didn't say anything, like just giving him time to find a way to start the story…
Tell her already Lockwood… He thought, She's been patient about this and you told her you'd tell her about Mar… she won't leave after this… she is through a similar hell like you with Max…
'What if?' was the question that kept on repeating over and over and over again, it was stressing, horrible, it makes him anxious… jeez! Couldn't his thoughts just shut the fuck up for a while?! Couldn't he just let it out for once at all? It was the only alternative from ripping his heart out his chest or even killing himself in that constant attempt of killing that pain inside…
"Sometimes I wander at night around the town…" He started, "as there aren't robbers nor anything you'd find in other places… it's a thing I've been doing for years that dad hates because he fears that something can happen to me..."
"What were you doing…?" She asked.
.
Flashback
April 5th, 2008
It was one of those nights where he just had the urge of going to the cemetery and visit his mother, he was conscious she was gone, he didn't care; whenever he went he used to talk to her tomb wanting to feel her close or next to him, where he needed to tell him about his days, sometimes he went once a week, others several days straight, but never allowed it to pass more than two weeks without visiting her.
What's been his topic for more than a year-and-something? Simply Marlene O'Neil. Due some (probably quite obvious) things he didn't talk about it to Steve but to his mother, he loved to think that she'd be probably sitting on the dirt looking at him with her angelical smile, giggling at how dreamy he was being at who was his first love, maybe even encouraging him to tell her the truth and start something both beautiful and dangerous…
Maybe she was there and he couldn't see her, sitting on her tombstone with arms crossed giggling happily to see him again in that way: happy, dreamy and hopeful. Even if he tuned himself down sometimes because of everybody else, this time he actually had hopes that there could be something beautiful between them… even if he was crying while talking, he chuckled with joy… he didn't feel afraid of doing it…
Well there was something that made him happier and decided to share it with her: Marlene gave him a kiss on his cheek.
Yeah, it wasn't his first kiss yet, but it was a very significant thing for him, maybe if he ever got the chance to tell her his feelings that event could happen…
Walking down the streets back to his home he felt butterflies in his stomach; he wondered, was that what everyone called love? If that was the case… he did like it. The sensation was odd, new, lovely… amazing… he felt his feet about to stop touching the ground, now his real question was: did she feel the same for him? He wanted to ask her, but only think about it made him feel like a complete wuss.
"Should I…?" He wondered in a low voice, "I mean I could finally express her what I actually feel and… maybe even if she doesn't feels the same I can thank her for sticking with me without caring if I am the weirdo of the town… I really appreciate her company and her friendship… but at the same time… would it be the right thing?" Ramble either in a low or high voice was always his best way to understand what he was thinking about, and what he understood with his last question was if it'd be worthy to break an already nice friendship and evolve into something intimate as a relationship. Of course, if that ever happens and if Shelbourne ever finds out, well… "I have to plan out how to get ridden of him… or at least turn down his rage for dating his daughter..."
Was escaping together to the US or somewhere in the United Kingdom a valid plan? Well, it wasn't going to be the island; yes, he could try in the UK too by joining into a laboratory – which would also mean try to convince the teachers of Cannery High to let him graduate beforehand so he could get a way to access to a college like Oxford and get a degree in something related to science/engineering at the same time he could think in something great that could give them some revenue, again graduate in record time while Marlene could get a scholarship somewhere to end her secondary studies… maybe get fake identities or at least ask for special protection from the police – it made him suddenly wonder now if the Interpol did even have a capture order for the Mayor for some quite obvious reasons… well it was a rough idea but it wouldn't be bad to plan everything already just in case….
Maybe by the way they could find traces of her mother if they leave, even if the chances were actually low. Christina O'Neil just left them without leaving a clue of her whereabouts, if she was alive or dead wouldn't matter anymore as long as they could find her…
Suddenly he felt cold down his spine at the same time an odd, familiar, horrifying feeling presented: something was oddly wrong… it felt like happened to him a time previous to his mother's death, his head started to shake as his chest started to hurt with the air starting to lack, as much as he tried to remain upbeat with the previous thoughts about Mar feeling the same for him it was impossible, it couldn't just be what he thought, it was simply impossible that the events were repeating…
"Flint..."
He shivered down more than before when he heard the voice of his mother saying his name. No, no and no, it was impossible, there was no way on Earth it could be actually her until he heard the voice repeated his name... moving side to side frantically in the search of the source, he saw a figure around a corner far in the distance that he quickly followed for several streets until he reached the main one, almost reaching the Shelbourne mansion and quickly hiding when he realized movement on the porch: he saw Marlene being dragged by her father to the house, which made him very concerned… quickly he ran there being careful of not being spotted.
He knew that if the Mayor discovered him, he was dead.
Flint felt his heart banging his chest loudly, adrenally rushing his veins making him act erratically, his mind got messed up, he didn't know what to do, he heard the screams of pain of the teenager, first claiming for mercy, crying for Brent to save her mixed with the angry yells of the insane man they had as a Mayor, the thing that did freeze the blood in his system was hear him say in a cold way that he wouldn't come…
Quickly he moved to a window, somewhere where he wouldn't get spotted easily, and the scene made him freeze entirely: Marlene was being brutally beaten by her own father, the man was hitting her mostly on her face making her bleed already, her nose was already broken, there were already bruises popping on her skin... the teenager was trying to defend herself but she was unable to stop him and get away.
Tears fell down the unbelieving face of Flint, and things got worse when the Mayor grabbed a knife and began to give her a few cuts on the face and arms... the young man was slowly shaking his head trying to believe that everything was just a horrible nightmare, but no... it was all real. He yelped out loud and covered his mouth when he saw him stabbing her on a side…
He saw her mumbling his name...
When Shelbourne retired the dagger from her body he looked at the window, almost discovering Flint, Marlene was bruised on the floor, he grabbed her head and dragged her away, tossing her agonizing body to the basement, "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…!" He didn't know what else to do, he didn't know if he should call the police – no, no… maybe they wouldn't dare to act against him… besides he feared the Mayor would realize he witnessed the way he attacked his own daughter and would take retaliations towards him or his father; he quickly peeked inside again to see where did he go…
There was no other option but breaking in.
Cooling down his anxiety he went to the porch feeling again how his spine completely shivered again, the word 'death' seemed to be painted all over the place, as if there was this something screaming him that the walls of the building witnessed it before… it's been also long since the last time he felt as a scared little child…
He gulped, his head was spinning slightly as his anguish grew stronger, slowly took the door knob and opened it, another cold sensation rushed through his veins as he stepped in with the hard feeling of wanting to throw up right there but clearly he didn't. Quietly he closed it back. Looking around he could see everything was actually expensive which got him angry. He says he's broke and look everything he got! Definitively his theory about illicit business here and there became stronger than before.
In a first moment he wondered where he could've left her until his eyes caught something crimson on the floor that was making a trail towards a hallway, which turned to the right. Bingo. He thought, but where was the Mayor now? As soon as he left is where he decided to get in, but now… he could be anywhere! "Shit!" He muttered, again: if he got caught it'd be a full game over at the same time his fate afterwards was completely unsure… maybe he would just end in jail for trespassing private property as a warning, the other option was way less brighter than that…
Once again he gulped and started to move following the trail of blood until he swore hearing movements, quickly he hid behind a plant pot with a palm tree conveniently shaped to fit behind.
Taking a peek through the leaves he saw the creepy Mayor getting out from behind a door, he went pale when he saw him walking towards his direction, but found relief when he realized he took out at the same time with some difficulty a bucket and a mop… Of course he's gonna erase any trace of what he's done! He felt rage taking over, impotence and a terrifying yet human desire of taking a gun and end his life right there without caring the consequences. The island was agonizing, nobody wanted fucking sardines anymore and instead of trying to get some help from somewhere else asides of the United States he was keeping up all the money for himself! Sadly he had to swallow all of that and focus in what he entered for.
His eyes went back down trying to follow the path, cursing his luck to realize it was on the other side and he needed to cross him, Fuck, fuck, fuck! From anger it passed to frustration feeling how her life was fading and he was losing precious time, with that stab wound she got every second that passed was vital. Come on Lockwood, keep yourself together… Carefully he took a look, seeing him cleaning the blood, giving him his back, Perfect! Tiptoeing he crossed him, letting out a relieved sigh, looking down again he quickly followed the trail before he could come back. It leaded him to a slightly open door, then down to the wooden stairs of a basement. "I'm coming..."
He first looked back to check that the Mayor wasn't coming, opened the door with his heart still racing fast expecting for it to not creak, then slid his slim humanity in, leaving it back again in the same way he found the door. With the screen light of his phone he illuminated his way down, the ambient felt heavy, cold and partly humid, he was paranoid about the Mayor coming back with justified reasons, but the more he merged in the darkness the less afraid he felt, he was closer to her and that's what mattered in the end.
"Marlene?" He called out hissing, his voice echoed there indicating that it was a large room, "Where are you?"
There was a little silence for a moment, then…
"F-Flint…!" He heard from somewhere in the darkness, she was near.
He made his way towards her still illuminating his path with his phone by still following the path of blood, almost stumbling against a table and other stuff that looked like… oh shit, torture elements?! What the fuck?! He shook his head and kept following the path until he reached a lump on the floor near to an open skylight that let in the moonlight, it was her…
"Marlene…!" When he got closer he felt his throat closed, seeing her in fetal position on a pool of blood, he sniffed hard as he felt his forces slowly leaving, she was sobbing silently, her face was bruised horribly with her nose bleeding, "Oh my God… I… I..." She was dying… "I-I-I can… I can co-cover that wound and..."
"Flint… I'm sorry..." She said, "There's no time anymore..."
"This is my fault, isn't it?" He asked unable to stay strong and keep the tears away, "This is my fault…!" She slowly shook her head tearing up too, "I'm so sorry..."
"Is not your fault… I have one last request for you..."
"No! No you won't die!" Another part of his inside was dying with her, he hated the feeling, "I-I will heal you up and… and we're leaving the island together…!" He wouldn't be able to handle another loss.
"I want you to invent something unique..."
He shook his head angrily.
"Stop… please…! You won't die here…! We… we'll go to the United Kingdom and find your mother and–"
"I was thinking about Ratbirds..." Even if she was in the verge of the death, she had this little smile in her face, "Just imagine it… this place needs some color and more weirdness… what do you think…?"
He was grieving her so badly already, and even if he couldn't accept reality, he knew he had to let go. So he nodded and gave her a broken smile, slowly she wrapped her arms around him as he did the same, not caring if he was getting all stained with her blood. It was a promise…
He felt so grateful for having met her that cold winter day, for having waltzed together, for having given him a friendship and for having cared about. He promised he would do it for her even if it could take years or his entire life. He wasn't ready to let go, her body was becoming colder, he was losing the grip of her soul in the same way he lost his mother's, his grip around her tightened as he tried so hard to not cry out loud, but he wouldn't care a little shit if Shelbourne walked in and tried to kill him: that fucking dwarf already took away what he loved the most in the world once, now he did it again.
"Flint… thank you… I love you..."
He couldn't breath anymore when he heard those three words, his eyes were wide open as more tears fell down his face, when he let her go he saw her eyes closed, her skin was white and she felt… cold…
"No… Marlene please come back…!" He whimpered shaking horribly, he didn't feel anything but deep pain, "I'm sorry..." He sniffed hard wanting to scream, "I love you too..."
Why it has to be in that way? She was young and full of life, she didn't deserve to die in that way! Why it couldn't be him?! It should've been him! He regretted so badly for not having acted when he could, maybe – no… if he did she would be still alive… he felt it was his fault…
And all he did was cry in silence while he clenched her body between his arms for minutes that felt hours, regretting for not having told her what he felt before… and now it was way too fucking late… then it was time to leave, he gently placed her body down as he was stained with blood: lab-coat, his baby blue shirt, as he was using dark jeans they were less obvious, hands and part of his neck and face… how badly he wanted it to be a nightmare!
He looked to the skylight for a moment, being wide enough for him to get out, and he would be able to get there easily too. Using his phone again he illuminated his way to see if he wasn't going to crash against something while he did calculations, to then spot a gun. There were mixed feelings: take it, load it and pull the trigger, to who? Either himself or wait for the Mayor and kill him even if that could mean a lifetime in jail… What are you thinking Lockwood?! He thought. That's not what mom or Mar would want you to do!
Such a nice timing for his reason to work! He was messed up.
Hear the door creaking made him realize he had to run now, if he was going to keep moving on it'd be for the two women who marked his life.
When Shelbourne reached the basement he turned the lights on, he realized there was somebody else in, somehow, having the feeling that the intruder left by the skylight...
Flint already was away from there.
He just walked down back to his home like an automaton, with his gaze lost, looking pale and liveless as a suffering soul, even more because tears falling down his cheeks. Nobody was on the streets anymore, nobody would ask him if he reached the point to kill someone, neither what happened to him, he couldn't feel his stomach nor anything, he was feeling numb. When he reached his house he just turned the knob, not even caring if it was surprised that it was unlocked because probably Tim left it like that for him… talking about him, when he heard the front door open he quickly rushed towards the living room, "Flint!" He exclaimed, to then gasp out loud to see him stained with the crimson liquid, "Flint…? What… what happened?" There was no response, he got closer to him and placed his hands on his shoulders, feeling that the blood was quite fresh… "Please answer me! What happened? Why are you coming like this? What were you doing?"
Again, there was no response asides of him just walking away from him, he noticed the dullness of his eyes, knowing he witnessed something that just traumatized him for life… he wondered what it could've been…
Flint walked upstairs and entered to the lab feeling empty inside… it felt like nothing made sense anymore… his entire world was crumbling down in the same way it did when Fran Lockwood gave her last breath, and what he hated the most is that it felt like the story just repeated: his mother died while he was hugging her, now Marlene died in his arms too… Steve saw him coming, he first got happy to see him back to then stop almost mid-air as he caught the smell of blood, becoming afraid… the inventor didn't care.
Thirty minutes to take a shower, remaining curled in a ball under the hot water, his dirty clothes left ready to get cleaned up… he sat on his bed, and looked to the picture frame of his mom, at the foot of it there was the one from Valentine's day… he took it… and started to sob uncontrollably…
Nobody saw him for days after.
End transmission
.
Alice just stared down unable to say something still in his arms, processing the story with tears down her face and crying as he was sobbing out loud, hugging her as tight as his arms could, she rubbed his back under his lab coat gripping his shirt.
"What a fucking monster..." She quietly mumbled.
"Nobody knew about me for days straight… I didn't eat, I didn't invent… all I wanted to do was die..." He took this wide gasp of air to keep going, "I just wanted to kill myself because who else asides of my dad would miss the freak?! But I didn't… one day I just woke up and thought… that's not what they'd want me to do… they'd want me to keep going..."
"I would've agreed with them…" She replied, "It wasn't your fault, Flint… no matter how much you keep blaming yourself… but how did you know why…?"
"Brent told me… they saw her kissing my cheek..."
In a first beginning he did blame him for Marlene's death, almost reaching the point of punching his face out of frustration, what his answer was?
I fucking know it was! I've been grieving her death all along! She died in my arms so shut the fuck up and leave me alone! He never brought up the topic again…
"So he got angry at her..." She completed, "He's fucking insane…"
"Bonus: he despises me..." He mumbled in a quite ironic way, "He got mad of his daughter just having a crush with the weirdo of the town..."
"Why does he hates you so much…?" She asked cleaning her face, he shrugged in response. "Hey… wherever she is, I'm sure she doesn't blames you for what happened. Is not your fault he's… you know… insane. She knew what she was invested in, and even with the danger that could represent being with you… she took it… just like what you've chosen with me..."
Well, the comparison was fair. She chose to be with him even if her father could rage to heavens about it. Yeah, it costed her life, in the same way he chose to stick with Alice even if that meant get his life taken away to protect her as almost happened with Max.
There he just realized how his wishes for someone to care about and vice versa were heard…
That little girl he found in the ocean that now was in his arms was who they sent for him, there he got honest: he admitted that when he found her barely alive his mind went down towards madness, how he was trying hard to bottle up all the flashbacks about his mom and Marlene not wanting to lose another life in his hands at the same time he was fighting against the confusion that invaded for her sudden appearance, then mention about the injure at her right side and how it just brought more stress…
At least she survived.
Then finally admitted some more things he kept for anyone but himself: he was afraid of her leaving him alone again. Losing Marlene meant shut people out of his life to not pass through the same hell again in the future, but due the many things surrounding Alice that became impossible and way less with her shyness and her genuine care for him. He was afraid of fucking Shelbourne wanting to hurt her or even worse once he was back and found out about him having a new friend. After Maximus, well, his fears kinda turned down; yes, he was afraid that Max could still kill her even if she has shown to be tough enough to survive.
"I won't die… I promise..." She said, her hand went down his arm looking for his hand, entwining her pinky finger to his, "I won't let you down… I'll be here for you… I love you so much already… and I feel that I belong with you…"
He grabbed her hand and squeezed it, then hugged her tight again, placing his chin on her head as she cuddled him more.
"Thank you… Liz..." He felt lighter, the pain in his chest decreased a lot. He needed to share that story so badly for so long, and now she knew it. He knew he had to do the same with his father, but that'd be when he felt ready for it.
The wind made its appearance again, this time it felt warm, softer than before; the smell of the walnut tree behind them made it perfect and relaxing. His back got against the trunk as she leaned on him too, their faces red like their eyes and both of them smiling softly feeling like there was nothing to fear this time. They were together, things were clarified, a friendship just solidified, it was them against the world…
"Oh and," He said, "now I remember, there was this old man in his 70's I met prior to Max's arrival…" She looked at him a bit, "he wasn't tall and apparently he did speak Spanish too because of his accent and… he was also wearing some white clothes, I talked to him about me being a jerk and well, before I left he told me to tell you that he says hello. Kinda had a feeling that he knows you but it could be just my imagination playing a trick."
"What's his name?"
"He only told me that he's called John, and that he didn't have much time left. I wanted to ask him some more questions but he left and I had to go back home and get ready to look after you and apologize." And still he felt that there was something odd about it, unexplainable, "And that's all, I haven't seen him in the crowd now I realize..." Now he thought closer, he didn't realize until that very moment, "I heard him say..."
Everything will be alright, my little Bell Bird…
He felt Alice freezing right there, to then slowly get away as he looked right to his eyes with shock in her expression, tears started to fall down her face again, "That's exactly how my great-grandfather used to call me when he was alive..." She cleaned her face, but more tears came out again, "He used to say that I was his little Bell Bird… because of my skin and because the bird got white feathers most part of the time… it's a weird type though… because they sound like clanking metal…" She chuckled a bit with the slightly lousy explanation, "His name was actually Juan and… he died four years ago…"
He first remained with a close stare to his friend, processing that last sentence, to then let out a loud, "What?!" that made him jump and almost hit his head against a branch, "You mean I saw an actual ghost?!" She shrugged a bit as a maybe, "Oh my God… that's..."
"Possible..." She said, "Remember I hear dead people..." Fair point right there, he still needed to get used to the new discoveries he got in the week, "And I think I saw Marlene by my side..." Now he was the one who gave a shocked glance.
"When?" He asked cleaning his face too, "What did she say?"
She sat down again and explained that it was a few hours after she ran away to the grasslands alone in the rain, she didn't hide anywhere else but behind that same stone where she injured Flint while her mind was lost in rage, curled in a ball with her tail around her legs like her arms feeling hurt and confused… there were many things assaulting her thoughts asides of wanting to be dead already. All she felt is how he hated her so much for being half alien…
"I heard footsteps coming towards my direction. I didn't pay attention to it and I didn't give a damn of who nor why could be anyone wandering under the rain so, I just got down into my self-loathing..."
"Huh? What are you doing here?" She heard a female voice asking, the girl looked up a bit and saw a girl using a simplistic white dress and beige sandals, covering herself from the rain with a yellow umbrella, "You should be at home with your family and not here." Alice didn't reply, curling back.
"I asked her to leave me alone because I wasn't feeling in the right mood for it, she didn't..." Instead she crouched wanting an answer, "And as I realized she wouldn't leave well I kinda allowed her to stay with me. She asked me again why I was alone, I went straight to the point and told him that I had an argument with a friend..."
"You're Flint Lockwood's new friend, aren't you?" Marlene asked again with a smile, Alice looked up to her seeming surprised enough to hear her asking, "He was my best friend for some time, but my dad didn't like to see me with him so… we parted ways..." If she knew in that moment she was talking to a ghost (or an angel, hence the symbolism of the umbrella as a halo), she would've taken it in another way. Alice explained her in a short manner what happened and how he reacted, she didn't say anything back until she was done, "I think he didn't mean it, Alice. He was in a rush and… he used the first thing in front of him as a punching bag… of course not literally but you know what I mean. Believe me, he didn't mean it, he's not that kind of people."
"By my side I didn't know what to think at first… I-I wanted to go back and explain but… I was afraid too..." He felt bad again, "I was rationalizing too much what to do, doubting if I should or… leave..." And she left her alone thinking whether go back to him or not, it took a while, she decided it'd be the best for them to talk. Turning around she got ready to go back.
Maybe a weird detail that got her attention was something in the rock that she used as a hideout: this deep mark of the head of a sword of the same bulk of Max's, with a lot of red paint splattered on it. She thought it was weird, and also that it looked like blood because of the way it dripped down; in the moment where she decided to leave (again) she felt a loud energy coming towards the island. That's when the panther man decided to make his appearance…
"So… we saw… angels?" He asked still surprised, "So there is life after death?" Apparently, there was no other explanation to what they both saw, "This is… bananas! I can't believe it!"
"They're always watching us..." She said smiling, "I feel this won't be the last time we'll see them..."
He felt joy to know those who are dead were in a better place where they could be happier and watch on them, he felt so happy to know that both Fran and Marlene were in a better place… then he understood, too, that when he lost his conscience back in the battlefield it wasn't just a dream but an actual event.
If he was going to keep sticking around Alice he really had to get used to the upcoming madness that the future could bring. His mind has been expanded again.
They stuck around the lake until the sun started to set, he told her some stories about the place once they saw a couple of Koi fish swimming in circles around each other, telling that the fish were probably older than the very first inhabitants of the town. He didn't really believe it, she recalled this alike to the Yin and Yang between them as they were constantly spinning; standing up they made their way back to the town, giggling happily, leaving their fears and frustrations behind for something new and brighter.
Once they were far enough, from behind the walnut tree walked out no one else but Fran Lockwood wearing her usual clothing from when she was alive, giggling softly as Marlene wearing her dress and Juan also walked out as well. "We weren't wrong that they'd get along together." The girl said with a happy grin, "They needed a friend already."
"Indeed I'm glad too," Fran said, "It was a good idea send her here. Flint is comfortable and happy with her, as long as they protect each other's back everything will be fine."
"You think?" The elder asked, "Not exactly doubting about it, Fran."
"Yes, I'm completely sure about it." She replied with a wide smile.
"Let's just keep an eye on them," Marlene said, "It can get wild anytime..."
They agreed, in the same way, they agreed that finally there was a new daylight for them. Angels or not, they couldn't see the future, but there was something telling that it could be bright for them.
...
The end