"Erm...Do you have a four?"

"Nope. Go Fish."

"Crap."

"Don't curse," Aerrow snapped. Spark stuck her tongue out at him and returned to her game with Piper. The two girls were getting along extremely well, and Aerrow was happy, but he wanted a moment alone with Piper. He looked around the simple accommodations. There was a small kitchen, with a near empty pantry, and the living room was bare, save for a tiny sofa with threadbare pillows. The bedroom was towards the back of the tiny apartment, and he kept glancing in the direction of it. That was where she slept, where she found her own dreams, where her nightmares came to haunt her.

"I win!" Piper said. Spark moaned.

Before Spark could demand a rematch, Aerrow walked over to the table, his hands knotted behind his back. "Spark, could I have a word with Piper?"

"What? You guys want to catch up?"

"Spark..." Aerrow said, a warning tone embedded in his voice. Piper gave a nervous chuckle.

"Spark, go with button and explore the terra, will you dear?" she said gently. Spark nodded, called Button, and left the room.

"Subtle, as always," Aerrow said as soon as they were gone. Piper shrugged again. Aerrow put an arm around her thin shoulders and shuddered at how light she felt. Her eyes seemed distant.

"Aerrow, I've missed you."

"I know. Piper, I've been having some dreams lately, and--"

"So it's not just me? Oh, good. I've been having nightmares too. It's always of you falling, never the others...and I see everything I ever did wrong."

"Do you think someone's trying to tell us something?" Aerrow said, his hand reaching behind his neck. In the dim light, he looked almost fourteen again. Piper sighed, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. Time had changed their insides as well.


Spark wandered down the now empty street, kicking at pebbles, cursing. Button's weight caused her to walk lopsidedly, her right side sagging. Button chirped softly in Spark's ear.

"Yeah, I hear you. Think Piper can cook?" Spark wondered aloud. Her stomach was making gurgling noises. She placed a slim hand against her rebellious belly and tried to suppress her need for food. Suddenly, a wonderful smell wafted in her direction. Her stomach was practically screaming now. Falling into a trance like state, she wandered back down the road. The smell drew her along like the wind with a kite, and she was at its mercy. Her nose, not her brain, led her body down an alley, to a little red house. The smell came from inside. She licked her lips and looked for a way in. She circled the house until she saw a window. Button yanked on Spark's arm, shaking her head. Spark shook the Sky Monkey off and peered inside. There, sitting on the table, was a PIE. A beautiful, apple pie...Spark drooled. Suddenly, an old lady came running up to the window, waving a broom, her dentures clicking loosely.

"You geth away fromth my pie! Gith! Gith! That pie ith mine! GITH!"

Spark scrambled, Button running after her, the Sky Monkey's white tail waving like a flag of surrender.


Well, I have writer's block, so the chapter's a tad short...But I hope the old lady and her dentures made you smile!