Chapter 9: Lucy's Lament

Lucy sat in her room and just stared at the bed of her late sister, not that there was much else for her to do. The last couple of days brought even more distress to the eight year old, she had to organize a funeral for Benny and had to say goodbye to Luna and Leni as they were taken off to be trained to fight the raiders. She had a bad feeling about that but didn't want to bring herself to think of any worst case scenarios about their wellbeing. With what she went through already she knew she would just drive herself crazy.

She then shifted her gaze out the window, what she saw was an overcast sky and brown leaves on the ground covering brown grass. A normal sight for late autumn but it was actually still summer, there was even a frost the previous night. Everything else was at a standstill too, no traffic, no pedestrians, the most activity she could see was some emaciated stray dogs digging in an overturned trash can.

"Sigh…Edwin look at all the desolation." Said Lucy to her beloved vampire bust, "Normally I like this stuff but actually living it…"

Tears ran down past her bangs again and she sniffled.

"It's not worth it if there's all the death and destruction."

She looked outside some more before a migraine radiated through her head.

"I know Edwin… I definitely got it."

She ran her fingers through her thick black hair and saw that a good amount of it came off into her hand.

"That's the worst it's been."

She then took her shoes and stockings off and saw that a few welts had popped up around her toes.

"And that's more than yesterday…"

She put them back on and looked at Edwin again.

"I'm not sure how much time I have left Edwin, I just hope mom and dad come back soon. If I do die from this I just want them to be there for me."

She then heard a little noise from the hall, so she went out and checked to see what it was. When she opened the door she saw Lori coming out of Luan and Luna's room with a worried expression on her face.

"How's she holding up Lori?" Asked Lucy.

"She still hasn't gotten out of bed." Answered Lori, "It's been days now."

"She couldn't even stand up at the funeral." Said Lucy.

"I know…I felt so sorry for her." Said Lori with tears welling up.

"I don't think she could even speak…" Said Lucy.

"Lincoln is starting to move around a bit more now. I think he's shaking it off." Said Lori.

"I wish you'd have let me comfort him." Said Lucy.

"I felt that it would have been too much for you after… you know…" Said Lori struggling to speak at the end.

"I still should have been there." Protested Lucy.

"Lucy know it's hard for you too but - -" Said Lori before getting cut off.

"Lori you know this stuff is my specialty." Said Lucy.

"I know, but like Luan he wouldn't have responded." Said Lori.

"What about the twins?" Asked Lucy.

Lori hesitated for a moment.

"Lori?" Asked Lucy.

"They also haven't really left their room." Said Lori.

"Why?" Asked Lucy.

Lori hesitated again, causing Lucy to become visibly annoyed.

"Lori!" Shouted Lucy.

"They're…they're…" Stuttered Lori.

"They're what?" Asked Lucy.

"They've…gotten…" Stuttered Lori again.

Lucy then put two and two together in her head and the angriest expression she ever made formed on her face.

"Lori, why did you hide this from me?!" Shouted Lucy.

"It would have made it worse for you…" Said Lori.

"Well lying to me isn't making it better!" Shouted Lucy.

Lucy then opened the door to the twins' room and was immediately hit with the smell of vomit. She took a look at her younger sisters and saw Lola's hair thinning and Lana almost entirely bald. Sores enveloped both girls and traces of dried blood were at the corners of their mouths. Lucy then twitched and snapped her head around to face Lori.

"Get out…" Said Lucy.

"Lucy I - -" Said Lori before being once again cut off.

"Leave us alone!" Shouted Lucy.

Lori then backed off as Lucy went into the bedroom.

"L…Lucy?" Asked a weak Lola as she woke up.

"I'm here Lola." Replied Lucy.

"What's going on?" Asked Lola.

"Nothing." Replied Lucy.

"I don't feel well…" Said Lola.

"I know, I can tell." Said Lucy.

"Am…am I gonna get better?" Asked Lola.

Lucy then hesitated in a manor similar to what Lori did a few minutes earlier.

"I'm not exactly sure…" Answered Lucy with a half truth.

"What about me?" Asked Lana from the other side of the room.

"Let's think about something else now…" Said Lucy.

"Have mommy and daddy come back yet?" Asked Lola.

"Not yet." Replied Lucy.

The twins then began to frown.

"Hey guys, want me to read you one of my stories?" Asked Lucy.

"I'm not so sure…" Said Lola, "I don't really like vampires…"

"It's not one of my vampire stories." Said Lucy.

"It's not?" Asked Lola.

"Nope, It's actually a secret passion of mine." Said Lucy.

Lucy momentarily left the room and came back inside holding a "Princess Pony" book.

"You like Princess Pony?" Asked Lola.

"Yeah…it was one of my deepest darkest secrets but I think now is an extenuating enough circumstance to be out with it." Replied Lucy.

She opened the book and started at the beginning.

"Esmerelda wasn't just an ordinary unicorn, but a very special unicorn who was destined for great things…" Read Lucy.

Lola was immediately intrigued while Lana just brushed it off. It was like that for most of the story too as something like this was clearly designed for kids like Lola. Lucy kept going through all the fairy tale cliches the book had to offer and Lana contemplated going back to sleep but then Lucy got to a very hairy part of the story.

"When Esmeralda reached the castle where Queen Beatrice and Prince Bojack were being held she was immediately confronted by a group of frog trolls." Read Lucy.

"Frog trolls?" Asked Lana.

"Yeah, they're Evil Count Todd's goons." Said Lucy.

"They sound pretty grody." Said Lana.

"Oh yeah, in fact they're about to shoot slime at Esmeralda." Said Lucy.

"Now we're talkin'." Said Lana.

Lana enjoyed the part of the story where Esmeralda fought the goons as it was probably the most gross out part of the book. Of course with this type of story it was short lived and the slime disappeared like magic. At least Lucy was able to get some enjoyment out of Lana and Lola eagerly listened to the very end.

"You certainly have good taste Lucy." Said Lola, "I underestimated you."

"Yeah, I figured I needed an escape from the darkness every now and then." Said Lucy.

"When I get better I'm totally gonna larp that Frog troll part." Said Lana.

Lucy then froze at that remark and started to twitch.

"You okay Luce?" Asked Lana.

"Uh…" Said Lucy trailing off.

"When's my hair gonna grow back too?" Asked Lola.

"Well it's gonna be a while before anything happens." Said Lucy

They then heard footsteps coming from the hallway, which sounded like they were coming from the direction of Lincoln's room. Lucy then stopped in her tracks and immediately peeked out the door.

"Is Linky out?" Asked Lola.

"I think I see him." Answered Lucy.

"Can you ask him to come in with us." Asked Lana.

Lucy then nodded and went out into the hall. Sure enough she saw her only brother pacing in the hallway.

"Hey Lincoln…" Said Lucy.

"Oh…hi Lucy…" Said Lincoln.

"I know it's been hard…" Said Lucy.

"I don't want to talk about it right now…" Said Lincoln.

"I understand, I guess you just got up?" Asked Lucy.

"No, I was talking with Luan for the last half hour or so." Replied Lincoln.

"You got her to get out of bed?" Asked Lucy.

"No, I was just talking with her. She really needed it." Replied Lincoln.

"I'm surprised she didn't talk with Lori." Said Lucy.

"By the way I heard what you said to Lori." Said Lincoln.

"Yeah, she didn't know what she was talking about." Said Lucy.

"I was more referring to you calling her out for hiding what was happening to Lana and Lola." Said Lincoln.

"Oh yeah, that was not cool." Said Lucy.

"Kinda hypocritical if you ask me." Said Lincoln.

"Huh?" Asked Lucy.

"Lucy, you know what's going to happen to them…" Answered Lincoln.

"Well yeah but…" Said Lucy.

"You're not telling them the truth." Said Lincoln.

"Lincoln…I…" Said Lucy.

"You lied to the twins after you called out Lori for lying!" Shouted Lincoln.

"Lincoln…" Said Lucy with tears streaming down her face this time.

Lincoln saw this and stopped for a second.

"Let's take this to my room…" Said Lincoln.

They made their way to Lincoln's room and sat down on his now sheetless bed.

"Okay Lucy, what's the deal here?" Asked Lincoln.

"Sigh…Lincoln…" Said Lucy, "I…I don't wanna scare them…"

"Yeah but you shouldn't lie to them." Said Lincoln.

"But…maybe if I don't say anything n…nothing will happen…" Said Lucy beginning to shake.

"That doesn't even make any sense." Said Lincoln.

"Well it makes sense to me!" Snapped Lucy.

"Lucy are you okay?" Asked Lincoln.

Lucy began to shake again.

"Lucy?" Asked Lincoln.

Lucy then gave Lincoln the tightest hug she ever gave anyone.

"Please Lincoln…I can't take much more of this…" Said a teary eyed Lucy.

"I know…" Said Lincoln.

"If anyone else….you know…I'm…gonna…lose it." Said a still shaken Lucy.

"I almost lost it when I found out about what happened to Clyde and the rest…" Said Lincoln.

"I saw that, you just shut down." Said Lucy.

"I can't explain it, I just…stopped…" Said Lincoln.

"One of my books said that can be a normal initial response." Said Lucy.

"One thing's for sure I can't wait until mom and dad come back." Said Lincoln.

"I know…Have you talked to Mr. Grouse lately?" Asked Lucy.

"He said he'll come to us once he has an answer." Answered Lincoln.

"Oh…" Said Lucy.

"I think it shouldn't be long now." Reassured Lincoln

"I sure hope so." Said Lucy.

Lucy then let go of Lincoln and walked to the door.

"I'm gonna go check on the twins again." Said Lucy.

"Can I come with?" Asked Lincoln.

"You might shut down again Lincoln…" Said Lucy with a sigh.

Lincoln realized what Lucy was insinuating and just simply nodded in response. Lucy then went back into Lana and Lola's room and she sat down next to the latter's bed.

"Lucy?" Asked Lola.

"What is it?" Asked Lucy.

"What were you and Lincoln yelling about?" Asked Lola.

"Don't worry about it." Said Lucy.

"But he said something about you lying." Said Lola.

"I…is something gonna happen to us?" Asked Lana.

"Look, all that matters is that you're still sick and need your rest." Said Lucy.

An awkward moment of silence followed that and remained that way until one of them asked a very blunt question.

"Lucy…what does dying feel like?" Asked Lola.

"W..what?" Asked a floored Lucy.

"You read a lot about it and I want to know." Said Lola.

"Lola…there's really no way of knowing." Answered Lucy.

Then in another blow a second question of the type was asked.

"We're dying aren't we Lucy?" Asked Lana.

Lucy immediately went stiff when she heard Lana ask that.

"Uh…" Said Lucy trailing off.

"I knew it…" Said Lola, "Your silence says everything."

They then saw tears run down past Lucy's bangs.

"I'm so sorry…" Said Lucy, "You must be so frightened."

"To tell you the truth, the events of the last couple weeks kinda numbed us…" Said Lola.

"I…I…" Stuttered Lucy.

"It's okay Luce…we know how much this has been bothering you." Said Lana.

"Truth be told I just wanna see mommy and daddy before it's too late." Said Lola.

"You two are pretty strong, I'm sure you can hold out until then." Said Lucy.

Immediately after she said that they both vomited into waste baskets next to their beds. Lucy remained unfazed but she then noticed the inimitable odor of blood. She realized what her twin sisters just vomited and took all the strength she had to avoid fainting.

"Lucy?" Asked Lola.

"It's okay guys, everything will be okay." Said Lucy.

"Tell us what you know about mommy and daddy coming home please." Said Lola as she yawned and began to close her eyes.

"Sure thing." Said Lucy, "Mr. Grouse is using his radio to find people around Great Lakes City."

She pauses for a second to collect her thoughts.

"He'll let us know once he has all the information he needs. Also Lana told me that Vanzilla is old enough to have survived the EMP."

Lola nudges her in response.

"Yeah, so they might be driving their way to us and might even beat Mr. Grouse to the punch."

She then paused for a moment again.

"They were already leaving the city when the bombs went off so there's no doubt that they're on their way. I doubt it'll take much longer, even if you account for disabled cars."

"So you see? Everything is gonna be fine for us and you'll get to see mom and dad."

"At least we're gonna get some closure, so some good could come of this. Right guys?"

No verbal response followed Lucy's question, not even the nudge from a moment earlier.

"Guys?"

Still no responses.

"Guys…"