Some roads outside the urban areas of Michigan are known for one thing: their quietness.
Unlike other places, the agricultural areas on the outskirts of the state are calmer even with activity still present around. Besides some farmers working in some of the fields and freight trucks leaving and entering the state, not much happens out here.
Another thing the roads are known for are its peaceful atmospheres, especially during the night when the only sounds present are if the crops from nearby farms bumping against each other by the wind, or some animals and insects going about their nightly rounds.
Activity and peacefulness, both were known to be hand in hand around these parts.
So for anyone living besides one of the many short dirt roads in the area, seeing a small, gray, worn-out car drive by was not unusual.
What was unusual however was how anybody would be passing these roads at such late hours during a clear July night.
One might think that the two female passengers in the vehicle had gotten lost, hoping that neither of them had read their travel maps wrong as they were looking for their destination; although, if you paid attention to the directions and turns present, getting lost in here was near to impossible.
But if you followed the vehicle you could just see how the driver knew which way to go without going in circles, having no problem going where she wanted to go.
The blond woman had no plans to get lost, she had memorized the route she had seen on the map before leaving the airport some time ago. She remembered every route, street and turn she had to take to get to her destination, and so far she seemed to be on the right track.
There was still a long way to go before reaching the city, and she hoped she wouldn't encounter any interruptions along the way; fortunately, there had been none.
Everything was going according to plan since they landed on the airport an hour ago. The flight had been shorter than expected, for the complete relief of both passengers.
If they spent one more minute having to deal with the smell of cigarette smoke from the man sitting in front of them, the guy would have probably ended up leaving his flight earlier than usual. Nothing that could've been done when the last seats available were in the plane's smoking zones.
The curious little AMC Gremlin vehicle left for them wasn't in its best shape, nor was it the biggest, but it would do; at least it would have enough room to hold what little luggage they were carrying at the moment, even if it wasn't much. The woman would just need to fill up the gas tank at some nearby station to continue the rest of the extensive journey ahead.
After a long and tiring journey, Heather Brooks only hoped that the patience of the white-haired girl at her side, looking at the starry outside, was still stable.
But the expression on her disappointed face told her otherwise.
"Honey... can I talk to you for a moment?"
The woman's calm voice interrupted the girl's thoughts, turning her gaze to the woman.
She already had a good idea of what her mother was probably going to talk about.
"Sure."
"Look, it doesn't take any kind of super vision power or anything like that to see that you're not happy, not at all." And she was right, a lot, maybe too much, she had to admit. "I know this moving thing was too sudden, I really do, but... I think we'll be just fine in Royal Woods."
"We were better off back in the cabin," the girl replied emotionlessly. "I miss it."
"I know you miss that place a lot, dear, and so do I, but believe me when I tell you that things can be much better here."
The white-haired girl adjusted herself in her seat, facing her positive mother.
"I mean, think about it: won't it be good to finally try new things? It shouldn't be so bad. For one thing, we'll be living in the middle of a nice and lovely neighborhood."
"Well... I guess it's okay, but-"
"You'll be able to make new friends, too."
"Sure, but it's not-"
"And now you'll finally be able to go to school, just as you always wanted! Isn't that great?"
The more Heather smiled, the more the white-haired girl seemed to frown.
"Mom, can you-"
"And we can take some nice walks around town, too. I mean, I know it won't be the same as our walks in the woods, but I'm sure there will be some new interesting places to see."
"Mom, let me-"
"Think about it, it'll be a great time for both of-"
"Could?!"
The serious tone of the girl's voice made the smile disappear completely from Heather's face. No more words came out of her.
A long, uncomfortable silence reigned inside the old vehicle for what seemed like an eternal minute, a silence that the woman would try to break.
"Honey, I'm... I'm so sorry." Heather answered with a bit of shame. "But I don't understand, what's wrong? Isn't this what you always wanted?"
The frustration inside the girl began to subside with the soft tone of her concerned mother.
"It's just... it's just that..."
It wasn't just the fear and doubt in her voice that explained everything.
More than that, it was that white glow coming back around her body again.
Heather didn't need to hear or see anything else.
"It's because of 'that,' isn't it?"
A nod was all that she needed to bring the car to a careful stop at the side of the road, turning off the engine completely.
The woman took her hands off the wheel, bringing them to her daughter's
"Look... I understand that you're scared of what might happen. But do you wanna know something?"
Doubt forced the white-haired girl to lift her eyes back to her mother.
"I'm not afraid of that because if there's one thing I know for sure it's that you'll manage to stay stable."
"But what if something goes wrong? What if someone finds out or if I screw something up?"
"No one will know, and you won't screw up either because I know you're capable enough to control yourself. I saw all your progress with it this whole time, do you think I wouldn't be telling you all this if it wasn't true?"
The white-haired girl would have returned her gaze down as she denied, if it wasn't for Heather lifting her head again.
"I know you're nervous about all this, and… to tell you the truth? I am a bit nervous as well. But if there's one thing I can assure you is that nothing bad will happen to us. You and I will be completely fine. But most importantly, and I don't want you to never, ever forget this: I will not let anything happen to you."
"You... you promise?"
"Absolutely."
An unexpected hug given by the blond woman would slowly begin to weaken the white glow around the girl.
It wasn't until she immediately returned the gesture that the glow around her body would completely disappear.
And it was here and there, inside an old little car in the middle of nowhere, under a starry and clear night sky, that mother and daughter would share the soft embrace.
For a while, all the troubles in the world vanished.
"We'll be alright, Linka."
And it seemed that everything would stay that way.
"I promise."
...
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The Loud House: Neon Days
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Part I: Arrival
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1: Payday
Friday, August 26th, 1983
A few weeks later
…
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…
"Three, four, and... five, that should be enough!"
And it was.
For the tired eleven-year-old white haired boy, the jingle of the quarters being placed on his hand must have been the most satisfying thing to hear after working for half an hour without a break.
Walking a long time around a yard, pushing a machine, going through all kinds of nooks and crannies, gathering up all the cut grass and putting it all in a bag was not an easy or quick thing to do, especially when you had already repeated the same process over and over again, house by house, all day long.
But it was enough.
Every effort made today seemed to have paid off for Lincoln Loud.
"Thank you, Mrs. Margaret, happy to help."
The white-haired boy answered tiredly as he put the quarters in the pocket of his orange vest, rolling down the sleeves of his white t-shirt underneath and wiping away the small drops of sweat from his forehead.
"You must be exhausted, would you like something to drink?"
"Thanks, but I have to get home before it gets dark."
''If you say so. Now, I'd appreciate if you could put the lawnmower back in the garage over there, my daughter will help you with the door."
Nodding, Lincoln followed the path towards the side of her house, receiving the help of Margaret's daughter (completely dressed in black, as usual) to lift the defective garage door and managing to return the machine back to its original position.
"Thanks, Maggie."
"Sure... whatever."
Her uninterested reply came as no surprise as she headed back inside.
Lincoln just ignored her and picked up his red bicycle placed next to the entrance, saying goodbye to Mrs. Margaret as he prepared to leave.
Once inside her home and already in the kitchen, Margaret turned on the radio as she prepared a few things for dinner. From outside, Lincoln could hear the musical tone coming from the appliance:
"R-W-T FM"
''RWT - as good as it gets!''
Anybody in town would recognize the lively jingle of the Royal Woods Tunes station, or RWT, as most people knew it. Being only one of the few different stations in the city, RWT had a fair amount audience including Lincoln and most of his family.
''Happy afternoon Royal Woods! Here's your beloved everyday host, Mr. Cassius, reporting on this beautiful Friday afternoon, with a busy evening soon to come for all those partying souls. You know who you are!''
For being not only the host of the RWT station, but also the most recognized voice in Royal Woods, Mr. Cassius was a complete stranger to everyone, his true identity completely unknown. And yet, Lincoln didn't mind hearing his voice as he checked on his bike.
''And now, a quick weather report: better get your warm sweaters ready, because it seems the wind will be visiting us more times than you visit your girlfriend during the week! Don't lie, we already know about your obsessive addiction for her.''
And that there was the reason why the guy had more than one fan in the whole city.
''And with everything said for the moment, we continue with our musical transmission. See you all tonight, and keep on rocking!''
(ELO - Don't Bring Me Down)
Another day's work done.
Time to head home.
With the sun already setting on the horizon, painting the sky with a deep orange, Lincoln picked up his backpack, adjusted the walkie-talkie's antenna sticking out from inside and took a seat on his bike, starting his ride home.
Pedaling at a moderate speed, he watched as the trees around the neighborhood dropped some of their old, dry orange leaves to the lawn and street. Autumn was already in effect, bringing new opportunities for work to be done over the next few days around the neighborhood. Soon, he would have to extend his services to sweeping the dry leaves once they began to fall in full piles to the ground, at least if he wanted to get some extra coins.
The white-haired boy passed through the active parts of the neighborhoods, with teenagers and other children his age doing their own thing in the nearly clear streets without a care in the world.
He tried to be careful as he passed by some boys playing with a ball in the street, dodging them on time as he turned to the side of the road. Not a second later he immediately avoided a group of girls in dresses walking down the sidewalk, too focused on their own conversation to notice the bike dashing by their side until the last moment.
Lincoln could only give an apologetic glance back to the surprised and annoyed group behind.
The streets seemed to be more crowded than usual, but what else to expect on a free Friday afternoon? Classes wouldn't be starting until later, and nobody had plans of wasting precious minutes.
Much less Lincoln Loud, with his pocket full of his earned pay.
Every effort made today had been worth it, as well as every quarter.
''Hey Lincoln, over here!''
His thought was interrupted as he noticed his bespectacled friend on his bike, just rounding the corner. With his yellow buttoned shirt tucked into his jeans, tightened by a brown belt, and with one or two noticeable sweat stains on him, Clyde McBride seemed exhausted enough to mow another yard; but not exhausted enough to join his friend on the ride home.
"Hey, Clyde, how are we doing so far?"
"Well, I just finished cleaning up the McCauley's yard, that would be the fourth backyard I've cleared today… and the second one where I pass out. How about you?''
"I'm just done taking care of Mrs. Margaret's yard, so that would be a nice total of six satisfied customers today."
"Six?! Boy, you sure work fast in just a day, Linc!"
"What can I say? The harder you work, the faster and more productive you are... even if it means having to deal with cramps for the rest of the week." Lincoln rubbed his sore hand before turning around the next corner.
"Try not to over-exert yourself Linc, the last thing we need is for you to end up ruining your hands, not before the Gus' Arcade grand opening!''
"I know, but we don't have much time left. We better work as hard and fast as we can until then.''
"Hey, lame-o, come in." Came the tired and frustrated voice of a girl, accompanied by static, coming from the walkie-talkie inside Lincoln's backpack. The white-haired boy carefully grabbed the large rectangular object from his backpack. "I just finished with the Fox family's yard, don't even ask how everything went with those kids around. All this work better be worth it, or else..."
"Hey, Ronnie Anne. Believe me, by the time the arcade opens its doors we'll have enough in our pockets to have the best night of our lives. This will definitely be worth it!"
"I really hope you're right, or my tired fists will have a lot to talk to you about... at least for another day. Until then, consider me out. I have important things to do back home and 'doing nothing' is one of them. See you tomorrow."
A farewell later, the boys continued moving through the streets, dodging a car or two as they passed through another neighborhood. Franklin Avenue came in sight in no time.
A little bit more ahead and there it was, the familiar two-story residence, the pleasant (and usually messy) Loud house.
Home sweet… home?
''Hey, Linc, isn't your house a bit more… quieter than usual?''
Clyde was right, Lincoln thought as well, the house should be bursting with chaotic activity at this hour of the day. Where was everybody?
And what was up with all the ordered piles of dry leaves in front? Was it just his imagination, or was one of them moving?
And, now that he noticed, was something moving behind-
''BOO!''
Came the shout out of nowhere, loud enough to make both boys fall to the floor.
Immediately, a bright flash coming from the pile of leaves in front blinded them momentarily. The boys would take a moment to recover in the ground before lifting up their sights to notice both girls in front of them.
"Seems that leaves aren't the only thing falling this season!" Laughed a young brunette girl in overalls (with a fake flower sewn in the middle), wearing a yellow shirt underneath, emerging from one of the piles of leaves with her trusty Polaroid camera in her hands.
"Oh, man! You should have seen your faces!" A little blond girl laughed along her as she pulled some leaves out of her green vest, blue tank top and jeans. The only thing missing from her head was a simple red cap.
Both Luan and Lana Loud could barely contain their laughter.
"This one is definitely staying in the album!" She continued to laugh, regretting that the photo couldn't process fast enough to see both boys' reactions again as they stood up.
With his heartbeat and mind now stable, Lincoln noticed a red cap with the Bobbie Fletcher fan club emblem sewn on the front next to him, picking it up and handing it to Lana.
"I think this is yours."
"Oh, thanks, Linc." The youngest girl thanked him as she put her hat back on her head upon receiving it. It had never left her head since she won it during the raffle held at The Burpin' Burger some time ago.
"Well, Luan, I hope that instant heart attack was worth it." Lincoln sighed as he wiped the dust off his pants.
"Absolutely! It's best to keep these kinds of memories safe, as they tend to go in a 'flash.' Hahah! Get it?"
Luan didn't care much to hear that annoyed sigh from his brother.
"Nice… one…"
But Clyde begged to differ, struggling to stand up.
"By the way, do you know where everyone is?" The white haired boy asked, still surprised by the silent ambient.
"Mom and dad went to do some errands with Vanzilla, Lynn went roller skating with her friends, Leni is at the mall and Lori just left in a hurry for work with Luna. The rest are inside, and Lana and I were busy taking some pictures for my new album, wanna come with us?"
"Thanks for the offer," appreciated Clyde. "but Lincoln and I will be busy counting the money we just got."
"Well, your choice." Lana shrugged, walking away with her older sister. "If you excuse us, we'll be in the park scaring the pants off some random people with frogs!"
And with that, both girls left at once, leaving a clear path to the currently calm Loud residence.
Going through the door, up the old staircase and down the hallway to simply get to his room was easy for Lincoln today, especially when the rest of his sisters appeared to be locked in their rooms, busy with who knows what.
He swore to take advantage and enjoy this moment of peace and quiet after a long and tiring day outside; goodness knows how much he needed it.
"Hey, what's this?"
And just before he could even enter his room, Clyde had stopped him the moment he noticed a small object in the hallway floor.
Lincoln could recognize the little blue object from anywhere.
"It's Lori's wallet, but what's it doing here? I thought she never left home without it."
"Do you think she dropped it by accident?"
"Probably, but I also think she and Luna will be in big trouble if she doesn't have it handy for the ride back home or the phones. I need to return this, quick."
Lincoln put the small object on his pocket, quickly leaving his backpack in his room and going back downstairs with his friend.
''Hey, Clyde, you think you have enough energy left to make one more trip?"
"For Lori, I'd walk around the world nonstop.''
Lincoln could only roll his eyes as he left his home, trying to ignore his friend's various amorous comments as they hopped on their bikes and started the course straight for his sister's workplace as the last rays of the sun disappeared over the horizon.
"I'm telling you, buddy, I'd do anything for Lori; I'd even get the whole Carrington family fortune just for her!
Sure, Lincoln sighed again, whatever his friend said and-...
...wait a minute, since when was Clyde a fan of Dynasty?
...
Royal Drive-In-Theatre
Miraculously, for a show on its worst days, the Royal Woods drive-in theater was filled.
From its beginnings back to some decades ago, the place had entertained a whole generation of people, filling up with ease for night after night. But times had changed; and with it, so did this place.
For the worse.
The business of these theaters simply wasn't what it used to be some time ago. Recent crises and the rise of new technologies had been the sharp knives used to bleed the business like never before. It might only be weekends or holiday times that still ended up filling the area, but the damage done was already irreparable.
This was a ship that would soon sink to the depths.
Lori Loud was well aware of that.
But the seventeen-year-old girl with long, curly blond hair had to get her extra money any way she could, even if it meant working in a business that was suffering a slow and painful death...and if it also meant wearing an uncomfortable red work uniform inside a decadent little square hut, serving endless junk food until late.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before the opening of the new location, a Gus-Games-and-whatever-its-name-is, meant she could finally be free of this doomed position. It was a miracle that Bobby had managed to book her a position in time as a cashier, considering that the last few spots had been filled at a rapid pace by other teens.
Although with only a few months serving so far, she had to admit that this place wasn't as bad or stressful a job as she thought... maybe just a little, but she had managed to adapt to everything. Everything, of course, except for the small pay she received weekly, the usual smell of cigarettes in the air, or the boredom of standing in her same position for hours at a time when a movie she didn't like was playing; today was one of those days.
Tonight's movie was about giant ants (or, as every person in the movie who couldn't think of a better name started to call those things, "Them"), mutated by some kind of nuclear experiment. Not a single person could be saved from the destruction they unleashed on every city they invaded.
It was this kind of movie that was sure to keep Lana going, rooting for the ants from start to finish.
For Lori, it was all a boring torture. Start to finish.
And if the boredom of the moment hadn't been bad enough, she had noticed her missing wallet a little too late.
Dang it, how was she supposed to use the pay phone to call home once her shift was over? Sure, she assured her parents that using the nearby pay phone wasn't really necessary, she could just call a cab and that would be it, but they always kept insisting her to keep them updated on anything or call if she needed a ride back home once they were back from some last minute grocery shopping.
But now? The absence of her small but precious item would get her nowhere.
Nowhere except taking a long shortcut down Rosefield Avenue on foot if she wanted to get home as quickly as possible, along with her sister, of course.
What a nightfall this was turning out to be.
"You know, dude, honestly... this place sucks." Admitted the fifteen-year-old in purple shirt and black leather vest, taking another sip from her drink before fixing a purple band tied around her head and her sprawling brown hair.
Luna Loud just couldn't imagine herself working in a place where she was forced to watch all kinds of old low-budget black and white movies, or where every now and then she got to witness any kind of unwanted ''love action'' in some of the vehicles. She didn't have a problem with was the cigarette smell in the area though. She was already quite used to it.
Luna would remember to clean her worn purple pants and black leather boots when she returned home, her little gig at the old place had left a dirty souvenir or two on her. There were already second thoughts on her mind for coming to the local after accepting by the owner's request a day before to perform with her band.
A few extra visits proved to yield the desired results from the manager, completely satisfied with the small gigs. Free refreshments and some pats on the back would be the band's hard earned pay. And just like that, the rest of her band mates had left as quickly as they arrived, leaving the rocker at her own mercy with her sister.
"I know you work hard for the money, sis, but I still don't understand how you haven't lost your mind in this place yet."
"Neither do I, Luna," Lori replied emotionlessly as she watched on the screen how a giant ant mercilessly devoured another soldier trying to finish it off, all accompanied by a dramatic orchestra in the background. "Neither do I..."
''Be thankful it won't be long before you have to change positions at Gus; it was either that, or you'd head back to Spunk E.'s... and back to being dear Ms. Mozzarella to us all.''
A joking smirk formed on the rocker's face, earning only the irritated sigh of the teenager.
''Luna, I thought we left that name behind for good.''
''And forget one of your best moments? Not in a million years, dude. I'm really going to miss seeing you trying to walk around with that monstrosity of giraffe suit on you; I bet they haven't even been able to find a person of your exact size to replace you.''
Before Lori could give her a well-deserved smack to the head with a bag of hot dog buns at her side, her attention was called by two boys on bicycles finishing their pedaling at the entrance to the store. It was an easy thing to recognize the white-haired boy, having just stopped with his friend in front of the booth.
"Hey girls."
"What's up, bro, how's life treatin' ya?" The rocker greeted as she bumped fists with Lincoln and Clyde. "Jeez, dudes, you look more exhausted than Hendrix after playing a solo."
''Hey guys, what are you doing here? I thought you would be busy today."
''We were,'' replied Clyde. ''We lent our services to the neighborhood all afternoon to get some money.''
"Let me guess: it's for the opening of Gus's place, isn't it?''
''Precisely.'' The white-haired boy affirmed, pulling a small object out of his pocket. ''And, speaking of money, I think this is yours.''
A surprised but big smile soon formed on the teenager's face as she saw the item, receiving it as quickly as she could recognize it.
''You guys literally just saved my life!'' If it weren't for being on the other side of the stall, Lori would have already strangled the two boys in a grateful but forced hug, perhaps tight enough to break Clyde (physically and mentally). ''Thank you!''
''No big deal, we'll just take the opportunity to help out a little and…'' Lincoln paused as he saw the tempting selection of candy bars hanged on the wall, the same ones Clyde just got on his sights. ''maybe… just maybe, get a little something in return for the favor? Maybe a delicious chocolate bar from the stand?''
"Sorry guys, no freebies."
''Aw, man.''
''Well, you tried, Linc.''
"Buuut... I think we could arrange something if you help me with a few simple tasks." Before Lori could explain any further, the two boys were already standing obediently in front of the stall. ''Lincoln, I need to take this order for the red car on the further left.''
Not a second after receiving a tray with a bucket of popcorn and a refreshment, the white-haired boy was already on his way. He would have kept going, had he not been stopped at the last moment by a mildly concerned Luna.
''Hey, bro, just a little tip... I wouldn't turn around to see what's going on in that car next door.''
"What do you- oh."
The couple in the little green car, next to his destination, had just moved from first base to second at an alarming pace.
"Well... I'll be back in a moment."
As Lincoln set on his doubtful way, his friend was completely ready for his task.
"Clyde, would you mind passing these to that little gray car in the corner?" Asked the blonde as she gave him two bars in his hands, some good looking Butterfingers. ''I forgot to give this to the lady in the vehicle when I delivered her order, can you help me with that?''
"For you, my fair lady, anything."
Clyde wouldn't get to see Lori's annoyed face as he set on his way, walking around some of the cars on his path. He could hear the dramatic movie soundtrack getting louder in the background, drawing the bespectacled boy's attention to the large screen in front. The death of another mutant ant in the movie at the mercy of destructive weapons would distract the boy long enough to even notice the figure walking in front about to crash with him, its attention as equally lost in the screen.
The impact between the two was not long in coming, making both kids lose their balance and stumble to the hard ground. Clyde's glasses
''Oh!... I-I'm s-sorry! A-are you okay?'' The apologetic voice of a girl called out while the embarrassed boy tried to get a hold of his missing glasses
"D-don't worry, I'm fine, I'm so sorry about that!"
"It's my fault, I didn't see where I was going."
"No, no, it was mine, I didn't see where… "
Any kind of sincere apology Clyde had in his mind immediately disappeared as he put on his glasses and slowly looked at the figure sitting in front of him, all from the bottom to top.
White sneakers with red stripes on its sides, clean white socks, an orange t-shirt neatly tucked into the dark blue shorts she wore. So many things starting to look so familiar to him, but her hair… it couldn't be possible. As white as the moon tonight, clean as it could be, and neatly combed into a ponytail with the help of a red bow.
It would only take a second look at her to take a heavy toll on the perplexed boy's mind.
"Are you... all right?"
The lack of response, much less any kind of emotion on the boy began to weird the girl out, having to wave her hand in front of him to get some sort of attention left. He could barely move at all.
"I... I... I…"
''Are you okay?''
"Huh?! S-s-s-sorry… i-it's… j-j-just..."
"Are those ours?"
The white haired girl asked, pointing to the bars on his trembling hands as she stood up the ground.
''T-t-t… t-these?''
''My… mom and I were missing these, and we were already wondering when they would be delivered, we're parked right over there.''
Though still lacking reason, Clyde could see the gray car the white-haired girl was pointing at, recognizing the gray color of his almost forgotten destination around the corner of the area.
''Y-y… y-yes, t-t-that's-… f-for… uh…''
The quizzical girl received her due bars from the extended trembling hands of the boy.
''Well... um… thank you.''
The only response given to her was a long, shocked and strange stare back at her.
The white haired girl simply waved an awkward little goodbye before walking back where she came from, disappearing between the rest of the parked vehicles.
Clyde McBride would only stay on the floor for a while. His mind had no rush to
''Ah, Clyde, there you are!''
But it wouldn't be until Lincoln's intervention behind him that the bespectacled boy would come back to his senses, blinking a few times and quickly standing up as he turned to his concerned white haired friend.
''Clyde? Is everything alright, bud?
''Y-y… y-yeah, it was n-n-nothing, I just-... I just b-bumped into someone on the way, but I'm done with your- I MEAN, their delivery!''
''Um… well, if you say so. But anyways, look what I got!''
Lincoln held up his hands with a smile, showing two bars of pure, sweet Hershey chocolate bars. The mere sight of them brought Clyde completely back to reality, although partially.
''T-that's g-great! S-score for us, I guess, eh?''
"Yeah, anyways, we better head back home. It's getting late, and we still have to count everything we earned today. You still up for it?"
''I-I'm right behind you… buddy.''
And so, after some quick goodbyes to the rest and some final preparations finished, the two boys set off on their journey home, traveling under a clear and starry night sky. Even with the lighted road ahead, Lincoln noticed how his concerned friend kept looking back to the parking lot.
Not a single idea came to his mind as to exactly why.
He could only wonder.
...
''Hey mom, I'm back!''
The white-haired girl settled in as she climbed inside seat of the small vehicle, giving a happy greeting to the sympathetic woman at her side.
''How did everything go?''
The sight of the two bars in her daughter's hands answered enough.
''Mission accomplished.''
''Excellent job, I knew you could... wait, what happened to you?'' Heather Brooks couldn't help but notice the dirt on her daughter's shorts. ''Did you fall? Are you okay? Do you need to- ''
''Mom, don't worry, I'm fine; I just bumped into someone on the way, but it was nothing.''
"At least you're okay, right?"
Linka Brooks simply nodded, preferring to concentrate on removing the wrapper from her bar and passing the other one to her curious mother.
''Who did you bump with?''
''A boy my age, maybe from another neighborhood as far as I know. He was... well… weird.''
''Weird?''
''He had some problems talking to me, and he seemed… strange when looking at me.''
''Huh, must be a shy kid.''
''Yeah… maybe.''
Shrugging it off and not giving it much more thought, both women settled peacefully back in their seats admiring the large screen ahead of them. Both could only gaze in wonder as another gigantic ant was defeated by the blazing fire of a soldier with a flamethrower.
"Nice." Both could only reply at the same time.
And so, for the first time in a long time since the move started, Linka felt safe.
Safe and comfortable inside this small vehicle, at her mother's side, enjoying the joyful moments the present was giving her.
It seemed like the uncertain days ahead were too distant like to even worry about. School wouldn't start until later, just at the same time her mother would start her new job in the city. Days of change awaited them both, Linka had to be ready for it.
But, right now, that was just the distant future ahead.
A future that held new opportunities for both of them, a new chapter in a brand new life at Royal Woods. Make the best of it, her mother kept telling her, enjoy life at its fullest while not letting her abilities be-…
No, there was no need to think or worry about it.
She could handle it; she would make it just fine.
Control was of the essence, and she certainly had it, just enough to make it through this new life.
Everything was going to be fine, the voice of her mother kept coming back to her mind.
She believed it. All of it.
And there were no doubts.
…
.
.
…
So… where should I begin?
Let me start by saying that english is not my first language, not by far, but a bit of practicing during the years and a few books eaten (both literally and metaphorically) seem to have done the trick. And it all led up to this moment, right now, just as you are reading these lines.
So, what exactly do we have here? In a quick nutshell: it's just the beginning of a story I've been working on for a while, originally uploaded in spanish and still in progress to this day, but I finally decided to translate.
Why? To tell you the truth, I don't have many reasons besides trying something new like translating a story; I just always wondered if my skills were enough to try it for the first time and see how the rest would go. Of course, as any translation work goes, a small part or two had to be slightly changed from the original in order to make sure it worked as best as possible here. Nothing too big.
As for the setting, just a small note: I have tried to control the use and number of references of the decade through the course of the story in order to avoid an excess of it. Sure, it's nice to read a story set around this time, but I personally think the plot is best read without references raining over your head. Expect them around, but controlled.
Also, please keep in mind this is just the first chapter; the story was still taking shape and form through the process and up ahead through the next parts, so it might not be the best thing at first but it will take up some form later through the line.
Anyways. With all that out of the way, here's what I had in mind for this story:
While I work on some other stuff, I'll see how this chapter goes and what the rest has to say about it and my still to be tested skills. If everything goes alright and there are some positive results, I'll consider translating the rest of the story up until its latest chapter.
If not, I'll probably leave it there and go on with life and other stuff around.
Any feedback? Opinions? Anything to say about it so far? I'll gladly check it.
Until then that's pretty much everything.
Good days ahead, I'll be seeing ya around.