Chapter 5

A Loud In Despair

"Gotta get home. Jeez, move faster, girl!"

The sun above slowly petered away against the buildings beyond, dropping Royal Woods underneath a shade most unwelcoming. A chill entered the atmosphere, forcing the young rocker to huddle close as she ran, vision still blanketed by tears she refused to let fall. Every car and passerby became blobs on her way back home; none of them mattered. All that rested on her mind was getting home.

She needed all the help she could get. It hurt knowing that.

She ignored the fatigue running rampant against her body, head shaking as the roads became lines in the dirt. Arms pumped like pistons in rhythm with her booted feet, all feeling the restless charge of her aching heart, matched only by her breaths begging for rest. Every step she took felt like it was her last, but she refused to fall. If she did, her fate felt assured. That dark hallway would return, and that room soon after. Her tongue bled underneath her powerful teeth, a lone fist punching hard against her cheek. "Stop it! Just stop!" She begged, praying for something to hear her pleas. Was it even worth it to try? Who would want to help her, anyways? She abandoned Sam and her band back in the clubroom, leaving them behind perhaps more worried than necessary. Why couldn't she just tell them what was wrong?

That one was obvious. "Because I'm going insane. You can't even think straight, Luna! Gah, I hate this!"

Was that why she didn't call for Lori to pick her up, or just take the afternoon bus? She didn't know. If she took the latter, she'd probably go crashing off a cliff, and the former? What would her older sister even say? Seeing how much of a wreck she'd become, either she'd genuinely offer a hand, or just laugh in her face like old-times. Either way, she rather avoid dragging her family into this. Crazy or not, she rather keep them sane.

For a brief moment, though, she stopped dead in her tracks. Don't drag her family into this, she concluded. The sights of that hallway came back, hidden behind her thin veil of defense. Her father's silhouette and that mysterious man, along with those two gents all talking about something possibly grim. Along with that, what she thought was her mother reaching for her, far more broken than her daughter had ever seen. A twisted turn of events that gave no hope. Only further confusion.

Don't drag her family into this? They were already a part of it. She nearly choked. "Mom... you're okay, right?" she spoke through her ghostly lips.

For the first time that day, her body allowed just a little more push, legs running faster than ever before. What was happening behind her back? Was her mind trying to warn her on something? Or was it just wasting her time, giving her something to hold onto while she slipped further away from the world? Maybe all this panic was for nothing; her mind probably heard one of Lucy's poems and got a tad bit depressed. That sounded good.

She slapped her face again. As much as she wanted that to be true, she knew it wouldn't be. Her luck hadn't been that good recently. Why start now?

But alas the final turn was made, showing off her old home standing against the evening sky. So quaint to see it in its silent glory. Rarely was it ever that peaceful, but as she stared at the windows, it was clear nobody was inside. All the lights were off, sans the porch light flickering against the front door. It nearly made Luna stop once more. "The heck? Everyone should be back by now, right?" Another question, another fear. She swallowed her fright. Think logically.

Before the door at least gave her some comfort. Out on the front lawn was a device she couldn't begin to describe. At least she wouldn't have to, for young Lisa Loud stood beside it, petting its metallic infrastructure like it was the cutest pet in town. If she wasn't so tormented, Luna would've thought it was adorable in its own way. She shook that away quickly; her eyes turned to the driveway, where their trusted Vanzilla was nowhere to be found. Was the young lady the only one home? That's odd.

Purple boots hitting the grassy lawn brought Lisa's attention away from her contraption, a look of shock broke through her scientific glasses. "Older sibling? Shouldn't you be playing that cacophonous device for another span of an hour?" she spoke with folded arms, hiding a button underneath her fingers.

Luna took a deep breath, steadying herself before her younger sis. "I... guess? Ah, Lisa, uh... what's going on? Anyone home?"

The young lady turned back to her device, grinning devilishly at it. "Unfortunately you missed them. Mother needed a quick item from the local grocer, and apparently another wacky ingenious plan concocted by our white-haired brother forced everyone to join." She shuttered on that memory, before taking another look at the glowing button in her palms. Instant relief. "Luckily I avoided such fruitless endeavors by testing my weather-altering cannon. Soon, we shall experience how the ecosystem enjoys a little snow during spring. Heh, no more allergens during my studies. Ah, a glorious-"

It was better to interrupt her. "Wait, they seriously left you alone?" She asked. Lisa looked up at her peeved, before simply nodding. The heck? Smart or not, the young Loud was still barely pushing five. That didn't sound like her parents at all.

Her parents. "Hey, uh, did you see the folks? How were they? Okay? Not hiding anything or something?"

Lisa studied Luna's face, giving her a rather cutesy look that desperately tried to look judgmental. "Based on your query, not to mention the singular tear running down your already tear-strewn face, I take it your problems from earlier are sadly getting worse. Am I correct, or is the springtime weather hurting you, because I may have a solution-"

This was getting nowhere. "Nah, nah, the first point!" Luna sighed, resting a hand against the device. It's cold exterior strangely felt comforting. "I don't know what's happening, sis. I'm... seeing things now. Messed up hospitals, not to mention freaky rooms that feel vaguely familiar. I don't know what's happening!" Her eyes became further downtrodden, staring at the grass beneath her feet. "I can't even play with my band without a nightmare taking over! Gosh, I must've freaked Sam out. Darn it, I screwed up there. Good job, Lunes."

Her little sister folded her arms, seemingly studying the information given. "I see. It still may be a bout of teenage-induced angst mixed with the rise in taxes these days. Still, as much as I ignore emotions, I'm not a monster." She surprisingly gave a genuine smile. Was Luna the first to ever receive one? She felt honored, definitely. "Maybe, unless homework proves to be the Edison to your Tesla, taking a moment of reprieve is what you need. It's not every day our home becomes a quiet shell against the mighty powers of the Solis." Her older sister shot her a look, prompting a sigh. "The sun. And here I thought they taught Latin in high school. Oh, the woes of being a dead language."

She saying to relax? Was that what she needed? Now that she mentioned it, Luna couldn't help feeling exhausted. Even keeping her eyes open felt like a chore. Hard to keep energized when all of reality kept falling around her. Maybe just taking a load off for a little spell might help.

But what if she accidentally dozed off and encountered that place again? Lisa must've seen her face grow weary, prompting her to speak. "Look, I'm not an expert on mental structures and patterns, but you cannot let fear dictate what you do. The more you grow scared, the more it'll probably happen." She walked up to her older sister, politely taking Luna's hand. "Think on the positive side for once. Do that, and whatever the hey is happening will be like the springtime weather in a few short minutes!"

Luna never thought she'd receive such advise from her second-youngest sister, but she wasn't complaining either. She's right; it's what the rocker kept trying to tell herself. If she's scared of her own mind, then what chance did she have at getting better? Take the moment to catch her breath, and then sort things out. Not a bad plan, all things considered.

With a hearty smile, Luna bent down and hugged Lisa. Though her younger sister tried to protest, eventually she had no choice but to return the gesture. "Thank you so much, little Lis!" the elder sister spoke genuine, bringing back some color to her skin at last. "If this helps, I'll get to writing that song for you. Sound good?"

"Hmph, fine. As long as it's the west coast style. The east coast flavors never sat well with my groove, as the kids once said I think."

With that, the young lady went back to her device, while Luna approached her front door, for once actually feeling a little better. The tear still clung on, but a light of hope seemed to emanate from her body. Just a little relaxation should suffice. She had been working a little too much over the past week. Eventually fatigue had to come in and screw everything up, right? Guess it was just another annoying aspect of life.

Still, before she turned the knob, she looked back to her younger sister. "So... Mom and Dad are good? Nothing weird about them?"

Lisa was barely paying attention at this point. "The usual. Dad speaks the wacky stuff, Mom plays the foil, and everything goes wrong. In other words, they're fine."

"Ah. Guess that's one way to put it." At least that sounded good. Just her head then. Gotta be.

She closed the door behind her, being welcomed home by the sound of emptiness. All the lights were off, and even their few pets were currently on a snooze cruise. When was the last time their house was this quiet? Even when it's night, either the twins or Lily would keep the racket going. Then again, she was also to blame. Staring at it, though, made her feel more at ease than usual. Maybe it was the crap day she had, but she almost wanted to cry purely out of happiness for being there. She knew her family would've laughed, and honestly, she would've joined them.

The calm air already made her want to sleep, but even though her body demanded her bed, she chose otherwise. Her feet were pounding in pain after that sprint through Royal Woods; just thinking of marching up those stairs made her gag. Since no one was home, and she had some free time, perhaps a quick rest on the couch would suffice? She couldn't even remember the last time she even had the couch to herself.

"Well, then that's what I'll do, then. Heck, maybe I can actually watch some TV for once!"

She darted her way to the sofa, resting her head against its arm. The remote rested on the coffee table directly up front, but as soon as her hand reached for it, she truly did feel a truck smack her energy to pieces. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn't deny how tired she was getting. A yawn snapped her fingers back to her chest. She'll catch up on her shows later. Right now, it was probably best to stay quiet.

She couldn't help but giggle. "Besides, if Mick was on, he shouldn't see me like this. What kind of rocker looks dead?" As her eyes grew heavy, her smile slowly turned into a dour frown. She folded her arms, holding herself close. "Gotta call Sam. I hope she's not mad. Tch, course she wouldn't be. She's too kind for that." She sighed as she turned her body. "I don't deserve her. I gotta make things right. Gotta..."

Sam, and her parents. Even if all she saw was just some twisted dream, she still wanted to see if they were all right. Hug them, and let the bad hospital fade away. Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next. All she prayed for was some peace of mind. Let the world go back to normal, and let that guitar of hers play nice again.

Heh, she nearly forgot she left that back at club. Another thing she needed to hold onto.

Was it against her best wishes to pass out? Didn't matter in the end. She couldn't fight it forever. All she knew was to not be afraid. She had to be strong; be the Luna her family knew her as. Maybe that would finally end it.

"I hope you found peace..."

She hoped so, too.