Chapter 27: Reconciliation
Carrie and Christine roamed around the coop with what Kasey could only assume was happiness and contentment, seeming to have no destination in mind, and paying each other no heed as they clucked intermittently for whatever reasons chickens did so. From what he could work out, Christine was the one in charge between the two of them, always the first to take her share of the feed for the day and claim whatever nest suited her desires at the time, as well as chase Carrie around when the mood struck. He hoped they were at least doing the chicken version of playing. This must be that "pecking order" thing I read about. I wonder where she stood with Horn Ranch's chickens?
"I should've named you 'Vanessa,'" Kasey mused with a little laugh, capping the water jug he'd been using to fill their bowl up. "You two haven't been fighting when I'm not in here, have you?" he added, kneeling down and stretching a hand out as Carrie strutted over with a series of casual clucks. She ignored him and wandered over to the bowl to wet her beak, while Kasey sighed and shook his head good-naturedly. "Okay, Carrie, I see how it is. I'm just a food dispenser, huh? You're just as bad as Fluffy was. At least my friends love me."
His heart warmed as he heard those words leave his mouth. He still had trouble believing it, sometimes. Sure, he had his parents, his sisters... and one set of grandparents who loved him dearly. But in just a few short months, he'd already made several close friends around Castanet, as well. Friends who really cared about him, and who he deeply cared about in return, inviting each other into their homes and their lives. Not just co-workers to occasionally grab drinks with, waiting to be remembered and invited into the conversations as he hung back and sipped at his beer, quiet and awkward until the alcohol loosened him up enough.
Well, at least Holly and Eiji tried sometimes, though, he reasoned to himself. They'd been the two co-workers who always made sure to ask Kasey if he wanted to hang out with everyone, though he'd found himself getting reluctant when either of them offered to hang with him one-on-one, or tried introducing him to their own groups of friends. I could've missed out big, not being friends with them. Maybe if I'd just taken the initiative more often back there, like I've been doing here, we'd have been closer... I liked them. But... then I might not be here... and I kind of had to be pushed into taking initiative here, anyway... and God knows shit went south when I tried that with Danny... but then again, I handled that like a gigantic fucking idiot. And... if things had gone differently, I might never have met any of the people here... including Toby... A pang struck his heart at the thought.
He drummed his fingers on his knee and listened to the rain pattering against the coop, and the trees and bushes rustling outside, trying to pull his mind out of the whirlpool of what-ifs. He was here in Castanet now, and despite all the stress and craziness of whatever was attacking the land, and making sure his farm could get off the ground, he couldn't help but think that—in some capacity—he was already doing objectively better than he had in Twin Bluffs. He could even finally say that he had a social circle, too—Toby, Renee, Chase, and Anissa. And Jin... kind of. Though Kasey wouldn't exactly say he and Jin were close, that didn't have to stay the case, like it had with Holly and Eiji. He at least could try. He's really cool... shit, he told me I was his friend last time I was in the clinic. I should see if he wants to hang out with all of us sometime... and Ozzie treats me like family already... and...
He found his mind drifting back to the night Craig had confronted him at the bar. The way everyone in there had come to his defense. Cain, Kathy, Hayden, Dale, Ozzie, Chase, even a completely shitfaced Luke—all sticking up for him, even as the snowfall he'd triggered had caused hardships for several of them. Even Craig had stopped by to apologize later, and start afresh with him. I'm part of Castanet now... maybe I fucked things up with Danny, but... I think I found where I belong. So... stop beating yourself up about what you could have done differently. Shit, ask Angie about Holly and Eiji next time you talk to her, if you still wanna try and be friends with them, and they still wanna try and be friends with you. Maybe get a cell phone. But you've got your friends here. Your family's gotten bigger. You've got Toby, too, and he's more than worth it all on his own. God, Chase was right, that does sound sappy... but, fuck it, it's true. And you're going to help bring Castanet back, and run a fucking badass farm in the process, and—
"GAH!"
Kasey was jolted out of his brooding by a sharp pain at his elbow, and his jump and yelp caused Christine to scurry off with a series of startled clucks—she'd come over to peck at his arm for reasons unknown to him while he'd been lost inside his own head. Carrie looked over at him from her nest, head tilting this way and that, wondering what the fuss was all about.
"Jesus, Christine," he huffed, rubbing the spot she'd pecked at—she hadn't broken the skin, but it still wasn't a pleasant feeling. His voice immediately softened as he saw her eyeing him warily: "Sorry I startled you, but that was my fucking funny bone. I... uhhh, I don't think you guys have those things, but they're definitely not for pecking. Don't do that again, okay, girl?" He shook his head when he saw her staring at him coolly from the other side of the coop. "Aww, c'mere, it's alright." He scooped up a little leftover feed from the floor of the coop and held it out for her, wondering if he should click his tongue like he was calling a cat or a dog. When she returned to completely ignoring him as usual, he sighed and let the feed fall to the floor, before checking his watch. Five after eleven. Still a little while left before he went to go see Luke about the Fugue Forest incident, with enough time to get some laundry taken care of first.
"Alright, well... no hard feelings, huh, Christine?" he called, clambering to his feet and wiping his hands off on his black jeans. He'd initially felt a little silly for talking to his chickens so conversationally, but he couldn't help but feel it was beneficial for him as much as it was for them. He found he was a lot less prone to stuttering and feeling anxious when they were his sole listeners. It wasn't like they were going to make fun of him, at least in no terms that he could understand. I mean, apparently dying and coming back to life wasn't enough for me to stop sweating the small shit just yet. So maybe I just need to pretend that everyone I talk to is either a chicken or my family, he thought, cracking a little grin as he picked the water jug back up. He'd get there eventually. It would just take time. "I'll be back to give you some lunch in a little bit. You two be good, okay?"
Not much later, he sat atop his dryer with a sigh, hearing it gently rumble to life underneath him as his slipper-clad feet tapped against it. Okay, I've probably got time to put this away when it's done, if it actually takes just one cycle this time... what else... The rain outside had already taken care of his crops for him, the dishes were done, and the chickens were fine for the time being. Maybe get some exercises in or something... I wonder if I could buy some weights when I have the money? Well... let's prioritize here, though.
A muffled ringing noise caught his attention, and it took him a moment to realize that it was his phone. Jumping off the dryer, he stumbled up the stairs in his haste, pointlessly calling out that he'd be a second and wondering who could be trying to reach him right now. Maybe Luke has to cancel? I hope not... the sooner I find out what's going on, the better, he thought with a grimace, skidding slightly as he reached the phone. He braced himself against the wall to regain his balance, laughing awkwardly at his graceful landing as the phone continued ringing. "Alright, already... hello? This is Kasey."
He heard what sounded like a quiet exhale, and someone muttering something under their breath. Furrowing his brow and wondering if someone had butt-dialed him, he cleared his throat. "Umm.. h-hello?"
"Yeah... sorry. I, uhh... I... hey, Kasey."
Kasey's breath caught in his chest, and he felt light-headed as the TV faded away in the background and left the familiar voice sounding amplified. He certainly hadn't expected to hear it a week later. "H-hey, Danny. I... I guess you got my message, huh?" His voice was far more meek and quiet than he'd hoped it would be. I didn't exactly give myself time to prepare for this, really... well... for him actually calling back, anyway.
"Yeah... sorry I didn't call you back sooner. I... I really wanted to, and... shit, I was even thinkin', y'know, that... I should've been the one callin' you first, but..." Danny sounded exhausted, and there was something different about his tone that Kasey couldn't help but pick up on. His southern accent seemed a fair deal stronger than Kasey had ever remembered hearing it—more of a lilting twang than Ozzie's boisterous drawl—but something else was in there, too. "I've just... had a lot goin' on lately. And I guess after everything that happened, after what I said to you, and... what I did... the way I avoided arguments with you... I think I'm the one who owes you an apology, Kasey. I mean, shit, I forgive you, no question, I just... a lot of this was my fault, too. Especially what I said about your family. I'm sorry, that was just... so low of me. I ain't g—I'm not gonna excuse it," he corrected emphatically, sounding a bit sheepish.
Feeling his throat begin to knot up and go dry, Kasey swallowed hard, heading over to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Though he couldn't help but crack a small smile at Danny trying to correct himself. His accent really was cute, he thought wistfully. "Look, Danny, w-we... we both... made a lot of mistakes, okay? And you're not the only one who made it personal." He took a quick gulp of water, coughed a bit, and jumped back in before Danny could: "I—I already forgave you by the time I called you... plus," he added, in a feeble attempt to lighten the mood, "this is a landline... Vanessa has my old phone now. So... so that might've been a pretty awkward call for you."
He was pleased by the little laugh this got out of Danny. "Okay, I guess it's a good thing I didn't try callin' you first, then... she always kinda scared me."
Kasey chuckled, feeling his heart lighten now. This was going better than expected. "She kind of scares everyone. She's harmless, though. At worst, she might've... bitten your head off?" His tone turned serious again: "But... look, Danny, I... I don't have any hard feelings, okay? I just..." He stopped and drank some more water as he mulled over it, unsure of what he wanted to say next. That he'd already moved on? He certainly didn't want to give off the impression that he was hoping they'd get back together, but what if he came off like he was rubbing it in? And considering I was worried about people knowing about us moving here, and now I'm out to like half the people I know... maybe that would make things worse again. That he was doing fine now? He sure as hell didn't want to go into what had spurred him to call in the first place. His face flushed as that particular memory came back to him. Danny really didn't need to know about that.
"I-I just didn't... want to leave things, you know... on that note," he finally continued, hoping he was wording it right. "I—I mean, I know, we broke up, and—and I think... it was... you know, for the best, but... just... not the way it played out. We... you meant too much to me, you know, to... for that to be... how it ended."
Danny sighed. "Yeah... you're right. Maybe it was for the best... I'm not gonna pretend I haven't missed you like crazy sometimes, though." His wistful tone made Kasey's heart flutter a bit. "But I know, sometimes stuff doesn't always work out the way we want it to, and... we gotta... figure out what paths we were meant to take, I guess. I've got mine, and... err." He cleared his throat. "So, I'm guessin', from what you said about your phone... well, that explains why I didn't recognize the number. You went through with it, huh? You made the move?"
"Y-yeah," Kasey answered, nodding pointlessly. "Yeah, I've... I've been in Castanet since about February. Running the farm here." He looked out the front window, feeling a swell of pride in his heart as he watched his crops sway gently in the rainy breeze.
"Huh... so, that goin' alright, then? I mean... I know it can be really difficult to do, but... you're also stubborn as hell when you really wanna do somethin', and I know you're not gonna be lazy. The folks—ugh." With an exasperated groan that made Kasey laugh, Danny tried again: "The people treatin' you okay?"
"I... yeah, actually." Kasey's voice was quiet, almost guilty, when he responded this time. "They're—they're really nice here. Really helpful. I've actually made some friends here, too, and... I mean, like, real friends. I stopped... I guess... being so guarded, kind of. It's... it's been tough, honestly, but... nothing I can't handle." He knew Danny wouldn't know the half of it, but Kasey still surprised himself with how much he believed his own words by now. Nothing I can't handle. I just have to let everyone else help... I just don't want them to get hurt trying to help me. I don't even know how to ask them to help me, to put themselves in danger like that. But... they must feel the same way about me, too. We just... have to look out for each other. I'd be dead if I'd tried to ring Ben's bell without Toby and Chase there. Or, probably, if Luke, Owen, and Dale hadn't gotten me out of the mines before that. We can't do this alone, none of us can. But we can do this.
Kasey heard a pleased hum on the other end, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Nice... I mean, okay, yeah. I'll probably still worry from time to time. I've actually been doin' a lotta that since... you know. But... it sounds like you're really doin' okay now. Maybe... I dunno, maybe this move really was what you needed? I know I wasn't supportive of you, and I... I still feel like shit about that, y'know, but... I really am happy to hear that things are alright. Seriously. I'm rootin' for you, okay?"
With warmth in his chest, Kasey cracked a smile. "Thanks, Danny... I'm doing my best. And, umm... have you been doing okay?" he went on, needing to have his curiosity satisfied. "And—err, s-sorry if this sounds... like... dumb, or rude, or whatever, but... why do you sound more southern all of a sudden? Your accent sounds... way stronger."
There were a few moments of silence on the other end, and Kasey could suddenly feel the mood shift to something much more somber, even before Danny started to speak again. His voice was tighter now. "That, yeah... I wish I had a funny story for that one, Kase..." He uttered a mirthless laugh, before going on: "I... I just... I got back from Alabama recently. Literally the other day, I still have my suitcase under the bed. That's where I've been the past week or so... guess their accents rubbed off on me... thought I toned it down enough, but I guess it just came back from bein' around everyone else down there. Carl and Jesse noticed it, too."
Kasey's eyes widened at this news, and he briefly fumbled with his glass before setting it down on the counter. "A-Alabama?!" he repeated, wondering what exactly could have ever gotten Danny back down there willingly. "Th-that... like, with your family or something?" He almost hated to ask—from the sound of it, the visit hadn't been a pleasant one in any sense of the word. Not that he was surprised.
What did surprise him, however, was the way Danny's voice started to waver and thicken as he explained:
"Yeah, I... so, you know Leah and I still talk, right? So... so, last Wednesday, I get a call from her, and... umm... she tells me her d—our dad... ugh. My... my father, whatever." He let out a shaky breath, and sniffled. "She tells me he, umm... there was a really bad accident, and..."
Kasey felt his heart constrict as Danny's voice broke and trailed off. A chill ran up his spine, his mouth went dry, and he drained the rest of his water before pressing on hesitantly: "I-is he...?"
Danny sniffled again. "I-I just... it... I just got back to Twin Bluffs. The—the funeral was... a couple days ago. My mom wanted me there, believe it or not. Paid for my plane tickets and everything. I guess... I guess she felt like shit, and... you know, good, I don't care if I sound petty, but... the way she was apologizin' to me... I-I think she really, really did, I dunno, think about it a lot... and losin' my dad... maybe she took it as a sign, I dunno..." He trailed off.
Immediately, Kasey's mind was back to the previous night, comforting Toby as he grieved for his parents all over again, letting it all out after holding it back for years and years. He couldn't hug Danny, but he could do his best to offer some sort of comfort. Why can't I be better at that, though? He really needs it right now. I hope Jesse and Carl are taking care of him. Well... no, I don't need to worry about that. I know they are. "Danny... th-that's... that's awful. I'm sorry. I can't imagine what you've... what you've gotta be feeling right now."
He heard Danny try, and fail, to make a nonchalant hum. "Thanks, Kasey... it's... I mean, yeah. There's a lot I said to him, you know. Leah and Mom left me alone with his... his casket, and... I was a mess, I ain't gonna lie. I just... unloaded so much on him and hoped he could hear it all, wherever he was. Think I was screamin' at him at one point, you know, Mr. Stable over here. It's kinda blurry right now. And every time I thought I was finally done cryin' about it, it'd hit me again, over and over. And my mom and I, you know, we had our words. Mostly me, though. I really let her have it. I think she knew she couldn't justify a damn thing. All this time, she never bothered to see how I was doin', like Leah did. But..."
His voice broke again, and grew tearful: "I wanna forgive her, you know? I... she said she'd understand if this was the last time I ever saw or spoke to her, and that she had no excuse for what they did to me. I wouldn't even stay with her. I stayed with Leah and her husband while I was down there. Probably woulda done that either way, since she's pregnant now. But... I... losin' my dad hurt bad enough, Kasey. I thought whenever he died, if I even bothered findin' out... I just wouldn't give a shit, I'd be all stoic or whatever. Or maybe I'd pop some champagne and fuck a guy on his goddamn grave just to spite him. Hell, maybe I'd fuck two." His laugh was watery and bitter, and Kasey couldn't bring himself to laugh along.
"I mean, I hated him," Danny went on, voice steadying slightly, "but... I didn't even... I didn't even get to tell him in person how bad he hurt me. You know? Rub it in his fuckin' face that I was gettin' on fine without 'em. Last thing I remember him sayin' to me was that he wasn't gonna call 'some stupid fag' his son, and that I wasn't welcome back home until I set myself straight. And I dunno if he ever regretted that, but I really doubt it. But... that's the thing, I don't know. Some drunk piece of shit took my shot at closure with him. And just goin' through this once was a lot. I'm sick of bein' so angry about it. And I wanna... be a better person than some guy who goes 'Woohoo, someone I hated is dead, fuck them.' So... I'm... gonna try with my mom, because at least I know she seems to actually be sorry. Maybe one day, you know, I'll be able to... be okay with her again."
Kasey wiped at his eyes and let out a shaky breath. He refilled his glass, noticing his hand was trembling now, and decided to set it down again. He knew Danny had been disowned, but he'd never known what exactly had been said to him before now. He couldn't help but feel bile rising in his throat as he recalled saying "At least my family actually loves me" before storming out of Danny's apartment several months ago. Danny may have forgiven me for that, but... it might be a while before I can forgive myself for it, Kasey thought with a grimace. He swallowed hard, and finally spoke: "Jesus... Danny, you didn't deserve that from him. You know that, right? I really... really hope everything works out okay for you. I wish I knew what else to say, but..."
"You're good, Kasey. And... thank you. I'm gonna be okay, though," Danny reassured him. There was a brief pause, while Kasey heard the muffled sounds of a nose being blown. "Ugh, sorry... and I'm sorry for turnin' this all... gloomy and shit, goin' off on that rant like that."
Kasey shook his head, though not without wondering why he was doing so in the back of his mind. Once again, his mind turned back to the other night, remembering Renee's words to Toby. "Hey, don't be. You've been through a lot. You're... you're allowed to vent, Dan."
"Yeah..." A deep sigh sounded on the other end, followed by a light chuckle. Danny's voice sounded a little brighter now, albeit slightly hoarse. "'Course, there's... I guess there's been some good comin' out of it, too. Leah's supposed to have her baby in July, so I'm probably gonna go down there this summer. If I didn't have school, I would've probably stayed down there longer to help out, but Miguel—that's her husband—he's lookin' after her just fine. She's gonna have a girl. Said she was thinkin' of 'Danielle,' if I was okay with it," he added, with another, more sincere laugh, "so I'm gonna get to meet Danielle in a couple months. And Carl and Jess have been great. You know how Carl gets when shit hits the fan, right?"
This time, Kasey returned the laughter. He'd never seen it for himself, but he'd heard the stories from Danny and Jesse, Danny's other best friend. "Right, the stress baking?"
"Just piles of peanut butter cookies wrapped up in the pantry when I got home. He said he made more than that, but he thinks Johnny swiped some last time he and Jess stopped by. I'm gonna have to knee that little shit in the nuts or somethin', jackin' my food like that," Danny grumbled under his breath, making Kasey grin. Johnny was Jesse's younger brother, and Kasey would best describe him as "a handful," as well as a vacuum cleaner when it came to sweets. He had a feeling Johnny and Chase would probably get on swimmingly, due to being so similar—that, or they'd wind up killing each other. "I dunno how he stays so frickin' skinny, eatin' like he does. At least Jess left a card. Johnny left crumbs. Well, and he signed the card, but who knows if Jess made him do it."
"See, Johnny was always nice to me," Kasey said, snickering. "Just get on his good side and maybe he'll leave your food alone."
"Johnny liked you because he had the hots for you," Danny shot back dryly, causing Kasey to give a start. "Plus, he ain't gonna go for me. Jess and I look too similar. Carl mixes us up all the time. I'd actually get kinda worried if Johnny had a thing for me."
"W-wait, go back, he what?!"
Danny's laugh boomed out of the receiver this time, and though the news had thrown Kasey off, he couldn't help but be glad to hear the sound again. "Swear to god, Kase. He was hangin' out with me and Jess one time after you and I broke up, and once I mentioned it, he just perked right up like a dog hearin' its name called." He paused for a moment, then grumbled a bit. "God, did I just say 'dawg'? I gotta get rid of this Alabama shit, this is drivin' me nuts. I sound like a hick. Wasn't even there that fuckin' long. But seriously, it was actually kinda cute. He got so testy when Jess and I ribbed him about it. Called him a vulture, and 'Jailbait Johnny,' and he was gettin' so damn red over it. I told him you were a little old for him."
Burning face buried in his hand now, Kasey could only mumble "Oh my god" in response, drawing more laughter from Danny's end. Jailbait, indeed. He'd admit that Johnny was actually cute, but there were lines he was fine with staying far away from. "Okay, yeah, aside from the fact that he's seventeen and really not my type anyway, I already... err...have... ah." Kasey faltered, realizing what he'd just been about to divulge.
Yet, it was too late, and the line went quiet for a moment on the other end, before Danny finally spoke again: "You already... oh. Oh," he repeated, an unidentifiable note in his voice now. "Like... you're... crushin' on someone, or...?"
Grimacing, Kasey let out an awkward laugh. Danny knew that wasn't it. And he knew that Kasey knew it. "Danny, I... I-I've kinda... been... s-seeing someone recently... like, s-since a couple weeks ago. I'm sorry. I didn't know... you know, if I should... say it."
"No, don't be sorry, Kase! You're allowed to move on, you know? I'm not gonna flip or anything." Danny's words were immediate and reassuring, though Kasey couldn't help but wonder if he really was just imagining something else in his voice. "Hey, look. I'm happy for you, really. He's a lucky guy, and he better know that. I just hope he's treatin' you right."
"He... he really is," Kasey agreed, exhaling happily. He certainly couldn't complain about Toby in the slightest. "I just... didn't wanna rub it in, or—"
"Kasey."
"Okay, okay!" With another nervous laugh, Kasey rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, leaning against the counter. "Seriously, Danny... thank you for... for, you know, understanding." His eyes focused on the rain outside, and then slid over to the clock by the window.
And something clicked in his head.
"Oh, crap," he added in a low tone, pushing himself back to a standing position with a grunt. It was ten after twelve now. "Umm, Danny, I... I actually gotta go now, though. I'm sorry, I-I told some of my friends I was gonna meet up with them, and... I'm kinda running a little late. I'm sorry," he repeated, grimacing at how subservient he sounded. He's gonna understand, and he'll be okay. Get a grip! I know it's not that easy, you've gotta work at it... but just chill for a change.
"Kase, really... it's okay. I promise," Danny said insistently, hoping Kasey would finally believe him. His voice softened, and grew warmer: "Hey, but before you go... Kasey... thank you again. It was really good to hear from you. I'm glad we got to talk like this. It's really helped cheer me up, honestly."
Kasey beamed as he clicked off his TV and made his way over to his closet to grab some clothes and his rain jacket. "Of course. I'm glad we got to talk, too."
There was another moment of silence between them, before Danny spoke once more, sounding somewhat hesitant: "And... look, maybe it's kinda soon. I probably still need a little time to... I dunno. Get over you, or get you out of my system, move on, whatever you wanna call it. But maybe, we could at least... stay friends down the road? If... you're okay with it, that is. No pressure."
Kasey paused to ponder this, phone cradled between his face and shoulder as he slipped on his jeans and zipped them up. Was that what he'd heard in Danny's voice earlier? It's not like hearing from him didn't bring back some good memories for me, too, though, he reasoned. But he already knows I have someone else now, and he's not the sort of person who'd disrespect that, or attach any strings... would Toby be cool with it, though? I wonder if I should say anything... but, well, why keep stuff from him? Ugh, how does this shit work? I need an answer key or something.
Realizing that he hadn't answered yet, he cleared his throat, dragging his sneakers over to him with his toes and pulling them on. "Well... yeah? I... I think that'd be nice, yeah. Maybe we just—we just need some more time before we can get there, but... we can keep in touch."
Danny exhaled heavily, though he sounded more upbeat now. "Sounds good, then. Alright, look, I've kept you long enough, and I gotta check with my professors and see what all I gotta make up. So... I'll catch you later, Kase, alright?"
"Later, Dan. Take care. And good luck with your accent," Kasey teased, hearing one last laugh and a "Shut up!" from Danny before the dial tone sounded in his ear. He set the phone back in its cradle with a little smile, feeling much more at ease than he had at the start of the conversation. It hadn't been without its rough and awkward points—he certainly hadn't expected Danny to still have some feelings for him—but even if they didn't stay friends in the long run, he figured, it was enough that they'd at least ended their relationship on a much more amicable note than he'd thought they would. Feeling much more ready to talk to Luke now, he zipped up his jacket, grabbed his umbrella, and headed out into the wet, breezy May afternoon for Cornet Carpentry.
He hadn't gone more than a few steps before he slowed, eyes widening as something new in the environment suddenly caught his attention.
Something he'd have to bring up with Luke and Owen.
The tree branches outside Luke's bedroom window tapped a gentle and erratic rhythm out on the glass, leaves fluttering with the rain and the wind. Kasey, Luke, and Owen were all crammed together in the tiny little room, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches—"Look, Pop and Bo are out right now, and my cooking sucks, so this is gonna have to do," he'd said apologetically as he threw Boss a dried pig ear to distract him—and watching the unexpected display.
"...You haven't even found that bell yet, have you?" Luke murmured, frowning thoughtfully at the sight as he took another bite of his sandwich. He was perched atop the small, comic-filled bookcase next to his bed, feet kicking together lazily while he chewed. His bandana was off, and he had to sweep his wild hair out of his eyes every now and then. Owen sat on the bed itself, swishing a protein shake around in a black mixing cup and sipping from it periodically. The coiled metal ball clattered around with the motions. His eyebrow was raised as he looked outside, though he said nothing.
Kasey shook his head. He idly nudged his sneaker against Luke's weights, lined up neatly against one wall, and rolled back and forth in the office chair he'd taken. Does Luke even have room in here to spin around in this thing? he wondered—Luke was shorter than him by several inches, but the bedroom was truly small, with most of the wall space being taken up by a handful of overlapping posters depicting wrestlers, snowboarders, superheroes, and a few attractive women in bikinis. Even Luke's bed reflected his interests, with Spider-Man gracing the comforter, sheets, and pillowcases. A picture of Luke, Bo, Dale, Owen, Ramsey, and Chloe having a picnic occupied a little square of space across from the bed. Owen's massive frame only amplified the claustrophobic effect, nearly dwarfing Luke's bed and leaving only Spidey's outstretched hand sticking out from under his butt.
"No," Kasey finally responded, "no, I... I only even found out that it was in the forest a couple weeks ago, back when it started raining again. Wizard showed me... but he said... Darren was sleeping, or something like that. His energy was all weird, and Wizard said... he was pretty much missing, even though he... he knew where he was."
"Makes perfect sense," Owen muttered into his cup, taking another sip. "I swear, that guy just loves to confuse people."
"He's one mysterious son of a bitch. That shit sells. Gotta maintain the image, man," Luke reasoned, shrugging. He brushed the crumbs off his mouth and shivered. "Looks like Darren's wakin' up, at any rate... wonder what the hell triggered that? Jesus... you really gotta go in there, huh?"
This time, Kasey nodded, unconsciously tearing chunks off of his own sandwich as he looked up at the ceiling. "I'm... I'm gonna see if... I dunno. If he can come with me, or... figure out some way to protect me. And, I guess, whoever else goes in there with me," he added, his voice getting quieter. He saw Owen and Luke straighten up at this. "Look," he added quickly, before they could say anything, "it's—it's not that I wanna put anyone else in danger. I—I'm honestly having a hard time, you know, I guess... reconciling the fact that I'm gonna have to ask people to go in there with me and put them in danger, too. Even if they're... willing. But... after what happened in the Garmon Mines, and then the one down in town... it's..." He looked down at the dumbbell he was rolling around with his foot, hearing it thump on the rug. "It's just way too dangerous to take this on alone."
"Okay, and we got that," Owen started, holding his free hand up, "it's just that I—"
"Wait, wait, what happened in town?" Luke interrupted, cocking his head to the side and holding up his hand as well, mimicking Owen's silencing gesture. He'd polished off the last of his sandwich while Kasey was speaking, and drained the last of his lemonade while waiting for an answer.
With a nervous laugh, Kasey stopped rolling the weight, though his gaze remained fixed downward. "Okay, yeah... I... when I went to ring the blue bell that night, before it stopped snowing, I... I had Toby and Chase in there with me. They were literally right there, and they... they couldn't..." He trailed off, taking a small bite from his sandwich—more to delay bringing up the memory than out of hunger.
You're still alive. It was scary as hell, but you survived it, and you'll survive whatever's next. Just tell them.
"When I rang the bell," he continued, "it... my hand was stuck to it. I had to touch it, and—and my hand got stuck to it, and it was... so cold. I... I was frozen from the inside out. It hurt so much..." He let out a shuddering breath as the memory of the excruciating pain flashed back through his mind. "Chase ran and got Jin, Toby kept me conscious, and... and Jin and Wizard... they saved my life. But..." He heard his voice grow tight, and cursed internally. He was there to tell the story now. But... what if next time...? Shaking his head hard and sending a few strands loose from his ponytail in the process, he tucked the hair behind his ears and sighed. "Jin told me the next day... I... I went into cardiac arrest while they were trying—no, while they were... saving me."
He heard someone suck in a sharp breath—Luke, from the sound of it—and the clanking of Owen's mixing cup ceased.
"Wait, wait. You're saying that... that you... died?" Owen breathed, eyes wide as he stared at the top of Kasey's head.
Kasey gave the tiniest of nods. "Yeah. I—I died, and Wizard... he and Jin got me back, but it took a lot out of Wizard to heal me, from what I heard. And... and, it's apparently not the sages or anything doing this, but... something is attacking, every time I ring the bells... like it's using them as... a... a conduit, or something."
"A conda-what?" Luke asked, squinting and tilting his head—though he shook it a moment later, as the context caught up with him. "Oh! Like, indirect attacks or somethin'?"
Owen nodded and raised his cup in a congratulatory salute. "Good man. So, something's fighting back, huh?" he went on, finishing off his shake and setting the cup next to Luke. "It's... something hostile? Like, do you know if it's doing this consciously, or what? Because if it is..."
"...Then it wants to stop me," Kasey finished for him, mouth pressed into a thin line. "It... it sounds like it is, yeah. Ben, he said... 'I won't let him hurt you.' And... and I don't know who that is. Or what. If... if it's... that thing that hurt Luke, or... something else."
Here, Luke's face went wan, and he swallowed hard. In only a second, his expression had shifted from bright-eyed curiosity to hesitant anxiety. "I... Kasey, I dunno... that thing... it... it's way more direct than that, I think."
All eyes were on him now, and he shrank back, uncharacteristically meek. His feet kicked together again, and his grip tightened on the edge of the bookcase. In his Star Wars t-shirt and camo cargo pants, with his hair hanging long and messy around his face, he reminded Kasey of a kid who had found himself in trouble.
Owen sighed, reaching over to rub his shoulder. "Dude... it's okay. Look, that thing's probably gearing up to do something soon, if the wind is any indication. That's how you figured out Ben was going haywire, right?" he added, looking to Kasey for confirmation.
"Mmm."
Turning back to Luke, Owen gave him a gentle pat. "So... yeah. Sounds like it's the sooner the better, if there's enough time to prepare."
"Yeah..." Luke groaned and thumped his head lightly against the wall, letting out a slight whine. His eyes were closed, and when he spoke, he seemed to be trying to keep his voice calm and steady. "Alright, alright... so... yeah. I went into the forest one day after it... after we noticed it was startin' to wither up and die, see? It was, like... early fall. Too early for the leaves to turn. So we had no idea what the hell was goin' on. And there's this weird druid chick what lives in there, I think she pops out sometimes to buy shit from the farms near her. Hell, we even caught her comin' out of the mine with some really crazy-nice gems once. Told us to fuck off when we asked her where she found 'em, cuz it was shit we never came across before. We figured we'd steer clear of her after that, y'know, in case she was smugglin' jewels or somethin'. Don't need to get caught up in that shit."
"She literally calls herself 'Witch Princess,'" Owen told Kasey with a wry smile. "And she's always bitching about people in the forest, warning us that we'd better treat it right... we always thought she was just some loony nut like Wizard—err, like we thought Wizard was," he corrected himself with a sheepish laugh, before his brows furrowed seriously. "But... we haven't seen her since all this started."
Luke's face darkened at this. "Hey... what if she's behind all this crazy shit, though? I mean, she can be aggro as fuck, and if she really is a witch... and she prolly is..."
Kasey tilted his head in thought, trying to work it out. "Well... it could be. Ben said he, but..." He shrugged helplessly. "Maybe... she... err, or maybe he... I dunno, identifies as a guy? I dunno... I wonder if Wizard might know?"
"Definitely worth asking," Owen agreed, leaning back on Luke's bed and folding his arms behind his head. He stretched his well-toned legs out, sticking well over the foot of the bed, and grunted. "I'm too goddamn tall. Okay, okay, but we're losing the thread here. We gotta find out what's in the forest first... aside from, apparently, a frickin' witch. Can't believe I wound up moving to a town with a witch and a wizard living in it," he added under his breath, amused disbelief crossing his face. "What are the fucking odds of that?"
"You're telling me," Kasey agreed with a wry chuckle. He rested his feet on the base of Luke's chair and swiveled back and forth in it anxiously, attention back on Luke now. The sandwich sat in his lap, forgotten. "So... okay, you said you headed into the forest one day?"
Luke tangled his fingers in the white streak of hair hanging in his eyes and tugged on it, giving it a baleful glare. "Yeah..."
"Luke, seriously, wait!"
Bo's voice was quickly lost, however, as Luke hopped the fence and gained his bearings, looking around him.
The first thing he noticed was that it was deathly quiet. No birds chirping and calling to each other. No water gurgling past from the distant mouth of the Glissando River. No rustling as squirrels and chipmunks scurried around, doing whatever it was that they did. No insects humming and buzzing. No wind rustling the branches and the grass. Just the cloud-blotted sun shining through the treetops, offering nowhere near as much light as he'd hoped for.
It was as if someone had turned off nature's volume and turned down the brightness.
"Shit," Luke muttered, with a nervous giggle. "This's creepy as fuck... alright, lessee..." He looked around, trying to remember how to get to the witch's house. "Yo!" he called out, the sound of his own voice feeling deafening in the eerily silent forest. There was no echo as the shadowed trees swallowed it up, and he took a step forward. Be bold, buddy. You got this. His ax sat heavy against his back in its holster, its blade sheathed. He hoped he wouldn't need it. It didn't sound like he would. But then... why the hell's everything so damn quiet in here? Did something scare them off?
"Hey, lady!" he called out again. Another step forward... the path seemed familiar enough. Maybe that was it. "Yo, I need to talk to you!" A realization struck him, and he uttered a self-deprecating laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, c'mon. It's super-quiet in here, but she lives wayyyy the fuck in the back, ya doof! She ain't gonna hear ya from here. Keep on movin'."
Realizing he'd just obliterated his own reasons for hanging back, he sighed and pressed onward, feeling his heartbeat pick up. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck in the sultry air. Summer seemed to be going on unusually long this year, and even getting hotter at that. Dead leaves and grass crunched under his boots, and he ran his gloved hand over the bark of one tree as he passed. Everything seemed so wrong. All around him, he saw branches broken or bare, or riddled with wilting or rotted leaves. The trunks were lousy with cracks and crumbled cavities, large patches of bark missing or peeling off. The grass was going brown, and every so often, weak breezes slipped through and kicked up swirls of dust.
Luke felt his stomach churn at the sight, breath catching in his chest. "Goddamn... what happened to you guys?" he whispered, looking around at the trees and squinting at them. He knew he still had a lot to learn about the forest, and he sure as hell wasn't any sort of botanist, but he knew that this was unnatural. Almost demonic. Death and disease flanked him, loomed high above him and blocked out more and more sunlight as he wandered deeper. Something in the back of his mind began to nag—quietly, at first, before working its way up into an urgent and repeated demand to turn back.
I can't, he told himself, doubling down on his stubbornness and determination to figure out just what the hell was going on. He hadn't seen a healthy tree in the Fugue Forest yet. Even the fungi were mostly dying, though he noted a few healthy, thriving ones that seemed to be glowing in the unnerving gloom. Have those... always been there? he wondered, rubbing his chin and cocking his head to the side. Maybe I just never noticed them before because I was focused on other shit... why are they looking okay? Are they the ones sucking the life out of everything here? Shit... I should find that witch chick and ask her, since she seems to know everything about this place...
Exhaling shakily, he pressed onwards, wishing he'd at least brought some water along with him. His throat was so dry, and he felt lightheaded. He could only assume it was from the shock of seeing the state the forest was in.
Still no signs of life anywhere. It was all him right now, pushing deeper and deeper into uncertainty and fear, all alone.
Crunch.
Until now.
Luke froze, and he felt his breathing begin to pick up. That hadn't been him. The sound had come from behind him. He wanted to call out, but he found that he couldn't say anything in his building panic. He knew it was no person, and he had severe doubts that in this dead-silent, empty forest, a mountain lion or a grizzly had managed to get the drop on him. No, he could feel it radiating off of... whatever was behind him. Something he knew he didn't want to see. The atmosphere of the forest had changed with that single noise. It had become considerably worse, more foreboding.
Something told Luke that he was about to die here.
A low, guttural growl filled the air, hellish and layered, sounding like many horrible creatures echoing off of each other slightly out-of-sync.
Crunch.
Hearing a whimper escape his knotted throat, feeling a tear slide down his cheek as the creature took another step towards him, Luke managed to gain enough control of his body to slowly reach for his ax. He felt his bladder empty, his jeans growing wet and warm.
Crunch.
The growl sounded again, lower and much more dangerous this time.
Gasping, Luke turned, and felt an intense scream shred his throat raw as he drew his ax and saw the massive, unearthly horror lunge for him with a deafening, almost feline roar. Its jaws were opened disturbingly wide to expose far too many teeth, and its unnaturally long claws were bared to rip him to pieces.
"It—it just... I kept tellin' it to stop, and—and I tried to run, I didn't even try to hit it with the ax, and—and it wouldn't. It wouldn't stop..."
Luke was shaking as he spoke, fists bunched into his lap and tears streaking down his face. His hair hung in his eyes and stuck to his skin, and he sniffled loudly. Owen pulled him into a wordless hug, face twisted with pain and concern as Luke returned the gesture and buried his face in Owen's large shoulder. Kasey watched, feeling his heart break for what Luke had gone through, and seeing how bad the mental scars really were.
"Hey," Owen whispered, rubbing his friend's back. "It's okay, Luke. You're here, right? You got out."
"I—I almost didn't, though," Luke sobbed, his voice cracking. "Be-because I had to be so s-stupid. I fuckin' pissed myself like some... some kid. Dude, it—it—I still see it, you know. I still hear it. It... m-man, that thing... it... it's like some kinda demon, Kasey, that's what you're up against. Like... like some huge cat, and I mean huge, but... but everything was all wr-wrong about it. I dunno if it k-killed everything in the forest, or... or if it got that witch lady that lives there, or if it's hers, or..." He sagged against Owen again, shaking his head. "I have... I have nightmares about that thing g-gettin' out of the forest, and... c-comin' for everyone..." His voiced melted into tears once more, and Owen shushed him gently.
"We're not gonna let it hurt you again, Luke, okay?"
"Luke..." Kasey leaned forward, arms folded in his lap. He took a deep breath, hoping he could steady his own anxiety enough to help Owen comfort Luke—though, he realized, Owen was doing a fantastic job of it already. Kasey was reminded of how he'd comfort his own sisters after they had nightmares. And they'd return the favor for me, when we all got a little older. "I... I don't think you have to worry about that. It's been almost a year, right?"
"Not even," Owen corrected. "It was last September. Like, just after fall started."
"Okay..." Kasey folded his arms and hummed, deep in thought. "But... that's still a while without it trying anything else on anyone..."
"Mmm." Luke pulled away from Owen and—finding no box of tissues handy—picked a spare bandana up from the rack above his bed, this one patterned with Deadpool's mask. He blew his nose on it, grimaced, and chucked it into his laundry hamper. "So... you're s-sayin'... it's... it's probably stayin' in there, right?" The note of desperate hope in his voice was almost painful to Kasey and Owen.
Kasey nodded, and realization dawned on Owen's face. He snapped his fingers. "And if that thing could get out of the forest, but hasn't... maybe it doesn't need to. Maybe it's guarding the forest?"
Luke frowned, wiping at his red, puffy eyes. His blotchy face was twisted in confusion. "Against what, though?"
"People..." Kasey supplied the answer this time, worrying at his lower lip. He didn't know if Luke was aware of the role he and his family had played in setting off the whole chain of events. All from trying to cut down the Goddess Tree... okay, yeah, that was a bad idea, but this is just... way too far.
Luke slumped down at this answer, and he shook his head with another swipe at his eyes. "Shit... this's all my fault. 'Cuz I didn't realize that one tree... what if that thing was tryin' to get me back, though?"
"Maybe... maybe it wasn't," Kasey suggested, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked up at the ceiling fan. Luke had answered that question quickly enough. "Maybe... that thing... it let you live, Luke. If—if it wanted to kill you, it would've finished the job right there, right? I—I mean, maybe it's not the thing that's attacked me. Because whatever that was... it... it would've killed me if Wizard and Jin hadn't saved me... if Toby and Chase hadn't been there..."
"Shitload of scars and PTSD, though," Luke grumbled, huffing loudly and thumping his fist on the bookcase. Kasey couldn't help but feel a little smaller at these words. "Not a hell of a lot better, man."
"But Kasey's right, though," Owen pointed out, nudging Luke with his arm. "Why would it let you live, but try to kill him? It sounds like two different... whatevers working here. Maybe... it was warning you to stay out. Maybe it's... some kind of guardian, or something." His eyes flashed, and he pounded a fist into his palm. "Or, hey! If that woman really is a witch... what if that thing's her familiar or something? You know," he added, seeing Luke and Kasey's puzzled glances and shrugging. "Like... don't witches have pet cats and shit like that? I've read about those things before. Familiars are usually supposed to be their protectors and guides. I dunno why the hell the forest would be so empty," he added, scratching his chin and squinting, "but... maybe it sent the animals out, too, when the forest was dying. I dunno. I'm reaching here, really."
"No," Kasey cut in, eyes widening. "No, that—that actually makes a lot of sense."
"Yeah, it does," Luke agreed, twisting his lock of white hair again and kicking his feet together. "But... I wasn't tryin' to hurt her, or the forest, or nothin' like that... so... why'd it... why'd it attack me like that?" Once again, his voice strained, and he swallowed hard. "I didn't do nothin' to it... unless it was gettin' me back for cuttin' that one tree, I dunno... and, hey." His expression grew even more serious, and he turned his gaze back out the window. The rain was falling harder, but the wind seemed to remain blowing at a consistently reasonable rate. For now, he thought darkly. "We've been playin' and workin' in that forest forever. Why... now? Why the hell didn't we ever see anything like it before?"
"Because nothing threatened the forest before," Kasey muttered, following Luke's gaze. How long would the wind stay pleasantly soft? How much time did they have before it whipped up into a deadly tempest? Hours? Days? Weeks? Not enough time to get prepared to face that thing, he thought, feeling his stomach flutter with fear. But... we have to. "And... Wizard said... that Castanet, or whatever is going after us... it, or he, or whatever... it was calmed at first. Sephia, the Goddess, she managed to soothe it. But then... something happened, and... and everything went to shit after that."
Sniffling again in the absence of his bandana-handkerchief, Luke shook his head. "So, I guess some dipshit tried to fix it, and made everything worse?"
"Which would probably be Wizard or that Witch Princess," Owen said, returning to his former reclining position on Luke's bed and crossing his legs now. "I dunno how competent she is... and Wizard seems to have his own limits on what he can do... maybe one of them tried to help, but it clashed with whatever Sephia did, and... whoopsy-daisy."
"Whoopsy-daisy," Luke echoed flatly, before leaning over and smacking Owen upside the head without warning. His face, still blotchy from crying, was now contorted with rage.
"Ow! Luke, what the fuck?!"
"Dude, does this look like fucking 'whoopsy-daisy' to you?!" Luke snapped, tugging roughly on the white streak in his hair. He then reached down and tugged off his t-shirt, turning around to show the scars from the gouges that he'd gotten across his lower back, as well as the multitude of thinner, longer scars slashed all over his body. "Or this?! And Kasey literally dying?"
Owen held his hands up in surrender, guilt and shame all over his face. "Okay, okay! I get it, I'm sorry! That was really tactless of me, Luke... Kasey," he added, with a contrite nod in Kasey's direction.
"It—it's cool, Owen," Kasey assured him, gesturing for them to calm down. "Luke... he didn't mean to upset you."
Luke slipped his t-shirt back on and slumped back down atop his bookcase. "Yeah... I know... sorry I whacked you on the head, bro. Even if you were bein' an asshole." Even as Owen waved it off, Luke huffed and looked down at the floor, hands dangling loosely between his legs. "So... we gotta go in there again, huh? Get Darren outta there... and face that fuckin' thing..."
"We?" Owen and Kasey echoed, albeit slightly out-of-sync with each other. Owen was the first to press on: "Wait, are you telling us you're—Luke, are you sure you wanna go back in there?"
"I don't wanna go back in there, no!" Luke spat, rolling his eyes. "Dude, thinkin' about it... I wanna fuckin' throw up, okay? But... I mean... look, if that thing's protectin' the forest, I don't wanna hurt it. It's just doin' what it thinks is right, I... I guess. And, I dunno..." His expression grew pensive. "Maybe I might... I might be a liability or somethin', if I freak out when I see it again, but... hey, you were thinkin' about it too, right?" he added, throwing Owen a knowing look from the corner of his eye. "You were about to say so earlier, y'know, before I cut you off."
Owen smirked and shrugged in self-defeat. "Okay, guilty. Yeah... look, Kase," he added, seeing the conflict in Kasey's eyes. "We know this place, alright? Forest included... and I know you were probably planning on taking Wizard along with you, right?"
"Right," Kasey answered, heart somewhere between swelling in gratitude and speeding up with anxiety.
Owen nodded smartly. "Okay. And that's a pretty good idea. He'll probably agree to it, but... there's safety in numbers, too. We've got shotguns and rifles to protect ourselves, if it comes down to it. I dunno if Wizard knows any offensive magic... Jesus, I just said that out loud," he added with a little disbelieving laugh, slapping his knee. "God, it sounds like... an RPG or something, like Final Fantasy... anyway, yeah," he went on, shrugging. "I'm in, and it sounds like Luke's in, too. And maybe we should see if Dale would wanna help out," he added thoughtfully, though he saw Luke give a vehement shake of his head.
"Dude, look, no. I don't wanna put my old man at risk like that. He ain't in the shape you and I are in. He might have a fuckin' heart attack if he even sees the thing that hurt me. If it scared me enough to make part of my hair go white, then... and... if something happens to both of us, then Bo... shit. I just... I don't wanna put him in danger, okay?"
Sighing, Owen held his hands up in supplication. "Okay. Fine. Just remember he feels the same way about you, okay? He almost lost you last year." He remembered the immense grief and worry etched in Dale's face as they'd sat at Luke's bedside in the clinic, hoping his breathing wouldn't stop, and his eyes would open. Bo had been off at the church, praying with Perry for Luke to pull through. "Everyone is coming back in one piece."
Luke gave a little grunt, though a small smile formed on his lips. "Yeah... yeah, we've got this. I come back in one piece for them, you come back in one piece for Chloe and Ramsey and Kathy, Kase comes back in one piece for Toby..."
Kasey felt his face grow hot, and he looked back and forth between a mischievously-grinning Luke and an amused Owen. He was about to ask them how they knew, but the answer came to his mind right before Owen voiced it, sitting up and leaning over to cuff Kasey on the shoulder:
"The festival last night, dude. You do realize you had an audience when you two were getting cozy, right?"
Kasey buried his face in his hands with a groan, though he found that he was nowhere near terrified now. People knew. Gossip spread like kudzu in Castanet. And nobody seemed to be giving him a hard time over it. Maybe Ruth... oh, god, that's gonna be awkward. "I—It crossed my mind, yeah..."
"Rock on, playa!" Luke cheered, leaning over as well to jostle Kasey's other shoulder. Teasing Kasey seemed to have done wonders for Luke's demeanor, and now he was beaming like his usual self. "Hey, I didn't know y'all liked the D, but whatever! You do you! Or you do him, heheheh, whatever—"
Kasey's voice was muffled: "Owen, m-make him stop."
"Ease up, Luke," Owen ordered, though he was still chuckling. "Hey, but you two kinda make a lot of sense. He's a real good guy. And, uhhh, he's doing okay, right?" he added, suddenly looking concerned. "I mean, I know the festival can be really hard to deal with sometimes... I guess it just worried me when he was so upset yesterday, since he's usually so... chill."
"Yeah, seein' him like that kinda... hurt," Luke said, his voice somber again. "I've known him pretty much my whole life, and I've never seen him cry. Even when Mia died, y'know, you could tell he was really torn up, but he was keepin' it together for Ozz. Tryin' to stay strong. But I guess sometimes it just hits you again outta nowhere, huh?"
Looking up, Kasey gave them a grateful nod. His face and ears were still warm, but he felt his embarrassment fade a little. "Yeah, he's okay. He just... like you guys said. It was just really hard on him this year."
"Yeah... we'd better not give anyone any more reasons to grieve," Owen said darkly. He knew he'd certainly dealt with enough of that in his lifetime. He frowned as he looked out the window once more. The rain had let up a little. The wind hadn't. But that's how it happens, huh? Sneaks up on us, then when it gets taken care of, it creeps away... gradually. "So... I guess you're gonna go talk to Wizard when you get a chance, huh?"
"If not today, then tomorrow," Kasey confirmed, picking at a tear in the knee of his jeans. His legs started to swing once more. "And... we'll... we'll work out some sort of plan. Or timeline... or whatever. I'll let you guys know what's up once we've got it, okay?"
Luke's face was grim with determination now, and a bit of fear, as he nodded. "Gotcha." He took in a deep breath, then let it out. "We're gonna do this... we ain't goin' in unprepared this time... we're gonna go in there..."
"And we're gonna be okay," Owen promised him, nodding at Kasey as well. "We'll all have each others' backs."
Kasey shared a smile with him. "Right... we've got this, guys." He held out his fist for Luke and Owen to bump, his smile widening when they did.
A short time later, Kasey was bidding them goodbye, laughing and yelping as Boss jumped up on him. The massive dog was whining and licking his face, his fluffy white tail going a mile a minute.
"Okay, buddy! Okay, down—down," he repeated, his voice firm as he gently pushed Boss off of him. Boss plopped down onto his butt and tilted his head, tongue lolling out of his panting mouth as if to say, Okay, now what?, and Kasey scratched him behind the ears. "There you go, good boy... alright," he added, addressing Luke and Owen now. He felt a little more confident after his talk with them, even if the looming prospect of actually heading into the forest had flooded his stomach with a fresh kaleidoscope of butterflies. "I'll see you guys around, okay?"
"You bet!" Luke saluted him. "And, Kase, it don't have to just be for this bell stuff either, okay? Seriously, I'm down to hang with you anytime. Hey, bring Toby along, too, if you want!"
"I'm with Luke," Owen said, waving. "Give us a call if you ever wanna do anything, alright, Kase?"
Kasey grinned and nodded, waving as he walked backwards into the light drizzle now, hearing the wind rustle the fabric of his jacket. "I will! Alright, guys, later!"
He spun around and looked over the edge of the cliff, catching sight of Wizard's home down below in Harmonica Town. Behind him, he knew the strange, foreboding forest path was looming high and dark, possibly joining up with Fugue Forest proper along the way. I wonder... is... that thing what chased me that one time? I never got a good look at it, but it never even attacked... or was Sephia looking out for me...? He looked over his shoulder at the path, and felt a shiver run down his spine at the memory. I got off lucky, at any rate... I hope Calvin lets me know before he decides to try going down that path himself, though.
His hair had started growing damp from standing in the rain, and Kasey popped open his umbrella with an embarrassed shake of his head, sighing as he headed down to Harmonica Town to prepare for the next step in saving Castanet from itself.
Author's Notes: Whew! Lots of emotions running high in this story lately! This chapter actually came along pretty quickly compared to the last one (well... okay, yeah, just under a month vs. just under a year), though I was initially stymied by wanting to work on Finding the Way Forward as well (and I will get back to that one; I didn't make all those references to Johnny just to let his story die!), and being generally under a lot of stress from my job. But, since I knew pretty much immediately where I wanted to go with this chapter, it won out. The hard part came with choosing a title, but I feel like "Reconciliation" works in its various forms here.
At most, the order of scenes changed some—the chapter was gonna go to Luke and Owen, and then end with the call from Danny. But it felt more natural this way, I think, even if things have overall been dramatic. But, I kind of wanted to do this, and I feel like it worked itself out all-in-all. To let characters be emotional in moments that would make them so, without coming off like they're diminished somehow for breaking down, like most people might in stressful moments. At first I felt it might be a bit much—I mean, I don't wanna mentally shatter them Asuka Langley Soryu style or anything—but it just turned out that three of those moments that I'd planned on writing (Toby, Danny, and Luke) just wound up coming one after another in short order at the end of the day.
And lastly, some fun facts: I listen to a ton of JRPG/video game music when writing these. Octopath Traveler, Silent Hill, Breath of Fire, Lunar, Xenogears, and especially Final Fantasy (Cid's Theme, Interrupted by Fireworks, Anxious Heart, Chasing the Black-Caped Man, and On That Day, 5 Years Ago from Final Fantasy VII all got a ton of play while I was working on this chapter).
So, it looks like things are getting set in motion for Darren's bell... but Collin is still in the picture, and Renee's got less than a week to go until her end of things is ready. You are excitement! And a final note to thank everyone who left kudos/favorites, comments/reviews, followed, bookmarks, subscribed, or just plain read along, as well as to the folks on Fanfiction Writers United. I hope you all have been enjoying it so far, and we'll meet back up in Chapter 28!