did you remember when I said there will be a continuation for Doorway? well, this is it. (with this, the first cut in wtph/1 became filled completely)
I didn't know how to describe this short, but I found a kind of definition for the title of this chapter on powerthesaurus, that gives a high, fitting emphasis for this whole too: gravity is sobriety of character or demeanour. In this case, I guess, not a little 'weight' it gives to the things, if once someone makes a decision completely opposite of their previous deeds.
side note: this will be slightly connected to a planned theme, called 'Certain Moment of Time', mainly to the first chapter in that - very slightly, and only as a mentioning, but I felt I should write about how my works are connected
"Mom! Dad! Are you home? Can we talk about-" The lab is empty, the uninhabitedness is echoing. A sudden hurrying up to the first floor breaks the silence. "Jazz! Where are Mom and Dad? I have to-" But there is only the same void. A rush down to the stairs makes the only sound. After that a desperate aghast running up and down, back and forth, fills the place, searching for the family members. Then a sudden halt. "Where is everyone?" Confusion, fear and then... a short glimpse at the note on the small table, that might give a clue about the dead house. It's a very familiar neat handwriting. Mr Lancer, 5:00 pm, Nasty Burger, is Danny in trouble? A panicked check on the time on the wall follows the words as those sinks, along with everything else. "I have to- I have to tell you something..." Two minutes after half past six, the clock says, a little more than a one and half hour after the noted meeting. The question becomes almost voiced, almost there and-
The grip got tightened on the back of the couch, that a minute ago had been placed there as a resting, trying to come up with what else to do, after the 'letting in'. The fingers ran on the fabric, along with a blank walking around, ended then with a dazed sitting down on the furniture.
"Danny..." the calling sounded known, formed by a young female voice. But it was nothing but a hollow memory, coming from far, but- then again it got repeated, like it would have been on to get his attention.
He looked around for a moment, figuring out hard what was it, what it wanted and most specifically- and then, at the television, in front of the couch, he got a glimpse of a reflection. His eyes stopped at it, stunned, but then, after a moment everything came back, just as the same time as the same voice again called him accompanied by a tapping noise on a wood surface.
"What?" Dan snapped, realising just by now during the whole time he was called 'Danny'.
The girl retorted. "You don't have to be so rude. I just wanted to ask if you're okay. You were gazing around weirdly."
"I wasn't gazing around weirdly." he cleared. There was a sceptical humming. "It's just- it's just odd. Being here, you know. I wasn't here for a-" he started, but then stopped with a headshake. "Not important."
"Yeah, because last time didn't count." came the murmuring, annoyed and questioning.
"That was different." Dan stated.
"M-hm. Impersonating Danny, shocking me, leaving him in the Ghost Zone in your future. Totally different, sure, all because of a stupid test." now, she sounded furious. Dan's eyes moved, doing his best to not think about everything, attempting to close out the things. He could recall it, almost every moment, even after for who knew how long he had been trapped in that damn Thermos. It wasn't about that, it wasn't about the day he had 'played' his younger self, and either it was about getting captured, it was about-
"It's different." he hissed, clenching his fists, but then before he could have let it numbing his mind, Dan sighed. "Look, it's- it's different now." he said in a low voice. The tapping on the dining table continued, telling the teenager was not satisfied, telling she was not buying it, telling she was on to figure out his reasons. "It's different now." Dan said again staring blankly in his lap, fidgeting with his hand. "It's just- different…" he bit his lips to the whisper.
"You were running away from things for a long time, you can't run forever." damn that assuming note… "Time will tell. Maybe you just need something to snap you out of it." time, yeah, sure… he still could hear his own scoff after it.
"You're delusional." he had sung mockingly, laughing hard at a desperate old man's last attempt to see something good, something saveable in the unalterable existence.
"Might be… but we are still chatting, aren't we?"
The thoughts stopped, leaving nothing behind just stillness. But then, after a second remained in dark quietness, the rest slowly slipped back into his mind. The fingers squeezed together, trying to find a reasonable explanation what had happened. He really should have just killed him. Simply as that, but- no.
Why that damn withstanding voice was appearing again and again? He really should have just- a tiny little squeeze on the neck, a slight little ecto-blast, anything really, but- and yes, the all would have just happened in a blink of an eye – or even less… Just a moment, a stroke of a hand, and- no.
Dan's jaw tightened, forcing his mind to escape somehow from this mess. Dan… even that was- that was just enlightening what he hadn't done. He should have...
"Shut up." he told himself to concentrate, letting a moment to put together this all. He had to come here. He needed Danny, his younger self and- he bit his lips, realising that unfortunately, he would need him too. After all… after all only he could be capable to make it possible… if the man was enough crazed-up to create him (technically, inducing his creation, but nuances…), then-
A sudden movement made him snap up his head, to catch the source of the abrupt sound.
"I'm making tea," explained the jumping up the red-haired teenager – who once could be titled as his sister, but right now, for him at least, was nothing else but a manifestation of an old memory, haunting him, just as this damn place, trapping him into this cursed situation, because- because in real there was no one else to turn to…
The girl stopped, tilting her head towards him, with narrowed measuring eyes. "Would you like some?"
It had an impact of a rather automatic question, but- Dan (god, this really had a fitting ringing, he had to admit...) opened his mouth, but then closed back, unsure what to say, but then with a frown answered. After all, he somehow had to get them right? And Jazz could be bought by kindness and- damn, that felt so ridiculous… still.
He took a look at the waiting teen, but then nodded unsteadily.
"I- uh… yes?" he tried, adding for whatever mindless reason. "Please." God, he really was on to drink a tea? – Dan recognised, too late to back out from it. Great, now he had to act like he really wanted to accept the offer, didn't he?
He ran his eyes over the place, getting by that a vision of a folded notebook. For a second, he could recall a faint memory, Jazz being annoying excited about a virtual open day, organised by one of her so beloved universities. It created a teasing smirk on his face, knowing his attendance must have made her unable to attend on the great day, rambling about her favourite field as a hilarious self-marketing and- yeah, she deserved the interruption. She was really unbearable, begging for their parents to leave her on her own in the house and- not that she wouldn't be welcomed literally by any schools, but she still acted if- would have been, Dan corrected himself after a beat, but a puzzled frown over the slight little clarification made an eerie feeling that something was not right. Something was not right about this all around him.
It needed a minute to piece it together, but then it became clear. Jazz was alive. Jazz was- alive. How on hell she was not dead? She had supposed to be- the whole scene came back from the last time he had been here. He remembered his younger version, that pathetic worm had been drained out and- the boy couldn't have saved them, not in that state, but- yeah, right… he muted an obvious scoff, to the unmistakable explanation. He had had to be a hero of the day, huh?
But instead of a taunting feeling, it just- made a knot-ish tightness. He really had to save everyone, right? Keeping everyone alive... just because- of course, he had managed to do that! Easy as a pie. And he- he really had to come here, right? To Danny, to this time, because- because for him- for him there was no easily solvable scenario, with a shrug, shaking all off like a damn 'hard day'. But, yeah, right, when everything was fair, huh?
He swallowed hard, letting out a mirthless, defeated smile, making out the small movements in the kitchen counter as Jazz was preparing the obviously distraction-like tea, to cover up this all awkwardness. He really had to do this, didn't he? Unfortunately, he knew the answer. Yes, he had to. He had to shove away any questions, doubts and fears, everything that could go wrong being here and- and really everything. The only thing he had to keep in his mind was the final goal. And in that, Dan was determined, and- (well, if everything turned out as those supposed to be, then- well, 'Dan' wouldn't be just a made-up name… but in real, that part only was an additional beneficial outcome if- if really everything would work out. Surprisingly, first and foremost, that wasn't even the main thing that he aimed to reach…)
By those train of thoughts, he slightly lifted his eyes towards the kitchen, when just a moment ago ceased the high whistling voice, and then, now the pouring sound, followed by a placing on the kitchen table. The question was almost there, formed to take it on loud. Dan's lips partially opened, but then the girl sat down, with an inviting waving towards the seat next to her. She couldn't be serious, right? Not after everything had happened the last time he had been here.
Well, it turned out she very much was…