NOTES:

Outtake from chapter 3 of Playback Error.

Originally, I was going to have Spencer dream of one of the times he and Billy played as kids. But given how the story is going I decided to change it to a nightmare. So here's the original dream:


Everything was brighter, greener, and somehow bigger than him. Didn't matter. He had an important job to do. He needed more materials to decorate the Fort. And it was the most important job of all because Billy had tasked him with it. Even let him go looking for supplies all by himself! His own parents never let him wander far on his own. Well, at least that they knew of.

Spencer skipped all around the junkyard, looking at all of the fun things they could use. Pots, pans, buckets, baskets. All of which he imagined turning into alien helmets. Or maybe armor to fight the aliens. Or zombies. Whichever they decided to play next. Or they could make those old broom handles over there into swords to play pirates! Or-Oh! Billy would love those string lights! But Spencer couldn't reach them. There were some really cool Halloween decorations he wanted to bring back but Spencer knew Billy didn't really like that stuff even though he said it was ok. Spencer decided to bring back some of the not as scary ones anyway. But he also wanted something Billy would approve of.

Those brightly colored pieces of fabric next to that old lantern had promise. Some shattered CDs lay next to it. He got an idea. Spencer grinned wildly as he collected the objects and got to work.

When he finished he carried his creation back to the Fort. Even before he entered he could hear the guitar strumming away. Billy sat on the stage, signing to himself and playing the pretty red guitar.

Spencer ran right up to him, "Billy! Billy! Look what I made!"

His teenage cousin put the guitar aside, "Whadda ya got there, tater-tot?"

Spencer held up the decoration he'd made. He'd decorated the lantern with the colorful pieces of fabric and CD shards.

"We can make it light up, right? It'll look so cool!"

Billy blinked at and for a moment Spencer feared that Billy didn't like what he made. But then Billy smiled, "It's awesomesauce, lil' dude! It'll like up like a disco ball. We can ask your dad for some kinda battery-powered light thingy to go inside it and make this puppy shine."

Spencer grinned.

Billy patted him on the head, "Good job, squirt."