* * *
Ah woke up in a jerry-rigged hospital room with bandages on each arm. Jenny was gone, at least Ah couldn't hear her. Maybe she was only hidin' in my head, or sleepin' there.
Everyone was there. Their voices crowded down on top o' me. Ah coulda cried in relief, but Ah knew that'd spook 'em more than anythin' ta see my façade crack. We all want people ta be exactly what we expect o' them.
It was a miracle Ah was alive, they said. It was a miracle that everyone else was too. Magneto had disappeared again along with Piotr an' John an' Doctor Moreau. At least he hadn't gotten Trask. It was up ta all o' us ta decide what ta do with him, but all that was for later. They wanted ta hear my story 'bout findin' Magneto an' then Dr. Moreau an' Trask an' Genosha's deepest secret. Ah wanted ta tell 'em too, but when Ah thought about how Ah should tell the story nothin' seemed right. The words weren't right. An' then there was Remy...
"Where's Remy?" Ah asked suddenly, strugglin' into a sittin' position. Mr. McCoy looked like he wanted ta restrain me, but he held himself back. "Ah'm not gonna break," Ah snapped.
"Mr. LeBeau was called away suddenly. Some urgent family business in New Orleans I gather."
Logan dug in one o' his pockets an' came out with an envelope that'd seen better days. Inside, Ah found a joker card with a quarter taped on the back an' the word 'rematch?' scrawled under th' figure. At first Ah didn't understand what it meant, but then Ah remembered 'bout that game o' Pile we played.
He was comin' back.
Smiled at that. Turned into a frown when Ah caught sight o' my tattoo. Ran my fingers lightly over the numbers. Everythin' would be different now, Ah guessed.
But he was comin' back.
FIN
* * *
Whew! Well, what did you think? Like it? Hate it? I sure had a helluva lotta fun writing it. I've even got a few ideas kickin' around for a sequel if anyone thinks it's a good idea. Of course if anyone has suggestions or things they'd especially like to see I'm open to ideas. Anyone...anyone...Bueller?
A special shout-out to everyone who's reviewed. You guys are the greatest! It's nice to know that there are actually people out there who're reading what I'm writing. I think that's the coolest thing in the world! Okay, so maybe not THE coolest, but definitely top ten.
Ah woke up in a jerry-rigged hospital room with bandages on each arm. Jenny was gone, at least Ah couldn't hear her. Maybe she was only hidin' in my head, or sleepin' there.
Everyone was there. Their voices crowded down on top o' me. Ah coulda cried in relief, but Ah knew that'd spook 'em more than anythin' ta see my façade crack. We all want people ta be exactly what we expect o' them.
It was a miracle Ah was alive, they said. It was a miracle that everyone else was too. Magneto had disappeared again along with Piotr an' John an' Doctor Moreau. At least he hadn't gotten Trask. It was up ta all o' us ta decide what ta do with him, but all that was for later. They wanted ta hear my story 'bout findin' Magneto an' then Dr. Moreau an' Trask an' Genosha's deepest secret. Ah wanted ta tell 'em too, but when Ah thought about how Ah should tell the story nothin' seemed right. The words weren't right. An' then there was Remy...
"Where's Remy?" Ah asked suddenly, strugglin' into a sittin' position. Mr. McCoy looked like he wanted ta restrain me, but he held himself back. "Ah'm not gonna break," Ah snapped.
"Mr. LeBeau was called away suddenly. Some urgent family business in New Orleans I gather."
Logan dug in one o' his pockets an' came out with an envelope that'd seen better days. Inside, Ah found a joker card with a quarter taped on the back an' the word 'rematch?' scrawled under th' figure. At first Ah didn't understand what it meant, but then Ah remembered 'bout that game o' Pile we played.
He was comin' back.
Smiled at that. Turned into a frown when Ah caught sight o' my tattoo. Ran my fingers lightly over the numbers. Everythin' would be different now, Ah guessed.
But he was comin' back.
FIN
* * *
Whew! Well, what did you think? Like it? Hate it? I sure had a helluva lotta fun writing it. I've even got a few ideas kickin' around for a sequel if anyone thinks it's a good idea. Of course if anyone has suggestions or things they'd especially like to see I'm open to ideas. Anyone...anyone...Bueller?
A special shout-out to everyone who's reviewed. You guys are the greatest! It's nice to know that there are actually people out there who're reading what I'm writing. I think that's the coolest thing in the world! Okay, so maybe not THE coolest, but definitely top ten.