Chapter 12: Affirmation
Ralph stood upright, staring in shock at the sight before his eyes. He wasn't sure how to react to Jack's presence. Was he supposed to be confused as to why Jack had found his was to his doorstep? Or was he supposed to be glad that he could find relief in someone who had probably been experiencing the same thoughts that he had? Either way, Ralph felt a bit of both emotions.
Yet, a smile managed to break over his lips after an awkward moment.
"Now, Jack, I gave you my address to write to, but I never expected you to really show up," Ralph smirked.
Despite the surge of strange emotions he had been through over the day, he managed to make a witty comment. He was used to Jack.
Jack managed to smile rather weakly.
"Who was at the door?" a curious voice came from behind Ralph-- it was his mother, waddling forward to the door.
"It's--" Ralph began, turning his head to look behind him, his smile fading a bit.
"Jack! What a nice surprise!" Ralph's mother interrupted.
Ralph looked back at Jack, and a bit of a smirk crawled back over his mouth. They both realized that the words Ralph's mother had just said sounded all too familiar; they remembered the previous day on the boat, and both seemed to be recalling the event.
{ "Jack," he said, "what a.. nice surprise," he laughed for a lack of better words.
"Yeah, yeah," Jack said, fumbling his way completely in, then quietly closing the door behind him. Jack walked onward, and sat in a chair in the corner of the room; he gazed around a bit. }
"I don't mean to be rude, Jack, but- have we covered why you're visiting?" Ralph's mother asked curiously.
"No- don't believe we have," Jack said, his weak smile fading.
Ralph caught the expression on Jack's face quickly, and his own seemed to contract into a concerned look for Jack.
"Something wrong?" Ralph asked, shifting his weight nervously.
Jack lifted his eyebrows uncertainly, as though pondering something silently to himself.
"Can I come in?" Jack requested.
"Of course, dear," Ralph's mother said.
Ralph stepped back, and lead the way into the living room, seating himself comfortably on the sofa. He looked over, and Jack sat on the sofa, a little away from Ralph. Ralph's mother remained standing, looking over the two boys, and for a minute or so, no one managed to think of anything to say.
"I'll leave you two alone," Ralph's mother said with a sigh, then strolled off into the kitchen.
Once Ralph was sure that his mother was out of earshot, he looked over at Jack.
"So what's bothering you?" Ralph asked, surprised at his question's blatant structure.
"How'd you--" Jack squeaked in a surprised tone.
"I can still figure out that look on your face-- we've only been away from each other for what? Less than an hour?" Ralph grinned.
"Guess I underestimated you," Jack shrugged, "but anyway."
Ralph jerked his head forward, his body turned toward Jack now. He waited for Jack to say something, but he seemed to be fumbling with his own words.
"Well, go on," Ralph urged.
"My parents," Jack finally pushed out.
"What's wrong?" Ralph asked, his eyes widening. "Are they in the hospital? How bad are they hurt? Will you--"
"They're dead," Jack said solemnly.
"What?" Ralph gasped, his tone unbelieving.
Ralph desperately hoped that it was the easy-going Merridew spirit he had first met in Jack, just playing a cruel prank on him. Yet, the longer Ralph stared forward at Jack, the more he began to believe that he was telling him the truth.
"You heard me," Jack snapped. "They're dead."
That was Ralph's affirmation, and it took a harsh toll on him. Ralph's heart twisted and turned, and he felt a hollow feeling inside of him. They weren't his parents, but it was Jack he found himself so concerned for. The two words continued to buzz in his ears like a horrible noise-- 'They're dead..'
Ralph stood upright, staring in shock at the sight before his eyes. He wasn't sure how to react to Jack's presence. Was he supposed to be confused as to why Jack had found his was to his doorstep? Or was he supposed to be glad that he could find relief in someone who had probably been experiencing the same thoughts that he had? Either way, Ralph felt a bit of both emotions.
Yet, a smile managed to break over his lips after an awkward moment.
"Now, Jack, I gave you my address to write to, but I never expected you to really show up," Ralph smirked.
Despite the surge of strange emotions he had been through over the day, he managed to make a witty comment. He was used to Jack.
Jack managed to smile rather weakly.
"Who was at the door?" a curious voice came from behind Ralph-- it was his mother, waddling forward to the door.
"It's--" Ralph began, turning his head to look behind him, his smile fading a bit.
"Jack! What a nice surprise!" Ralph's mother interrupted.
Ralph looked back at Jack, and a bit of a smirk crawled back over his mouth. They both realized that the words Ralph's mother had just said sounded all too familiar; they remembered the previous day on the boat, and both seemed to be recalling the event.
{ "Jack," he said, "what a.. nice surprise," he laughed for a lack of better words.
"Yeah, yeah," Jack said, fumbling his way completely in, then quietly closing the door behind him. Jack walked onward, and sat in a chair in the corner of the room; he gazed around a bit. }
"I don't mean to be rude, Jack, but- have we covered why you're visiting?" Ralph's mother asked curiously.
"No- don't believe we have," Jack said, his weak smile fading.
Ralph caught the expression on Jack's face quickly, and his own seemed to contract into a concerned look for Jack.
"Something wrong?" Ralph asked, shifting his weight nervously.
Jack lifted his eyebrows uncertainly, as though pondering something silently to himself.
"Can I come in?" Jack requested.
"Of course, dear," Ralph's mother said.
Ralph stepped back, and lead the way into the living room, seating himself comfortably on the sofa. He looked over, and Jack sat on the sofa, a little away from Ralph. Ralph's mother remained standing, looking over the two boys, and for a minute or so, no one managed to think of anything to say.
"I'll leave you two alone," Ralph's mother said with a sigh, then strolled off into the kitchen.
Once Ralph was sure that his mother was out of earshot, he looked over at Jack.
"So what's bothering you?" Ralph asked, surprised at his question's blatant structure.
"How'd you--" Jack squeaked in a surprised tone.
"I can still figure out that look on your face-- we've only been away from each other for what? Less than an hour?" Ralph grinned.
"Guess I underestimated you," Jack shrugged, "but anyway."
Ralph jerked his head forward, his body turned toward Jack now. He waited for Jack to say something, but he seemed to be fumbling with his own words.
"Well, go on," Ralph urged.
"My parents," Jack finally pushed out.
"What's wrong?" Ralph asked, his eyes widening. "Are they in the hospital? How bad are they hurt? Will you--"
"They're dead," Jack said solemnly.
"What?" Ralph gasped, his tone unbelieving.
Ralph desperately hoped that it was the easy-going Merridew spirit he had first met in Jack, just playing a cruel prank on him. Yet, the longer Ralph stared forward at Jack, the more he began to believe that he was telling him the truth.
"You heard me," Jack snapped. "They're dead."
That was Ralph's affirmation, and it took a harsh toll on him. Ralph's heart twisted and turned, and he felt a hollow feeling inside of him. They weren't his parents, but it was Jack he found himself so concerned for. The two words continued to buzz in his ears like a horrible noise-- 'They're dead..'