August 1st, 2000

The mood in the Redman house was a little sad. They had just "celebrated" the anniversary of James' death. Two years since he was born with the flu and died a few hours later. Time healed their wounds though.

"Frannie, Baby?" Stu walked into the house. It was pretty quiet in the house. Abby wasn't screaming at the top of her lungs. They must be at Lucy's watching Nicki. He walked into their office and sat at the desk. He saw a pile of papers by his side. There must be four hundred pieces their. He picked one up and read.

'At first Nick was able to divide this fantasy from reality but as time passed, he became more and more sure that the fantasy was reality. He fancies he could feel the dark man's breath on the back of his neck.' *

"What the hell?" Stu mumbled. The dark man? Nick? What the hell was this? He picked up another stack and read.

'Larry stopped for a moment just outside the tunnel, undecided and frightened again. Then it began to hail, and that decided to him. The hailstones were big, stinging. Thunder bellowed again. Okay, he though. Okay, okay, okay. I'm convinced. He stepped into the Lincoln Tunnel.' *

"Larry Underwood?" He whispered. What was Fran writing? He flipped through and saw there was stuff about him in the clinic in there too.

"Stu? You home?" Fran walked into the front door, "Go start a bath, Abby. Stu?"

"What are you writing?" Stu turned and looked at Fran. The blood drained from her face.

"Just...Just a story." She said.
"It doesn't look like a story." Stu said, "I'm in it. Larry is in it. Mother Abigail is in it. Randall Flagg is in it. Why?" Fran sighed.

"Just because the history book writers died, it doesn't mean history stopped dead it's tracks. Captain Trips needs to be documented so in ten generations they know what really happened." Fran said.

"How do you know what Starkey went through? How do you know what Campion said and what Nick did when he was growing up?" Stu asked.

"Ever heard of something called research?" Fran asked bitterly.

"Yes. Tell me, Fran." he said. Fran sighed.

"When Glover travel cross-country last year he gathered papers from Starkey's office for me. That's all." Fran said, "There was some things from Las Vegas that he found. Nick kept journals and I have them. Tom filled in the blanks. Lucy and Joe helped me with Larry's past and I found some old billboard chart magazines that had other information on him. You certainly talk about your past enough and I know what happened in my life. For Flagg, I interviewed anyone I could that had info and meetings with him. This is a fiction book, but with many non-fiction aspects. I'm not nearly done. I'm only yup to Nick meeting Tom."

"Oh Okay." Stu said.

"You hate the idea don't you?" Fran asked. he shook his head.

"No. I don't." Stu said, "I wish you told me about it."

"I can change your name if you want me to." Fran said. Stu chuckled, "I already did to a few people who didn't want their names in it."

"No. You don't have to do that, Frannie." He said.

"I don't?" Fran asked. Stu shook his head.

"This is a good idea, Fran." He said, "are you getting it published?" Fran nodded.

"They already agreed to print it." She said, "I think it'll do well."

"Me too." Stu looked at the stack of papers, "May I read it before it's published?" Fran nodded with a smiled.

"Of course." She said. Stu wasn't sure if he really, truly liked the idea of this book, but Fran was right. The facts needed to be written down before the epidemic was bastardized in five decades.

August 15th, 2000

Joe kissed Gina's neck softly as they lay naked in bed together. A night of love making at been wonderful, although they had to be very very quiet. Tom and Lucy were in the room next to them and the kids were just down the hallway.

"I can't wait until you move out, Joe." She said softly.

"Me either." Joe said kissing her collarbone. She sighed with happiness. "We can have a lot of loud steamy sex."

"That'll be wonderful." Gina giggled. Soon, Nicki could be heard screaming her head off. Joe groaned.
"Yes. I need to get out of here." He mumbled, "Be quiet." They could her Lucy and Tom moving around and going into Nicki's room.

"I'm always quiet." She whispered.
"Bull shit." he laughed tickling her side.

"JOE!" She cried, clamping her hand over her mouth. They both laid still for a moment as they heard Lucy's foot steps. They stopped in front of Joe's door. Joe was still.
"Joseph?" Lucy asked. He cleared his throat.

"Yeah, Ma?" He asked.

"Could you come out here and help me?" She asked.

"I'm trying to sleep." Joe said.

"No you're not. Now get out here." Lucy snapped. Gina looked frightened as Joe got out of bed. he pulled his boxers on and stepped out into the hallway. Lucy smacked him, "How dare you.

"What!?" Joe cried holding his cheek.

"How dare you have sex when your brother and sister are right there!" Lucy cried.

"What's the big deal?? You and Tom have sex all the time!" Joe yelled.

"WE'RE MARRIED!! WE'RE ADULTS!!" Lucy yelled.
"I'm an adult too." Joe said, "If you don't want me here, then I'll move out. It's not like you have to take care of me. you're not my mother and Tom isn't my father. Nicki and Larry aren't my siblings. I'm an orphan. I don't care what forms you have in your god damn dresser saying I'm yours, I'm not and I'm sick or you treating me like I am one of your slaves. My parents are dead and you could never replace them." Joe stomped back into his bedroom, "Get dressed."

"Wh-What's going on?" Gina asked getting out of bed.

"We're leaving." Joe said pulling his pants on.

"Where to?" Gina asked.

"Your house. I don't know." Joe said grabbing his suitcase and started to fill it. He could hear Tom and Lucy talking loudly about him.

"This is all my fault." Gina said pulling her dress on.

"No it's not, Baby." Joe said, "Lucy just is confused sometimes."
"She loves you." Gina said. Joe shot her a look.
"Are you ready?" he said. Gina nodded slowly. Joe took her hand and the suitcase and went out into the hallway. Lucy had been crying her eyes were red. "Bye."

"Joe, don't do this to your mother." Tom said, holding Nicki in his arms. Joe shot him a look.
"She's not my mother." He said.

"I'm sorry." Gina whispered as Joe tugged her down the stairs and outside. Lucy trembled as she heard the front door closed.

"I shouldn't have hit him." She said.
"Well, he shouldn't have been making love when he wasn't married. My momma always said that wasn't good." Tom said.

"I know." She said softly.

"He needs to grow up though." Tom said, "We all do." Lucy sighed softly and went into Joe's room. She shut the light off. Maybe she had over reacted, but it had taken her by surprise.

* * *

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