Either I'm about to get hit by a bus, or every language teacher I had up to this point was full of bull. Whatever it is, I didn't expect my first stories to be received this well. It's up to me to make these stories into more than just promising ideas, but I'm thankful you gave me a chance to do so.

-youhateme: I share your hopes.

-Guest N.O.1: Ah... yes? Seriously though, thanks for taking the time to write all of it up. I don't want to spoil the story, so you will have to wait for answers.

-Guest: Lincoln isn't normal, that is undeniable, but I didn't get an impression he was special in a way that would make him react to something like this in too much of an abnormal way.

-CC: I didn't have that in mind, but I wrote he was attending his sister's activities. If you were referring to parents helping, that is entirely about spending time with their parents, with actual help being a distant who knows which.

-Sparkletina: You are double half right.

The taxi stopped at the Sunset Canyon Retirement Home. The sky was already past orange, and the pinks were giving way to purples and blues. It was quiet. The only sound heard were distant crickets or an odd bug.

Rita payed the driver and left the car. Lincoln left soon after. But while his mother went inside, he stood and looked at the home with lost eyes. Something about it felt so different. It was dead. The regular upkeep did a good job of hiding it, but now there was nothing that could hide it. There was no soul to it. There were many souls behind those walls - at least he hoped - but when together, the whole structure felt so empty. Was it just the lack of people? A structure, even when fully finished, operational, and furnished, eerie without occupants.

The dampened ring of a bell woke Lincoln from his trance. Inside looked much the same, only now there we his mother and one of the caretakers presents. Counterintuitively, it didn't help. The receptionist felt like another chair or lamp, and his mother was like an anomaly. Like it was a cheap show, where the budget only allowed for a handful of actors, and there wasn't even the money to build a set to account for it. It put him to ease somewhat to see miscellaneous objects around, ones that didn't fit. They reminded him people here were sleeping in correct places.

"Rita!" Albert called cheerfully as soon as he saw the two.

Rita practically ran into his arms. This gesture perplexed Albert. His confusion, however, turned to worry upon seeing Lincoln, and his hug became firmer. He told his daughter something Lincoln couldn't hear before taking her a little further away.

Lincoln, not sure if he should come closer to listening in, stayed where he was. He found the nearest chair and sat in it, looking around.

Why did it bother him so much? What? If only he knew. If only he could decide. The home looked like an obvious candidate. Something about it was unsettling. It was a clearly lived in and living place, yet it was so empty and soulless. It was a feeling he couldn't quite describe, but one he was certain he felt before, at least to a lesser degree. When he would get a chance to be somewhere later in the evening, when he came to school on the weekend, just being in his own house when it was empty. It was unbelievably unsettling, despite having no reason for being such. He had been in all of those places and knew there was nothing to fear. Still, the emptiness... An abandoned dark place is scary, but an empty working place could be just as scary, if not more. What could have made people abandon a perfectly functional place, why was it so artificial?

Was it soulless, or did he lose his soul?

This feeling was brewing in him ever since the fight started. Was he just lost? Everything felt like a bad dream, so it was no wonder nothing would look natural. It wasn't natural. It wasn't right. Something about it felt so wrong and he had no idea where to point his finger. He couldn't decide who or what was at fault, or if there was someone to blame at all. Lisa? Dad? Mom? Himself? Something else?

"Hey sport." Albert kneeled to reach Lincoln's level. "How are you feeling?"

Albert was either a really bad liar, or he was making no effort to hide his emotions. He looked concerned and it didn't sit well with Lincoln. His dad, mom, and sisters were all already mad or sad about something, something he was responsible for. He didn't want his grandfather to join them as well. "I'm okay..."

Albert swallowed something he wanted to say before putting a hand on Lincoln's shoulder. "Come with me, let's get you settled in for the night."

"Wait, we are staying here?"

Albert sighed. "Yes... you'll be staying here for a while."

"What, why?" Lincoln was starting to panic. A while? A while as in tonight? A while as in we don't know? A while as in for the foreseeable future?

"Well, kid... you see, your mom and dad are having a bit of a rough patch at the moment and when adults argue, it's sometimes good for them to give each other some space. You know, to let the emotions cool down and to do some introspection."

"Why, what happened?" It didn't make sense. Lincoln knew adults can have fights, but why did their first fight end like this?

"Look, Lincoln, why don't you just have some rest for now, you must be tired. We can have a talk in the morning, how does that sound?" Albert stood up and offered Lincoln a hand.

"I'm not tired, I want to know what's going on."

"Lincoln, please, we'll talk in the morning." Rita came over, struggling to maintain composure.

"No! What is going on? Why are you and dad fighting?"

"Lincoln-"

"Don't Lincoln me!" He stood up. "I want to know what's going on, because it looks to me you are fighting over nothing."

"Lincoln please..." Rita was on the brink of tears.

"Lisa clearly made a mistake, how can't you see that? If you just looked at th-"

Albert cut off Lincoln when he grabbed him by the shoulders. He wanted to say something, but there was no need. Lincoln ran off when he saw his mother starting to tear up. He ran to his grandfather's room and locked himself in the bathroom. He started to cry. He couldn't keep quiet, could he? No, he had to push it. And now his mother was in tears. Can something go right today? No, of course it can't. Of course, it fricking can't.

When he was out of tears to cry, Lincoln whipped his face, but he couldn't gather the courage to step out of the bathroom. He looked at the door blankly, hoping it would open on its own, and someone would come in to hug him. His mother would come and his father and his sisters, and they would all hug it out. But it didn't happen, and the more he waited for it, the less it looked likely to happen. Eventually, he just sunk his head into his knees and hugged them tighter.

Lincoln was woken up by a knock on the door. "Lincoln, are you inside, open up!? Can you hear me?" Albert called out, getting more desperate with each moment.

"I'm-" Lincoln coughed to clear his throat. "I'm here, I'm... I'm fine" He tried to breathe but found his nose full.

"Alright, I was just checking, come down when you are ready, breakfast will be soon." Albert sounded relieved, but Lincoln didn't hear any footsteps.

"Okay..." He got up and went to wash himself up. He didn't have any of his toiletries, so all he could do was wash his face and relieve himself. When he got out, Albert was still waiting for him. "I'm sorry I was..."

"You have no need to be, now let's go down, you must be starving."

Lincoln couldn't deny he could go for a bite right now, but in the cafeteria, he had no appetite. The food wasn't God-knows-what, but it was perfectly fine food. Still, when he looked at the plain breakfast option, he couldn't help but think of a banquet his dad could make. They must be having a blast back home, or at least a better time than him. How could they not, with a chef like his dad, even the most disastrous of parties could be turned upside down.

After breakfast Lincoln spent time with his grandfather and his friends. It wasn't some adrenaline pumping experience, but it was a good distraction. The good part of that was that he could dominate everyone else. He knew it wasn't much of a contest between him and some retiary, even in something more physically demanding like Wii Sports, but he would take a victory over no victory. And besides, he held back, so the advantage wasn't as great. The lunch went by without a problem, but it was afterword's that the wind blew in bad news.

Lincoln was initially happy to see his older sisters, the ones that came at least, but his excitement deteriorated rampantly when he saw the state, they were in. His sleep didn't do much for him, but he wasn't sure if some of them slept at all. Lori led the pack as always, caring a couple of bags with Luna, in place of Lynn Junior. They gave them to Lincoln and told him to take them (somewhere). He realized it was just to distract him, so he just left them out of sight before following them to see what was going on.

Rita and the girls were sitting at one of the tables, with Rita and Lori across from one another and the rest around their older sister. He reached the room just as they were starting.

"We're glad to see you too mom... but..." Lori was biting her tung'

"Sweetie, you know you can tell me whatever it is." Rita took her hand.

"I know... I just..."

"Mom, I'm scared." Luan spoke, seeing Lori wasn't going to. "Uncle Luke came over and him and dad were arguing."

"Wait, Lucas?" Rita looked scared. "What is he doing there?"

"Dad called him last night..." Luna said. "I can't lie to you mom, it's looking bad. Uncle is convincing dad to sue, and he wants to represent."

Rita grabbed her head.

"But it's okay, right?" Leni asked. "You did nothing."

Everyone looked at her with pity and envy. If only they could say the same with so much confidence.

Rita composed herself, holding together for her daughters. "Girls... I know what you may have heard-"

"Is it true?" Loir looked her dead in the eyes. "We heard the fight, but... I... I need to know; I need to hear it from you..."

Rita looked at her daughters one by one. When several minutes passed in silence, Lori stood up and the rest followed. Lori left without looking at her mother. Luna passed the glance to her before exiting the building and Luan struggled to not jump into her arms, especially after Leni did so eagerly. When they left, Rita sat back down and started to cry.

Lincoln made himself gone before anyone saw him. The confirmation his mother didn't do anything brough him some comfort. Maybe there was still a chance for cooler heads to prevail. And if Uncle Luke was there, it just meant there was another person the help deescalate the situation, right? Why was everyone so scared of him then? Sure, his first reaction might be to sue, but that is just instinct. Like boxers first instinct might be to punch a problem, or a writer's first instinct might be to write a strongly worded letter, a lawyer will sue. However, once he sees what is really going on, he will change his mind.

Today (in the story) was Sunday, and you know what that means! Yes, it is, it's true! Monday is after Sunday! Our favorite day! Hooray! Let's give it away for everyone's favorite day! Hip-hip! Hooray! Hip- Okay, I'll stop.

Nothing more to say for now, so I won't hold you anymore. Chao!