You decide the message to unfold in many stories told
The three brothers are sleeping tranquilly as they get woken gently by the sun. It is a warm and pleasant light indicating the morning. Lifty is the first one to wake up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He notices his brothers snuggling together. "Heh… Cuties…"
He gets up stretching his limbs. Today is the day they want to start over, and the place to do so should be Russell's restaurant, hopefully. Although Handy has a ready witted mouth, he is, luckily for them, a pretty forgiving person. A little apology and a more or less allowed retaliation was sufficient for him to get on terms.
Lifty quickly got some spare clothes Handy provided for them. Handy being a beaver is rather convenient, so they don´t have to bother about holes in their pants for their tails. He dresses up in common clothes, Handy isn´t known for being a fashion-interested guy. He puts on his blue jeans and a green T-shirt.
"Hey, you two, time to wake up, don´t you think? We have much to be done today!" Lifty gently shakes his brothers, he does not intend to annoy them today. "Ugh, times up already?" Ian mumbles barely understandable, slowly removing himself from Shifty. Speaking of him, he isn´t that eager to get up that early.
"pleaf let me fleep…" he speaks into his pillow, regretting that decision as Lifty pulls him at his legs, out of the bed. Good for him, Ian understood quickly what was about to come and softened Shifty's fall by laying some of their blankets underneath him.
"Sometimes I hate you…" Lifty chuckled at this and cooed. "Nah, don´t be like this! I know you can´t hate me so easily~. Besides, you know what is planned today! Russell's restaurant is opening in less than two hours and I think it would be neat if we got something to eat before we go there.
The twins observed their brother as he looked the wardrobe for clothes, he found some rather quickly. "Everything alright, Ian?" Shifty asked with a slight concern. But to their relief Ian turns around with a genuine smile on his face. "Yes, everything´s fine. You know… Speaking about my past was a heavy stone I finally could get rid of. Thank you for listening to me, it means much to me."
His tone is soft and friendly. They cannot remember hearing him like this, which makes them rather glad. "That´s what brothers are for, right? As I said, let the past be past. Just concentrate on the here and now. Let's go to the kitchen and see what Handy is up to. Maybe he´s already awake."
"Huh? Finally, awake? How are my favorite rodents doing?" Sometimes it is hard to decide whether Handy actually means what he´s saying or if he´s just being perfectly sarcastic. Thinking of the day they just assume the best. "We´re doing great! And you? How comes that you´re up that early?"
The closer they got to the table the more they could feel the saliva watering their mouth. The table was filled with toast and croissants, scrambled eggs, cold meat and butter. "Is that butter self-made?" Lifty asks rather surprised. "You bet it is!" Handy says proudly.
"I didn´t know you could actually cook!" Lifty facepalmed at Shifty's statement, but Handy already gave him an answer. "Well I don´t know about your skills if you really consider toast and bought croissants good cooking but these things aren´t actually that hard. And the scrambled eggs? Yeah now that I finally have hands again it is much easier to perform."
"Well to him it is good cooking, he manages to ruin the toast. That´s the reason I mostly prepare dinner for us." Now it was Ian to wonder. "Really? How do you even manage to ruin toast?" Shifty blushed sheepishly "Hey! It is harder than it looks okay?"
"Well, I can´t judge you to be honest. We are living in a town in which making toast can get you killed." Suddenly Lifty, Shifty and Handy burst out in laughter. Ian is giggling more out of confusion. This whole die and rebirth thing is still rather strange to him.
The twins are promptly going for the toast, eating it with a bit of cold meat, or rather eating cold meat with a bit of toast… Ian modestly gets some of the eggs after he made sure that Handy has suited himself already. "Thank you for the treat Handy, we´re really grateful for that."
Handy looks up to him but swallows first before he answers. For his malicious tongue he sure has good manners after all. "Think none of it. I can´t tell you how long the lack of hands is actually tormenting me in this place. And you just came along saying "Hi I totally don´t know you and you almost killed me but here, have some hands back!" You did me a really big favor."
"It was my pleasure to help you, but I also thank you for forgiving my brothers so easily. This was more than I could ever ask from you." Suddenly Handy gets abashed and blushes slightly. "Now stop it! Sure, it wasn´t nice, but this entire town isn´t nice. But what is nice in fact is getting along with each other! And for that, they apologized genuinely. That is the only thing I demand after someone did something bad to me."
Ian kicked his brothers shin softly, slightly annoyed that they don´t join the conversation. But he can´t tell how often they get a warm meal on their plates, so he shrugs of his annoyance. The twins rise their heads from their plates, responding a muffled "Thankf you Hfandy…" as their mouths are still filled with food.
The carpenter just laughs "Like I said, no problem. So, what are your plans for today? You already intend to go to Russell's restaurant?" The three raccoons nod in unison. "We hope he can use us for whatever chores he has leftover for us to do. As we want to start over, we accept anything he gives to us. Even if the first tasks may not be that pleasant. But if that´s the case that´s our own fault then."
"Nah, don´t you two worry too much. Russell is far from being a vindictive person. I´m sure if you´re being honest with him like you were to me it will be no problem at all." A few minutes later they finally finished their breakfast, leaving no food behind. "Geez, you guys sure were hungry."
After they all got dressed for "work" they bid their farewell to Handy. "So, is this restaurant far from here?" Ian asked curiously. "No, it´s just down the road. But before we´re heading to it there are some things you should know about this place." Shifty said with a stern voice, Ian nods like a soldier awaiting his commands for battle.
"This place is dangerous twenty-four seven! There can be anything happening at any time! Don´t question this place's logic as it has literally none! So, stick with us and most importantly…" Suddenly Shifty brought his face rather close towards Ian's, making him a bit nervous. "Stay. The. Fuck. Away. From. Ants."
He raised a brow as if he wanted to fool him. "Ants..?" Suddenly they both nodded slowly, creeping him out a little more. "Yeah… Stay away from them, it is not healthy to encounter them for whatever reason." It sounds way too ridiculous to believe, but they lived here for ages instead of him, they shall know it better he supposes.
The three head towards their destination, it is a warm wind blowing gently in their faces. Ian observes the leaves rustling in the trees. This place has many trees, even some houses are trees, just eroded to make a living space. The sun shining in their faces is filling them with a glimpse of joy.
Suddenly Ian perceives an agonized squeal below his foot and realizes that he just stepped on an ant. "Oh no… That is not good…" He gently grabs the ant as he sees that he accidentally crushed its legs. "Wait little friend, I think I can fix this." Using his gift once again, the ant's legs are miraculously restored, earning him a thankful noise from the ant. He couldn´t figure the speech out as it was literally just noise, but he thinks that the ant is grateful, and he gently puts her down.
He attempts to move forward but somehow, he isn´t able to move. A stinging pain is emerging from his tail, the moment he turns around he realizes that he got sewed to the ground by two other ants, one wearing a cap while the other, definitely greater one, has an updo as hairstyle. "Um… guys?" But as he looks forwards he realizes in shock that his brothers who just advised him to stick with them grew on large distance. "GUYS! HELP ME!"
Luckily for him, they noticed his shouting and went back. "What´s wrong? Why don´t you come? Russell's restaurant is opening in less than thirty minutes, we have to go now!" But Ian couldn´t talk as the sewing needle was held against his neck. He tries to symbolize them with his pupils that something is behind him. Much to his dismay they don´t get the picture…
"Just spill it Ian!" Lifty became a bit angry, but then he realized a trickle of blood flowing down the pavement. "What the…" Suddenly the ants stepped on his shoulders, that was the moment the twins realized what the problem was. The greatest ant stepped on Ian's face, pointing the needle right towards his eye, he would fend her off, but his hands are already sewed to his shirt.
He prepared himself for terrible pain as suddenly a blonde, smaller ant stood up before the big one. It was the one Ian healed before. She makes some hysterical noises, flailing with her arms. Much to his relief the greater ant smiled at him genuinely, gesturing something that looks like an apology and they finally got off him, going anywhere else.
"*sigh* That was close!" The twins scolded him with their gazes. "Wh…What?" "Ian, we told you to stay away from them and yet not even after two minutes you already mess with them?" With a little struggle he manages to free his hands, removing the threads. "I´m sorry! I accidentally stepped on one of them and decided that it would be best to heal it!"
Shifty shook his head. "Now you know, the best thing you can do next time is run!" Ian rolled his eyes as he attempted once again to walk forwards only to notice then again that his tail is still sewed on the concrete. "How even…Ah, don´t question a nonexistent logic."
He tries to remove the threads, but they are sewed too tight, nearly perfect. "Um, could you help me please?" They share a look as they grab his brother in peril under his arms. "Guys? What exactly are you planning to d…" He was cut short as they both pull him as hard as he can, ripping the sewed part of his tail apart.
He screams that loud that even the crows in the trees are shooed away. "Well, you´re free…" Lifty says, gulping as Ian's gaze could kill them right on the spot. "Ian… You ok?" Shifty asked, getting equally nervous. Ian remains silent with his pissed expression, holding his tail with small tears in his eyes. "You two better run now…" Now they got really scared "Uh oh…"
"Yarr Flaky, is the jukebox prepared?" Russell is always checking that everything is just perfectly fine before the first guests are entering his small restaurant. "Yes… But it is only playing the instrumental music without the singing…" But Russell only smiled at this, even if not everything went perfectly, he always has the attitude to make the best out of it.
He adjusts his pirate hat "Think nothin´ of it gal. That´s just…" But he was cut short as suddenly two green furred raccoons burst open the door in a state of panic. Hiding behind the blue otter. "Hey! We open in fourteen minutes! I´m sure you can wait this long!" But they ignore him as they hide under a table, panting and wheezing.
"What´s the matter with you two? You look like you get hunted by a ravenous shark on land…" Oh if he only knew how close he was with that assumption. Shortly after, Ian enters the restaurant perfectly calm. "Excuse me, did anyone of you see two green furred raccoons who just seemed to enter this location?"
"Oh, please don´t tell me they stole from you either!" A pink chipmunk dresses in a red dress is entering the diner as well. "Does dignity count as well?" He asks, still rather peeved at his brothers. Russell stands before the table, hiding the twins behind himself. "Well matey, the name´s Russell can I do anything for you?"
Ian remembers the name as he noticed simultaneously his brothers hiding under the table, holding their mouths with their hands, he assumes that they do so to silence their breath a little. "You two can come out from the table, we save our "talk" for later, let us get to business now."
Reluctantly they stood up, scratching their head anxiously. "Ian…We´re sorry, please let us live…" He squints his eyes a little, "We´ll see about that." But Shifty finally mustered the courage to speak up. "Well, um Russell?" The otter turns towards the hat wearing raccoon, curious of what is to come now. "Yeah?"
"Well, um, how do I put it? Listen, Lifty and I want to start over by earning money honestly. And for that we wanted to know if you… well maybe and only if we won´t bother you… could employ us?" He got quieter with each word he spoke, but Russell could understand it perfectly fine.
"Now that´s an interesting turn, you want to turn the plank, do ya?" Sometimes, his quotes are hard to understand, so they just assumed its meaning and nodded as reply. "Well, we´re only three people running this place, of course we could use some help."
"WHAT?! NO! I refuse to walk with these three criminals." Now Ian got confused. "What do you mean with three? What did I do wrong?" She rolls her eyes in annoyance. "Don´t act that innocent! I see that mask around your eyes!"
"Mask?! What mask? You mean the darker part of my fur attached to my face?!" He retorts, clenching his fists. "Yeah exactly that! I don´t trust raccoons! They´re just thievish, worthless beings!" Now he got really angry. "Excuse me? What kind of biased bitch are you?" But she ignored him and turned towards Russell.
"I REFUSE to work with such people!" But Russell was unimpressed by her tantrum. "This is still my restaurant Giggles. I won´t leave you a choice, we really could use some help around here." With that said she stampers towards the door. "If that´s the case! Then I´m no longer working in here."
Russell shakes his head in disappointment. "I know that lady has a short temper, but she has to accept that not everything can go like she wants. Anyways, if you three want to help me out I´m sure that I can find something for you to do around here. Is someone of you a trained technician?" But they just shook their heads.
"I´m good at fixing cars!" Lifty states proudly "Yarr, that´s nice for you but not really necessary right now. Hmm… Well we need someone who serves the guests…" Shifty raises his hand on a sudden "I´ll do it!"
"Neat! Then you´re in! And we could use a janitor… How about you Lifty?" He feared this to happen. Work which wasn´t that pleasant. But if he wants to convince anyone of his now good intentions he has to do it… "Yeah, works for me…" Russell's expression got brighter every moment.
"Hmm… But what to do with you… Maybe you will serve the guests either?" As the clock reached 8am Flaky opened the restaurant's doors and the first people entered the diner. Ian observes everyone who enters curiously. Only two people are entering, two bears to be specific. One wearing a big orange afro and something looking like a latex-suit.
The other one is actually getting more of Ian's attention. It is a green furred bear, wearing a cameo jacket. He walks rather slowly, almost scuffling his feet. His gaze is fixated to the bottom as if he´s avoiding everyone's gaze. He silently goes to the jukebox and chooses the song he always chooses the moment he gets in here.
Ian instantly gets that he must be visiting early to avoid most of the customers. Flippy chooses the one with the title "Lullaby of the broken one".
"Hey! I know that song!" Almost enthusiastic Ian gets up to the small stage, testing the microphone. "Perfect! It´s running!" It wasn´t hard to get everyone's attention as the only persons in the restaurant are Russell, Flaky, Lifty, Shifty, Petunia and Disco Bear. Only Flippy kept his gaze on the table. As soon as the certain point of the melody is reached Ian starts to sing.
Stanza:1
Every new day the time gets nigh
Every new night I have to ask why
My conscious seems to be undertaken
My soul is leaving me cold and forsaken
Stanza:2
Sometimes I wish I would just contrive
Every time this horror revives
In agony my own heart sings
At the moment the monster pulls my strings
Chorus:
I have to see that all my attempts are futile
That it is not my soul to untile
In this nightmare I created
Getting me completely devastated.
I have a long-crushed dream of being free
But all my hopes turned to a reverie.
Stanza:3
This depression is so agonizing
I used to be so energizing
I had left so much energy
But my damn Life´s a single elegy!
Now Flippy looked up to the stage, moved by the stranger's smooth but energetic voice as he tunes in in the last refrain of this little ballad.
Chorus:
I have to see that all my attempts are futile
That it is not my soul to untile
In this nightmare I created
Getting me completely devastated.
I have a long-crushed dream of being free
but all my hopes turned to a reverie.
The moment the music stopped the small audience began to clap. But this clap was of such a high intensity that it could be possible that it was almost a full house. "Well, it seems we just found the fitting spot for ya." Ian smiled happily, he notices the green bear looking at him with watery eyes.
He decides to walk up to him. "Hi, I´m Ian. Pleased to meet you." The green bear slowly returns the handshake, replying weakly. "Flippy. That was just wonderful. I didn´t know that anyone else was into this ballad…" Flippy got confused at this coincidence, but what confused him even more is the fact that there is actually someone acting nice to him, besides Russell.
Ian decided to take the seat right in front of Flippy as suddenly an explosion emitted from the kitchen, sending Petunia's corpse right outside the window. "Holy shit…" Ian wasn´t used to this but he has no time to wonder about this happening as another explosion appears, emitting a shockwave that sends him and Flippy flying outside an open window, to their luck, hopefully. He sees his siblings flying away right out of his side as he keeps flying and, shortly after, begins to fall.
Ian and Flippy scream at the top of their lungs. They´re not about to crush on the pavement, the shockwave sends them far enough to the sea. They land in the water at the same time, the hard impact injuring them gravely nonetheless. Ian is healed shortly after but Flippy doesn´t have even half as much luck as Ian as his ribs broke due to the impact.
He flails his arms but keeps sinking. Ian makes a quick decision to help him. Swimming towards the cameo-jacket wearing bear he grabs him softly at his jaw and cheek. He gets rid of his clothes, leaving him only in his shorts, Flippy does the same, the sea's wave washing over their faces several times, causing them to swallow the salty water.
For some reason Ian can´t explain there is a small but empty rowing boat, but he decides that as good fortune and swims towards it, dragging Flippy with him. Ian helps Flippy to get on it, but it takes both of them much effort as Flippy isn´t able to do much himself with his broken ribcage.
"Be careful! I will push you on it at the count of three! Ready?" Flippy gives a weak thumb up as he´s hanging in pain. "One, two! Three!" With the last count, Ian pushes Flippy into the boat. He weakly falls into it, causing him to groan in pain. Ian follows as he climbs in himself.
Flippy lies on his back, his arms spread out as he tries to breath as slow as possible. Every breath is hurting him badly. Upon further investigation Ian recognizes that Flippy's ankles and wrists are sprained. He touches Flippy carefully on his chest, causing him to yelp. "Wh…What are you doing?"
But Flippy couldn´t move his arms anymore. "Please! Just trust me I´m helping you." "Wh…How?" but this question wasn´t supposed to wait long. He suddenly feels a somewhat pleasant prickling sensation surging through his entire body, the pain is ceasing every second.
After a while which seemed less than a minute Flippy seemed perfectly fine again. They sat in silence in their shorts, their clothes are lost in the sea. Suddenly Flippy breaks the silence. "Why?" Ian tilted his head a little "What do you mean?"
"Why did you help me? Didn´t you know about what I did in the past?" Ian gives him a stern but still gentle look. "I don´t know you now. The past is just history that happened, I care about the here and now, and now I care about getting us both back to safety."
But the rowing boat doesn´t have any rudders left, so they have to hope for the best as the current is driving them away from the land. It was a strange feeling for him, being able to look into someone face without this drilling feeling of disgrace inside his chest. Somehow, this stranger manages to give him a break from his horrid thoughts, from himself.
