Chapter 26 – Thinking

After spending several hours sitting in the kitchen in silence, Hershel spoke.

"I hope this is a companionable silence, and not an awkward one."

Emmy looked up, confused. "Vat does zat mean?"

Hershel shook his head and smiled. "It doesn't matter, Emmy."

Emmy sighed. "I've been sinking, Hershel..."

"Hmm?"

"Vas all zis supposed to happen?"

Hershel frowned. "You mean... everyone disappearing?"

Emmy nodded. "I don't sink zis happened to ze ozers. You know, ven zey travelled back. Ozervise, it vould still be zat vat today, no? Zere vould only have been vun Emmy, vun Hershel and vun Leon. But everyvun else was still here ven ve came here. Vy is zat?"

Hershel frowned again, thinking over what Emmy had just said. "I... I don't know, Emmy... maybe you're right. Maybe this wasn't supposed to happen..."

"Maybe zere is a vay out of zis," Emmy suggested.

"Maybe..." Hershel thought carefully. "But, if we go back in time, things will be different, won't they? Everyone would still be gone, won't they?"

"Maybe not," Emmy said. "Because earlier, zey vere here, veren't zey?"

"Yes, but the past has now changed. Everything has changed... hasn't it? I'm so confused..." Hershel scratched his head.

"Maybe ve should test it," Emmy said firmly. "Ve should go to ze future and see if anyvun is zere, and if zey are, zen ve know vat to do, yes?"

"I... I suppose this is the only chance we've got," Hershel muttered, unable to see how a trip to the future would solve anything. "When do you want to go?"

"Tomorrow, I suppose," Emmy replied. "I'm tired, and so is Uncle Leon. Ve stay here, yes?"

"Yes, that sounds good," Hershel agreed.

"I vant to stay in ze living room vis Uncle Leon. Vere... vere you...?" Emmy trailed off.

"Er... I think we should all stick together, just in case," Hershel said. "I'll stay here with you two."

Hershel woke up on the living room floor feeling groggy and checked the luminous clock beside him, which he had snatched from Markus' room. It was three in the morning. He sighed heavily. The longer he was in this situation, the more alone he felt. He couldn't stop thinking longingly about his old life in Stansbury, with Randall and Angela, and his parents... all gone. He wondered how it might have gone if he had never come to the future and stayed in his happy, normal life.

He thought of his older self. Part of him wanted to laugh at him. The mere thought of Hershel Layton becoming a Professor of a subject in which he had absolutely no interest in made him want to laugh. The title of Professor seemed more suited to Randall, especially if it was in the field of archaeology. And that wasn't all he couldn't believe about his life in the future. The fact that he had never even seen his older self with his best friend seemed odd to him. Were they not friends anymore? Did they fall out? Was Randall still alive in this time? Hershel shook his head, trying to snap himself out of it. Thoughts like those weren't going to help him, or Little Emmy.

Emmy. He was going to marry her in the future. This confused him even more. He knew nothing about the girl. She seemed like a mystery to him. She and her older self seemed like two completely different people to him. Little Emmy was so quiet and reserved, hardly ever saying a word to others around her, always sitting in the corner with a somewhat pained expression on her face. She seemed to have been through a lot. And yet, her older self seemed to be the complete opposite of her. She was always chatting to someone and never seemed to shut up. He couldn't see himself marrying her, despite her being kind and friendly and good-looking... she didn't seem like Hershel's type of girl... but Little Emmy was so quiet and reserved... he didn't know if he fancied her, as such, but he was intrigued by her nonetheless. He was curious... he would have to chat to her some more...