Hello there! whether or not you believe it, I'm still around and writing, so... here I am! The next chapter of 'No' is here for your entertainment.
Leonardo
*Leo's POV*
My brothers quickly lay down, using the padded walls as head rests. Once my younger brothers are completely asleep, along with my father, 'No' pads up to them on her silent feet and pulls their heads away from the walls, trying to turn them around. I stop her, confused. "What're you doing?" I ask her. In response she puts her head to the wall, pretends to sleep, then jolts herself 'awake' and rubs her head like it hurts. I'm guessing the wall shocks those inside awake, so I help her turn my younger brothers so their feet touch the wall. I'm glad none of us thought to use the wall as a pillow earlier. I look at her as we turn Raphael last, and we are the only ones awake. She seems satisfied with her work, but a little worried. "What is it?" I ask her, and she turns to me, eyes wide and caring. With a thin finger she points to me. In surprise I ask her, "me? Is there something wrong with me?" I find myself a little insulted, but she quickly amends what she said. She points to me again, then sits with her back pressed to the wall and looks on the verge of tears. After a moment she switches back to pointing at me.
"You think I'm sad about something?" She nods vigorously, and tough I wish to laugh it off, should laugh it off, something about her keeps me from putting up my fearless front. Instead, I rest against the wall and find myself unloading the secret that had been bothering me. "I'm not sad. Sad is too simple a word for what I feel." She mimics me, resting against the wall, but her eyes surprise me, they look at me as if they can read me like an open book, and I faintly wonder that it's even possible to get a lie to slip past her. I keep explaining. "What I mean is, sad isn't deep enough, strong enough, to explain it. Honestly, I'm terrified. I don't know what the man with the answers plans for my brothers and I to deal with, but it can't be any good. I'm terrified I won't be able to protect my family. I'm terrified one of us might get hurt or killed because I can't protect us." I turn to her to find a tear in her eye and her hand rubbing m shell. I'm surprised, but the comfort that comes from the touch stops me from pulling away. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to one of my brothers or my father and I couldn't help them, couldn't stop it." She smiles weakly and hugs me gently, and I can almost hear her saying, 'it's all right, it's gonna be all right.' She looks at me and gives a soft smile, then mimes pulling out the papers a few days ago. I catch on and give her the one she had given me. She hugs me again, tucks the paper away, then hides into her corner, awaiting the new day with the rest of us.
She was telling the truth about the real wakeup call being a shock, because right before the light comes on a jolt is sent through each of our bodies, putting us all on high alert. We relax when she does, and when she sees the food and skitters towards it, everyone digs into the mash we are given. We tell her more about our lives, and tell more and more fond memories of youth when we see how much those stories of youth seem to make her happy. Frankly, we all find that those stories of being young make us almost forget where we really are. I guess it's hard to care about the close walls when you're remembering your first time seeing how big the world is.
The walls have quickly begun to affect us. Mikey's going stir-crazy, and as a result Raph's on the verge of murder. Though those things aren't new, they can't be fixed. Donny's begun to twitch, master splinter's losing his patience, and I'm feeling the walls wearing me down too. The only person who shows no difference is 'No', and that's probably because she's used to having no space, no privacy, no room to run. Finally there's a buzz, and we're all too glad to settle down for the darkness, whether or not it's actually night.
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