I apologize for the tardiness in this update. It was not meant to be mean to the readers or anything, I promise. I've actually had an eventful week and a half with the snow and what not covering the area here. Thanks to everyone who is sticking with me!
Thank you all for the reviews. I appreciate them a whole lot!
TMNT, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello, Splinter, and LeatherHead © Mirage Studios
story © Turtlefreak121
Flicker
Chapter Five: Under Control
The training run for the night was quickly approaching and in an unusual display, Don's brothers were waiting around at the Lair entrance rather than taking off as soon as possible.
He had not missed the way his brothers had left him the night before, nor did he miss the surprised and guilty looks that had spread between the three of them when Don had remembered to bring it up that morning.
The general consensus had been that Splinter's herbal remedies had worked unexpected wonders on Donatello's fading memories and leaving him behind was officially interfering with their attempts to walk on eggshells around him.
Even if it was very obvious that some people still wanted him to not leave for the night.
Don didn't have much patience for any of the attitudes dealing with him lately.
"Oh, are we waiting around this time?" he asked with uncharacteristic bite.
His brothers shifted uncomfortable looks toward one another before Leo turned his gaze to Don.
"Are you feeling better?" Leo asked sincerely.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Don replied, shrugging the concern off as if it were completely uncalled for. "That herbal stuff has been a lot stronger than the aspirin. But I guess it's what I needed. I haven't had a single headache."
Raph's near constant scowl deepened. "Yeah. Okay. That's why Master Splinter has been worried sick. Because everything's fine."
Don barely thought twice about ignoring the remark. It was almost natural to.
It did bother him that Master Splinter was still so clearly worried for him. But at the same time their father was always worried. And Don's head had become more manageable lately.
Which made Don's personal most pressing concern be his constant coddling from his family.
He was more than a little tired of being treated like the lost little child.
Though it was a particularly redundant question by that point and time in the conversation, Michelangelo took to bat with the question next, "We can just play roof tag if you'd rather go with us, Don."
"I already promised April," he reminded them. "My science mags have been building up at her place for weeks now and she's been nice enough to not just pile them in the garbage for me instead. So before her apartment's filled with them or I get any more behind on them, I'm going to collect them."
The nerdy after thought actually did a lot to put his three brothers at ease.
"There's still no reason to not walk together for the first leg," Leo offered.
Don sighed and nodded, knowing it was probably the best compromise available to him at the moment.
"Sure thing, Leo," he replied with no heart as they all stepped out together.
It was strange when the door peeled open and Don felt overwhelmed by the light from the other side. He wouldn't have thought too much about it if he hadn't been met by the instant relief of his brothers' eyes no longer being on the back of his head.
It made him feel strangely alone as he ended up staring into the alley suddenly before him.
He spun around in surprise at the sound of feet tapping along on the sidewalk.
His eyes shifted, following the couple that walked by him. She was in a black dress and heels. He was in a brown overcoat and shiny dress shoes.
They passed him.
Were they from a movie?
Her head of hair turned, he almost could see her pale cheek.
Then she was gone. The alley was gone, swallowed up by the light yet again. He scowled.
Blinking through the beaming light, Donatello was finally able to look through the darkened blots across his vision.
They expanded into bookshelves and wooden floors – all so familiar. All so wellknown.
Where once the couple stood was the brightest blur of all, one that manifested into green eyes and red hair and the most familiar face of all in his sights.
No longer was there a mysterious woman. Just April.
"Donny? Don? Are you listening?"
He stared back at her and wondered what the shell had just happened.
It felt like just a blink before he had been with his brothers at home. And judging by April's face, Don was projecting rather loudly that something was very off.
"Did you just… blank out on me?" she asked, overtly concerned.
Rubbing at his head, Don lied through his teeth. "No, I'm fine. Just a headache is all. Could you just repeat the last bit?"
She stared at him like h was some lesser species of fungi and tilted her head back. "I said it's a shame that herd immunity is failing due to the lack of immunizations," she said.
"I agree," he answered a moment too soon. His eyes narrowed at her concerned expression. "What? What did I say? Why are you looking at me like…" He trailed off and sighed. "That had nothing to do with what we were talking about. Does it?"
"Not even the same branch of science, Don," she replied.
He did not want to see the same mask of concern and distrust begin to cloud April's looks his way. He was sick enough of them from everyone else.
But even as he thought as much, Don was mortified to have the milkiness of his sight returning from the mysterious and purposeless light.
"I'm sorry, April," he muttered as he felt the bottom of his gaze be lost to the light, obstructing the focus he had on her face. He squinted in retaliation. "I was daydreaming. Could we start the whole conversation over again?"
She stared back at him and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I know. I know I promised you I wouldn't get too overly concerned earlier," he blinked, trusting that he had mentioned in the lapse of time that he seemingly forgot, "but this can't be overlooked. I'm worried, Don. Something's just not right here."
"I was just daydreaming," Don insisted. He watched as April became yet another silhouette in his sight. "I didn't mean to worry you."
"It's not just that, though, Don," she responded quickly. "You've been acting strange since the moment you walked in here and it's almost like… Like you don't know what's going on anymore. You're like in some sort of trance. Believe it or not, this is the first time you've been acting like yourself the entire night."
"I haven't been here long enough for you to know that," Don defended, watching as the images blurred into a strikingly dark red.
"What?" April asked, baffled. Her tone quickly shifted, going for something smoother as she reached her hand for his shoulder. "Don… you've been hereall night. It's almost midnight now. Don't you… No. You don't remember. Do you?"
He did not pull away form the approaching shadow's hand but as soon as it touched him, he felt a swell of emotions. In his mind, it was as loud as the snap of a twig when the forest had long rested silent. Once it sounded, there was no resisting it.
Yanking his arm back, Don stepped back. He scowled at the faceless apparition and shook his head.
"Hands off!"
The words slithered over his tongue and between his teeth before he knocked his shell into something, another silhouette and felt more hands grab onto him. They were all touching him, pulling him away from the light resting just beneath his vision.
He felt his heart racing as he pulled away from them all.
"Don!" the distinctly female voice gasped before others joined in the senseless murmur.
Don Donatello Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Donnie Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Donnie Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Donnie Donatello Don Don Donatello Don Don Don Don Don Donnie Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Donatello Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Donnie Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Donatello Don Don Don Don Donnie Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Donatello
He quickly grabbed the sides of his head as the murmurs shook the world around him. The darkness loomed in the corners of his eyes and no matter how he shook it would not disappear from his vision. He longed for that dumb light to return.
"Stop it! Dammit! Just stop!" he snapped before bolting for the door, brimming with light all around it.
The shadows' hands attempted to stop him yet again but he viciously pulled away, lunged forward and broke into the alley beside the building. The light radiated from the very crevices and lured him forward, pulling him toward the light of the sidewalk.
He knew that the further was from the shadows, the closer he pulled to the light, the less likely it was to flicker out.
This flicker was what he feared most.
Don Don Don Donnie Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Don Donnie Donatello Don Don Donatello Don Don Don Don Don Donnie Don Don Don Don Don Don Don
The noises followed him, but he ignored their calls as he let himself be absorbed in the ominous light.
Don Donnie Don Don Don Donnie
His eyes danced about as he traveled, looking at the couple before him. They were dressed so neatly and the weather was so seemly. He thought that perhaps they could fit right into a movie at the rate they were going.
Had he seen them before?