The People of This World

No one moved for a long time. Connie sat there and held Steven's hand for what must have been hours. When she finally got up, the sun had already begun to set over the ruins of Beach City. Since it was so late, Connie decided to head home. She said her goodbyes, spent another minute beside Steven, and then began her walk back to the outskirts of Beach City. School was not in session tomorrow, so she resolved to return to the beach and help the residents in any way she could.

As Connie left, Greg couldn't help but feel sorry for her. He knew how much Steven had meant to her. It had never occurred to him just how much everyone had cared about Steven. The silence earlier that day had demonstrated just how important his son had been to Beach City. Steven had always had that effect on people. He was always upbeat and enthusiastic, and his sunny disposition seemed to be contagious. Talking to him made you feel like the world was right. Without him around, the town and its residents seemed to be uncharacteristically solemn.

As it was quickly getting dark outside, Mayor Dewey called a meeting to discuss where everyone would sleep that evening. It was decided that they would set up camp on the beach. Everyone split up to help gather supplies and set up shelter. Greg had decided to head back to van to see what he could grab. He knew he had a mattress, a pillow, and some blankets in the back of his van. He also had managed to grab his guitar in his frantic scramble to escape the city. Though it wasn't essential, Greg thought it might help lighten the mood a little. Everyone was pretty shaken up, himself included; some live music would do them good.

When he finally reached his van, Greg went around to the back of the van, opened the door, and froze. Staring back at him was Steven.

Greg looked at the photo on the side of his van. Steven was smiling widely and showing off his fingers, which he had managed to shape-shift into cats. Greg remembered that ordeal vividly. The cats had taken over Steven's body, and Greg had been forced to run him through the carwash in order to remove the ferocious felines. It had turned out to be a good father-son bonding experience. Greg became tearful when it occurred to him he would never have another bonding experience with Steven. Suddenly unable to look at the picture, Greg quickly grabbed what he had come for and shut the van doors.

When Greg finally returned to the beach, he could see that the efforts to find supplies and create shelter had proven fruitful. Multiple jury-rigged tents had been constructed, while several others were well underway. Greg looked over and saw that no one had made any effort to move Steven. It was as if by moving Steven's body they would be accepting that it was actually there in the sand. That it wasn't some illusion. That he was actually gone. Greg felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned to see Jenny looking at him.

"We finished building your tent. Let me show you where it is," she said. Greg looked at her and managed a small smile.

"Thanks," he replied.

He began to follow her into the middle of the improvised Beach City, walking among the residents, who were becoming situated in their temporary homes. Jenny stopped in front of a structure and motioned for Greg to go inside. He uttered a quiet "thank you" before stepping into his tent. Inside, he found a towel laid out for him. He quickly assembled his bed, and sat down with his guitar. He plucked a few strings and, suddenly, a song came to mind. He began to sing it.

"My darling son, I remember when,

I would sing to you, and I would do it again,

Beloved child, remember this too,

In this world of Gems there's no one like you."

Greg put down his guitar and crawled into bed. He looked up at the piece of canopy that served as the roof to his tent and began to wonder how they would get through this. Thoughts of the coming day ran through his mind as he drifted off to sleep.

The next day…

It was still dark outside as Connie made her way to the beach. In one hand, she carried a bag filled with sandwiches for the residents; in her other hand, she had a cooler with water bottles. She felt that, though she didn't technically live in Beach City, it was still her responsibility to help in any way she could. Her parents had expressed some concern over how late she had come home the night before, but Connie had reassured them that she was fine. When she explained the situation, her mother's first reaction had been to forbid her from being anywhere near Beach City, but after she had seen how worried Connie was, she had allowed her to go back the next day.

When Connie reached the waterfront, she was impressed by the settlement that the Beach City residents had constructed. From her vantage point, Connie didn't see anyone who was awake. However, when she walked into the group of structures, Connie noticed that Mr. Universe was already awake. He was sitting next to Steven, looking out at the ocean as the sky slowly became lighter, and plucking away at his guitar. Connie walked over and sat beside him. He stopped strumming and looked at her.

"Good Morning, Mr. Universe," she said. She reached into her bag, pulled out a sandwich, and offered it to him. "Hungry?" she asked.

Greg looked at her for a moment before taking the sandwich. "Thanks," he replied. "And please, call me Greg." The two sat on the beach for a little while as Greg continued to strum.

A few minutes later, other people began to stir. As more residents woke up, they began to congregate around Connie, Greg, and Steven. Connie helped to hand out the food and bottled water she had brought. After everyone had something to eat, Connie grabbed a sandwich for herself and sat down beside Steven. Connie couldn't explain it, but being near him still made her feel safe, as if he was watching over her. As the sun rose slowly, the residents of Beach City sat on the beach and ate breakfast together.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

A word from the author:

Hello, everyone! I just wanted to take a minute to thank you, my awesome readers, for joining me on this journey. I would also like to thank my beta-reader for taking the time to help me review and fine-tune my writing. This is my first fanfiction, and I have been exploring a very different writing style than what I am used to. It's been a great time writing so far, and I intend to continue this fanfic for a while longer. I apologize for the wait in between chapters; between school and work, life has been pretty hectic. Be sure to stay posted for the next chapter (things are going to get really interesting). Again, thank you for your continued support. Stay awesome!

-Lotus