26: Leo
WONDERLAND
Things are constantly changing. Small. Big. Loud. Quiet. Dry. Wet. There's no reality. Just change.
Voices are around me. I don't know them. I don't know if they're real or fake.
They keep calling, never giving up. I listen just for the heck of it.
"Leo? Can you hear us? Leo?"
That was one. Then there's another. "Leonardo. Come back. We aren't letting you go."
My hands are tingling with warmth. The land around me turns black and suddenly I'm drowning. I focus on the things that are keeping my hands warm.
"Leonardo? We're all waiting for you, bro. Open those eyes."
There are three of them. I know them. But from where!? Shell, where!?
"Leo. Come on, Leo. Leo. Leo!"
"Leo, please, open those eyes."
One of the voices are changing, as if its breaking, crying. "Leo, come on, man. I love you…"
The voices disappear. I'm floating, looking at a dark sky and a white sun. A voice returns. I like this voice. It makes me smile.
"Hey, Leo, do you remember your lullaby? About Neverland? Well, I loved it so much, I made my own version. I never sang it to you because I didn't want you to hate it. I'm gonna sing it now, kay. Okay."
A song? I don't remember songs. I don't remember anything but change. As I start to float higher and the ground disappears again, a song starts to sing. A song I've heard, but can't remember where.
Alice never went back through that rabbit hole
And Wonderland never was quite the same
I think back on memories of my turtlehood years
But I never can go back
If I could take all the hopes of the rabbit
The wishes and dreams Mad Hatter knew
I'd take it all if I had the chance
And trade them back for you
And Wonderland has disappeared
Somehow Cheshire Cat fell away
I think I could save him if I really tired
But maybe I'm a monster…
I look at my wrists as the singing ends. An R seems to glow. Then an M and a D.
The sun grows brighter, filling the landscape. And it clicks.
"MIKEY! DONNIE! RAPH!"
It feels like I get slapped and it goes dark. Slowly, light pierces my eyes. Above me is my brothers. Raph is sobbing while Mikey and Donnie notice me.
"LEO!"
They dive on top of me. I yell, pain shooting through me. "Easy, guys! Easy, easy!"
"Guys, MOVE!" Raph screams. They move over and Raph dives in to. His tears wet my neck. Mikey's head is chocking me and Donnie's knee is digging into my butt. Despite all that, I hug them like my life depends on it. Donnie rubs my head, Mikey is squeezing me and Raph is kissing my face and head off. Between their bodies, I can see a figure in my doorway. Splinter looks at us for a moment. I smile at him but he doesn't see me. After a while, he lowers his head and leaves.
My brothers all whisper to me at different times that they love me. Slowly, I whisper back to them, in the most loving voice I've used in years, "I love you, too."