Previously...
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Humans... once troubled, can easily fall into despair.
Rita: "Leni? Luan? Who are you talking about, son?"
Lynn Sr: "It's the third time this day you said you have 'sisters', Lincoln!"
Rita: "You do NOT have any brother or sister! How many times do we have to tell you!?"
Lynn Sr: "Is this all about your weird dreams again!? I told you to just let them go already!"
Lincoln: "But-"
Rita: "We'll assume this conversation never happened! And don't you ever mention about this nonsense again!"
Lincoln: "Ugh…"
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But all they need, is a glimpse of hope.
Lincoln: "…This is getting nowhere." [in total despair, packs his drawings back]
Clyde: "L-Lincoln?"
Lincoln: "Thank you, Clyde. Now I know that I'm just wasting your time. I'm sorry." [about to leave]
Clyde: "Wait, no! Lincoln!"
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In this world, no problem comes...
Leni(?): "...But what if things stay like this, forever? What if I never meet him again? What if one day, I completely forget him?" [still from afar]
Lincoln: [tracks down the voices, they are getting clearer in his ears]
Lori(?): "I know how it feels, sis. In fact, I have felt in the same situation as you are. Bobby is in Great Lakes City, and I'll have to deal with college one day. But, if you want to remember him..." [still from afar]
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...Without a solution.
Gloria: "...I suggest you give him a memento."
Flemming: "Me…mento?"
Gloria: "Something that will make you remember that person."
Gloria: "For example…" [takes Flemming's sunglass]
Flemming: "H-Hey! Give it back to me!"
Gloria: "I knew it was you, the moment you wore this fancy glass. This is my memento to remember you."
Flemming: "OM-Gosh! Gloria, you absolutely know everything!" [gasps, happy]
Gloria: "I literally do." [chuckles]
Lincoln: "Wait a minute…" [thinks]
Lincoln: That's it! That's the idea! [eureka moment]
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But sometimes, solutions can bring another problem.
Lincoln: "Hoahm… feeling better now- Eh?" [yawns]
Rita: "Just what is our boy up to now?" [agitated voice from the downstairs]
Lynn Sr: "I don't know. But he will explain everything to us soon, whether he likes it or not!" [disappointed voice from the downstairs]
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CHAPTER 4: CONFESSION
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[1216 Franklin Avenue.]
[Wednesday, 6th September.]
[06:00 AM.]
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Lincoln: "Hoahm… feeling better now…" [yawns]
Lincoln: "Time to work on Todd…" [peeks at Lisa and Lily's bedroom]
Lincoln: "…Eh?" [surprised]
The room was empty. Where's the baby crib? Where's the lab desk?
Lincoln: "E-Empty? Where are all those stuffs?"
Lincoln searched everywhere for the properties he bought yesterday, but nowhere to be found.
Lincoln: "It's… gone! Oh Lawd, they literally took me my whole fortune, and now I have to work on them AGAIN!? Awwh, You gotta be kidding me-"
Then, he heard a conversation downstairs. The parents. They sounded to be… worried.
Rita: "Just what is our boy up to now?" [agitated voice from the downstairs]
Lynn Sr: "I don't know. But he will explain everything to us soon, whether he likes it or not!" [disappointed voice from the downstairs]
Lincoln headed to the source with curiosity.
Lincoln: "Mom? Dad?" [walks downstairs]
Rita: "Finally. We were about to have a talk with you." [disappointed face]
Lynn Sr: "Why did you buy these things?" [shows Lincoln the sister stuffs he bought yesterday]
Lincoln: "Uhh… I need them?" [tries to reason with them]
Lynn Sr: "Nice try, Lincoln. You want to revert back to toddlers? Huh!? Look at this! Does this little pink car suit you at all?!" [points at Lola's minicar]
Rita: "And you even bought a baby crib! You ain't a baby anymore!"
He would be expecting a scolding. He couldn't hide everything. A mad project this big would not go unnoticed by Rita and Lynn Senior, and they would eventually know that Lincoln was up to something.
Lincoln: [speechless]
Lynn Sr: "You're wasting your money, Lincoln. I thought you would be wise about your income and all the cookie selling stuffs we talked-"
Lincoln: "Dad! Enough!" [sad, about to explode]
Rita: "Just- What are you trying to do, Lincoln?"
Lynn Sr: "If you refuse to answer, you leave me no choice but to dump these useless junks to the city dumpster!"
Lincoln: "No- NO!"
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Lincoln was finally out of option. Honesty was the only way. Truth must be told.
Lincoln: [sigh]
Lincoln: "Enough. You won." [sad mood]
Lincoln: "Alright, I'll tell you everything. But… I can't guarantee you'll believe what I say."
Lincoln: "I know and I understand if Mom and Dad think I'm insane, we have talked about this before, but..." [sob]
All Lincoln needed was solemnity from his parents to listen to his voice, even if it sounded nonsense. He would fully express it in emotional tears.
Lincoln: "I used to have sisters. I love them as much as you love me. I still remember them. Their memory… is so vivid, I can even feel that they are still alive…"
Lincoln took the sister drawings from his backpack.
Lincoln: "Lily the toddler. This foxy toy is Fenton, and Lily really loves it." [points at Lily]
Lincoln then activated Fenton, playing a catchy and monotonous tune afterwards.
Lincoln: "This is Lisa. A scientist, and a real genius. For a pre-schooler, she is like Albert Einstein reborn…" [points at Lisa]
Lincoln: "Lola the princess. Beauty is everything for her. That glittering pink minicar, these dolls, I would call them Yunus and Mr. Sprinkle, are hers." [points at Lola]
Lincoln: "Lana really loves dirt, mechanic job, and especially this frog. This is Hops." [points at Hops]
Hops: "Ribbit!" [says hello]
Lincoln: "This goth girl… is Lucy the mortician. She's the one to be ever closer to the death than anyone else I ever know. Also, she really loves Vampires of Melancholia." [points at Lucy]
Lincoln: "Lynn Junior the sports enthusiast... and also a stinky jerk. She would wrestle me and the other sisters all day. Oh man, I can even still feel the pain…" [points at Lynn Jr, chuckles]
Lincoln: "This… is Luan the clown. She never gets apart with Mr. Coconuts and… her cheap cream pie jokes." [points at Luan]
Lincoln: "Luna is really in for facing the music, especially British style heavy metal. I assure you would totally love it, Dad." [points at Luna and her guitar]
Lincon: "Leni the dizzy fashionista... She might be dumb, but I know that she is the kindest, and probably the most honest sister to ever live in the house." [points at Leni]
Lincoln: "And finally..." [sobs]
Lincoln: "This is Lori. The eldest and the bossiest sister of all. Passionate in golf, and... these photos are her boyfriend, Bobby Santiago." [points at Lori]
Rita: [speechless]
Lynn Sr: [speechless]
Rita and Lynn Senior looked at each other. Their son might be crazy. Their son might be delusional about the story. But he was serious. Lincoln described his sisters with all his heart, telling every detail of their part of life, as if he knew them very well and had lived with them for his lifetime (Because he did). And he truly missed them.
Lincoln: "I just- I just want them back-! I just want to see them again...! But... you are making this even harder for me!" [sobs]
Lincoln: "I… Please, just let me-"
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Rita and Lynn Senior now looked at Lincoln. This time, with caring and empathy. Which, Lincoln never expected from his parents to give such a reaction.
Rita: "Lincoln…" [phew]
Rita: "We're not trying to say that you're insane. No." [slowly shakes her hand]
Rita: "You might be born as our only child, but- I'm surprised that you finally long for a sibling…!" [embraces Lincoln]
Lynn Sr: "Yeah! Being alone as the only kid in the family can be… hurtful! For example..." [embraces Lincoln as well]
Lynn Sr: "...Rita and I were all alone for the rest of our life until finally we met!"
Lincoln: "…?" [listens, still sobbing]
Rita: "That's right. We grew up in a bland world where we had literally no one to understand us as someone our age. We could not share our happiness and burden either as there was no one we could sit in their lap."
Lincoln: "…H-How?"
Lynn Sr: "Let us tell you something." [smiles]
They began telling their son about their childhood. From here, the narration would be brought by Rita and Lynn Senior.
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FLASHBACK
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[Mastodon Camp Site.]
[Date unknown, somewhere around 1970's.]
[10.00 AM.]
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"Once, we were just kids. We were at your age, or maybe… younger? Uhh how do you say this, Rita?"
"Let's tell about our elementary."
"Oh right! We were elementary kids. My best friends were just… nature, fishes, pine trees… and most likely your granddad Leonard. He taught me how to survive in the wilderness, make a campfire…"
Boy Lynn Sr: "Woah, it's smoking!"
Young Leonard: "Add some of the dry hay, boy! It would ignite the fire!" [hauls the logs]
Boy Lynn Sr: "Waah! Fire! I see fire! I did it!" [cheering]
Young Leonard: "Haha! Oh Lynn, I'm proud of you! We're gonna have a warm and cozy campfire!"
Boy Lynn Sr: "Hooray!"
"Catch fishes…"
Young Leonard: "…Put him in the brig until he sobers, put him in the brig until he sobers…"
Boy Lynn Sr: "Put him in the brig until he sobers, early in the morning!"
Young Leonard: "Way hay up she rises, way hay up she rises…"
Boy Lynn Sr: "Way hay up she rises, early in the mornin- Hey, Dad! Look! The hook's being pulled out!"
Young Leonard: "We got a hit! Fish on, baby!"
Boy Lynn Sr: [initiates the crane machine, pulling the net]
Boy Lynn Sr: "Waaaaaaahooooooww! I win again!"
"Track bear footprints…"
Young Leonard: "Oh boy, you see this?" [points at a footprint on the ground]
Boy Lynn Sr: "Omigosh- Is that- Is that a bear footprint!?"
Young Leonard: "Seems like a Teddy. Huge one, and it's still new."
Boy Lynn Sr: "How- How did you know?"
Young Leonard: "See, the footprint is wet. He was having a fish feast on the shallow river stream. I told you that following a riverbank would get us to something!"
"Oh my- Lynn, you never told me about the bear part! Did you manage to find it?"
"No no no, of course not. But that's not the case anyway. The thing is, not many kids at my age came by the camp site. They were weekday schoolers, so they only came in weekends and some national days."
"In fact, I had not many friends to make. At first, I didn't think a slight thing about it, as I used to be happy, even when I was alone. I could sing, I could dance with a tap, I could even visit a pond and watch fishes swimming. That was relaxing."
"But I was wrong. I truly began feeling lonely when I entered middle school. Everyone was starting to mate. Love was brimming at its peak. It was… It was at that moment I finally realized, I had no one to speak to. I had no one to share my stories with."
Teen Lynn Sr: [sigh, sits on a bench]
The Other Teens: [play cheerfully outside]
Teen Lynn Sr: "Just… how do I make friends? I want to be happy just like them! But… I even have no idea how to play like that!"
Girl 1: 'Hey, would you look at that, Lynyrd with his old tape again!' [whispers]
Girl 2: 'He would just either play that boring sea shanty or that outdated British band… what is it again?' [whispers]
Girl 1: 'What, he thinks he's in Brittany or somewhere around Scotland? Hahah!' [whispers]
Girl 2: 'Not gonna lie, he also loves sticking around a pond, alone! I mean, what's interesting about it? What a weirdo.' [whispers]
Teen Lynn Sr: "Hey! I heard that!" [angry]
"Sure I enjoyed my adventure, but… what about the others? What kind of adventure did they have? I was grateful that Gramps filled my childhood, but… it never felt the same compared to childhood spent with your friends."
"Uhh, maybe my childhood did not revolve in anything about siblings… Hehe. How about you, Rita?"
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[Royal Woods High School.]
[Date unknown, somewhere around 1970's.]
[10.00 AM.]
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"Well, I had many friends to make, especially in middle and high school. Luckily most of them would then reside here in Royal Woods until this moment. Phillips, Pat, Meryl, Davis… Ow heck, I'm not even sure some of them live outside Royal Woods."
Teen Rita: "Stage selfie! C'mere, everyone!"
Teen Rivers: "Cheese!"
Teen Rita: "…And here's the invitation for our annual party! Celebration for everyone!"
Teen Huggins: "Oh my Gosh!"
Teen Phillips: "You are the best, Rita!"
Teen Johnson: "Thank you!"
Teen Meryl: "Can I invite my sister too?"
Teen Rita: "Sure! It's open!"
Teen Gurdle: "Hey, be careful about making the party wide open! What if-"
Teen Rodney: "Cut your alien crap, Gurdle! I must dance on this!"
Teen Ramirez: "I hope you can pull that off, Rodney!"
Teen Pat: "H-Hey! Where's my invitation envelope!?"
"Yeah yeah, you were a narcist. All about influence, eh?"
"For my memory as well. Way to go, county boy!"
"Heh. Are we just gonna talk this way like we were high schoolers or what?"
"Haha. Oh right. We had to tell Lincoln."
"So yeah. Friends make you open. Friends make you express your feelings freely. But… not as free as a brother. Or perhaps, sister in your case."
"One day, I happened to see a family with three kids. What tore my heart the most was, how close those kids were. They took care of each other. They never left each other alone. Not only in your bright happiness, but also in your worst grief."
Teen Rita: [sits lonely on a bench]
Kid 1: [on the pavement, cries]
Teen Rita: "Oh my God, I must help-"
Kid 2: "Hey you! Back off!" [halts a thug]
Bully: "Off my sight, kiddo. He must get a punished!"
Kid 2: "You jerk- Stay away from my bro!"
Bully: "What, you're gonna defend that fatso like a sitting duck? What's worth in him anyway? Why even bother?"
Kid 2: "Cuz he's my bro and he's my everything! Pushers like you have no idea how much you can see his value like I do!"
Bully: "Very well. Ever have a taste of bat?" [unsheathes a baseball bat]
Kid 2: "Ugh- Bro! Get out of here, now!"
Kid 1: [terrified, nods, then gets away]
Teen Rita: "Dear God- I must- I must call the cops!" [scared the hell outta the bloody scene]
"But most importantly… they knew your secret. They knew your darkest side. But still, they treated you like the best friend they ever had. No, maybe more. It was something… I would never see from any of my friends I have."
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END OF FLASHBACK
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Lynn Sr: "And the day we met, we swore that if we had a child, that child won't suffer being alone like what we did in our childhood."
Rita: "And that child, was you, Lincoln."
Rita: "But... we failed." [pensive]
Lynn Sr: "Either way we tried to make other children... we have to take a bitter truth, that... you will be, and maybe always be, our only child." [pensive]
Lincoln was left speechless.
Rita: "But, you just made us shocked that... Even after knowing our story, even if you are born as our sole heir... you have a strong determination to be a good brother."
Lynn Sr: "And you already ARE becoming a good brother! Your devotion... makes me cry!"
Rita: "Hey, Lynn, if our boy wants a sibling so badly, why do we stop?"
Lynn Sr: "You're right! We gotta do our best to make a child again, for Lincoln! And also for ourselves!"
He never expected his parents to do everything it took to make him a soulmate, right after his birth. It touched his heart.
Lincoln: [sobs]
Lincoln: "That's not what I meant, but..."
Lincoln: "Thank you. Thank you for listening. You are the best." [hugs Lynn and Rita tightly]
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Humans, once troubled, can fall into despair. All they need, is a glimpse of hope. At first, they do not know what they should do, but once they do… only God knows what can undo them.
Lincoln Loud was once trapped in endless darkness. He felt empty. He felt nothingness. He felt loneliness. He felt stuck with no way out. But now, he saw a light. A spark of light from the horizon. It was going to be a long walk, but all he needed to do… was walk towards it.