Post by Kitten King on Dec 1, 2010 0:47:13 GMT -5
"Come now, Travis. It would be fun."
"I really don't want to."
"Sigh…" He had to admire Nic's tenacity - he'd been trying for a good half hour to change Travis' mind, and he'd been trying all week with no luck. He had a good heart, but… he didn't get it. It was dangerous, being around all those people. Too much of a risk. Risks that didn't need to be taken shouldn't be taken. It was common sense, wasn't it? Nic was very common sense most of the time, but he trusted people too much.
"Look, it's not.. you, or anything. Don't think that." Travis was calmer than usual, if only from exhaustion. Today had not been the best day, and it had worn him down until even his usual paranoia was hard-pressed to have any energy. "It's just not a good idea."
"Travis, whatever's 'wrong' with your power, I'm sure a simple night of fun won't be any harm." He didn't get it. He'd never get it, unless he saw it - and he could never see it.
"I'm sorry… I can't go. I just can't." He knew Nic would be disappointed. He'd already told Travis now that if he didn't really want to go, they could stay and do something together here. He didn't want to spoil Nic's night too, but he was immovable on the matter.
"All right." There was the sound of squeaking bedsprings and rustling cloth, and he guessed that Nic was getting up from his bed - he couldn't see the other boy, splayed on his side and staring at the wall, but he could hear that much. His hearing had been disconcertingly high for some time now. "Let me know if you change your mind?"
"I will." He wouldn't, of course, but the words meant enough for Nic that Travis felt the need to say them. The click of a lock, twist of a knob, and the sound of a door opening. Closing.
He was alone again.
"…what are you so afraid of?" It was odd - he didn't see her most of the time. Or hear her, really, more than a whisper or small word. There were times, though, when she became more than a blip in his vision. More than a flicker at the corner of his eye. He was sure, as he rolled over to view the rest of his room, that now was one of those times.
He was right, of course.
"You know what I'm afraid of," he said softly, staring at the visage of his sister, clear in front of him as when she'd been alive. The same folded arms, the same dramatic postures, the same raised eyebrow. Yet there was something.. off. Different. Obvious yet unclear. It was not the same.
"Yes, okay. But I don't know why." He was silent for a time after that, and though she waited patiently for an answer, she got none. So she continued. "…nothing is gonna happen there, Cruz."
"You can't know that."
"No, I can't. You're right." There was irritation in her voice, familiar as ever. She'd always been so quick to irritate. "But you're letting it stop you from living, Cruz! You can't do that. You never know when…" She trailed off, but not before he caught what she was saying. The stared at each other, the dead into the eyes of the living, and silence stood between them again. "…I'm sorry. It's… it's just true."
"Yeah, I know." He sat up, curling his legs against his body and hugging around his knees. His eyes were distant, thoughtful, for just a few moments. Then he looked at her. "…so you think I should go?"
"Yes." She moved closer so that she could sit on the bed beside him, and as she did, she seemed to flicked and waver in his vision - movement did that, most of the time. He still wasn't sure why. Hell, maybe there was no reason. Reason was a thing that flew a little out the window these days, between mutants and ghosts and monsters like him. "I think.. it'll be good for you. Even if it's just for a little bit, the smallest amount of time. You could use the air."
"But, Nekkie… all the people. I know you say nothing will happen, but…" He turned to look at her, and in that moment, it was like things had been all those years ago. The little brother, so nervous and scared and wide-eyed, sitting beside his big sister and seeking out her advice. Like nothing had changed. "I'm scared." He was still so much like a child sometimes.
"I know, Cruz… I know, Travis." She set a hand on his back, but he did not feel it. He knew he would never feel it again. "But you can't let fear stop you, okay?"
"…oh… okay." He was still scared, and he was sure she could see it in his eyes. She smiled at him.
"That's my boy…" Her voice was a whisper, soft and gentle - like something caught on the wind. Travis had buried his head in his knees for a moment, trying to clear his head. Catch his bearings. Be brave. When he looked up, there was the flittering of a shape in the corner of his vision. He turned to look… but there was nothing. She was gone.
He was alone.
"I really don't want to."
"Sigh…" He had to admire Nic's tenacity - he'd been trying for a good half hour to change Travis' mind, and he'd been trying all week with no luck. He had a good heart, but… he didn't get it. It was dangerous, being around all those people. Too much of a risk. Risks that didn't need to be taken shouldn't be taken. It was common sense, wasn't it? Nic was very common sense most of the time, but he trusted people too much.
"Look, it's not.. you, or anything. Don't think that." Travis was calmer than usual, if only from exhaustion. Today had not been the best day, and it had worn him down until even his usual paranoia was hard-pressed to have any energy. "It's just not a good idea."
"Travis, whatever's 'wrong' with your power, I'm sure a simple night of fun won't be any harm." He didn't get it. He'd never get it, unless he saw it - and he could never see it.
"I'm sorry… I can't go. I just can't." He knew Nic would be disappointed. He'd already told Travis now that if he didn't really want to go, they could stay and do something together here. He didn't want to spoil Nic's night too, but he was immovable on the matter.
"All right." There was the sound of squeaking bedsprings and rustling cloth, and he guessed that Nic was getting up from his bed - he couldn't see the other boy, splayed on his side and staring at the wall, but he could hear that much. His hearing had been disconcertingly high for some time now. "Let me know if you change your mind?"
"I will." He wouldn't, of course, but the words meant enough for Nic that Travis felt the need to say them. The click of a lock, twist of a knob, and the sound of a door opening. Closing.
He was alone again.
"…what are you so afraid of?" It was odd - he didn't see her most of the time. Or hear her, really, more than a whisper or small word. There were times, though, when she became more than a blip in his vision. More than a flicker at the corner of his eye. He was sure, as he rolled over to view the rest of his room, that now was one of those times.
He was right, of course.
"You know what I'm afraid of," he said softly, staring at the visage of his sister, clear in front of him as when she'd been alive. The same folded arms, the same dramatic postures, the same raised eyebrow. Yet there was something.. off. Different. Obvious yet unclear. It was not the same.
"Yes, okay. But I don't know why." He was silent for a time after that, and though she waited patiently for an answer, she got none. So she continued. "…nothing is gonna happen there, Cruz."
"You can't know that."
"No, I can't. You're right." There was irritation in her voice, familiar as ever. She'd always been so quick to irritate. "But you're letting it stop you from living, Cruz! You can't do that. You never know when…" She trailed off, but not before he caught what she was saying. The stared at each other, the dead into the eyes of the living, and silence stood between them again. "…I'm sorry. It's… it's just true."
"Yeah, I know." He sat up, curling his legs against his body and hugging around his knees. His eyes were distant, thoughtful, for just a few moments. Then he looked at her. "…so you think I should go?"
"Yes." She moved closer so that she could sit on the bed beside him, and as she did, she seemed to flicked and waver in his vision - movement did that, most of the time. He still wasn't sure why. Hell, maybe there was no reason. Reason was a thing that flew a little out the window these days, between mutants and ghosts and monsters like him. "I think.. it'll be good for you. Even if it's just for a little bit, the smallest amount of time. You could use the air."
"But, Nekkie… all the people. I know you say nothing will happen, but…" He turned to look at her, and in that moment, it was like things had been all those years ago. The little brother, so nervous and scared and wide-eyed, sitting beside his big sister and seeking out her advice. Like nothing had changed. "I'm scared." He was still so much like a child sometimes.
"I know, Cruz… I know, Travis." She set a hand on his back, but he did not feel it. He knew he would never feel it again. "But you can't let fear stop you, okay?"
"…oh… okay." He was still scared, and he was sure she could see it in his eyes. She smiled at him.
"That's my boy…" Her voice was a whisper, soft and gentle - like something caught on the wind. Travis had buried his head in his knees for a moment, trying to clear his head. Catch his bearings. Be brave. When he looked up, there was the flittering of a shape in the corner of his vision. He turned to look… but there was nothing. She was gone.
He was alone.