Saving Outcast
Ellis
"Harlo," I said, trying to wake him up. I had been at this for long enough. I was only allowed to be in the house for thirty seconds more. 25 seconds. I was becoming annoyed at that point, so I poked him on his shoulder. Right where I remember a gash being.
"What was that for!" he yelled in pain as he sprang off the bed.
"We need to leave. We have ten seconds"
"Why?" he asked, bewildered.
"We just have to. Now Move it!" I commanded, taking a hold of his hand and running.
~~~~
"Where are we going?" Harlo inquired after we had been running for twenty minutes.
"Anywhere but home." I kept running.
"Do you have a plan?"
"Yes."
"Well?" he asked, as if he was expecting me to elaborate. After a few seconds he tried again, "Are you going to tell me?"
"Not yet."
"Will you ever elaborate on anything?"
"Possibly."
As he noticed his attempts at a real conversation were fruitless, Harlo stopped talking to me altogether. I wish I could say this gave me any measurable quantity of joy, but it didn't. His talkativeness gave me a small comfort. Maybe because he reminded me of Thedias.
"Keep talking," I whispered.
"Wait, what?" he asked.
"Keep talking. Your meaningless rambling. It helps."
"What does it help?"
"My sanity. Your talking is comforting. I think it reminds me of my little brother."
"Ahh." Harlo said, either finally starting to understand me, or grateful for some civil conversation. He started to prattle on, without a care in the world. Like we weren't running away, and like we weren't the most hated people in our world.
I wish I knew what was going on in that head of his. I'd bet that if the world were ending (which it might) he could find something good about it.
While I was thinking things over, a butterfly fluttered past my fuzzy ear, and my puppy nature took over. In other words, I tried to catch it, which involved me chasing it around. I faintly noticed Harlo trying to follow me until he stopped and asked what in the world I was doing.
"Catching a butterfly!" I yelled energetically. "Did you see that? I almost got it...OOF! I almost caught it that time too!"
"What was that for!" he yelled in pain as he sprang off the bed.
"We need to leave. We have ten seconds"
"Why?" he asked, bewildered.
"We just have to. Now Move it!" I commanded, taking a hold of his hand and running.
~~~~
"Where are we going?" Harlo inquired after we had been running for twenty minutes.
"Anywhere but home." I kept running.
"Do you have a plan?"
"Yes."
"Well?" he asked, as if he was expecting me to elaborate. After a few seconds he tried again, "Are you going to tell me?"
"Not yet."
"Will you ever elaborate on anything?"
"Possibly."
As he noticed his attempts at a real conversation were fruitless, Harlo stopped talking to me altogether. I wish I could say this gave me any measurable quantity of joy, but it didn't. His talkativeness gave me a small comfort. Maybe because he reminded me of Thedias.
"Keep talking," I whispered.
"Wait, what?" he asked.
"Keep talking. Your meaningless rambling. It helps."
"What does it help?"
"My sanity. Your talking is comforting. I think it reminds me of my little brother."
"Ahh." Harlo said, either finally starting to understand me, or grateful for some civil conversation. He started to prattle on, without a care in the world. Like we weren't running away, and like we weren't the most hated people in our world.
I wish I knew what was going on in that head of his. I'd bet that if the world were ending (which it might) he could find something good about it.
While I was thinking things over, a butterfly fluttered past my fuzzy ear, and my puppy nature took over. In other words, I tried to catch it, which involved me chasing it around. I faintly noticed Harlo trying to follow me until he stopped and asked what in the world I was doing.
"Catching a butterfly!" I yelled energetically. "Did you see that? I almost got it...OOF! I almost caught it that time too!"
♠ ♠ ♠
any thoughts?