1-the sun rises from a vast sea casting long shadows over the sleeping town,orange red and other seemingly endless shades of crimson bathe all, brook eyes flicker open blue like a midday sky, he’s been woken once again by the eerily familiar sound of blaring sirens not even bothering to take cover this time, what would be the point. a few minutes pass before silence  is restored now carrying with all eerie lonesomeness, with all desire to sleep vanquished he rolls from bed glaring at the clock reading 5:47 as if its to blame. 'bzzz' jumping still on edge allowing his breathing to slow he realizes its only his phone, 
"you up? i can't sleep after that" reads the message, hesitating but with nothing better to do brook responds typing out each word carefully before deciding to just say
"yeah" no need to act more interested than necessary. Alas before the message even sends his phone buzzes several more times in quick succession 
"you still wanna stay over at my place tonight" bzz 
"i managed to get some of the good stuff" bzzz 
"but could you bring snacks?" bzzz!. nodding in disbelief the tall boy responds with one simple word 
"OK", brook ignores the many subsequent texts, its so early what little light makes it through the curtains hardly illuminates him, but despite that he still stands before the mirror like most mornings. Ruffled silver grey fur, tail thin and slick, no matter what other’s say it’s rather hard to imagine anyone actually liking me he ponders clutching at his stomach, just like all mornings past soon the reflection staring back at him speaks of regret and dismay. The door nob feel colder than ice, his hand quivers almost unnoticeably
"where where you last night?" growls mother voice retched, the silence stretches on before father responds just as if not more coldly 
"i never ask you where you go at night" 
"and that's because i tell you!" hand darting away brook steps back, it’d be so much better to just go back to bed 
"fine i was out with my friends". But that’s not really possible is it, 
"YOU WHERE OUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!!!" they’d know he’d heard
"YEAH SO WHAT IF I WAS YOU SPEND EVERY SECOND NIGHT WITH THAT SLUT OF YOURS" 
a crash and boom, more broken furniture? 
"i can tell I'm not wanted hear" growls father. leaving her not a moment to respond he leaves slamming the front door behind himself, despite knowing he should've been up thirty minutes ago the prospect of leaving the relative safety of his cage is unspeakable, up until mother calls.  

2-silently inching down the hall he passes his parents room door left ajar, then the bathroom it’s tiny window casting the room into almost perfect darkness, cautiously like a squirrel leaving its nest in the break of spring brook peaks into the living room tail twitching to and fro, mother sits weeping on the couch her tiny form crumpled paper, she turns to him abruptly trying to hide the tears in her soft eyes "sleep well?" nodding he refuses to meet her eyes that gleam with still pent up emotion. she sighs longingly 
"sorry you had to hear that" there gazes lock but only for an instant 
"don't apologize it wasn't your fault" 
"i shouldn't have yelled at him and..." she sobs even louder than before
"I'm sure he'll be fine, just pretend it didn't happen for now". her forced grin is all either of them need to change the subject 
"would you be able to drive me over to my friends house after school today" 
"did you forget your baby siting grace today?" silence stretches for a few painful seconds 
"what?"
"so you did forget!" he flinches back 
"why does she need me to baby sit her? We’re nearly the same bloody age" 
"no shes almost 3 years younger than you, and me and her mother have plans" 
"you do..." sighs brook disapprovingly. 
"yes we do..." 
"won't dad be upset?", he immediately regrets the words but its far to late
"why should he!, am i not allowed to see my friends?" snaps mother her previous fury returning
"no... that's not what i meant" although despite every she’s able to dull the raging emotions within enough to speak with only a hint of sternness 
"please just watch her tonight, I'm sure your friends won’t mind having grace around, and you don't need me to drive you everywhere, your nearly 18".  knowing there’s no point in arguing further he concedes 
"alright fine, I'll bring her along"
"good now make yourself something to eat, you slept in super late and so almost time to go" she’s on her feet and out the door faster than he’d have thought possible, brook stands utterly alone and completely lost for words.

3-he leaps in the back seat finishing the last few bites of his tuna sandwich hastily assembled with little care  
"i told you not to eat in the car", her scrutinizing gaze sweeps over him
"yup, countless times to" 
"then why do you keep doing it?" 
"because you rushed me again and I’m hungry?" shaking her head as if he’s absolutely lost his mind she puts the car in gear jolting out of the driveway nearly sidelining a passing car, brook curses to himself. setting forth down the street there are people all about, children on the way to school and couples enjoying summer’s early morning heat,it’s all so pure, instead of continuing straight as normal mother makes a sudden turn nearly sending brook toppling head over tail
"I thought, mff,  you said I only had to watch her after school!" 
"don’t talk with you’re mouth full, I'm picking her up on the way" 
"why!?" she ignores the question. Some moments later their pulling up outside graces home, it’s much like there own, a small flat with two bedrooms the only difference being the well maintained garden outside 
"wait hear", the minutes stretch on with cruel indifference, his impatience grows until at last, the front door swings wide admitting grace. She doesn’t jump in seaming to sense his tension, compared to brook, grace is completely different, she’s nearly a foot shorter with wide green eyes and a bushy tail, fur the colour of acorns dappled with shadows like the forest floor, the only thing they physically share is there slight chubbiness and that’s hardly unique. After only a moment more to hesitate she seams to come to some sort of decision, 
"hey" grace mumbles opening the door wide siting a little to close for comfort only receiving an irritated grunt 
"don't be like that", his shoulders slump slightly 
"sorry, it’s just been a lot today" 
"you wanna talk about it?" whatever he was about to say is interrupted,mother streaks up besides them a new skip to her step head poking through the winder utterly oblivious to their conversation. 
"brook?" his ears perk at her serious tone 
"I know its a lot to ask but I'm thinking of spending the night with graces mother and-" he raises his hand 
"no if its a lot to ask then please don't” grace who’s sitting between visibly wilts
"excuse me, you don't even know what I'm asking" any trace of her previous jovial spirit falters with each word
"you want me to spend the night with her don't you?" already but a wilted bundle between the pair grace somehow finds a way to push herself even further into the seat. 
"it would only be tonight, i promise I won't make it a regular thing"
"but-", she snaps suddenly 
"I'm not asking for anything unreasonable so stop arguing, its not like you two have to sleep together or anything like that, so stop acting like a fucking entitled child and do this for me". It’s still so early, many of those he’d seen walking to school before are still on there way, blushing grace sits a little farther away placing her bag as a barrier between them 
"fine.. I’m sorry" murmurs brook in embarrassment heavy in his tone
“why don’t you want to spend time with me anymore..?”
“my other friends... i don’t know if they’d be alright having you around...”, time passes slowly, he await her response but nothing comes. 

4-arriving outside the school they find the lot empty and desolate, somewhere far off an owl hoots 
"doesn't it open at nine?" whispers grace passively, prompting brook to check his watch reading 8:13 
"yup" she lets out a quite drawn out breath scanning the forsaken scene before them, mother still seaming as frazzled as before pulls up right outside the school this time only hardly grazing the curb. 
"don't be home to late tonight my love, i know you don't have any school tomorrow but i still don't expect to hear you got home past midnight understood?" 
"could we stay a bit later" her exasperated stare leaves brook positively swimming in his seat 
"I'll let you two stay out till one this time but i still expect you to be up at nine, and if your not back by then I will not be happy" 
"why..?" he asks already fearing her answer, mother sighs deeply taking a moment to scan the parking lot
"why won't I be happy or why 9?"
"obviously why 9, its Friday, you always let me stay out as late as I’d like on Friday's" 
"don't obviously me especially when this really isn't something you should be forgetting, remember your fathers parents will be over in the morning, the same parents me and you’re father have been talking about for a week" she shakes her head slightly reading his blank face like a book. 
"just promise me you'll be safe, yes?" 
"yes, I’ll be safe" 
"thank you, well alright my love bug I'll see you in the morning" he blusher profusely despite himself
"bye", he leaps from her car with grace in tow 
"and grace?" she swivels to brooks mother polite as an angel 
"you make sure he doesn't get in any trouble" 
"I-I'll try" they watch as she pulls away head tilted eyes narrowed, 
"c'mon brook she only cares" at last his shoulders stiff until now slump
"yes I know, and it’s really annoying".

4-She stands beneath him tail flicking to and fro like a restless shadow, the morning air was always her favourite although being up in time to enjoy it never was, at last no longer able to withstand Grace’s endless tail twitching brook snaps, the rumble in his neck grows like an approaching storm until-
"is there something, anything I can do to make you stop?" head cast low as can go, she mumbles at the edge of hearing 
"I'm sorry you have to watch me, I know you're really busy and everything..." 
"its OK, like it really is fine, just please, me and a couple of friends are going to have some fun tonight and if she found out I'd be skinned alive in front of the whole town", this only increases her twitching to a new level of irritation 
"what are you planning?" 
"just please don't tell her" 
"i won't but whatever it is sounds like a bad idea, and you really can’t just say something like that and not tell me", glancing down he meets her gaze, there is an unbending fire in those eyes
"well you don't have to participate..." 
"OK...and?". she eagerly awaits, impatience now made audible in each foot tap  
"so what are you doing tonight?!" 
"I'm not telling you" mumbles brook with a little less conviction than intended, this time grace looks up, in this those eyes is stubbornness to rival her own determination 
"OK fine, but I'm going to find out eventually anyways". several minutes drag each there own bitter eternity, students slowly begin arriving some passing the pair odd sidelong glances as they take there spots waiting eagerly to be let into the school, like a pack of wolves hungry for there first share of the catch many push to the front stepping on the feet of other’s if only to gain half a meter, soon enough a short and impish woman with dark fur and placid eyes steps up to the front door, she seems to be in her late thirty’s. 
“all of you!” the watching crowd falters
“are nearly adults so start acting like it, if you’re parents where-” somebody, who brook does not know snickers, the woman moments ago full of brimstone slumps mumbling something about containing at least a few choice words ‘click’
“go!”. brook and grace are nearly the last pare to enter not wanting to seem to over eager themselves
"I'll see you after classes?" mumbles brook reaching a junction in the hall
"the normal spot?" he nods faintly 
"by the flag pole you mean?"
“yeah lets see you there~” no more needs saying.

5-"so did everyone study for the quiz" the class watches the substitute teacher nervously, two dozen eyes unblinking, a boy of around brooks age raises his hand "we weren't told there would be a quiz" for some moments more the substitute only stares deeper into that boy, but soon enough he falters than bursts out laughing dementedly  
"i was joking" his laughter fades seeing the class is unamused, perhaps even a little terrified. grumbling something incoherent and yet audibly loathing to himself he turns to the white board 
"as I'm sure all of you can tell Ms.asha is not feeling well or something... so I’ll be siting in for her". he turns back having written his name 
"Mr.glover, that’s my name but just call me glover, or don’t talk to me at all either way is fine", brook reaches for his phone 
"for anyone who hasn't already handed in there rough draft of this years science fair project it is due today, and for everyone else the rest of the class can be used for catch up on other projects you may be behind on" silence reins. 
"any questions?" some rows back a girl raises her hand but whatever she’s about to ask is silenced ‘bzzz bzzz bz-’, ignore it? They don’t know, she opens her mouth to speak ‘bzzz bzzz bzzz’ a singular bead of sweat rolls down brook already damp neck, carefully he slides the phone from his pants setting it to silent, but the damage is done
"is there something i can help you with?" the teacher watches on coolly evidently trying to act professional.
"no Mr..." faltering under the collective stares of all present brook shrinks back finding new ways to contort his body if only to hide  
"if your phone goes off again, I'm going to have to ask you to leave, and my name's Mr.glover as I stated only a few- moments- ago" 
"OK sorry, jeez..." somebody snickers to his left. 
"as i was saying..." the teachers fades becoming yet another distant annoyance, nothing but meaningless noise, it’s easy to lose himself in though, it’s easy to lose himself in fears, this isn't something he's really done before and with Grace? what if she tells somebody, what if she’s... its not like her but still, 'bzzzzzzz' reality hits like freight train. 
"for tomorrow's class I'll be reviewing all your rough copies and helping correct any mistakes" rambles the teacher, brook stands grabbing his bag setting a b-line for the door all in one simple swift motion before the teacher could possibly pull him aside, and it’s a good thing too as his name is shouted from somewhere behind, that a problem for later. this way and that, he dodges swarms of girls who form swirling masses entirely oblivious to there surroundings or at the very least his presence and jocks that stride with confidence befitting kings not unmolded troglodytes, alas it doesn’t take long to be spotted by an oh so familiar face 
"hey Devin" short and stalky, body a pallid silver, a true master of the high shuffle
"why weren't you answering my texts" growls the boy who’s head hardly reaches brooks chin 
"i was trying to pay attention in class, unlike you it seams" 
"you paying attention?" 
"yes" Devin falls into step along side brook adjusting his bag anxiously not for the first time 
"you won't believe what i got my hands on" 
"more weed?" 
"no no, something much better~" anxious as he was before his outwards demeanour changes in an instant, blink and you’d miss it. 
"acid!" 
"dude this is why we hang out" 
"yeah i know right,that's what i was trying to tell you" 
"who'd you get it from?" 
"the internet" 
"but like who on the internet, is it safe?" 
"probably and if it isn't we'll find out quickly enough" 
"you aren't planning on taking any without testing it are you?" 
"nah I already gave some to my cat so if its alive when I get home I'll let you know". they arrive at the cafeteria which already bustles with activity 
"how much?" he takes a seat across from brook at one of the few open tables
"how much did I give the cat or how much did I get?" 
"both?" 
"I gave the cat half a gram and I got 5 grams" 
"seriously man your cats gonna be tripping" Devin smirks "yup, and the little guy should be grateful, oh I’d nearly forgot, I brought it with me, care to see?" he quickly and somewhat discreetly pulls out a small bag. 
"nine pills each half a gram" 
"put that away!" 
"OK OK" the shorter boy lays back impudence plastered across his every feature, as brook stretches Grace alone on the other side of the cafeteria makes eye contact only for the briefest of instants  
"would it be OK if i brought-" the room falls deathly silent in an instant as the emergency light flashes followed closely by blaring sirens, this is normal, we’ll be fine, the words echo at the edge of consciousness.
“you know the drill, under the table they dive under the table”, he can’t see who’s calling  
"two times in a day" growls brook, the boy glances back behind himself at one of the nearest teachers 
"I'm sure-", light of a thousand suns, splitting pain, something crumbling, everything crumbing,  he try’s screaming but is only given the hollow ringing of his own ears, air heavy with silt fills his lungs. As all the world around at last seams ready to give way somebody cuts through the spiralling madness surrounding him, a hand grabbing hold of my arm? somebody strong! Somebody who’s alive, as hearing returns in sickening waves a mans voice grabs hold of his dwindling psyche "BROOK!!!" shouts the voice over the chorus of screams and moans 
"OPEN YOUR EYES" he obeys just now feeling the dirt and grime coating every crevice of his form  
"SOMEBODY GET A STRETCHER" shakily brook finds footing among the loose rubble, senses only just returning enough to notice an arm beneath him, the janitors arm 
"no...I'm fine..." a wave of nausea wavers as the full situation before himself comes into focus and it dawns that they weren't calling a stretcher for him, insides twisting and churning he retches not able to keep it down any longer, quivering ever so slight a hand so familiar finds, its grace eyes wide and full of terror but hardly recognizable under all that dust, the next few minutes pass in a haze as paramedics arrive swiftly treating the wounded and disposing of the less fortunate. they watch totally numb only managing the slightest relief seeing Devin who’s only arriving back now seemingly fleeing the scene like the good friend he is "there you are, oh am I glad to see your safe" he remarks without so much as a glance at grace 
"so what were you going to tell me?" brook stands graces limp hand in his 
"Let's go" 
"that's what you were going to say,why?" mutters Devin genuine bewilderment playing across his features, paying him no mind they set off feeling stones and crushed dreams crumble under there feet all the while.

6-the three walk in silence picking their way around the rubble not daring to raise their eyes from the asphalt afraid of what they may see even long after leaving the blast zone, what seems an eternity passes as the unbearable rabble fades to merely a distant murmur. Devin’s the first to speak 
"I’ve still got the acid" neither of them offer so much as a sigh 
"i thought i may have lost it but-" 
"shut up the fuck up" growls brook, silence is restored. as if by some unseen force or more likely Devin subtle rout setting they arrive at his dingy basement hobble so caught up in there own dark thoughts that the sudden stop catches the pair of guard 
"brook... where are we?" 
"his house" she shutters slightly having already known if only partly. he knocks on the door getting no response 
"my roommate must not be home, well that’s fine" entering there immediately hit with the over powering stench of weed and burnt food, Grace flinches away as if struck, but the smell is one brook knows well
"cm'hear pebble, where are you kitty", grace takes her seat on his patchy couch while brook lays across from her on a beanbag, both letting forth long drawn out breaths. 
"so can i get either of you anything to eat or drink?" they merely shake their heads 
"you sure?" his lip quirks upwards
“I’ve got beer”, viably Brook twitches
"please not right now" 
"alright, man i was only trying to cheer you two up" turning Devin go's back to searching for the cat 
"huh maybe it wasn't safe after all", grace looks up a little teary eyed "i didn't see Amelia anywhere", at last the shorter boy gives up  
"try texting her, I'm sure she's fine, just like my cat". Eyes flashing dark a shadow seems to form around her, 
"its ruined, my phones ruined..." 
"use mine" brook hands her his phone 
"you sure?" 
"of coarse", ‘you’ve reach the voicemail box of- click’ deep breath ‘beep beep, buzz... buzz... you’ve reached the voicemail-’, the distant sound of sirens has long since been replaced with an eerie unnatural silence that hangs over the town like a weighted blanket woven with torn heart strings and shattered families. hope fades from her soft almond eyes leaving vast pools of loss and sadness, as hard as she try’s to suppress the torrent, tears eventually begin flowing casting long intertwining rivers down her face. to Graces surprise she finds brook at her side offering a shoulder to cry into while he firmly holds his own tears back, there's a knock at the door starling the trio who sits in silence, Devin stands to answer 
"who is it?" 
"kitty, who do you think?" 
"its unlocked" the door swings wide and an anxious young lady steps casting concerned glances over brook and grace, she’s taller than even brook himself with stunning emerald green eyes and silver fur, the girls bushy tail sways this way and that, closely behind follows an even younger boy of around graces age, he’s stands in stark contrast to kitty like a tiny red eyed shadow, dark ashy body rotund and fluffy, he seems utterly consumed in his phone paying no mind to the scene before him. she rushes over to brook 
"I'm so glad to see your alright, i heard what happened today that must have been horrible" he’s unable to keep up with her racing words choosing only to nod along silently 
"where where you today, i didn't see you at school and you weren't answering my texts" brook mutter’s
"yeah well... me and rand skipped". Devin chuckles receiving venomous glares from kitty and brook 
"I'm just happy to see you to alive, grace?" she looks up at kitty eyes distant and hollow 
"yes?" 
"nothing...its nothing", 
"hey kitty guess what i have?" she groans 
"i got acid" 
"great..." 
"want some?" 
"no" 
"oh". 
"what does it do?" they all turn to grace as one, even Devin looks shocked
"its a lot of fun, you should try some" 
"no Devin" growls brook, she sits up a little straighter 
"but like what does it actually do?". a grin creeps across his face 
"you wanna know if it'll make you feel better?", the air heavy with tension Brooks on his feet  
"Grace we should be going I'm sure your mother is worried sick" one step forward he reaches for her but to no avail, Devin blocks him 
"she's old enough to decide for herself, isn't that right grace?" the already blistering tension builds, everybody frozen hanging on Graces next word , her eyes dart between brook and Devin, Kitty and Rand 
"grace please don't do it" 
"i...i just want to try one, like he said I’m old enough". time seams to slow, Devin pulls the bag from a pocket shoving brook aside, quickly two pill are in her hands, he gets his bearings just in time to stare in dismay as she swallows grinning sheepishly all the while, her grin falters at the deathly silence that follows 
"grace..." whispers kitty in amused disbelief
“I can’t believe you just did that”, laughter erupts startling the bunch
“holy shit she actually did it~” brooks on him faster that anyone can react 
"what the actual fuck is wrong with you!" 
"I can't believe she actually took it, we don't even know if there safe" Devin finishes with a laugh 
"wait there not safe!?!" her voice cracks on the final word 
"no you'll be fine, I promises" the shorter boy manages around each mirthless wheeze.

7-Devin sits with an empty beer in hand drunkenly chatting with kitty who watches on bored and displeased, even all this time later the air is still heavy, 
"brook..." he turns hearing her soft whisper, she’s staring off into nothingness nervously 
"are you alright?" mumbles brook 
"i don't feel good" 
“how so?”,she retches 
"nasty, do that in the bathroom" flinching at Devin’s words grace stands.desire to argue having reached it’s zenith, he takes her under the arm, voice hushed and sappy
“lets get you too the bathroom... you should just let it out, I've done it before and the first time always sucks". Pupils wide and confused, blinking eyes 
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry" he taken aback to see her sobbing 
"I'm hear, it doesn't last that long" placing a hand on her back she retches again. "do you think I'm pretty?" the girls smaller form hangs over the toilet 
"does it really matter?" 
"yes it does, now tell me" 
"right now?" he sighs
"yeah..." 
"not really", as the words leave his mouth he feels a heavy lump settle in his gut knowing the truth was the worst possible thing that could have come out in a moment like this. 
"get out" cries grace gagging once again
"i didn't-" 
"get-" she retches, brook straightens his back 
"I'll give you a few minutes" with one last glance he returns joining the others back on the couch 
"are you doing OK?" sighs kitty 
"I'm fine, but shes not taking it well" 
"yeah it doesn't sound like it" 
"she'll get over it" the three of them spare a glare at Devin 
"your a piece of shit" mutters kitty while rand simply go's back to his phone. "well don't blame me if she has a bad time, i gave her the choice after all" 
"she's sixteen" snarls brook 
"that's old enough to make her own decisions, you’re not even much older" 
"no it isn't" 
"well that's when I started making my own decisions, ha, your only worried she's gonna tell on you" something snaps in brook and in one swift motion he stands taking Devin by his tattered collar being hit with the stench of alcohol, everything before him including the boy swims in shades of crimson, every nerve in his body wants nothing more than- 
"put him down!" wails kitty but brook only stares deeper into his eyes, rage blazing in his own
"I don't want to ever hear you comparing her to worthless trash like yourself with slut for a mother who gives his fucking cat acid for the fun of it". 
"what are you gonna do now, punch me? Oh no don’t hurt me~" he spits in brooks face  
"leave him its not worth it" hesitantly he lowers Devin, then comes a mighty crash from the bathroom 
"you should check on your little girly friend, she might be in trouble" remarks Devin siting on the floor in a pile of his own filth. hesitantly brook makes his way to the door not wanting to get yelled at but still very concerned for what might have happened, he shifts peaking around the corner seeing-, cherry faced blood rushing from one head into another, standing she dusts herself off next to the tipped trash can, wearing nothing but woolly pink socks, there eyes lock 
"well...you think I'm beautiful now?" 
"for the love of god get dressed grace!" heartbreak resounds in her eyes 
"I'm going home!". she storms from the bathroom still fully naked down the hall past Devin who’s eyes nearly pop out of his head, past kitty passing her a particularly spiteful glance and Rand, in the silent seconds that follow rand looks up at last
“where’s she going?” 
"grace stop, I'll walk you home just get put something on first, anything!" pleads brook, glancing at him eyes full of hurt she opens the door vanishing into the twilight, Devin laughs with a twisted grin 
"can somebody help me stop her please" kitty joins him surprisingly calmly 
"lets go". they set forth calling her name 
"i can hear her, follow me" Kitty couches gasping for air, she leads the way down the back road, rounding the corner onto a semi busy street, they spot her pacing down the sidewalk with a sizable crowd watching from the other corner, most just watch in awe others do there upmost to inconspicuously film 
"grace!" grace turns back spotting brook setting her to a sprint 
"shit, what did you say to her?" she rounds the block vanishing out of sight 
"go around the other way, we'll pin her" kitty nods sprinting off the way they came while brook continues forwards. he rounds the corner after her regaining line of sight stoping dead in time to hear a dreadful sound, sirens, not airade sirens but rather police only a few blocks away and rapidly nearing his location. grace turns eyes wide and full of terror sprinting the other way only to comically skid to a stop spotting kitty, really the whole situation would be hilarious if it wasn't actually happening Wich must be what the countless onlookers thinks as they snicker amongst themselves. 
"grab her!" but he's too late, a vehicle pulls up behind him 
"hands in the air" shouts the man, kitty dips into the bushes only just managing not to be being spotted. he feels the cold hard handcuffs wrap around his wrists like winter river water 
"officer please" he pleads to not avail
"girl are you ok", mutters the man who's actively tightening Brooks handcuffs, grace quivers on the spot eyes darting side to side her situation only now setting in, a female officer steps up patting her down 
"she couldn't possibly be hiding anything-" he's silenced as the police door slams shut. she loaded into a seperate vehicle with little resistance, "don't touch her, she's done nothing rong!" he wails but now it's only him alone with the single police officer, an engine roars to life
"be quiet, you'll have plenty of time to explain yourselves at the station" the last thing he sees is her wild terror filled eyes as they're driven away
"but what did I actually do wrong?" silence reigns.

8-the cells frigid and miserable, periodically an officer checks him through the tiny slit window being met with the same pitiful sight, brook sits on the lower bunk head cast low in shame mauling over what he could have done differently until at last, after a seeming eternity resounds the unmistakable sharp tang of a steel key being inserted into the rusted lock. his relief is short lived, a heavy click that echos through the room the door swings wide admitting a tall tired looking man. 
"she told us everything, we just want to ask you a few questions and you'll be free to go" standing he's led from the room an officer at each side, they're both refusing to meet his eyes 
"i'm sorry sir..." 
"don't apologize to me" groans the taller of the two 
"sorry" he sighs picking up the pace a little more. brooks led into a small room with a lone table bolted to the wall
"take a seat, this really shouldn't take too long" mumbles the tall officer, he sits shifting on the uncomfortable chair, after a few moments the other man leaves shrugging at his contemporary 
"tell me everything, from the beginning" "don't you already know" 
"yeah I do but I'd like to hear it from you", a pang of dread wells up in his chest sharp and piercing 'what if she lied and didn't tell them anything at all... but what if she...' pushing the thought down as best as he can, brook nods 
"ok... i will".a little over an hour passes in full with each twist and turn comes the expectation of some fatal slip, one word misspoken that'll lead to disaster, the man across from Brook seems to hang on his every word
"you didn't forget anything did you" keeping his voice as steady as possible, he responds tone hushed mouth dry.
"no sir" 
"hmm, alright there's one detail I'm still missing she's uh" he appears to glance through his carefully laid out notes
"what is she to you? like are you two related?"
"I uh huh..." 
"it's a simple question really, if it helps this isn't on record"
"we're not related... I've just known her for a long time" a few more long moments pass as brooks studied 
"alright" the officer grunts at last
"you're father's already waiting outside, and Brook, don't do drugs" as he makes to stand the man speaks once more
"also I spoke to your father, did it never cross your mind that after the incident today they were searching for you" 
"they where?" 
"everybody was searching for survivors and yet you chose to get a friend of yours who's a minor high on acid, and yes I understand you tried stopping her but at the end of the day you should've taken her home straight away" 
"am i free to go?" 
"yes, now leave, we have bigger issues to deal with". his relief is shortlived as reality sets in, outside standing leaned against the family car in the crisp late evening summer air is father, eyes full of disappointment and regret 
"get in". dad sits in solemn silence and as if to set the mood heavy rain batters the car and thunder crawls across the sky
"I should've tried harder to stop her" whispers brook to himself 
"yup"  he jumps not realizing was listening. 
"your mothers trying to smooth things over right now, i don't think you understand how serious this is" a strange unfamiliar anger bubbles under the surface as he listens to his fathers words 
"grace could be taken away from her parents for all we know, are you even listening to me?" 
"I almost died today, you do know that right?" his father stairs at him in the rear facing mirror clearly taken aback 
"i know what i did was rong but..." Brook finishes with less enthusiasm 
"i'm glad you're still alive". 
"oh well that's good to hear" now a freshly fueled flame burns in his gut
"your acting like a spoiled child" fury simmers in brooks aqua eyes, a storm is brewing 
"am i?, you don't say" 
"your not seeing that friend of yours again" growls father coldly, 
"grace?!?" 
"no that's for her parents to decide I was talking about... devin" he huffs angrily "fine by me". there vehicle falls to a hush the only sound being rain, its steady rhythm the only comfort, the occasional crack of thunder pulls brook from his revelries but not for long
"me and your mother are talking about moving" 
"where?" 
"to live with my parents out in the countryside" 
"are we going to be leaving soon?" mutters brook despair heavy in each word 
"i don't know, there are both going to be here in the morning, we'll talk it over more then" 
"alright...", rounding the corner they arrive home, rain pelts it's dark carapace 
"did they feed you while you were in there?" 
"no, but i'm not hungry" sliding from the car, feet submerged in shallow water Brook picks his way forward careful for even the smallest skim despite his already sodden feet
"are you sure?" asks father as sliding his key into the lock
"i just want to go to bed", inside its warm and discomforting, nothing has outwardly changed but in every shadow there seems to wait unseen eyes
"you want to talk?" 
"no" tone colder than ice
"I'm sorry for yelling", he turns away towards the inky hall
"good night" 
"goodnight" father laments.
 
9-she sits alone in her room cocooned in a mound of stuffed animals, stomach clutched close partly in shame, partly due to her ever present nausea needling it's way into focus every few seconds. 'knock knock' ears perking the girl turns to her door 
"i warmed up some dinner my love"  "sorry i'm not hungry" moans Grace voice cracking under the strain
"you sure?" 
"could i have my tablet back" mother falls silent, her shadowed outline a constant reminder of the woman's presence 
"can i come in" she asks softly 
"no!" 
"i'm coming in" Grace makes to leap for cover. 
"NO!" doorway swinging wide, there's no place left to hide
"you still haven't gotten dressed?"  
"get out!" 
"this isn't the first time i've seen you naked, now I'd like to talk" hovering between her bed and the still warm pile of stuffed animals knowing there is no point in trying to hide her full nudeness, she stands placidly. mother takes a seat on the plum purple frilly bed gently brushing aside her artsy scribbles and loose pencils 
"you really have to keep it tidier in here, I don't know how you can sleep in this mess" grace opens her mouth, retort at the ready but nothing comes
"I heard what happened earlier, everyone in town did, but me and your father were worried sick, Grace for the love of all that's good why didn't you call or text either of us?!" 
"my phone...it broke" standing naked as she is Grace manages to find an even more dejected stance. 
"you could've called me from one of your friends phones, I only learned you weren't dead when the police called, and on that note why my love did you take acid i saw somebody on the news who ended up loosing there mind after..." in an instant all the pressure ready to burst simmers away, like a kettle taken from the fire. 
"i love you Grace" 
"love you to, mommy" 
"you haven't called me that in a while" 
"i know" her mothers gaze warms then blossoms 
"its going to be alright, we'll get through this as a family" 
"i know" 
"you want to talk more in the morning?, you sound and look very tired"
"sure", Grace slumps into bed as mother stands,  
"i'll see you in the morning my love, sweet dreams, and I'm sorry but I'll be holding onto your tablet for the night" exhausted grace falls further into the soft mass, it's so warm, nausea absent, regrets saved for another day, sleep overtakes her. 

10-a summer owl sings barely audible against pelting torrent, rains like this don't happen often, the recollection fades as quickly as it came. brook lays staring at the seiling in a dazed trance, mind wanting something to distract itself but too tired to try, an hour passes, then two, soon the clock reads 1:24 and a thought unthunk until now finds footing. he reaches for his phone typing into the contacts "kitty" dialing, on each subsequent ring his heart races just a little quicker, unable to take another moment he makes to hang up 
"hello?" mumbles kitty clearly half asleep. 
"did they catch you?" she gasps evidently only now realizing who's on the line
"no, did they catch you?" 
"yup" 
"oh shit did they question you or keep you locked in a dark cell for hours or... what happened?" Brook turns on his stomach fidgeting with his bedside pen worn from years of doing so 
"well they locked me in a cell but it wasn't dark if anything it was too bright and i suppose they did sorta question me for a few hours but i survived" 
"did you tell them about me?" 
"well when they brought out the water boarding it was hard not to but I managed" she audibly sighs with relief. "i'm glad your ok brook" 
"I'd certainly hope so" 
"can you not sleep?" 
"nope, did I wake you?" she yawns loudly "maybe but that's fine, want me to read you a bedtime story?" 
"why?" 
"i don't know, kinda thought you would like it" 
"thanks kitty but... isn't that sorta odd like your not my mom" 
"it would only be 'odd' if we weren't alone", shifting onto his back he gets comfortable 
"i would love a story" 
"oh that's wonderful". 
"so you want me to read you the one about the old man who couldn't cross the street or the other one full of awful dad jokes?" 
"you have any other options do you?" 
"a few but those are my favorite" 
"how about you choose, but just not one of those ones" 
"ok, i think I've found something more interesting, its a childrens book but your still a child". brook only sighs softly too tired or perhaps belated to argue her reasonable point 
"shall i begin?" 
"Sure, I'm listening" 
"there once was a boy who lived alone in the woods with his mothe-"  
"doesn't sound very alone to me" Brook interjects 
"be quiet you, or i'll hang up" 
"sorry", she continues more sharply this time 
"anyways... she would always tell him to never go outside alone at night because that's when monsters roam" kitty yawns softly.
"one day as his mother slept the boy's curiosity got the better of him and he snuck out, the bushes outside were thick with clinging thorns, pushing ever further into the brambles the boy stopped, there's something in the bushes, but its only a rabbit, gently as can be he pets the rabbit, you scared me mr.bunny'". 
"he stands, walking further into the darkening forest when another creature leaps out before him, but its only a fox, he strokes the foxes muzzle 'you scarred me silly fox'" 
"pushing forwards he stands within the woods heart, grand looming giants, dark creeping branches their thin gangly fingers stroking the inky sky, roots climb down gravel laden slopes where foul mud churns bellow. as the little boy scampers about pushing through thickets and clinging thorns, bushes tired after a full days blooming rusle, but there is no wind, 'mr.bunny ms.fox?'". kitty stops, taking a deep breath 
"you sound so tired"
"I am~ but the stories almost over" she's silent for a few moments more,
"alright...out steps a monster with great big teeth, glowing eyes and no lips 'what are you doing in my woods, you'd better run for I eat everything that stands before me, especially little boys like you" "why" he asks 
"because I'm a monster" 
"but why are you a monster?" 
"i have to be a monster"  the beast leers teeth jutting out at every conceivable angle.
"why" 
"because only monsters can survive in this retched forest" 
"but I'm here?" 
"and I'm gonna eat you, I'll start with your legs then your arms and..." snarls the beast trailing off, the boy stops to think "is that why? you never really told me why you're going to eat me". it looms over him maw gaping 
"if I don't, some other monster will" 
"but i am not a monster" 
"that doesn't matter" 
"of course it does" 
"shut up and run from me child!" it roars "no, go ahead and eat me, and well your at it use the tree's as toothpicks and drink the rivers dry" sitting back on its haunches the beast studies him
"and maybe I will". each gutteral word harbors none of the same enthusiasm as before 
"I'm waiting" and sure enough the boy stands arms spread, eyes shut tight, he waits and waits but nothing ever comes. crickets sing, small creatures skitter beneath forest detritus 
"I don't think you're a monster"
"you don't say" it's head hangs low
"you don't have to be a monster". kitty audibly flips through to the next page
"hmm, looks like that was the last page", brooks instantly torn from his revelries "what do you mean that's it?"
"there we're a few other pages but they're torn out" she lets a deep breath pass through her nose
"father gave this to me, I'll have to ask him sometime". he smiles to himself despite the sudden ending
"well I liked it" 
"yeah, and I loved reading it to you" she giggles 
" now go to bed its nearly 2", Brooks smile fades  
"thank you" 
"anytime" 
"goodnight kitty" 
"goodnight Brook".

11-she gently places her phone on the bedside table 
"that's a nice story" whispers rand snuggled up next to her in bed 
"I have read that one to you a few times, haven't I?" 
"yeah, I just like hearing you read it again and again and... I just really love you" he pushes his head into her side affectionate like a domestic pet of some sort
"kitty?" 
"hmm?" 
"I don't know if we can keep doing this". she places an arm around him lovingly but with a certain motherly aire 
"I promise he won't catch us" 
"but what if he does? you can't really make that promise"
"he won't, just trust alright" 
"but-" rand trails off, one single kiss is more than sufficient to melt the small boy into her arms like butter in the sun
"i love you" he mumbles near incoherently 
"love you too" her eyes, their shimmering depth, emerald pools reaching into infinity search his own 
"kitty..." 
"hmmm..." 
"your so warm and soft". he swims in those endless pools, she too falls deeper gliding along his gaze amber one moment crimson another  
"do it kitty, please" rand gasps as her powerful thin fingers grasp his rod, forcefully but not lacking love 
"you ready" 
"m-hmm" the small boys attop her
"no condom?" 
"just... pull out" 
"ok" they become one
"be gentle" whispers Kitty, hot breath curresing Rands cheek
"sorry" and so it begins,  face pressed into supple breasts 
"oh rand, right there" that makes him very happy. 
"Rand? Rand..!... hmf" in contrast his fingers are father short, but short fingers reach places untouched until now
"i'm close, if you keep touching me there ~"
"do it", and so she does, all over him
"ahhhh" he moans softly, pulling out in the same instance, spreading his own essence across her chest. they're both left panting, he's the first to speak 
"that was quick" 
"you've never done that" 
"let's go again, if you want?" 
"in a bit" 
"alright", for some time the pair lay together silently, perhaps an hour passes maybe two.
"hey Rand..." 
"yeah" 
"next time maybe you finish in me" "what!" he sits up abruptly 
"why would i do that" 
"I don't know, it was a dumb idea sorry" 
"I wouldn't mind but what about you, after all you'd get, well y'know" 
"yeah i know, it's up to you" 
"ok...", 
"you ready for another?" 
"yup" he climbs on top again, already rock solid and ready to go
"remember, don't pull out~"
"uh-huh..." Rand laughs.

12-the room is tidy, a small desk covered in well organized books and next to that stands her closet, morning sunlight shines brightly through heart stained curtains spreading dappled light over their two sleeping forms, she's the first to wake, it's already nearly noon.
"rand wake up" kitty gently shakes him and receives no response, again she shakes him but with increased vigor than before, he grunt dismissively, standing relinquishing a long mournful sigh kitty grabs hold of the blanket tearing it free like a magician. to her upmost delight his member stands by it's own will, 
"somebody must be having good dreams~" all of this is more than sufficient to tear the boy from whatever pleasant dreams he'd been in the depths of. 
"ah what's wrong!?" yelps rand siting up straight 
"its nearly noon" glancing at the clock he yawns 
"its only eleven thirty, i'm going back to bed" 
"no your not, fathers going to expect me down by twelve and if your not out of hear by then he'll find you" with ungodly speed rands on his feet, dressing with all possible haste, kitty's close behind, not allowing the rare opportunity to go to waste he's quick to stand back and watch her every move.
"hmm I normally prefer watching you undress, but this is-"
"can you get out on your own" kitty interrupts sharply, her question catches him off guard but it really shouldn't, this isn't the first time he's been rushed out the door last moment 
"I... uh think so" 
"good" turning to leave she stops him 
"i haven't talked to brook yet but i'm hoping to see him later at the spot" "what time and what spot are you talking about" 
"The same place we first did it and i'm not sure when, certainly in the afternoon, but i'll text you later when I know, now hurry" 
"ok bye" 
"and one other thing" 
"i thought you just told me to hurry" she grabs hold kissing him passionately
"let's do that again tonight" 
"y-yeah~" 
"alright now go for real this time go, love you" 
"love you too" at that he opens the door fleeing into the alabaster hallways, one shoe yet tied, pants tattered frome days of ceesless pleasure.

13-brook wakes to a sudden knock at the door, the clock reads 11:35, 
"we need to talk right now" growls mother from beyond, sitting up straight as an arrow every event of the night prior return like a backhanded slap to the face. the cell so cold and lonely, fathers baleful glare and most of all graces nudeness... not all the memories are bad, mostly it was a nightmare come true, the blood drain frome his face knowing what a storm must be brewing beyond the relative safety of his bedroom 
"I'll be waiting in the kitchen". standing brook  dresses taking as much time as he reasonable be expected, there's no use putting it off any longer, every step down the hall feels like dragging leed weights strung around his chest,  with one final heaving step he enters the kitchen. she sits waiting at the small kitchen table, legs and arms crossed, eyes burning with cold fury and yet scariest of all she outwardly seams perfectly composed 
"so what happened last night?" he swallows before responding 
"i'm sure you already know" 
"yes i do, sit down" 
"i...i" everything comes crashing down, his mouth totally dry, words just out of reach, what could he possibly do but stare at the wood floor.
"look at me" there eyes meet 
"last night, after what happened I talked things over with Grace's mother, she isn't pleased" 
"I'm sorry" 
"but..." his eyes widen slightly 
"grace did tell her everything, including you trying to stop her" 
"but it was still my fault" 
"yeah, it mostly was, but from her perspective she doesn't think so" 
"grace?" 
"yes" 
"she's realy not upset?" 
"no she said you didn't force her and that you'd even stayed by her side while she was sick". tears begin forming in his eyes and no matter how hard Brook tries they won't go away, he feels mother's gentle hands holding his 
"after what happened last night i can't blame you, just promise me you won't ever see that awful friend of yours again...devin" 
"obviously" 
"don't be snarky, i'm still upset and so are her parents, I'm just happy to know you're safe that's all that really matters anyways". he sits back in his chair "where's dad?" in an instant her gaze clouds over, darkening by the second
"he left early this morning, the moment I got home" again? he ponders, probably not great to push the subject 
"will I be able to see her again?" 
"her? mmh well Grace's parents want to talk to you" a shiver creeps down his spine 
"they do?" 
"obviously" remarks mother  
"when?" 
"now" 
"right now?" 
"i'll be in the car".

14-sitting uncomfortably as can be his ears twitch as another memory return's 
"aren't dad parents coming over today" "they got a bit delayed, but yes they are"  "when?" 
"any time, that's why i'm dropping you off" there eyes meet in the rear facing mirror 
"well I have to run home and clean up before they arrive, we wouldn't want them to see how much of a mess our place is" 
"but why can't you just take me home after I apologize or whatever?" 
"because you have legs, use them, and try to be home before dinner tonight" their conversation is cut short as she pulls up. she's quite too quiet
"is somethin-"
"i'll go in first and tell them your here" she turns back smiling so fondly, he only nods in response, hands quivering slightly under her ever-imposing gaze, only a few seconds but it feels like a lifetime as he contemplates what to say, but eventually mother steps out. no phone to keep himself occupied, what's taking her so long? onto the front porch mother steps beckoning him over. there's no point delaying any longer 
"hold your head up high and stop slouching for goodness sake, its not like they're going to eat you" a little shove from behind forces him forwards, he stumbles in the house like a drunk, and there sits graces mother and father. they lounge carelessly, feet splayed out from a comfortable position on their couch, "hey" 
"take a seat, any one" sighs her father, he nods half-heartedly accepting the nearest spot, it's an old rickety arm chair directly across from the pair. 
"you want any coffee or tea?" graces mother sighs standing  
"no... but thank you" 
"you sure I promise we wont poison you" "mabie peppermint tea if you have any?" "yes of course, peppermint with a side of cyanide" she finishes quietly trotting off to the kitchen. 
"so you and my daughter had a bit of fun last night it seems" mumbles father, Brook blushes profusely 
"it wasn't like that" 
"'that' wasn't what I was inferring" 
"oh...", the older man smirks as he hangs his head in shame 
"brook we have known you since you were born, my little girl has known you since she was born, you've always been like an older brother to her, I hate to sound like a broken record but I'm not upset just a bit disappointed" his words sting like thorns on an open wound especially with the focus on this not being the first time whatever that means. Her mother arrives back carefully balancing the very full tea, he takes it graciously being struck with the familiar pleasant minty burn, it's enough to almost forget, hopefully it's not laced with deadly poison. 
"if I may add, where not blaming you for everything we'd just like you to understand how much this hurt us"
"I understand and I'm so sorry" she sits forwards 
"I'm glad to hear that because you mean the world to grace, but still, how can we be sure you'll never let this happen again" he laughs slightly taking a sip of his piping hot tea 
"I...I just won't" the pair eye him critically "i'm serious" he wilts slightly 
"That's not enough brook, and you know it" mutters father 
"how could I?" 
"you could start by apologizing" 
"you mean i can still see her?". they pass glances between each other as if psychically convening, it's mother who speaks this time 
"you can't see it can you?" he stares at the pair, bewilderment clear as daylight on his face 
"what?" 
"she's obsessed with you, you're all she talks about and as soon as we mention it she gets all shy, our girl doesn't do that with anyone else" brooks sits staring into nothingness. 
"but why?" 
"oh I don't know brook" grumbles father with a slight grin 
"is she ok?" 
"yes she's doing much better than last night, you wanna see her?" his shock must be palpable as both parents snicker like school kids 
"i really can see her again!?" there laughter subsides 
"only if you promise both of us something else, and its a lot more then just an apology" the change in tone leaves him feeling uneasy, but whatever it is he already knows his answer. mother takes hold of fathers hand turning to the boy 
"after last night, not what you two did but what happened at the school... please promise both of us you'll take care of her if anything..." she trails off eyes clouding over,  but you'd be forgiven for missing it, doing her best to put on a pleasant smile she stands
"i'll get her, just wait here". leaving brook no chance to respond she's gone, striding down the hall loudly,  'bang bang bang' 
"you can come out"  the instant her door swings wide all previous misgivings vanish like frost under sun, there eyes meet and for just a moment brook expects her to slam the door in a rage but allas his expectations are forsaken, fast as lightning she's apon him, they embrace like never before.
"I missed you" whispers grace a subtle sob in her tone
"I missed you too", he doesn't even notice  her parents quietly leaving the room too entrenched in comforting the sobbing girl, and himself 
"I have something i've been wanting to show you" she steps back eyes still shimmering, 
"ok... where is it?"
"well it's not something that I've actually got on me...". they leave walking close at each other's sides, brook sets a casual pace towards the ruins of their school, hands itching with the urge to reach out and take hers 
"what did you want to show me?"
"It's a surprise but first i wanna make a stop at...". the ruins come into view, for some moments he searched for the words, anything that could possibly express this feeling 
"shit" 
she follows his gaze to the school and beyond 
"there was a bakery, I was gonna get a cake" and sure enough the remains of the small bakery however difficult it is to recognize wait just ahead. where half of the building sat nothing remains but... just nothing 
"fuuuuck, I wanted to grab a cake". she smirks at him 
"why?" 
"well it was supposed to be a surprise, but me and kitty were talking and she told me she'd be waiting at her secret spot outside- wait you've never been there, oh nevermind, I was supposed to bring snacks" 
"firstly is cake really a snack? And second what are you on about?" "anything's a snack if you're hungry enough and you'll see" he tries not to meet her sidelong glance 
"it would've been to share of course". approaching the ruins, hope glimmers in his eyes no matter how faint, the whole thing's nothing more than loose rocks and broken glass crudely held together by shear force of will, but among that nothingness sits a sizable hole.
"maybe I still can" brook picks his way forwards over the shattered shards, leg catching on loose timber, upon closer inspection what appeared moments earlier to be little more than a hole seems to open up into a large cavern. "what are you doing?!?" she calls doing her utmost to get a better view 
"that's dangerous"
"I'll be fine", his foot vanishes under a wall leaving her entirely alone to wait in dreadful silence 
"i found something" only when a few more moments pass is the object visibly, it appears to be some ornately decorated paper box. 
"what the heck did you find?" 
"come see" she makes her way over the rubble picking each step carefully, beneath heavy dust there is a plastic screen
"It's a cake, a really expensive looking one... this isn't this stealing is it?" he shrugs whilst admiring the artifacts fine strawberry icing
"do you really think he'll be back for his cakes" 
"no..." 
"well there you go". as one they make there way out of the ruble field 
"you could have been hurt, and if you keep doing stuff like that I'm going to have to tell my mom" 
"but i wasn't hurt and if anything I'm teaching you survival skills" 
"please be more careful i don't want to have to pull you out of the from beneath a boulder" 
"I was being perfectly careful" she huffs evidently too tired to care. The pair's walk continues in silence, brook allowing grace to take his hand, they pass houses upon houses almost all silent and desolate, at most a lone cat sits licking its paw on the front steps, the further they travel the more it becomes obvious just how many people have already left, there are items strewn about and even doors left open. 
"grace" he squeezes her hand lovingly "my dad mentioned us moving away" "what the fuck!" the pain in her tone hits him in the gut 
"when?" 
"I...I don't know, his parents are over today and they're going to talk about it" "and you didn't tell me sooner, please don't go~" his footsteps become uneven 
"i don't think i have a choice" 
"alright, I have a big suitcase all that I'd need to do would be to pop a few breathing holes in it and-". he's quick to raise his hand
"that wouldn't work" 
"why wouldn't it" no longer does she seem angry, but that isn't any relief to Brook, one quick look at the girl reveals her eyes full of tears which isn't any better. 
"can we talk about this later" 
"no!, you won't be here later" he pauses to glance up the road there walking, Kitty's mansion isn't far
"be quiet, or they'll hear us" 
"don't change the subject" she gasps 
"is that why you're taking me all the way out here as a goodbye?". the way really isn't far now but they can't stay on this path any longer, speaking not a word he makes his way to the edge of the road and only then does Brook whisper 
"we're not far from the spot I mentioned, but there is a little bushwhacking from this here on" evidently not satisfied by his quick dismissal she goes to interject
"grace... can we please talk about this later, before I leave". she growls getting her clothes caught on clinging bramble, Grace isn't far behind him
"you doing alright
"what does it look like"
"sorta?" his words fall on deaf ears, she falls silent for the rest of the walk. he's the first to break out onto the riverbank although it's only when she's free does he truly appreciate the sight, looming willows drape tendrils into opalescent water crawling between ancient roots which weave together like a birds nest along the far shore, sandy souls produce tiny shutes of plants unknown rusted by will of that curresing breeze, it's all so alive. 
"will you come back to visit me" she's so much quieter than before, brook takes her in his arms  
"obviously", grace pulls away softly, tears not gone though reduced to sniffles 
"thanks" wiping her nose she glances back the way they came through thick underbrush 
"what is this place?" 
"it's Kitty's secret", he takes her hand in his but she pulls away, not with any disdain or rebut just. shoes off, nose twitching, stepping onto golden sand "whatcha doing", she tilts her head 
"this place is really nice, how... does no one know about this?" another foot forward, tiny golden grains push between her toes
"its on private property, kitty's parents private property" that stops grace  
"and there ok with us being here?" 
"they don't even know it exists" "awesome...". in the time it takes him to find a spot to sit she's already knee deep
"i didn't bring any swimming gear but it's still really nice" 
"well I'm gonna swim" 
"I don't want to get my clothes wet, but you can" 
"who said anything about clothes", in that instant, birds the ever-present chorus falters, it's as if the whole world fell silent.
 he looks at her with the slightest hint of a grin, but she doesn't turn to meet his gaze
"we can't" 
"why not" 
"somebody will see us", grace pauses, turns about with clockwork precision, and sighs
"like you said, its private property". he watches her return, a girl so new she might as well be a stranger, 
"what's that look about~" brook stands stiff as a board not daring to look at her "don't be so weird, you've already seen me naked when we were young, now get undressed i don't want to swim alone", grace frowns slight
"if it helps we can both turn around"
"I...I'll keep watch for Kitty, she should be here any minute" 
"Brook" he pries his eyes from the shimmering sands, meeting her amused gaze 
"just get undressed I promise I won't make fun of you". 
"then...turn around" 
"sure" it's difficult not imagining her naked, especially when she makes such a scene about it, by the time he's down to nothing more than underwear she's begun whistling a tune, some sort of bad romance song
"That's really not helpful Grace"
"hm? why not, I like that song".
"I'm...I'm done" 
"hmm, yes I see" turning about, there eyes meet in the rippling shallows
"grace!" he cries 
"so i can turn around?" 
"just get in the water!"  the girl laughs wildly as she leaps in 
"ooh I didn't think it'd be this cold" 
"its glacier run off, you should've known that" unlike his friend Brook's far more cautious, toes in than feet
"hurry up!". by the time he's as deep as her nearly half an hour has passed 
"I can barely touch the bottom" Grace's eyes focus distantly 
"say...you want to race to that rock over there?" she lifts a sodden arm pointing to the opposite bank, a small rock or tree peaks above the surface, Brook can't tell.
"no we can't" 
"of course we can c'mon" 
"no I really can't"  his expression isn't anything she's been experiencing or hoping for, unabashed shame
"what's wrong?" 
"grace... I can't swim" silence reins.

15-Kitty lounges careless to the world outside her phone, when had she fallen into an endless death scroll?  she sits on the grandest couch they own overlooking the town bathed under blaring midday sun "you're father and I were talking about putting you in summer classes" she places her phone on the side table. "again with this, my marks are more than adequate" her mother stands, and takes on an ice cold scolding tone  
"a B isn't a good mark especially at this dump of a school, you should set higher standards for yourself or at the very least don't shame our family name" 
"if father's so worried why doesn't he talk to me himself". 
"firstly I'm also worried, not just your father, don't always assume he's the one pushing, and secondly he's a very busy man made all the more by this ridiculous war", Kitty lays back staring at the ceiling, it's so white, enough to burn the eyes
"I wish we never moved..." 
"you know exactly why we did" she ignores the brewing fury in her mothers tone 
"i miss my friends, my old name and-" "ENOUGH!" Kitty doesn't even flinch. 
"we are not having this fucking conversation again, if you have so much time to waste arguing about such ridiculous things you have time to study". "sure, fine by me" she stands hardly able to suppress a smirk, her mothers watching like a viper 
"I'll study" she passes her trying very hard not to look up lest those eyes, piercing loveless things
"i expect you won't be seeing those 'friends' of yours again" . a shiver passes down kitty's spine 
"i haven't seen them in months, mother" she only smiled, an almost pleasant smile if it wasn't for those eyes 
"I know my girl, you've always taken your studies very seriously", even the stairs leading deep into the buildings foundation are ornate, but at least this is the  place the maids don't visit. although the further she walks the less maintained it all seems, old door frames line a long hall which itself is only one of many offshoots sprouting from the main stairwell, some have doors, most don't. she chooses the second to last on her left sliding open the rickety but well oiled door, kitty supposes her mothers maids do come down hear occasionally, what a room, she'd often wondered how much all this old junk would be worth, probably a small fortune, the table and shelves alone look more ancient than most countries. none of that matters anyways because its not like her family needs anymore money, with a sharp click she locks the door behind herself, the light splutter to life, striding quickly and quietly like her namesake Kitty taps the wall listening, not there, several step forwards tapping never ceasing. There! her fingers know the way around this wood better than almost any other, only a little shoving and heaving later and what at first seemed like solid panelling  falters giving way to nothingness. the abyss it's great maw as imposing as ever, excavated diligently by some large wild creature, it seems to stare into her soul calling silently, reaching out with ghostly tempting tendrils, but allas  having done this countless times before she doesn't fear. the dirt grazes Kitty's back cold and slick, right now would be a stupendously poor time for an earthquake, as she inches forwards through the darkness relief at first a trickle begins flooding through every fibre as light breaks on the horizon, beautifully blinding light, birds chirping, water gurgling, she dusts herself off emerging from the half collapsed shed. smelling the freshness of forest, the mist so cool and refreshing drifting through the air and clinging to her body fills her with determination, a well beaten path leads through the underbrush, so as to be careful not to prick her bare feet she picks the same way forwards as all other times, the river becomes audible and laughing? graces laughing? interest perked Kitty, she pushes aside the last brambles and is met with a most delightful sight.

16-"lay back slowly like I showed you, don't worry i won't let go" he listens allowing his feet to leave the bottom, her little hands tickle the small of his back
"now try kicking" panic rises like a flashflood, brooks attempted kick only descends into pitiful floundering, 
"no not like that" laughs grace hardly able to keep him up
"I can't do it!" 
"yes you can, now try again" "but how?" "trust that you'll float and relax your muscles" 
"but what if i don't" 
"then i'll catch you". a tad more hesitantly he gets on his back 
"now kick slowly" it begins with a kick, then another 
"its working, your moving" remarks grace blissfully 
"now i'm going to let go" 
"noooo don't!" 
"the waters slow you'll be fine, just relax" her hands drift away cautiously 
"your doing it all on your own, now try swimming" by no reasonable metric would his method be effective but it seems enough half confident floundering works. 
"your doing it!" she pulls up closer placing her cheek against his, Grace whispered playfully 
"you look so cute" 
"do i now?" 
"so cute I could-" she cuts off sharply,  breathless wheezing in place of words, Brook's floundering turns to drowning, "what's wrong" he coughed spitting mouth fulls of water 
"you scared the life out of me". she's not looking at him, but past with wide nearly bloodshot eyes
"how long have you been here" wails grace 
"long enough" remarks kitty gleefully, the pair rush from the water trying, and failing to cover themselves 
"I've already seen both of you love birds naked, so what's the rush?" 
"It's not like that!" sputters brook tossing  a shirt over his wet fir, instantly soaking it through 
"you two should really dry off before dressing". 
"she's right" grace is just as soaked as him, perhaps more so with such long fur
"we only brought one change, we'll have to dry first and without towels..." his shoulders slump, despite not wanting it to be so she's right, they sit comfortably as can be given everything on a bleached log overlooking everything, Kitty's on Brook's side either oblivious to his discomfort or not fussed enough to care, there's a rustling frome the bushes snapping them out of there reveries. all heads turn as one, but it's only rand, he's wearing more clothes than all three combined which really isn't saying much 
"whose idea was it to give plants thorns..." they catch his mutterrences just as he's looking up
"hey kitty.." his eyes widen, the whites looking ready to burst 
"you two are naked" 
"really I didn't notice" growls grace. Brook personally braces himself for the onslaught of questions sure to come  
"is that cake?" he's forgotten about it, just sitting on a mossy carpet like some ancient forlorn treasure
 "yeah, it's a cake" sighs brook 
"can I have some?" 
"go ahead", kitty glances at the two bewildered 
"why did you bring cake?" 
"you told me to bring snacks" 
"that's not a..." rand takes a greedy handful not even bothering to look for a fork, you'd swear Kitty's eyes where about to burst from there socket 
"rand!!" she roars. Brook and Grace are left to their own, he can't remember a time in these last few years where he'd watched the sunset with anyone, not with any school friends or family, she leans into his side, reddish sunlight crests her face, closed eyes seeming to glow, how could he possibly leave this behind.
"brook?" 
"yea?" 
"could you put your arm around me, i'm cold" and so the boy does, she's already mostly dry, long since has there argument over the cake fades to little more than a distant hubbub, it's easy to forget they're not alone.an hour passes without notice, only when a crane swoops low plucking a large fish of some type does he notice, she's sleeping, kitty takes a seat next to brook, a silvery outline as rand plays his phone 
"is she sleeping?" 
"yeah I think so" 
"your message earlier about moving" "hmm, what about it?" he moves to shift but stops himself 
"does it seem like it's going to happen?" 
"I hope not" 
"that's not enough" her tone picks up a scolding edge.
"I don't know, why are you asking all of a sudden?" 
"its just... can i be blunt with you?" "your always blunt but never this serious Kitty, so please tell me" 
"grace...", he glances over to see Kitty rolling her shirt curled hair between two fingers 
"you're the only person she would willingly undress in front of and now look at her" 
"yeah... I see, but what's your point?". "she may be fairly mature for her age but she is ultimately only sixteen and your nearly-" 
"its not like that" cuts in brook sharper than he'd perhaps meant
"I know, that wasn't what I was getting at anyways", silence reigns, kitty passes a longing gaze over the  rippling river, a gentle breeze sway her short hair.
"shortly before I snuck out I was on my phone and there was a video with over a thousand views,  now I'm not sure how it got so many views without having been struck but still, it was grace... last night", somebody's dog barks, it's a hollow sound
"she'll never be able to show her face at school again, her life is about to become hell". 
"why are you telling me all this" he asks, tone betraying his denial 
"I know she isn't your responsibility but losing you then having to deal with the fallout of... you know..." for a time only crickets fill the silence, Kitty doesn't like silence 
"you've known her for a lot longer than you've known me, Brook, what do you think"
"its out of my control kitty" "of course I'll do what I'm able to for her, but that probably isn't much, please just try" 
"I will", she stands 
"Rand let's go back to my place" 
"yup". time flows like putty, slowly whisking between his fingers without end, Brook wishes this could all just stop, that time could stand still, it's uncaring will bending just this once. by exhausting or comfort it's becoming increasingly difficult to keep his eyes open, the last of the sunlight fades over the horizon leaving them in darkness, not true inky night, beneath palid moonlight an owl sits perched on a tree whose branches bob lazily on the rivers surface, the creature hoots loudly. she jumps awake instinctively clinging to Brook 
"what was that?" 
"just an owl" 
"oh...", she's quite once more 
"It's late, we should be getting home" "already?" 
"i'm sure it's already past nine" 
"just a few more minutes" 
"a few...", Grace lays her head back into him, her eyes fall on the spot where the owl has just been 
"where did Kitty and Rand go?" 
"they left while you were sleeping a few hours ago" 
"did they like your cake?", he smirks
"rand shure did, I think he may have taken it" 
"he'll eat anything" 
"yup". minutes pass them bye and it only gets darker yet, brook stands fumbling for his clothes, 
"don-don't look at me like that...", she doesn't look away
"you can look at me all you'd like, but Brook, why don't you want me too look", the tension building in his shoulders reaches it's zenith, only to falter than totally fall flat
"it just seems weird, especially after last night" she opens her mouth to speak but is cut short
"I know we've known each forever and you've already seen me like this when we were younger, but it's different now" 
hands on hips she watches him
"I was gonna say... that it's fine". grace dresses first choosing neither to be quick nor slow while he takes a more rapid approach, in no time they're ready, the underbrush is an abyss, where moonlight reached under opens sky's arches trees, she takes his hand in hers but neither really lead, despite one another's presence offering some form of comfort when at last streetlights illuminate there section of underbrush both are left heaving sighs of relief.
 they finish making their way through the brambles always close at each other's side, it doesn't take much longer to be back on the main road, hand in hand they walk, under such faint light one might think it less likely you'd notice anything new for the first time, but perhaps that isn't too surprising. never until now has he listened so intentionally, all the creatures that exist among nearly every tuft of grass, all the insects active at this hour, Grace notices much the same although her mind is elsewhere, someplace totally private to herself, some place he'd not understand. She squeezes his hand tighter 
"could we spend some more time together tomorrow?" 
"I'd love to" 
"you would?" 
"you make it sound like I don't like you, I mean sometimes I'd rather not have you around but overall you're pretty fun" that warrants a tiny giggle 
"you're nice to have around hmf, most of the time", his house comes into sight crouched there somewhat imposingly. 
"grace?" 
"mhmm?" 
"I..I" he reddens as she watches on 
"I want you to know you're very important to me and i'm sorry for saying you weren't beautiful last night" his final word erupts like a long held in breath
"its ok, I probably wasn't", he smirks 
"no not then", she goes quiet, similarly reddened, one deep breath 
"what do you think now, tell the truth" 
"no matter what I'd said before you're beautiful and intelligent, more than I can say for myself" she grabs hold of him "don't be like that, your perfect they way you are" 
"thanks". they arrive outside his house "can you make it home on your own?" "yeah" 
"alright i'll be seeing you tomorrow" "aren't you forgetting-" he cuts her off ponderously 
"I think I may be" brook takes Grace in his arms holding her smaller form close she's so warm to the point of near fever, he can feel her pulse and it's racing 
"I love you grace", breathless quiver heavy she responded 
"I love you to".

17-dry grass crunches beneath his feet, he strides up to the front door, an invisible force stops him, it's not like she'd know, is my face still red? was she watching swinging, now with less strut he slides the door open as quietly as possible 
"your home late" mother sits reading a book under an old time worn lamp. 
"I lost track of time, sorry" 
"It's ok, how'd it go?" 
"it went well" 
"take a seat", sinking into the velvet couch an entire day's worth of exhaustion hits in an instant, it's like being wrapped in a warm embrace. 
"did her parents take it well?" she puts down the book on their small glass coffee table, mother lays back more 
"we talked, neither of them seemed all that upset" 
"I told you they wouldn't be, did anything particular come up?" 
"umm... was something supposed to?" "No, just curious", his eyes widen slightly, there was that last thing her mother said, about something bad happening to them and me taking care of Grace, she watches on imploringly 
"there was one thing her mom brought up near the end...". 
"if you're ok sharing I'd love to know" "maybe...later" 
"ok", crickets can still be heard as a distant murmur, combined with all the other many sounds that fill the night they're nearly indistinguishable, but Brook likes them
"wheres grandma and grandpa?" mother takes a long breath, perhaps caught off guard or simply dreading this moment 
"they never showed up, your father tried getting ahold of them countless times but they never picked up, we're still trying to reach out but-humf" Brook's stomach churns 
"are they ok?". 
"I'm sure it's fine, they're probably just delayed, you know how they can be with tech and somewhat complicated instructions and... anything" 
"I hope so, they're both getting so old now..."
"they are", he makes a move to stand, she makes a move to stop him
"what's up?" mother hesitates, she looks concerned  beyond words, but nothing comes of it, dropping her hand back a little bit of weariness fades
"it's nothing, sleep well" 
"alright... goodnight" 
"goodnight my boy".

among the cloudless midnight sky a lone jet soars, set against the full moon like a soaring abyss 
"target in 9000 meters" he's an old grizzled man, dark body long since faded gray, but despite his old age the mans muscles still bulge almost grotesquely
"copy that" he lays back checking the console clock, it's a little after two Am, a strange yet familiar excitement flows through his body, this is what he's trained for, this is why his men are the best.
"target in sight" 
"ready yourself in ten, nine, eight" the countdown continues steadily in the background, something very wrong, the radar pings as always but the signal is garbled beyond recognition, and yet through the static there is unmistakably an object of some sort.
he pushes down the worm of discomfort welling up in his chest, having dealt with similar issues countless time this really shouldn't be any different 
"control, there appears to be a problem with my radar" 
"abort countdown" sighs the man on the other end who clearly would rather be anywhere else 
"what 'appears' to be the problem". all is silent for some moments, their silent formation continues flying steadily 
"I... I don't know, it's picking up something, an object of sorts? are you getting anything on your end" 
"just drop th- bzzz bo- bzzzzz" static nothing, he feels suddenly very alone "that's odd..." the man leans forwards toggling nobs, pushing blinking lights, he even rebooted the entire console, nothing changed 
"control do you copy?" silence. already more than a little jumpy when it pulls up next to him, he nearly drops the bombs right there and then
"a tube?" no it looks like a massive hovering pill. what was just the seedling of terror sprouts then blossoms, flutters, grows wings and takes flight, breathing in short gasps, whatever it is can match him in every swerve always keeping just out of his close range scanner, it's mocking me! from a deep crevice of his mind echo's a voice, his own voice 
"drop the bomb". it doesn't matter where it lands right? this whole place should be uninhabitable, it moves closer now within range of his scanners, that changes nothing when all systems won't respond, so he looks for himself. the upper part of it's shimmering carapace has a window and beyond that window there are... people? swallowing a lump in his throat hand hovering over the button 
"there's nobody down there, we're bombing empty buildings" one last deep breath 
"I've got to retire after this", click. in the moments that follow he doesn't dare turn to look, 
"bzzzz- come in unit 17, do you copy unit 17" trembling hands he reaches for the mic 
"I copy, just had some technical issues on my end but the mission was a success, i'll be returning back to base now" it's gone completely as if it'd never been there at all
"copy that". 

"grace..." mumbles Brook to himself and nobody else, she stands naked peering over a chasm among woven forest roots, water can be heard reverberating from far below spreading a fine cool mist high into the tree tops,  each droplet is too tiny to see but together they shimmer like airborne diamonds, some accumulate on moss covered branches above,
"I know you're there brook, you're not very quiet" he smiles glowingly stepping out of the bushes 
"I'm not that loud am I?" 
"you are". Grace leans down scooping a small rock before casting it into the chasm 
"you want to join me? or are you just gonna stand there" her gaze is loving and gentle 
"I'd would love to" brook picks his way forwards feeling the soft forest twigs and moss under his bare feet, he too is naked as can be, the mist is very cold yet set against a singal beam of sunlight that finds its way through the dence tree tops it's rather comforting, they're illuminated, practically glowing in contrast to the abyss stretching bellow them. she makes a move and he's to slow, her body tumbles over the edge 
"grace!" silent apprehension, pounding heart until 'sploosh!' 
"it's safe, come join me" Grace's voice resounds from nothingness below. how far down does it go? his feet tingle at the very thought of jumping 
"c'mon Brook, I wanna show you something cool", and yet something stopped him, a distant yet urgent rumble? at the very edge of hearing, is it the water or nothing more than his racing heart. he strains his ears, crazed shouting? panic? its mother! in the merest instant, the blink of an eye everything around him is no more, it becomes nothing but a faint recollection, an afterimage burnt into his vision, now there is only unbound chaos. Brook leaps from bed stumbling to dress as the ground below his feet quivers with a mighty fury, he rushes down the hall hearing something fall and break in the aftershock not paying it a second thought, mother and father stand clutching the kitchen table both pale as a ghost eyes wide enough you'd swear they're about to pop out of their sockets 
"what was that!" would have been what brook wanted to say had it not come out as a wretched weez. the quake still coming in spurts, feeling like it drags on for an eternity, when in reality it lasted moments, fathers the first to speak, albeit weakly but steady 
"both of you, out now" he obeys falling in line behind mother, they muster outside at the driveway. it's visible even from this far away, one might believe dawn had arrived many hours earlier if they where to only look up, where there should've been an evening sky burns coal red clouds, or are those even clouds?
"my service is down" mutter father dragging Brook from his revelries 
"we need to get to the town center" he nods. its clearly difficult for his parents to keep up the act of calm, Brook wishes just this once they'd both speak, it's all too silent, him and the motors growl, 
"do you think Grace is alright?" nobody responded, not long after comes traffic, it's as if every last person who hadn't already left felt the need to check just as Brook's family had
"that's bad...". it's significantly worse closer up than he could've imagined, up to this point there'd been a part of him that had hoped it was only one building, but those hopes and dreams are crushed, there's nothing ahead, and perhaps thats only because smokes screening everything but even so, what could possibly burn that bright? 
"hold on, i'll be right back" she steps out of the car making for the nearest officer at the front of all the traffic stopping cars from going any further, several people honk but where would they even go anyways. their words are lost over distant sirens and voices but the two silhouettes cast against the blazing clouds tell a story words would struggle to encapsulate, the smaller figure being mother stands waving her arms wildly while the larger of the two simply stands cross armed shaking his head every few moments, it would allmost be funny if not given there present situation, at least father seams to think it is, smirking and occasionally chuckling quietly to himself every now and again. but allas whatever argument had been weiged she's clearly lost
"he keeps saying 'it was only a gas line bursting which caused some minor structural damage, and the dumbass refuses to tell me anymore" 
"well at least you tried" remarks father, Brook can't tell whether he's mocking her or not
"yes, at least i did" but one thing's for certain, a fight is brewing 
"i'm sure we can check it out in the morning, can we just go home, i'm tired and it's near three". 
"lets" sighs father,  he cuts a u-turn just barely missing a few vehicles, nightmare left behind them, the rest of the drive is silent, what's left to say after something like that, even as they arrive back home nobody dares speak, above the sky no longer flares he almost commented on that but nobody would've cared anyways. any other day laying in his soft cushy bed surrounded by memories would be comforting, not tonight, as expected he's got no signal, I hope grace is doing alright, I don't see why not, she doesn't live anywhere near there, guilt hurts like a bitch, how could I have forgotten about all those other people. one by one sirens fade,  cool night air is made colder by the absence, how easy it would be to just close his eyes and forget, crickets and an occasional owl sing its long mornfull song, seams he can forget, allmost, sleep comes quickly bringing twisted worlds, wretched fire, but at least it's sleep.

fire so much fire, he coughs as smoke fills his lungs like a heavy blanket over every fiber of his body, 
"wake up!" mouth open but no words come, he tries again calling out and can't, there's a heavy weight on his chest "its eleven wake up". brilliant morning sun shines brightly in his eyes, but he still can't move! 
"morning sleepyhead", blurred vision begins resolving, first it's only a dark blue, eventually everything falls into place and his body jolts to full awareness, a small finger pokes his forehead sending him scrambling in a mad panic. 
"its only me", she leans forwards shading him, without the light in his eyes the situation becomes increasingly evident while simultaneously becoming more confusing then ever, grace sits on his bed watching him with a most impish grin 
"how did you get in here!?!" 
"your mom let me in" 
"into my room..?" 
"well I let myself into your room" 
"where you laying on me", she tilted her head slightly 
"yeah" 
"why?" 
"you're a heavy sleeper" 
"how is that any reason" 
"it just is" 
"ok..." Grace sits watching him expectantly. for some moments the pair stare at one another, it's totally silent say for the very occasional vehicle passing 
"I can't get up untill i'm dressed, can you please get out" 
"you can dress with me here", he blanches 
"just please... it's too weird with my mom around" 
"i'm sure-" 
"please get out" 
"ok ok", the girl stands languidly, she's sure to make a scene about leaving. when Grace's gone at last a thought passed him bye, she could be watching, but what can be done, standing he picks his way through clean laundry having not bothered to put any of it away as usual, a gray shirt, maybe this light brown sweater, it may get cold, and lastly some plain blue jeans to finish off, it dawns on brook that not once has his phone buzzed or made so much as a sound, that only confirms what he'd already realized, he has no signal. 
"you allmost done?" sighs grace voice hollow from beyond, well at least she wasn't watching 
"yeah I'm coming" she's waiting just outside, arms crossed looking more than a little impatient 
"so you wanna check out whatever happened last night?" 
"obviously", 
"Brook! Grace!" the pairs heads spin  unanimously to his mothers voice 
"I made breakfast" she turns back wide eyed 
"I've never been over for breakfast before" 
"there's a first for everything". the table is stacked high with pancakes and overdone bacon 
"oooh looks great" mutters grace with seeming whole hearted admiration, she sits across from brook at the round table mothers in the middle 
"what are you two up to today?" 
"we're planning to check out whatever that was last night" that gives her pause but something in mother cracks a little, she shrugs 
"be careful it could be dangerous" 
"yeah we will, right brook?" he coughs around a mouthful of pancakes, 
"alright... I'm sure you'll both be fine". nearly an hour passes of grace and mother chatting, brook for the most part is left as an onlooker and he's more than alright with that, without warning mother stands indicating an end to the conversation, he'd long since tuned out of whatever they'd been speaking about 
"make sure your home by 9 at the latest, I'm not sure if schools on tomorrow, and Grace, I'll talk to her but I can't guarantee anything". she leaves the two alone, collecting the dishes to wash 
"what did you ask her" mumbles brook as they stand to leave 
"were you not listening?" 
"no not really, well... not at all actually" "oh" she sighed 
"I asked if i could stay over tonight" "here?" 
"yeah" they leave for the door 
"where would you even sleep?" 
"she said I could sleep in your room" he paled.

the streets feel desolate and abandoned, places that where bustling now stand empty, it all seems so wrong, as the pair walk aimlessly there is a strange not so distant sound, they both heard it, voices?, Grace picks up her pace, ears pointed forwards trying to- hoping to get some idea of what's ahead, so unaware of what awful sights await. the crowds formed around the ruins something, at this distance its impossible to tell what's draped over the school, but as they get closer things become clearer 
"that's the cellphone tower" remarks brook, horrified disbelief palpable, grace can only stand staring in shock, lost utterly for words. he approaches a man only a few years older than himself who's watching the scene unfold from a safe distance 
"what are they doing?" asks brook 
"you talking to me?" 
"yeah" 
"I think some kid was playing around the ruins and fell in", grace gasps 
"the poor thing" 
"i'm sure they'll be fine" shrugs the man
"natural selection at work if you ask me", nobody in fact asked him, Brook takes Grace's hand in his before she hits the older man. something else catches his eye, to the left of the crowd several people he doesn't recognize seem to be setting up a platform of sorts,
"do you know what's going on down there?" the man turns, cool disinterest plastered across every feature  
"I don't know, ask them yourself", now it's Brook's turn to look apprehensive 
"you think we should?" she eyes the group, her normal blissfully disposition absent 
"honestly not really, they look scary" "alright... you wana go home?", that gets her thinking 
"Maybe we could explore the ruins?". his lips curl upward 
"really?", Grace scoffed 
"don't sound so surprised" 
"its just not like you" she walks leading him away from the crowds towards a different part of the ruins nearer it's base "your leaving soon, so it could be fun", the fence surrounding what used to be the tower is now utterly destroyed, some of it is left standing but most parts are crushed while others look to have been torn apart, mostly it looks too hazardous. they ponder the predicament until Brook seizes the moment stepping out onto the fallen structure nearly leaving her behind
"w-wait for me" there is a small building in the ruins center, whatever it's made of appears to be nearly untouched despite being directly under the collapsed tower. closer now, she reached out to point "there's a hole" it's concrete foundation has partially collapsed
"good eye, but I don't know if I'll fit", they stop to examine the potential entry
"well I can fit if you can't", he shutters at the thought 
"you're not going in alone" 
"well" Grace crossed her arms
"you'll just have to go ahead of me then". in his hands and knees, this suddenly feels so stupid, behind she waits tapping one foot impatiently and ahead there is an abyss 
"alrighty... I'm going in'
"be careful", the most difficult part is getting down low enough but once he's in the task isn't difficult.
"brook!" her tone sends a shiver down his spine or maybe it's the sight within 
"What's wrong?" 
"well... I don't know, are you in?" 
"yeah it looks safe to me, but Grace you've got to see this"
"what?" but he doesn't respond, moments later comes scrambling and Graces dark haired head erupts from the ground below him. they both stand in the dark room full of blinking lights and servers 
"how are these still online?" he's as speechless as her, at least it didn't seem like a genuine question 
"bzz! bzzz!" 
"what did you touch?" sighs brook "nothing it's this...phone?", a phone is one of many things it could be, the object is mounted onto the wall like an old phone box but not quite the same, it's about her height from bottom to top but it's suspended a couple feet off the ground, a cable as thick as Grace's arm reaches into the concrete floor and hundreds of little light in red and green blink some some sattan Christmas tree, a small mic hangs by its cord down the side. 
"bzzzzz!", they're both nearly floored as the loud alert began playing through unseen speakers
"A 1-9582" through the robotic woman's followed shortly thereafter by dial up sounds, it repeated one more time before totally falling silent, grace clings to his side, but it's he who speaks 
"we should leave" 
"no not yet, I want to try something". one light in particular is a flat static red unlike all the rest, how she noticed such a small detail Brook does not know, and like many of them it too has a switch 
"Grace don't press it"
"I want too" 
"but don't", she flicks the switch 'click'. it all  blazes to life, massive screens taking up almost every usable wallspace, some have maps while others blink 'enter prompt' on a blank background, more interestingly a few seam to show diagnostics for something large. among other points there list details such as south gate closed, chamber-A at 95.3% and east GTS disabled along with other more innocuous messages, 
"woah look at this" she pulls him towards a desk covered in papers signed NAEF, he feels the blood drain from his face 
"we shouldn't be here" she too follows his gaze paling 
"what the fuck, why are they..?", he throws his arms up wildly 
"why the hell would I know what those are doing here"
 "it's the 'national aerospace and engineering firm"
"yeah it's that, so let's get outta here" she nods dropping to the floor.

the pair stand outside hands on knees panting absolutely covered in dirt and other grime
"what was that about" groans grace 
"I wanted to read those", 
"well you saw what was on them" "na... naef, why'd that even matter, not like anyone would've tried to stop us" 
"they probably contained secret government stuff, or something like that". to his plain discomfort instead of looking discouraged an even brighter flame of excitement burns in her eyes "why'd we leave? that sounds so cool!", Brook straightens now having fully recovered 
"are you serious, we could be arrested for even touching them" 
"then we don't touch them" he snaps "this isn't a joke, those are clearly top secret government documents and i've already spent more than enough time in a cell", she puffs out her chest, and to what end he does not know,
"It's abandoned, i'm sure nobody's coming back for them, I mean you did take that cake" 
"that's different, like completely different". on the verge of rebuttal she's cut short, they both forgot the argument, Grace turns ears twitching towards the wretched racket 
"what is that?" 
"I don't know" he follows as she leads, their issues left behind, Grace is first to round the corner, he nearly trips over her, an old man in a dark suit who seems oddly familiar stands on that makeshift platform with an eager crowd gathered bellow, a line of suit clad security separates him frome the bustling people "it looks like some sort of speech?", he nods in turn. they're quick to join the crowd and just in time for the man to clear his throat and begin 
"my name is Davian Alexander and for all the families who lost there loved ones in the recent bombings I am sorry, we've been putting all our thoughts and prayers out to you lost " an irritated murmur flows through the onlookers 
"we're doing our best to bring justice to the culprits and in the meantime we'll be offering emergency housing in the nearby town of shallow well". everything about this feels wrong, whoever this guy is he doesn't seem sorry and what's up with all his suit and ties, one look at Grace is enough to tell she feels much the same. 
"I'll be available for questions over the next few hours-" 
"who are you?" shouts an unknown woman from someplace out of sight 
"I'm a 4 star lieutenant and I was sent here on the orders of jason lancer the head commander at unifalls air force base to bring you this information" 
"what about our home" yells another random boy "i'm sorry but we are doing everything within our power to stop these illegal attacks but-". some large man takes a stand atop an overturned boulder rising above all the rest 
"isn't that the baker you from" whispers grace 
"firstly it wasn't really stealing but yeah ,i think it just might be", he scans over his fellow community member eyes landing on the lieutenant 
"what do you and your 'commander' have to say about our businesses that have been destroyed or all the families that have been torn apart maybe you have something to say about the underfunded hospital overflowing with the injured, many of them severally so, nobody will even tell us why we're being targeted". "there haven't been any report of casualties yet-" a roar passes over the onlookers like waves crashing into rocks, they're left shivering 
"grace-!" a foot comes done on his tail, sensing the mayhem that's imminent several of his suits shuffle closer forming a tight packed circle around himself, in a somewhat unsurprising turn of events the bakers voice resounds from someplace deep in the bustle with unfettered vengeance 
"get him, he knows the truth!". Brook feels a hand grasping his, its a little too large and boney to be Grace's, panicking he go's to pull away, but the grip is unrelenting 
"who has me" screams his inner voice as he's nearly trampled, somebody steps on his foot again another person shoves him aside yet the hand grip his still pulls with unrelenting determination, just as his head drops below the surface, torrent flooding around him, there's light and room to breath. on his knees he finds grace next to him, she looks equally shaken 
"you two shouldn't have gotten involved in that" they look up both equally struck to see their savior, its asha of all people, he'd never noticed until now just how similar she looks to Kitty, the woman stands glaring down at them 
"what were you thinking, if either of your parents were to find out about this..." "sorry" coughs grace 
"get up" she offers her a hand excluding brook who struggles to his feet. Asha with her verdant eyes  watches them, he shrivels beneath that gaze, she's clearly mighty displeased and yet despite everything going on behind them Asha pays no mind to the riot, even as an armored vehicle begins pushing through the crowd. 
"brook" she sighed, there eyes lock 
"I expect you'll be taking her home now" "yes ms.asha" her demeanor softens "try not to get caught up in this nonsense, its not worth it", Grace opens her mouth to speak but whatever she'd been about to say catches, Asha doesn't notice,
"we won't get into any more trouble, promise" 
"good now go home", as they leave it all behind, she speaks 
"who's that lady?"
"Asha's one of my school teachers"
"she's freaky", Brook nods, can't argue that.  

the riots fade behind them as they walk "are you ok?" sighs brook 
"i'm a little bruised up, but i'll be fine" "good, that was really dumb", they're far enough that he allows himself to slow
"i'm surprised you don't know her" she looks away a little bashfully 
"i've seen her before I just don't remember where" 
"she's my science teacher" 
"oh! that's right I saw her talking to my math teacher". his tail started twitching, he'd almost forgotten about school or rather the last day of it, and as if reading his mind she speaks 
"do you miss school Brook" 
"well yeah" 
"for as long as I can remember you always hated getting up early in the morning, what do you miss about it?" he glances away taken off guard by her strange question, aquard moments pass them bye 
"I miss the plainness of it, I never had to worry about bombs dropping on my house or..., it was just so simple and easy then, you get me?". now it's her turn to go silent, he's ready to drop the subject when Grace speaks
"I don't miss it" 
"why not?, you always had such good marks" she reaches for his hand sheepishly 
"I've never had so much fun in my life, I feel so free like I... we can do anything" "Grace, I feel like you've changed so much these last few days, or maybe that's just me..." 
"have I?" homes within sight, what a short walk.
"you used to be so cautious and well behaved, I remember when we were younger every time I'd break any rule you just couldn't help yourself but tell"at first she looked somewhat upset, then confused before finally settling on amusement. 
"I was... wasn't I... I was kinda like that" the house waits before them in the light of early evening, late summer flowers sway in the breeze some of there colorful petals scattered, something in the wind is different, just a bit colder, perhaps a slight bite,  heavy dark clouds of dot the horizon like ink blotches, he places an arm around her shoulder halfway for her comfort, mostly for himself 
"we should go inside, it looks like theres going to be a storm".

much like outside dark clouds lay heavy over both his parents, they sit crosse legged waiting on the couch 
"take a seat" grumbles father the moment he comes into sight 
"a... ok" grace goes for his room only stopping at mothers soft voice 
"we want to talk to both of you" she takes her seat next to brook on the rickety lounge chair, perhaps a little too close for comfort. mother and father who for once appear not to be at odds pass one another strange knowing glances, father turns away locking eyes with brook 
"we're leaving tomorrow, start packing your bags" 
"what!!!" her voice jars the pair out of their reveries, his parents avert their eyes trying and failing to hide their faces, "Grace, he had to have told you already, i'm sorry but its just not safe here anymore, it hasn't been for a long time but we stayed, everyone's already gone and we should've..." Father's mouth hangs ajar. she stands doing everything possible to puff herself up 
"you're bringing me with you" 
"grace no..." whispers brook tugging at her sleeve 
"sit down", she practically gawcs 
"you can't be ok with this!" 
"please sit down" she reminds, mother stands meeting the girls eyes
"Grace I'd like to speak to my son alone" father goes to stand 
"just us". but brook isn't having any of it either 
"I'd like her to be part of this conversation"
"no" retorts mother, he follows as she leads, maybe turning his back on that conversation was a bad idea but there's no going back now, they passed the bathroom,  pictures of times long gone she stopped before his room just to kick the cabinet.
"can you wait here for a few minutes, I really need...", her frown deepened until Brook trailed off no longer able to take her serious 
"I'm sorry Grace, I'll do what I can but-"
"please change her mind" Brook's own bedroom door is slammed right in his face, that's a first.
"did you put that stupid idea in her head" is the first thing she said as he sat
"no" 
"then why is she asking to come, you know she can't", he turns to father for support of any type but the older man's face is an impenetrable stone wall
"I already told her that" 
"then... I shouldn't have snapped" 
"do we really have to go?", he's ready for his question to go unanswered, she sure doesn't look like she'll answer, just as he's ready to speak mother breaths. 
"I was down by the tower today, you must have seen it, and there was that riot and-" "I was there, me and grace" 
"then you know exactly why we can't stay" 
"but isn't there some way I could stay with her, like what if we left together, you've known her mom forever so what if-" 
"I already spoke to her parents, the crazy pair are staying" 
"then i'm staying" 
"don't say such stupid things we have to stick together" she hissed, her tone softens. 
"I know you and grace are close but I don't know what else to say, after all this passes i'm sure we'll find them again" the lie in her tone is so obvious a deaf dog could hear it
"and what if we don't..." "fuck we might not, please brook don't make this any harder than it has to be, just try spending your last night together the best you can" 
 there's no use arguing further  
"can we just leave later tomorrow" 
"of course".

it doesn't take long for her to calm after being promised she'll get to spend most of tomorrow with brook, clouds roil above loosing vast showers across the mountains, torrents rage down there grand frontiers forging new streams and rivers that branch endlessly eventually becoming little more then streams, one such such stream lazily snakes its way past their living room window, it vanished among the rocks. he sits with mother on one side and grace other, father seems to want little part of this, he lounges on the armchair, a movie plays, one that he'd  long since forgotten the title of, a few nachos lay waiting to be eaten on the tin baking tray but he's not hungry, none of them really are. hours pass in a haze, the credits play filling him with deep sadness, one step closer to goodbye 
"is she sleeping?" whispers mother "yeah" 
"you know I told her she could sleep in your room" 
"i know" 
"will you two share a bed?" seeing him tense she forstalls 
"It's your last night together, it could be nice," 
"do you mean...?" the boy reddens 
"no, I meant you two are such close friends it would be nice to be close one last time, I know it's not like... that between you and her" 
"i'll let her decide"
 "that's the right choice, you're a man my love, and i'm not just saying that because i'm your mother" she sits forward to kiss him on the top of his head 
"uh...ok". 
"it isn't your fault", her silky fingers run through his hair 
"I know" 
"i don't think you do, you're still blaming yourself" 
"I wish none of this ever happened" he eventually muttered
"never forget the time you got to spend with her, cherish those memories and i'm sure you'll meet again, if it's meant to happen it'll happen" 
"thanks" she stands 
"I want to spend one last night with her mom, I mean Grace's mom, i'll see you in the morning" 
"I love you" 
"i love you to my boy". a few minutes pass, father's endless snores are a metronome tracking each second in wheezes
"wake up" he prods her gently 
"It's time to actually go to bed" 
"oh, alright" he helps the half asleep grace find her way to his room, she collapses into bed only bothering to take her sweater and shirt off before clonking out once more. brook watches her wondering how much of this she'll remember, his heart fractured just a little bit, he joins her taking off all but underwear, she won't mind, the boys chin rests atop her soft head, the urge to cry or hold her close is almost overwhelming, Brook can't hold it back any longer, he cried.  

rain, so much damn rain, a rabbit sprints through the underbrush afraid of the distant clapping thunder, it finds a small tree hollow to hide in, steady drops of water fall on its tiny pink nose, the creature shutters. it's eyes pale red turn skyward, lightning arks across the roiling cloudscape revealing phantasmal outlines of three large jets, this only frightened the bunny more sending it pushing further into the safety of the hobble, 'drip, drip, drip' eyes slide closed as exhaustion takes over, a fox stirs in the darkness, a rabbit sprints through the underbrush.

"don't you think its overkill sending three of us on this mission?" resounds a young mans voice through the intercom, nobody responds 
"like all we're doing is dropping a small payload-" 
"will you shut up",  jets darker than the darkest clouds glide through tar skies in perfect triangle formation, he reached for the mic hands wrinkled and old 
"I was put in charge as I've the most experience out of either of you, but yes this does seem like overkill, but it's not our place to question authority, that only leads to problems" 'target inbound in 25 kilometers' chimes the robotic voice . "cover me while I prepare" 
"sir there's nothing... copy that" he's done this so many times it could be done in his sleep 'target inbound 15 kilometers', but this time feels a little different, his hand hovers over the button, it would take but a twitch of the hand to end dozens of lives.
'why do they want this, why couldn't they fly these jets themselves, why must I carry the deaths of thousands on my hands' a tremore? that hasn't happened before, how strange 'target inbound 10 kilometers'. 
'it doesn't matter, it never has, when I retire I'll donate to charity or something like that, none of this is my fault' the lights of the towns streat lamps glow bright and warm, not a singal car roaves the night 'target inbound 5 kilometers' his hand drops away from the button 'what if I just didn't do it? could I ever face him again, would i ever see my daughter, I'd be court marshalled at best' he grabs hold of the mic with a sigh. 
"fall into formation" 
"copy that" hand over button a pleasant thought crosses his mind 'the boss was talking about a raise' click.

the two lay together in the nude, fine features cast in the soft candle glow 
"Nichole" brooks mother looks up into her eyes, lakes of opal meeting the taller woman's almond stare 
"hmm?" 
"couldn't you stay another day?" 
"my beautiful clairence~", she tightened her hold on Nichole 
"is that a no?" she sighed 
"I can't, for him, we'll all die if we stay here".
"i'm afraid for her" those dark eyes shut tight,
"don't be, i'm sure it's only a passing phase, she'll get over him and find someone else" 
"do you think so?" 
"she'll find someone else" she repeated with more certainty, clairence glances away seeming to see something in the rooms shadows
"will you find someone else?" 
"never" 
"you and my girl are a lot alike" 
"shhh..., let's just enjoy this last night" 
"I love you nichole, but you have to wake up" cold darkness and that voice repeating, but the warm body never disappeared 
"wake up". Grace shakes his arm 
"where you sleeping?" 
"ummm... yeah I was" 
"i'm thirsty" 
"ok cool, go get some water" she turns to the door 
"can you come" 
"why..?" 
"It's so dark, I don't want to get lost" for a moment he's about to comment about it being a straight line to the kitchen but holds his tongue 
"uh-huh fine just let me get dressed" "you're not dressed?" she asked innocently
"nope". brook stands checking the time, twelve past one
"wow you really weren't dressed" she proclaimed lavasously
"nope". there's no point in dressing fully, so he tossed on the same filthy pants as yesterday and made for the door, he leads her down the hall past the flickering nightlight into the living room where dad still lays snoring, into to shadowed kitchen, she fills a small glass silently as not to wake him. the only light comes frome the streat lamps that shine through the small sink window shimmering with fast flowing rivulets of water, she eyes him above the glass
"aren't you thirsty?" 
"not really" sighing he turns from the window 
"i'm going back to bed" 
"can't you stay just a little longer" 
"are you ok?" 
"its raining so heavily" 
"yes it is" 
"i like the rain" she muttered in tones of a scorned lover
"me to" he sighed belated. the few minutes stretch into ten then twenty, soon thirty minutes pass in relative silence 
"I love you brook" 
"I love you too, but it's really late, can we go back to bed?" 
"ok" she drinks back the water 
"i'm not thirsty anymore"
"I'd hope not", a deep rumble reaches there ears, it drones on and on, different then the thunder prevolent earlier that evening, something about it has their hearts fluttering, an instinct words cannot fully describe
"is that a jet?" whispers grace 
"sounds like it". the ground below their feet trembles alike all the times before, only with multitudes greater fury, they're the pair toppling over onto there sides only just dodging the countless dishes that leap from the cupboards like feral animals let free, fathers awake on his feet terror plaguing those dull sleepy eyes as he turns this way and that only just spotting brook who's clutching grace close in that wretched pile of broken dishes. 
"what are you two doing! Where's your shirt? what was that!?!" the questions don't even register as he pulls grace to her feet, light shines from the clouded window but its to early to be morning, no that's not the sun, its fire. the three watch horrified at what lays beyond, orange so brilliant it hurts to look at, the epicenter is only a few blocks away leaving nothing say for scorched ground where homes stood moments ago while all else not yet leveled burns sending licking flames high into the sky. without a word father rushes to the car, the two close behind, it's like they drove through a portal to hell, blinding collums burn around them, growing increas impossible to look at the closer they get 
"no" stutters grace tears streaming down her cheeks reflecting the orange like lines of magma, father slows "no! no! no! go faster!". Brooks is totally silent, he doesn't cry like Grace does, he doesn't scream like grace is doing, his glossy fur is ablaze, fathers shaking so hard he can hardly keep hold of the wheel 
"I can't... the roads... gone", fire, an abyss of fire is all that remains of what was once the road leading to school, the road to Grace's home. she screams, some part of her soul escapes in those moments, Brook still does not cry out, she looks to his face for anything, a sign of life but there's nothing, the passing minutes blur into a twisted chorus of weeping a sobs. when they returned home neither know, when father left neither of them care, it's only when the sirens fade and the fires died, when torrents of rain and sleep are all that remain, does he speak 
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry".    
 
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