Challenge #04: Post Secret
Title: Coming Home
Secret:
Word Count: 870
Rating: PG
Original/Fandom: Original, Ryan Russell verse
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): mentions character death
Summary: Ryan is still waiting.
1996
"Ryan, come back here!"
I looked over my shoulder and I could see Mom waving at me, standing next to my sisters and looking mad.
I looked back outside. I didn't want to get in trouble, but maybe the plane would land soon. I could see my breath on the huge window, but no planes. My brother was late.
"Ryan!" Mom shouted again. I knew she was starting to get annoyed.
I ran over to Mom as fast as I could. I knew she could yell at me if she wanted. There were a lot of people around and I was shy.
"I'm sorry," I said to Mom, looking down at my shoes. My Ninja Turtle sneakers almost made me forget what I was doing. They even lit up!
My sisters, the triplets, Riley, Rosalie and Ruby, just laughed at me. They thought they were cool just because they were older than me and in fifth grade. They bothered me a lot and never played with me.
I finally looked back up at Mom. "Next time don't wander off like that." She shook her head. I knew she was worried about me and more importantly, about Randy.
"Where is Randy?" I asked, looking around to where he was going to meet us. He wasn't there.
"I think he missed his flight. He could have at least called using a pay phone or something."
"Yeah, but we're not home, so he couldn't talk to us." Riley asked. She was the loud one, I think because she was a whole hour older than the other triplets.
"Maybe we already left before he called," Ruby said and Riley shrugged. She was bored.
Riley turned to Mom. "Can we go home?"
Mom nodded slowly. "I guess so. The next flight from LA is tomorrow morning."
"I call front!" Riley said, almost starting to run through the airport. She quickly stopped and started walking. She must have remembered that I just got yelled at for the same thing.
"No fair! You always get the front seat." Ruby said and frowned. She was spoiled, even though I was the youngest. She got more clothes and toys than anyone else. Plus, she also got to go to dance class. Not that I wanted to dance, but Mom said I couldn't even take karate. She said Ruby was talented and karate was dangerous. Of course it was dangerous! That's what made it fun!
The triplets fought with each other all the way to the car. Mom held my hand in the parking lot, even though I didn't need it. I'm in first grade now. I think it made her feel good to think I was still a little kid, so I let her.
We got home, but there was no message from Randy on the machine. Mom said maybe he was in a hurry and didn't leave one. She tried to call him, but he didn't answer.
==
2016
"Hey, Ryan, We're gonna miss our flight!"
I looked over my shoulder and Audrey chuckled at me.
Out on the tarmac, a service truck drove by. For a moment, I saw movement out there, a shadow of what could have been. It jumped around for a second and it was gone. The ground was gray and bare compared to the crowded terminal. My breath clouded up the window. There was no one out there.
"Earth to Ryan," Audrey laughed again at my expense. She seemed to be really enjoying this. I knew I was probably blushing. I hated being caught with my head in the sky.
"I'm sorry," I sighed and made an excuse. "I'm just tired."
"Well, come on," She smirked. "I can't wait to start our Disney World adventure."
I laughed a little. This would be our first vacation, just her and me. Audrey always seemed to have so much energy and was game for anything. She was younger than me, she was still trying to figure everything out while I was working 9-5. It was refreshing and tiring somehow, all at the same time.
She picked up her cute little bag and started walking towards our gate.
I was still thinking about Randy.
He died on the way to the airport that day.
My family never really talked about it, but I missed him all the time. He was the one person I always looked up to. My dad was a good man, but he was very reserved and he worked a desk job all day. Randy had wanted to join a band and travel the world.
Randy was only 16 when he died, on his way home from visiting our uncle in LA. He went by himself because we all had school and his high school was off for the summer.
I never heard the whole story from my family, but I looked it up on the internet once. Randy had always been adventurous and he made a stupid mistake getting on the train. He was crushed.
I never told anyone about my brother. I just didn't want to talk about it.
Sometimes I still pictured him coming home after all this time. He would smile and joke, like no time had passed at all. I didn't understand it when I was younger and a part of me still wanted to believe he was out there somewhere.
I didn't want to imagine that he was never coming home.
Secret:
Word Count: 870
Rating: PG
Original/Fandom: Original, Ryan Russell verse
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): mentions character death
Summary: Ryan is still waiting.
1996
"Ryan, come back here!"
I looked over my shoulder and I could see Mom waving at me, standing next to my sisters and looking mad.
I looked back outside. I didn't want to get in trouble, but maybe the plane would land soon. I could see my breath on the huge window, but no planes. My brother was late.
"Ryan!" Mom shouted again. I knew she was starting to get annoyed.
I ran over to Mom as fast as I could. I knew she could yell at me if she wanted. There were a lot of people around and I was shy.
"I'm sorry," I said to Mom, looking down at my shoes. My Ninja Turtle sneakers almost made me forget what I was doing. They even lit up!
My sisters, the triplets, Riley, Rosalie and Ruby, just laughed at me. They thought they were cool just because they were older than me and in fifth grade. They bothered me a lot and never played with me.
I finally looked back up at Mom. "Next time don't wander off like that." She shook her head. I knew she was worried about me and more importantly, about Randy.
"Where is Randy?" I asked, looking around to where he was going to meet us. He wasn't there.
"I think he missed his flight. He could have at least called using a pay phone or something."
"Yeah, but we're not home, so he couldn't talk to us." Riley asked. She was the loud one, I think because she was a whole hour older than the other triplets.
"Maybe we already left before he called," Ruby said and Riley shrugged. She was bored.
Riley turned to Mom. "Can we go home?"
Mom nodded slowly. "I guess so. The next flight from LA is tomorrow morning."
"I call front!" Riley said, almost starting to run through the airport. She quickly stopped and started walking. She must have remembered that I just got yelled at for the same thing.
"No fair! You always get the front seat." Ruby said and frowned. She was spoiled, even though I was the youngest. She got more clothes and toys than anyone else. Plus, she also got to go to dance class. Not that I wanted to dance, but Mom said I couldn't even take karate. She said Ruby was talented and karate was dangerous. Of course it was dangerous! That's what made it fun!
The triplets fought with each other all the way to the car. Mom held my hand in the parking lot, even though I didn't need it. I'm in first grade now. I think it made her feel good to think I was still a little kid, so I let her.
We got home, but there was no message from Randy on the machine. Mom said maybe he was in a hurry and didn't leave one. She tried to call him, but he didn't answer.
==
2016
"Hey, Ryan, We're gonna miss our flight!"
I looked over my shoulder and Audrey chuckled at me.
Out on the tarmac, a service truck drove by. For a moment, I saw movement out there, a shadow of what could have been. It jumped around for a second and it was gone. The ground was gray and bare compared to the crowded terminal. My breath clouded up the window. There was no one out there.
"Earth to Ryan," Audrey laughed again at my expense. She seemed to be really enjoying this. I knew I was probably blushing. I hated being caught with my head in the sky.
"I'm sorry," I sighed and made an excuse. "I'm just tired."
"Well, come on," She smirked. "I can't wait to start our Disney World adventure."
I laughed a little. This would be our first vacation, just her and me. Audrey always seemed to have so much energy and was game for anything. She was younger than me, she was still trying to figure everything out while I was working 9-5. It was refreshing and tiring somehow, all at the same time.
She picked up her cute little bag and started walking towards our gate.
I was still thinking about Randy.
He died on the way to the airport that day.
My family never really talked about it, but I missed him all the time. He was the one person I always looked up to. My dad was a good man, but he was very reserved and he worked a desk job all day. Randy had wanted to join a band and travel the world.
Randy was only 16 when he died, on his way home from visiting our uncle in LA. He went by himself because we all had school and his high school was off for the summer.
I never heard the whole story from my family, but I looked it up on the internet once. Randy had always been adventurous and he made a stupid mistake getting on the train. He was crushed.
I never told anyone about my brother. I just didn't want to talk about it.
Sometimes I still pictured him coming home after all this time. He would smile and joke, like no time had passed at all. I didn't understand it when I was younger and a part of me still wanted to believe he was out there somewhere.
I didn't want to imagine that he was never coming home.