Together Again - Family Reunion
Aligoté was having a hard time believing that his whole family was here. His family, one that had been a direct result of Econtra when there'd been a time that he didn't anything positive could come from that place. But now all of them -- Maria, Khrista, Merlot and himself -- would finally be able to sit and talk to each other. The prospect was so overwhelming that he felt nearly faint, or that he should pinch himself. But he did neither.
So many empty apartments, so few people now inhabiting them. Out of curiosity he climbed the steps to the Ci floor on the second level, wondering if their apartment still held traces of their living, even so many years ago. He expected to find the buildings dilapidated as they'd been when the Warden had first dropped them into the ruined city after the original compound had been destroyed. But everything was as he remembered it, just a bit dusty and stale, and that was all right.
He tried the door to Ci-Okto, and it opened.
---
Merlot waited at the entrance to the Ast-Ci-Dor-Loh first building. She was still giggling over the wide-eyed look when her father had seen her, for apparently she'd only been 10 in the time he'd been pulled from. Oddly, she thought he looked mostly the same.
She'd been told to wait and meet her mother and sister while Aligoté went upstairs to check things out. She bounced impatiently on the balls of her feet, hoping they'd arrive soon. It would be wonderful for them all to be together.
So many empty apartments, so few people now inhabiting them. Out of curiosity he climbed the steps to the Ci floor on the second level, wondering if their apartment still held traces of their living, even so many years ago. He expected to find the buildings dilapidated as they'd been when the Warden had first dropped them into the ruined city after the original compound had been destroyed. But everything was as he remembered it, just a bit dusty and stale, and that was all right.
He tried the door to Ci-Okto, and it opened.
---
Merlot waited at the entrance to the Ast-Ci-Dor-Loh first building. She was still giggling over the wide-eyed look when her father had seen her, for apparently she'd only been 10 in the time he'd been pulled from. Oddly, she thought he looked mostly the same.
She'd been told to wait and meet her mother and sister while Aligoté went upstairs to check things out. She bounced impatiently on the balls of her feet, hoping they'd arrive soon. It would be wonderful for them all to be together.