TM #268 - The End
He doesn't really know why he's doing it, but he can't sleep. Sally's working the night shift, his brother is off with Schroeder, Charlie is avoiding Lucy, and Lucy's out doing whatever it is she does when she's not terrorizing him.
The apartment is empty of noise but he'll fix that soon enough. His parents, over the years, have filmed everything, and he remembers being annoyed with it then, but right now, he's thankful for it.
Popping in a video (and how lucky that he still has that VCR around) he settles back down on the pink, fluffy, couch and watches.
The first baseball game they ever won. What a fluke that his parents were there, recording that. They'd stopped showing up to games after their first disasterous season, but that game, Charlie was stuck at school, Linus had stepped up to pitch and it was a shut out.
Camera pan to Charlie's disappointed face as he arrives late and sees the last triumphant pitch.
There's a reason Linus never got into baseball more.
Now there's Snoopy with Woodstock. And his blanket. He laughs a little, watching his 8 year old self argue with a dog. He remembers Snoopy being so communicative, and yet watching the screen, all he sees is a dog and a boy. And the blanket. He looks over to the pillow and grins. He still has it, no matter how many times Sally's threatened to throw it out. Lucy once donated it to Goodwill. He paid 5 bucks to get it back. Best five bucks he ever spent.
The screen fills with Schroeder's first school concert. Lucy must've filmed this one. The crush she had on that boy didn't go away for years, not until she first started to date Charlie Brown...and what a headache that turned into.
And then there's Sally. She hasn't changed at all. The same bubbly smile, the same forgetful attitude. She's sitting in a beanbag, arguing with Charlie. When was this filmed, he wonders, tilting his head. Oh yeah. Then he sees that little pathetic excuse for a tree. Christmas.
He's filmed this one, he remembers now. His voice comes across the television and he winces a little. So high pitched, but it's good. The whole crew is there, sitting around the Brown living room. Franklin. Peppermint Patty. Marci. Charlie. Sally. Schroeder. Rerun. Lucy. Pigpen.
Lucy's glaring at the screen. "Can't you turn that off, you blockhead?"
The screen sways from side to side. "It's important to remember who we were in order to move forward, Lucy. One day, we'll look back and enjoy this."
His sister looks like she wants to punch him but he doesn't move. One day, he'd really have to thank his grandfather for the philosophy books he was given as a child. "What's it going to take for you to stop filming," she finally asks.
"The end," is all Linus responds.
The end indeed. Present time Linus laughs to himself as the screen goes dark. He can't remember exactly what happened after but he can safely assume Lucy just turned it off, and said something like it's the end now, and left it at that.
It's been a long time since he's filmed anything but maybe he should start again.
Linus Van Pelt
Peanuts
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