Gathering up the Past from the Ruins

[polly_okeefe]

A tree had fallen on my hut.

I suppose it shouldn't have been a surprise. We'd gone through a whole hurricane. Jack's hut was so badly damaged, he and Logan were thinking about moving. And, irony of ironies, I had been thinking of moving. Moving in with Zell. Well, not much choice, now.

I stood on the trunk of the tree that was now horizontal, laid

Comments

[spirited_hero]

[polly_okeefe]

This gets a small laugh from me. I clasp his arm closer to me and lean back against him. This is comforting.

"I know it could have been a lot worse," I said. "And I know I was planning to move out of here but... Seeing it like this makes me remember the times I've had here. And despite what the Island has done to us, there've been some good times." I patted his arm affectionately to show he was one of them. "I wasn't expecting my move out of here to be quite this... final."

[spirited_hero]

[polly_okeefe]

"Mmm," I said, relishing the feel of his arms around me. "Thank you, Zell. Did you... mention it to Squall?"

[spirited_hero]

[polly_okeefe]

I spluttered a bit, but it was half a laugh. "What, are we just going to drop in this evening?" I would have rather gotten Squall's permission, first, but this was Zell we were talking about, and Squall. These things just happened.

"Sounds like your conversation with him went better than i'd hoped," I said. "He's a good friend, Zell, and I don't want to come between the two of you."

[spirited_hero]

[polly_okeefe]

"We're not fighting," I said. Yes, there's awkwardness between myself and Squall, and it feels like we're eying each other across the battlefield, but we're not fighting, and I feel as though I have to point it out. Then, I give him a lopsided smile. "But you are worth fighting for, Zell Dincht."

I looked around at the rubble, then looked back at him. "So I guess we start planning that hut we'll live in together. Any thoughts on where it should be, or what you'd like to have in it?"

[spirited_hero]

[polly_okeefe]

"I don't ever want to be rid of you," I murmured, just before he kissed me. When he pulled away, I hugged him close, and I thought about his question.

"This hut wasn't brand new when I took it," I said. "Someone else had it before me. I'd hate to put the building crew out, if there are huts out there we can remodel, so if this hut of Lloyd's okay, maybe we can take it." I looked up at him. "Sounds like a good location. I guess we should have a look. What do you think?"

[spirited_hero]

[polly_okeefe]

I smiled. I had a suspicion that Zell had more things in mind than just house hunting.

But as I turned to head back up the path, I noticed something underfoot and knelt and pushed aside a piece of cladding. My hand went to my mouth. "Oh!"

It was Lucy's mask, that she and I had made for that masque ball. Lucy, who'd welcomed me to the Island, and who wasn't here anymore.

And it wasn't badly damaged. "Oh!"

[spirited_hero]

[polly_okeefe]

"It's a mask," I said. Picking it up and turning it over in my hands, brushing some stray dirt off the glitter on its beak and the green feathers. "A friend of mine -- the very first person who greeted me here, helped me make this. Her name was Lucy." I gave Zell a broad smile. "I'm glad we found this. I want our new house to have this. Do you mind?"

[spirited_hero]

[polly_okeefe]

"I don't think we have that much more to find," I said. "Most of the furniture is destroyed, but it can be replaced. Same with any of my clothes. Let's just do a quick search, and then go on to the happier task of house hunting."

And indeed, our search yielded little beyond the mask I'd rescued. And within a couple of minutes, I was ready to leave my old home behind.

"So, show me this place you've found," I said, taking Zell's hand.