Chocolate 22; Pistachio 24
Author:: Marina
Story: Shifts universe (post-Tremors)
Challenge: Chocolate 22 (anticipation), Pistachio 24 (retreat)
Topping: Rainbow Sprinkles (Rand), Cherry (I don’t usually write most of the characters who appear, Casey does)
Word Count: 630
Rating: PG
Summary: Rand’s path home is fraught with terror and small children.
Notes: Takes place a little more than a year after Tremors. Rand is sixteen, Lynne and Grayson are thirteen, and Drew is eleven.
Even though the majority of the people who lived in his building were middle-aged or older, the handful of children around meant that Rand barely ever had any peace, particularly whenever he had to climb the four flights of stairs that separated the front door from his apartment. His mother always said that he was just being dramatic, but that did not stop him from furtively looking both ways before stepping into the hall.
On Saturdays, he liked to go on a short walk down to the corner store, buy his favorite drink, and take the long way home while he contemplated his life. That day, he somehow made it down the stairs and out the door without any interruptions. Basking in the unusual quiet, he continued on his journey, and arrived back half-an-hour later, looking forward to the biography of Thomas Jefferson waiting for him at home.
“Hello, Rand!”
He looked up to see that the Harpers, a young couple who lived on the fifth floor, were descending the stairs, their six-month-old twins snugly tucked into slings. “Hey, Mrs. Harper, Mr. Harper,” he said. “Are you going anywhere special?”
“Just going for a walk,” Mrs. Harper said, with an easy smile. The twin she was carrying, Mariah, seemed to straighten as they approached, eyes fixing on Rand. Two seconds later, her brother Joshua followed suit.
That is just about the creepiest thing ever, Rand thought, backing a step. “I just got back from mine. It’s a nice day for it.”
“That’s what we thought. We’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, enjoy your walk.” He just knew the babies were laughing at him.
As he approached the second-floor landing, he glanced up and froze. “What the hell are you doing?”
Grayson grinned at him over the railing of the third-floor landing. “I’m showing Lynne how I can hang from the railing upside down,” he said, promptly hopping to a seat atop it.
“What? Get down from there!” Rand heard Lynne shriek.
He wasted no time, running up and dragging Grayson off the railing just as they heard the first creak. “Did you get dropped on your head as a baby, or are you just naturally stupid? You know those things are dangerous.”
Irritatingly, Grayson ignored him and threw his hand up dramatically in a fake swoon. “My hero,” he crooned.
Rand rolled his eyes and looked over at Lynne, who was trying very, very hard not to look amused. “Fine,” he said tightly. “Fall off and die, see if I care.” With that, he began to stomp up the final flight of stairs. His parents had asked him to keep an eye on Lynne and the other boy on his floor, Drew, and that was fine with him, but it often meant also keeping an eye on Grayson, and he could not freaking stand the kid. Grayson knew it, and never failed to exploit that fact.
He finally made it to his door, and began to fish around for his keys. As he did so, Drew walked out of the apartment two doors down. “I heard yelling,” he said, eyebrow raised.
“Yeah, just Grayson being a dumbass as usual,” Rand muttered.
“So no one’s dead?”
“No one’s dead. Unfortunately.”
Drew snorted. “What are you doing now?”
“I’ve got a new book, thought I’d get started on it. What about you?”
“Nothing really.”
Rand chewed on his lip, hesitating just a little. If Drew was out of his apartment and not on his way to play with Lynne and Grayson, that meant he was looking for more quiet company. “Why don’t you bring something to do and come hang out with me?” he asked.
The concession of solitude was worth it, to see the younger boy’s eyes light up. “Okay!”
Story: Shifts universe (post-Tremors)
Challenge: Chocolate 22 (anticipation), Pistachio 24 (retreat)
Topping: Rainbow Sprinkles (Rand), Cherry (I don’t usually write most of the characters who appear, Casey does)
Word Count: 630
Rating: PG
Summary: Rand’s path home is fraught with terror and small children.
Notes: Takes place a little more than a year after Tremors. Rand is sixteen, Lynne and Grayson are thirteen, and Drew is eleven.
Even though the majority of the people who lived in his building were middle-aged or older, the handful of children around meant that Rand barely ever had any peace, particularly whenever he had to climb the four flights of stairs that separated the front door from his apartment. His mother always said that he was just being dramatic, but that did not stop him from furtively looking both ways before stepping into the hall.
On Saturdays, he liked to go on a short walk down to the corner store, buy his favorite drink, and take the long way home while he contemplated his life. That day, he somehow made it down the stairs and out the door without any interruptions. Basking in the unusual quiet, he continued on his journey, and arrived back half-an-hour later, looking forward to the biography of Thomas Jefferson waiting for him at home.
“Hello, Rand!”
He looked up to see that the Harpers, a young couple who lived on the fifth floor, were descending the stairs, their six-month-old twins snugly tucked into slings. “Hey, Mrs. Harper, Mr. Harper,” he said. “Are you going anywhere special?”
“Just going for a walk,” Mrs. Harper said, with an easy smile. The twin she was carrying, Mariah, seemed to straighten as they approached, eyes fixing on Rand. Two seconds later, her brother Joshua followed suit.
That is just about the creepiest thing ever, Rand thought, backing a step. “I just got back from mine. It’s a nice day for it.”
“That’s what we thought. We’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, enjoy your walk.” He just knew the babies were laughing at him.
As he approached the second-floor landing, he glanced up and froze. “What the hell are you doing?”
Grayson grinned at him over the railing of the third-floor landing. “I’m showing Lynne how I can hang from the railing upside down,” he said, promptly hopping to a seat atop it.
“What? Get down from there!” Rand heard Lynne shriek.
He wasted no time, running up and dragging Grayson off the railing just as they heard the first creak. “Did you get dropped on your head as a baby, or are you just naturally stupid? You know those things are dangerous.”
Irritatingly, Grayson ignored him and threw his hand up dramatically in a fake swoon. “My hero,” he crooned.
Rand rolled his eyes and looked over at Lynne, who was trying very, very hard not to look amused. “Fine,” he said tightly. “Fall off and die, see if I care.” With that, he began to stomp up the final flight of stairs. His parents had asked him to keep an eye on Lynne and the other boy on his floor, Drew, and that was fine with him, but it often meant also keeping an eye on Grayson, and he could not freaking stand the kid. Grayson knew it, and never failed to exploit that fact.
He finally made it to his door, and began to fish around for his keys. As he did so, Drew walked out of the apartment two doors down. “I heard yelling,” he said, eyebrow raised.
“Yeah, just Grayson being a dumbass as usual,” Rand muttered.
“So no one’s dead?”
“No one’s dead. Unfortunately.”
Drew snorted. “What are you doing now?”
“I’ve got a new book, thought I’d get started on it. What about you?”
“Nothing really.”
Rand chewed on his lip, hesitating just a little. If Drew was out of his apartment and not on his way to play with Lynne and Grayson, that meant he was looking for more quiet company. “Why don’t you bring something to do and come hang out with me?” he asked.
The concession of solitude was worth it, to see the younger boy’s eyes light up. “Okay!”