strawberry and sprinkles
Story: Timeless { backstory | index }
Title: Button
Rating: G
Challenge: Strawberry #17: buttons
Toppings/Extras: sprinkles
Wordcount: 440
Summary: Victor Blackledge decides what is worth conquering his fears for.
Notes: So I had a go at doing Victor’s crazy voices… and his fear of laboratories.
Even before his hand had touched the door he felt a strange queasiness in the pit of his stomach, a curdled churning that refused to leave. Narrow jaw set tight, Victor reached a shivering hand out to touch the panel on the door, instigating it to slide open before him. Even before the blinding white cleanness inside registered, the smell caused something akin to a short-circuit in his memory-addled mind.
People came here and they died, they passed through the doors and their worlds ended-
Children crying-
Why is it all over the floor?-
Have you ever felt pain like this? Like this? How about this?-
Another day, another failure: faulty, send them away-
And you’re sure there’s nothing else to tell me, VC-11?-
The smell of burning flesh tastes just like woodsmoke-
His feet carried him through the laboratory despite the fact that his mind seemed intent on going elsewhere. Gnawing on his lip without realising what he was doing, Victor stepped further and further into the network of rooms and tried not to breathe too loudly or too deeply, because every breath suddenly hurt.
Slimy, curled up, slithering, dead-
This wasn’t the same place. This wasn’t the same place. He was better now: how long had it been? Thirteen years since he’d left the Facility, thirteen years.
Unlucky for some-
This is what makes you who you are, boy, what makes you an angel-
Thirteen years. Thirteen years. Thirteen long years.
This is what it is to be a Blackledge-
Adam Kirby was lost in thought as he so often was, idly pacing around a large table on which the beginnings of some mechanical design or other had been vaguely sketched: white on blue, nothing more than a skeleton at present. This was why the blonde scientist didn’t notice Victor’s presence until the clone was almost right next to him.
Glancing up in shock, Adam couldn’t help but notice how pale Victor seemed, almost as though he were ill: shaking and with a sheen of sweat across his brow. He was smiling, though; a wonky, anxious smile but a smile nonetheless. He was about to ask if he was alright when suddenly Victor thrust a hand up to Adam’s face, opening it wide, palm-up.
“You dropped this,” he said, clearly having to make an effort to keep his voice steady.
In the centre of his quivering palm was a button from his jacket. Adam fumbled with his jacket, finding the empty space immediately, and then carefully took the button from Victor.
“Thank you so much,” he said, smiling at the boy warmly.
Victor’s own smile strengthened.
“You’re welcome.”