Until We Find Each Other Again

Catching Up | January 1, 2024

Enjoy! :)

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There are so many things Cruthcy wants to say. 

He wants to say how happy he is to see Race, he wants to ask how he and Spot are, and what happened to them.

Unfortunately, the first thing that comes out of his mouth is: "How old are you?"

Race lets out a burst of laughter and shakes his head. "Really?"

Crutchy blushes a little with embarassment. "Sorry. It's just, the last time I saw ya, you was sixteen-"

"Here, how about this," Race interrupts. "Spot an' I will treat ya to lunch, and we'll explain everything-"

"Yes," Crutchy and Boots accept the offer immediately, in sync.

I wonder, was more of the excitement about the food? Or the explanation? Crutchy ponders. His stomach grumbles. Maybe excitement for the explanation with a little more favor for food.

The four of them are now sitting in Dairy Queen, Crutchy and Boots very grateful for all the food, which they are pretty much inhaling right now.

Boots is glad that a hamburger has remained a hamburger. And French fries are still French fries. However, this "milkshake" is unfamiliar--as are the "blizzards"--but now he has a milkshake and a blizzard, and he's glad that he's alive in this century and able to taste these joys.

"So basically it went like this," Race starts. "So Spot an' I were dropped in New York in June of 2011."

Crutchy does quick math. "So you're 'round 30 now, right?"

"Way to make me feel old," Race fake scoffs reproachfully. "But yeah. We've been here for nearly thirteen years."

Spot whistles. "We're nearly twice the age we were when we arrived here..."

"Yeah, that's wild," Race says. "I remember it so vividly."

"Were you scared?" Boots asked. "I mean, everything is just so different."

"Yeah, it was at first," Race responds. "But then we got used to it."

"Yeah, we're resourceful like that," Spot adds.

Race grins at him. "You bet we are."

Spot turns to Boots, grin on his face. "I think you'd be glad to know that a marble is still a marble, Boots."

Boots returns the grin. "You remember."

"I do," Spot agrees. "However, that feels like so long ago to me." Then he stops. "Wait. Boots. You're thirteen now, right?"

Boots nods.

Spot sighs. "We have been in this century as long as you've been alive..."

"Now, now, Spot,  let's stop feeling existential for a moment," Race playfully chides Spot.

Spot glares at him without menace. "I can be as existential as I want. Crutchy and Boots popped up in 2024. It's like no time has passed with them at all. Us, though?"

"Well, to be fair, we too will age the longer we stay here," Boots adds to the discussion.

Spot grins at him. "Can't argue with that."

"I still don't understand," Crutchy changes the subject. "Have you figured out how it happened yet?"

Race shakes his head. "Nope." He really pops the 'p'. "It's really sad. You'd think being here for twelve and a half years would have cleared things up, but...no. We still don't know."