A Momentary Lapse Of Reason

A Story About You

Summary: Carlos bumps into Cecil whilst Christmas shopping, members of the team depart for home and Natalia and Carlos attempt to figure out why there is a story about a man being broadcast live on the radio.

"I'll miss you. Don't work too hard." Ellie hugged Carlos with a small laugh.

"I'll be fine. A scientist is always fine."

"You say that far too often."

It was departure day for the team, with only Carlos and intern Natalia Johnson staying for the Christmas break. The rest had decided to see their families. Carlos hoped that it would be worth the visit home for them. The amount of blood sacrifices and forms and tin foil donations to the City Council just to ensure that they were allowed back to Night Vale had been incredibly hassling for the team the past two weeks.

They said that they would return a few days after New Years, as most of them had missed the traditional dropping of the ball in NYC the previous year and they wanted to go to that together before they attempted to make their way back to the town.

As soon as the farewells had been said and the van had screeched off into the desert, Carlos realised that he'd never bought his team Christmas presents yet. He was normally the sort of person who left it until Christmas Eve, doing last minute shopping because he'd remembered that Christmas was something that occurred, outstanding science experiments or not.

He decided that, as Natalia had gone out to visit Old Woman Josie, he'd go and do his Christmas shopping. The mall was only a few minutes away from the lab.

He decided to take his car. As it was so close, he'd normally hate that sort of thing as it wasn't the most environmentally friendly gesture, but he may need it if he was shopping. He didn't particularly wish to carry everything home.

He headed to the mall and parked outside, wandering in. He wandered briefly if he should have changed before he came. The lab coat he was wearing smelt a bit strange after an accident the day before with a tree sample that had attacked Perez. He hoped no-one would notice. But then again, when was Carlos ever lucky?

~

"Carlos! Hey!"

He spun around, tearing himself away from the cashier, an odd middle-aged woman who seemed to lack a nose.

Cecil strode over, wearing a hideously vibrant Christmas themed jumper, which looked incredibly thick and Carlos was staggered as he thought of how Cecil was managing to wear it in the heat of the desert. It was like the kind purchased from any high street store that time of year with patterns, but the stitchings seemed to indicate Santa piling his reindeer onto a rotary spit. His hair was sticking straight upwards, like he'd just run his hand through it; Carlos suspected he had, as he was slightly flushed and was pushing his purple glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

Carlos' stomach did an annoying flip when he saw Cecil.

"Hi. Cecil. How are you?" He said, taking the bag containing Natalia's present, some eye makeup, and a jumbo Batman mug for Ellie, from the cashier.

"I'm wonderful, dear Carlos. How have you been?"

Before Carlos knew it, he had started rambling about the experiments he'd been doing, the screaming sunsets. When he mentioned Natalia growing a third eye, Cecil nodded.
"Some citizens do have multiple eyes. Though most are for job purposes rather a screaming sunset curse. Like mine."

"You....you have more than two eyes?"

"Well yes." Cecil looked at him like Carlos had missed something obvious. He indicated the tattooed third closed eye on his forehead.