Eddie yawned and flopped into his armchair.
"I'm sorry.. this is usually the time Frank and I nap in our chairs. We can skip out on it this time if you two would like to do some more things! We just tend to get a little sleepy," Eddie yawned. He gave us a sleepy grin as Frank sat in the armchair next to Eddie's.
"Oh, it's fine! We'll let you two rest. We can do some more things later!" I reassured them. There was no need to change their usual schedule too much. I looked over at Wally as we left the house to sit on the front step.
"So, what's bothering you?" I asked quietly. I looked up at the sky. It seemed to stretch on and on for miles.
"A lot," Wally sighed. He propped his head up on his hands, his elbows on his knees.
"Would you like to give me some details? It's fine if not, I get it."
"..I'll probably have to leave soon," Wally answered softly. He seemed so sad. I was, too. Was I able to help him at all?
"What do you mean..?"
"I'll have to go away for a bit to run some errands, but there's a good chance I won't come back. Ever."
I stayed silent. Why was he being so vague? It was obvious that whatever he was planning was risky.
"Can't I come with you?"
Wally chuckled sadly. "You could, but you'd be injured.. It's better if I go. You can still help if you really want to, though..."
"How?"
(Wally was surprised by your eagerness. He had just warned you, but you still wanted to help.)
"You know how Howdy has shipments and deliveries? I'm going to sneak into the delivery truck and leave the neighborhood. Afterward, I'll come back and rescue everyone else. I'm not sure it'll work, but it's worth a shot. I won't be doing this for a while, though."
"Ah, okay.. Are we going to discuss this later? I'm still worried," I sighed. I looked away for a moment to think a bit.
(Wally placed his hands on your cheeks and turned your face to look at him. He needed to make one thing very clear.)
"Yes. I'm willing to discuss anything you want to later, alright? I'm just a little out of it at the moment, but I promise I won't be as vague when I answer later. I just need you to trust me for a bit on this one. I'm working on a plan, and I'll make sure to let you in on it. Do you understand?"
I blinked. I had not expected such a speech-type thing to be said by Wally out of all puppets.
"I understand. Thank you," I smiled. It was nice of him to reassure me. Still, his plan sounded ludicrous.
"What should we do until Eddie and Frank wake up? I estimate we have an hour or so."
"Oh, I haven't thought about that!"
"Have you made things up with Howdy? It's sad to see two of my neighbors being snarky with each other."
Wally grumbled. "Do I have to? We both know I'm going to keep stealing apples."
"Yes. Even though you're still going to steal apples, you need to make sure Howdy isn't in a constant state of annoyance, anger, or sadness. Sure, it's up to him to feel better, but I'm sure having you apologize would make things better."
"Fine. I'll do that later."
(Wally went back to looking down at the concrete step he was sitting on as he thought.
No matter what anyone within the neighbor did, the empty feeling would remain. Most never noticed, but for those who did, The Neighborhood was an unsettling place to be imprisoned.
Any and all activities were meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Nothing you did could take away the eerie feeling of being trapped in an empty place. A house did not equal a home, after all. Everyone in the neighborhood only had houses. They did not have the luxury of calling anything a home.
Those who did had deluded themselves into believing they were happy. It was an easy thing to trick yourself into believing. Wally knew this. He knew a lot now, thanks to what he now dubbed as House. He had no home. No one did. Everyone tried to have one, but no one else understood what he did. Wally secretly wished he himself was still delusional.
They really were trapped, imprisoned in a seemingly infinite space. Wally now knew that it wasn't infinite, however, as the false sky had been torn away. There was an ounce of hope still, but hope did not make things happen. Will did. Unfortunately, Wally did not have much of a will. He had never needed one until now.
Wally hated this. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't help but notice the lonely nights and empty days. Yes, he was surrounded by friends, but they weren't truly there by choice. They had been chosen, meticulously picked from a batch to live in this arena. Wally wondered if everyone around him would still be his friend if given the choice not to be.
Why was warmth absorbed by the space they dwelled in so quickly? Sure, happy moments happened, but they were fleeting and quick. The happiness and joy never lasted. No. Barnaby had been right all those years ago.
A few years back, Barnaby had grown ill. During it, he had insisted that the neighborhood was cold. Wally had not understood anything Barnaby had stated back then, but he knew now. He desperately wanted to find his friends a home. He wanted to be able to tell them, "Welcome home!"
The dream was pitiful, and he knew it. The work required for such a thing was almost unreal; it would be nearly impossible for one small puppet to pull it off by himself. Wally still wanted to try, though. He had to try. No one else knew of this problem. It would be cruel to keep reliving the same days over and over again.
Having fun with his friends was enjoyable, but it wasn't real. Every day was the same. Wally would simply hang out with different neighbors each day. Nothing spectacular ever occurred, and that had to change for the sake of his sanity.)
"It's really cold here," Wally shivered. I looked over at him curiously. What ever did he mean?
"Cold?"
"Yes. Do you mind if I go grab my coat? It's back at the house."
"Oh! Not at all. Carry on, Wally, dear," I waved at him as he walked away. I stood up and opened the door to check on Eddie and Frank.
"Eddie, I'm struggling again," Frank mumbled. I gulped. Why on earth did I have such terrible timing? Although it was certainly rude to eavesdrop, I was a little curious.
"Oh, no, Frank! Do we need to have another one of those arrangements?" Eddie whispered. Frank nodded slightly.
"I would appreciate that. I do not think I can go on much longer."
"Please try, Frank. I'll be with you, okay? Just a bit more. Remember what we talked about last time?"
Frank nodded. He closed his eyes and leaned deeper into his chair.
"I don't think I want to do more things today."
"That's alright! I understand, and I'm positive those two will, as well! I'll talk to them," Eddie smiled. Frank nodded again.
I pretended to have just walked in. Eddie sat up straighter and looked over at me.
"Heya, neighbor! Frank is feeling a little under the weather. Do you mind if we postpone the rest of our activities to tomorrow? Sorry for the sudden change," Eddie waved nervously.
"No problem! I'll let Wally know," I gave him a thumbs up before walking out the door.
I sighed and walked over to the large dirt patch in the center of the neighborhood and flopped down on my back. What exactly was I missing? Everyone seemed to have some problem I wanted to fix.. I just didn't know how.
(Wally felt guilty for snooping, but he absolutely needed to make that call. He found your telephone and quickly dialed a number.
"Hello? It's Wally.. you should know that by now," Wally said as soon as the people on the other end had answered. They said something.
"No. It's urgent-- please. No-! No, don't hang u-" Wally had been interrupted by the other end hanging up. He paced the room anxiously. What was he going to do now? He had to stall for time somehow...
He wasn't too worried, anyway. They had hung on him before only to call back and apologize profusely. For now, Wally needed to calm himself down and get a grip.)