*YO GUYS!! IT'S ANOTHER CHAPTER!! YEH.~ THIS WAS ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE A VALENTINE UPDATE BUT UH...THAT'S LONG GONE NOW SOOOO JUST A REGULAR UPDATE?
Questions!!:
-What cheers you up when you're down? (My best friends, watching gamer videos, and relaxing to get my mind off of things.)
-What is the longest you have gone without sleep? (During the summer, I went two days without sleep and I tell ya, it wasn't pretty. I started hearing things right away and I was scared to even sleep, which was what I needed. XD)
SONG IN THE MULTIMEDIA IS Fault Line by Tennyson. ENJOY THE CHAPTER (I know you will ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) heheh~)!!!*
((Lol here's the real deal, I swear. I love you all.))
Stay Creepy, My Friends!~
Chapter 57
Jeff's POV
The woods were quiet and dark. I could only hear the crunching of our footsteps in the snow and see as far as Ellie's flashlight would allow me. I kept close by her, more for her safety yet a part of me was also nervous to be out here at this hour. There's no telling what's in these woods, whether it be the usual wild animals or Corrupted ones. Elizabeth's arm isn't ready to fight either and I only have a knife.
"Hey," Ellie's voice called to me and I realized that she was a few feet ahead of me. "Don't lag behind."
Quickly, I raced to catch up with her, my heart beating faster than it should. To my surprise, Ellie suddenly held onto my jacket sleeve and said, "Stay close to me, you moron." Even though she put on her stern tone of voice, I knew she was just as nervous as I was. I could tell by how she gripped onto my arm so tightly.
"Where exactly are we going for this date?," I asked, trying to ease the tension. Ellie thought for a moment, then her face went slack and she stopped in her tracks. "Umm," she started, "...I don't know. I didn't really think about it."
"So, you brought me out here for a random date without any actual plan?," I remarked.
"Yeah," she murmured.
I sighed and started to think. I can't take her back to the house; I want her to have this date. What can we even do at this hour in a place like this? "We can figure something out," I said as we continued on towards the nearby town. During this time Ellie still held onto my jacket sleeve and I never protested. It made me feel just as safe as it made her feel.
After ten minutes or so, we started to see lights though the trees. Ellie hurried me along and we made it out of the woods. Still a few ways ahead, there were buildings and shops and lampposts illuminating the snowy streets and sidewalks. It seemed empty but as we got closer we could see that there were a few people walking on the sidewalks. Usually people aren't out this late in a town like this, regardless of curfew or not.
Just before Ellie and I made it into the lights of street lamps, I covered my face with the bandana and sunglasses. For extra measure, I pulled up my hood and kept it that way. Ellie turned off her flashlight and put it in her jacket pocket. She eventually let go of my sleeve and I was slightly bummed out by that. "Let's see what there is, shall we," I said and started looking around as we walked. I noticed a lot of people were walking in the opposite direction from us, some getting into parked cars along the side of the street. Kids had stuffed animals and other different prizes. When Ellie and I passed by a couple entering a car, the faint smell of --what was it, funnel cake?-- was in the air. My curiosity grew.
"What do you feel like doing?," I asked Ellie. She looked up at me and shrugged. "I don't know," she answered, "I'm not sure how these things work."
"These things?"
"Ya know, dates."
I stifle a chuckle and say, "They're not that hard. You just have to be yourself...and plan ahead of time."
"I didn't think I'd get this far," she admitted.
"You should know me well enough now to know I'd jump at any chance to be with you," I stated. Ellie went wide-eyed for a moment before turning away, looking flustered.
We walked a few more blocks, our footsteps tracking in the snow left over. The street lamps here looked antique, the shops here were made of brick, snow was on every little awning and windowsill. Everything looked cozy to where I almost forgot how risky it is to be out here. The more we walked, the more I began to notice brighter lights beyond the upcoming corner, some even multicolored. "Let's go check that out," I suggested and pulled Ellie along at a faster pace.
Once we turned the corner, we got to see that the cause of the lights was a festival. Several blocks of street were lined with booths of various things. Some sold food, some were game booths and others were different, like face painting areas or photography areas. It wasn't anything huge considering it's only local, but it was definitely something for Ellie and I to do. Motioning towards the festival, I asked, "Will this do for a first date?"
She gave a small smile and said, "It's better than what I could've done." I chuckled and grabbed her arm gently, beckoning her to come along.
We walked down the wide street that was closed off for the festival. As we walked, I stole a glance at Ellie and caught her gawking at all of the booths full of prizes or the ones with delicious warm foods perfect for the winter season. Just by seeing that look in her eye I made it a point to get her something. Maybe a game booth prize; not some dainty, little prize that barely fits in her hand, no, like a giant teddy bear that's barely huggable. Okay, that's probably too much but she deserves something. But wait...I don't have any money to buy anything. Dammit, I even had this good wad of cash that Ben "borrowed" and it's probably in the Chevelle. I bet Ellie wouldn't have any money on her either. I could always steal stuff. How hard is it to swipe a giant stuffed game prize away from an open booth?
There was a strange movement out of the corner of my eyes and it caught my attention. When I turned, I was surprised to see a familiar blonde man waving at me from across the street. I froze and panicked a little. "Hey," I started as I turned to Ellie, "um, stay here near these...churros," --I scooted her closer to a churro stand--, "I gotta, ya know, take care of business in the restroom. Stay safe. Don't take candy from strangers."
"Okay," she murmured, giving me a strange look. I gave a thumbs up and hurried off across the street towards Ben. Before he could say hello, I grabbed his arm and dragged him inside a nearby Porta-Potty.
"We're in some pretty close quarters here, Jeff," he said with a smile, "ya know, I hear people sometimes bang in here. A bit of an overkill since these things are already unsanitary--."
"What are you doing here?," I asked him.
He beamed, "Oh! Well, I just came out here to get some stuff for my little project, when I ran into this festival. So, of course, I decided to indulge myself with a few games and churros. Want one?" He suddenly pulled out a churro from his sweater and I only stared at it. "Take that as a no," he murmured before taking a huge bite out of it. "Needs more sugar.."
"Ben--."
"Ah, ah, ah!! That's not my name anymore, remember?"
I groaned and said, "I can't say that name!"
"We made a deal," he drawled.
"No."
"C'mon it's not like anyone's listening. We're in a Porta-Potty. Just say it. I wanna hear that sweet name."
"No, Ben--."
"Shhh, shhh," he hissed as he shoved a finger against my covered mouth, "what's my name?"
"No."
"Say it. C'mon. Just once. Get it out of your system. C'mon, big boy, say it." He kept whispering, raising his eyebrows suggestively. I shook my head until, finally, he got too close to my face and I gave in.
"Fine, Daddy..."
"A little louder, I couldn't hear you," he teased.
"Daddy."
"Louder."
Daddy..!"
"Say it like you mean it!"
"Daddy!!!"
"Yes!! There you go!!" He cheered as he clapped my shoulder. I just shook my head and tried to fight the embarrassed flush on my face. "I'm so proud of you...! Anyway, here, have some cash." He suddenly handed me money and I was taken aback. Without allowing me a word, he added, "I know you need it."
"How?"
"I work in mysterious ways, Jeff," he said, "plus I doubt you'd have any money for something like this. You're as broke as a white girl after shopping at Claire's, Macy's, Starbucks, Aeropostale and Hollister all in one day."
"Thanks?"
"Don't mention it," he said, and patted my arm. "Now go out there and win your girl..!" He suddenly shoved me out of the Porta-Potty and didn't come out with me. I adjusted my sunglasses and brushed off the strangeness of the moment. Still, as I looked down at my hand full of cash, I was relieved. Hopefully Ellie doesn't question it too much.
When I came back to the churro stand, Ellie was still standing there like I had told her to. As soon as she saw me, she asked, "Are you alright?"
I faltered for a moment. "Yeah, why?"
"There was this couple that walked by and I overheard that there may have been people having sex in one of the Porta-Pottys," she said, "Apparently someone had a 'daddy kink'--?"
"I didn't hear anything at all, but let's go and enjoy the festival, shall we..?," I exclaimed, rushing her towards the rest of the booths as quickly as I could before I was overwhelmingly embarrassed again.
I bought a decent amount of tickets with the money Ben gave me. I let Ellie decide on whatever she wanted from whatever booth. She seemed reluctant about a lot things but I was patient. The game booth that had the darts and balloons was the first one she was willing to try and I was a bit nervous about that. We paid for five darts with tickets and Ellie picked one up with her metal hand. That made me even more nervous and I was prepared to see the board of balloons break in half from her sheer force. Instead, she hit a green balloon on the first try without causality. I could see the confidence in her increase as she picked up the darts and threw them one by one. Each hit a balloon, excluding the one that popped two.
The booth attendant congratulated her and said, "Pick a prize! Since you got more than five, you can choose any one you want!" Ellie was a bit taken aback as she stared at all of them. After a few moments, she pointed at a prize with a glint of awe in her eye. The attendant asked, "Are you sure? You could get a bigger prize." Ellie persisted with the one she wanted and the attendant took it off the rack. "Enjoy your night," he said and we were off.
I looked down at what was in Ellie's hand and the source of her adornment was a pink, medium sized jellyfish with big, glittery eyes, blushed cheeks and a small smile. I chuckled and that diverted her attention away from the stuffed animal. "What's so funny?," she asked, a bit defensive.
Shaking my head, I replied, "Nothing, I'm just making little connections." She raised an eyebrow. Changing the subject, I asked, "What are you going to name it?"
"I have to give it a name?"
I shrugged. "Only if you want to."
She stared down at the jellyfish for a while and thought. A few seconds later, she came up with something and said aloud, "Her name is Pooka."
I couldn't contain my burst of laughter and she smacked my arm disapprovingly. "Shut up, it's the first thing that came to mind!," she argued. Still laughing, I murmured, "But it's funny!"
"Whatever," she whined and hugged the jellyfish toy close. Even though I was being a bit rude, she still looked proud of her prize and I admired that.
Next, I tried out a game booth of my own. The challenge was a simple ring-toss game. At first it looked easy and I thought I would have no problem. I proved myself wrong by missing every single peg and watching, with dismay, as rings would either bounce away or get stuck in between pegs. The booth attendant gave me fake sympathy and offered another try, with payment of more tickets. I was about to decline when Ellie jut in and declared to play. She paid the tickets and the booth attendant gave her the rings. With a determined look in her eye, she drew back her arm and tossed one. I watched as it went up, and up, and hit the tip of a peg but didn't drop down. Instead, it bounced away and off of the peg rack entirely. Ellie just stared in disbelief as I tried to contain my laughter. Riled up from her failed attempt, she tossed the rest of the rings in a flurry, surprising both the booth attendant and I. Even then, Ellie didn't get a ring in and she sighed in defeat. When we left, I told her, "You should've taken it slow."
"No, that game is rigged," she muttered. I chuckled softly and led her towards other games. We played things like that toy fishing game, a mini basketball game, bean bag tosses, and more. A hi-striker game came up and I knew I had to play it. Not just because I could have the excuse to show off my strength to Ellie, but also because it had the perfect, big stuffed animal that I know she would love. The other booths didn't have many big animals, considering it's late and the festival must've been open for quite a while. The big plushes that were available were not in Ellie's favor. This one, however, seemed fitting. So, I made it a priority to win a giant, stuffed shark.
"Five tickets," the game attendant told me. I gave him five tickets and he handed me the mallet in return. I turned back to Ellie and said, "Cheer me on if you'd like."
She chuckled and teased, "This is gonna be entertaining to watch. Give it your best, snowflake."
"Again, with the white names," I sighed and prepared the mallet. I stared at the very top where I had to score. I have to get Ellie that prize, I have to. So with a ridiculous sense of determination and pent up energy, I raised the mallet with steady hands and brought it down, hard. My gaze was cast down to the ground as I anticipated the worst, but the triumphant sound of the winning bell rang loud and clear. It was only one chime but it got me jumping and cheering like no tomorrow. In a fit of victory, I tossed the mallet on the ground and threw my arms in the air. Ellie was by my side, smiling up at me, giving me a look that said 'you're friggin' crazy but I'm impressed'.
"Congrats," the game attendant beamed, "now you get to pick a big prize, if you'd like. Which one do you--?"
"The shark," I answered breathlessly without a second thought, "give me the shark." The attendant nodded and picked up the stuffed animal from the top rack. "Have a good night," he told me as he handed me the shark. I thanked him and then turned to Ellie.
"Good job," she said, "you've definitely got a lot of strength. You must've been really banking on that shark."
"Yeah, but it's not for me," I replied. She was puzzled for a moment before I gingerly gave her the shark. Ellie's eyes were wide as she shifted her gaze from me to the toy. "You won it for me?," she murmured in disbelief.
I nodded and remarked, "I think I pulled a muscle in the process, but yeah, it's for you. This whole night is for you." I nudged the gray toy closer to her and she finally wrapped her arms around it.
"Thank you," she murmured as she stared down at it. She squeezed it close, along with her jellyfish, and asked, "Why'd you pick the shark?"
I shrugged and answered, "Because you're fierce and strong, and snappy like one too."
Instead of getting offended, she smiled and said, "Nice choice, Jeff."
I sighed and said, "C'mon, let's continue with our date, shall we?" I placed a hand on her shoulder and led her forward through the festival.
At one point, we ran out of tickets, so I had to make a stop to the ticket vendor to buy more. Ellie was left a few ways away near a face painting booth and she waited for me. The ticket vendor gave me the tickets and I turned to meet with Ellie again, then I stopped to stare at the young kids around her. She was staring down at them as if they were aliens. Obviously, she's never dealt with a kid since she lost her memories. Over the still thriving crowd and the festival music, I overheard the four little kids talking to her.
"I like your shark," a little boy wearing a green jacket complimented.
"Who got it for you?," a little girl, in a mostly pink outfit, asked with a smile on her face.
"A friend," Ellie answered.
"Are you dressed up for something?," a little boy wearing a red baseball cap asked. Ellie shook her head. He asked, "Then, why do you wear an eyepatch?"
Ellie paused for a moment and replied, "I hurt my eye."
"Are you okay?," a third little boy in glasses inquired with concern. Ellie nodded and noticeably squeezed her toy shark.
Suddenly, the little boy with the baseball cap gasped and awed, "Whoa, is that a metal hand?"
Ellie looked down and quickly tried to hide her right hand underneath her jacket sleeve. "Yes," she said.
"Why do you have it?," the girl inquired. Ellie didn't speak for a few seconds and responded reluctantly, "I, uh...lost my real arm a long time ago."
The green jacketed boy beamed and exclaimed happily, "So, you fought in a war like my mom did?!" Ellie was taken aback and so was I. Both the green jacketed boy and the little girl smiled at each other. The little girl added, "Our mom has a fake arm like you. She lost it when she was away in the army."
"It's true," the kid with the glasses affirmed.
"Their mom is super rad," the kid with the red baseball cap chimed.
"I bet you're brave and strong like our mom, too," the green jacketed boy said. "She's like our hero! You're a hero too, right?"
Ellie stared at him for the longest time, not saying anything for a while. All she managed to utter was, "I...I'm not--." She stopped herself, stared down at the awestruck kids, and rephrased, "Yes. Yes, I am..."
The kids cheered and admired her further, asking things like how the arm works and why it's metal. Before Ellie could say anything, a woman called out for the kids. They all turned and the green jacketed boy said, "We've gotta go. Good night!"
The little kids hurried off, the one in the baseball cap yelling, "Bye rad, pretty lady...!" I watched the children catch up with a few adults. One of them, a woman, patted the heads of the green jacketed boy and the little girl. She looked up at Ellie, smiled and waved, before leading her kids away. As they walked, I could hear the little girl say, "Mama, guess what? We met another lady like you..!," as she held the woman's prosthetic hand.
I finally approached Ellie with more tickets in hand. She was still fixated on the little kids until I snapped her attention away. "Are you okay?," I asked her.
She nodded slowly and said, "Those kids... They thought I was some kind of hero."
"Aren't you?"
Ellie scoffed and muttered, "No. I'm anything but."
"Then, why'd you say you were?"
She faltered for a moment, staring down at the ground with a troubled gaze. "Because," she started, "when I looked at them, I saw hope and admiration and...I didn't want to deprive them of that."
I stifled a wry chuckle and commented, "Well, either way, they're correct."
"No, they're not."
"Yes, they are," I argued, "with all that you've done for the greater good, how are you not a hero? How are you still convinced that you're a terrible person?"
"Heroes don't kill people and turn into monsters," Ellie grumbled.
"Well...heroes aren't perfect," I countered. "That doesn't make them bad. If a little kid can look at you with such hope and call you 'rad' and say you're pretty, then surely you can too. I know I do."
Ellie scoffed and said, "You're just saying that."
"I'm not," I replied, "You're the most valiant person I've ever had the honor of knowing. And, I hope you realize that about yourself someday."
Ellie stared up at me for a few moments, before squeezing her prizes and saying, "Let's go play more games." I sighed as I followed along behind her, back into the festival.
After a while of playing a few more games and snacking on funnel cake, we decided to leave. Ellie and I walked along the snowy sidewalk again to continue our date elsewhere. We walked in silence for a while and during this I thought about what else we could do. Playing a few games, getting prizes and eating funnel cake can't be all that I can offer to Ellie. She deserves more.
My thoughts fleeted when I caught the sight of a flower shop ahead. It was closed and darkness lied beyond the windows. I could barely make out the shape of flowers. My pace slowed for a moment as an idea started to form. Finally, I acted upon it and told Ellie, "Wait here. I'll be right back."
I didn't allow Ellie to question me before I handed her my jacket and hoodie, then hurried around the side of the shop. At the back, there was a large dumpster and I climbed on top of the lid. From here, the edge of the roof was a little closer and I was able to use the drain pipe against the wall to climb my way up. As soon as I was close enough, I lunged and grabbed onto the edge of the roof. With great effort, I hauled myself up and over onto the roof. Ahead of me was a vent shaft that I knew how to open. After I got up and dusted myself off, I pulled out my knife and walked towards the vent. It took a few minutes but I was able to unscrew the lid using my knife. Looking inside the narrow vent, I knew I was right to not wear my jacket and hoodie. With a deep breath, I slipped inside the ventilation shaft, legs first.
It was a tight fit, but I managed to crawl through and find an opening into the shop. I popped open the vent lid and dropped down onto a countertop without injury. I could see Ellie through the window, waiting around outside, holding her prizes within her arms. I jumped off the counter, walked over and unlocked the shop door to casually open it.
"Interested in shopping, madam," I jested and she stared at me, surprised.
"How did you--?," she started but I held up a hand to ask, "May I borrow your flashlight?"
Once she handed it over, I ducked back inside and turned it on. I browsed around the shop; coming across roses, sunflowers, carnations, lilies, and daisies. Those weren't the flowers I was looking for. Somewhere off to the side, I spotted assortments of tulips and I got more excited than I should've.
A few minutes later, I came out of the the shop door with a single, red tulip in hand. It was wrapped carefully in white wrapping paper with a red ribbon to go with the petals. I handed Ellie the tulip in a gentle manner. She stared at it with awe in her eye. Still trying to hold her prizes, she gently touched a petal with the tip of her finger from her real hand. She pulled it away as if the flower burned her but, from her expression I could see she was fascinated. "It's beautiful," she murmured, holding the tulip as delicately as she could.
"It's for you," I said.
She finally looked up from the flower and replied, "You're getting a lot of stuff for me."
To tease her, I quipped, "Well, if you don't want all that stuff, I could always take them back--."
"No, I like it," she interjected quickly and held her stuff more protectively. I chuckled and stated, "I'll be right back." I walked back inside the shop and locked up the door. Then, I climbed up on the counter where I had landed and jumped to catch the edge of the vent opening. It took some effort but I pulled myself up, slipped inside, put the lid back, and made my way out from there. Once I was out in the cold, winter air, I drew in a deep breath and huffed.
Later, I was back with Ellie, wearing my jacket and hoodie again. I decided to relieve her of the big stuffed shark and carry it as we walked. "Wait," she said, stopping me in my tracks. I stood still as she adjusted my sunglasses and pulled up the bandana more. "There," she murmured, before turning forward to continue walking. I stifled a wry chuckle and followed.
We roamed around the town for a while. On the other side of the festival, which is starting to come to an end, there were still people commuting. It was a town square area. Most of the people strolling around were young, probably teenagers getting a kick out of staying out so late. Somewhere in the area, there was music playing and the further Ellie and I walked, the louder it got.
Finally, we rounded a corner and there, up ahead, was two people. They looked like teens, but they weren't goofing around like the others I saw, or chatting the night away. One of them was leaning against a shop wall, playing a trumpet, while the other sat on a bench, strumming a guitar. I would probably pay them no mind, or think to myself that they were pretty good and be on my way. But, they grasped my attention because of the song they played. I remember it as if it were just yesterday. A song Ellie had loved, a song we had danced to so long ago on a night like this. What was it? I think it's French. Yes...! La Vie en Rose. That was it. And suddenly, like a spark being ignited, I got an idea.
I turned to Ellie, who was watching the two young musicians, and offered, "Would you like to dance?"
She shifted her attention to me and cocked an eyebrow. "Um, I guess. Do I have to wiggle my arms around for this?"
I chuckled and replied, "No, it's a simple dance. You might like it." I grabbed Ellie's things and walked towards the two kids. They abruptly stopped playing and looked at me with wide eyes. Remembering how I look, I said, "Um, costume party..."
The both of them 'ahh'ed in unison and I continued, "Can you guys do me a favor and watch this stuff for us?"
"Sure," the guitarist said, nonchalantly. I set Ellie's stuff down on the empty space on the bench next to him. I was careful to lay the tulip down as well. I stepped back, reached into my pocket and pulled out the last bit of cash I had left over. "You guys take money?," I ask as I go through the bills.
The trumpeter responded, "Not usually. We just come out and play for fun..."
"Well, I'll give you some anyway," I said, handing over two fives. "Do the song you were just playing."
"What's the occasion?," the guitarist asked, right before the trumpeter tapped his head and pointed behind me. The guitarist leaned to the side to look at Ellie, who stood waiting for me a few ways away. The guitarist 'ohh'ed and nodded his head, smiling. "We gotcha," he said before strumming a random chord.
"Thanks," I said, before walking back to Ellie's side for our dance.
"Should we commence a dance, my lady?," I said as I gingerly took her hands in mine. She chuckled and shook her head at me playfully while bearing a smile. I carefully placed a hand on her waist and held the other up for her to hold. She reluctantly intertwined her hand with mine and and she put her hand on my waist. With a chuckle, I said, "You put that hand on my shoulder."
"Oh," she murmured, and did as I said. I looked down at our feet and instructed, "Okay, now try to follow my lead." Ellie nodded and I took a tentative step forward. She freaked out and stepped on my other foot by accident. "That's okay," I said, "Just relax."
"I'll try," she grumbled with an embarrassed flush on her face. I let her get used to it for a little bit so that she wouldn't trip over herself. After a few moments, she was okay enough for us to sway side to side while the two teens played the song. The trumpet player was the melody, and the guitarist was the harmony. It's been so long since I've heard that song, La Vie en Rose, but it's just as nice to listen to. Especially with Ellie in my arms like this again.
She kept her eyes down at our feet most of the time, but my gaze was caught on her. The hand that was not in her waist was holding onto her new metal appendage. I squeezed it tight, which caught Ellie's attention and she looked up at me. "You're still not relaxed," I told her and she frowned slightly.
"I don't want to step on your feet again," she said.
"It's fine. As long as you have fun, then everything's alright," I replied, "Besides, it's slow dancing, so take it easy." Ellie nodded and breathed steadily, as if she hadn't been doing so before.
I let go of her waist for a brief moment to spin her, which worked out well, considering Ellie was feeling awkward. Gently, I pulled her back to me and we were closer this time. She kept looking down at her feet but she was getting the hang of this. She would step on the tips of my boots every few seconds but I didn't mind. I remember doing the same thing to her, although I'm pretty sure me stepping on her feet was heavier and worse than her stepping on mine. But it had been something she adored, and I adore when she does it, too.
The music went on and I think the teens were being nice by repeating parts over and over. Not that I minded. Ellie and I swayed from side to side, turned in circles, and shuffled around the small courtyard at a slow, but romantic pace. At one point, Ellie tripped over and I was quick to catch her by her waist. I was almost close to tipping over but I balanced myself and held her steady. Ellie stared up at me with wide eyes and I chuckled.
Swiftly, I pulled her back up, grabbed her hand and twirled her away from me. She yelped and laughed, and when I looked at her exhilarated face, I felt utter joy bounce around in my chest. I reeled her back in, wrapping my arm around her as she had bumped into my chest. An excited laugh escaped her lips and my heart fluttered at the sweet, sweet sound. We returned back to our original stance, but this time she had both arms wrapped around my neck, and I had both hands on her waist. The uncomfortableness faded away from her face now and she didn't look down at her feet anymore. She stared straight up at me with a smile on her beautiful face. In that moment, I wanted to kiss her; on her cheek, her nose, her forehead, her jaw, just anywhere on her gorgeous, flushed face. It was like reliving our first dance together. Although, for Ellie this is her real first dance with me, and I hope it's as magical as she deserves.
I spun her around one last time before bringing her back to me, picking her up and twirling her around with me. She shrieked with delight and I couldn't help but laugh. Delicately, I set her back down on her feet and held her for a little bit. The song ended just in time in a small fading of lovely notes that made the moment even more fantastic.
"You cool?," I asked, a little breathless.
Ellie nodded and asked, "Are you?"
With a wry laugh, I answered, "Hell yeah." She leaned her head against my chest as she laughed and I hugged her close. Without thinking, I said, "Je t'aime."
Ellie gave me a funny look and mumbled, "What?"
I chuckled and responded, "It's French. It means...'I love you'."
Her face went slack and her cheeks flushed an even brighter red. I already felt awkward for saying it, and I was pretty sure I ruined the moment. To kinda make up for it, I added, "You don't have to say anything back. I just...wanted to say it. It was something we did before, so..." It was silent for a few seconds, more than I would've liked. I let her go with an uneasy movement and scratched the back of my neck.
Suddenly, Ellie murmured, "I shouldn't be surprised that you do. It's pretty obvious. But, I don't know if I--."
"Feel the same?" I finished for her.
She nodded and I felt a little less uncomfortable. A little. But, then she continued with a, "Yet." It was a vague statement, but my vibe got extremely lighter for it.
Afterwards, I returned to the two teens and thanked them for their playing. I shook hands with both of them briefly before gathering Ellie's things from the bench. I gave Ellie the jellyfish and the tulip, while I held onto her shark. "Goodnight!," the two musicians called out to us and then went on with their business, playing random tunes.
We began walking again and at this time the town was almost completely dead. There was nothing else for us to really do, besides go back to the house. I sighed, thinking of one last thing to do that would be able to finish off the night perfectly. But what? There's nothing left to do; no more festivals, no more music, no more shops to steal from. I mean, I could always do that, but what's the point?
I sighed quietly, leaning my head back and looking up at the sky as I walked. Suddenly, that's when I got an idea. It was something perfect, something Ellie had always wanted. I may not have given her that gift back then, but now I have my second chance and, god dammit, I'm not going to waste it.
"There's one last thing that we have to do," I told her.
"What is that?," she asked.
"You'll see," I answered vaguely, "just keep close to me, and lend me your flashlight." She did as I said and I started leading her away from town square. The only sound between us was the crunching of the snow as we walked. I held onto Ellie's arm to make sure she didn't get lost in the growing dark that was a sleeping town. After a while, I could sense that she was getting tired and I looked back to see the annoyance seeping into her features.
"Where are you taking me?," she grumbled.
"You'll find out soon," I replied.
"That doesn't answer my question..."
"It's not meant to. What I'm going to show you is your answer," I countered.
"Jeff," she groaned.
"Just wait and you'll see," I assured her and she stayed quiet after that. I had a feeling she didn't really want to.
Eventually, we made it to the place I was searching for. From what I remember two years ago, this was the local Redwood park. The fence wasn't too much of a challenge and I was able to give Ellie a boost over it. She didn't question our trespassing, even as we went deeper into the park. It was very dark and there wasn't much wind to make the trees rustle. Snow covered most of the land around us, even obscuring what was supposed to be the pathway. We strayed from that and I tried searching for a wide, yet secluded, area.
Finally, I found a perfect spot and I led Ellie into the center of a clearing. I carefully set the stuffed shark down in the soft snow and told Ellie, "This is our last stop for our date."
She swept her gaze around, looking confused. "What exactly are we supposed to do here?," she asked.
I carefully took the things from her hands and placed them with the giant shark toy. Taking off my sunglasses, I said in a soft tone of voice, "Look up and see for yourself."
Ellie was hesitant at first, but leaned her head back anyway to look at the sky. "I still don't understand what you're trying to--." She stopped herself and I watched her blue eye widen with awe at the sight of the twinkling stars above. She stood there for a few moments, not saying anything for a little while. I was happy to see her remove the eyepatch so she could see the night sky in all its glory. I took this time to take a seat on the snowy ground and rest. Once Ellie finally looked back at me, I motioned for her to take a seat next to me. She crouched and sat down. I moved the stuffed shark over so we had something to lean our heads against. The both of us laid down and there was a calm silence.
"What do you think?," I asked her.
She kept her eyes on the sky above and answered, "It's...wow."
"You've never been star gazing?"
She shrugged. "I've never seen this many stars."
"Other lights tend to wash them out," I stated.
Ellie and I laid there on the ground, staring up at the stars. I waited a little while before talking. "Two years ago, I promised you that I would take you out in the countryside to stargaze. I'm not sure if you can consider this countryside but I think it's close," I spoke softly, "You loved stars. We did this once before, on a night like this. I told you that I was looking at a star when I was looking at you and you called me cheesy. Do you remember the song I was singing on the balcony at that hotel? I had sung that to you then, and you sang along. We just hung out, even though we were freezing cold. It was one of the more memorable nights."
I didn't get any reply for a few seconds and I thought that I might've said too much. Until Ellie whispered to me, "That sounded like a good night."
"Yeah," I agreed unconsciously. Then, she added something that saddened me a little.
"I wish I could remember it," she said.
A pause of silence hung over us afterwards. It was suddenly interrupted by the small hiccup of a sob. I looked over and saw Ellie covering her face with her other hand. She wiped away at her eyes with her sleeve but she kept crying anyway. I sat up and loomed over her, asked her what was wrong. She wouldn't answer me.
"Ellie," I called out in a gentle voice, holding onto her prosthetic arm as she sniffled and hiccuped. I tried asking her again, "What's wrong?"
This time she gave me an answer. Her voice was small, but I still made out her words. She answered in a whimper, "I'm just...really happy."
With a sigh of relief, I chuckled and said, "That's good. You deserve to be." Ellie kept sobbing quietly and I sat closer to her, keeping a hand on her arm. I unwrapped the bandana and used it to clean up Ellie's face. She lay there as I wiped the tears away. She scrunched her nose and twisted her lips, which I found adorable. When I was done, I backed up and said, "This night is for you to enjoy, okay? Please don't cry."
She sniffled and calmed down. As she stared up at the sky, she pointed up and said, "Those stars look like a pot."
Looking up, I smiled and stated, "That's called the Big Dipper."
"And those over there?," she pointed a little ways over.
"The Little Dipper."
"That name must've been a challenge to come up with," Ellie joked nonchalantly and I laughed.
As I laid back down, I pointed up and said, "You see that line of three stars? That's called Orion's Belt. If you look farther out from those stars, you'll see Orion."
"Oh yeah," she murmured in awe.
"And, if I'm not mistaken there's one called Eridanus right over...there!" I pointed and traced my finger along the sky where I found the constellation. It took Ellie a while to find it too but when she did, she said, "Holy crap, that one's huge."
"It's supposed to be the 'Celestial River'," I stated, "There's also this sea monster constellation almost next to it called Cetus. It's cool."
"How do you know all of this stuff?," Ellie asked me, turning her head away from the sky to look at me.
I shrugged and replied, "The past two years, I'd get really bored and look up a bunch of stuff at local libraries. Constellations just so happened to be one of them."
"Oh yeah? What's that one?" She pointed up at the sky.
"That's just a star."
"What about that?"
"Also just a star."
"And that one?"
"There's a bunch of stars, I don't know exactly what you're trying to make me find," I stated flatly.
I continued to try to find stars with her, pointing out the constellations I remembered, talking about the stars that stood out among the rest. Ellie took everything in, always in awe at the things I told her, even if it wasn't significant. Looking over at her, I felt delighted to see the sparkle in her eyes and the eagerness of her smile. It was wonderful, like watching the sun rise.
We took a moment to rest and just stare at all of the stars above. I moved my hand slightly and ended up bumping into Ellie's metal hand. It was really cold and I almost reeled away. Warmth spread to my face at the thought of holding her hand. I tried to play it smooth but I knew I'd make a fool out of myself before I did a thing. While I was contemplating my confidence, I felt Ellie's hand slowly inch into mine and I squeezed her cold fingers against my palm. Soon enough, our fingers were intertwined, hands clamped tightly against each other. In a quiet murmur, Ellie said, "Thank you for everything."
A fluttery feeling pulsed in my chest and I whispered back, "No problem.. Anything for you." She squeezed my hand tighter and I felt utterly content. Well, until the noticeable sound of a click echoed in the chilled air and the both of us groaned. I tried pulling my hand away but her metal prosthesis was locked on me firmly once again. I had forgotten about the malfunctioning problems.
"I'm sorry," Ellie told me.
I shook my head and responded, "No worries. At least it isn't spazzing out. Besides, I don't mind. Do you?"
Ellie shifted her gaze from me, to our hands, then back to me. "No," she said and I stifled a wry chuckle.
After laying out in the snow and stargazing for what felt like a long time, I helped Ellie up so that we could leave and finally head back to the house. The both of us struggled to pick up our things but we managed in the end. As soon as we got to the fence though, we were stumped. I kept thinking of ways to get out of the park, while Ellie had found a gate somewhere and busted open the lock with a hard kick. We didn't bother closing it as we left.
It was about a thirty minute walk back to the house, maybe longer than that. It didn't matter though. Ellie and I were fine with the trek. Along the way, I talked about some of the things from her old life. I told her as much as I could about her parents, and everything about the residents of the mansion. Talking about them made me nostalgic and I suddenly longed to return to that place. To see Slender, and Sally, and Masky and Hoodie. To see those furry beasts Grinny and Smile, oh god, how I miss them. Even the thought of their constant brawling warms my heart. I told Ellie about our good times and bad times as best as I could while on such a limited trip. She listened to every word, absorbed all of the stories of the moments she had experienced, the memories she's supposed to have.
We finally made it back to the house and I could already feel my body begin to give out for sleep as soon as I spotted it through the trees. Quietly, we walked up to the front door and Ellie opened it with her metal hand without a sound. I stared at her for a moment and whispered, "How long has it been functioning?"
She stared back and paused. "A while," she murmured, and silently ducked inside the house. I shook my head and followed after her.
I slowly and quietly closed the door and navigated my way through the dark living room. Ellie's figure was in sight and I followed her into the hallway. We tiptoed past Clockwork's and Toby's bedrooms, nervous about waking them up so late (or early) in the night. Ellie made it to her bedroom door and so did I.
"Thanks for the wonderful date," she whispered.
I nodded and said, "I'm happy you enjoyed it. Now I think we should get some sleep."
"Yeah," she agreed. She waited outside her door, mute for a brief time.
"Are you okay?," I asked, stepping closer towards her.
In the dark, I felt Ellie pull my bandana down, and press her body up against me as she wrapped her arms around my neck. Without any warning, without any time to prepare, she leaned up and the sensation of her lips on mine shook me to my very bones. A warm wave of excitement and joy overcame me and I suddenly found it very hard to stand. I placed a hand on the small of her back while simultaneously holding the stuffed shark away. I've longed for this moment when I could finally embrace Ellie and kiss her gorgeous lips. It was almost too much to handle. The want, the need, was so strong and now I don't know what to do but stand and relish in the sweetness of the moment, of her lips. They were so warm; so gentle. I pressed a bit harder and she didn't seem to mind. She pulled me in closer and I thought I couldn't get any more flustered. I loved this. I loved every second of this. It was utterly heavenly and I wanted this feeling to last forever.
What I'm sure lasted a good minute or two, felt like only a few seconds as soon as Ellie pulled away. I wanted to keep kissing her, to keep feeling her warmth, but I knew we couldn't. It was late, we were tired, and Toby and Clockwork are only a few feet away. Ellie grabbed the shark from my hands and whispered, "Good night, Jeff."
I almost didn't reply but I remembered that I could friggin' talk. "G-Good night, Ellie..."
She opened the door and closed it behind her, finally ending our night of fun and awkward romance. I entered my room and closed the bedroom door. Then, I fist pumped the air and whispered 'yes, yes, yes' over and over in an excited tone. My body was shaking and I waved my hands in the air, doing some weird happy dance in the dark. I cha-cha'ed all the way to my bed and then plopped down across it. Breathless and content, I lay there and stared up at the ceiling.
I picked up the ring necklace from under my shirt and stared at it. As I gazed at the blue diamond, I thought about Ellie's kiss, her soft lips and her warm hug. There was no containing my happiness. I kissed the ring and set it down onto my chest. Although I was exhilarated from the kiss, drowsiness still got the better of me. I turned over and covered my head with a pillow, silently wishing a good sleep to the love across the hall from me. Thoughts of her and of tonight swirled in my head as I drifted off.
I'm falling in love with my Sunshine all over again, and I think she is, too.