•» "People change and forget to tell each other,"
-Lillian Hellman «•
-/•\-
• F U N N E H •
"You guys going to stay up later? Or are you gonna hit the sack?" I inquired, yawning as I approached the campfire.
"Yeah, I think we're gonna stay up later. Not tired yet, y'know?" Kyran shrugged.
"Okay, well, I'm super-duper tired. So, I'll see you guys tomorrow. G'night," I smiled and yawned again, walking over to the campsite.
I crawled into one of the larger tents, suited for three people since we couldn't find enough stuff to set up tents for each individual person.
I sat down and messed with the little handle on the lantern, hooking and unhooking it from its little clasp. I was waiting for Rainbow and Gold to get back from America.
They had used the pearl to go back and grab some actual camping supplies. But I didn't know how much longer I could stand staying awake. I might've just plummeted my head into the ground from exhaustion right then and there if a noise hadn't grabbed my attention.
I looked up and it was just Draco, who poked his head through the little makeshift flaps of the tent. "Gold and Rainbow just got back. Here's a sleeping bag. The others told me you were gonna sleep," he said, "catch 'em!" He tossed in a bundle of blankets after throwing in the sleeping bag.
I shrieked as the bundle of blankets aimed straight for my face and I blocked them using my forearms as I tumbled backwards. Draco laughed and I rolled my eyes.
"Catch them," I mocked in a high pitched voice, rolling my eyes as I threw the rolls of blankets back at him.
He screamed and deflected it, yelling, "BLOCKED!" and laughed with me.
I grabbed the blankets and started to unravel the large and thick roll of blankets, spreading them out to leave one for me.
"Geez, Draco. Why's there so many blankets? I could make an entire outfit with this many," I paused, comedically squinting at all of the blankets to imply I was thinking, "that is, if I could sew."
"This is Canada, Funneh. It literally gets to negative-two degrees Celsius in the middle of summer at times," Draco deadpanned.
"True, true. You've got a point," I snapped my fingers in agreement before starting to wrap the blankets around my body, "now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be making a blueberry burrito."
"I'lll tell the others. I think they were gonna go to bed too. Anyway, goodnight, sleep tight, and may toast bless your night," Draco joked, pulling his head out of the tent before pausing and then looking back in to say, "actually, for not saving me in that video game like weeks ago when you first came back, you can freeze."
"Step on a lego!" I stuck out my tongue before we both laughed in unison.
"Ouch," Draco gasped, "that's the worst kind of punishment!"
"Actually, I wouldn't wish that upon my worst enemies," I paused, remembering Felicia and Brittany, "scratch that, yes I would." He laughed.
"Okay but for real, g'night. I think the others are gonna sleep too soon," Draco said, before disappearing behind the tent's flaps.
I blew out the lantern's light and laid down, closing my eyes as I kept myself wrapped in the blankets in the sleeping bag.
I was sure my parents would be okay. It wasn't like anything super bad had happened to them, right? Maybe the Krew was right, nothing bad happened to my parents. They were okay and fine, just having some trouble around here.
I shook my head and squeezed my blanket's edge tighter. If the Krew had taught me anything over the years, it was that things could be worse. Had this happened years ago, I'd be going insane. But I wasn't mad, at least, not in a bad way. I just had to at least try to be more optimistic. No one got anywhere being grumpy.
Right?
Right.
With the smallest of assurance I had gathered within myself, I kept my eyes closed. As I started to drift to sleep, my grip on my blanket softened. And soon, my grasp was nonexistent and everything stopped to form fantasies in my head.
Fantasies in my head.
• L U N A R •
I laid down for a while. I didn't know how long, but it had been quite a bit of time. By then, the rest of the Krew had come in the same tent to sleep. Funneh's sleeping bag was beside mine. On the other side, it was Rainbow, Gold, and Draco sleeping in their own bags.
It was too dark to write in my journal, that was for sure. So what was I supposed to do?
I felt tired. I was exhausted. But I couldn't sleep. Was it just delusion? Was I imagining that I was tired? Or was I so sleepy that I was wide awake? Or maybe, it was that I had an unsettling feeling in my stomach.
That. That was it.
I felt uneasiness. It was unnerving, unpleasant like it was trying to make me upset. It felt like if you were invested in a book, and at its climax with all the action, you stopped reading it. The feeling of empty incompleteness filled me to the brim, brewing in my stomach.
I knew why.
But was it my business to tell them?
Or maybe, what if I didn't tell them?
Hah, loopholes.
I sat up and slowly crawled out of the tent. Lurking in the dark, I made my way to the small bunker that was a small distance away.
It was freezing and I cursed myself for not bringing the blanket with me. I hugged myself and once I felt a safe distance away from the campfire, I started to run. Faster I got there, the faster I could get back to my sleeping bag.
When I got to my bunker, I hurried down the stairs and looked for a small box I had left on the table beside a bunch of broken beakers and measuring cups.
I rummaged through the box and found what I was looking for. I grasped it in my hand tightly and quickly ran back to our settled area.
Run, Forest, run, I thought to myself, making me giggle slightly. I am absolutely hilarious, I know.
(Me when I tell my friends awful puns)
I slowed down when I saw the light radiating from the fire and calmed my breathing. I wasn't much of a runner, much less sprinting far distances.
I gripped the small object tighter and marched up to the Gang. None of them noticed me at first, so I crept up behind Kyran. They were just talking.
"Boo!" I exclaimed, grabbing Kyran's shoulders abruptly as he screamed from my scare.
Aly gasped as Alec and Evan started laughing immediately after they realized it was just me. Kyran snapped around and gasped, "Betrayal!"
"Rule number one, never trust anyone," I laughed, gesturing to myself, "especially a specimen like myself."
Aly raised an eyebrow as Evan chuckled. "My humor is unappreciated in its time," I sighed comedically.
"Ignoring Kyran having a heart attack, could you not sleep?" Aly giggled as Kyran pouted.
"Sort of. It bothered me that I couldn't tell you guys. But, if you really want to understand better before they tell you, take this," I explained, handing them the object.
"Understand? Understand what—" Aly cut off Alec's questions.
"Oh, we'll take it," Aly replied eagerly, holding the object as I handed it to her.
"Now, I can sleep. With that, I'll take my leave. See y'all tomorrow," I waved lazily and started to walk away.
"Take a match so you can see," Kyran pointed to the darkness that basically blinded everyone if they weren't close to the fire.
"Hm, nah. As I like to say," I dramatically threw up my arms as I started to disappear into the night, "let there be darkness!"
I hurried back to the tent and quickly huddled into my sleeping bag, snuggling up with the blankets. The unsettling feeling was gone and I was glad. I felt tired and my eyelids were heavy. I closed my eyes and drifted away.
With that, fantasies started to play in my head.
• K Y R A N •
Aly fiddled with the small object that Lunar had handed her. It was a pocket watch with a time glass symbol engraved on the lid. We opened it and inside were five sections, each a different color.
In the middle was the Yin and Yang sign, connecting each color to the center. The outside was a bronze color, but shiny nonetheless. It was newer.
"What is that thingamajig?" Evan inquired, scooting closer to get a better look at the pocket watch.
"How's it work? She didn't explain it," I asked as Aly handed it to me, "maybe we just activate it by saying some sort of magic word. Um, abracadabra!"
"The magic word is 'please', Kyran," Alec chuckled as I rolled my eyes and started to complain.
"Your smart remark has me laughing," I deadpanned, "if you couldn't tell, I was being sarcastic."
"Nope, I got it," Alec chuckled, "I was just taught manners, that's all."
"Yeah, well—" Aly groaned and snatched it back from me before interrupting our quarrel.
"Both of you, put a cork in it," Aly snapped, shuttling both Alec and I up, "maybe we just press this knob."
Aly pressed down on the small knob at the top of the pocket watch, and we watched as the clock hands started to spin rapidly. Then, it spoke
"PLEASE STATE COLOR."
"Quick, what color?" Evan inquired excitedly as we all quickly debated.
"Well, we could pick.... purple? I don't know, any of the colors could mean anything!" I complained.
"Then just ask it," Alec suggested as Aly handed the watch to him, "what do the colors mean?"
"REGISTERING STATS. PROCESSING. SCANNING. REPEAT, CURRENT STATS OF COLORS. SELECT STATEMENT," the pocket watch said in a robotic voice.
We watched as the watch projected a small hologram from itself, listing all of the names of the others and the colors corresponding to them.
ITSFUNNEH - BLUE
GOLDENGLARE - YELLOW
DRACONITEDRAGON - GREEN
LUNARECLISPE - PURPLE
PAINTINGRAINBOWS - PINK
"Maybe we should try Gold or Funneh," Aly suggested out loud, "it's logical."
"Aly, don't you think you're being just a little too invasive? It's not like they're master manipulators. People just want privacy," Alec decided against Ally's actions.
"But don't you wanna know?" Evan defended before Alec raised an eyebrow, to which Evan replied with, "what? I'm curious!"
"Curiosity killed the cat," Alec pointed out as I shrugged, for once actually agreeing with him.
"Maybe Alec's right —for once— and we shouldn't read too much into this," I reasoned.
"Aw, come on, dude," Evan frowned, his eagerness disappearing as Alec and I shook our heads, "party poopers."
"But I wanna know. Secrets are scary. And secrets, no matter what they're about or why they're kept, are secrets," Aly defended.
"Aly, that's a ridiculous philosophy," I sighed, shaking my head.
"My philosophy is just fine. You're ridiculous," she sighed before Alec advised her to not retaliate.
"Please? Just this one time, and I promise I'll leave it alone. I just don't like secrets, they make me uneasy," Aly pleaded, "plus, I'm curious."
I mumbled under my breath as Evan egged on for us to give in, his curiosity fueling his actions more than anything. Alec sighed and nodded reluctantly.
"Sweet!" Aly cheered, looking up at the hologram once more, "uh, blue, please."
"DOWNLOADING DATA, TRANSFERRING OF ORGANIC BEINGS PROCESSED. BEGINNING RELOCATION," the pocket watch announced.
The fire started to disappear and we gasped as the logs we were sitting on faded away into nothing. Everything around us started to dissolve into a dark abyss. Then the pocket watch spoke again as we stood up.
"MEMORIES OF 'ITSFUNNEH' PROCESSING. DOWNLOADING.... FUNCTIONS FULLY REFORMED. BRAIN MECHANICS LOCKED, PROJECTIONS RESTORED. PROCEED FORWARD," it commanded.
We did as it said reluctantly, slowly stepping forward as we grew more and more anxious. Aly was the first one in front of all of us, and she gasped when a puff of smoke appeared before her.
"PLEASE CHOOSE ROUTE: PERSONAL, FAMILY, FRIENDS, OR LIFETIME," the pocket watch told us.
"Uh, lifetime?" Aly guessed, shrugging as the cloud of dust kept floating in the air.
"TRANSLATING DATA TO PROJECTION. MEMORIES RESTORED. PLEASE PROCEED," it ordered once more.
We started walking forward again, not knowing where we were going. All the while the cloud of smoke lead us.
It drifted farther away and then poofed, reappearing as a morphing fog. It started to form shapes and a background, then cursive writing started to be written out on the ground below it. It read: "Age 9".
SEVEN YEARS AGO....
A little girl, faded and her colors less vibrant due to the dullness of the fog, appeared. She was wearing dark blue overalls and a black shirt underneath it. We assumed —due to the writing— that she was, indeed, nine years old.
She was pale and had bright blue eyes, a slightly moody expression resting on her face. She looked annoyed, like she was angry.
Her blue hair was a little below her shoulders and she was just dropping a trash bag into a trash can. Then, a voice interrupted the silence and she gasped.
"Hi," the voice greeted, sounding like another young little girl from our right.
"Um, hello," the blue haired girl waved awkwardly to the girl who started to appear in fog as she walked up in front of her. She seemed to be nine too.
"You must be new! Is this your house? It's pretty. I've seen it here in the neighborhood. I like it," the second girl —who had brown hair the same length as the blue haired girl— commented.
"Uh, thanks? We just moved here. How did you know I was new?" the first girl asked, a concerned look growing on her face.
"I walk up and down these streets everyday to see if someone would buy a house here and it looks like you did! No one else lives on this street besides one crazy old man. I stay away from him, though. He's weird," the first girl wrinkled her nose.
"You walk up and down the streets of this neighborhood everyday? Doesn't that make you...." the first girl's voice trailed off before she shook her head and brushed away her half-finished comment.
"My name's GoldenGlare. But it's Gold for short. What's your name?" the second girl, who apparently was Gold but younger, inquired.
"Do I have to say?" the first girl frowned, crossing her arms as Gold gestured for her to say, "actually, I'd rather not. It's just my birth name anyway. My legal name is different."
"Please?" Gold pleaded, pouting slightly to get the first girl to give in.
The first girl rolled her eyes and sighed, "My name starts with an 'F' and that's all you're getting."
That was her. That was Funneh.
Gold smiled softly at Funneh's discouraging words. Funneh, however, looked extremely displeased with the situation. She fiddled with her fingers as her eyes grew with a more impatient gaze.
"One day I'll know your name, just you wait and see," Gold cheered as Funneh raised an eyebrow.
"Uh-huh, sure you will," Funneh scoffed, "whatever floats your boat."
"All my life, this neighborhood has had no one else but that old man. But now you're here! Wanna be friends?" Gold inquired eagerly.
"Uh," Funneh wrinkled her nose, stepping away backwards slowly, "no thanks. Don't take it personally, I just don't want to be here. Or around people like... you. Bye."
Funneh started to run away, her person dissolving as she dashed farther away. I looked back at Gold, who stood there, still and alone as she watched Funneh run.
PRESENT TIME.....
"FIRST MEETING MEMORY. PLEASE PROCEED," the watch bellowed, ruining the silence as Gold's misty figure disappeared.
We walked forward again and watched as the figures formed from smoke and the writing appeared on the floor. It read, "Age 9" again.
SEVEN YEARS AGO....
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Funneh frowned as she watched Gold smile cheerily, sitting beside her at the desks, "not only do you live on my street, but you've got the same class as me?"
"Right you are! And you know what? Sad people like you need better. So I'll be that 'better' for you! Whether you like it or not, I'm your friend," Gold ordered.
"Whatever. I just don't like people like you," Funneh rolled her eyes, sighing.
"People like me? What's that supposed to mean?" Gold pouted, crossing her arms.
"It means I don't like little goody-two-shoes who walk around like little rays of sunshine acting like everything is perfect and dandy. You just have everything, don't you?" Funneh snapped.
"For your information, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. That's rude. Come on, just try to give me a chance," Gold pleaded.
"I already said no. Just, just go away and leave me alone," Funneh groaned, sitting up and hurrying away only to leave Gold alone.
PRESENT TIME....
"This was seven years ago?" Evan raised an eyebrow, "Funneh's not like that. And Gold is always with her, they're best friends!"
"But it says these are memories of Funneh's," I pointed out, "and apparently, when they were nine, they didn't like each other."
"But Funneh wouldn't even listen to her. She's not like that," Alec added, pointing to the flashback.
"People change over time. The real question is, why was she like that? And why did she change?" Aly questioned, staring off into space as she schemed.
"TRANSITION MEMORY COMPLETE. PLEASE PROCEED," the pocket watch directed.
"Guess we'll find out," I said, starting to walk forward to play the next memory as the others followed suite.
"AGE 9"
SEVEN YEARS AGO....
"Found these two sneaking around the school after the late hours of midnight. The school isn't pressing charges for the broken window and door they vandalized. You better keep an eye on them. This is their last and only warning," a police officer huffed, pushing Funneh and Gold towards an older looking woman, maybe a mother.
"I'm sorry, officer. This won't happen again. I'll be sure to tell their parents," the woman nodded, "I'm just Funneh's nanny."
"Funneh? The same one who left graffiti all over the bridge in the main park just two weeks ago? Woo, kid, you've got a reputation. You can do better than that," the officer looked at Gold, "and don't go dragging others down with you."
As the officer walked away, the nanny looked at both of them, "Heavens, children! You're only nine and already known by the police! Do you have any idea what you've done? Look, I won't tell your parents this time. But I will expect better from both of you. Now, you, go back to your mother. Your house is just across the street anyway."
"I can't believe you! Why would you do that?" Gold exclaimed, facing Funneh as the nanny disappeared inside the house.
"I said you didn't have to come with me. But no, you just had to come with me to 'keep me out of trouble' but we both saw how that turned out," Funneh rolled her eyes.
"You're not even upset about it? We're gonna be in so much trouble if our parents find out!" Gold pouted, "you're just lucky your nanny said she wouldn't rat us out."
"As if my parents would care. They're never around. The most they'd do is send a counselor. And I'd do the same thing I did with all the others: scare them away. Besides, I don't care if I get in trouble. It's fun, hey?" Funneh shrugged, walking into her house.
Gold stood there, mouth forming an 'O' as she tried to comprehend Funneh's mischievous behavior. She simply couldn't believe her.
PRESENT TIME....
"My goodness," Aly gapped, "are you sure these are the same people?"
"According to this pocket watch and Lunar, it is. These are Funneh's memories," Alec pointed to the watch.
"TOGETHER IN TROUBLE MEMORY COMPLETE. PLEASE PROCEED FORWARD," the watch announced. We did as it said.
"AGE 9"
SEVEN YEARS AGO....
"Hey, are you okay?" Gold asked, sitting down beside Funneh as they rested atop the rooftop of what looked like Funneh's house.
Gold sat down beside Funneh, her legs hanging off of the edge. Funneh laid down, resting her arms on her stomach as she stared up into the night sky.
"I'm fine. It's just fun to get into trouble, that's all," Funneh shrugged as she continued to lay down, swinging her legs off of the edge.
"No one likes to get into trouble; they like what happens because of it," Gold sighed, "you don't really like it. You just like the attention. But why?"
Funneh sighed and sat up, "Don't you get it? No matter what I do, they'll never notice. I could go to jail and they wouldn't know. Business comes first to them rather than family, at least, that's what it seems."
"I'm sorry. I can't imagine what'd it be like to not have either of your parents. One, I know, but both, I can't even," Gold frowned.
"What do you mean 'one, maybe'? Don't you have your mom and dad?" Funneh raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, my dad left when I was younger. He's got another family now. The last words I remember him telling my mom was that his family was more important. But I like my mom. I think we're okay," Gold sighed.
"Oh," Funneh murmured, "why tell me that? We just met like two weeks ago."
"Because I trust you. And while you may not like me, I think you're okay too," Gold smiled.
"Oh," Funneh said once again, staring at the ground, "sorry for thinking you were just a... you know.... perfect little goody-two-shoes."
"It's fine. I've already forgotten it," Gold giggled, swinging her legs over the edge still, "y'know what? Let's start over."
"Okay."
"Hi, my name's GoldenGlare. But it's Gold for short. What's your name?" Gold stuck out her hand towards Funneh.
Funneh hesitated for a second, but relaxed and smiled slightly. It was barely noticeable, but it was still existent. She grasped Gold's hand and shook it.
"My name's Funneh."
PRESENT TIME....
"NAME REVEAL MEMORY COMPLETE. PLEASE PROCEED FORWARD," the pocket watch ordered.
We didn't speak; we were too interested in the flashbacks. We walked forward to continue the memories.
"AGE 10"
SIX YEARS AGO...
"Are you okay? Your hat was practically burning!" Gold inquired as a pink-haired girl patted her hat that looked like a cake.
The pink-haired girl wore a plain blue dress with no designs on it. Her hair was wavy and short, barely passing her shoulders.
Funneh and Gold's hair was slightly longer, their hair barely also passing their shoulders. They were still young.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little burnt, that's all. But that's one way to start a camping trip, right?" the pink-haired girl giggled, "anyway, my name's PaintingRainbows. But you can call me Rainbow for short."
"Nice to meet you, Rainbow. My name's GoldenGlare but call me Gold," Gold greeted, "and who are you?"
A black-haired boy —who looked like the same age as the others— waved at them and said, "I'm DraconiteDragon. But people just call me Draco. Rainbow and I already know each other."
"Oh, this is my friend. We came on this camping trip together too," Gold pointed to Funneh, who awkwardly crossed her arms and stared at the others, "come on. Don't you have something to say?"
Everyone looked at Funneh, who hesitated before saying with a small laugh, "You guys have really long names."
"I mean, those are just our birth names," Draco shrugged, "our legal names are different. How about you?"
"O-M-G, same!" Gold gasped as they all laughed, "this'll be fun, won't it?"
"Eh, maybe. Come on, let's get the supplies," Funneh shrugged as they started off to go grab the resources, but it was plain to see the smallest of smiles on Funneh's face.
PRESENT TIME...
"FIRST MEETING MEMORY COMPLETE. PLEASE PROCEED FURTHER," the pocket watch instructed.
Once again, we didn't speak. We kept walking forward to continue the flashbacks and memories.
"AGE 11"
FIVE YEARS AGO....
"Look, it's the freak again!" a boy's voice exclaimed, scaring a little girl with short, teal hair.
"You know, this is really inconvenient," the girl murmured, tumbling backwards onto the floor as her books scattered.
"Come on, you're a witch! Ain't ya' gonna do something 'bout it? Man, you're lame," the boy groaned, watching as the girl stared at the floor.
"Come on, leave her alone," a voice called out as a figure started to form.
"And who are you?" the boy scoffed, raising an eyebrow as he stared at Funneh.
"Someone who if you don't listen to, will drop-kick you. So make like a fly and shoo!" Funneh snapped, gesturing her hands to push him away.
"Do you even know this freak?" he questioned as Funneh wouldn't back down.
"If my friends have taught me anything, it's that people like you don't deserve toleration. And I've spent these last two years watching as you torment this girl. I wouldn't intervene because I thought it wasn't my place. But for God's sake, leave the girl alone! Have you got such a boring life that you spend all your time to bully her for two years?" Funneh hissed.
"Listen, no one asked you, Small Fry, so beat it before I make you," the boy growled.
"Try me," Funneh challenged, "do your worst. No offense, but you look like you've got a BMI of two. So go ahead. I dare you, you String Bean."
"You know what? You talk a lot of smack for someone who looks like they can barely hold a milk carton. So go ahead, hit me. Do it, I want to see your best," the boy challenged.
Funneh cracked her knuckles successfully and with an innocently wide smile, shrugged, "Just remember, you let me." And with those words, she sucker-punched him in the gut.
The guy screamed as he wrapped his arms around his stomach. Funneh crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, "I warned you."
"Fine, fine! I'll leave her alone! My god, that hurt!" the boy whined, dashing away as he groaned in pain.
Funneh turned around and crouched down, picking up the books scattered across the floor. She handed them to the teal-haired girl, who's face was full of surprise.
"Who are you?" the girl asked, standing up with the help of Funneh.
"Just your friendly neighborhood Funneh," Funneh smiled, "I've just seen him bothering you for the past years now. And it's taken me this long to actually stop him. Gotta right your wrongs, hey? Actually, ew. That was just cringey."
The girl laughed and nodded, "I'm LunarEclispe, but Lunar for short. Thanks."
"Don't mention it," Funneh shrugged, "no, seriously. Don't mention it."
With those words, Funneh nonchalantly waved goodbye and wandered away as Lunar stood there with a slightly bewildered expression resting on her face. She had been saved by a stranger. But would she ever meet her savior again?
We all know the answer to that.
PRESENT TIME....
"FIRST MEETING MEMORY COMPLETED. PLEASE PROCEED FORWARD," the pocket watch commanded once again.
"Two years after meeting them and she finally learned to stick up for people.... huh," Aly pondered out loud, a look of genuine curiosity growing on her face.
"Come on, it says there's more," Evan pointed out, starting to walk forward as the next memory started to form.
FIVE YEARS AGO....
"Finally, you're here!" Rainbow exclaimed, throwing her arms out towards Funneh.
Avoiding Rainbow's hug, Funneh excused herself by saying, "Yeah, I just had to pick someone up along the way. Guys, this is Lunar."
Lunar slowly walked up to the others and waved awkwardly, not saying anything. It was obvious she wasn't a very open kid.
"I'm Gold, this is Draco, and that's Rainbow. You excited to bowl?" Gold hyped, introducing each person by pointing to them.
"Um, actually, I don't like to try new things," Lunar admitted sheepishly.
"Oh, it'll be super-duper fun! Trust me, you'll see. New stuff is fun. Now, come on!" Rainbow cheered as Gold rolled her eyes with a smile at her friend's perkiness.
"Yeah, it won't be so bad. And if it is, I wouldn't blame you," Draco chuckled, "seriously, they're crazy."
Funneh smacked him on the arm, earning a laugh from Lunar. Gold rushed them, telling them to hurry so they could bowl already. One by one, they filed into the bowling alley.
PRESENT TIME...
"TOTAL MEETING COMPLETE. CORRESPONDING TIMELINE.... FREE ROAM MEMORY PROJECTION IN SYNC. PROCEED WITH CAUTION," the pocket watch informed.
"Free roam memory projection? What's that?" Evan inquired, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
Then, a bunch of puffs of smoke appeared randomly every few feet apart from one another. They formed and hardened into moments of their memories frozen in time.
There was one of Funneh and Rainbow sharing earbuds, frozen in the middle of humorous dance move positions.
Another one formed, one of Gold and Funneh wandering a candy-like area with weapons that seemed to be made from sugary sweets and delightful foods of such sorts.
The following was one of Funneh and Draco intensely playing a video game, frozen in a victory stance as they seemed to be cheering.
The next one followed suite was of Funneh and Lunar seeming to have been experimenting with potions as they poured and dumped ingredients into a caldron.
TWO YEARS AGO....
"Come hang out 'cause you're out of your mind," Rainbow's foggy figure sang cheerily as the memory slowly played.
"You're working so dang hard, you forgot what you like," Funneh laughed more than sang, keeping one earbud tucked into her ear as the two danced around.
"So come hang out, don't you leave us behind," Rainbow giggled in between her playful singing.
"But I'll be there next time, I'll be there next time."
(If you're curious, this song is 'Come Hang Out' by AJR and if you ask me, they have no bad songs. I absolutely love them sksk)
PRESENT TIME....
"Oh, I've heard that song! It's really good, but just a little too upbeat for me," Aly snapped her fingers in realization. We watched more.
SEVEN YEARS AGO....
"Gold, guess what type of bow I just found," Funneh challenged, holding up her bow in the proper stance and position.
"What is that? A Cheerio bow?" Gold guessed, raising an eyebrow as she inspected the weapon.
"A Cheerio bow? No, it's a churro bow and arrow," Funneh laughed, launching the arrow into a nearby pole almost directly in the center, "bullseye!"
The two started to laugh together as they wandered off farther into the utopian-like candyland to venture away.
PRESENT TIME...
"Legend has it, that was probably the last time Funneh ever made a shot with a bow and arrow for a long time," Evan joked, chuckling.
"I mean, you probably aren't wrong. At the athletics event, she said she had basically never used a bow and arrow," Alec agreed, "not using one for a long time tends to rust people."
"It's so weird to see these," I said out loud, "they're so.... surreal. Like, they're her memories but we're seeing them so clearly and perfectly. It's like a dream. It's like.... like...."
"Like fantasies in her head."
THREE YEARS AGO....
"Hurry up, to the west at forty-five!" Funneh exclaimed, frantically and expertly maneuvering her fingers to use the controller.
"Funneh, to your left! Your left!" Draco warned, mashing the buttons and pushing around the joystick with an equal speed.
"And....." Funneh and Draco's voices trailed off as they focused on the screen, starting to stand up from the spots on the couch they were sitting on.
"THAT'S IT! WE DID IT! WE WON!" the two screamed, tossing the controllers into the air as they chanted in victory.
They climbed up onto the couch and bounced around, springing like rabbits as they cheered at their win just like any normal thirteen-year-olds.
Funneh chanted her catchphrase, "Boo-ya!" while the two laughed as they high-fived in accomplishment. They had won. They were winners.
Champions.
PRESENT TIME.....
Aly giggled with each memory, none of us helping our laughter. You had to admit, their laughter was contagious. Even as little kids, their jokes still seemed funny to us nonetheless.
So this was their childhood.
FOUR YEARS AGO.....
"Do you trust me?" Lunar asked Funneh, who nodded and returned Lunar's offering of a hug.
As the two embraced, Lunar lifted her up and tossed her onto a shelf somehow. Funneh didn't seem hurt, just surprised and scared half to death before laughing in exhilaration.
"RULE NUMBER ONE: NEVER TRUST ANYONE!" Lunar chanted, grabbing a beaker full of liquid as she approached a caldron,
"Lunar, are you sure this'll work?" Funneh inquired, crossing her arms as she eyed the caldron.
"Nope! Absolutely, positively, definitely, not. But hey, it'll be fun, right?" Lunar elbowed Funneh playfully as she shrugged.
"Eh, can't argue with logic," Funneh paused, "really stupid logic but whatever."
Lunar laughed as she tossed in a handful of green colored plants, earning a large puff of smoke to explode from the caldron.
"Sweet potatoes! What did you do?" Funneh screamed, shielding herself with her forearms as the liquid fizzed.
"Good question, I don't know," Lunar laughed, covering her mouth as she watched bubbles rise, "it's alive! It's alive!"
"If that thing comes alive, I'm throwing you to it first," Funneh deadpanned, crossing her arms.
"Don't be so dramatic. Gold's rubbing off on you too much," Lunar joked, "besides, I'm just kidding. It ain't actually alive and I'm sure it wouldn't— OH, MY GOD, IT'S MOVING!"
"Aw, nah! I'm dipping, see ya' outside where I'll be, y'know, ALIVE!" Funneh exclaimed, hopping off of the shelf and backing away.
"You would leave me here like a sacrifice? The betrayal!" Lunar gasped dramatically before screaming as the liquid puffed out another explosion of smoke.
"Should I save her?" Funneh pondered out load, considering her options before someone creature-like moved inside the creation, "nope, nevermind! That ain't worth it! You ain't worth it, g'bye!"
Lunar started to laugh at Funneh's words, covering her mouth booked it off into the distance. Then, the liquid moved again like it had life in it. Lunar promptly screamed in surprise and dashed into the distance following not far behind Funneh.
PRESENT TIME.....
"POTION MEMORY COMPLETE. PLEASE PROCEED FORWARD," the pocket watch ordered. We did as it said.
FOUR YEARS AGO....
The five of them sat around a small campfire, talking and babbling about stories and telling jokes. It was like any summer hangout.
"To celebrate our anniversary of friendship, let's sing this song," Rainbow suggested, holding up her phone for them to read the lyrics.
"Why? We can't even sing, Rainbow," Draco raised an eyebrow, skeptical.
"Because it'll be fun! Besides, I love this song. And it seems perfect since summer's almost over. We'll be starting a new year together soon," Gold encouraged.
"All right, all right," they all gave in.
Rainbow played the song as they smiled playfully, starting to sing the song as they read the lyrics. After a while, they knew the lyrics well enough to not need their phones.
"With the skater kids under city lights, remember how we laughed 'till we cried?" Gold hummed.
"Oh, I won't forget the good times," Lunar smiled, rolling her eyes with a laugh after she sung her words.
"And I never wanna leave this Sunset Town, but one day the time may come," Rainbow cheered.
"And I'll take you on your word and carry on, I'll hate the goodbye," Draco chuckled.
"But I won't forget the good times," Funneh giggled as they all tapped their hands to the rhythm of the admittedly catchy song.
PRESENT TIME.....
Aly was laughing, giggling with glee at every memory that played after one another. It was hard not to laugh, it was just the fun atmosphere. Their jokes and comebacks, we found them humorous and comical. It was surreal, like we were almost with them to just hang out.
Y'know, that said a lot about our low humor if we relate to five little kids, huh? Whatever, it was fun. And it was definitely comedic.
They looked so happy in every memory, so carefree. And there were a lot of memories to look through. But almost all of them were of the five of them. Where was the family in any of the memories?
"There's a lot of them, but where's her family? These are her memories, but all they consist of is the others. This is the lifetime route, right?" I inquired.
"Hey, uh, Pocket Watch-thingy? Where's her memories of her family?" Evan inquired, tapping on the top of the pocket watch.
"PROCESSING 'FAMILY' MEMORIES. PLEASE PROCEED FORWARD," the pocket watch instructed.
We did as it said.
SEVEN YEARS AGO....
"Do you have to go?" Funneh asked, her voice high-pitched and hair barely reaching her shoulders.
"We have to, K'. It's our jobs. The new nanny will take care of you while we're away. But we'll be back soon. And when we do get back, we won't leave you again. We promise," an older woman with long, straight blue hair cooed to Funneh.
"Yeah, Kat. We'll be back eventually. It won't be for long. Can you be brave for us?" an older man —who I assumed to be her father— inquired, crouching down to meet her eye level.
Funneh nodded as her mother kissed her forehead and her father hugged her. "And don't forget our saying," her father said, "when you think positive, good things happen."
"And for beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone," her mother advised.
(Quoted from Audrey Hepburn)
Funneh smiled bitterly as she watched them leave through a door, waving goodbye. She started to watch them leave before realizing she had forgotten something.
As they were walking out of the door, Funneh started to jog towards the door. "I love—" her words were ended by the door shutting behind them. They were gone.
".....you."
PRESENT TIME....
"Business trip?" I inquired out loud from my thoughts, staring at the scene as it slowly dissolved away into mist.
"Why'd they call her Kat? Did they mean Cat? Like as in a nickname? I know parents always give their kids nicknames," Evan suggested. We shrugged and considered the idea.
"FIRST BUSINESS TRIP MEMORY COMPLETE. PLEASE PROCEED FORWARD," the pocket watch ordered.
THREE YEARS AGO.....
"It's Halloween! You know what that means? Candy, candy, and even more candy!" Rainbow squealed, throwing her arms into the air as she cheered.
"Maybe it's better that we don't give you candy," Draco chuckled, "you're hyper enough."
"You know what else is today?" Gold hummed, smiling widely as she roped Funneh into a hug.
"Oh, my god, Gold. Don't make it a big deal like last year," Funneh laughed with an embarrassed face.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you; happy birthday, dear Funneh; happy birthday to you!" they all chanted as Funneh laughed, covering her face to hide her flushed expression.
"You're so lucky; your birthday is on Halloween so you get presents AND candy!" Rainbow pointed out.
"I know right? How's it feel to be thirteen?" Lunar asked, elbowing Funneh playfully.
"Not much different. But now I'm one of the last ones to turn thirteen in the Krew. How's it feel to still be a pre-teen, Draco and Lunar?" Funneh teased.
"Oh, shut up," Lunar laughed as Draco shook his head, laughing as well.
"Just a few more months until our birthdays," Draco shrugged, "you were just born the year before us."
Then Funneh's phone started to ring as everyone gasped, going silent as Funneh pulled out it from her back pocket.
"Do you think it's them? Maybe they finally got a chance to tell you this year," Rainbow suggested, her eyes lighting up in joy for Funneh.
Funneh started to beam with hope, you could tell. The others nodded towards her and wandered away, leaving her alone to answer the call. The caller receipt said, "Mother".
"Hello?" Funneh asked, biting her lip and slightly bouncing on her heels, "mom? Is that you?"
"No, Kat. I am their assistant," the voice said firmly as Funneh's face dropped, her smile disappearing and replaced by a frown.
"Oh. Assistant Reightner," Funneh sighed, "right, just you. So, what did you need to tell me? Do my parents have a message for me? It's a special day today."
"Oh, it is? They didn't tell me no such thing. They informed me to remind you that your new nanny will be arriving in a few days. Be nice to her and don't scare her," assistant Reightner —according to Funneh— said.
"With all due respect, I haven't scared anyone off since I was eleven. I don't do that, not anymore. My friends, they—" Funneh was cut off.
"Your 'friends'? Are those the same ones your parents met last year for their yearly visit? That reminds me, your parents said that you should find better company," the assistant replied.
"What? That's not fair—" Funneh's words were interrupted once more.
"I haven't got time for your whining or excuses, Katherine. We've got schedules. But that's all, just that message," Reightner firmly said.
(I just like the name Katherine so that'll be the full name lmao)
"You're not even gonna mention the special day today?" Funneh inquired, her voice barely above a whisper by then.
"As far as your parents and I are concerned and informed, there's no special day today besides Halloween. Goodbye," the assistant hung up and Funneh stood there quietly.
"So, how'd it go?" Draco asked, peeking his head in from the doorway leading into another room.
"Was it them? Did they remember?" Gold asked, appearing beside Draco who was soon followed suite by the rest.
Funneh's back was to them as she tossed the phone around in her hand. She sighed and turned around, a solemn look tainting her expression. But it quickly turned into a smile, "It's fine. There's always next year, right?"
"Right..."
PRESENT TIME......
"THIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY MEMORY COMPLETE. PLEASE PROCEED FORWARD," the pocket watch ordered.
"Halloween is her birthday?" Aly gasped, her eyes widening as she realized that we had unknowingly missed her birthday last year.
"Why wouldn't she tell us that?" I asked, considering all of the possibilities.
"Maybe she was embarrassed. Not everyone likes having their birthdays on holidays," Evan suggested.
"True."
THREE YEARS AGO.....
"You've been practicing, yes?" a woman dressed in a white fencing outfit asked Funneh, who was also wearing a white fencing outfit.
"Yeah. But isn't three hours with no breaks just a little excessive?" Funneh groaned, fiddling with the handle of a shiny and sharp sword.
"Of course not! Now, begin!" the woman instructed, the two of them launching into a match as Funneh does decently well until tripping and falling backwards.
"Try again!"
ONE YEAR AGO....
"Are you ready?" the woman asked as the flashback formed into a much older and exhausted-looking Funneh, who was promptly prepared with her sword drawn.
"Never been more tired. I could drop dead right now," she laughed bitterly, "but if it takes seven hours, that's what it'll take."
"If it's causing too much pain for these long lessons, you can rest. You've spent half your life training to get them to notice, maybe it's time you stopped pushing yourself," the woman sighed.
"Some people learn to live with the pain. Others learn to ignore it. And some learn to just compress their pain. You decide what I did," Funneh closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath before opening them and readying her sword.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, go ahead," Funneh hesitated, "seven hours is just right, isn't it? It's got to be enough to at least impress them one time."
"Indeed," the older woman nodded, "then, if you think seven hours is fine for you, a mere fifteen-year old, then it will be done. Just five more minutes and you'll hit your record. Now...."
"Begin."
PRESENT TIME....
"This might be a bad time, but I'm starting to get tired," I yawned, not wanting to see the small tears you could observe welling up in her eyes before the flashback faded into mist.
"Besides," Alec frowned, "this feels weird to see. It's an invasion of privacy and I don't care how badly you want to know, we should leave this alone."
"I think Alec's right," Evan agreed, "this stuff is personal. And it seems like some of these are painful for her to remember. Let's just go."
Aly stared at the clouds of mists everywhere, fiddling with the pocket watch in her hand. She turned back to us and nodded slowly, "For once, I think you're right."
"Let's go. Pocket Watch, take us back," I said to the device, "uh, please."
With those words, the black abyss around us faded away and we found ourselves standing around the campfire once again.
I nodded to the others and we started to head to the other tent, knowing the rest were sleeping in the first big tent. But as we walked by, it was easy to see through the flap that someone was having an unpleasant dream.
With the smallest glance, I saw it was Funneh. I think the others noticed too. She tossed and turned in her sleep, her eyes tightly shut like she was scared. But she was still asleep. There were no dreams wandering about her thoughts. Her thoughts were then nightmares. No joy, no happiness, just fear and darkness. No fantasies at all.
Fantasies in her head.
-/•\-
•» "It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart," -Finnick Odair «•
(One. Ofc I'm using Finnick's quote. He's Finnick freaking Odair! Anyway, I got a little carried away with this chapter —7,765 words to be exact— and that's what I present to you all lol)
L U N A is typing.....💬