On the way to Oscar's house Ball stared hard out the window. Sometimes in the shadows of snow she thought she saw corpses, or was it simply just a trash bags? The snow was starting to fall.
She looked back to her friends. Oscar cared only for what was outside his window, and gave the occasional whimper. David would look out of his window too, but Ball found him also trying to peek around and look at her.
Dora, well she seemed a little off.
"Dora hasn't spoken this entire time," Ball stared at her.
David chirped up.
"For some reason she's forgotten how to speak english. She won't talk because we can't understand," David said.
"Where's her family?" Ball asked David.
"Well, since Nelly's seriously sick they thought we were just taking her to get help," David explained.
"Did you tell them we were evacuating?!" Ball asked. She tensed up.
"We did. They just have to pack. We took Nelly because she's sick and it would be quicker just to take her than to wait for the family to pack," David explained further.
"Ok.." Ball calmed down, "Are you feeling any better?"
"I actually am.. but even though I seem really chatty it's only because I really don't know what else to be. We're seriously in trouble and I really feel like I'm not going to make it out alive. Even if I don't get-"
Ball began to shake her head at him.
"Don't say that!" She almost shivered, "You will get out of this alive." It was almost a demand. She looked to the window again in a scowl.
...
Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted up. David took her back to his seat and held her close.
Instead of saying anything Ball looked briefly out of the window before falling asleep.
***
The next morning was at Oscar's house. The air was sharp and still, and the roads were filled with 3 feet of snow. Oscar was standing out on his porch with a hot chocolate in his hands. He was wearing his pajamas but just wanted to feel numb.
David took a step out on the porch. He was bundled up in a heavy purple jacket with a white wool inside. He also wore large gloves and a grey scarf.
"I'm really sorry about what happened to.. to your parents. I may not understand everything, but I know how devastating it is losing both of them in one big swoop,"
Oscar nodded "I heard," He looked into his hot chocolate, "Plane accident right?"
"Something like that. Not even sure myself. Sometimes I worry it was the aliens, since I know they exist. In that case I hope my parents are dead. I don't know what I would do if I knew they were being murdered and experimented on over and over again," David said. He occasionally looked out to the snow covered roads and wind chimes.
"Wouldn't you go after them?" Oscar asked gently.
"I guess I would have to," David sighed.
They were silent for a moment.
"What do you think about this snow?" Oscar asked looking up at him in a squint.
"I guess It's just kinda crazy how fast it fell, but I really shouldn't expect any less from Yoyeland," David looked out at it again, "Ball and I are going to go look for Dora's family. They never contacted us or anything so she's worried."
"Oh God," Oscar breathed before taking another sip, "She's right to be... How will you find them in this snow? I thought you were sick."
"Eh, I've been seriously feeling like a boiling ooze for about 2 days," David shrugged, "Now I think my sickness is either done with me, or this is just the calm before the storm. I'm still not perfect though. Every time I get up I feel dizzy and I still feel hot and dehydrated all the time."
"Well what happens if you suddenly get super sick again?" Oscar asked him.
David shook his head at the ground in an awkward shuffle before looking at Oscar to answer.
"Than I'll finally die," David looked weak and in pain for just that moment.
The door behind him opened revealing Ball behind it. Rocky smiled as he stood on top of the inside door handle.
Oscar walked over to pick his pet rock up and into his arms. Rocky closed his eyes as Oscar put his hot chocolate on the ground.
"How does it look?" Ball asked. She was talking about the snow.
"Eh. Pretty serious. Looks about 3 feet-ish. I'll probably have to carry you," David said turning to look at her.
"Hm, I'm ok with that," She looked away for a bit.
"When we get to the city the roads will probably already be cleared. You can walk then if you like," David said.
"Alright," Ball said.
David picked the dimpled Ball up. He then walked off the porch and into the snow.
"Good luck," Oscar said to them softly.
It seemed the only sound in the whole world was of David's boots and the occasional distant scape of a snow plow.
While they were still in the suburbs David wondered if Ball could fit in the hood of his jacket.
"You think you could sit in my hood?" He asked without stopping.
"Would it be easier to carry me in?" Ball asked.
"Maybe. But I was just curious," David took down his hood. Ball could see this.
"That doesn't look big enough," She said.
"That's alright. It's no serious issue," David put his hood back up and frowned.
"Is there something wrong?" Ball noticed his frown.
"To be true, there is. This is gonna sound stupid but remember when Diggs said that if certain people knew her name she would have to leave something behind when she died?" David asked.
They began to trudge on the larger roads going into Yoyle City.
"Not really, but keep going," She didn't remember.
"She said she would have to leave behind a part of her soul, a part of her history and a thing of her comfort. This is gonna sound stupid but, I think the history part is happening to me," David said.
"I do not understand. How do those 3 things have anything to do with you? You are not dead, so this is ridiculous," Ball raised a brow.
"I know but, I just seriously need to explain it better. Uh, those 3 things, soul, history, and comfort thing, aren't those what make up an object? I mean an object like you.
You have Johnson's soul, I think history means how you act. You said Johnson told you that you sorta act like him when he was a kid right," David said.
"He calls it caricatureism, well called it," Ball said.
"Yeah, uh, so that's history and your body is made of something he took comfort in. You are his ball, his toy," David said.
"That is true," Ball ended her sentence a little higher due to her enlightenment.
"I'm seriously worried... about the history part. It's obvious my sickness is because of the activator I took. Activator that created you, did this to me. I'm more like you now, you and Rocky.
Rocky has less in common with Oscar than you with Drake but I noticed something about them that scares me," David said.
"What was it?" Ball asked.
"Rocky throws up all the time and stares off into the distance. That doesn't really sound like Oscar, at least to us. I think Rocky is mostly what other people think Oscar is. That's scary because I've been saying more seriouslys than I ever have recently. I can't even help it, it's that serious."
"You cannot help yourself?" Ball asked him. She found it hard to imagine.
"I can't, I really can't. It just, happens and I can't stop. It's because that stupid meme of me. Millions of people have seen that video of me, and I think It's becoming my history factor. W-what if it gets worse.." David shuffled to a stop.
Yoyel City loomed in the distance. They were on the side of the snow covered highway. David fell on his knees and put Ball down to his left. He then fell face first into the snow.
Ball got up as best she could but sank anyway.
"..What are you doing?" Ball asked. She stuck her face out of the snow.
"I seriously don't know. I just feel really weak all of a sudden," He said.
"Is it your sickness?" Ball got worried for a moment.
"No.. I'm just a nobody.. I'm just... a nobody. I'm just a stupid meme everyone's already forgotten about and that's how I'll stay. I.. I never really thought it was a big deal.. that meme. I guess it really does matter how people see you. The meme's all I am to so many people. A brief 'aw seriously' on their video feed," David didn't tear up as he said this, but rather looked out into the tundra away from Ball's gaze. He sunk a little in the snow as he relaxed for a moment.
"If.. it makes any difference, I also have a view of you, although a much more realistic one," Ball said, "I know to be true, that you are not an aw seriously in the wind, or even a sea of aw seriouslys being heard by a sea of people.
You are a human being born of activity, order, and curiosity. You were the one who was most curious of me because you wanted to know how human I was. And when I was curious of the world as you were of me, you always had honest answers even if the answer was that you didn't know.
Sometimes you can be stubborn, but only because you stand so strongly with what you believe. Ever since you got to know me you've been out to protect me, help me, spend time with me, make me feel... nice.
I do not know anyone who has ever done so much for me. I may not even be worth it, but if your history is being affected I would like to say that you are much more than an internet joke to me."
Ball couldn't see how David looked. He just laid there still as stone.
"It's totally worth it..." David jumped up from lying down and stretched with an odd amount of energy, "Ready to uh, get going?" He asked her. He had a smile on his face but tried not to keep it there.
"Yes. We should keep going if we want to save Dora's family. Nobody knows when or how the aliens will blow up Yoyle City," Ball said.
"Y-yeah. Of course," David leaned down and picked up Ball, "You think.. uh, you want to stand on my head?" He asked, pointing to his head.
"Sure," Ball was indifferent. She would've shrugged if she could.
Afterward they continued into Yoyle City, Ball on head, that is until the roads became clear enough to walk.
Not many people were out, so David balanced on the curb slipping ever so often.
"You're still less than a- a year old Ball," David said. He was staring at the curb he was walking on, "What do you want to do for your birthday?"
Ball walked in the middle of the mostly empty sidewalk. People sitting on stoops was the most common thing to find, but not a full on crowd like before.
"Hmm. Maybe I would attend a poetry slam. I heard the school had one, but I was never brave enough to go," Ball said.
"You could've just told me if you were scared," David said. He slipped a moment but continued anyway.
"It is a more, social thing I was afraid of, but you are right. I could have just asked. I could have gotten to know the school poets before we were to escape," Ball said. She looked up to him as she walked for a moment.
"Where do you think we'll go, anywhere serious or just temporary?" David asked.
"You mean as in country when we escape?" Ball glanced at him. David nodded.
"Well the closest country to Yoyeland is Russia. Although there are smaller countries down south," Ball said.
"What if we ran to Japan?" David asked. He exaggerated his rhyme.
"We cannot run.. unless we run onto a boat and never cease to run around the deck," Ball smiled. David smiled back.
"Y'know Ball you look a lot more like a golf ball since what happened," David said.
"I suppose," She looked down at herself, "These dimples still shock me on how perfect they are."
"Eh strange things happen. I still have trouble remembering my eyes look this way.. Uh so are we heading to Noes Street now?" David slowed a little.
"Yes. It should be at the intersection ahead," Ball looked ahead.
"Ok cool," He looked ahead as well, and then... up at the sky.
Ball followed his gaze. It seemed a little black thing was falling from the sky in the distance.
They could only stare as it landed in the ocean. David stopped walking and froze.
Ball did the same.
As a blinding light and defining sound shook the ocean David turned to look at Ball.
He didn't do anything otherwise.
He just gave her a look of shock. It was all he could do... all he could say.
It's morning, it's mourning, it's dawn.
The whole world was spinning like some high speed gush. She didn't know if she was up or down. She didn't understand what was going on but in a sense she didn't want to. She wasn't moving now yet, still felt the pull of something. She felt sick, and didn't want to know what had happened anyway. She kept her eyes closed.
A wail from far away was rigging in her head.
"Hello!? Hey!?!? Anyone... out there?... eh, anyone!?"
There was something she was trying to remember, but it was fading. A voice? A... moment? A man?
A man? A- a man.... Man. Oh what does a man.. m... ? A... a... something. Oh no. I can't forget! It was right there! A Mm! A Mm! Was somebody? Gonna... someone.
A moment, a feeling, lost.
Somebody was tapping her.
"Hello?" He tapped her again.
Golf Ball sat up from the sand that water had half buried her in. She awkwardly stood up in the divit looking over the one who woke her.
"Do you speak?" He asked.
"Yes..." Golf Ball looked down at the sand.
"I'm a tennis ball. Did you know that?" Tennis Ball said. He was a little less than twice Golf Ball's size. She looked over at him again.
"Yes. You are a tennis ball," She knew that.
Golf Ball looked past TB to glance at the horizon.
It must be that way.
She walked past him and began to march across the desert.
"Are you a golf ball?" Tennis Ball turned around and started to follow her.
Golf Ball wasn't exactly sure. She felt like her name was more simple, but dimples didn't lie.
"Yes," she said.
"Is that your name? Because I was thinking that Tennis Ball is my name since it's what I am!" He said.
"I guess that works out," She said blankly.
"Hey Golf Ball... where are you headed? You're walking so determined," Tennis Ball asked. His pace was much more joyful than hers.
"I am heading home," She continued marching.
"Oh? A home??" This word was new to TB, so other words in association started to pop up in his mind, "Like a house? Does it have a bed, or rooms. Oh! Maybe a window?" Tennis Ball was curious.
"I am unsure," GB said.
"Then what is your home?" Tennis Ball was curious.
"I do not know," Golf Ball started to march a little less.
"Then how do you know where it is? You can't go to a place that you don't know... Unless somebody told you where it is. Do you have a map to it?" Tennis Ball asked. He was being a little more critical.
"...No," Golf Ball slowed to a stop.
Tennis Ball waited for a moment.
"Don't know where you're going huh?" He asked.
GB nodded slowly she looked at the ground.
"That's ok. Ya'know, I don't know where I'm going either. I do know that I am looking for someone," He looked over into the horizon which caused him to squint while he talked, "I think I have to go find someone and tell them something.
But I don't even know who they are or what I'm going to tell them! It makes me feel pretty sad. I think I might be missing someone."
"I t-think.. I am missing something g-gigantic," She looked at him before looking down again, "And, I cannot remember what it was! I-I I do not know what I am doing!" Golf Ball began to tear up, "I'm m-missing I'm- l-lost. I h-have no plan! I cannot get back home! I can never.. I, I can never go back now.."
Tennis Ball looked oddly at her.
"What's going on with your eyes?" He tilted his head.
"I am crying you fool!" Golf Ball shouted.
".. Does it hurt?" He was taken a little aback by her shout.
"..no," She calmed into a quiet thing.
"Well if you don't have a plan, maybe you can come with me while I try and find who I'm looking for, ok?" His speech became a little softer, a little nicer.
Golf Ball nodded, tears still steaming down her face. TB matched forward watching her follow him. Weak, she tripped and fell. TB watched this pathetic flop. He then approached her, grabbed her ankle with his, and flung her up on top of him.
"There, now you can crying and be the lookout," He said pleased.
"..Ok," She wanted to correct his grammar but decided not to.
For a while it was just the waterlogged desert. This monotony continued until The 2 of them made it to the Goiky Canal. TB tripped over something on the shore. Golf Ball fell off of him as they both clumsily rolled. When TB got back up he realized that what he tripped on had eyes.
"Oh my!" He exclaimed. He put his foot under the living stone and lifted him out of the sand. The rock looked saddened with an obvious frown.
"Look GB! This rock is sad!" Tennis Ball beckoned. Golf Ball just looked out to the canal. Tennis Ball put Rocky down and whispered: "Wait right here," to him. He walked up to Golf Ball.
"Something the matter?" He asked her.
"Same as before," She said looking at the ground.
Tennis Ball looked out to the canal with her, then in the distance he spotted a plane.
"Wow look an airplane!" He said as if he was an excited child. Golf Ball followed his gaze. It was in fact an airplane. It seemed common, a thing as it was. Flying higher than time, outside of death.
Rocky walked up behind them and vomited in the canal.
"Bleh!"
"Ew!" TB smiled. Golf Ball just watched. When she looked back up in the air, the plane was out of sight.
An unidentified voice called out from the distance.
"Hellooo!? Hey! Someone!"
Tennis Ball automatically turned around to call out.
"We're right here! I'm right here!" Tennis Ball shouted back.
Golf Ball looked back to Tennis Ball. Many more voices chirped up in the air.
"There's a lot of them out there.." Golf Ball said in awe.
"Well we gotta go find them! Let's go!" Tennis Ball started to sprint away into the desert as Rocky clumsily followed after him.
Golf Ball looked out to the canal one more time. She turned back to the desert and ran after him.
~ E n d ~
Ps: ISignedUpJustToRead was right,
and there is going to be a sequel/spinoff that I've already been writing.
See you soon for Pencil's Personification.
Humans truly are different than objects. What happens when the soul of a selfish jerk suddenly becomes whole again? Does Pencil find anything in being Tiffany again... Will Match be left behind?