01-21-2020, 08:18 PM
"It sheltered you. It's sheltering you now." He closed the infusers, trapping the loose leaves, and gingerly lifted them from the water. With two deft throws, he landed them in the sink. The rattling was loud this late at night, loud in the empty kitchen, loud in the empty house. It did not appear to bother Jude. He popped himself back up onto the counter, before holding his cup in both hands, sipping carefully. Tea, then sleep. Every minute that passed puts distance between Jude and the levitating cutting board, Jude and the reassembled gin bottle. Reality demanded proximity. What was real, now, was that Jude seems perfectly human, sipping his tea, talking about whether to burn a house.
He shook his head at the question. "If I stop it. I'd live through it, if it happened." But there would be many who would not. It wouldn't just be bunnies in the basement anymore.
"Do you think you could drive me to town tomorrow morning?" Maybe Courtland did die with regret. Maybe he regretted not living long enough to atone, or to help, or to tell Near whatever it was he wanted to tell. But Near didn't have to die that way, or live that way. It was all about what he would regret more - getting involved with a spooky stranger, or leaving him behind at a Seattle bus stop.
What if Near had come home, but home was just more secrets?
He shook his head at the question. "If I stop it. I'd live through it, if it happened." But there would be many who would not. It wouldn't just be bunnies in the basement anymore.
"Do you think you could drive me to town tomorrow morning?" Maybe Courtland did die with regret. Maybe he regretted not living long enough to atone, or to help, or to tell Near whatever it was he wanted to tell. But Near didn't have to die that way, or live that way. It was all about what he would regret more - getting involved with a spooky stranger, or leaving him behind at a Seattle bus stop.
What if Near had come home, but home was just more secrets?