#fyrbol

every  day  at  dawn,  before  everyone  else  wakes,  she  tries  to  make  contact  with  max.  it  is  dark.   quiet.   nothing  helps  so  far  and  not  only  did  she  lose  her  best  friend,   everyone  lost  her.   lucas  lost  her.   and  it  is   her  fault.   there  was  no  keeping  her  secret  anymore,   she  felt  like  a  volcano.   ready  to  explode.   silence  is  broken  after  lingering  embrace,   words  spoken  over    @fyrbol​‘s   shoulder.

     ❝        ...    i  was  there.          ❞       confession  after  over  a   week  makes  her  voice  feel  dry,   eyes  narrowing  with  frustration  and  becoming  wet.   her  chest  feels  like  fire.   el   pulls   back,   dragging  her  eyes  from  her  sneakers  to  reluctantly  find  lucas’  eyes.   there  is   deep  guilt  and  sorrow  in   her  own;   she  wants  to  scream,   but  her  voice  is  barely  a  whisper  instead.      ❝     i  saw  ...   i  couldn’t  ...   i   could  not  move.    ❞  

the  throbbing  pain  in  his  leg  wasn’t  so  bad  anymore,  at  least  it  was  progress.   he  would  take  it,  anything  he  could  get.   goddamn  leg.   (   a  constant  reminder  ).   there’s  still  a  limp  as  he  makes  his  way  out  of  the  elevator  and  down  the  hall  to  the  right,  toward  max’s  room  number.  they  had  to  help  her,  they  weren’t  losing  her  too.  dustin  had  gotten  the  chance  to  talk  about  eddie  a  few  times  with  steve  at  least,  but  right  now  being  there  for  her  and  for  lucas  was  the  important  thing.  it’s  what  eddie  would  want,  too.  the  thought  brings  immediate  moisture  to  his  eyes  as  dustin  appears  in  the  doorway,  favored  foot  shuffling  loudly  announces  his  presence  on  its  own.    ❝    hey   ─       ❞    half  -  hearted  wave,  followed  by  a  weak  attempt  at  a  smile  that  never  fully  forms.  glance  goes  from  lucas  to  land  fleetingly  on  max,  lifeless  but  still  breathing.  son  of  a  bitch.   the  small  veil  of  tears  pools  larger  now  in  his  eyes   ─    quickly  wiped  away  with  the  back  of  his  button  up.   

❝    i  uh,      ❞    throat  clears,  shuffling  his  backpack  off  his  shoulder  and  searching  through  it  to  pull  out  two  meatball  subs,  cans  of  soda  and  bags  of  chips,  placing  them  on  the  bedside  table  one  -  by  -  one  as  he  unpacks.  this  time  when  he  speaks,  he  tries  to  sound  more  cheerful,  more  like  himself.    ❝    i  figured  you  didn’t  eat,  you  know,  with  not  leaving  the  hospital  and  everything . . .  so,  i  just  thought  i’d  come  hang  out  with  you,  keep  you  company.  if  that’s  cool?     ❞  

❛   UH - HUH.   RIIIIIIGHT.   ‘CAUSE NOTHING EVER   went wrong with someone creating a tiefling paladin.   ❜   dungeons and dragons is no doubt a game of creative expression, but who would lucas really be if he didn’t take every opportunity at a dig to his friends ? and it really was an uncanny combination.   ❛   species that is universally hated  . . .  a knighthood that is universally respected. you want me to eradicate worldwide racism while i’m at it ? if we’re being so ambitious.   ❜   all is in good humour, jests more common than slights in their company.

❛   but seriously. you wanted to cause rapture, you’re definitely on your way to it with that build. you know how chaotic those things are ? and you’re givin’ him a sword ?   ❜

Hands opened in front of him, a silent look on face that queried whether Lucas was being SERIOUS with that question -- about the sword.  It was typical Dustin -- test the limits, create something so RIDICULOUS, see how much he could get away with. Was that not the fun of the game after all? 

the famous castle byers,    once a safe haven;    a comforting sanctuary,    now beaten down and just a heaping mess of ruins.    she stares at it with a slight furrow in her brow,    a hand at her hip as the other hangs down.    ❝    you think will did this or the mindflayer?    ❞    she doesn’t doubt for a second who is behind the crumpled mess of what once stood tall like a kingdom.    but the king was now gone and left in his wake was the people, his people.    ❝    will and el are gone.    the mall is gone.    and now castle byers.    ❞    she misses a few names,    forgetting a few places.    she can’t focus on that,    on those that are no longer here.    her head shakes,    but blink and you’d miss it.    staring at the ruins,    some cliche metaphor running through her thoughts.    (    keep moving forward.    )    wasn’t that how it was supposed to be?    that’s how it had to be.   to keep going forward,    no matter the ache that was starting to bloom in her chest.

❝    we should fix it.   ❞    something bright shines in her eyes and she nods her head,    satisfied with her new bright idea.    ❝    if will and jonathan can put together a fort,    i’m pretty sure with my brains and design,    along with your skills…    ❞    a grin is plastering itself across her face,    a tease in her tone as she bumps her shoulder into lucas’.    ❝    we could make it bigger and brand new!    ❞    her hands spread out to exaggerate her words as she steps forward,    a leg lifting to lean on the pile of wood.    ❝    we could have it finished by the time he comes back to visit.    ❞    maybe she doesn’t know the complete worth of the fort to her friend,    but she knows enough.    can see that the crumbled fort deserved more than to sit there and rot away.    ❝    what’ya say,    ranger,    you with me?    ❞

two ,   three ,   four   snaps   and   she’s   back   to   earth . 

or   back   to   what’s   left   of   it . 

there   are   no   synths   in   diamond   city !   just   you   folks   and   your   damn   paranoia .   the   screen   goes   blank .   her   own   reflection   staring   back ,   just   as   empty ,   seems   to   flip   a   switch .   cogs   and   gears   lurch   suddenly   back   into   life ,   a   panic   of   grinding ,   wheeling ,   snap  -  quick   looping .   she   turns   robotically ,   apologizes   in   brusk ,   and   doesn’t   quite   allow   her   eyes   to   settle   into   his .   with   sudden   haste ,   survival   drills   on .

“  wait ,   no   way  -  you’ve   never   heard   of   garbage   pail   kids ?  ”