What is a "camelfic", you may ask?
Well, sometime in/around May 2006, a challenge was issued on International LD List to write a fic featuring Lumpy- a plush camel toy which has became famous for it's appearance in a couple of excellent SG1-fics. Lumpy's moms - Devra, Babs and Joag - have graciously allowed the List members to play with their creation for the duration of one month. Since those "camelfics" have ended up in a public LD Archive, I am posting them here, too.
If any of Lumpy's moms decides at any time that these stories shouldn't be here, I'll remove them, no questions asked. In the meantime, I thank them once more for giving us an opportunity to play with Lumpy, who had wriggled his way in our hearts as easily as he did into Daniel's :)
Below are four short not-really-related stories, in which Lumpy - as well as one other, original character - makes big or small appearances.
1. Of Kids, Camels and Other Weird Creatures...
2. The Wet Adventure
3. The Grand Escape
4. Somedays it's better to stay in bed...
P.S. - I feel I have to apologize for the stacks of lines with just a few spaces/rows in between. Each one of these fics has been written in the spur of a moment and posted on-List as text-file. I hope to catch some time in the near future and do the proper (re)formatting, in order to make them more readable.
Category: Gen, humor (hopefully), camelfic (partially)
Settings/spoilers: Anytime and anywhere. Just a slice of life.
Summary: Um...a new character in a need of hiding?
Warning: The beginning is a little bit strange, but please, bear with me. The main POV is of a new...um...character. Oh, and it's supposed to be funny.
Notes: I dedicate this little piece to my cat Theodor.
%%%%%%%%%%
...It's all about stealth.
Move silently, control your breathing, adjust your eyes to the dark...
It's an art.
Looong corridor. Straight ahead. Move right.
Oops! Obstacle! What-? Oh, that. Ugh.
Continue in a straight line. Turn left.
Ah. A door. Huh. Opened. Take a little peek...
Ooohhh! Comfy bed! Awwww... Heaven!
There's something on the bed, under that warm, warrrrrrm looking blanket...
Jump up...and gently, gently, almost hovering...-
Oh My God! What the hell was that?!?
Gah! My heart's gonna jump right out of my chest!
This...this...thing! It's...it's...- it's... what is that?
Huh.
Too dark in here, even for me.
Can't see too well.
Ummm... okay. It's dark. Brown, I think. Dark brown.
It's looking at me with yellow, wide open eyes...
Weird.
But no blinking.
Weirder.
Poke it a little...
Oh! It's dead!
Poor little thing!
And it's... warm?
Dead and warm?!
Don't think so.
Soooo. Not dead. But not blinking.
Hm.
Squishy.
Hah! Got it!
It's a toy! A plush toy!!!
Yay!
Okay, so jumping right onto it wasn't the best idea... Ouch. My nose!
Not so fluffy after all.
But warrrrrrm. And I can just...settle in...like...this...-
Ooops. Forgot about that other not-so-little thing in this bed.
Hmmm. It's a hand.
Small hand.
Warm hand. And it's stroking me!
Um.
Um.
Oh.
OH!
Niiiice. Yeeeeeeesssssssss.
Heaven...
* * * * * * * * * *
So it's another day.
And I'm still in heaven.
I'm warm, and relaxed, and that small, gentle hand is stroking me and petting me and calling me all kind of sweet names I'd never admit to anyone I actually liked to hear.
And I'm squished between that warm body and a plush, cute looking toy of some weird looking creature.
Hope to never meet something like that in real life.
Ahhhh...Yesss....right there...no, no, a little bit to the right....there! Yes! Ahhh, it's-
My exctasy is interrupted by loud - too loud - thumping sound.
And it's getting closer.
HEY!
Why is it suddenly dark in here! Why-?
Oh!
Clever!
Yeah, yeah, pull that blanket a little bit lower...
Okay, okay, I got it!
Sheeesh! Hold your temper, kid! I'm not a mind reader!
* * * * * * * * * *
Danny's been unnaturally quiet.
I mean, it's not like he's a loud morning person and it is Sunday... but it's 10 already and no sound yet from his room.
Better check it out.
Too late my special-ops part of brain realizes stealth might have been a better solution.
Well, never mind. I don't wanna startle him if he's just reading or doing something geeky...
"Good morning, Sport", I say while opening the door. A quiet "`morning" reaches me from the general direction of the blanket-covered-lump in the middle of the bed.
Something's off.
"Danny? You okay?" I guess it's not unusual for a kid of Daniel's age to oversleep or just be too lazy and comfy to get out of warm bed, but I just feel something's off. At least a little bit.
"Daniel?", I ask quietly, getting closer to the bed.
"I'm okay, Jack. Just tired".
Right. And I haven't just seen blanket moving in a way a blanket shouldn't move even with a kid and a toy camel underneath it.
"It's almost 10.30...you wanna have some breakfast and go out to the park?".
I'm trying to appear as clueless as possible.
I should get an Oscar. Or two.
"Nooo." Oh. A genuine whine.
And I think I have just heard a quiet "meow".
I might be wrong. Hopefully.
"Why not? It's a nice day. And I promised last weekend to make up for the bad weather back then".
And we have a pout, a frown, a hand worrying the blanket's edge and a genuine, pissed off, though still quiet "meow"!
"Don't wanna. Wanna stay here with Lumpy".
This pouting lip should be guarded as a leathal weapon.
I move to sit next to the lump-formerly-known-as-human-kid-Danny. The smaller unindetified lump shifts accordingly, next to the recognizable Lumpy-lump.
Gotcha.
I. Will. Not. Laugh.
"Ummm...Danny? You might wanna let some air reach that poor kitten...".
Bingo.
A hand shows up, pushing the blanket away from the head, shoulders and halfway down the torso.
Three sets of eyes are watching me warily.
The blue ones trying to decide whether I'm gonna start yelling or laughing.
The yellow, artifical ones without a care it the world.
The greenish, suspicious ones half hidden behind a protective, small hand.
Ah, decisions.
My serious face is cracking up.
It's an art knowing how to surrender and while keeping your dignity.
I pull the blanket all the way off and reach with my hand towards them.
* * * * * * * * * *
There's life and then there's Life.
I have a blue and white checkered fluffy blanket to lay on, a bowl of delicious cookies and another bowl of cool milk. It's warm, dry and I'm happy as a clam.
The Kid's sitting on a strange and dangerous looking thing and he's swinging back and forth and laughing. I guess he's not in real trouble `cause the Big Guy is right next to him with a big smile on his face.
"Fluffy, look at me! I'm flying!", the Kid's shouting and I'm suddenly blushing.
Damn those cute nicknames!
This one stuck and apparently became my new name.
Oh, well.
Small sacrifices.
Right, pal?
I turn my head slightly to the right, wiggling my but just so my position gets even more comfortable. My new friend looks at me with his normally-disinterested-eyes and I sigh.
Not much of a conversationalist, but a great pillow.
You and me are gonna get along real fine, Lumpy.
Now just kick back and relax.
We're in good hands.
* * * * * * * * * *
Um...Lumpy? Is that a ball flying over towards us?
Oh, for-...!
Dammit, Daniel!
THE END?
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Category: Gen; camelfic; angst, drama, adventure, h/c (emotional)
Setting/spoilers: Anytime and anywhere. Just a slice of life.
Summary: A stroll in the woods becomes a fight for survival… (well…okay, that sounds much worse than it really is!)
Warning: Camel in peril, but no animals, toy or otherwise, were harmed during the writing of this ficlet.
Disclaimer: Danny and Jack belong to other people. Lumpy's not mine either! Oh, but Fluffy is, 100%!
Notes: This is the result of the LD List's Sunday's chat. I blame it entirely on Rhonda and Anne.
%%%%%%%%%%
Jack still rememebered his mother telling him not to climb high trees.
He rememberd Sara telling him not to let Charlie climb high trees.
He also remembered himself telling Danny not to climb high trees.
He took Lumpy by one of his legs and held him safely while pulling the tree-climbing spacemonkey up with the other hand.
His kid's face was quite enough to kill the guilt at letting him climb one of the highest trees on this side of the lake.
"Wow!", a soft exclamation broke through his thoughts, and Jack turned slightly to the left, glancing at Danny who was squatting on the nearest branch, gripping more vertical branches with both hands.
"It's so beautiful! I can see so far, Jack!", Danny turned towards Jack, the smile on his face as huge as the Keops pyramid.
"Of course it's beautiful! It's Minnesotta!", Jack told him in as serious voice as he could manage.
He was rewarded with a giggle.
"Doesn't matter state, Jack! It's just pretty...", Danny insisted, trying to see in all directions at once. Jack reached out, inserting his finger into the belt-loop on the kid's pants. They were both fairly stable, but it was, after all, Daniel.
A loud, indignant-sounding "meow" reached them from somewhere below the tree they were perched on, fighting to be heard over the gurgling sound of a stream meandering just next to the trunk of their current lookout.
"Hey, Fluffy! So, so, sorry you're not here! Jack says not safe for you `cause you're still little!...", Danny shouted in the cat's general direction at a too high frequency. "...But Lumpy's gonna tell you all `bout everything we've seen when we get down!". Danny reached out with one hand blindly behind his back, trying to get Lumpy. Jack was balancing somewhere between the tree, toy camel and a hanging kid.
Of course, the gravity won.
For Jack, it all happened in slow motion:
him loosing the perfect balance, hand automatically letting go of an object it was holding and reaching for the nearest branch to steady himself;
Danny splitting his precious attention between the cat at the ground and Lumpy's leg which was not yet firmly in his hand-hold;
Lumpy being caught in the middle, escaping both hands and tumbling helplessly down, and down, and down and right into the stream gurggling merrily away beneath their tree.
For Danny, it all happend too fast and left him frozen for one seemingly long, too long second.
"Lumpyyyyyyyyyyy!"
His desperate shout broke through the slomo-film playing in front of Jack's eyes.
All he knew at that moment was that there was no way in hell he could leave Danny up in the tree and clamber down himself to try and catch the beloved toy. He held the shocked boy firmly with with one arm wrapped around his trembling body, while trying to maintain their precarious balance. "Danny, I-"
Jack's words of sympathy were cut short by a stunning view of a not-fully-grown-cat sprinting at high speed along the stream, then just at the spot where the stream was bending and continuing to run through the forest the blur-of-an-animal dived into the water and then was taken out of sight by the current.
"Nonononononono...Fluffyyyy! Jack! Fluffy's gone tooo!"
Dealing with near-hysterical kid five meters above ground was no longer an option.
"Danny, we have to get down". Jack tried to keep his voice level, looking for the best footholds for climbing down.
Danny was sobbing, his thin body shuddering with every breath. "Fluffy and Lumpy, `ack! Gotta save them...Please, Jack...Gotta find them..."
"We'll find them, kiddo...but have to get down now!"
Climbing down the tree with a child plastered against him was a challenge Jack didn't want to repeat ever again. Finally, several long minutes later he made a touchdown and, with Danny still holding onto him, rushed along the stream and into the pine forest.
* * * * * * * * * *
Grateful that Danny still had his face pressed tightly against his neck, refusing to look at the world that has suddenly robbed him of two precious things in his life, Jack was prepared to see anything...from finding nothing at all and admiting defeat to the swift current, to seeing blood and other stuff he didn't really want to think about.
But he was definitely not prepared to see the scene they finally stumbled upon, a couple of tens of meters into the forest.
A wet, downright soggy plush-toy-camel known as Lumpy, as drowned as a toy can be but whole and otherwise unharmed and a dripping wet, shaggy kitten resting against it sleepily with a look on it's face that could be interpreted as a smug little smile.
"Well, I'll be damned...", Jack muttered, getting closer and down on one knee.
Fluffy was just looking at them with that same, exhausted but content almost-smile.
"Danny..."
A quiet sob emerged from the near vincinity of his right ear.
"Danny, it's okay...take a look...", Jack whispered into his ear, trying to phisically turn the kid around.
A loud sniff and gulp followed, then Danny finally turned his head around enough to see his precious friends next to him.
A stunned, happy squeak resounded and suddenly Danny was on the ground with an armful of wet animals.
"LumpyFluffyLumpyFluffyokayokayyou'reokayThoughtyoudiedit'sokays'okay nowLumpyokayFluffyLoveyaLumpyFluffy..." The quiet murmuring continued even as Jack engulfed all three of them in a warm embrace, a big smile on his face.
For a moment there Fluffy's purring got louder than even the noisy stream, and Jack was sure if toy-camel's could talk, Lumpy would be sighing with contentment...
THE END
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Category: Gen; aware LD; humor, drops of smarm.
Summary: I have no words to describe this little piece than pure fun!
Notes: This is dedicated to all of the list sibs who were planning to escape the RL sometime in the spring of 2006. I had no intention whatsoever for it to be serious - and hopefully it isn't. Any similarities with actual persons are (not) accidental. Big Thank you to Lumpy's Moms for letting us play with him for a month!
%%%%%%%%%%
...
"Hey, Danny...wake up..."
There was an annoying bug in his ear and it wouldn't leave.
"Dannyyyyy...c'mon, wake up now..."
And it intruded on his dreams of a desert planet with huge chocolate cakes.
"Hey, kiddo...we've gotta go!"
Shaking him...
"Whaaa-?" A head appeared from under the blanket and Daniel squinted at the humanlike form sitting on his bed and annoying him.
"Danny, wake up! We have to go, now! Get up and get dressed!" The creature transformed into Jack, but he was equally annoying.
"...Sleepy, `ack...still dark..." Danny managed to mumble, his eyes closing again. He remembered it was his birthday, though...tomorrow...today...whatever. But a kid should be allowed to sleep in on his birthday, right?
"C'mon, up n'awake!"
Wrong.
With a sigh worthy of an adult Dr. Jackson Danny extracted himself from the bed, glared at Jack with all of his 9-year-old his might and stumbled to the bathroom, all the while dragging a bewildered Lumpy along.
A muffled "You better have a really good reason for this!" reached Jack's ears through the closed bathroom doors. He smirked, then got up and gathered all the items necessary for their little expedition.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Jack-?"
"Hush...watch your step..."
"But, Jack-!?"
"Quiet, Daniel! Ow! Damn stairs..."
"You're good to go, Colonel. The conditions on the other side are as expected."
"Thanks, Siler. C'mon, Danny, up the ramp..."
"But-, but-...Jack?! Stop. Dragging. Me."
"I'll stop draggin' when you start walkin'! Now, come on!"
"But-!"
Siler glanced at the clock. Right on schedule. Smile growing wider, he murrmured "Happy birthday, Dr. Jackson" while turning on the gateroom lights.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Jaaaaack! Where the hell are we?!"
"Danieeeeel! Well, offworld, silly! And watch your mouth!"
The glaring contest on the top of a stony gate-platform would have continued if Danny didn't finally look around them.
Bluish, clear sky with two smaller yellow suns, some high, dark mountains in the distance on one side and wide, wide, azzure sea streching all the way to the horizon on the other.
And the scent! Oh, he remembered a scent like that from his days at the Red Sea, seemingly several lifetimes ago!
"Ohhh...!" Wide blue eyes widened at the sights, a smile slowly forming on the small face.
"Like it?" Jack started down the stairs, motioning at Danny to follow.
"Like it? Oh, Jack, it's beautiful! Where are we? And-, and-" Daniel was still trying to look everywhere at once, almost missing a step and tumbling to the rocky ground.
"Some PX-something-somewhere...ask Sam if you dare...Watch where you step!" Jack caught his kid's arm, then changed his mind and grabbed his hand. For once, Daniel didn't object to be led.
"Jack, where are we going? And why are we here? And how could we sneak out through the Gate like that? Won't General Hammond be mad at us? And why-" The flurry of questions was cut off with sharp, colonel-like "Daniel!"
Danny stopped and with wide eyes looked at suddennly haggard-looking Jack.
"You'll get all the answers in just a few minutes! Think you can wait that long?"
Just for the sake of argument (and to see that fondly exasperated look on Jack's face) Daniel mulled over the question with a thoughtful expression. "Okay."
He was sure he heard a deep, relieved sigh.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Jack?" That single word contained a multitude of questions.
"Welcome to your new albeit temporary quaters!", Jack proudly pronounced, gesturing towards a not-so-small-camp in the small grove of some weird-looking not-trees.
Daniel looked around carefully, at the same time amazed and afraid this was just one very elaborate dream.
There were several igloo tents around a fireplace, a couple of folding chairs and a table, three middle sized mobile? refrigirators off in the shade and Jack's telescope assembled and ready for stargazing. For some reason, what really caught Daniel's eye was a long line stretching between two not-trees, containing soggy-looking towels and bikinies.
Eyes wide, he was puzzling over that incredible sight, so more than several minutes passed before Daniel became aware of several things happening around him.
First, Jack was diving into one of the fridges, digging for something.
Second, there was some movement not-so-far-away from them.
Thinking nothing could suprise him anymore, Daniel was nevertheless stunned to see Sam in a bathing suit (who wore bikinies, then?) and Teal'c dressed only in long shorts strolling towards them, Sam carrying dripping, wet Fluffy - Fluffy! - in her arms... Then there were Cassie and Feretti emerging from the depths of the not-tree-grove, talking a mile per minute and carrying what appeared to be tens of coconuts in two bags, Cassie's dog merrily running around them. And was that a parrot on Lou's hawaii-shirt-clad shoulder? Huh. But the most amazing sight were General Hammond and Janet, riding graceful horses along the white, sandy beach towards them.
Overwhelmed and too stunned to speak, Daniel turned towards Jack, only to see him standing with his hands in pockets, with a content smile and sparkling eyes next to the table which now held a huge chocolate cake with big candle in the shape of number 10 sticking from its middle.
"Happy birthday, Danny."
Maybe it was the look in Jack's eyes, or a prickling, moist feeling in his own, or just the all-enveloping feeling of happiness, but something nudged Daniel to throw himself into Jack's arms, burrowing his face into strong shoulder.
"A week in Paradise...How's that sound?"
Danny managed to mumble "Perfect" just as he felt somehing soft touching his back. He turned his head and a happy laugh escaped him at the sight of Lumpy in small, outrageously colorfull hawaiian shirt in one of Jack's hands.
Perfect.
THE END?
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Category: Gen; POV, angst, drama, smarm, emotional h/c...have I mentioned angst?
Season/spoilers: well, Jack is General, so... post season 8 definitely. And you'll definitely be spoiled if you're new to the fandom!
Summary: Somedays it's really better (and safer) to just stay in bed.
Warnings: some not-so-polite-words (it's *Jack*). Hopefully intense, angsty situations <eg>. Big hug&thanks to Anne for reading through the first half!
Notes: Lumpy's not really the star here, but he has a prominent role. So I want to thank his Moms for letting us play with him for the duration of the May-challenge!
No animals, stuffed or othervise, or plants, kids, grown ups or outcrops have been damaged in any way during the wiriting of this story.
The idea for the story was born (again. <sigh>) in chat. The idea was to write a "geological LD fic involving Lumpy". Well...I tried. You might, however, notice my personal obsession with rocks. It's called "professional deformation"
%%%%%%%%%%
...
“No!”
Aaand we have a pout!
I sigh, run a hand through my, now white, hair, then make what I know is a strange face, somewhere between a frown and annoyance.
“Daniel, I said No! We can’t take Fluffy with us, and that’s the end of it!”
It’d be easier if the subject of our current conversation was’t sitting on the floor next to my legs, looking at me with such an Oscar-winning expression that I’d get sued for abusing cats in an instant.
My kid plants his hands on hips and tries out several different glares, before settling on one memorable selection. “Why’m I always Daniel when you’re mad?”
It’s amazing how children’s minds work...
I assume the most manacing General-stance I can, given that we’re in the middle of our kitchen.
“Because...!”
No wonder the kid keeps mouthing off at me.
He’s looking at me with a calculating look, and I have this weird feeling of being set up.
“Okay, Jack...but I want ice cream when we get back!”
I think I got off lightly. But there’s still this niggling feeling in the back of my mind.
“Ice cream. Gotcha.”
Hey, I’m the General. I know when to raise a white flag.
“And Fluffy wants ice cream, too! And those cookies shaped like lil’ mouses!”
He’s only eight now, but you can tell a diplomat when you see one.
I look at the animal in question and I just know my eyes soften up when I see that cute little fluff thingy looking so lost I almost believe the poor kitten’s in a need of a cuddle and squishy hug.
Almost.
“Oh, Fluffy wants, huh?”
Aaand we have a sad ‘meow’!
It’s like a double act. I should build them a stage in the backyard for practice.
Or maybe not.
“Okay, if Fluffy wants, Fluffy gets! Now, can we please go? It’s ten already!”
“Okay, Jack! Gonna pack my stuff now!” And off he goes to his room, Fluffy on his tail...
The kid’s so chirpy all of a sudden...that niggling feeling? It’s growing stronger...
I try to forget all about kittens with minds of their own and go prepare for our hiking adventure in the nearby hills. Oy.
* * * * * * * * * *
We’ve been strolling around for a better part of the day...the weather’s okay and Danny’s apparently forgotten all about Fluffy, dragging poor Lumpy around, trying to teach him all about rocks. Not artifacts, mind you - real rocks. So, he’d know a difference between an artifact and a rock.
Or so my compact archaeologist says.
Lumpy looks very cool and studious with his small sunglasses Danny insisted we buy him at the gas pump.
I see a perfect spot for a little time-out and call a halt.
“Danny, we’ll relax here for an hour, okay? Have a bite to eat, some juice...”
He and his camel look up from their rock-studying and throw a glance in my general direction.
“Just gonna check some rock here, Jack! We’ll come in a sec!”
He’s clambering over one rock to take a look at another that’s apparently behind it.
How exciting. Not.
“Oh, an’ Lumpy wants juice when we get back from ‘sploring rocks! Okay?” It’s a little bit muffled, coming from the rocky heaven beyond, but I understand I’ve been degraded to household-duties again.
Clever little guy.
Sometime later - try an hour later - I finally manage to extract my intrepid explorers with a promise of cold juice, chocolate chip cookies and an ear willing to listen to the tales of their adventures in the great wilderness.
Danny’s emerging from behind their rock, Lumpy squeezed between his left arm and his backpack, and it looks like he’s stuffing something into the bag.
Hm.
Maybe his notebook/field journal?
Or a rock.
I sigh.
I think I do that a lot, lately.
Once the backpack is again on Danny’s shoulder, Lumpy gets some air and I occupy myself with uncapping a juice bottle.
“Hey, Jack! Y’know what we found? Coloured stones, Jack! Look!” And suddenly he’s in my lap, talking excidetly about gems, and pretty stones, and camels-studying-to-be-archaeologists, his hands flying all around the place trying to follow the flurry of words.
I smile and relax against a tree, thinking how something good always comes out of anything.
* * * * * * * * * *
It’s getting late , but one “Please, Jack!” and a practiced, tembling lip made me to cave in and give him an extra half an hour for ‘sploring the outer reaches of our vacation spot. So, while I sit here admiring the valley visible behind the tree line, Danny and Lumpy are all kitted up and taking a look at something way off to the right... Waaay off.
I realize Daniel’s moved out of my sight, and that is one rule that’s not negotiable.
I start to move in the direction he’s taken off when suddenly the world starts to shake.
I stand my ground and all I can see are stones - make that rocks - tumbling down the steep mountain side above this picnic area, raising a cloud of dust and dirt and dry pine needles and sharp edged rocks of all sizes... and all I can think of is my kid, who’s somewhere in the way of that mass of tumbling stones...
“Danny!”
I try to run, but am forced to the ground by tremors... hoping the trees will stay upright, because there really isn’t enough place here for running away...
* * * * * * * * * *
I think the earthquake lasted for not much more than ten seconds, but for me it seemed like an eon.
I slightly raise my head, then open one eye, then the other, and then I make a quick assesment of the situation. Fallen tree off to the left - a smaller one that’s already been pretty unstable on that ledge; lots of dust in the air, slowly settling down; birds chattering away in shock; a mound or rocks of all sizes up ahead, right in the direction where Danny-
Oh My God! Daniel?!
I jump up and my knees give a token protest to such abuse, but I’m currently focused solely on that heap of rocks in front of me. There’s a strange, suffocating feeling in my chest and something like that sound you hear in a seashell, and I think it might be my too-quickly-racing-heart, but all I know for certain is that Danny should be standing right over there, below that rock...or, probably has been there when the ground moved.
Shit.
I’m there in an instant and I can’t see anything but rocks of all sizes and shapes.
No blood. No small human arms or legs visible underneath. But all the time spent in the collapsing offworld tombs and caves has taught me it doesn’t mean anything. After all, a child’s body is small and-
Crap, O’Neill, this is so not helping!
I see my hands are shaking as I start digging for my boy, silently begging all the gods, real or false, the stars, the allies, the aliens, the whole fucking universe, just please, please, don’t let him be here, under all this...
Very soon I feel I’m able to breathe in again...no body...nothing’s buried here...noone’s buried here...
Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou...
I raise my head and squint through the dust I’ve raised. “Daniel!”
I think there was a sound.
I think-
There was a sound.
A voice.
Quiet...tiny...voice...
“Danny!?!”
Somewhere...
I frantically look around, but I see no movement, no-
There! I-
I move swiftly over the rubble, stumbling in the proces, and almost end up falling flat on my face and killing off my knees for real.
But it doesn’t matter, what matters is that tiny, tiny, oh-so-familiar voice coming from underneath that rocky overhang and-
Oh, God, Danny!
He’s here, he looks unharmed, but seems to be in shock, all curled up in that not-really-a-cave, rocking back and forth.
“Shhh, shhh, it’s okay, it’s okay, Jack’s fine, Jack will come, but not Lumpy and not Fluffy, but Jack will come, Shhh..”. That quiet monologue continues even as I approach carefully, then gently take his freezing hands in one of mine and brush off dirty hair from his forehead so I can see in his leaking eyes that he’s really phisically okay. The litany stops suddenly with that gesture and he’s raising his head and he’s looking at me with such wonder and joy and fear that I engulf him in my arms and squeeze as much as I dare to.
I can only guess that he’s managed to run before the first rock tumbled down, but somewhere along the way he’s dropped his backpack and Lumpy and - Fluffy?
I can’t find it in me to even snort to that not-so-unexpected-revelation. Now I at least know what he’s been stuffing in his bag some hours ago...I just squeeze him a bit more tightly, ‘cause I’m afraid his friends will not be saved this time...
He’s clinging to me like an adhesive tape and I don’t really have any wish to move him an inch. So, we slowly get up together, minding our heads because of the low overhang - I pat it lightly in thanks - and start slowly towards what is left of our stuff... I don’t know if there’ll be any aftershocks, but we definitely won’t be here waiting for ‘em.
Just as I again clamber - carefully this time - over the fresh rocky mound that’s in our way, I glance behind us, then make a double take.
And I start laughing.
Not the you’re-so-funny-and-silly-laugh, but the I’m-so-deliriously-happy one, because I see one bedraggled cat dragging one dusty, stuffed toy camel by one of his legs, looking so annoyed that I wish Fluffy could talk so we could compare notes!
Danny’s raised his head to see what is so funny now that he’s lost his friends, but then he sees said friends alive and kicking and his face transforms from sadness to happinnes in an instant.
I’m balancing precariously here on top of these rocks with the kid still hanging onto me, so I have no intention of letting him down now, but instead start towards our little camp. After all, I should let our little hero have his grand entrance.
I sneak a peek at the determined cat following us and nod my head knowingly at him.
“Yeah, I know what it’s like, Fluffy, my pal...always saving his butt... Welcome to the club!”
THE END.
DIAL HOME
CHOOSE ANOTHER BOOK
SEND FEEDBACK