Limitless - The Umbrella Academy

7. Like Sliding Along The Ice

I wake up the next morning, exhausted and not ready to wake up. I put on my clothes for the day, brushing out my long brown hair, and brushing my teeth. I go to Five's room, knocking in our secret knock.
tap-tap-tap tap- tap
I open the door, peering in to see, nothing, as I sigh. If this mother fucker traveled through time again on accident I'll loose my shit. I start to worry more, starting to go on a hunt to find my brother/best friend. Felt like when we were kids.
--
"Five?" I call out, with no response once again. "Are you playing like tag or some shit? Look we aren't teenagers anymore!" I call out. "At least not me." I say to myself, as I walk, going up the stairs for the 80th time. Pogo didn't see him, Luther didn't see him, Allison didn't see him, neither did Mom. I call out once again, nothing. I go up the next set of stairs, seeing his door slightly closed, it wasn't like that last time. I walk into his bedroom, seeing him there, staring out the window.
"Oh, thank god." I sigh out in relief, standing in his room as he turns towards me. "I was worried sick about you."
"Sorry I didn't tell you I was going out this morning. Forgot what it's like to have people care about where you are and aren't again." He says, looking down at the ground quickly before looking at me.
"No, i'm the one that should be sorry. Yeah, I was dismissive, and I guess I didn't know how to process what you were saying, and the fact that you came back. I just-" I start, but he cuts me off.
"Maybe you were right to be dismissive." He scoffs, turning around. "Maybe it wasn't real. It felt real. Well... The old man did say time travel could contaminate the mind." He says, and I shake my head.
"No, no that wasn't what I was saying. Like Diego said the man was far off the rails of the crazy train. I understand now. I'm sorry. What do we do?" I say, sighing out as I stare at him, as he shrugs.
"Well, I think I'm going to get some more rest. It's been a long time since I had a good sleep." He says with a half grin, assuring me. I nod as I walk away, walking out of his room and back down the stairs. The world was ending, and all he could think about was sleeping? I guess tiredness gets the best of you sometimes. I find my way to the dining room, brushing my fingers delicately on my old seat, the dust building up on my finger from it being unused all these years.
I hear the bell ring from upstairs, signaling dinner time. I run down with everyone else, talking before we couldn't. I stand at my seat, grasping onto it with my tiny fingers. We wait for Dad to show up. I watch as he pulls out his chair, looking at all of us.
"Sit." He calls out, as we all pull out our chairs, sitting down and starting to eat. Klaus sits beside me, tapping the wood so I would pay attention as he shows me how he rolls a blunt, as I try not to laugh at his stupidity for doing it right here in front of Dad. I look over at Five, who's sitting down, not eating, but staring at Dad. I knew what he was going to say, we had discussed this a couple nights ago. Dad and him have a stare off, as I put my head down silently. I swirl my knife around on my plate, before Five slams his knife into the table, clanging, causing us to all look up, startled.
"Number Five?" Dad says, looking over.
"I have a question." He says with a smirk, everyone staring at him. Dad looks back down at his plate of food.
"Knowledge is an admirable goal, but you know the rules. No talking during mealtimes. You are interrupting Herr Carlson." Dad says, pointing his knife towards the air. Five gives him an angry look, putting his fork down, clanging against the plate.
"I want to time travel." Five says sternly.
"No." Dad replied.
"But I'm ready, i've been practicing my spatial jumps, just like you said." Five stands up, and jumps over to him. "See?"
"A spatial jump is trivial when compared with the unknowns of time travel. One is like sliding along the ice, the other is akin to descending blindly into the depths of the freezing water and reappearing as an acorn." Dad says sternly.
"Well, I don't get it." Five replied.
"Hence the reason you're not ready." Dad says back. Five looks over at me, and I shake my head, begging him with my eyes to stop, don't keep pushing him.
"I'm not afraid." Five insisted, and I sigh quietly. He wouldn't give up.
"Fear isn't the issue. The effects it might have on your body, even your mind, are far too unpredictable. Now, I forbid you to talk about this anymore!" Dad says, as Five gives him a upset look. This wasn't the plan. I quietly look at Five, trying to get him to look at me, but he didn't. Five walks away, as Dad shouts his name. "You haven't been excused!" Dad shouts, as Five runs out. Shit. What do I do? If I go too Dad will get angry at me, if I don't, I don't know where Five will go. How far can a 13 year old go? I look with worry, expecting him to come back. I hear the door slam as Dad continues shouting.
-
I brush the dust off on my pantleg, looking at the table sadly. This was the last place I ever saw him. He didn't come back, until 16 years later. I remember the amount of pain I felt, how bad I felt for not going after him. Maybe he wouldn't have gone through what he did if I would've. I hear someone come up to me, turning around startled.
"Woah, didn't mean to scare you." Allison says, as I calm down.
"Sorry, I was deep in thought." I say, chuckling at my nervousness.
"I need to show you something. I've already got Luther. Come on." She says, grabbing my hand.
"Woah, a bit of explanation would be nice." I say, following her as she drags me.
"No time. Come on."
--
"Play it again." Luther says, as we all watch in confusion for the millionth time. The blue hazed shitty quality screen showing us Mom in the room moments before Dad's death, and during, and after. She stands there.
"We've watched it over and over, Luther. It's the same every time." Allison says as he sighs, and I sit there in amazement. The VCR whirs.
"Er.. W-what is she doing?" Luther asks, and I look back at Allison. She shakes her head, arms crossed as she leans against the door frame. "The tea, did she poison him?" Luther says, and I rub my eyes.
"Why would she do this?" I say quietly.
"Uh," Allison sighs, shrugging. "I don't know."
Luther sighs again, resting his head in his hand. "Where did you find this?" He asks, gesturing to the screen.
"I was, looking at old footage of us as kids and I saw the tape just sitting there." Allison says, coming up behind us.
"Yeah, Dad must have started using the security system again. He was getting more and more paranoid. He thought people were out to get him. Well... I guess maybe he was right." Luther says.
"But Mom?" Allison says, looking over at him. "I mean, she's not capable of.. is she?" Allison says, worried.
"I would've never thought, in a million years..." I say, leaning back in my chair with a huff.