No return

Chapter 18

Tommy POV

My leg still hurt, but that's what happens when you fall from a tree. I was looking for more bandages, when I knocked something out if the cabinet.

"You ok?" I heard Techno call from the sitting room

"Yeah, it was just-" Tommy stared at the object, it was a music box. One he thought he lost as a child. He stopped what he was doing and hobbled over to the poor beat up box.

"Tommy?" Techno was now standing in the doorway, concerned when Tommy didn't finish his sentence.

"Where did you get this?" Tommy asked, still cradling the box, as he manuvered he way past Techno towards the living room table. Techno followed

"I don't even know what that is" He said, as he saw a look of disappointed flash on his face.

"It's the music box Wilbur used to play so I could sleep" At the very mention of their late brothers name made the mood drop. Techno was still lost in his own memories when he heard a faint cranking sound. He looked down and say Tommy start wiending up the box. Soon, a sad meleady filled the room, then it stopped. Tommy looked confused, and tried cranking it again, but nothing came out. He tried again and again, trying his hardest to hear his old comfort, the last thing he knew where it was from his childhood with wilbur. Techno could see this, and he held out his hand. Tommy, hesetaited at first, but soon handed over the thing.

Techno POV (third person)

I took it up to his room, knowing Tommy couldn't follow due to his leg.

He didn't want to see what he was about to do.

He set it down on the desk and started tearing the worn cardboard from the musical contraption inside. He could make a new better box out if wood anyway he decided. He set down the small metal thing and looked at his shelf, he remembered finding a book on this once. He read through all the neatly organized titles till he found the one he was looking for "Music boxes". He was glad he decided against throwing away the book like he had contemplated many times before. He started skimming through the pages till he found the diagram of the actually contraption that played the sweet melady's.  And got to work, undoing and redoing everything. He found that the actual winding thing was wrong, and realized this was going to be a bigger project then expecting. But it was all for Tommy, done didn't mind.

After an hour, he had finally fixed the mechanism and had to get the actual box made. He looked to his side and was happy to find an old project of a box that he never finished. He grabbed the wooden piece, two hinges, and the music part. And once again, got to work.

He made a little compartment to hide the music contraption and made it easily accessable this time. Once done, he looked at the clocks and realized he had been working on this for 4 hours. He looked up and saw the sun just starting to set. He looked one last time at the new and improved music box and decided it was done.

Tommy POV (first person)

Techno had just climbed the ladder and I was alone with the memories left behind by the box. I remembered laying in bed during thunderstorms and wilbur next to me, cranking the music box. I still remember the words he sang as he let the music fill the room

As the rain falls,  the clouds fill the sky, remeber they will pass right on by. And I'm right by your side.

Some how, those simple words, and the simple melody had always made me feel better. And after his death, I wispered those words to myself over and over again, until I would pass out. But now I broke the thing, and the meleady would never live again. The words still playing loops in my mind

For suddenly disappearing, there was a lot of noise coming from the room above me. Then it stopped, and I realized just how long I had spaced out, lost in my own thought, cause the sun was casting a golden glow to fall over the room. I heard the trapdoor open and saw Techno climb down, holding something in his arms. Once down, he turned around. I heard the familier crank that had just a few hours earlier caused me despair. Soon the same meleady filled the room. I stared wide eyed at the new box Techno was holding. Soon, the short song died out and I reached out and he gave it to me. I cranked it again, and this time sang along to the song. After, we sat in silence as a single tear escaped my eye, this time of happiness. I looked over towards Techno and smiled so wide it almost hurt

"Thank you!" My voice slightly quivering with emotions I couldn't even describe.

"Your welcome Tommy" Techno said, content with the work he had done.