❝All these years you've lived...but you've never had a life.❞
•••
She couldn't recall her name. She could, however, recall what had happened to her and what the number imprinted on her wrist meant.
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It was a reminder of isolation...a past life...
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❝SUZIE, DO YOU COPY? & THE CASE OF THE MISSING LIFEGUARD❞
SATURDAY, JUNE 29TH
There was light behind her head, tendrils wrapping around her blurred silhouette, but even through the unclear veil, her distinctive features could be seen. Sharp jaw, shadowed beneath, a smile playing on thin lips.
A hum fell from between them before they pressed together, and even without recognizing her, she knew that this woman was beautiful. Calm -- a gentle soul.
❝Mom?❞
Three's eyes widened at the call of the title, "mom". He could recall memories of his mother as clear as day due to his powers, but this wasn't his mom.
It was Nine's.
He wouldn't admit it, but he'd been spying on her just a little bit. Mostly laying in the middle of the night and focusing on the green-haired girl, peering at her dreams, replacing them with the good.
The previous night, for instance, she'd been having a particularly gruesome dream. A mess of blood, children, and pain. So, he'd supplemented the nightmare for a happy memory.
One of sunlight, family, and friends. He knew that was what she needed, but Three also had a feeling that she knew something was up.
All morning her mind had been repeating the same two words, "bad omen". He wondered if-
❝Hey, are you okay, Sweetie?❞
Whipping away from the sticker-littered counter he'd been leaning against, Three found himself face-to-face with Joyce Byers. They were basically the only ones who worked at Melvalds, there was one other lady, but she had barely any shifts.
❝You spaced...❞
Joyce had an old sticker gun in hand, pasting orange discounts onto the crackers standing on the shelf before her. Three was doing the same, except he placed his on near-expired cookies.
❝looking again?❞
Sighing, he shrugged.
❝Maybe.❞
Joyce pasted another sticker.
❝You know you shouldn't be doing that, hun.❞
❝I know...I'm just worried about her.❞
❝Is it because something happened, or is it because you're being just a little paranoid?❞
Joyce wasn't asking in a judgemental way, her tone was calm and understanding, truly curious as to what he was feeling. She was able to ask about the real shit simply because she listened.
