Anywhere But Burbank

Chapter 37: Secret Address

Carrie brought Crakko back to his shared room with Cassidy and shuts the door behind her. She looked up at the ceiling and began to think to herself how she will ever tell him that this thing won't last forever. Her immortality as a toon. It would break everyone's heart to let them find out. She went to the art room and began to write a composition letter, sort of a rough draft of her future final farewell letter. "To my loving family, I- No.." Carrie crumpled it up and tossed it into the bin. "I think this is my first feeling of writer's block.." She sat back in her chair, thinking back to that faithful day where she made that deal.

(Flashback.)

Carrie was having a mental breakdown of emotions, curled into a ball on the couch. It was such an unstable and lonely time for her that day. Then she hears a voice coming from somewhere in the house, but it was unknown as it muttered to itself. "Okay Sera.. relax. She must hear this.." Then the voice began to sing. "Deep beyond the grasslands, the trees full of ambition, Lie the fears you have never known.. UGH!!" Carrie began to sing the melody back to the voice. "Deep beyond the grasslands, the trees full of ambition, Lie the fears I have never known.. storms will fade, given time. Let the nightmares take flight. Let me not suffer them alone!" Then a light began to come as Serafima's spirit showed herself to her and they sang together. "If I should be led astray may the warm light of day gracefully guide my way home!"

"Wait a minute, who are you?" Carrie asked her. "You might not know who I am, but I am your great grandmother Serafima Marigold Nelson." Serafima introduces herself to her as Carrie stared. "R-really?" "Yes. And I have a proposition for you." She told her and then continued the song. "Fortune and power, admiration by the hour. Feared we were once upon a time. Oh how the tides have turned. Your life rots to crash and burn. All you loved, taken out by one lone mice!" "Though we swam the same shore, dare I open that door, and pour all of my trust in a life, then?" Carrie got onto her knees as Serafima consoles her. "Curse my sage advice. I would pay any price, just to see our own toony friends!"

"Magic is the echo of our voices, clear and blue." Carrie stood up slowly. "Yet the heart to wield it betrays something within you." Serafima crossed her arms and Carrie cupped her hands together. "What would you have me do, great grandmother, a treat?" "With that gift of yours, we can change our futures, you see." Her ghostly hands hold them out for her. "How can a single song write what has been wrong?" "Trust me when I say, this is the only way!" Serafima tells her as Carrie looked out the window. "To see my family, again!" "To hold Roger and Jess in hand!" She looks out the same window with Carrie. "I fear not any curse!" "Sing now you know the words!" Serafima calls to her.

"Come forth and hear us for guidance! Who needs stars when you have family friends? Seduced by cartoon treasure, riches, fame, and pleasure! Under our spell we'll roam forever! As the souls wander, we will grow stronger." Carrie sang out as Serafima follows. "Follow us through the thunder as we tear you asunder!" "Come forth and hear us for guidance! Who needs stars when you have family friends?! Tonight we reclaim our fawns! In turn, lead me home for the dawn!" Carrie holds Serafima's ghostly hand. "In the dark we are Deep beyond the grasslands, the trees full of ambition! Filled with power we have risen from the shadows! Storms will fade given time, let the nightmares take flight! We will not suffer them alone!"

The two began to harmonize and the voices waver down to the area where the siblings were filming for Wakko's Wish. Yakko looked up to hear the harmonies. "Where is that coming from?" He asked while they were on break. Wakko shrugs. "I don't know. Let's keep filming." Wakko brought him back to the set. Dot was hearing the harmonies too, but kept it to herself.

"Oh Sera, lend me your guidance ("Come child, I'll lend you my guidance!") Who needs stars when you have-" Carrie and Serafima overlapped each other before singing out. "Family friends?! Now that we've reclaimed our fawns, my magic's sealed by your bond." "If I should be led astray.." Serafima looked at Carrie and then she looked back at her. "May the warm light of day-" then the two say the last line together. "Gracefully guide my way home." Then Serafima holds here. "Here's my proposition for you.."

(End.)

Carrie immediately knew what to say to them now. She wrote down the letter and hid it deep within some of her storage stuff. "I just hope they'll find it when I'm gone.." Carrie walks out and goes to sleep next to Yakko.