The Unwanteds - Stitches in time - Those 10 years

Chapter 15 - We meet again

Alex entered his quarters and sank into his chair. He slumped. He looked around, seeing reminiscence of Mr Today everywhere. He stroked the chair where Mr Today had once sat sadly. "I wish you were here...You shouldn't have had to go so soon. I wasn't ready, I'm still not ready...... I just wish, I could talk to you. One, last time. What I wouldn't give...." he sobbed. The door cracked and he tried to dry his tears, but couldn't. They were overflowing now. He hoped it wasn't Thisbe and Fifer, they would be worried for him. It would be hard to explain. Besides, they already learned too much information today in his opinion. 

"Hey"

"Hello Simber" Alex greeted sounding relieved, without looking at the door. "Sorry, I was just..."

"You'rrrrre fine, this day is harrrrd for everrrryone. You, above all"

"It's just...I don't know what to do. He died, Meghan died, Mrs Haluki died, Liam died, Arija died, Eva Fathom died, (the driver whom he had known for such a short time in Quill when taking down Gondoleery) Sully died, Clive's gone, I don't even know what happened to Gremily, Mr Applebossom died, Bock died, and then my parents... its just too much."

"Did you go see them?" 

"No..I can't..atleast not with Thisbe and Fifer. They will have questions. When they ask about anyone else, I can find comfort thinking about the good times we had together. But my parents, its complicated. I'm afraid I might break apart in front of them. I've got to stay strong they have had so many losses, it must be terrible for them. I don't want to make them feel worse."

"Atleast they have Aarrrron and you" Simber growled unremorsefully.

"It's not the same as having parents" Alex shot back

"Yeah well guess what, it's much betterrrrr than having parrrents who sent you to yourrrr death! Imagine if the girrrls werrrre in quill. Those two, they would have even more infrrrractions than you, especially Thisbe. Aarrrron and you carrre forrr them betterrr than theirr own parrrents would, so don't go feeling sorrrry forrr them. They arrre lucky." Simber gruffed.

Alex looked at Simber. He knew Simber was right, still Simber wouldn't understand that without parents their life wouldn't be complete. 

"They need someone, like I had Mr Today, like I have you right now"

"Then be that someone forrr them" Simber said simply. Alex thought about then grimaced.

"That sounds like something Mr Today would say.." Simber looked away, Alex thought he saw his eyes glistening. Could statues cry? Could a statue made of sand cry?

"It was all too quick..Oh Marrcus" Simber said quietly.

"I should have done something," the two companions said simultaneously.

They both walked toward the dots. The ones that held the key to unlocking the magical world. He ran his fingers across the dots fondly.
"I wish....I could see him. I-" Alex started then stopped, not trusting his voice.

Simber purred sadly. They felt the sadness resurfacing, it burned, like salt had been sprinkled into an open wound. Alex was overwhelmed by grief. His sole attention, has on the man who had been like a father to him he fought back tears, which had precariously perched at the tip of his eyelids, threatening to spill out. His vision blurred his head spun and he felt like he was being sucked in. But he didn't care. "Mr Today.." he choked out as his eyes let the tears fall. He clutched his chest and rolled up into a ball. 

"Alex! What are you doing here?"

Alex looked up, not believing his ears. "Mr Today?"

"Did you die already" Mr Today asked incredulously.

"No...I-I...Is it really you. Is this a dream?" He asked reaching out to touch the old man. "It is you! But, where are we?"

"I'm not sure...in the room we have pictures of the same magical dots that I had in my quarters when I was a live....I was standing before it, thinking about you....I wonder if...."

"Me too! Simber and I were standing in front of the dots. Thinking about you....Do you think there is a connection between the two? That's so cool! But wait, what room were you talking about?"

Mr Today smiled knowingly "All in good time" He looked around eagerly, then opened his mouth as though to ask something to the boy, then stopped as if he knew better. 

"Yes?" Alex asked prompting the man.

"You mentioned that Simber was there with you, do you by any chance know if he was transported here too?"

Alex shook his head gloomily. 

"Very well then! So fill me in...What have I missed?" Mr Today asked, shaking off the disappointment of not seeing his closest friend. Seeing Alex was a great blessing, it was wrong of him to expect more.

"Too much! I have two sisters you know! Thisbe and Fifer. They're eight now. I've got my hands full with them, Aaron and I watch them mostly. But Crow helps out at times. Ofcourse when they were younger it was the complete opposite. What with the war against Quill, and Queen Eagala, and the pirates."

Mr Today looked flabbergasted, he raised his eyebrow. "Maybe you could start from the instant I died? Might be easier for me to follow that way"

"It's a long story" Alex warned.

"We deserve a break," Mr Today winked. 

This happens simultaneously during the previous chapter, while Aaron, Thisbe, and Fifer at at Mr and Mrs Stowe's graves. Thanks for reading....Please comment, or at least follow🙏...