The Surviving Few - A DANDY'S WORLD FANFICTION

Chapter 5 - The Maid

"Hello? Is anyone there?" I knocked on the door a few more times, feather duster in hand. Poor Flutter, I know she appreciates her alone time but she's been awfully.. isolate.

I drummed the door a few more times.

"Flutter?"

Then the door creaked open. Flutter was standing there, averting contact with my eyes. To say I was relieved, would be an understatement. "Oh Flutter.."

It was good to see her again. While for another pair of toons, a hug would be appropriate, me and Flutter had a mutual understanding of each other. Neither of us liked being touched.

With a sigh Flutter stepped aside, allowing me to enter her room. I was disheartened. Typically a messy room was only a personal grievance, but Flutter's room painted a clear picture. Flutter was about the second neatest toon. Seeing her room in disarray must have been just as distressing for her as it was for me.

She was skinnier too, her wings ever so slightly frayed. "I will not stand for this! How long has it been since you've eaten?" My voice was a delicate disbelief.

Flutter averted her eyes again, squeezing her eyelids together nervously.

"Oh Flutter.. Follow me.."

I led her to the dining hall. She hovered behind me and I'll admit, I felt a little bad for prying her from the safety her room.

Flutter was like me. A perfectionist to put it short. Like me she was all or nothing. She was either a social butterfly or a hermit. I was either put together or well.. a mess. While we fixated on different talents we both had our patterns. When we couldn't perform to task, we crashed.

We arrived in the hall and I caught a glimpse of green in the corner of my eye. Vee. She was leaned against the wall, fiddling with her microphone chord. With a sigh I decided to pay her no mind. She isn't worth my time.

"So Flutter, what would you like to eat?"

I gave her a moment to respond, watching her tilt her head in thought.

Now it was her turn to lead me. She hovered over to our latest supply. The non-perishable food items we found and survived off of. Digging through the pile, she retrieved a juice box and began delicately sipping. I smiled watching her, she truly was dainty.

"Enjoying your juice?"

She paused to nod in approval towards me, then went back to her meal.

I began rummaging through the pile, how disorganized! I was half tempted to rearrange the pile, categorizing the food by size and type.

Bit by bit I began grouping our food stores. Flutter turned back to me, and saw my work. She looked surprised for a moment, searching until she found the shelf where I had placed the food. I smiled and giggled lightly.

"Eat something else please. A juice box is a morsel of a meal."

Flutter rolled her eyes playfully but I could see the spirit returning to her eyes.

We had a large supply of food after the latest run. Sometimes I wondered about that old train track that ran by the top lobby. The entrance to gardenview. No one else talked about it, or addressed it. I knew it was there because at night I would clean in the lobby and I'd hear it. Clanging and chugging down those tracks. None of us have ever rode on a train.

Sometimes I fantasize about the train. I imagine myself on the train after all the passengers have left, cleaning. It would be so nice to clean a train.

I came back to reality with a smile. Flutter was struggling to unwrap a protein bar.

"Need any help?"