Lost And Still Missing

4: Snail Mail

Ted woke up today on the righter side of bed this morning. He didn't feel too haggard or begging for five more minutes (actually hours) like usual, and he actually wasn't as grumpy as old man Once-ler when the alarm woke him up. It felt nice.

He changed from his pajamas to his regular clothes and started his way down the stairs, yawning and stretching his arms up along the way.

He then saw his mom hunched over the table, looking as though she was sleeping. He slowly went up next to her and called out to her softly, about to tap her lightly on the shoulder, "Mom...?"

But as he was just about to touch her, Helen pretty much just suddenly jolted up awake with a surprised shriek. Cue both mother and son screaming.

"Mom, what the heck!?" Ted exclaimed, jumped back from shock as he gave his mother a weird look, observing that she held her usual mug in her hands, but that there was a large pitcher next to her on the table. The woman herself didn't look very pleasant either; her curls were a mess and her eyes look extremely tired.

The boy then narrowed his eyes and asked her slowly, "Mom, are you okay?"

Helen let out a deep sigh, covering her eyes, "I'm fine!" she replied stiffly, "Just... peachy!" before pouring herself another round of orange juice.

Ted opened his mouth, about to say something else, until he felt something yank him on the neck, causing the boy to yelp instead. It was Grammy and her cane. She pulled the boy close to her and whispered in his ear, "I'd leave your mom alone for some time if I were you, Tedster,"

The young boy gave his Grammy another one of his weird looks before trying to utter a reply, "But what happ-"

"Shh," Grammy interrupted, handing him an envelope of sorts, "Just get this to old Once-ler, will you dearie?"

"Wha? But?" Ted stammered as he took the envelope in his hands absentmindedly, his grandmother gently pushing him towards the door, "Grammy, wait-" then interrupted yet again by her, chucking a piece of toasted bread into his mouth, making the boy even more puzzled.

"Here, just eat on your way to his lerkim; I even made an extra piece in case you see Audrey!" Grammy told him as she handed him a lunchbag, with Ted only being able to reply in confused garbled noises.

He then finally got to hold the bread with one free hand, and spoke with a mouthful, "But Grammy...!" but before he could even ask for further questions, his Grammy interrupted him yet again.

"Thaank you dearie! Take care now!" then proceeded to almost slam the door shut on him.

Ted stood there for a good minute, just grimacing in complete puzzlement before deciding to just shrug it off, sighing internally. "What is wrong with everybody today?" he thought, the poor boy.

"She really did that?" Audrey asked bemusedly as she and Ted rode on his scooter, zipping out of town and into the valley.

"Yeah, they were both acting weird," Ted replied, not really knowing what else was there to say after he relayed today's morning events with Audrey, "Let's just get this letter delivered so we can go back home and ask Grammy for some more info or whatever,"

"Alright, sounds like a plan," Audrey agreed.

When they arrived in front of the Once-ler's lerkim, Ted immediately approached the door, but sighed loudly as he hoped gramps wouldn't just shoo them off again like yesterday. Or throw an even bigger pie trap at his face.

When Audrey got up behind Ted, the latter finally took in a deep breath and started calling out loudly to their old friend, a bit too scared to knock on the door, "Hey graaaamps!" He then started waving the envelope about, "I, uh, kinda got a letter for ya! Hey gramps!"