Reckless. [TMNT 2012]

32. Bombs Among Us; Casey

Song: We Are The Brave - VERIDIA

As I arrive at the park, I skid to a halt and wildly look around. Strobe lights and blaring pop music from giant speakers fill the air. Party blowers occasionally blast nearby. Scents of funnel cake and fresh-baked cookies taunt my nose hairs. Dancers and clowns on stilts give the feeling of a circus to the atmosphere. Many citizens wear goofy confetti hats and sunglasses shaped as "2015", and others are dressed down.

    Despite how tall I am, I have to crane my neck to see over the queue of people. I rotate 360 degrees in my efforts to spot Evelyn, but I can't find her. The bomb could be set off any minute now. I can't be too late; I will not let someone else I care about get killed.

    Beside me, Michelangelo keeps jumping up and down to see over the crowds. Luckily, everyone is too caught up in New Year's Eve to notice a mutant turtle among them. Even as he scurries between groups to get deeper into the park, they still pay him no attention. Eventually, the turtle's orange bandana tails evaporate into the crowd and I don't see him again.

    Suddenly, the famous study bench comes into view. I expect to see a bob of blonde hair and a face covered by a book, but the bench is taken by an elder couple. They look up and offer friendly smiles, to which I spin away too fast to return.

    I continue wading through the crowd towards the other end of the park. The loud music and gleeful shouts fade into the background as I wander to a more secluded area. The bare trees grow spooky as I approach the graveyard, and my heart wants to stop when I see a familiar grave. Wilted flowers lay on the ground in front of a newly-erected stone. Engraved on it is a name that still haunts my nightmares and deepest regrets. However, I don't get choked up like I used to. Maybe we are growing numb to the idea of losing others, after all.

    The very shape I've been searching all over the park for is hunched over a few feet away. My heart lurches, and I dart over to the figure.

    "Evelyn!" I gasp.

    Evelyn looks up from her position, her blue eyes sparkling with astonishment. She blinks, and it gets replaced with a faint sign of happiness. "Casey! I didn't know you were here!"

   "Yeah," I say as I look down at where she sits. She is in front of another grave, but it looks more worn than Charlotte's. It has started to grow a light layer of moss around the bottom, and the engravement is slightly faded. I can still make out the words "In loving memory, Evelyn Violet."

    "Who's that?" I ask curiously, tilting my head to one side.

    Evelyn glances at the grave, hesitates, and then turns back to me. "She was a family member," she explains. Her tone seems guarded.

    "She has the same name as you," I remark thoughtfully.

    Evelyn nods, her blue eyes fixed on the ancient ground in front of her. "She was very important to my parents. She died from cancer."

    No note of sadness haunts her tone, though that's classic Evelyn. An unreadable robot, as always. However, a pang of despair taps my chest as I place my hand on her shoulder. For a moment, it's as if the cruel world around us melts away. A beautiful sunset paints the air around us, and clouds of tranquility seem to float by. She stares back into my eyes with a deep understanding that can only come from someone who shares your soul. The gaping hole in my stomach closes and all the tension leaves my body. Suddenly, everything seems to make sense.

    And as quick as the feeling arrives, it's gone. Evelyn lets out an abrupt, ear-piercing scream. She jumps up and stands behind me with her shoulders squared, her face more pale than usual. "Casey, there's a mutant behind you!" she exclaims, mortified.