Gravity Rises (S3)

TTF: Part Five

AUTUMN 1981

Yeesh, this place looked like a Hallmark card.

Stanley Pines drove through the mass of orange and yellow leaves that drifted onto the road from the tangle of trees on either side. With the sun reflecting off the leaves, it was almost too bright for him to focus on the road. And he was sure he'd have some stubborn leaves stuck in the rims of his tires after this.

Still, he had to admit it was gorgeous. Ford scored some great real estate coming here. And now that the high and mighty Stanford Pines had invited his twin brother to move in with him, Lee also scored some great real estate. This was a great opportunity.

He wondered how gullible the townsfolk would be in Gravity Rises.

The winding road continued on and on, and Lee kept an eye out for the landmarks given to him by Ford. He had a map, too, but it was pretty useless in a place like this, where trees outnumbered people and roads frequently lacked asphalt.

"You owe me a tire alignment, Sixer," Lee grumbled to himself as his car wobbled down a bumpy dirt path.

Slowly, the reds and oranges of maple and cottonwood trees bled into the deep greens of coniferous foliage; this dimmed the road significantly. The shady pine trees left gaps of darkness that could easily hide someone. Lee wondered if any supernatural creatures watched him as he drove.

He surpressed a shiver. Maybe he shouldn't think about that.

Eventually, the trees thinned, revealing a teensy little town nestled under a towering cliff. Lee gave a tiny breath of relief as he passed out of the forest and into civilization.

Though the word "civilization" was a bit of a stretch.

Lee slowed his car and ambled down the main street of the town. This place was tiny! He couldn't decide if that was good or bad. A handful of people walked outside, taking advantage of whatever lingering warmth from summer they could find. Down the street, a quaint imitation of a log housed a restaurant called Greasy's Diner. It seemed to be the only restaurant in town.

The red car rumbled up to Ford's lab — it was easy to find, since it was by far the newest building in town — and stopped with a sigh of exhaustion. Lee pulled the key out of the ignition and swung out of the car. "I'm sorry, baby girl," he said, patting its roof. "Those roads were pretty hard on you, huh?"

"Stanley!"

Lee looked up just as the front door closed behind Ford. His twin walked down the porch steps, heading for Stanley with a smile on his face.

Lee's eyes lit up. He hadn't seen his brother's face in. . . what, four years? Five?

"Hey, Sixer!" Lee closed his car door and crossed to his brother, pulling him into a giant hug. Ford squirmed a little — he'd never liked Lee's hugs — but that only encouraged Lee to squeeze tighter.

"Can't breathe, Lee," Ford gasped.

"That never stopped you," Lee replied. "Cut me some slack, Ford, I ain't seen you for half a decade!"

Ford said something, but he couldn't articulate well, considering the constriction on his airway. Lee moved back enough that Ford could repeat himself. "Haven't," Ford wheezed. "I haven't seen you."

For that remark, Lee simply hugged his brother all the harder.

"Good to see you, Sixer," he said. And he stepped back, showing Ford the huge grin on his face.

Ford straightened his shirt, looking a bit flustered. "You're strong as ever, I see. Good trait to have in this line of work."

Lee raised his eyebrows as he went around to the back of his car. "Am I joining you in your work?" He pushed up the trunk, grabbed a duffel bag, and held it out to Ford. "I thought I'd just hang out here, work out a business strategy, improve people's lives in this town."