Post by Soldier 76 on Aug 24, 2016 17:32:37 GMT
Must be 5 years now? Yeah 5 years since he'd run from the Outback, from country to country till he'd run into George. Seemed like such a long time, he felt different, 20 years of learned instinct wasn't gone in 5, but still. He could talk much better now, speech therapy and training, pairing it with sign language helped. Ansell still had trouble, but George was still there to make up for it. He'd learned how to cope with people. Sometimes there were still just too many, other times it was okay. Today had him anxious, they were on a plane, if nothing went wrong they'd be there just in time.
He was going back. The Outback. He often still dreamed of it. Anticipation made him antsy, George put a hand on his knee. "I going back, can't believe it," he said, hand moving as he spoke. His companion gave a sagely nod. "Guns packed?" Another nod. The anxiety was getting to Ansell. The stress of the plane ride, he could feel it descending, the seatbelt light came on. He swallowed, Sidney where he'd escaped from. There was a quiver in him.
They were quickly through the terminal, dragging along their luggage, Ansell was making signs without saying anything. "Where will we stay?" he asked.
"I got a hotel, but...I also rented one of those things I hate, in case you'd rather do it that way," George replied. Ansell laughed, George hated RVs. He appreciated the gesture and nodded. "Alright, consider the reservation cancelled; RV is waiting in car pick-up." Then they were on the road out of Sidney, into the wilds, lucky the thing was electrically powered. Energy efficiency and solar panels, meant long term travel. Ansell stared out the window as George drove, window open he had his face out a bit like a dog. The smell hit him. Home.
"You have to tell me where I'm going," George's voice broke into his thoughts. Right.
"Uhm, uh..." He had to get his bearings. "Stop." The RV Rolled to a stop at the side of the road. Ansell got out sniffing around and getting a good look at the flat scrubland. "Okay." He dug into his bags and brought out the old visor, he put it on his face. Activating it wasn't easy, but eventually he got it going. The waypoints of what seemed like ancient history flashed. "There, uhm north by north west," he said and pointed vaguely. George nodded and they loaded back up. The trip got bumpier as they left the paved thoroughfares. It was very quiet, George put some music on.
He noticed Ansell's silence. A hand was placed on his knee. "Almost there," Ansell murmured. Anxious, he was so anxious. They'd be there on time. It looked even more abandoned than usual. Buildings had further fallen to nature. He had George stop the car. 5 years later the metal and stone marker stood. He dug around his suitcase and found a pair of snack cakes and a lei. He took a deep breath, George's hand on his shoulder, they walked up to the marker. Of all the things Ansell had forgotten his birthday was not one of them. He sat down in what used to be a home, laying the flower wreath over the marker. He unwrapped the cakes and offered one to George.
Everything was so still. A deep solemn silence, home. He was home. "Happy birthday to you..." He was practically startled by the poorly out of tune voice, was George singing? "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Ansell...happy birthday to you." A brief smile from the bigger man, and Ansell started to laugh, which quickly fell into sobbing as he buried his face into George's chest. He'd never truly grieved he supposed. Home. He was home. Big arms wrapped around him, and for a long while they just sat there, and he wept for what he'd lost.
He was going back. The Outback. He often still dreamed of it. Anticipation made him antsy, George put a hand on his knee. "I going back, can't believe it," he said, hand moving as he spoke. His companion gave a sagely nod. "Guns packed?" Another nod. The anxiety was getting to Ansell. The stress of the plane ride, he could feel it descending, the seatbelt light came on. He swallowed, Sidney where he'd escaped from. There was a quiver in him.
They were quickly through the terminal, dragging along their luggage, Ansell was making signs without saying anything. "Where will we stay?" he asked.
"I got a hotel, but...I also rented one of those things I hate, in case you'd rather do it that way," George replied. Ansell laughed, George hated RVs. He appreciated the gesture and nodded. "Alright, consider the reservation cancelled; RV is waiting in car pick-up." Then they were on the road out of Sidney, into the wilds, lucky the thing was electrically powered. Energy efficiency and solar panels, meant long term travel. Ansell stared out the window as George drove, window open he had his face out a bit like a dog. The smell hit him. Home.
"You have to tell me where I'm going," George's voice broke into his thoughts. Right.
"Uhm, uh..." He had to get his bearings. "Stop." The RV Rolled to a stop at the side of the road. Ansell got out sniffing around and getting a good look at the flat scrubland. "Okay." He dug into his bags and brought out the old visor, he put it on his face. Activating it wasn't easy, but eventually he got it going. The waypoints of what seemed like ancient history flashed. "There, uhm north by north west," he said and pointed vaguely. George nodded and they loaded back up. The trip got bumpier as they left the paved thoroughfares. It was very quiet, George put some music on.
He noticed Ansell's silence. A hand was placed on his knee. "Almost there," Ansell murmured. Anxious, he was so anxious. They'd be there on time. It looked even more abandoned than usual. Buildings had further fallen to nature. He had George stop the car. 5 years later the metal and stone marker stood. He dug around his suitcase and found a pair of snack cakes and a lei. He took a deep breath, George's hand on his shoulder, they walked up to the marker. Of all the things Ansell had forgotten his birthday was not one of them. He sat down in what used to be a home, laying the flower wreath over the marker. He unwrapped the cakes and offered one to George.
Everything was so still. A deep solemn silence, home. He was home. "Happy birthday to you..." He was practically startled by the poorly out of tune voice, was George singing? "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Ansell...happy birthday to you." A brief smile from the bigger man, and Ansell started to laugh, which quickly fell into sobbing as he buried his face into George's chest. He'd never truly grieved he supposed. Home. He was home. Big arms wrapped around him, and for a long while they just sat there, and he wept for what he'd lost.
