ws13
Wishing Stars
Part Unlucky Thirteen
d/b
Disclaimer: None of the planets in this story are real. I do not have export businesses there and if they were real you should visit them at your own risk.
Warnings: Space, tundra, Andrew Serkis.
Paul made it to the river. They all made it to the river as the last of the day’s light bled away. Viggo dropped his pack and began scouring the brush for logs to build a raft. If they had a raft, Paul could lie on it and rest while they kept moving.
“The forest starts again,” Dom pointed down stream, “Maybe ten miles, maybe twenty. No logs on the tundra.”
“He hasn’t got ten miles left in him,” Devin whispered fiercely. “I’d be surprised if he had one mile left.”
Dom dropped to the grass. His arm was throbbing and his head ached. He was wet with sweat.
Viggo kicked at the gravel on the shore and swore.
“General?”
“Fuck,” Viggo said. He turned away from them but Dom had seen his face and what he saw there scared him more than the throbbing in his own arm, or the sound of Paul’s chest rattling. Viggo looked helpless.
Dom watched as the General rolled his head and shoulders, listened to him fill his lungs and blow the breath slowly out. He turned and walked to Devin, clapped him on the shoulder, didn’t look him in the eye.
“I’m sorry. Make him as comfortable as you can. We’ll stay here until…we’ll rest here.”
Devin balled his hands into fists and his throat worked furiously. Viggo looked at him then.
“Can I?…I need…A five minute walk, Sir. Just…alone.”
“Go on,” Viggo said.
Devin set off up stream. Dom scrubbed his face on his good shoulder. It wasn’t his place to cry. This sorrow belonged to Devin.
Sometime later, in the darkness, Viggo sat down next to him.
“You need to sleep, Dom.”
“Now? He’s dying. I don’t think I ought.”
“It’s okay. Devin’s with him. You need your rest.”
“Will we bury him? I shouldn’t like to leave him in the wind.”
“Of course.”
“When I go, will you bury me? Will you promise?”
“No. You’re not going to die here, Dom.”
“Won’t I? I feel like I might. It’s pretty here anyway. I like the red leaves and the purple grasses. I don’t think I’ll mind the cold when I’m part of it.”
“What will I tell Billy? That you gave up?”
Dom shrugged. “Tell him to meet me in New Zealand. I always wanted to go there. I don’t know why.”
“Where’s New Zealand?”
“No where. Beyond the moon, behind the rain, at the end of the road, and at the beginning of it too, I think. I think you were there, and Bill, and that funny blue-eyed boy Billy loved on Nola. It was a place where we dreamed of adventures but never had to have them.”
Dom’s head swam and he slid sideways, his head coming to rest in Viggo’s lap. Viggo brushed the hair back from his face. His fingers felt cool and strong. Dom didn’t know what he was saying, like he wasn’t really in charge of his words. He was dreaming out loud.
“Was it a nice place?”
Dom sighed. “I think I was born there. No. I think I learned to live there. Not just be alive, you know? Live. You were the hero. I always wanted to be the hero but I’m not. I’m too small. I have mean spots in me.”
“Everyone has mean spots in them.”
“Maybe. Mine swim close to the surface.”
“Tell me about New Zealand, Dom.”
“You had a fish and a sword. It’s all jumbled. My foot got broken. Billy lived in a tree. Miranda had horses and she would take me out to ride with her.”
Viggo stiffened.
“How did you know that?”
“What?”
“About Miranda riding?”
“She used to take me with her. I wish she would take me now. I wish I had a horse. I wish Paul had a horse. But he doesn’t. I hope Paul goes to New Zealand. I’d like to meet him when I’m in a better mood.
Devin.
Devin’s losing his Billy, I think.”
“Rest, Dom.”
Dom tilted his head to look up the river where the light from the fire showed Devin huddled over Paul.
“The light’s going out of the world.”
“Rest.”
“Fuck, I’m scared of the dark. It presses down on you. Holds you down.”
Viggo began to hum and started to stroke Dom’s hair again. Dom smiled.
“Goodnight, Paul.”
~*~
It rained as Viggo pushed the dirt into Paul’s shallow grave. Devin stood quietly next to Dom who was trembling violently.
Viggo washed his hands in the river and picked up his pack.
“We’ll walk to the bend in the river, Dev. We’ll expect you in half an hour.”
Devin nodded. Viggo put his hand on Dom’s elbow and led him away.
It was late afternoon. They’d lost most of the day and Viggo wanted to reach the forest and have the raft built by first light. Grief and regret made them all sluggish and once they found that they had all just stopped walking. Just stopped. Not to rest or have a drink or look at anything. Just stopped. In a communal daze of sorrow.
Viggo shook his head and put them all to work.
“Dom, you’re to compile a report on the local flora when we get back. I hope you’ve been paying attention. I’ll expect you to update the map on this region as well. Devin, you need to see to Dom’s arm. That bandage needs changing. And I’m no doctor, but he looks feverish. Monitor him every hour. Do it without slowing us down. We’ve ground to cover, gentlemen.”
Dom and Devin came out of their dazes. Anger passed over their faces briefly. They settled, fell into the routine of life in the military, fell into the safety of carrying out orders, getting the job done, moving on.
~*~
A full moon was rising. And Billy had leaves in his hair and his breath was white in the air. There was moonlight on his skin and Billy picked up the moon and tossed it over his head. He caught it. It shone on his face and made him silver.
Eat it, Dom.
Give it to Paul, Bill. I’m alright.
Swallow it, Dom.
Oh, I had some roots an hour ago. I’m not hungry now.
One at a time.
The moons were small in Billy’s hand. Maybe stars then. Not moons. Dom put out his tongue. They tasted bitter. Not like you’d expect stars to taste.
I want to go home.
Come on then. One more step. You can do one more step. That’s it. Just keep taking one more step. One more. One more step closer to me. Keep doing it. Keep doing it. Come home to me. Come home to me. Come home. Come home. Come home. Comehomecomehomecomeho me omcohemecoooooooooooooooooo
“Bill!”
Viggo halted.
“Take my pack, Dev?”
“You’ll wear yourself out, Sir.”
“We’re almost to the forest. He’s small. I’m sorry. I couldn’t carry Paul.”
“I didn’t ask you to. I know that.”
“Take my pack?”
Devin strapped Viggo’s pack on backwards, over his chest. Viggo heaved Dom over his shoulder and kept walking, one step at a time.
~*~
A spray of cool water.
“Lay down, Dom.”
“It’s Paul’s spot.”
“He wants you to have it.”
“Devin. I tried to give him my spot. I put the pills back in the bottle. I wanted to do something good with them. Little white pills. It didn’t do any good.”
“Who led the battle at Sylvan, Dom?”
“I did.”
“My family’s there. My three sisters and my nieces and nephews. They’re still there, Dom. They’re waiting for me to come home. Because of you. And Dom, they’ll kill me if you don’t come and meet them some day. They’ll kill me, Dom. So promise me, promise me, you’ll come visit me one day.”
Devin put a kiss on Dom’s forehead.
“Can I sleep on the raft?”
“You can sleep.”
“After I see Billy can I go see you?”
“As long as you promise to come, Dom.”
“Can I bring my dog?”
“Of course you can.”
“I think I can promise then, Dev. I think I can.”
“Sleep, Dom. Sleep.”
~*~
Second sunrise on the river. Paul had been dead for two days. Two days. Two days back up the river. Two days swimming back through time and Paul would inhale, exhale. Paul would be alive. Swim down two weeks and Paul would laugh. Paul would play cards. See Paul breathe. See Paul smile. Feel Paul kiss.
Two.
Such a small number. So close. Paul would only get further away. Devin made himself keep paddling with the crude oars they had fashioned. One stroke further away. Two strokes further away. Devin lost count.
Fog rolled up the river. Mortensen had dark circles under his eyes. Dom was lashed to the raft and had been senseless for twelve hours. He wasn’t going to keep his promise.
There was a canoe heading toward them.
There was a canoe in the fog.
There was a canoe heading toward them.
“What?”
A canoe. A silent canoe with a man in it.
“Mortensen!”
“I see it.”
“It’s real?”
“Hello!”
The canoe pulled up along side them.
“Hi and hello. You come from help and blasted?”
“Hello, I’m Viggo. This is Devin.”
“Viggo and Devin. Blasted by enemy. Travel long way?”
“Yes. We were attacked. We’ve been traveling many days.”
“Yes, attacked. I am Andrew.” The man named Andrew looked at the raft, at Dom’s still form. “He is being dead soon, yes?”
Devin made a choking sound.
Andrew frowned.
“See Nolee. Follow fast. Nolee scare death. Nolee scare most things.”
Viggo and Devin just stared at him.
Andrew looked at them hard. “You need to dream. I see. Go water’s edge. I take you.” Andrew pushed with his oar at the raft and bullied them to the edge of the river. He untied Dom from the logs and laid him gently in the bottom of the canoe. “Fast, fast. Little one sees death.” Andrew sniffed Dom’s face. “He runs. He wants not to meet death now.”
~*~
The trees sped past.
“What is his soul?”
Devin blinked.
“My soul Andrew. You Devin.”
“Oh. His name’s Dominic. Dom.”
“Is meaning?”
“Um… I don’t know.”
“I call him? I call to him soul. Petoile. Little Star. Petoile. Not resting yet. Nolee, wake you up.” Andrew looked at Devin’s face and laughed. “Not being scared, Devin. I not speak to understand. Craig go sailing in stars. Craig speak to you. You understand.”
The canoe bumped into the shore. A man and a woman stood over them. The man offered Devin his hand.
“We were hoping someone survived the attack. I’m Craig. This is Nolee. Gentlemen, let me be the first to offer my thanks. The tide has turned. The enemy is on the run.”
Part Unlucky Thirteen
d/b
Disclaimer: None of the planets in this story are real. I do not have export businesses there and if they were real you should visit them at your own risk.
Warnings: Space, tundra, Andrew Serkis.
Paul made it to the river. They all made it to the river as the last of the day’s light bled away. Viggo dropped his pack and began scouring the brush for logs to build a raft. If they had a raft, Paul could lie on it and rest while they kept moving.
“The forest starts again,” Dom pointed down stream, “Maybe ten miles, maybe twenty. No logs on the tundra.”
“He hasn’t got ten miles left in him,” Devin whispered fiercely. “I’d be surprised if he had one mile left.”
Dom dropped to the grass. His arm was throbbing and his head ached. He was wet with sweat.
Viggo kicked at the gravel on the shore and swore.
“General?”
“Fuck,” Viggo said. He turned away from them but Dom had seen his face and what he saw there scared him more than the throbbing in his own arm, or the sound of Paul’s chest rattling. Viggo looked helpless.
Dom watched as the General rolled his head and shoulders, listened to him fill his lungs and blow the breath slowly out. He turned and walked to Devin, clapped him on the shoulder, didn’t look him in the eye.
“I’m sorry. Make him as comfortable as you can. We’ll stay here until…we’ll rest here.”
Devin balled his hands into fists and his throat worked furiously. Viggo looked at him then.
“Can I?…I need…A five minute walk, Sir. Just…alone.”
“Go on,” Viggo said.
Devin set off up stream. Dom scrubbed his face on his good shoulder. It wasn’t his place to cry. This sorrow belonged to Devin.
Sometime later, in the darkness, Viggo sat down next to him.
“You need to sleep, Dom.”
“Now? He’s dying. I don’t think I ought.”
“It’s okay. Devin’s with him. You need your rest.”
“Will we bury him? I shouldn’t like to leave him in the wind.”
“Of course.”
“When I go, will you bury me? Will you promise?”
“No. You’re not going to die here, Dom.”
“Won’t I? I feel like I might. It’s pretty here anyway. I like the red leaves and the purple grasses. I don’t think I’ll mind the cold when I’m part of it.”
“What will I tell Billy? That you gave up?”
Dom shrugged. “Tell him to meet me in New Zealand. I always wanted to go there. I don’t know why.”
“Where’s New Zealand?”
“No where. Beyond the moon, behind the rain, at the end of the road, and at the beginning of it too, I think. I think you were there, and Bill, and that funny blue-eyed boy Billy loved on Nola. It was a place where we dreamed of adventures but never had to have them.”
Dom’s head swam and he slid sideways, his head coming to rest in Viggo’s lap. Viggo brushed the hair back from his face. His fingers felt cool and strong. Dom didn’t know what he was saying, like he wasn’t really in charge of his words. He was dreaming out loud.
“Was it a nice place?”
Dom sighed. “I think I was born there. No. I think I learned to live there. Not just be alive, you know? Live. You were the hero. I always wanted to be the hero but I’m not. I’m too small. I have mean spots in me.”
“Everyone has mean spots in them.”
“Maybe. Mine swim close to the surface.”
“Tell me about New Zealand, Dom.”
“You had a fish and a sword. It’s all jumbled. My foot got broken. Billy lived in a tree. Miranda had horses and she would take me out to ride with her.”
Viggo stiffened.
“How did you know that?”
“What?”
“About Miranda riding?”
“She used to take me with her. I wish she would take me now. I wish I had a horse. I wish Paul had a horse. But he doesn’t. I hope Paul goes to New Zealand. I’d like to meet him when I’m in a better mood.
Devin.
Devin’s losing his Billy, I think.”
“Rest, Dom.”
Dom tilted his head to look up the river where the light from the fire showed Devin huddled over Paul.
“The light’s going out of the world.”
“Rest.”
“Fuck, I’m scared of the dark. It presses down on you. Holds you down.”
Viggo began to hum and started to stroke Dom’s hair again. Dom smiled.
“Goodnight, Paul.”
~*~
It rained as Viggo pushed the dirt into Paul’s shallow grave. Devin stood quietly next to Dom who was trembling violently.
Viggo washed his hands in the river and picked up his pack.
“We’ll walk to the bend in the river, Dev. We’ll expect you in half an hour.”
Devin nodded. Viggo put his hand on Dom’s elbow and led him away.
It was late afternoon. They’d lost most of the day and Viggo wanted to reach the forest and have the raft built by first light. Grief and regret made them all sluggish and once they found that they had all just stopped walking. Just stopped. Not to rest or have a drink or look at anything. Just stopped. In a communal daze of sorrow.
Viggo shook his head and put them all to work.
“Dom, you’re to compile a report on the local flora when we get back. I hope you’ve been paying attention. I’ll expect you to update the map on this region as well. Devin, you need to see to Dom’s arm. That bandage needs changing. And I’m no doctor, but he looks feverish. Monitor him every hour. Do it without slowing us down. We’ve ground to cover, gentlemen.”
Dom and Devin came out of their dazes. Anger passed over their faces briefly. They settled, fell into the routine of life in the military, fell into the safety of carrying out orders, getting the job done, moving on.
~*~
A full moon was rising. And Billy had leaves in his hair and his breath was white in the air. There was moonlight on his skin and Billy picked up the moon and tossed it over his head. He caught it. It shone on his face and made him silver.
Eat it, Dom.
Give it to Paul, Bill. I’m alright.
Swallow it, Dom.
Oh, I had some roots an hour ago. I’m not hungry now.
One at a time.
The moons were small in Billy’s hand. Maybe stars then. Not moons. Dom put out his tongue. They tasted bitter. Not like you’d expect stars to taste.
I want to go home.
Come on then. One more step. You can do one more step. That’s it. Just keep taking one more step. One more. One more step closer to me. Keep doing it. Keep doing it. Come home to me. Come home to me. Come home. Come home. Come home. Comehomecomehomecomeho me omcohemecoooooooooooooooooo
“Bill!”
Viggo halted.
“Take my pack, Dev?”
“You’ll wear yourself out, Sir.”
“We’re almost to the forest. He’s small. I’m sorry. I couldn’t carry Paul.”
“I didn’t ask you to. I know that.”
“Take my pack?”
Devin strapped Viggo’s pack on backwards, over his chest. Viggo heaved Dom over his shoulder and kept walking, one step at a time.
~*~
A spray of cool water.
“Lay down, Dom.”
“It’s Paul’s spot.”
“He wants you to have it.”
“Devin. I tried to give him my spot. I put the pills back in the bottle. I wanted to do something good with them. Little white pills. It didn’t do any good.”
“Who led the battle at Sylvan, Dom?”
“I did.”
“My family’s there. My three sisters and my nieces and nephews. They’re still there, Dom. They’re waiting for me to come home. Because of you. And Dom, they’ll kill me if you don’t come and meet them some day. They’ll kill me, Dom. So promise me, promise me, you’ll come visit me one day.”
Devin put a kiss on Dom’s forehead.
“Can I sleep on the raft?”
“You can sleep.”
“After I see Billy can I go see you?”
“As long as you promise to come, Dom.”
“Can I bring my dog?”
“Of course you can.”
“I think I can promise then, Dev. I think I can.”
“Sleep, Dom. Sleep.”
~*~
Second sunrise on the river. Paul had been dead for two days. Two days. Two days back up the river. Two days swimming back through time and Paul would inhale, exhale. Paul would be alive. Swim down two weeks and Paul would laugh. Paul would play cards. See Paul breathe. See Paul smile. Feel Paul kiss.
Two.
Such a small number. So close. Paul would only get further away. Devin made himself keep paddling with the crude oars they had fashioned. One stroke further away. Two strokes further away. Devin lost count.
Fog rolled up the river. Mortensen had dark circles under his eyes. Dom was lashed to the raft and had been senseless for twelve hours. He wasn’t going to keep his promise.
There was a canoe heading toward them.
There was a canoe in the fog.
There was a canoe heading toward them.
“What?”
A canoe. A silent canoe with a man in it.
“Mortensen!”
“I see it.”
“It’s real?”
“Hello!”
The canoe pulled up along side them.
“Hi and hello. You come from help and blasted?”
“Hello, I’m Viggo. This is Devin.”
“Viggo and Devin. Blasted by enemy. Travel long way?”
“Yes. We were attacked. We’ve been traveling many days.”
“Yes, attacked. I am Andrew.” The man named Andrew looked at the raft, at Dom’s still form. “He is being dead soon, yes?”
Devin made a choking sound.
Andrew frowned.
“See Nolee. Follow fast. Nolee scare death. Nolee scare most things.”
Viggo and Devin just stared at him.
Andrew looked at them hard. “You need to dream. I see. Go water’s edge. I take you.” Andrew pushed with his oar at the raft and bullied them to the edge of the river. He untied Dom from the logs and laid him gently in the bottom of the canoe. “Fast, fast. Little one sees death.” Andrew sniffed Dom’s face. “He runs. He wants not to meet death now.”
~*~
The trees sped past.
“What is his soul?”
Devin blinked.
“My soul Andrew. You Devin.”
“Oh. His name’s Dominic. Dom.”
“Is meaning?”
“Um… I don’t know.”
“I call him? I call to him soul. Petoile. Little Star. Petoile. Not resting yet. Nolee, wake you up.” Andrew looked at Devin’s face and laughed. “Not being scared, Devin. I not speak to understand. Craig go sailing in stars. Craig speak to you. You understand.”
The canoe bumped into the shore. A man and a woman stood over them. The man offered Devin his hand.
“We were hoping someone survived the attack. I’m Craig. This is Nolee. Gentlemen, let me be the first to offer my thanks. The tide has turned. The enemy is on the run.”