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writtenby_cadenIt’s been five days since Les went missing, six since the first victim, and they know nothing. Well, Corinne has a clue, apparently. Caden hopes it pans out.
God, victim. That makes it sound too real. It wasn’t too long ago that he was excited by this town’s apparent eccentricities, but this one is far less amusing. People are disappearing into thin air, one or two a day, and no one knows why or when it will stop. If it will stop. It sounds almost like a plot to one of Caden’s novels, but they’re all living it.
The town is quiet as Caden makes his way through it, bundled up against the morning chill. He’d run out quickly to go check in with Corrine and get some food for him and April. Caden didn’t have much to begin with and as hard as they’re trying, they can’t live on coffee alone.
His phone rings and Caden nearly drops the bag of food in his scramble to retrieve it from his pocket. He keeps jumping whenever his phone makes a noise in the hopes that it’s good news, but it never is. Now, it’s his sister’s face grinning up at him as his phone rings, and normally he’s happy when she calls him. But Callie has always been able to read him like a book and he really doesn’t want to tell her what’s wrong right now. He doesn’t want to say it out loud to anyone that doesn’t already know.
But still, it’s very early in San Francisco and Caden is a doting big brother, so he answers and tries not to sound as scared and frustrated as he feels. “Hey, Calico. What are you doing up so early?”
”Doing a walk of glory,” Callie informs him, sounding tired but cheerful. “It’s like a walk of shame except I’m not ashamed of myself at all, because I just had hella good sex and I’m proud of my accomplishments.”
Caden wrinkles his nose but he can’t help but to chuckle softly at her antics. Callie is five years younger than him but she’s always been more gregarious, louder and brighter and funnier. She’s shameless. Caden loves her with all of his heart. “Thanks for the information. Was that the only reason you called?”
“I just called to say I love you.” She sings it, like she always does, and Caden nearly tears up from how much he loves her blending with all the other emotions that he’s feeling. “And I figured that you were either up staring at your laptop or staring forlornly at the ocean because it’s too cold to surf.”
“It’s never too cold,” Caden says on instinct. “I’m a polar bear.”
“You freaking weirdo. You’re gonna freeze one day and someone will find you and unthaw you in seventy years and expect you to save the world. And then what will you do?”
“Not live in a comic book,” Caden replies. He’s nearly back home now, and there’s a thick fog rolling in off of the ocean. “Hey, it looks like Karl came to visit me.”
Karl is the name affectionately given by the residents of San Francisco to the fog that often shrouds the city. Caden smiles as he walks towards the water because the fog reminds him of home, and of his family who he loves. He’s always rather liked the fog.
“Tell him I said to stay there. Oh so hey, mom wanted me to ask you what you’re doing for the holidays. You should call her and tell her because I won’t remember to. And now I’m at my apartment so I’m going to hop in the shower and sleep for three days. Caden, are you there?” He blinks and shakes himself after he realizes that he’d just been staring into the fog. It’s crawling towards him and Caden hears something, he thinks, so he pulls the phone away to listen for it. “Caden? Earth to big bro. Stop spacing out while you’re on the phone with your beloved baby sister, you dip.”
“Callie, I’m gonna go,” he tells her, because he’s suddenly too distracted to carry on a conversation. “Thanks for calling. I love you.”
“I love you too. Are you okay?” Caden assures her that he is and there’s a pause before she continues. “Call me later, okay?”
“I will,” he promises. “Bye, Calico.”
When he hangs up his back deck is in sight and he knows that April is in there waiting for him. He wants to go to her and curl up next to her. He wants Les to be there with them. He wants a lot of things.
“Caden, is that you?”
He tears his gaze away from his back door to see a man walking out of the fog and coming towards him. There’s something vaguely familiar about him, but Caden doesn’t know what it is. But then the man smiles and it hits him, startling him so badly that he drops the bag of hot food he was carrying onto the sand.
“… Dad?”
“Look at that, you didn’t forget your old man,” he dad says, and Caden just stands there with his mouth hanging open. His father left them when Caden was five and Callie was just an infant, and was never heard from again. Not a peep, not even on their birthdays or Christmas. Caden didn’t even know if he was alive.
And now he’s standing here in front of Caden’s beach house in Maine, and he has no idea why. Except maybe a part of him does. Once he started become more well-known across the country, he kind of thought that his dad might seek him out. Probably for money, but maybe just because.
“No, but you forgot us,” Caden tells him, and his father has the gall to look ashamed of himself. He’s had twenty-four years to right his wrong, and at this point Caden isn’t really looking to reconnect with someone who would just abandon their family with no warning or reason given. Caden has family, his mom and Callie. He has friends. He has April inside waiting for him, and somewhere he has Les because goddamnit, Les has to be out there. He has to be okay. “I don’t have time for this right now.”
“Son, don’t be like that.” Caden rolls his eyes and turns away from him, lifting his knee to plant his foot on the bottom step of his deck. He doesn’t need this. His dad can fuck off because he was never there for Caden and he doesn’t even know – “Don’t you want to know why I left?”
That makes Caden pause, because he does. It’s the one question he’s had that’s gone unanswered for nearly his entire life. All he’s ever wanted to know was why. How could his father abandon them? Didn’t he care about them? Why would he just leave?”
The enticing prospect of having a question he’s plagued himself over for more than two decades finally answered is enough to make him turn around, looking hopefully at his father. He really should get back to April. She needs him, he needs her. But maybe Caden needs this too. He needs to know, once and for all. His father smiles invitingly at him as the fog seems to get thicker, and that sound is back. It’s a beautiful sound and Caden drops his phone in the sand, compelled to walk towards his father.
“Come on, kid. Come with me and I’ll tell you everything.”
And so he goes, letting the fog embrace him like an old friend.
--
When he opens his eyes again, he can’t remember having closed them in the first place. His father is nowhere to be seen and instead he’s in the dark. It’s cold and wet and as his eyes adjust he realizes that he’s looking at the wall of a cave. What the –
He whirls around to face the open cavern, eyes widening as his heart starts to pound. “Hello? Is anyone here?”
God, victim. That makes it sound too real. It wasn’t too long ago that he was excited by this town’s apparent eccentricities, but this one is far less amusing. People are disappearing into thin air, one or two a day, and no one knows why or when it will stop. If it will stop. It sounds almost like a plot to one of Caden’s novels, but they’re all living it.
The town is quiet as Caden makes his way through it, bundled up against the morning chill. He’d run out quickly to go check in with Corrine and get some food for him and April. Caden didn’t have much to begin with and as hard as they’re trying, they can’t live on coffee alone.
His phone rings and Caden nearly drops the bag of food in his scramble to retrieve it from his pocket. He keeps jumping whenever his phone makes a noise in the hopes that it’s good news, but it never is. Now, it’s his sister’s face grinning up at him as his phone rings, and normally he’s happy when she calls him. But Callie has always been able to read him like a book and he really doesn’t want to tell her what’s wrong right now. He doesn’t want to say it out loud to anyone that doesn’t already know.
But still, it’s very early in San Francisco and Caden is a doting big brother, so he answers and tries not to sound as scared and frustrated as he feels. “Hey, Calico. What are you doing up so early?”
”Doing a walk of glory,” Callie informs him, sounding tired but cheerful. “It’s like a walk of shame except I’m not ashamed of myself at all, because I just had hella good sex and I’m proud of my accomplishments.”
Caden wrinkles his nose but he can’t help but to chuckle softly at her antics. Callie is five years younger than him but she’s always been more gregarious, louder and brighter and funnier. She’s shameless. Caden loves her with all of his heart. “Thanks for the information. Was that the only reason you called?”
“I just called to say I love you.” She sings it, like she always does, and Caden nearly tears up from how much he loves her blending with all the other emotions that he’s feeling. “And I figured that you were either up staring at your laptop or staring forlornly at the ocean because it’s too cold to surf.”
“It’s never too cold,” Caden says on instinct. “I’m a polar bear.”
“You freaking weirdo. You’re gonna freeze one day and someone will find you and unthaw you in seventy years and expect you to save the world. And then what will you do?”
“Not live in a comic book,” Caden replies. He’s nearly back home now, and there’s a thick fog rolling in off of the ocean. “Hey, it looks like Karl came to visit me.”
Karl is the name affectionately given by the residents of San Francisco to the fog that often shrouds the city. Caden smiles as he walks towards the water because the fog reminds him of home, and of his family who he loves. He’s always rather liked the fog.
“Tell him I said to stay there. Oh so hey, mom wanted me to ask you what you’re doing for the holidays. You should call her and tell her because I won’t remember to. And now I’m at my apartment so I’m going to hop in the shower and sleep for three days. Caden, are you there?” He blinks and shakes himself after he realizes that he’d just been staring into the fog. It’s crawling towards him and Caden hears something, he thinks, so he pulls the phone away to listen for it. “Caden? Earth to big bro. Stop spacing out while you’re on the phone with your beloved baby sister, you dip.”
“Callie, I’m gonna go,” he tells her, because he’s suddenly too distracted to carry on a conversation. “Thanks for calling. I love you.”
“I love you too. Are you okay?” Caden assures her that he is and there’s a pause before she continues. “Call me later, okay?”
“I will,” he promises. “Bye, Calico.”
When he hangs up his back deck is in sight and he knows that April is in there waiting for him. He wants to go to her and curl up next to her. He wants Les to be there with them. He wants a lot of things.
“Caden, is that you?”
He tears his gaze away from his back door to see a man walking out of the fog and coming towards him. There’s something vaguely familiar about him, but Caden doesn’t know what it is. But then the man smiles and it hits him, startling him so badly that he drops the bag of hot food he was carrying onto the sand.
“… Dad?”
“Look at that, you didn’t forget your old man,” he dad says, and Caden just stands there with his mouth hanging open. His father left them when Caden was five and Callie was just an infant, and was never heard from again. Not a peep, not even on their birthdays or Christmas. Caden didn’t even know if he was alive.
And now he’s standing here in front of Caden’s beach house in Maine, and he has no idea why. Except maybe a part of him does. Once he started become more well-known across the country, he kind of thought that his dad might seek him out. Probably for money, but maybe just because.
“No, but you forgot us,” Caden tells him, and his father has the gall to look ashamed of himself. He’s had twenty-four years to right his wrong, and at this point Caden isn’t really looking to reconnect with someone who would just abandon their family with no warning or reason given. Caden has family, his mom and Callie. He has friends. He has April inside waiting for him, and somewhere he has Les because goddamnit, Les has to be out there. He has to be okay. “I don’t have time for this right now.”
“Son, don’t be like that.” Caden rolls his eyes and turns away from him, lifting his knee to plant his foot on the bottom step of his deck. He doesn’t need this. His dad can fuck off because he was never there for Caden and he doesn’t even know – “Don’t you want to know why I left?”
That makes Caden pause, because he does. It’s the one question he’s had that’s gone unanswered for nearly his entire life. All he’s ever wanted to know was why. How could his father abandon them? Didn’t he care about them? Why would he just leave?”
The enticing prospect of having a question he’s plagued himself over for more than two decades finally answered is enough to make him turn around, looking hopefully at his father. He really should get back to April. She needs him, he needs her. But maybe Caden needs this too. He needs to know, once and for all. His father smiles invitingly at him as the fog seems to get thicker, and that sound is back. It’s a beautiful sound and Caden drops his phone in the sand, compelled to walk towards his father.
“Come on, kid. Come with me and I’ll tell you everything.”
And so he goes, letting the fog embrace him like an old friend.
--
When he opens his eyes again, he can’t remember having closed them in the first place. His father is nowhere to be seen and instead he’s in the dark. It’s cold and wet and as his eyes adjust he realizes that he’s looking at the wall of a cave. What the –
He whirls around to face the open cavern, eyes widening as his heart starts to pound. “Hello? Is anyone here?”
no subject
Date: 2014-11-18 10:30 pm (UTC)For too long, she sits in his house in the increasing dark and she does nothing. What she wants more than anything is to slip into the ocean and start to swim and never look back. This town can go fuck itself and she can disappear just like she always does.
But instead she texts Coop. It's simple. Caden's gone. Two words. She doesn't know what else to say.
Then she sits in the dark and thinks about what she'll do if she finds out who is responsible.
no subject
Date: 2014-11-19 12:47 am (UTC)He texts her back as soon as he can remember how to spell words again, keeping his message as simple as April's had been: Where can I meet you?
no subject
Date: 2014-11-19 04:38 pm (UTC)If she's alone all night, she's going to end up entertaining some pretty horrible thoughts, and the chances of the horrible thoughts leading to her doing something dangerous are high.
I'm at Caden's.
no subject
Date: 2014-11-24 07:17 am (UTC)He thinks about taking a six-pack from the fridge for them but decides against it; he's pretty sure he's never seen her drink more than one at any party of his that she's shown up to anyway and as much as he'd really love to have a drink right now, they could probably both use what little clarity they might have considering two people they actually give a shit about are missing.
It's easier to get to Caden's place if he goes along the beach, and it's so fucking bizarre to think that once he gets to the house next door, his friend's not going to be there to greet him. It's not like he goes over for like, fucking afternoon tea every day or whatever, but it's just become kind of a thing to be able to look over and wave at Caden during those mornings that they both happen to be up early enough to try to catch a few waves before they have to start the rest of their days. When he reaches the door from the deck, he only knocks once before opening it and poking his head into the house.
"It's me," he calls out, stepping in and shutting the door behind him. "April, you here?"
no subject
Date: 2014-11-24 04:39 pm (UTC)April is not weak.
But she also can't bring herself to get up from the couch. She runs one hand clumsily through her hair, untangling knots, smoothing it back from her face, but she's sure it doesn't make a difference.
"You didn't have to come," she says when she sees movement. "But thank you."
no subject
Date: 2014-11-19 03:10 am (UTC)So with trembling hands, and the foreboding of knowing what's to come, she texts April.
[TXT] April, please tell me Caden is with you...
no subject
Date: 2014-11-19 04:41 pm (UTC)[TXT] I can't find him. I've called and texted. He was supposed to be back, but he isn't.
They both know what that means. April doesn't have to say it, they both already know.
no subject
Date: 2014-11-19 05:39 pm (UTC)The world lurches. Corrine curses aloud in front of the crowd but it doesn't matter. She knew. She already knew the answer. But it doesn't make it any less horrible. Any less soul crushing that another is gone. At least, hopefully, this means he and Les are there for each other now.
[TXT] I'm sorry April. ...We'll get them back
no subject
Date: 2014-11-19 08:48 pm (UTC)But Corrine does. And for some reason April can't bring herself to tear that down.
[TXT]With you in charge, I'm sure we will.