Saturday, January 31, 2015

History of the Trap: Epilogue - Morgan Cracks A Window Part 3

3

He was listening on his new headphones, delighting in the rich sound from his state of the art stereo system, enjoying the music from artists he had not really heard of before. He had just been "grooving" to Band on the Run by Paul McCartney and the Wings (the Beatles had broken up - hard to get used to that) and was just starting to get into Bennie and the Jets by Elton John.
Consequently, he missed the gentle smack of pebbles raining against his bedroom window.  His room was at the opposite end of his parents, in his family's rambling ranch house.  He even missed the rapping that followed.  At least until the Elton John song ended. 
He heard the rapping before the next song started, and took off his earphones, turning to see her at the window.  Oh great, he thought, one of the last persons he wanted to deal with.
"Open up!" she said, with an urgent command.  "It's me!"  Oh, god!  Everything she did seemed urgent and melodramatic.
He came over to the window.  "What is it?  What do you want?"
"Let me in!"
"I don't know if I should.  I'm not supposed to have girls in my room."
She was indignant.  "I'm not just a girl!  I'm Morgan LaDona Tigh!  I'm one of the survivors, you idiot!  Just like you are, whether you care to admit or not!"
He reluctantly opened the window, seeing that there was actual crack spider-webbing at the edge of the glass.  How was he going to explain that to this parents?  "Make it quick."
She came into the room, looking over all the stereo and camera equipment.  "Wow!  You do like your tunes, don't you?"
"What do you want, Morgan?"
"What do I want?  What do I always want?  We have to figure out some ways to help Lance."
"He told us to let him handle it himself.  That's what I'm doing."
Morgan paced the room, nervous.  Her energy level was sky high, as if she was on something.  But he knew better.  Morgan didn't need drugs to be hyper.  "We can't just sit back," she answered.  "He's on a course where either he'll be jailed for the rest of his life, or confined to a looney bin.  Those are his choices.  He deserves better.  He deserves to be free."
He slumped into his desk chair.  He wanted to have to stop thinking about this.  He wanted not to have to worry about what would happen to Lance.  "I know he does.  But I don't know what I can do without ruining my own life."
"Have I lost you?" she asked.  "Are you denying what happened too?"
"No.  Of course not," he said reluctantly.  "But he asked us to deny it publicly, and that's what I'm going to do."
"I'm not asking you to do anything in public.  I'm asking you to help me with something else."
He was confused as to what else she wanted.  "With what?"
"We need to find her.  We need to talk to her."
He didn't need to ask who she was referring to.  He knew all too well.  "W-why?"
"Because she knows things.  She more than anyone else can help us put this back together.  What she may know may help up break this open for Lance and save him."
"Are you sure?  She didn't even survive!"
"Yes, but you know how things ended.  Even if she didn't survive, she's special, you know that."
He turned away from Morgan.  This was more than he could bear.  "Why me?  Why do you think I can help?"
She put her hand on his shoulder and turned him towards her.  "Because at one time you two were very close.  I know, in the end, you felt betrayed by her.  But you have to set that aside and think of the best interests of Lance and the rest of the survivors."
He looked at Morgan, his eyes brimming with sadness, on the verge of tears.  "But she didn't survive.  No one who didn't survive remembers anything."
"I think she is the exception that proves the rule.  You know why.  I saw her very shortly after we came back, and I could see it in her eyes, even from across the school student lounge.  She knew something."
"And based on that you want us to go spelunking into her cave?"
"Don't talk about her like that!"  She pulled away from him.
"I'm sorry.  I just can't believe we're going to do this."
Morgan caught what he said.  "You mean, you're willing to do it?"
He sighed.  "I think you're crazy, Morgan, to be completely honest.  But if there is any possibility, I guess we have to look into it.  Besides, someone has to make sure you don't accidently start World War Three or anything."
Morgan hugged him.  "Thank you!  You won't regret it!"
"Oh, I already do!"
She started to go out his window.  "Meet me tomorrow night at 8 outside her place.  You remember where it is?"
"I remember."  Really, how could he forget?
He closed the window after Morgan had left.  She was still like a hurricane, stirring things up wherever she went.  But she was devoted to Lance, and he had faith that she was operating in his friend's best interests.
He put the headphones back on and was ready to get lost in I Won't Last A Day Without You by a duo called The Carpenters.
He remembered her, the girl he had agreed to see with Morgan.  Yes, there were things that she did that were terrifying, disturbing.  But there was something else there too.
There was also love.

Maybe there could be again.


THIS CONCLUDES

HISTORY OF THE TRAP: YEAR ONE

COMING SOON

HISTORY OF THE TRAP: RESTORATION, REVOLUTION & REBELLION


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