[Flashback | Tom and Huck | Eight year olds playing together]

[fluctuationfeels]

Hey! Heeey [Leo whispered just as loud as a whisper could go. He was fed up of throwing pebbles that his friend never seemed to notice. He guessed they weren't big enough to make a decent noise, but any bigger might break his window and he wasn't about to get into shit with Aydin's old man. No sir.]

Aydin! Git up. Come on.

Comments

[asilaparapet]

[Aydin nodded as Leo spoke] That's a great idea!

[he pulled the things out of his pockets] I got a bit of string, a button and some marbles. I won 'em

[He looked so pleased with himself] but I don't think we'll be able to find em again... what if we left out clothes? it's warm enough.

[fluctuationfeels]

String! Clothes! [Leo exclaimed happily, an idea blooming in his head.] You're so smart, Aydin. We can unwind out sweaters and leave a long trail of string behind! [He pulled off his jumper and started to pick at the knit, finding a loose strand of wool to unwind.] Here, like this! This'll be long enough!

[asilaparapet]

[He blushed when Leo said he was smart, but luckily the dark hide that] Boy am I glad I got a jumper for Christmas

[He chuckled and copied Leo, unwinding his jumper and tieing it to the tree] now we can go to Lake and get a fish for the Fox.

[fluctuationfeels]

Damn right! [Leo grinned, leading Aydin away to the lake with his fishing rod in one hand and Aydin's hand in the other. They left a terrible mess of yarn behind them, and when they got to the lake Aydin's sweater was more of a knitted crop-top with long sleeves. The snowman on the front was now just a snowhead. Not very fashion forward.

Leo set up the fishing line like he had done a hundred times before. It was deadly quiet out there at night aside from the sounds of animals and birds out in the woods. Leo didn't seem to care about that though.]

Wonder how long until we get a bite.

[asilaparapet]

[Aydin held his hand tight, the other held the torch lighting the way to the lake. It was nice at night even if he didn't like the dark. Aydin watched Leo as he set up the fishing rod] Jeepers you're good at that

[He sat down and thought for a moment kicking his feet] at least ten minutes maybe longer, everyone says it takes a long time to fish.

[fluctuationfeels]

Ten whole minutes. [Leo pondered. It seemed like a long time, but whatever, it'd be worth it.]

We can do it. Not like my momma's gonna miss me, n'yer daddy neither. So we can stay twenty minutes. Hell, sixty minutes if we wanna!

[asilaparapet]

we can do it [he grinned and fist pumped the air]

but what'ya wanna do while we wait? [he kicked his feet and looked at the lake thinking] the water looks like the sky look it!

[he pointed at the water and looked back at Leo]

[fluctuationfeels]

Sure does! [Leo smiled.] 'Cept it's all turned around in the reflection. See? Everything's in the wrong place.

[He looked at the stars for a moment in the reflection of the water, falling silent. Those were the stars his momma loved so much. They were so bright and shining, not like the other things she seemed to love. Drinkin' and smoking and men, all of her loves were cloudy. His smile fell the longer he stared and he suddenly felt kind of sad, even though nothing bad was happening.]

I don't think you can get the future out of stars. Do you? You know most of 'em are already burnt out. The light we get is already done. How you supposed to get the future outta somethin' what's in the past?