alanna

What a shame. Here I thought I was gonna get a free house!

Wouldn't be much point though, without water or electricity. Might as well live in a truck.

It's warm in the truck, but on Rhodes Island we have our own rooms.

You will surely get a bigger, comfier house, Lanns... and then, can I move in with you?

Ha! Who else would cook for me?

You're not that bad of a cook yourself—

The tank's full, Alanna. You alright?

I asked around. They all say...

Yeah, I know. Thanks anyway.

I'll ask a few more. Maybe somebody knows where your house was... You might find some kinda closure, even if it's just a single brick.

How would they know anything when they're all new here?

Let's just head on back to Rustdreg. There's still time to grab a few drinks with some more of my old friends.

Alanna turns around, avoiding looking at the bare slope and everything behind it.

No one knows where her home is better than herself.

She had climbed that slope many times, and slid all the way back home over the smooth grass.

She would grin while her mother looked at all the mud on her with chagrin.

I'll go warm up the engine. No rush. I'll be waiting inside.

Let's go, Potlid. It'll be dark soon.

Anything you wanna eat once we get back to Rustdreg? How about some old fashioned cream pasta?

Alanna takes a few steps, but then realizes Potlid is not following her.

Potlid?

Look Lanns, I've got a scar on my knee.

Didn't you get that when you left the dorms? Does it still hurt?

Not anymore. It hurt a lot at first, but I didn't want to cry because there were a lot of people in the corridor. At that time, you said—

'It's tiring trying to hold back tears. You're already hurting—don't tire yourself out too.'

Then I cried, and after that it didn't hurt so much anymore.

Warmy approaches Alanna and takes her hand.

Your fingers have been trembling...

Now Warmy's holding your hand. There's no need to hold back.

Potlid...

It's okay to feel scared or sad. I cried a lot when I first left home.

I started crying less after you started taking care of me.

But I won't be a little kid forever. I've grown up, and I can take care of you too.

I don't want you to be too hard on yourself. I know it's really tough, really tiring...

But it's not fair for me to weigh you down with all my emotional baggage... Potlid, you don't need to share my burden.

Isn't that what family's for? We share our burdens together, eat our meals together, and rub medicine on our wounds together.

We've come such a long way together, Lanns. Aren't we family by now?

Alanna holds the small and warm hand in her own.

...Yeah, we are.

If you want to take another look, let's go. I'll be with you.

Lanns.

Mm?

The slope's so gentle, and the sand is so soft.

Mm-hm...

You've walked this path home so many times, haven't you?

Will you tell me? What this place used to look like...

I remember...

...I remember this place used to be covered in grass, and you'd slip after it rained if you weren't careful.

There's still grass. But it's tiny, like it's just poking out of the soil.

Have you ever slid down a patch of grass?

No. That sounds dangerous...

But fun too!

When I was your age, I used to come here and slide down from the top of the slope.

Were you always so brave?

More bored than brave.

I didn't make any new friends for a long time after moving here with my parents. But I didn't want to stay home all the time either, because it was always noisy at home...

Aren't homes supposed to be noisy? It sounds lively.

Um... not that kind of noisy. My mum and dad worked in the mines, where you'd have to shout to get heard over all the mine noises.

But they'd still do that at home, like they were yelling at each other. Always with a smile on their face, though. Even when they weren't yelling, they were always playing music at max volume.

And even when they <i>did</i> argue, they'd keep right on smiling, so I wouldn't notice. But I did. Because who cries when they're smiling?

So whenever they'd argue, I'd come here, slide down the grass, then climb back up and do it again.

You were hurting inside, weren't you?

Yeah, and in the end I always had to go back home with mud all over my clothes. I made sure to put on a smile before I went in, so my mum wouldn't worry about me.

Later, they had an argument over that, too. After that one, pops made a bunch of stuff in the yard. A swing, a trampoline, even a little pavilion.

My dad said he'd make me a swing and put it on the porch.

Why do grown-ups always think kids will like that kind of stuff?

I did. I love swings, trampolines, and pavilions... but my dad never got around to making it.

Then I'll make 'em for you when we get back to Rhodes Island, fill up your room with them. How's that?

Hehe...

We're almost at the top. Soon we'll see the other side...

Why do you stop, Lanns?

If you're too scared to look, close your eyes, and I'll look for you...

How about that?

Alright.

Broken bricks, tiles, and charred wood creak as they walk across them.

In the gaps, tiny pieces of broken glass and Originium crystals reflect the last rays of sunset.

Is it just me, or have we been spending a long time walking these last few steps?

We're almost there. Watch your step... take it easy.

There's a lot of broken glass here. It's all twinkly. Like stars!

It's all over the path! It's like...

Like what?

Like the stars are welcoming you home!

Home...

If there's nothing there, don't tell me, just take me back to the truck.

...Alright?

Potlid lets go and runs up.

Potlid?!

Where are you? Are we on top of the hill?

She frantically reaches out, eyes still closed, and eventually finds Warmy's hand. Warmy is sobbing.

Sobbing, then laughing. She shakes Alanna by the shoulders and shouts—

Look!

Lanns—

Alanna opens her eyes slowly.

At the foot of the hill, a short distance away, she sees an overgrown ruin, the roof, windows, and doors all broken and battered.

Countless days and nights have passed. The wind, sun, and rain have caused even the strongest beams to rot and break.

But a single swing stands before the ruins.

Ugly, rusted, yet tough, it swings gently in the night breeze.

Creak—

'No! Look how high she's swinging, standing on the swing! She's going above the clothesline poles!'

'It's dangerous... bring me those canvas pants of yours you never wear. I'll make her a safety belt.'