alanna

'Don't cry, honey, don't cry, let mummy see where you got hurt... Oh no! You scratched your knee!'

'I told you it wasn't safe! Look at the frame! It just snapped!'

'This is all my fault... Sorry, Alanna. It's daddy's fault.'

'Where are you going at this hour?'

'Sleep now, honey. The sun's not up; it's just your daddy's soldering iron.'

'God knows what he's doing... Don't worry, I'll tell him you're not mad at him. You're such a good girl, Alanna.'

'Look, Alanna! Daddy made the swing stronger for you. Look at these steel pipes. See how thick they—What? You think it's ugly?'

'But it's so solid. I promise you, you won't fall no matter how high you swing—No, I take that back. Don't swing too high!'

'Daddy's fine. Gotta go to work. Let's play with the new swing once your mum and I get back tonight, alright?'

'Don't play it on your own, okay? Wait for mummy to come back and put the safety belt on you.'

'See you later, Alanna!'

But...

They said there was an accident in the mine. I didn't even know what that meant at the time.

All I remember is the carrot juice in the cup on the table, sloshing back and forth.

A lot of people came by later. They wanted to take me away from home. They pointed at the strange clouds in the sky, said that the accident caused an Originium dust leak. A Catastrophe was coming, and I had to leave.

They bashed open the door and took me away.

I... never had the chance to say goodbye to my home.

Some things don't feel so heavy once you've said them out loud.

But if you leave them in your heart, they become huge rocks. You always hated dragging rocks around when you were using the passenger compartment to haul cargo, didn't you?

Yeah, it's slow and you have to worry the whole way.

Alanna picks up a rock and throws it into the distance.

But now that I've thrown my rocks away, I can run free again!

You took me up this hill, Potlid. Now it's my turn to take you forward.

Huh? Lanns—

Alanna grins and pulls Warmy along towards the ruin at the foot of the hill.

She has walked this path home countless times. Now she recreates it, long after Catastrophe wiped it away.

S-Slow down, Lanns!

Welcome to my place! Listen, they're all welcoming you—

Creak—

The night breeze blows through the cracks of the steel bars and chains. The sound of grinding metal echoes in the wind.

Wanna try it out? Don't worry, it's really solid.

C-Can I really?

You always wanted a swing, didn't you? Here's one.

I'll make a better one for you once we get back to Rhodes Island!

But your dad made it for you...

I already played with it when I was little. It's your turn now. Every kid loves a swing!

I'm not a kid anymore!

That's right. You're all grown up, a big girl who's ready to share my burdens.

Once you're even taller than me, it'll be your turn to push me on the swing. But for now... let your Lanns take care of you a little longer.

Alanna lifts Warmy up onto the swing and grabs the safety belt.

The cloth on the surface is completely faded, but the metal chains within remain strong.

Warmy looks up and takes in Alanna's every little action as she fastens the safety belt.

My mum spent a lot of time sewing this belt. She never let pops touch it—said she didn't feel comfortable if she didn't do it herself.

She must have wanted to spend more time with you.

How does this thing work again? I think this was how she did it...

Alright! Totally secured. You won't fall no matter how high you swing.

The frame's really stable too. A little rusty, but it doesn't shake no matter how hard you swing.

I remember pops spent the whole night on it. The soldering iron cast a bright light on the window. Now that I look at the marks, I recognize them...

It's the most labor-intensive way of soldering, but also the strongest.

There are a lot of things you don't realize until you grow up... That's what you always say to me when there's something you can't explain clearly.

Alanna begins pushing the swing gently. It carries Warmy along with a creaking that echoes through the quiet night.

Echoing into the distance.

Lanns... I think it's starting to rain.

But the stars are still so bright...

Shall we go?

Yeah, let's go. We'll talk later.

Say, Lanns, didn't you have a ticket?

Oh yeah! I almost forgot! What was up with that? Let me see...

I've been meaning to ask since you first brought it up, because I've never heard of no 'Residential Management Council'.

'The aforementioned building will be demolished if you do not pay the fine before the deadline.'

It doesn't say where you pay it though. What's on the back?

'Your personal bank account will also be frozen. In order to avoid any interruption with your funds...'

'Please transfer all funds in your account to our designated safe account. The account is managed by the Rim Billiton General Bank and your money will be absolutely safe.'

It's a bloody scam!

Should've read the whole thing first. Guess my brain just turned off when I read it was gonna get torn down.

But we wouldn't be here if not for this scam letter.

Fate works in funny ways, huh?

The mechanic I talked to said that more people will move in once the environmental improvement project is complete. They'll build a new community here.

The place where your home used to be will get turned into a playground with seesaws and slides. A place for kids with too much energy and nowhere to spent it.

Doesn't sound so bad. What do you think, Potlid?

(Yawns) Mm...

Alanna takes her gaze off the night outside the window and gazes upon Warmy's face as the young girl dozes off in her arms.

There is a tiny tear upon Warmy's eyelashes.

Alanna closes her own eyes too, and sees in her head that tiny trail full of starlight, and the swing waiting at its end.

'Goodbye,' she says in her mind.

Goodbye.