story_alanna_1_1

What's the score?

You're ahead by ten. How about you just let me have this one?

I'll let ya have shit... watch this—strike from behind the back!

Big Tooth—Big Tooth! My throat's smoldering!

Pour me a pint! A big one! Quick!

Lanns...

And a bottle of carrot soda!

A-Alanna?

You dropped your toothpick, Big Tooth—

Eww, don't put it back in your mouth! That's disgusting!

I-It's really her!

What's with that look like you just saw a ghost?

It's been a while. A whole year since you kicked that door in.

Really? That long? Give me that beer on the bar. I'm dying of thirst.

Ah—

You said you came back for a violation ticket?

Yeah, got an electronic ticket from the Rim Billiton Big Pillar Autonomous Prefecture Residential Management Council while I was working overtime at Rhodes Island.

Residential Management Council? When did that happen... never mind. Keep going.

The ticket said I had a 'non-compliant building' under my name, and it'd be torn down if I didn't pay the fine before the deadline!

What?

I know, right? I thought my old home was long gone!

We're surprised alright, but the most surprising thing is...

You eat and sleep on your truck, can't walk straight on solid ground, and even made a bet that you can go without leaving your truck an entire year except to go to the bathroom...

...But you have a house? How?

It was my mum and dad's. Well, I guess I inherited it, but I thought it'd collapsed ages ago. Even if it didn't, no way it's habitable after a Catastrophe.

But now you got a ticket...

So I came back in a hurry. What if the people who organized the evacuation were wrong? What if the Catastrophe didn't come at all?

If it's that important, why'd you come <i>here</i> first?

That might just be the smartest question to ever come out of your mouth, Big Tooth. Think about it. I gotta at least have a car if I'm gonna try to find the place after all these years, right?

Ah, gotcha. But you don't just want a car, you want someone to drive it for you, don't ya?

Of course. I never drive tired. Sounds like you're interested?

Alanna of the Barrenlands, the free spirit who drifts like the wind, has a secret den of her own? Of course I'm interested!

Deal! Righto, no time like the present. Let's get moving—

Potlid!

Yes?

Grab a few bottles of carrot soda from Big Tooth over there. No need to pay—he owes me. And make sure they're cold!

Heh, take as many as ya like. All good, girlie. Good health to ya.

Th-Thank you...

It's not on this map either?

Maybe the maps are too new... How could a big town like that just vanish from the map? It's only been a decade or so.

Well, we can't keep driving in circles. Anything else about the town that stands out, besides the Catastrophe?

Lemme think. There was a mine next to it, and the townsfolk all worked there.

That describes like 99% of the towns in Rim Billiton.

Were your mum and dad miners too, Lanns?

Well, not exactly. They worked <i>at</i> the mines, though. Mum was an accountant, and pops was a welder. Why?

Nothing, just that you've never talked about them before.

Wait... I think I remember this intersection!

Try taking a right.

Yeah, this is it! Keep going!

Judging by the road signs, this road's been worked on recently.

Maybe someone's still living here!

Alanna pokes her head out of the window, and forces her eyes open against the wind-borne dust.

A row of crooked rooftops appears on the horizon. Several pillars of smoke disperse in the air, covering the huts below in a smoky fog.

These crooked roofs, and this smell of cooking... that's the town I remember!

Maybe the Catastrophe Messengers were wrong.

It must be! Maybe it took a turn along the way and went somewhere else!

Look, Potlid, my home—

Whatcha doing, Potlid?

Seventeen.

Eighteen.

Nineteen...

I'm counting the Originium pillars on the side of the road.

I see a lot more Originium clusters and cracks in the ground here than in other areas...

Didn't Alanna say there used to be a mine here? That would explain it.

Just stop in front of those houses, Charlie.

Sure. Gotta fill up the water tank anyway.

This is the place, Potlid. There used to a lady here who made two-color cake on the edge of town... what was her name again?

She had a garden she took good care of, where she grew flowers she bought from distant markets.

But this doesn't look like a garden.

Yeah, sure doesn't...

Hey, don't step on my buds!

A-Aunt Susan?

Who ya callin' yer aunt?!

Just stop moving! You've already stomped on three of my beets!

I-I'm sorry! I thought you were someone else.

You know how hard it is to find an unpolluted piece of farmland in this hellhole? You'd better pay up, outsider!

Outsider...

What's going on here?

The hose's connected, but it's gonna take a whole hour to fill... That's one huge water tank you've got there.

Thanks. Here, have a pack of smokes.

Didn't expect there to be an auto repair shop in this town. Guess this place is pretty well-connected.

Connected my arse. Can't buy a toothpick out here. Everything's gotta be brought in by car, so of course we take good care of 'em.

I only came here 'cause I was sick of being a mechanic. How was I supposed to know I'd be stuck back at my old job?

You moved here? So you're not from this town?

Can you really call this dump a 'town'? You couldn't find dirt if you dug six feet under. It's all broken bricks and rotten wood.

No one would be here if the higher-ups weren't promising a big subsidy for some stupid 'environmental improvement' project.

Look at all that Originium scrap under your feet. It's only been, what, ten, twenty years since the Catastrophe. It's barely livable.

...Did a Catastrophe really hit this place?

None of the old houses are left?

Nothing but a bunch of scrap that couldn't be sold.

(On the way here, I thought I might find someone I knew, some kind of trace from my memory.)

(The Originium crystal clusters, the cracks in the ground, and even the broken tiles under my feet... they tell me all I need to know.)

(The Messengers were right. The Catastrophe came. My home... is gone.)

Are you alright, Lanns?

Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm good.

You've been staring at that hill.

Was your house on the other side?

Yeah... never mind. Just being silly.

Alanna sighs and rubs her own face.

Then she shrugs and goes back to being her bright and sunny self.

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.'

'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.