Caleb Michaels (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
greatamazingfeelingsboy) wrote2021-07-14 05:20 pm
greatamazingfeelingsboy) wrote2021-07-14 05:20 pm
(no subject)
July 14, 2021, post Disappearance plot
He gets a knock on the door early Wednesday morning, while he's doing his pre-run warmups. On the other side is a sharply dressed man, someone he's never met before, and he hands Caleb a large envelope. He offers Caleb a grim smile, but his emotions give little away. He's here to do a job, and now it's done, and he's barely had to say a word to do it.
Once he's gone, Caleb sits at the table and starts going through the envelope. His heart starts to pound with each passing second. Inside is the deed to Michael and Alex's beach house. The keys are there. There's also a slip of paper inside saying that Old Pals will take good care of Bopp.
Nothing about Luke, though. No adoption paperwork — and suddenly Caleb realizes he can't remember if they'd ever formally adopted him — and no school enrollment paperwork. Not even leftover doctor's appointments.
His hands are shaking when he grabs his phone and sends texts, first to Alex, then to Michael. They both bounce back 'unable to deliver.' He feels a sob wrench free, and he tries again.
Unable to deliver.
He tries Luke's number.
Unable to deliver.
The words on his screen go blurry, but he tries again. It's just a garbled message of poorly-done autocorrect, but he doesn't even notice, because he's sobbing. This isn't right. This isn't fair. Michael is one of the first people in the city Caleb'd ever met. He's one of the first people who learned about his ability. The comforting orange of their combined feelings had been a fucking godsend, more often than not, and sometimes he could be a pain in the ass, but Caleb loves him. He doesn't want him to just be... fucking gone.
He's not dead. They're not dead. They're just... not in Darrow anymore. In the same way that Caleb's whole family is still in Boston, Michael and Alex are somewhere together, maybe even with Luke, somewhere safe where they can be together and be a family. And maybe Caleb can't talk to them, or text them, or anything, but... but they're okay. They're not dead.
Whether or not that's true, Caleb has to tell himself that.
===
A couple hours later, Caleb is standing on the stoop of the beach house, keys to the front door clutched in one hand. It feels daunting. He's been here a hundred times, probably, but suddenly the house feels empty and lonely. Michael's truck is gone. Alex's car is gone. The airstream is gone. Inside, the ghosts of their emotions linger like a mist. Furniture is still in place, like they'd just gone out for the day, and haven't come back yet.
He wonders if they ever will.
Is that morbid? He needs to talk to Dr. Fuller, now that he's back.
He does a pass through the house, footfalls loud against the quiet, to make sure nothing overly personal has been left behind. He checks Luke's room. There are a couple of pictures still tacked to the walls; he takes one down and folds it up, carefully tucking it into his pocket. Then he leaves the room before he fucking starts crying. Again.
He unlocks the sliding back door in the living room, and the sea breeze rushes in. It flutters the curtains a little, and he breathes it in like he's going to have a fucking panic attack if he doesn't. Then he closes the door and keeps going.
He checks the workshop next, but it's empty of all but the most human of tools. Nothing shimmering with an unearthly sheen. That's a relief, at least. He takes a breath and heads back to the front door, then sits on the stoop, staying outside. He pulls out his phone, then sends another text.
What am I supposed to do with a whole ass fucking house? he sends, and he hopes, prays, he gets a response.
[ SAD BEAN AHOY. Caleb has just found out that Michael Guerin, Alex Manes, and Luke Crain are all gone from Darrow, and he's been left with their beach house. Bopp has been sent along to Old Pals, but she's a registered therapy dog if anyone needs one, and will be up for adoption from there. Be the person Caleb has texted, or feel free to swing by if your pup knows Alex or Michael or Luke and are seeking to check up on them. ]
He gets a knock on the door early Wednesday morning, while he's doing his pre-run warmups. On the other side is a sharply dressed man, someone he's never met before, and he hands Caleb a large envelope. He offers Caleb a grim smile, but his emotions give little away. He's here to do a job, and now it's done, and he's barely had to say a word to do it.
Once he's gone, Caleb sits at the table and starts going through the envelope. His heart starts to pound with each passing second. Inside is the deed to Michael and Alex's beach house. The keys are there. There's also a slip of paper inside saying that Old Pals will take good care of Bopp.
Nothing about Luke, though. No adoption paperwork — and suddenly Caleb realizes he can't remember if they'd ever formally adopted him — and no school enrollment paperwork. Not even leftover doctor's appointments.
His hands are shaking when he grabs his phone and sends texts, first to Alex, then to Michael. They both bounce back 'unable to deliver.' He feels a sob wrench free, and he tries again.
Unable to deliver.
He tries Luke's number.
Unable to deliver.
The words on his screen go blurry, but he tries again. It's just a garbled message of poorly-done autocorrect, but he doesn't even notice, because he's sobbing. This isn't right. This isn't fair. Michael is one of the first people in the city Caleb'd ever met. He's one of the first people who learned about his ability. The comforting orange of their combined feelings had been a fucking godsend, more often than not, and sometimes he could be a pain in the ass, but Caleb loves him. He doesn't want him to just be... fucking gone.
He's not dead. They're not dead. They're just... not in Darrow anymore. In the same way that Caleb's whole family is still in Boston, Michael and Alex are somewhere together, maybe even with Luke, somewhere safe where they can be together and be a family. And maybe Caleb can't talk to them, or text them, or anything, but... but they're okay. They're not dead.
Whether or not that's true, Caleb has to tell himself that.
===
A couple hours later, Caleb is standing on the stoop of the beach house, keys to the front door clutched in one hand. It feels daunting. He's been here a hundred times, probably, but suddenly the house feels empty and lonely. Michael's truck is gone. Alex's car is gone. The airstream is gone. Inside, the ghosts of their emotions linger like a mist. Furniture is still in place, like they'd just gone out for the day, and haven't come back yet.
He wonders if they ever will.
Is that morbid? He needs to talk to Dr. Fuller, now that he's back.
He does a pass through the house, footfalls loud against the quiet, to make sure nothing overly personal has been left behind. He checks Luke's room. There are a couple of pictures still tacked to the walls; he takes one down and folds it up, carefully tucking it into his pocket. Then he leaves the room before he fucking starts crying. Again.
He unlocks the sliding back door in the living room, and the sea breeze rushes in. It flutters the curtains a little, and he breathes it in like he's going to have a fucking panic attack if he doesn't. Then he closes the door and keeps going.
He checks the workshop next, but it's empty of all but the most human of tools. Nothing shimmering with an unearthly sheen. That's a relief, at least. He takes a breath and heads back to the front door, then sits on the stoop, staying outside. He pulls out his phone, then sends another text.
What am I supposed to do with a whole ass fucking house? he sends, and he hopes, prays, he gets a response.
[ SAD BEAN AHOY. Caleb has just found out that Michael Guerin, Alex Manes, and Luke Crain are all gone from Darrow, and he's been left with their beach house. Bopp has been sent along to Old Pals, but she's a registered therapy dog if anyone needs one, and will be up for adoption from there. Be the person Caleb has texted, or feel free to swing by if your pup knows Alex or Michael or Luke and are seeking to check up on them. ]