Episode 44: Pastrid Part II

Episode 44: pAstrid Part II

Gabby skipped down the hallway merrily holding a stack of papers while humming a song. Each time Gabby skipped she tilted her head to the side. Gabby passed by multiple students and said hi to each student she passed waving excitedly, the students glared strangely back at Gabby. Suddenly Gabby fell to the ground and dropped the papers she had in her arms. “Are you alright?” Titus asked as he bent down and started to pick Gabby’s papers up. “Oh yeah” Gabby replied, “Tremendous!” “Do I detect sarcasm?” Titus asked. “No” Gabby answered, “Why do I sound sarcastic? Sorry if I do I didn’t really realize I did but sometimes my pitch can go a bit low or higher than it should and sometimes I talk too strongly or softly and-” “No no” Titus interrupted, “You’re fine. Sorry I was just joking” Gabby laughed and Titus handed Gabby her papers she dropped. “Here’s your, um, drawings of sunshine and unicorns.” “Thanks!” Gabby replied. “Quite a fall you had” Titus stated, “Are you ok?” “When?” Gabby asked. “Just before” Titus explained, “While you were skipping.” “Oh yeah” Gabby replied as she tapped her head, “Duh.” “So, are you ok?” Titus asked again, “Need to see a nurse, a doctor, a hospital?” “Haha no I’m fine” Gabby laughed and replied, “I’m just really clumsy at times.” “I can see…” Titus stated. “So what are you doing?” Gabby asked as she started bouncing. “I’m, getting a few books from my locker to burn” Titus answered. “Why are you going to do that?” Gabby asked. “Because I hate books” Titus answered, “And they hate me, they are my second enemy.” Titus’ eyes followed Gabby as she continuously bounced. “What are you doing?” Titus asked as he continued to watch Gabby bounce. “I’m bouncing” Gabby answered. Titus slowly moved his hand forward and held it against the top of Gabby’s head to force her to stop bouncing. “Well this has been a really strange encounter” Titus explained, “Usually I’m the weird one. Anyway, bye now.” Titus then walked past Gabby and Gabby turned and followed him. “So where are you going?” Gabby asked. “Don’t know really” Titus answered. “Do you have class?” Gabby asked. “Yes” Titus answered, “But I don’t really feel like going to it. So, I’m not.” “Are you going on an adventure?” Gabby asked. “Yeah” Titus replied, “You can call it that. Though it won’t be nearly as exciting as an-“ “Adventure!” Gabby yelled as she jumped up, “Oh I love adventures. I’ll come with you.” “Welp” Titus replied, “Don’t see a way to get you to stop following me, can think of multiple reasons why you shouldn’t but odds are you will just ignore them-“ As Titus ranted he looked at Gabby and Gabby was staring at her finger. “You have no idea what I’m even saying right now do you?” Titus asked. “What?” Gabby asked, “Does my finger nail look crooked?” “Answers that question” Titus said as he sighed. “So where are we going?” Gabby asked. “You will see…” Titus answered as the two continued to walk down the hallway.

Titus opened the door to the school and walked outside. “You don’t mind leaving the school?” Titus asked, “Do you?” “Are you kidding!?” Gabby replied as she ran outside and dove onto the ground, “I love the outside!” “Of, course you do…” Titus replied. Gabby started to roll on the grass with joy and laughter. “What drug are you on?” Titus asked himself as he watched Gabby roll on the grass. Gabby then sprung into the air and flew into the sky. Titus took a step back as he watched Gabby disappear into the clouds. “Hm” Titus said to himself, “Chances she gets lost or hit by a plane?” Gabby suddenly flew back down and landed in front of Titus. “Figured they were slim” Titus nodded and said to himself. Gabby was covered in water and held her hands out toward Titus. “Look” Gabby said holding a small cloud in her hands, “I caught a piece of the cloud.” “How in the hell did you even-“ Titus began to ask then stopped, “Never mind, I don’t even want to know.” “Do you want to feel it?” Gabby asked. “It’s water” Titus replied, “I know what water feels like and sure, why the fuck not…” Titus held his hands out and Gabby placed the small cloud into his hands. The cloud disappeared as soon as it made contact with Titus’ hands. “Well, that was predictable” Titus stated as he wiped the water that was now on his hands. “Oh…sorry” Gabby said to Titus looking up at him, “By the way, what’s your name?” “Titus” Titus answered, “And yours is?” “Gabby” Gabby answered. “Great” Titus replied, “I’ll probably forget that in a minute. Now can we continue this adventure?” “Sure!” Gabby replied. Titus then turned and began walking off of the schools ground into the woods with Gabby following behind him. “Oh I love the woods!” Gabby stated. Gabby then flew up to a tree and hugged it. “Hello Mr. Tree” Gabby said to the tree while hugging it. “Oh great” Titus said to himself as he continued walking, “I found a tree hugger…” “I created a scarf for this tree” Gabby explained as she stroked a colorful yarn fabric around the tree, “I knitted it myself.” “That’s just fantastic…” Titus replied as he trudged through the forest stepping on branches and breaking them. “You’re not a fan of nature, are you?” Gabby asked tilting her head. “Nope” Titus replied as he stomped on a branch, “Although I’m not a fan of many things.” “What else aren’t you a fan of?” Gabby asked as she flew down from the tree she was hugging. “Hm” Titus thought for a minute, then replied, “Long sleeve shirts, computers, snow-I hate snow. Branches, leaves, plants- anything to do with nature honestly. That’s just a few I’ll name for now. Oh, and stairs, do not get me started on stairs.” “Wow” Gabby replied, “Any reason why you hate those things?” “I could think of reasons why” Titus answered, “But that would require me to think, and I dislike that as well.” “So, are you pessimistic?” Gabby asked. “I’ve been told I can be” Titus replied, “However I like to see myself as undermistic-undecided really. As most will see the pool half empty or half full, I would just jump in.” “Glass half empty or half full?” Gabby asked. “I would just drink the glass” Titus answered. “Hm, so you’re both?” Gabby asked. “Or neither” Titus answered, “Who’s to say? Depends on how the person views it.” Gabby stopped talking and walked next to Titus silently for a moment. “I like that” Gabby said suddenly, “That seems cool.” “Glad you do” Titus answered, “Now if you don’t mind I’d like to destroy these branches in front of us.” Titus then shot two adamantium blades into his hands and began to attack the ground in front of him cutting through multiple branches, leaves, and twigs. When Titus was finished he looked back at Gabby and Gabby was covering her face motionless. “Sorry” Titus stated, “I’m also not a big fan of fall, or any season that’s not summer.” Suddenly the tree behind Titus crashed to the ground. “Whoops” Titus stated as he turned around, “Might of gotten a bit carried away there.” Gabby slowly brought her hand down from her mouth and walked forward and turned her head as she stared at the destroyed tree. “You’re strong” Gabby stated to Titus. “Thanks” Titus replied, “Hope that wasn’t one of the trees you uh…” “Knitted?” Gabby asked. “Yeah” Titus answered. “No” Gabby replied, “All the trees I knitted are over here. Come on!” Gabby then flew away from Titus. Titus stood still and watched Gabby leave without moving. “Would it be wrong if I just walked away?” Titus asked himself, “Yeah, yeah I guess it would…I’m coming! As in I’m walking.” Titus then followed Gabby.

Titus trudged through the woods following where Gabby disappeared to. “Damn woods” Titus began to complain as he walked, “Damn branches, damn leaves, damn trees-” Two birds suddenly came flying down over Titus head and Titus ducked and covered his head. “Damn birds…” Titus said as he began to walk again. Suddenly Titus heard a twig snap and he instantly looked up. “Oh I can sense that’s nothing good” Titus stated to himself as he looked toward where the sound came from. Suddenly out of the trees a buck came charging toward Titus. “Yep definitely not good!” Titus yelled as he turned around and started to run in the other direction. As Titus ran another buck crashed through the bushes next to him and then another buck smashed into a tree. “What the fuck is happening right now!?” Titus asked as he continued running. Suddenly a massive branch fell in front of Titus causing him to stop running. “Oh fuck you mother natur-“ Suddenly the buck chasing behind Titus smashed into him causing Titus to be thrown forward into the massive branch. “Ow” Titus replied as his face was against the branch, “Why couldn’t my ability be airbags?” Titus slowly turned himself around-his face fully covered in blood. Titus then looked at the buck which was standing inches away from Titus and began to dig it’s hoof into the dirt. “What are you looking at?” Titus asked as he slowly started to stand up, “Cause I’ll tell you what I’m looking at now; I’m looking at dinner.” The buck instantly charged a Titus but Titus picked the buck up and smashed it against the massive branch causing the branch to crack. “Oh yeah!” Titus cheered looking at the buck as the wounds on his face began to heal, “That goes for you and for your damn mother nature.” “Get up Bambi” Titus said to the buck, “Get up! You must get up” Titus then shot an adamantium blade into his hand, “So I can put you out of your misery.” “Titus!” Gabby’s voice was suddenly heard yelling. Gabby then flew down to the deer and stood over it. “What did you do?” Gabby asked, “And what happened to your face?” “Bambi over here decided to attack me” Titus explained, “So I was just defending myself. Also, don’t worry my wounds healed I just need a towel or something to wash the blood off. “Use the puddle over there” Gabby replied as she pointed to a puddle near a tree. “Uh…sure, why not” Titus said as he walked over to the puddle, “Looks sanitary enough. That was sarcasm if you couldn’t tell.” Gabby hugged the buck and put her head against its heart. “You hurt him” Gabby stated. “It hurt me!” Titus replied as he washed his face with the water from the puddle, “Did you not see my face? Fair game, fair fight, I won.” “You won nothing” Gabby replied as she petted the bucks fur as it laid against the broken branch breathing heavily. Suddenly the buck started to squirm and quickly forced itself back up onto its legs. The buck then started to limp away. “There you go you beautiful creature!” Gabby cheered watching the buck limp, “Be above the pain, I have faith in you that you will heal and again rise up and-“ Titus suddenly stood up from the puddle he was washing his face with and shot an adamantium blade into the buck. The buck then dropped to the ground, dead. Gabby stood with her mouth gaped open as she stared at the dead buck. Titus then wiped the water off of his face as he walked toward Gabby. “I win” Titus stated as he walked passed Gabby.

Titus continued to trudge through the woods and then turned his head back toward Gabby and asked, “Are you still coming on this adventure Gabby or are you finally dooooone-“ Titus then turned and looked up at multiple trees in a circle around him covered in different colored yarns all the way to the tops. “I think I just vomited” Titus stated as he continued to look up at the trees, “My eyes just exploded and my gut just died, it was an emotional vomit.” “I used all the colors of the rainbow” Gabby explained as she walked past Titus, “And yes I’m still coming on this adventure. Wouldn’t miss it for the world!” “But where’s the black?” Titus asked as he followed Gabby out of the area. “Black is not a color of the rainbow silly” Gabby replied. “But blacks the best color!” Titus answered, “It’s the only good color.” “Black is too dark and isn’t as loud as the other colors and doesn’t say IM HERE” Gabby explained. “That’s what makes it the best color!” Titus replied.

Titus continued to trudge behind Gabby as Gabby simply walked through the woods. “Wait a minute” Titus said as he tried to catch up to Gabby, “Why are you leading?” “Because you’re too slow” Gabby replied as she turned and pointed to Titus. “But you don’t even know where we’re supposed to be going” Titus explained. “I know!” Gabby replied cheerfully, “Another adventure! Isn’t it great?” “We need to finish the first adventure before we start another” Titus explained, “So if you don’t mind follow me so I can get to the destination needed today.” Titus then stopped following Gabby and turned and walked in another direction. Gabby stopped walking and then began to follow Titus. “So where are we going?” Gabby asked. “I” Titus explained, “Was supposed to meet with a few, friends.” “Oh where!?” Gabby asked. “Don’t worry” Titus replied. “How many friends are you meeting?” Gabby asked, “What are they like? What do they dress like? Are they friendly? Or is one grumpy, one friendly, one shy, one-“ “They” Titus interrupted, “Are an interesting group. There are going to be many of them, they dress… dark, usually in black and they’re friendly, if you hold up on your bargain.” “I can’t wait to meet them!” Gabby replied excitedly. “Yeah…” Titus stated, “Perhaps it’s best you just stay back and let me talk to them.” Titus then pushed through a bush and Gabby and him looked through at an area with rocks and water. “If I ever get to them…” Titus stated. “Wow this place is beautiful” Gabby said as she walked out from the bushes and looked around. “Yep” Titus replied as he walked out from the bushes as well, “And this place also means I am totally lost. Directions, I also hate directions.” Gabby skipped around the area merrily and Titus scanned the area pointing. “Maybe it’s that way? Titus asked as he pointed to a path, “Or it could be that way” Titus stated as he pointed to another path, “We came from there-or, did we come from there? Ah shit…” Titus bent down and sighed. Gabby skipped around Titus and asked, “Why are you all grumpy?” “Cause if you haven’t noticed by the lack of adventuring, we’re lost” Titus answered. “That’s what makes an adventure!” Gabby cheered, “You don’t know where you’re going or what you’re going to come across.” “Well I guess those two things are true” Titus replied looking around, “And we definitely accomplished those two things.” Titus then looked at Gabby and asked, “You have any idea how to-“ Titus then stopped talking and looked around for Gabby. Titus then found Gabby who was sitting by a stream of water and was looking at her reflection and was making funny faces. “Man you move a lot” Titus stated as he walked up behind Gabby. “I’m energetic” Gabby replied, “Sitting still is boring.” “Well anyway” Titus explained, “Since obviously my directions aren’t working-” “That they are not” Gabby stated. “Thank you for agreeing…” Titus replied. “You’re welcome” Gabby said with a smile. “I’m trying to get to Teddy’s Bar” Titus explained, “I’m supposed to meet the guys in the front.” “Oh, I know that place!” Gabby stated. “Really?” Titus asked, “Cause, no offense, but you look like a person who would never step foot in a place like that.” “I’ve been there a few times just exploring” Gabby explained, “And I know just the route to take.” “Well that’s great” Titus replied, “Seems our lucks finally starting to change.” Suddenly a loud growl was heard. “Gabby…” Titus said to Gabby, “Please tell me that was your stomach and you’re just really hungry.” “I am hungry” Gabby answered looking at the water, “But no that wasn’t my stomach. Hey Titus, look I see me in the reflection, then you, and what’s that other massive thing behind you? Haha, it’s like really big.” Titus slowly turned and looked at the massive beast behind him. “Oh you have got to be kidding me…” Titus stated.

A massive brown bear stood on its two feet and then crashed on all fours and opened its mouth and growled loudly at Titus. “Let it be noted” Titus stated holding his finger up and looking at the camera, “That I absolutely, hate nature. Now, TIME TO GO!” Titus turned and picked Gabby up and then started to run and scream as the bear chased after them. “Where are you running to?” Gabby asked. “I don’t know!” Titus yelled in response, “Just tell me where to go!” “Left” Gabby stated and Titus quickly turned left and continued running. Titus looked back behind him for the massive brown bear. “Why is there even a bear in these woods?” Titus asked. “Oh, I led him here from the zoo” Gabby explained, “His name is Oliver the Grizzly.” “Why the hell did you do that!?” Titus asked Gabby. “Because I went to see him at the zoo and he looked so sad” Gabby explained, “So I went to the zoo at night and freed him when no one was looking.” “Well is he friendly?” Titus asked. Suddenly the massive brown bear came crashing through the bushes chasing after Titus growling. “He ate the security guard on our way out” Gabby replied, “I just don’t think he likes other males. Oh by the way make a right.” Titus stopped himself and slid against the ground still holding Gabby, he then got himself up and turned right. The brown bear then slid against the ground and crashed into a tree, then continued to chase after Titus and Gabby growling. “Oh look, Oliver found us!” Gabby cheered looking over Titus’ shoulder and then waved to the bear, “Hi Oliver!” The brown bear growled fiercely in response. “Oh, I think he’s a bit mad” Gabby stated looking at Titus. “Oh really!? Titus asked sarcastically, “I had no idea!” “Yeah I wonder if it’s because you hurt that one buck that might have been his friend” Gabby explained as Titus continued running through the woods. “Something tells me that’s not the reason” Titus replied, “If anything I helped him catch his dinner.” “There’s the way out!” Gabby said as she pointed to an opening with light. Titus then ran quicker and then ran out of the woods into a parking lot and set Gabby down. Titus then looked back at the brown grizzly bear that was still charging at him growling. Titus quickly ran up to a tree and began to pull on it. Titus then yelled and used his strength to pull the tree out of its roots causing it to come crashing down. Titus then ran to the next tree and pulled against it causing it to crash down like the other tree just before the massive grizzly bear reached the exit. A massive crash was then heard against the two trees Titus threw down followed by leaves flying up into the air. Titus then leaned against the two fallen trees and breathed heavily. “Think Smokey back there is going to have quite the headache” Titus said as he pointed back to where the grizzly was. “His name is Oliver” Gabby stated. “I don’t care” Titus replied shaking his head. Three black cars then pulled up into the parking lot Titus and Gabby were in and fifteen men dressed in black opened the doors and got out of the vehicles and looked over at Titus. “Fellas!” Titus said to the men as he got off of the two fallen trees.