Work Text:
Drip, drop.
The rain fell lazily outside, forming puddles in the dips of the road. A sidewalk protected by various trees and bushes held a forgotten trash can, in the ‘untamed wild’. Four raccoons hid inside, gorging themselves on the berries found on the fauna outside. A few meters away was an abandoned ditch, once used for collecting an indeterminable liquid. The Sun shone bright, even in the rain, giving this part of the SMP humid air.
Huddling his kin together, Phil issued a warning. They wanted to play in the rain while it was still safe. “Be careful, alright? Remember, don’t go near the paths of grey and be alert for the unfurs.” Tommy, the youngest of two, rolled his eyes, squirming away from Phil's hold. “We know, Phil. You tell us all the time!” His sister, Wilbur, smacked him upside the head. “Don’t talk to Phil like that, Tommy! He deserves respect.” Tommy hissed at his, peeking his eyes out from the lid of the trash can. “Okay, sure. But you sure don’t!” Hastily dropping down and pawing his ears, Tommy squealed, “Tag, you’re it!” Wilbur gasped, racing after him. Techno, their ringtail cat friend, snickered. “Don’t worry, Ma’am. I’ll keep an eye on them.” Phil only fondly sighed in exasperation as Techno made his way out of the trash can. He shook his head and went back to their latest dinner; berries!
Racing across the sidewalk like a cheap imitation of lighting, Tommy tried to lose his sister’s tail. “Get back here, you cheating runt!” He whooped as He tried to barrel into him, missing him by an eagle's feathers. Wilbur, now thoroughly pissed, climbed up the nearest tree. This’ll teach him, He thought, with a mischievous grin on his face. As Tommy slowed down to take a breath, sure Wilbur was far away, He leaped. Techno, having finally caught up to them, yelped. “No! Wilbur, don’t!”
Tommy startled, looking up as He descended on him. They tumbled to the floor, laughing and screaming and soaked all the same. They rolled down the hill, no longer laughing. Only screaming. Techno raced after them, knowing whose this little hill led, and called after the siblings. He could not bring himself to feel scared, though. He only felt urgent. After all, they were only raccoons. “Tommy! Wilbur!” After a long, terrifying moment, they fell off an edge. Wilbur, having regained enough of his senses, thrashed and shook out a paw to grab onto the ledge. He was successful, but his brother let go of him as they slammed into the side of the ditch. He fell. Wilbur screamed. Techno widened his eyes.
Techno dashed to his side. He pulled him up. Wilbur cried out, scrambling to look at the bottom. Drip, drop. The rain was no longer comforting. It no longer felt safe. They watched as Wilbur’s younger brother's blood was washed away by the water, vanishing. Furious, Wilbur whipped his head around to look at Techno. He pleaded desperately, clinging on to hope only children could ever cling to. “What are you thinking?! Go get Phil! He’s hurt!” Techno only looked at him with sympathetic eyes, feeling a sort of pity for him and Phil. “Wilbur…”
“No! Go get him, every minute you spend sitting here is another minute he could be dead! Go!” Techno sighed and brought their foreheads together, a simple comfort. Wilbur shook his arms furiously, crying. After a while, his cries devolved into heartbreaking sobs, of terror and loss. “Tommy…” his friend showed him, pulling him into a hug. They sat down, cuddling, until his sobs trailed off. About an hour sitting there in a semi comfortable, semi tense silence, Techno whispered softly to Wilbur. “We have to tell your Phil. He’ll know what to do with the body.”
Wilbur inhaled sharply, eyes stinging at the reminder of his brothers. Opening his eyes and glazing into the ditch, He listened to the rain as his lifeless eyes stared up at his, mouth frozen in a scream. He could not feel anything now that the adrenaline had worn off. Standing, Wilbur shook his coat and solemnly trekked back up the hill, staring at his feet. Techno walked with his in silence as they neared the trash can. He didn’t think it would ever feel like home again, not with one of the puzzle pieces forever missing. He stopped in front of it, staring. “I’ll go get him, okay? Stay here.” Techno hastily climbed into the bin, dreading the encounter. He had promised he would keep his children safe. And yet, now Techno was going to deliver Phil the news of his youngest child’s death.
He dropped down, startling Phil. his ears tilted in worry when He saw his expression. “Techno? What’s wrong, dear? Where are the others?” The rain had stopped. As Techno told him, Phil's expression slowly morphed into one of terror and grief, before settling on something unidentifiable. He bounded out of the trash and tightly hugged his daughter, murmuring comforting words and gently kissing his ears. Phil, still holding his only living child, sent Techno away, as this was a family matter.
When they arrived at the ditch, Tommy's body was already bloated with decomposition. Phil scanned the surrounding area to find a down, spotting a small, rock staircase. Telling Wilbur to stay there, He carefully made his way down, lightly grasping Tommy’s bloodied coat. Phil had to pry his body off of the concrete pavement, as the heat had stuck his body there. He dragged his son out of the ditch, returning to Wilbur. Said girl had tears in his eyes, only 1 year old, 6 months older than Tommy, staring at his body. Phil silently dragged him past his sticky blood trailing the floor, until settling at the biggest tree He could see. Digging near the roots, Phil called Wilbur over. He asked Wilbur to bury his son. In private, Phil blamed him for his death, refusing to blame himself.
As Wilbur kicked dirt over Tommy, Phil looked to the sky and counted the crows.