Title: They're here
Character: Mr. Smith, Jeremiah, Kurdy Malloy
Word Count: 341
Prompt: they're here
Finished: 24.01.2023

:::

„Shit!“ Jeremiah hit the brake with full force, and the jeep started skidding. „What the hell is this shitass doing there?“

Frowning, Kurdy stared at the small figure standing in the middle of the road; the old coat, the backpack, curly, brown hair; he had already met this guy before. And all he had hoped for was never to meet him again. „Fuck,“ he murmured when the guy stepped closer to the jeep.

„I was looking for you. I have a message to deliver. They are here!“

„I couldn't care less,“ Jeremiah huffed. „Get out of the way; we have a job to do!“

Green-brown eyes rested on him, looking determined. „I can't. I have a message for you.“

„I don't even know you; why should I listen to your bullshit?“

„Kurdy knows me. He knows that it might be better to listen.“

The big guy groaned, feeling more and more uncomfortable. „Actually... we have only met once, some weeks ago.“

„Actually... I saved your life.“

„Huh?“ With growing impatience, Jeremiah turned from the guy, who was still standing in front of the jeep, preventing them from just driving away, to his partner. "What is he talking about?"

„Remember that night when you got sick,“ Kurdy answered reluctantly. „And Marcus sent me to Clayton alone? Well, there was this group of skinheads, and I got in some trouble. He...“ He paused, shaking his head thoughtfully. „He... stepped in, I guess.“

„You guess?“ Jeremiah smirked, full of disbelief. „What did he do?“

„As I said, I saved his life.“

„You did stand up against a group of skinheads? I can't even see you carrying a weapon.“

„I don't like weapons. And I don't need them. God tells me what to do, and I follow his instructions.“ Smith shrugged, to Jeremiah's surprise, suddenly smiling. „Sometimes it works. I did save Kurdy's life back then. And maybe I will save yours today. You only need to listen. God says: They are here!“

Title: The Fireplace
Character: Kurdy Malloy
Word Count: 292
Prompt: Three times
Finished: 15.12.2022

:::

Kurdy was sitting in front of the fireplace, staring into the flames. It was this time of the year again, Christmas, and even if Erin did her best to make the Mountain a colorful, happy place, and Markus was more generous with alcohol and tobacco than usual, deep inside, Kurdy knew that he would never enjoy the holidays as much as the others did.

Most of the time, he was able not to think too much about the past; it made no sense. But around Christmas, one memory always sneaked into his mind.

He had still been a toddler of three years when he was allowed to stay up longer in the evening. Sitting in front of the fireplace with his parents, listening to his mom, reading a book, taking in the sweet smell of his dad's pipe until he finally fell asleep. He had felt happy and safe, and he had been sure, that Christmas would always be like this.

But it had lasted only for two years. When he was five, he joined his father in the woods to gather firewood. „Can I light the fire this evening,“ he had asked, his heart beating wildly with excitement. „Please?“ And his father had smiled. „Next year, Kurdy, when you are going to school. Then you will be a big boy, and I will teach you to light a fire.“

The wood in the fireplace made a sizzling noise, the flames were flickering brighter for a moment. Kurdy squeezed his eyes shut, but it didn't help to escape the pictures. Only some months later, the Big Death changed everything. All adults died because of the virus. His mom did, his father did. And he had never lightened the fire on Christmas Eve.

Title: Coming home for Christmas
Character: Casey Connor, Gabe Santora
Word Count: 486
Prompt: a taxi an old enemy and Christmas day
Finished: 21.12.2022

:::

With a wide grin on his face, Casey grabbed his backpack and left the checkout. Okay, this Christmas break didn't start as hoped. Zeke had promised to pick him up, but then the GTO broke down two days ago, and because of the holiday madness, he hadn't been able to get the needed spare parts in time.

But hey, Columbus's small, usually monotonous airport was bathed in colorful lights, and Christmas carols were coming out of the loudspeaker. After four long months at college, great months, yes, he enjoyed Boston, had a friendly roommate, and MIT still felt like the biggest adventure of his life, but finally, he was at home again. He had missed Herrington, and his parents, and Zeke, of course.

Nothing would ruin his good mood today, not even the crowded airport. He stepped out of the door, a cold wind hit his face; it was snowing. Casey pulled his scarf tighter, looking around for a taxi without much hope. There, at the corner! A young couple had just left the cab, and the driver was waiting for new passengers. Casey chuckled to himself; what a lucky fellow he was.

But when he stepped closer, he noticed him. Gabe Santora. His smile vanished; for sure the last one he wanted to run into. Even if the bullying at school had died away after the alien incident; he had always stayed the geek and the jocks... Well, they had never been friends.

He watched Gabe opening the taxi's door, bending forward while he talked with the driver. And Casey huffed slightly; okay, he would have to wait for the next cab to show up. Which could take some time. Maybe he should go back inside for a hot coffee if he didn't want to turn into an ice block?

„Hey, Casey!“

The voice made him jump instinctively.

„Going home for Christmas?“

„Hm... yes.“

„Looking for a Taxi? Guess we could share one.“

Casey frowned, not knowing what to think about this. „It's okay; I can wait.“

„ Understand. But hey, we are not at Highschool anymore. No need to worry.“

„What do you want, Gabe?“

„Maybe... saying sorry?“ The boy shrugged. „I know, it was not okay, what happened. But Highschool is hell; if you don't play along, you are the loser. And I always wanted to belong to the winner. At least at school.“

He paused for a moment before continuing. „My dad left my mom when I was still a baby. She never got over it, drank too much, blamed me for her miserable life. I knew I had to fight, or I would end like her.“

Casey blinked. „Okay. I didn't know that,“ he murmured.

„I never told anyone before.“ A slight smile appeared on Gabe's face while he grabbed Casey's backpack. „C'mon, let's head home. Guess your mom is already waiting for you.“

Title: Christmas movies
Character: Casey Connor, Zeke Tyler
Word Count: 174
Prompt: the debate about whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie
Finished: 10.12.2022

:::

Casey rolled his eyes. „You are wrong. Only because it takes place on Christmas evening, Die Hard is not a Christmas movie.“

Zeke smirked. „Did you ever watch it?“

„No,“ Casey had to admit. „ I don't like action movies. What I have heard about it...“

„Casey, Casey.“ Zeke laughed. „Since when are you listening to others? Build a mind on your own; you could need a bit more action in your life.“

„I'm afraid my parents wouldn't be amused.“

„Awww, such a good boy,“ Zeke teased him. „Too bad. I just wanted to ask you to come over for a long movie night this weekend. Maybe I could even convince you that Die Hard is the best Christmas Movie ever.“

Casey stared at him with his eyes wide open. „You are joking.“

„I am never joking with something that serious.“

„Well. Maybe then... next weekend? My parents won't be at home for three days, and I could...“

Zeke couldn't hide his grin. „You are learning quickly. Bad boy.“

Title: Sitting by the fire
Character: Kurdy Malloy, Mr. Smith
Word Count: 248
Prompt: Sitting by the fire
Finished: 05.12.2022

:::

„Kurdy!“ Smith dropped down on the old trunk beside the fire, which radiated only a little warmth. „Why don't you come inside? It's much too cold tonight.“

The big guy looked up, just a shadow of his former self. The face bloated, the eyes dark-rimmed and bloodshot. Every will to live gone. „Why do you care,“ he asked with his voice tired.

„Because Elizabeth is dead, but you are not. You are supposed to live.“

Surprisingly quick, Kurdy's hand dashed forward, grabbing Smith by the collar of his old jacket. „Shut the fuck up, you damned freak. This is all your fault. If you hadn't told me to go to Milford, I would have been with her and...“ He gasped for air before adding almost inaudibly: “I could have protected her.“

Smith stared into the flames of the fire. Maybe. Maybe not. But it hadn't been his decision. He had only done what God had told him to do—keeping Kurdy alive. The cold started to creep into his body, and he put his hand on Kurdy's shoulder. „The last she would have wanted is you, giving up now,“ he said. „Let's go inside. Have a shower, a hot soup in the cafeteria, and then rest. Mourn about her tonight, but tomorrow is a new day. God says: The world needs you.“

„Freak,“ Kurdy repeated. „Damned freak.“ Finally founding the strength to get up, he turned around and vanished in the night. Smith followed him silently.

Title: Family reunion
Character: Casey Connor, Zeke Tyler
Word Count: 317
Prompt: Family Togetherness Time
Note: alternate universe
Finished: 03.12.2022

:::

„You did... what?“ Full of disbelief, Casey stared at the older boy sitting opposite him. „You called my mom? How could you?“

Zeke felt the urge to pull him into his arms, but he knew better. „I know that you miss her. Even if you refuse to talk about what happened back then. And it's almost Christmas. Family time.“

„What family?“ Tears were sparkling in blue eyes. „They were acting like homophobic pricks. Instead of staying behind their son, they preferred to go the easy way and throw me out of the house. Why should I miss them?“

„Because they are still your parents. And it looks as if at least your mom regrets her behavior. She says that she would like to come to New York to see you.“

Casey paled. „What? No! I don't want to see her ever again.“

Zeke didn't hold back any longer; despite Casey's pushback, he grabbed his arms to hold him. „I'm afraid she's already on the way. She didn't even hesitate a moment when I told her where you are living now. Whatever she did, I'm sure she has regretted it every day since then. And at least she deserves a second chance.“

Casey sniffed uncontrolled. „As if this is so easy.“

Zeke placed a soft kiss on his drowned-in-tears face. „No one says that it will be easy. But it is worth it because it could bring you and your mom together again. Having a family in your life changes all, Casey.“

And he was thinking of his own parents, whom he had never gotten to know. Growing up in various foster families who didn't even deserve this name, he had learned to live on his own from the beginning. An endless, lonely fight against the difficulties of life. If he hadn't met Casey some time ago, who knows where he would be now?

Title: Feeling Guilty
Character: Casey Connor, Zeke Tyler
Word Count: 200
Prompt: cloth
Finished: 30.11.2022

:::

Casey pressed a blood-red cloth on his nose when Zeke entered the washing room. „No shit,“ he said, rolling his eyes. „Not this again.“

„Huh?“ Blue eyes sparkled annoyed. „What are you talking about?“

„Lemme guess. Gabe again? Or his best buddy?“

Casey pulled his face, throwing the cloth into the dumpster. „Well, I don't think that's any of your business,“ he huffed.

„If you say so.“ Zeke shrugged, turning to one of the urinals. He noticed Casey taking flight quickly from the corner of his eyes and smirked. What a little geek. But to be honest, he couldn't help but feel some respect for the stubbornness he walked through his life with. Despite the endless teasing and bullying at school, Casey never made the try to play by the rules, though it would have made everything so much easier for him.

Turning to the sink, Zeke's eyes fell on the bloody cloth in the dumpster and suddenly he felt a surprising trace of guilt rushing through his mind. Maybe it was about time not to ignore this bullshit any longer and to step in? Though of course, Casey was right: this was absolutely not his business.

Title: The Guardian
Character: Mr. Smith, Kurdy Malloy
Word Count: 100
Finished: 26.11.2022

:::

Just when Kurdy wanted to step forward, a voice held him back. „Get behind me!“

He stiffened with every movement. Not this freak again, who followed him for some days already and always showed up in the worst moment. „Smith? What the hell are you doing here?“

The little guy stepped out of the shadows of the trees and shrugged. „Saving your life, I guess. Again!“

„What kind of bullshit is this? I've told you, I don't need a fucking guardian.“

A loud bang broke the silence, and Kurdy found himself lying on the ground, Smith cowering over him.

Title: Lifechanging decision
Character: Stan Rosado, Stokely Mitchell
Word Count: 458
Finished: 20.11.2022

:::

„So, you got the sports scholarship from the University of Michigan? When do you plan to tell me?“

Stan smirked when Stokely stepped closer. „Hard to keep anything secret from you.“

Annoyed, the girl stared at him. „Hey, you don't need to treat me like an idiot. We always knew that it wouldn't last forever with us. You are a football player with all your heart; of course, you must grab this chance. That's okay.“

Stan winced visibly. „You see it that way? Is breaking up after graduation so easy for you?“

„Well, what do you expect? That I am bursting into tears? Sorry, but that's not me.“

„I know.“ Stan stretched out his hand, touching her face. „You are different from every girl I've dated before. Maybe this is why I enjoy it so much more to hang around with you. And I wouldn't mind when it lasts.“

„Well, but that's not very realistic when you go to Michigan.“ Stokely stepped back from him. „Better not to start grabbing for the stars when you know that your dream never can come true.“

Stan smiled slightly. „What if I decide not to accept the scholarship? We could go to Columbus together. Would this be an option for you?“

„You can't be serious! I would never let it happen that you ruin your career because of me!“

„To be honest, it's not only because of you. I have been thinking about it for a while already. Football has affected my life since I can remember. Already as a child, I went to the games with my dad; he was my first coach. He demanded a lot, was hard to satisfy. But there were these sparkles in his eyes he could never hide when I managed a complicated move, and I knew that he was proud of me.“

Stan noticed the rising interest in Stokely's eyes and grabbed for her hand. „He died when I was twelve, and it would have felt like a betrayal to stop working on my career. I never put it in question.

Until... you know... this alien thing, it has changed a lot. I started thinking about my life and how I want to spend the rest of it. Maybe it is time for something new. I could visit a city college or simply work at a record shop. I love music, you know; football is not all.

Honestly, I still don't know where the road will take me, but I would like to find it out together with you.“ He pulled her closer. "My dad would have liked you; he loved Football, but he always told me that a down-to-earth, smart woman is more worthy than the most pretty cheerleaders."

Title: A serious talk
Character: Casey Connor, Zeke Tyler
Word Count: 302
Prompt: dialogue only
Finished: 14.11.2022

:::

„Hello? Earth to Zeke!“

„Casey? What are you doing here?“

„I am already here for about five minutes, and you didn't even notice it. What's going on? Daydreaming?“

„Don't be silly.“

„Oh, this is the mood you are in today. Then maybe I should go home again, help my dad clear the attic. This might be more fun.“

„Casey, wait! I didn't mean it that way. It's just... there is something I need to think about.“

„Okay. Wanna talk about it?“

„No.“

„Great. We are together now for some weeks already, and we have a lot of fun. But you never tell me about your problems.“

„Because I don't have any problems.“

„You can be such an ass. I am not blind. Will you ever start to trust me?“

„I trust you. I let you into my life more than anyone else before. With you, I can almost feel normal. And I don't want to lose this because you find out how much fucked up I am.“

„No shit, Zeke. Am I perfect? I am the school's biggest geek; I love photography and reading fairy tales. Have I ever tried to hide this from you? I am who I am. And you are who you are. We both are not what people expect us to be.

I don't want to lose you, either. But while I can live with it that you are not perfect, I can't endure it when you keep me at distance all the time.“

„It's complicated. The relationship between my dad and me, I don't know if you would be able to understand. Your parents are like parents should be. Mine... “

„Well, give it a try, or we will never find out.“