Well in the Rain
There's rainwater in the well, Oliver realises as his HUD boots back up. The soft hush of falling droplets fills his audials as he stares down at the cylindrical rock structure, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. His brother, Collin, sits beside him on the grass, leaning against the well. His eyes are dark. Rivulets of watered-down oil stream down his face as the rain washes away what damage it can, but it can't take the fire scars and the emotional mutilation that they've both been through. Collin more than he, he knows for sure. His tail gently caresses his brother's cheek as the low-battery animatronic lay there, his default smile unfading, his expression vacant. No reaction comes from the sunset-coloured animatronic, and sadness pangs through Oliver's very being. He hopes he can find a way to return his brother to this world. The rain strengthens, pushing his fronds down with the beating weight of the droplets, and his hopeful smile drops for the first time in...forever. In front of him, the well slowly fills, and he watches it until he can't bear the water any longer. He hauls Collin up, over his shoulder (ripping his beautiful sweater in the process; this won't be the first or last time he'll be fixing that), and starts walking towards...gods only know where. He'll figure it out. He always does.
