August writing challenge day 2.
Prompt: Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
(Added after writing) How it inspired me: It took me a while before I found any inspiration, but the lines Can the child in my heart raise above?/Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?/Can I handle the seasons of my life? and the chorus (Well, I've been afraid of changing/'Cause I've built my whole life around you/But time makes you bolder, even children get older/And I'm getting older too) did the trick for me. The chorus made me think of an angsty idea about James and Laurie that has been bouncing sroumd in my brain for a few days. Then, the first three lines made me think of James, because he's been familiar with abandon and being alone ever since he was a child, so after Laurie suddenly dies, he feels like he's a child again and he is wondering for how longer he'll be able to put up with being left by someone he loves before he completely loses himself, because it's a recurring theme in his life, and every time he feels a little more broken inside. The person narrating is Percy because I think that, even though Adam and James have known each other for longer, James and Percy could relate to each other better, because while Adam has had a net of people that have always been there to help him if he was struggling, they didn't. They both had to learn things the harder way, so they know how it feels. And they know that suddenly finding yourself surrounded by people that would give an arm (and more) for them may be overwhelming. So, we get to see them interacting more in this. (James helps Percy a lot in the main storyline, so Percy helping James is nice.)
Landslide
I woke up. Someone was playing a song on the piano. Being careful not to wake up Adam, I got up.
Slowly, I made my way to the library. It was James. I recognized the song, it was Landslide. I waited until he stopped playing before speaking. He probably need some more time alone. "I didn't take you for a Fleetwood Mac kinda person."
He looked startled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up..." He whispered. I sat down next to him and pressed a few keys just for the sake of it. "At least you found an healthier way to cope with your feelings, for now." "Yeah..." "You really miss them, don't you?"
"How could I not? I... I had planned a considerable part of my life around them. We planned our wedding, we were starting to think if we should have adopted kids, if we decided to, we would have adopted two. And we would have went on Sunday hikes all together, and we would put the kids to bed and then dance together in the living room..." While telling me the plans he and Laurie made, James was smiling. "And..." He stared into the void and then, after a few moments, started crying. His tears left crimson stains on his jeans and his hands. It must've been a lot harder on him, to realize that Laurie wasn't there anymore. He was the one who felt their life flying away.
I hugged him. "I'm not that good with feelings, but... I'm here. Adam and I are both here for you. Oscar and Valerian too. And everyone else too. You just need to tell us..."
"Thanks Percy... But... I think I found a solution." He must have drunk too much. "James... Laurie's dead. You can't bring them back."
He looked at me like he knew way more than I did. "There's a way. My mother told me about it. That's why I play the piano at night instead of drinking all day. I need to be sober and stay focused om what I need to do during the day. I'm almost ready to set my plan into motion."
"James, you're worrying me. Please, at least tell me where you have to go and when." "To Heaven, and I'll go in a few days. As I said, I'm almost ready."
What? Did I get that right? "James... You're a demon! Whatever you plan to do, I'm sure that angels will kill you as soon as you approach the Pearly Gates!"
His eyes had a shine hidden in their depths, and I felt like all of us only knew a fraction of who James was. "I am way more than that, Percy Pleding."
I noticed the soft, golden glow crowning his head. It wasn't hard to notice it when the only source of light I had were a few candles here and there and the moon and the stars. He really was more than a simple demon. "Alright... Just, be careful please. It would devastate all of us if we lost you, too."
My hands lightly brushed against the piano as I got up and started walking towards the library's doors. "Percy." I turned, laying an hand on one of the shelves. "Yes, James?"
"You and Adam. Be careful too, I can only do what I plan to once, and we still have a long way to go before we can rest our heads and stop fighting." I nodded. "We will."
And with that, I made my way back to the bed where my husband, the thought still made my heart flutter, laid waiting for me. He surely was awake. After all, I would too if I had been through what he did when they took me.