video

[neededlassie]

[The screen flickers on to show a boy who looks like he’s a little bit in a fog. Behind him, a Buizel bounces around happily through the snowdrifts, nearly disappearing only to poke her head up every now and then, her whiskers and fur caked with snow.]

Hello? Is anyone out there? My name is Shaun Mars. There was this lady who called herself my mom, and she gave me a backpack full of food and clothes and stuff, and I sorta...just wanted to know if that had happened to anyone else. And also, if the food was...safe to eat. It’s like rice, and I think there’s fish and vegetables and stuff too, or something.

I think I might've gotten someone else's Pokegear thing. It says it's my birthday today, but my birthday was two days ago.

Comments

Re: Video

[red_roses]

Are you sure?

...Cause....

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[neededlassie]

...Cause...?

Re: Video

[red_roses]

...Cause I say that when I'm not okay too. I don't want to make people worry.

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[neededlassie]

Oh...

[He glances away.]

I just...miss my dad. A lot.

Re: Video

[red_roses]

Does he go away a lot? Or...is it cause you're here now?

Video

[neededlassie]

[He squeezes his eyes shut and swallows. He shakes his head. His voice cracks at first.]

No...

He's...He died.

Re: Video

[red_roses]

!!!

I...I'm so sorry!

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[neededlassie]

I-it's...

[It's not okay.

It was Shaun's fault. If he'd been smarter, if he'd been braver, his dad wouldn't have had to come after him.

He shakes his head again.]

It's been three months.

Re: Video

[red_roses]

I'm really sorry....it must have been very hard...

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[neededlassie]

[Shaun scrubs at his eyes with his coat sleeve and sniffles to stop crying in front of the girl.]

It...it is.

But I'm here now. So I gotta focus on my journey and stuff.

Re: Video

[red_roses]

I... I'm sorry I brought it up.

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[neededlassie]

It's okay. You didn't know.

Re: Video

[red_roses]

[She looks away.] Are you sure...?

Video

[neededlassie]

Y-yeah, I'm sure.

Let's um. Talk about something else, okay?

Re: Video

[red_roses]

O...Okay.

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[neededlassie]

I didn't...hear your name.

Re: Video

[red_roses]

O-Oh! How rude of me. I'm Ib. It's nice to meet you.

Video

[neededlassie]

Ib?

[That's a weird name. Not that that's not okay or anything.]

It's nice to meet you too. How old are you?

Re: Video

[red_roses]

I'm nine years old, and I'm in the third grade!

How old are you?

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[neededlassie]

I just turned 11 a couple days ago! I'm in fourth grade right now, but I'll be in fifth grade next year.

...Well, I would be if I was still at home, I guess.

Re: Video

[red_roses]

Oooh! I bet you can read lots of big words by now, right? And do fractions!

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[neededlassie]

Yeah, I'm good at reading! We just started fractions in math last fall. I'm not very good, but that might be because I missed a lot of school.

Re: Video

[red_roses]

Oh. I still have to sound out the harder words. B-But I know all my times tables!

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[neededlassie]

Wow, really? Sometimes I still have to cheat and look up my times tables.

Re: Video

[red_roses]

I-It's easy if you think about it with candy!