Silence Says: Chapter 5 by luckdragonwrites, literature
Literature
Silence Says: Chapter 5
It seemed to have taken less time than expected for Noah to return, but time was doing funny things just then so Toby wasn't sure if that was an illusion.
"I brought you food," Noah said as he approached, his voice soft and his footsteps quiet.
Toby made a sound of acknowledgement. He could manage that much.
Noah sat down on the floor next to Toby's bed and leant against it next to Toby's head. "I brought you fruit salad."
"Not allowed to," Toby murmured.
"It's a stupid rule that doesn't take your needs into account. You want it?"
Toby made an incoherent sound.
"I don't know if that's a yes or a no."
"Later," Toby mumbled. "Maybe."
"
Silence Says: Chapter 4 by luckdragonwrites, literature
Literature
Silence Says: Chapter 4
Mark was talkative and energetic, and he brought those same traits out in Noah. As they made their way down the trail towards the lake, the two of them began a game of catch with a pinecone.
Toby focussed on the things they passed -- the tiny lizards that scurried off into the undergrowth as they approached, the birds that screeched in the trees, the trickle of a barely there creek that intermittently curved in to run alongside the trail. His attention wasn't drawn back to Noah and Mark until a pinecone hit him in the chest.
Toby came to a halt and stared down at the pinecone, his eyebrows drawing together.
"You were supposed to catch it,"
Silence Says: Chapter 3 by luckdragonwrites, literature
Literature
Silence Says: Chapter 3
Toby woke up the next morning feeling hungry and irritable, but in other ways better. Some of the anxiety brought on by being in a new place had dissipated, at least for now. He knew from past experience that it would be back as soon as he was hit by the reality of the outside world again, but it was good to at least have a short break. Anxiety was exhausting.
When Toby sat up and stretched Noah, fully clothed and his hair wet from the shower, gave him a smile. Not for the first time in his life, Toby was glad he had the world's best poker face. He hadn't forgotten what he'd seen last night.
Unlike most summer camps, the cabins here came wi
Silence Says: Chapter 2 by luckdragonwrites, literature
Literature
Silence Says: Chapter 2
Toby was on his ninth sudoku puzzle. He hadn't counted -- it was a new book and they came conveniently numbered. He was practised enough at them that he only needed to dedicate part of his mind to the process. The rest of it was free to defrag as he tried to let go of the dramas of the day and relax.
There was a sound outside the door and Toby quickly clamped his hands over his ears, ready to block out the sound of the door slamming open. There was no slam, though, just a quiet creak as Noah pushed it open and stepped in. Noah shut the door just as quietly and Toby allowed his hands to fall back down to his lap.
Toby kept his head down and
Silence Says: Chapter 1 by luckdragonwrites, literature
Literature
Silence Says: Chapter 1
Toby straightened his books up on his new dresser for what seemed like the hundredth time. It was actually the sixth, though -- he'd been counting. If there was one thing Toby had been looking forward to about summer vacation, it was being alone. He didn't have friends. Didn't need them, wasn't very good at making them, so it worked out. His foster parents, unfortunately, disagreed. That was how he'd ended up at summer camp.
Or maybe they had just wanted to get rid of him, just like his real parents had. Nobody wanted a kid who wouldn't look at you, would only complain on the rare occasions he did speak because things weren't just so. Who wo
Silence Says: Chapter 5 by luckdragonwrites, literature
Literature
Silence Says: Chapter 5
It seemed to have taken less time than expected for Noah to return, but time was doing funny things just then so Toby wasn't sure if that was an illusion.
"I brought you food," Noah said as he approached, his voice soft and his footsteps quiet.
Toby made a sound of acknowledgement. He could manage that much.
Noah sat down on the floor next to Toby's bed and leant against it next to Toby's head. "I brought you fruit salad."
"Not allowed to," Toby murmured.
"It's a stupid rule that doesn't take your needs into account. You want it?"
Toby made an incoherent sound.
"I don't know if that's a yes or a no."
"Later," Toby mumbled. "Maybe."
"
Silence Says: Chapter 4 by luckdragonwrites, literature
Literature
Silence Says: Chapter 4
Mark was talkative and energetic, and he brought those same traits out in Noah. As they made their way down the trail towards the lake, the two of them began a game of catch with a pinecone.
Toby focussed on the things they passed -- the tiny lizards that scurried off into the undergrowth as they approached, the birds that screeched in the trees, the trickle of a barely there creek that intermittently curved in to run alongside the trail. His attention wasn't drawn back to Noah and Mark until a pinecone hit him in the chest.
Toby came to a halt and stared down at the pinecone, his eyebrows drawing together.
"You were supposed to catch it,"
Silence Says: Chapter 3 by luckdragonwrites, literature
Literature
Silence Says: Chapter 3
Toby woke up the next morning feeling hungry and irritable, but in other ways better. Some of the anxiety brought on by being in a new place had dissipated, at least for now. He knew from past experience that it would be back as soon as he was hit by the reality of the outside world again, but it was good to at least have a short break. Anxiety was exhausting.
When Toby sat up and stretched Noah, fully clothed and his hair wet from the shower, gave him a smile. Not for the first time in his life, Toby was glad he had the world's best poker face. He hadn't forgotten what he'd seen last night.
Unlike most summer camps, the cabins here came wi
Silence Says: Chapter 2 by luckdragonwrites, literature
Literature
Silence Says: Chapter 2
Toby was on his ninth sudoku puzzle. He hadn't counted -- it was a new book and they came conveniently numbered. He was practised enough at them that he only needed to dedicate part of his mind to the process. The rest of it was free to defrag as he tried to let go of the dramas of the day and relax.
There was a sound outside the door and Toby quickly clamped his hands over his ears, ready to block out the sound of the door slamming open. There was no slam, though, just a quiet creak as Noah pushed it open and stepped in. Noah shut the door just as quietly and Toby allowed his hands to fall back down to his lap.
Toby kept his head down and