Population Control

Camille XIII

Lunisolace - The intense relief one feels after realising a nightmare was only a nightmare shortly after waking up.

0o0

"How do I put this on?" Matthew asked. All three of them had gloves on, Jason tying his hair back with a hair net just to be careful. In his hands was bright green hair dye that shone like an emerald on the box. The bottom of my hair had been bleached (after many, many days of making sure it was blonde enough for this to work).

We stole a chair from the dining area and plonked it in front of the floor length mirror. Sami took the green and black box from Matthew and grabbed the stuff from inside. If it goes wrong, it goes wrong, which is a perfect representation of him. This is fun and easy going. Like him. Last night Jason screamed awake from a nightmare, so maybe this will be a way to lift everyone's spirits. "Well the box says to apply using the bottle-" Jason read out from Sami's shoulder. I watched Matthew take the bottle from Sami and toss it between his hands, seeing how high it could go.

"But that's for the roots, isn't it?" Sami muttered.

"Here it says-" Jason pointed at the instructions and Matthew and I met eyes in the mirror, both rolling them. We had the same idea, and I relaxed in the seat while Matthew squeezed the bottle and spread it evenly on my head. Mostly on the bottom half of my hair, then a bit on the unbleached section. Sami and Jason were still arguing over the instructions. Hours later, when I looked in the mirror, I was reminded of a person so close to my heart even after their passing. His spirit with me, with all of us: in the way Matthew now tells dad jokes, in the random facts Sami spews, in Jason's more joyful tone. In every memory I can think of.

"When you get out there you do not talk to the reporters. You hold hands, you look ahead, and you," Carol pointed at me, "take the stage, do your speech." We looked at each other.

We'd changed a lot. Sami had more muscle, he didn't look like bones with a slither of skin anymore, even if we didn't eat a lot on the road, they had been building our appetites up in the base. Matthew had a beard now; one he's decided to keep but only because Sami would scratch it before they kissed. He seemed brighter; I don't know how. Jason's hair was down to his chest, and he let it loose, only tying it up in bed. It suits him. And me? Well, the bright green hair is the only difference. Physically, anyway. We have all grown, all changed, and we did that together. I couldn't imagine being in this situation with anyone else.

Tightly, I gripped Matthew and Jason's hands, Sami on the other side of Matthew. "Doors opening in three... two.."

I couldn't hear Carol say one, not over the millions of muffled questions thrown our way until they blended into noise. That's not counting for the flashing lights, all bright and white and unexpected.

"Tell us-"

"Who are-"

"What's hap-"

"When did-"

All clips from questions I couldn't latch on to, and I squeezed their hands tight, they squeezed back with the same amount of force. I looked out and there was Dylan. Arms folded and a smile on his face. I blinked, and he was gone.