Challenge 223 "City Lights"
Apr. 6th, 2010 09:39 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
lacunarity.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
kh_drabbleChallenge: [223] The City
Title: City Lights
Word Count: 280
Spoilers: none
Rating/Warnings: All ages
This was supposed to be a temporary job, a chance to step away from the demands of the city and design something just for fun. A play island, that's what they wanted.
What Reeve got was an undeveloped island, a pile of random construction supplies, and a trio of teenagers on summer break. He felt an immediate, physical longing to get back on the boat and go home, and he spent the night searching the coast for a hint of the city lights.
But the planks of wood turned into platforms for climbing, and the ropes hung from branches perfect for swinging, and when he woke one morning to the sounds of the boys squabbling over how best to reroute the waterfall or bend the palm tree's growth, and he could smell the fresh scent of Miss Alma's fruit pies baking, and he wanted to reach out and grab hold of time, slow it down so this summer would last.
Eventually, the last nail was hammered, the last rope was tied, the last secret was tucked away for a child to find. There was a party, of course, and all the villagers thanked him, laughed with him, shook his hand and cuffed his head and danced until they were so exhausted, even two of his boys fell asleep on the beach.
The third, Baralai, sat beside him. "You know, sir, I'm interning at the Mayor's office this fall," he said, slowly.
"I'm sure you'll do well," Reeve said, his eyes on the coastline.
"He said he's planning on retiring this year," the boy said. He let what he'd said hang in the air, and went to wake his friends.
And the city lights never seemed so far away.
Title: City Lights
Word Count: 280
Spoilers: none
Rating/Warnings: All ages
This was supposed to be a temporary job, a chance to step away from the demands of the city and design something just for fun. A play island, that's what they wanted.
What Reeve got was an undeveloped island, a pile of random construction supplies, and a trio of teenagers on summer break. He felt an immediate, physical longing to get back on the boat and go home, and he spent the night searching the coast for a hint of the city lights.
But the planks of wood turned into platforms for climbing, and the ropes hung from branches perfect for swinging, and when he woke one morning to the sounds of the boys squabbling over how best to reroute the waterfall or bend the palm tree's growth, and he could smell the fresh scent of Miss Alma's fruit pies baking, and he wanted to reach out and grab hold of time, slow it down so this summer would last.
Eventually, the last nail was hammered, the last rope was tied, the last secret was tucked away for a child to find. There was a party, of course, and all the villagers thanked him, laughed with him, shook his hand and cuffed his head and danced until they were so exhausted, even two of his boys fell asleep on the beach.
The third, Baralai, sat beside him. "You know, sir, I'm interning at the Mayor's office this fall," he said, slowly.
"I'm sure you'll do well," Reeve said, his eyes on the coastline.
"He said he's planning on retiring this year," the boy said. He let what he'd said hang in the air, and went to wake his friends.
And the city lights never seemed so far away.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-04-07 04:08 pm (UTC)Love!
no subject
Date: 2010-04-07 06:23 pm (UTC)In my modern-day KH headcanon, Reeve is the mayor, Baralai is his assistant/godsend, Gippal's the head of the construction crew that fixes all the islands, and Nooj is the guy who runs (and loses) against Reeve every single year.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-09 08:20 pm (UTC)It's always good to see a cameo or two! ^-^