The Team Is Together Again

[Laraqua]

The sound of wheels slowly grinding across the sand can be heard distinctively behind them. It doesn't seem to be gaining any ground on them, at least.

[Mr. Handy]

"No crazier than I am," says Sarah, forcing a grin. "Anyway, it's not an empty wheelchair. There's something in it...something horrible. Best not to think about it, really."

Lionel nods. "Like Winston Churchill says," he says, "when you're going through hell, keep going." They keep hurrying back towards the intersection.

[kabukiman]

And Agnes continues walking. What else can she do in this madness?

[Laraqua]

Ronald stays surprisingly quiet, though they can hear his teeth grinding together in the darkness.

Their flashlights finally brush over the intersection up ahead.

[Mr. Handy]

"That way," says Sarah, pointing to the left. "That'll take us back the way we came."

Lionel nods. "Once we climb out of here and get some elevation, that thing in the wheelchair won't be able to follow us," he says.

[kabukiman]

-Then let's go and get away from that thing.

[Laraqua]

"We should follow the railway tracks," says Ronald, his puppet desperately nodding. His teeth clicked when he spoke, fear making him sound almost mechanistic. "That path is obviously significant, meaningful, we should find where it goes."

[Mr. Handy]

"Oh, I quite agree," says Sarah. "I think we're better off backtracking to the foot of the bridge and actually traversing it, in spite of the noise it'll make, though. If we follow the bridge from beneath, we might not be able to get up there, and we could be trapped by the thing chasing us."

[kabukiman]

-And with some luck, that thing won't follow us- says Agnes.

[Laraqua]

Ronald gazes back in the direction of that thing, lost in the mists of darkness, then nods and hurries forward to where the tracks begin. Once his feet touches the wood, he turns to look at them, his half-shadowed face looking particularly morose in their torch light. "Why is this happening?" he asked in a low, sad voice. "I still don't understand ... why is all of this happening?"

[Mr. Handy]

"I don't know either," says Sarah, tears in her eyes. She takes Ronald's hand and squeezes it. "I mean, I think I understand what caused it, but that's just how this happened. I don't know why so many people had to die, why the world had to be ruined. By all rights I ought to go to pieces. I don't know how I made it this far. I should be dead or reduced to a quivering jelly a thousand times over."

Lionel puts an arm around both of them. "You're made of stronger stuff than that, Sarah," he says. "We all are. I don't know why any more than you do, but we're still here, and we have it within our power to set things to rights. If we succeed - and we must - everything will be back the way it was before all of this happened. In order to do that, I have a feeling we're going to have to cross this bridge. Everything has been leading up to this, and now we must go meet our destiny. Remember: when you're going through hell, keep going."

[kabukiman]

-I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I'm still alive-repeats Agnes for herself.

[Laraqua]

Ronald looks a little jealous of the two of them as he keeps moving, reaching the walkway and mounting it to the tinkle of little bells attached to the wooden planks. "What do you think we will find?"

[kabukiman]

Agnes look at both: does Ronald expects that they may have any idea in this madness place?

[Mr. Handy]

Sarah and Lionel follow Ronald across the bridge. "I'm not entirely sure," says Sarah. "The taboo, I guess, whatever that is. When we find it, we can use those ash grenades to alert whatever's seeking it to its location. That was really quite clever of you to think of them." She notices his expression. "I know we've all lost people we love. I'm so lucky to still have my father. I don't know what I'd do without him. But if we succeed, we'll get everyone back. And in the meantime, we still have each other."

"I'd be lost without you too, Sarah," says Lionel. "We're all a family, in a way, after everything we've been through together. Ronald, you're like a son to me, and Agnes, you're like a second daughter."

[Laraqua]

The bridge continues on, long and dark, and there is an eerie sense of finality hanging about the place. After a time the walls seem to shrink inwards until they appear, rough and unworked, at the edges of the torchlight beams.

[Mr. Handy]

"We're really a lot alike, Ronald," continues Sarah, her heart going out to him. "We're both gentle souls who really care about people. I'm glad to have you in my family."

"As am I," says Lionel. "I had hoped you two would meet one day. I knew you'd get on. Let's keep going. We've got to be getting close now."

[kabukiman]

-This place is differente-says Agnes- I think we are near of the end.

[Mr. Handy]

"I think you're right," says Sarah. "I do feel like we're sisters, Agnes, even though we're from different times. I've always wanted a sister, but I've never had one before. In case I don't get the chance to say so later, I love all of you so very much." She swallows, afraid of the unknown that lies ahead but determined to face it. "Let's go save the world."

[kabukiman]

Agnes smiles
-Thank you. Whateaver happens, I was really blessed to know you all and to have the oportunity to make a better world. It's not everyone wo can save the world- rigth?She gulps and then says:
-Let's go.