by Amazon X
That very same list had a message that puzzled him. "You have an
E-card from Georgia" the subject line read. He smiled. Georgia was
one of his very favorite list-sibs, always a kind word to him
off-list when the memories were getting to him. He knew she was
sharing with the list, but this was for him. He clicked the link.
A new window popped open accompanied by sickly sweet Christmas music.
The picture was of a cartoon rodent in a Christmas stocking, riding
it back and forth on a nail in a wall. The caption read: Every time
an e-card is sent, a rat gets a swing. Walter burst into tears.
She meant well. Walter had never told her what his name was. Walter
had never mentioned his ability to survive. He'd only said the man
he'd loved died very suddenly and very tragically. Walter didn't
mention it was by his own hand, either.
Quickly, he made his way to the liquor cabinet to pour himself a tall
glass of scotch. He opened the balcony door and stepped out onto the
snow-covered concrete. The east coast was in the throes of a snow
storm that even threatened to ground Saint Nick. All he could think
about was the night his lost love spent on this balcony, when Walter
knew he was being watched and couldn't invite the man in.
The snow swirled around him and suddenly, he couldn't see anymore.
Crystal City had ceased to exist before him. He was scared, gripped
his glass tightly, but soon, the snow cleared, and he wasn't on his
balcony anymore. He was in a field, like the one behind his parents'
home in Northern Texas. The huge climbing-tree was still out back,
with the tire swing on it. But someone was on it, swinging back and
forth, having a grand old time. He wore black jeans and a black
button-down shirt that was completely open, baring his beautiful
chest and flat belly. His bare feet pointed to the sky with each
thrust forward, throwing his head back with childhood abandon. Each
back swing brought his long powerful legs under him and his body
lunged forward to push the old swing backward.
"Alex!" Walter shouted. The dark head looked up and the man smiled.
Green eyes tinkled in the sunlight shining through the tree limbs,
dappling his face and chest with licks of gold. Walter could never
mistake the wrinkle at the top of the cute, turned up nose. The bow
mouth split wide to show his white, even teeth.
Walter quickly made his way to Alex and stood back while the young
man continued his trip on the tire and rope. "Hi, Walter, it's nice
to see you again."
"Alex, what are you doing here? This is..."
"Your parent's home, I know. This is the tire swing from your
childhood. Thank you."
"What? I don't get it."
The smile returned to the face, but the man kept swinging. "You read
her card. It was waiting for you. Waiting to bring you to me."
"I...killed you. I sh-sh-shot you." Walter stuttered in disbelief.
Alex stopped the swing and walked to where his lover stood. "You set
me free. And you gave me this. And you're here with me, now."
"How did I get here?" Walter was well and truly confused.
"You waited on that balcony a little too long for me. And you froze
to death. They brought you here to me."
"They?"
Another megawatt smile. "Your list-siblings. They gave you back to
me. And now we're here forever. Together."
"I'm dead? I'm fucking dead?"
"Well, you're dead and you'll be fucking soon. I just wanted to
thank you for that."
Alex indicated the toy hanging from the tree behind him.
"I still don't understand that," Walter admitting, pointing at the
same.
"Don't you see? Every time an e-card is sent, a rat gets a swing!"
Walter smiled. He put his arms around his lovers body and the shared
a sweet kiss of reunited passion.
"Welcome home, Walter."
"I missed you, Alex."
The End
alter Skinner sat before his computer, checking his hotmail account
for messages from his email lists. He wasn't used to having a whole
night to himself, and wanted to catch up. There was the scotch
whiskey aficionados list, and the "Bald and Proud" list, and the lost
love list, one that he spent the most time reading. It made him
calmer to know he wasn't the only one to have loved someone and lost
that person tragically.
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