Part 4:
The sheen of the sheets, soft and cool, felt merciful against my aching body.
I realized I had changed back to human form.
My shoulders burned and my elbows and knees throbbed.
I rolled over and was instantly cheered by the scratch of familiar fur.
Dale slept beside me, breathing deep, his face buried in a pillow.
Other the other side of him was my big brother, also quite asleep.
We were neatly tucked under the covers of Rick’s bed.
I realized I had changed back to human form.
My shoulders burned and my elbows and knees throbbed.
I rolled over and was instantly cheered by the scratch of familiar fur.
Dale slept beside me, breathing deep, his face buried in a pillow.
Other the other side of him was my big brother, also quite asleep.
We were neatly tucked under the covers of Rick’s bed.
My throat painfully dry, I eased out and headed for a glass of water.
“You’re up!” a man said as I stumbled into the kitchen. “Welcome back.”
He was thin but not skinny. Strong forearms added some muscle to his compact frame. Blonde hair flopped on his head. Wearing a T-shirt and jeans.
“I know you,” I said. “Right?”
“It’s me,” he said. “Semi-Colon. How are you feeling?”
“Semi-Colon? What happened? Is everything OK?”
“We brought you home. R, P and myself. Then I stayed behind to make sure you recovered. You took a bad turn.”
“What’s going on?” Rick called out from the bedroom. “Who are you talking to?”
“Come here,” I said, settling into a chair. “You’re gonna like it.”
It was Dale who first staggered into view, his eyes filling with delight.
Then Rick came out and gave our guest a big hug!
Semi-Colon seemed to enjoy the warm reception. He filled us in on all that we'd missed.
“You spent too much time in our world,” he said, “and began rejecting your abstract bodies. We’re lucky A healed you.”
“Where is R?” I asked.
“R asked me to thank you for your help. It meant a lot to him. He left for Color immediately.”
“You’re up!” a man said as I stumbled into the kitchen. “Welcome back.”
He was thin but not skinny. Strong forearms added some muscle to his compact frame. Blonde hair flopped on his head. Wearing a T-shirt and jeans.
“I know you,” I said. “Right?”
“It’s me,” he said. “Semi-Colon. How are you feeling?”
“Semi-Colon? What happened? Is everything OK?”
“We brought you home. R, P and myself. Then I stayed behind to make sure you recovered. You took a bad turn.”
“What’s going on?” Rick called out from the bedroom. “Who are you talking to?”
“Come here,” I said, settling into a chair. “You’re gonna like it.”
It was Dale who first staggered into view, his eyes filling with delight.
Then Rick came out and gave our guest a big hug!
Semi-Colon seemed to enjoy the warm reception. He filled us in on all that we'd missed.
“You spent too much time in our world,” he said, “and began rejecting your abstract bodies. We’re lucky A healed you.”
“Where is R?” I asked.
“R asked me to thank you for your help. It meant a lot to him. He left for Color immediately.”
“When will we find out if he’s been accepted?” Dale asked.
“P says we might never know. Color has little contact with other realms. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Dale scowled down at the floor, his face twisted in a frown.
I felt the same way.
“If your good will is not exhausted,” Semi-Colon said, “might you help another symbol needing aid?”
“Of course. But we thought you were free of your old life.”
“Free, yes; still seeking a new start."
“What do you have in mind?
“I didn’t have a plan when I left Punctuation. Now I feel I might enjoy … living on Earth for a time.”
“Anything you need, anything at all,” Rick replied. “Consider yourself our guest.”
Our Alphabetical adventure came to a close.
R’s fate remained a mystery.
We tried to accept that we’d never know the story's end, but deep down that option never fit.
Our friend R was nothing if not resourceful.
Of course he'd someday broadcast an update?
“P says we might never know. Color has little contact with other realms. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Dale scowled down at the floor, his face twisted in a frown.
I felt the same way.
“If your good will is not exhausted,” Semi-Colon said, “might you help another symbol needing aid?”
“Of course. But we thought you were free of your old life.”
“Free, yes; still seeking a new start."
“What do you have in mind?
“I didn’t have a plan when I left Punctuation. Now I feel I might enjoy … living on Earth for a time.”
“Anything you need, anything at all,” Rick replied. “Consider yourself our guest.”
Our Alphabetical adventure came to a close.
R’s fate remained a mystery.
We tried to accept that we’d never know the story's end, but deep down that option never fit.
Our friend R was nothing if not resourceful.
Of course he'd someday broadcast an update?
EPILOGUE:
A couple of months later, after the Alphabet stuff was long over, I woke up early at dawn.
I’d crashed on Rick’s couch after a night of movie watching, as I sometimes do.
The sun peeked halfway over the horizon.
The curtains weren't closed all the way.
Brightness soon entered in full.
I tried falling back asleep, but no luck.
Opening the curtains completely, I slipped back under my blanket to appreciate the view.
The horizon glowed in intricate tones, beaming without turning harsh.
The undeniable hope of first light seemed stronger than ever.
And then it changed.
In some indescribable way.
Something had changed.
A flash lit up the room, as if someone flipped a switch!
The powerful light came from nowhere and everywhere at once, bathing the room in a glow.
As my vision adjusted, I realized it was a combination of Red, Yellow Ochre, Battleship Gray … and just a hint of Tyrian Purple.
A couple of months later, after the Alphabet stuff was long over, I woke up early at dawn.
I’d crashed on Rick’s couch after a night of movie watching, as I sometimes do.
The sun peeked halfway over the horizon.
The curtains weren't closed all the way.
Brightness soon entered in full.
I tried falling back asleep, but no luck.
Opening the curtains completely, I slipped back under my blanket to appreciate the view.
The horizon glowed in intricate tones, beaming without turning harsh.
The undeniable hope of first light seemed stronger than ever.
And then it changed.
In some indescribable way.
Something had changed.
A flash lit up the room, as if someone flipped a switch!
The powerful light came from nowhere and everywhere at once, bathing the room in a glow.
As my vision adjusted, I realized it was a combination of Red, Yellow Ochre, Battleship Gray … and just a hint of Tyrian Purple.
I didn’t make a sound, didn’t move.
It wasn’t frightening.
More like seeing an old friend.
The light remained for about ten seconds and then was gone.
I wiped my eyes to make sure I had seen correctly.
Then dashed into Rick’s bedroom, finding him and Dale smiling in shock.
“This isn’t a dream, is it? Is this real?” the lion asked.
“We’re awake,” Rick answered. “It really happened.”
“Rhovenza,” Dale said.
“Rhovenza,” Rick repeated.
“Rhovenza.”
The door flew open and Semi-Colon, who’d been sleeping in the spare room, rushed in all well.
“Did you see it?” he asked. “Please tell me you saw it. Please say you saw what I just saw.”
“We did! He must have hit us all at once.”
“I knew he’d find a way to let us know!” Dale shouted in triumph. “I knew it.”
The four of us lingered and watched the final moments of the sunrise.
“It’s going to be a good morning,” I said with a smile. “A bold, bright, Rhovenza kind of day.”
“Here’s to R,” Semi-Colon said. "The only symbol who could have pulled that off."
“Here’s to R,” Dale nodded excitedly in agreement. “The most colorful letter of them all!”
It wasn’t frightening.
More like seeing an old friend.
The light remained for about ten seconds and then was gone.
I wiped my eyes to make sure I had seen correctly.
Then dashed into Rick’s bedroom, finding him and Dale smiling in shock.
“This isn’t a dream, is it? Is this real?” the lion asked.
“We’re awake,” Rick answered. “It really happened.”
“Rhovenza,” Dale said.
“Rhovenza,” Rick repeated.
“Rhovenza.”
The door flew open and Semi-Colon, who’d been sleeping in the spare room, rushed in all well.
“Did you see it?” he asked. “Please tell me you saw it. Please say you saw what I just saw.”
“We did! He must have hit us all at once.”
“I knew he’d find a way to let us know!” Dale shouted in triumph. “I knew it.”
The four of us lingered and watched the final moments of the sunrise.
“It’s going to be a good morning,” I said with a smile. “A bold, bright, Rhovenza kind of day.”
“Here’s to R,” Semi-Colon said. "The only symbol who could have pulled that off."
“Here’s to R,” Dale nodded excitedly in agreement. “The most colorful letter of them all!”