SOMETHING DIFFERENT


This tale takes place a while before the Gummies fled across the sea-- so over 500 years ago. Probably more like 700. Gummi Glen is a bustling little community afeared a' humans but good. Some, however, believe in ancient tales of humans and gummies living at peace. Not a legend but a hope, really. Few support this. One such is Danelli, a gummi on the Glen's council. He's the one with the not-so-appropriate ideals that often initiates change. His best friend is Berri, a messenger for Gummi Glen, and in charge of inter-warren communications. And they are very familiar with a young lady gummi named Suufi, a tracker and sort of spy. When a four-year-old boy named Victor wanders quite too naturally into the Glen, their little world gets a whole lot tenser. He's quite an unusual child in many ways, able to call his father without words and show him where he'd ended up in the Glen without sight or sound. Danelli calls for Suufi to track the two when they leave, very clearly sensing something different about the child. Berri and Danelli talk a bit about what all of this means-- the boy and being found so easily -- before a hurried council meeting is called to order and Danelli is behind closed doors. Suufi finds the home of Victor and his mother and father, all the while Victor very much aware of her presence and totally mystifying her. The council convenes. A decision has been made. Danelli pressed for a meeting, believing in old Forum's dream of gummies and humans able to trust each other. He believes these people are good and would like to speak with them. He may go. He asked for volunteers but none spoke up. He will go along. Berri and Suufi of course say they will go and all three head out, in disguise. They are gummies, after all. Talking awkwardly with Victor's mother and father is actually remedied by his mother asking to take their covers. It is obvious by now that they're known to be gummies. Victor listens to the questions Berri and Danelli ask his father but gets distracted and goes to the window. "Papa, we are expecting a guest?". That got the bears a-hidin' but Victor finds them as if he'd known all along and they are told that the 'guest' will not arrive before they have a chance to leave. They do so, contemplating, again, the strangeness of Victor. The guest is an acquaintence of the father named Raylin and informs him that his stories of Gummi Bears is true! He has proof, having accidentally.. er.. run one down with his cart. :) Don't worry. Perri's okay. He'd decided after the three left that he wanted to go to and realized too late it was a poor decision! Victor goes after the three, finds them, and tells them to follow his dad to Raylin's house. The three go to the rescue while the dad keeps Raylin busy in the house. However, as they are forced in through a window by the threat of someone outside, Raylin is on his way back in and chaos is initiated. Worst case scenario, people:) : Ya got 4 gummies, one of which is hurt, some snooping human outside, gummies trapped inside, and right behind Raylin barging in is a gummi hunter all rip-roaring ready to get 'em. Victor's father tries to stop the man but gets knocked aside easily. Raylin is clueless. And then.... everything stops. Breath, hearts, the world, time, all of it. Except Victor. He 'starts' the gummies and his father and they make their exit, though the boy is quite sad. Okay, so what happened? Hm. I have this habit of creating characters that I can't explain or that I explain too much. Whatever Victor is, he's it, ya know. It's a good story but... not very gummi if ya know what I mean? In the end, Papa explains that some things, like Victor, are better left unanswered. Berri and Suufi offer to travel with him, very much fascinated by Victor and liking the idea of human contact. The parents and Victor must go, of course, for when he stops things, it's kinda noticeable when ya are started again. Eh. It was definitely 'something different' to write, and that was the entire intent.


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