User blog:Heronimbus/On the Run: A Loud House Story - Chapter 5

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It was 10:30 at night, and Lori and her sisters agreed that they needed to find a place to stay for the night. The two vans pulled over to a motel just across the street, and the kids brought their things inside.

Luna was the first to speak. "So dudes... what time are we wakin' up tomorrow?"

"Any time is fine by me," Chandler replied. "It's not like I have a choice anyway.

As the leader of the search team, Lori knew she needed to make a decision. "We'll get up and eat breakfast at 7:30, then we're out."

They decided to split two rooms amongst themselves. Lori, Luna, Lucy, Lisa, Lily, and Chandler got one room; and Leni, Luan, Lynn, Lana, and Lola got the other.

Luna smiled as her girlfriend Sam performed a live cover of Sweet Child of Mine. Anything that could ease the tension the family was going through was enough for her. Lily was sleeping soundly, and Chandler sat and played his video game silently, with no apparent intentions to interact with the Loud sisters.

Lucy and Lisa were both having a bubble bath. Being a goth and a kid scientist, respectively, they did not play; they just sat and studied the bubbles forming and popping in the tub.

"Y'know, Lucy," Lisa began, "each bubble consists of millions of gas molecules surrounded by liquid molecules all over."

Lucy nodded. "I like to think of those molecules as tiny people. When the planet -- the bubble -- explodes, all of those people vanish forever."

"Not necessarily," Lisa explained. "The molecules would quickly burst out of the thin layer of liquid in many different directions. They would travel somewhere else."

"So... the molecules are like souls..."

"...going into the afterlife, whatever it may be."

"Wicked."

They smiled at each other, proud of the correlation they had made.

A moment later, they were in their pajamas and ready for bed. But Lucy didn't want to go just yet. She reached into her jet-black coffin-shaped purse and pulled out Lori's old photo with the ever-enigmatic boy.

"That must be the picture Lincoln was talking about at dinner last night!" Lisa exclaimed.

"Exactly," said Lucy. "But don't tell Lori I brought it with me."

She put the picture back in her purse and walked out of the bathroom with Lisa, only to find something they didn't know they would have to worry about.

Lori was sitting up straight on her bed, facing the wall. She was having so much trouble sleeping she was hoping someone would walk over and knock her out cold.

"Lori?" Lucy checked on her, noticing her restless expression. "Are you OK?"

Lori seemed to snap back into reality upon hearing this question. "Uh... yeah, I'm fine. Just got a little... distracted."

"You don't get 'a little distracted' for ten whole minutes," Chandler said, laying down on the couch with his legs crossed and his hands behind his head. "It doesn't work that way."

Lori sighed and got under her blanket, bringing Lily close enough to snuggle with her. "We should really get some sleep. We'll have to wake up bright and early tomorrow."

But even ten minutes after everyone else had fallen asleep, Lori kept staring at the fan. She felt empty, as if her life was missing something... or someone.

Imperial Grove, Missouri; Midnight

The dorms at Imperial Grove University were dark this late at night... except for a select few. These dorms were occupied by the students who were on their last year of college.

One student in particular was very busy with his assignments. He sat at his desk with his lamp illuminating the area around him, so he could properly read the words on the paper. He sported a brown, plaid, long-sleeved flannel shirt and a matching beanie, plus a pair of khakis and custom-made black Velcro shoes. One could make out a portion of dirty blonde hair drooping out of his beanie.

The truth is, he was very drowsy right about then. He just wanted to get some sleep already. But he knew this was his final year of his higher education, and he needed to do everything just right to succeed.

The phone on his desk started to ring. He picked it up and put it up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Linus," a cheerful female voice greeted from the other end. "You ready for tomorrow's test?"

"Yeah..." Linus answered with a sigh. "I gotta stay up real late working on these assignments, though."

"I understand," the girl said. A brief moment of silence came after these words, then she continued. "So... you wanna go bowling this weekend?"

Linus smiled a bit; he was still very tired, but the girl seemed to have brought some more life into his sleep-deprived mind. "Sure, Cici. Let's try 4:30 PM on Saturday, alright?"

"OK, peanut," Cici agreed to his plan. "I'll see you tomorrow!" She hung up, leaving Linus alone and tired again. Linus and Cici had been dating for nearly four years -- essentially since they started college. They were both doing very well in their classes; Linus had plans to become a comic book artist, and Cici wanted to be an elementary school teacher. But something just felt off about his life so far.

The news showed up on the television in his room. The reporter gave the camera a solemn look as she began her report.

"Attention all citizens... the menacing criminal Elijah Firestone continues to roam the streets after five years. He has performed such acts as robbery, grand theft, trespassing, arson, kidnapping, and several others. If you see him, please turn him in to the police immediately. Such an action will be greatly appreciated."

"You dolt," Linus cursed through his teeth. "We were both kids when we met."

He switched off the TV and opened the top drawer in his desk, closest to him. He slipped out an old photograph depicting himself as a little boy, as well as a younger blonde girl. They were posing on a cold winter day in front of their creation -- a war between snowmen and snow aliens. The two of them looked so happy together -- the blonde girl was giving the camera a toothy smile, and Linus himself was shown holding up a thumb as he wrapped his arm around the younger girl.

Linus couldn't have looked more ashamed. "I'm sorry, Lori. You know I miss you...

...sis."

Chandler sulked in his seat as he ate breakfast with the Louds. He didn't know if he could stand these people much longer, but he chose to keep it to himself for now. He felt his emotions were ruining the taste of the scrambled eggs anyway.I

Lynn sat down next to him with a heaping plate of strawberry pancakes. Chandler glared at her, but she tried to stay calm. "Listen, Chandler," she began. "I know this isn't what you want, but you were the last person who saw Lincoln before us."

"Technically, Clyde and 'Tina saw him last," Chandler blurted out. "You can't just blame me for everything."

"I'm not stupid, Chandler. I know what you did. When Lincoln came home that night, he had a black eye. And honestly, if he just came home from you and your sister's party with a black eye, which one do you think did it?"

"So? It could have been one of my friends!"

"They don't have enough beef against Lincoln to hit him that hard."

"He attacked me first! And that was just because I made fun of his precious girlfriend! All I did was defend myself! You would have done the same thing!"

Lynn stared at him, stunned with fury. "Are you trying to make me mad, smart one?"

"You do realize he broke the only trophy your football team has ever won, right? Aren't you at least a little mad?"

"N-no! Why would I be punch him in the eye for that?!"

"Because YOU made the winning goal, Leonard!"

Lynn swiftly grabbed Chandler by the collar of his shirt, glaring at him like an angry bulldog. "You had better get Lincoln back... or I'll be your worst nightmare."

Chandler just smirked smugly. "Maybe you will, maybe you won't. It's not like my nightmares will matter in the long run."

Lynn clenched her fist and got ready to punch him, until Lori grabbed her and pulled her away from the area. But Lynn just continued to yell and scream. "Chandler, you're dead meat next time! You hear me? DEAD MEAT!"

Everyone in the room stared at the Louds, and a hush quickly fell over the room.

Lori glanced at one of the motel employees. "Uh... can we get our breakfast to go?"