Darla
Returns
(Part 1)
written by Vigilante
Prologue
My story goes with Xyanth's statement about having visions of unimportant future events in our dreams. Except Danny's vision was of an event so important that it would change both Sawyer's and his own life forever. It shows that you cannot change the inevitable but you can prepare for it and welcome it upon its arrival.
Chapter 1
"Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Mammoth, sir... but I really don't think we can do something like that tomorrow. The scripts, the dance moves, the effort, I just don't think we can do it." I said
"Nonsense son! Just go home and get some rest and be here by eight sharp." He said.
"EIGHT!!! ARE YOU INSANE!?!?"
This guy was really pushing it. He wanted us to do another live all-animal-cast show tomorrow. I bet he's never had a day like this before. But the insane remark was a little too much... oops.
"Is twelve better?" He said with a voice I'd never heard him speak with before. It was so calm... Anyway, after we hesitantly agreed on twelve and after all of the autographs and handshaking and pictures and contract signing and all that mess, we all started home together.
Sawyer and I kind of hung back to romance a little and finish what we had started...
Tillie spotted us and yelled, "You guys are so cute together!"
I could see sawyer blush a little. Everyone out on the streets just stopped and stared.
"Sorry," she said.
We all went to Pinky's for some coffee and then went our separate ways home. Or, at least everyone but me and Sawyer.
First I went to the El Greco to cancel my reservation there, then Sawyer took me to her house.
Now that I think about it, I had never been to her house before. She took me inside and we both sat down, exhausted. We did put on one hell of a show and we both just felt like crashing for the night. I threw off my vest and plopped down on the couch.
I was asleep almost instantly. I dreamt partially about my childhood back in Kokomo and partially about Sawyer. You know how dreams are, when you wake up you don't remember as much about them as you would expect and as the day goes on you forget more and more about that dream. Well, I also had repetitive dreams about Darla (and yes you could call them nightmares) and Max. Some about stuff that had already happened, but the rest was a series of extremely disturbing images based on life threatening situations. Like me and Max up on the roof of the Chinese Theater. The last dream I had was when I fell off the roof of the theater. But this time there was no balloon... I woke with such a start that I almost fell off the couch.
I was hot and sweaty so I took the sheets off me to get some air. I sat up to search for a clock or something. I saw one over on the shelf across the room. I couldn't read it form where I was so I went over to look. 7:40 AM. It sure didn't feel like 7:40. It felt more like 5 PM! I was really pepped up that morning. I have no clue why. I stretched my arms and that's when I figured out that I was very sore. You know from the struggle for my life last night...
I decided not to wake up Sawyer and instead get some breakfast, so I put on my vest and only got two steps closer to the door when I heard Sawyer's voice behind me say, "Good morning."
I turned around and looked at her. She was just as energetic as I was. We talked about last night's show over breakfast. I couldn't concentrate on the subject. I kept thinking about those dreams...
It turns out Sawyer is quite a good cook. She fixed us scrambled eggs and grits. It was most likely the best meal I had since I got here. Come to think of it, it was probably the best meal I had in months. I have very little appetite for anything at all in the morning but WOO BOY were those biscuits good!
After breakfast we sat on the couch and talked until nine (and again I had trouble keeping my mind away from those dreams), then we both headed out to Mammoth Studios to rehearse for that show. We got there about ten thirty.
Tillie, Cranston, and Francis were there. T. W. and Wooly weren't. About ten minutes later, they arrived and Mr. Mammoth gave us the scripts and we rehearsed until twelve.
The show was about some guy (my part) who was in love with this girl (Sawyer's part) who had no clue he even existed. Until this other guy (T. W.) got them together. It had dancing parts in it and those were pretty fun. Especially when mine and Sawyer's characters got to dance together. Wooly played the piano, Cranston played a bus driver, and Francis was a bar tender.
After the final number, L. B. told us he wouldn't need us to do another show for at least a month. Actually that was quite a relief. At least for the time being. I knew I would want to do another one as soon as I got my energy back.
But then I still had those dreams to think about. Did they mean something? If so... what? I didn't understand. But I knew that eventually I would find out. Only time will tell...
That night, Sawyer and me were on the couch, cuddled up together, listening to music. She was asleep with her head in my lap, but of course, I was still wide-awake. I kept thinking about those dreams... I finally fell asleep and... You guessed it, I had more dreams. These were even more real than the last. One was about an explosion... some kind of an explosion... a huge explosion, like nothing anyone has ever seen. The other dream was about a little girl with blonde hair and a pink dress... Darla Dimple. They only lasted seconds each but they were powerful. I woke again with a jolt that I woke up Sawyer too. It was only eleven at night so when she asked me what that was I simply told her the truth; bad dreams. She went to bed and I slept on the couch, fortunately without dreams this time....
Chapter 2
"QUIET! Action!" Six months later, we were putting on another show. It was a drama about a kid in college (my part) and an escaped convict (Cranston... he played that part rather well) who meet up and get into a lot of trouble. Personally, I didn't like my part very much. Sawyer did background harmonizing, Wooly played piano solos throughout the show, and Francis and T. W. got other parts.
Afterward, me and Sawyer just kind of walked our way around town, talking about things. I couldn't exactly keep my mind on the subject. I was still trying to figure out those dreams. Maybe it was all a sign from the future or something. But that still wouldn't explain the explosion dream. Or would it...
I decided to just forget about them for now and concentrate on what Sawyer was saying.
"So, what do you think."? She said.
The problem was I had no clue in hell of what she was talking about. I tried to act as not stupid as possible.
"About what."
She laughed and said, "About us... and our relationship."
That hit my mind so hard I didn't see the lamppost in front of me... Before I knew it I was on the ground and Sawyer was laughing her head off. She helped me up and I rubbed my forehead, which hurt... a lot.
"What do you mean 'what do I think.'" I said.
"Where do you think it's going to go eventually?"
I really didn't know how to answer that question. I knew what I wanted to say, but I didn't know if it was what she wanted to hear. But she wanted the truth. So I told her...
The next few days were pretty normal. But then, one night, I had more dreams. This time I could've sworn they were real. I was at stage number 8 at Mammoth Studios with Sawyer and the rest of the gang, but the stage was exactly like it was when I saw it last, except for one thing... there was a large scaffold next to the west wall. There were people working on the settings from up there. After they got down there were some faint creaking sounds coming from it. I figured it was just settling in. Sawyer walked over to the snack bar, which was in front of the scaffold, and got some stuff. I wasn't paying attention to her. I was focusing on the scaffolding. After she got done buying, she walked over to L. B. and mumbled something. Then there was a giant grinding noise as the legs of the scaffold collapsed and the whole thing began to fall. I was well out of range but Sawyer was right in the way! The scaffold collapsed and the whole thing fell on HER!!!
That time, I woke up on the floor. I was sweating and thirsty and actually very nauseas. The sun was up. I stood and looked at the clock. 10:24 AM. Well, I knew that dream was going to stay with me for a while. Little did I know I would need it.
I tried the best I could to keep it out of my head. I went to Sawyer's bedroom and she wasn't there. You could probably guess how worried I was when I couldn't find her anywhere. I even looked outside. No sign of her at all. I decided to check Pinky's just in case and sure enough, there she was at a booth with some coffee. She didn't notice me walk in despite the little bell thing on the door.
I sat in front of her and she greeted me with a cheery, "Good morning."
I definitely didn't want to tell her about the dream I had. I tried to act normal. I must have done well, because we went the rest of the day just like any other day.
The next day the worst thing that could happen at the time: L. B. called us in for a show at stage number 8...
When we got there... yup... there was a large scaffold next to the west wall. My heart skipped a beat. I didn't know what to think. I just knew I had to do something about it. No one would believe me. I must have gotten there a little late because there was no one on it and it was already making faint creaking sounds. I was so busy concentrating on that, and trying to figure out what the hell was going on, that I didn't see Sawyer walking over to the snack bar! I called out to her but she didn't hear me. Now she was walking towards L. B! The huge crowd of workers was getting in the way. I hopped on top of some utility shelves and ran as fast as I could toward her. The scaffold's legs collapsed. I jumped and ran towards her. Now the whole thing was fixing to fall on her. In the nick of time I shoved her well out of the way. But the scaffold fell on me...
At the hospital I learned that I had suffered a fractured right arm and leg. Sawyer was there, smiling at me. In fact everyone was there. My room was crowded.
"Danny," Sawyer said, smiling. "I want to thank you for saving my life..."
That was all I needed. I mean I wasn't expecting a medal of honor or anything. Even L. B. was there. He had seen my heroic effort and he decided to postpone the show until I could WALK again.
Well, about four months later, I fully recovered from that "accident" at the studio. I was still wondering what that was. It was so confusing... Regardless we went on with the show and it was a big hit. Don't even get me started on that. We went home to put on our casual clothes.
After we had lunch at Pinky's for the hundredth time, we strolled down to Mammoth Studios just to see how things were going. I was a little hesitant due to the "accident." We decided to have dinner at Tillie's place that night. I had never been there before. Sawyer and I went to her house to get ready. She wore the usual and so did I. She was by the door ready to go and I was still trying to make myself look just right.
"Danny, hurry. I don't want to be late... C'mon let's go give them the good news."
I smoothed out my clothes and snapped my tie and... what the hell. Just to look spiffy I decided to put on my green pants and jacket. You know, the one I wore at the Chinese Theater. We walked out the door and down the street.
When we got to Tillie's, we all sat down and ate. Everyone was talking when Sawyer and I stood up.
"Excuse me, may I have your attention please." I said in a happy tone. Everyone looked puzzled.
"We have a special announcement." I said, putting my arm around Sawyer. Their puzzlement grew.
We both smiled as I said, "Sawyer and I are getting married."
(To Be Continued)