Chapter Text
How does corn grow so tall in a place with no actual sunlight? Or Beans? Or any of the several dozen different fruits and vegetables growing in the rich black soil? Perhaps it was the unnaturally fertile earth that compensated for the lack of seasons and sun and rain. Not that the last part would have ever been an issue. They’d had roofs and running water since they arrived.
“Dwight? Earth to Dwight!” a voice called, directly by his ear. Jumping as he was pulled out of his thoughts, the bespeckled man almost fell over into the rows of aforementioned corn.
Grabbing his arm, Jake asked, “You’re still daydreaming about your trip, huh?”
Dwight sighed, setting aside the shovel he’d been using and dusting himself off. “Every chance I get, but I was actually thinking about all this.”
Looking over the neat rows of crops, Jake was silent for a moment. That wasn’t entirely unusual. He was normally a pretty quiet person and that hadn’t changed since they’d gotten out of the Entity’s Realm.
Finally, he said, “Sorry I can’t go this time.”
Although Dwight was disappointed, he tried not to let it show. They’d already talked about it multiple times, and he really didn’t blame him for not being able to go. “It’s fine, I understand. Do you think… Leon’s going to try and talk me out of it?”
Jake smiled. “He just might. He doesn’t like it when any of us go out alone.”
“Do you think he’s right?” Dwight asked, unable to help his nervous fidgeting. “I know none of the others have ever had problems when they’ve gone out by themselves, but… Maybe I’m not cut out for it?”
Walking with him as they made their way back towards his house, Jake offered bluntly, “He’s always going to worry when one of us goes out, especially when we go alone. But, this isn’t the first time you’ve gone on a long road trip. Nothing has ever happened before, so why would this be any different? You’re smart, Dwight. You’re capable. It’s not going to be any different than before… everything else. You can do this.”
Nodding, he tried to feel as confident as his best friend sounded. It really wasn’t like it was the first time he’d gone out on a multi-day or even multi-week road trip since they’d been back. He’d actually gotten to see over half the places on his original bucket list and dozens of new places that he’d never heard of. But this would be his first time going alone, and it left him feeling more anxious than usual.
Usually, Jake would go with him. Never one to miss an opportunity to get outdoors or just out of the pocket dimension they now called home, it had come as a shock to Dwight when he’d apologetically informed him he wouldn’t be able to go with him on his trip. He’d already volunteered to help set up a new satellite tower Jonah had designed, and the project had ended up coming together much faster than any of them had anticipated. Now, it was going to take several days to put everything together, test it, and tweak it to make sure it was working as efficiently as possible. They’d had cell service and internet for a few years -again, mostly thanks to Jonah- but it was spotty at best and everyone was getting tired of Ash complaining about his shows cutting out midstream.
“You could ask David or Claudette to go with you,” Jake offered, easily picking up on Dwight’s anxiety. “Or Meg. You know she’s always down for adventure. Or… you could postpone your trip.”
“Hmm? Oh, no,” he murmured. “You know Claudette doesn’t really like tourist traps and David and Meg are busy anyway. I already got the time off approved and if I try to move the dates now I’ll have to find someone to trade duty with and-”
Giving him his patented, ‘I know. You’re rambling again. It’s okay,’ look, Jake managed to shut him up without saying a word.
“So. Tomorrow?” he asked after a beat of silence.
“Actually… I was thinking of going now, since I'm done with my chores for the day,” Dwight admitted, rubbing the back of his head. “I know Meg is planning to ambush me as soon as I try to leave and I’m pretty sure she’s got Ash and Quentin to try and convince me as well.”
Shaking his head, Jake laughed quietly. “They should know by now, once you’ve made up your mind there is no changing it. Why don’t you ask them to go?”
Dwight smiled at that. It was true. He may be an anxious, nervous wreck most of the time, but he had a stubborn streak that often drove his friends more than a little nuts. “It’s fine, really. I’m actually kind of looking forward to doing this myself. It’s been a long time since I’ve actually gotten to get out like this and I just… I kind of need the time away.”
Jake didn’t need to say anything, fully understanding the sentiment. Sometimes Dwight wondered why he stayed in the Pocket with the rest of them. Although they’d easily come together and built a community, they were all free to go if they wanted.
Still, Dwight already knew the answer to his own question. The Pocket was a safe haven, free from the threat of Killers or being recognized as long since presumed dead missing persons. The world had changed since they’d been taken, and many of them weren’t even from this Earth Realm; a fact that the former S.T.A.R.S members had quickly realized. They weren’t the only ones, but it was by far the biggest shock to the former agents turned Survivor.
Realizing they were standing awkwardly outside his front door, Dwight grimaced, a slightly blush coming to his cheeks. “Sorry, I got lost in thought. I’ve already packed some clothes and everything, so… want to walk with me to the Tree? I know Leon’s not going to like me dipping out a day early, even if I am done with my assignments.”
“He’s going to lecture you either way,” Jake chuckled, shrugging. “But yeah. I’ll try to distract Meg if she realizes what you’re doing.”
“I thought she was on pond duty today?” Dwight asked. In all reality, he didn’t mind that Meg was so adamant about him not going out alone. It was just her way of showing she cared. Of course, if he had to sit through another of her two hour long lectures on safety and keeping a low profile, he may die of old age.
Nevertheless, he reached inside to grab his backpack. He hadn’t been joking about being ready to go, having packed his bag hours before his alarm had even gone off to signal it was time to wake up for the day. Pulling the door closed again, he didn’t bother to lock it. It wasn’t like anyone would go in while he was gone and even if they did, he trusted they’d leave his stuff alone. Well, David might go through his refrigerator looking for snacks, but that didn’t bother him. He’d already moved the stuff he didn’t want to share to Jake’s place to keep it safe while he was gone.
As they walked towards a large building in the center of the horse shoe shaped cul-de-sac that Dwight always thought was quite reminiscent of a courthouse, Jake asked, “Are you planning to bring anything back this time?”
Having been thinking about that exact question quite a bit himself, he already had an answer. “Of course. I’m going to try and get some more books. Ace asked for a couple packs of playing cards and a new set of poker chips if I can find any, and as usual, Nea wants me to bring her some more spray paint. Did you want anything?”
“You do too much, Dwight,” Jake admonished, but there was no aggression behind it. “They can go out and get all that themselves, you know? Well, I guess Nea can’t since she broke her leg… But she’ll be fine in another day or two and she’s too impatient to wait for you to get back; she’s probably going to go out as soon as she can and get more anyway.”
“I know, but she’s always running out. May as well help her stay stocked up. And the others would either have to wait for their day off, or they would have to put in a time off request, wait to get it approved- You know, the whole thing is just tedious. Besides, the less of us go out the better,” he argued half-heartedly. “And, I like helping.”
He really did. It gave him something to do, other than tend the gardens or feed the fish in the ponds they’d dug. As much as he loved the Pocket for its absolute safety and generous provisions, he found himself missing the more mundane parts of day to day life from before. He missed walking down the street to get coffee for his coworkers. The sounds of traffic whizzing by outside his small apartment. The hubbub and murmur of other people just going about their lives, unaware and unbothered by what might be lurking in the shadows around them.
Just as they were walking up the steps to the large whitewashed building, the patter of feet racing over hard ground reached their ears. Swiveling, Jake muttered, “Shit, looks like Meg figured out your plan and she is coming to get you.”
Braids flying out behind her as she ran, the former up and coming track star shouted, “Dwight! Don’t even think about it! I want to talk to you!”
“Ah, crap,” he swore. Shooting inside, he added, “Bye Jake! I’ll text you updates when I can!”
“Have a safe trip,” he called, voice becoming slightly muffled as the door shut.
Dwight barely heard him, having immediately bumped into another person. Hands grabbed his shoulders before he could fall over, helping him find his balance. Smiling apologetically, he offered, “Sorry, Tapp! Um, is Leon here?”
The former detective didn’t answer right away, looking past him to the door where muffled commotion could be heard. Looking back at Dwight, he asked, “Meg?”
Fiddling with the hem of his shirt, he nodded. It was well known that she hated it when he went on long distance road trips, but she usually didn’t raise so much of a fuss since he had someone else with him; especially when she got to go… Now that he was going on his own however!
Laughing, Tapp shook his head. “Come on, kid. He had a feeling you were going to be heading out early so he’s already waiting for you.”
Why oh why did that make him so nervous? He knew Leon wasn’t going to not let him go; they weren’t prisoners here. Maybe it was because he always gave them the same lecture every time someone went out. By that point Dwight could practically recite the entire thing by heart…
Then again, Leon just made him nervous in general. He’d easily stepped into the role of leadership when they’d escaped the Entity’s Realm and Dwight was all too happy to be free of the burden. But he still understood the stress of wanting to keep everyone safe, fed, and happy. There were days he honestly couldn’t tell if stepping aside had made things easier or not, and he felt slightly guilty for being so glad it wasn’t his job to mediate or problem solve anymore. That didn’t stop some of the others from coming to him anyway, and he would be lying if he said he didn’t appreciate their continued friendship and trust.
“You know what he’s going to say,” Tapp said, a knowing smile on his face as they walked deeper into the building. “Where are you going again?”
Pulled out of his thoughts, Dwight explained, “Well, I’ve never been to Colorado and I hear it’s really pretty this time of year.”
“You ski? Or snowboard?” Tapp asked curiously. “I’ve known you a long time now, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard you mention it before.”
“I don’t,” Dwight admitted. “But it’s a change of scenery and I’ve always loved the snow. And… you know they don’t usually show up in places like that.”
Tapp’s expression darkened as he warned, “Ghostface was on a spree nearby there not too long ago. Over in Utah, if I remember correctly. And the Huntress and Legion aren’t bothered by snow.”
Although the idea of running into a Killer now that they were outside the Entity’s Realm utterly terrified Dwight, he wasn’t too worried. Ghostface always followed the same pattern. Show up, kill a few people, vanish. That creepy reporter Jed Olson always showed up just behind him, chasing him from city to city and state to state, never doubling back and never returning to the same place twice. Unless he was drawn back by a copycat, that was, but again, not an issue for the worried Survivor. The Legion had vanished from the Entity’s Realm and as far as they could tell, hadn’t reappeared in the twenty some odd years they’d been back. As for the Huntress, she usually seemed to hunt abroad, rarely appearing in the states and even then it was usually in heavily wooded areas.
“I’m not worried. I’ve got the latest sighting reports from Mikaela and Haddie, and they’ve given me the green light,” he promised. “Besides, we’ve been back for over twenty years and none of us have run into a single Killer even one time.”
“Yeah,” Tapp agreed slowly, sounding unconvinced. “I just don’t like it. You being so close to where a Killer was sighted. Even if it was months ago. You know he hasn’t been seen since the copycat killing in that Georgia radio station? He must be planning something…”
Tapp trailed off, lost in thought as he wondered what the Killer could be up to. Again, not an unusual occurrence. The former detective had a hatred for Killers beyond any of them, except maybe Cheryl or Laurie. Both women had incredibly personal connections to specific Killers, although the same could be said of Quentin.
Reaching a large atrium, Dwight took a moment to stare. He couldn’t help it. No matter how many times he saw the Tree, it always took his breath away. Standing almost three stories tall, the great twisted trunk was smooth and barkless, yet its branches were full of ever color changing leaves. Glittering with red and pink as if the sun was shining down on them through the large glass dome roof instead of the unending cloudless twilight, it made him think of cherry blossoms. Maybe he should go to Japan soon. He’d stuck to the US so far, but the more he considered international travel, the more appealing it became. It would take a lot more planning however, since he’d have to fly to whatever location he wanted to visit.
Of course, that meant opening a new Entryway to get back and they tried to avoid doing so as much as possible. They could only assume Killers could do the same and if they were close enough to sense it, it could lead to massive problems.
“Beautiful today, isn’t it?” a voice asked right beside him.
Jumping for at least the fourth time that day, Dwight gasped. “Leon! Please don’t do that!”
He smiled slightly, still staring up at the Tree. “So… you’re leaving early, huh?”
As Dwight opened his mouth to try and get out his -hopefully- well rehearsed spiel about how he’d already finished his assigned duties for the day, let at least two other people know he was leaving, gotten the latest Killer sightings from Mikaela and Haddie, and had his cell phone and an extra charger in his bag, Leon surprised him again.
“I think we’ve had this conversation enough times for you to know what I’m going to say, so I’ll keep it short. Be safe, be smart, and if you so much as think there’s a Killer nearby, open a new Entryway and get your ass back here immediately.”
Grinning, Dwight nodded. “Thanks, Leon. I can definitely do that. Did you want me to pick anything up for you while I’m out?”
The blond looked at him, eyes softening from the usual cold worry that seemed to plague him to a more warm, caring gaze. “I want you to have a good time, Dwight. Going out on your own is a really big step. It’ll be good for you. You’ve been working yourself too hard and you deserve the time off. And… I heard about what happened with you and Kate.”
Nearly choking on air, Dwight stammered, “I-it was just- just a misunderstanding! W-we were drunk and I- I don’t know m-maybe I-”
“Dwight,” Leon interrupted softly. “It’s okay. Just give her some space. No one got hurt. You’ll both be fine.”
Looking at the floor, he muttered, “That was so embarrassing. I really just shouldn’t drink. I always end up doing something stupid.”
Patting his shoulder, Leon chuckled, “That’s what alcohol does. So, you got your cell phone?”
“Of course,” he promised, double checking his backpack. “And before you go through the whole list, yes, I have a first aid kit from Claudette, clean socks, clean underwear, and enough money for gas and everyone’s requests. Now, can I please go before Meg gets past Jake?”
Glancing over his shoulder towards the doorway, Leon shook his head. “You sure she doesn’t just want to go with you?”
Looking at the growing number of angry texts lighting up his phone screen, Dwight grimaced. “No, no she doesn’t.”
Trying not to laugh, Leon nodded. “Alright. Have a good trip.”
Excited to get out on his own for a while, Dwight walked up to the Tree. Opening an Entryway to the out-of-Pocket safe house they used, he stepped into a quaint living room. Already entirely familiar with the layout and contents of the small house, he didn’t bother to stop and look around. Making his way to the garage, he grabbed the keys to one of the smaller, more fuel efficient sedans. It was only him so it wasn’t like he needed a lot of room, and the more cash he could save, the better.
Punching in the address to a museum on the Colorado, Utah border, he was on his way.
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