Silent Conversation
by Maria Cline
This covers two challenges. It covers the Artie challenge. It also covered the dialogue challenge. This story takes place after X-Force 91 (I think). I heard that Terry was going to loose her voice in that issue so I tried to play fortuneteller and think of a possible story.
Teresa hated the silence. Tears trickled down her face. She couldn't scream like she once did. She couldn't even speak now. Her father, Sean, took her in to help her cope without her voice.
She lay alone in her bed healing. The scars of Feral's claws are still there, still aching. The silence was painful. She turned on the lights to hear the clicks. She clapped her hands to make some sound. Sean had given her a radio but it was busted.
Suddenly a knock emanated from the door. She looked at the clock, it was midnight. Teresa watched the door opening to see a pink head popped in. It was Artie. She knew that he couldn't read so she drew a question mark in the air and pointed to him.
Artie created a picture of Terry alone in her bed looking sad. He wanted to visit her.
Terry smiled at the answer. She pointed to a photo of the X-Men and pointed out Leech. She made a question mark in the air and pointed to the picture.
Artie replied with a picture of Leech asleep in his bed.
Terry pointed to the picture and at him. She wondered why Artie wasn't asleep.
Artie shook his head and created a picture of her alone crying. He had heard her crying. He then showed a picture of himself before he mutated and after. He created a gag over his mouth.
Terry sadly frowned and pointed to the picture and at herself and shook her head. She couldn't make those pictures like he could.
Artie made a picture of Terry drawing with some markers smiling. He gave her a pad of paper. He got out a box of crayons and drew a pretty flower. He tore off the page and gave it to her.
Terry gasped and smiled. She held the picture close to her and nodded her thanks. She reached out and hugged him. After a long minute they stopped. Terry pointed to him and pointed up stairs. She put her hands beside her face in a sleeping position.
Artie nodded and projected a happy face with a question mark beside it.
Terry put the picture of the flower close to her heart and nodded smiling.
Artie left her alone. Terry stared at the picture in her hand. She folded it carefully and placed it on the drawer besides her bed. She smiled as she fell asleep. The silence isn't as bad as it once was. The end.