Deja Vu
Chicago World's Fair, 1933
"Don't let go," Spike instructed the brown-haired child clinging to his back.
"It's a long way down if you fall."
The little boy whimpered and held on tighter. Spike adjusted his own hold on
the wooden support beams, and began the journey to the ground.
The Ferris Wheel had closed at sunset, but the operators must have failed to
check the seats before shutting the amusement ride down. Spike had climbed the
wheel on a whim, wanting to see the electric lights that decorated the fair,
while Drusilla played on her own.
Spike had found the boy asleep in the highest cart. If Spike hadn't gorged
himself earlier on fair attendees, he'd have gleefully drained the child as a
midnight snack. The only reason the young one hadn't been used in a gravity
experiment was because he'd opened his eyes and focused the dark chocolate orbs
on Spike.
Spike had a sense of deja vu and an even stronger feeling to take care of the
boy. He should have questioned his sanity when he'd told the child to climb on
his back, but instead he simply climbed down the Ferris Wheel.
"Don't let go," Spike said again, still piggy-backing the dark-haired child.
Spike walked through the late crowd towards the Administration building, where
the police were stationed. He entered the building through the fancy glass doors
and bypassed the complaining persons in the main hall, who'd had their pockets
picked.
"Hey," Spike greeted the harried uniformed man behind a tall oak bench. "You
got a lost-n-found for tykes?"
"William!" a deep voice boomed, causing Spike to spin on his heel. "William
Alexander!"
"I'm gonna get a whuppin'," the boy on Spike's back mumbled in his ear.
A barrel of a man rushed over to Spike, his long legs eating the distance
quickly. His dark brown hair stood out every which way, a testimony to worried
fingers being dragged through it. Rich chocolate eyes that matched the boy's
reflected anger, fear, and relief.
"William Alexander, where have you been?" the man almost-yelled with a thick
English accent.
"Found the sprog on the Ferris Wheel," Spike told him, passing the child to
the man, who was obviously the boy's father. "He was sleeping."
"You had me scared to death, William." The father hugged his son tightly.
"You're not going to sit for a week, I'm going to tan you so hard. I thought
you'd been nicked. I'm so bloody angry with you. Are you hurt?"
Wondering what had gotten into him, Spike went to leave before the family
reunion made him sick. The relieved father stopped him by laying a large hand on
his shoulder. "How can I thank you?" the man asked.
Spike shrugged him off. "None needed." He continued on his way, but his step
faltered when he heard the man speaking to the desk officer.
"I'm Alexander Spike Harris. I reported my child as missing. He's found now."
End
