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Ep 22. Glimpse

4/21/23

A long shot of a blurred city background, with Minty and Sugarcube sitting on the ice cubes in Brandy's head. Brandy's face is offscreen, and Sugarcube has a cloth covering her eyes. Sugarcube asks, Dad, can I draw chalks outside? Minty asks, Are you sure it's okay for me to be in here, Brandy? The next panel shows that the three of them are walking down the sidewalk, with Brandy carrying both his family and a large duffel bag. Brandy, looking put off, says, It's fine. Minty, throwing Sugarcube up in the air and making her giggle, says, You can draw chalks inside, Sugar! And we won't lose our deposit! As Minty holds Sugarcube in the air, there's small text above her reading, Eeheehee!
There is a close-up of Brandy's face and his exhausted expression as he says, We weren't getting that back anyways. After a cut, the three of them are shown back inside the apartment. The place looks normal and clean, as seen before, except for the fact that there are papers taped all over the bottom half of their living room window to block the view to the outside. Sugarcube is drawing with paper and crayons, Brandy is looking over the supplies they collected, and Minty is writing things down. Minty says, Water is looking weird, power's out. Our phones are dead!
Sugarcube asks, Why can't I eat toasts? Minty, walking over to her, answers, There's no freaking bread. Offscreen, Brandy scolds, Mouth. Minty corrects himself by saying, The bread ran away. But we do have beans. Sugarcube, eyebrows raising, asks, Beans? Minty puts an open can of beans on her head and tells her, You can eat these in your room today! Sugarcube exclaims, Wow! and runs off to her room, leaving Brandy and Minty alone. Brandy looks worried, while Minty stares at him in frustration.
Brandy asks, What? Minty replies, You're driving me nuts. What is the plan? Brandy answers, Survive. Minty asks, Until what? Brandy scratches the back of his head, explaining, It's hard enough managing day by day. Things are only getting more dangerous, I can't plan too far ahead.
Minty, afraid, asks, Seriously? Brandy, suddenly glaring, answers, I don't know what's going to happen. Why don't you make a plan? Minty snaps, I'd like to just fucking leave! But we can't! Look! He walks over to their papered up windows, pulling two sheets apart to peek through the crack. Minty cuts himself off mid-sentence, saying, I bet there's even, yep.
Outside, in the distance, they can see massive parasites lingering on the streets. Minty says, They're out there! Every fucking day now! Brandy moves over to Minty's side, going to look outside as well, and after a pause says, We should make a weapon. Is that enough planning for you? Still not looking away, Minty answers, Fine. For now.
Time passes. The next panel shows that, by nighttime, Brandy and Minty are still talking about logistics. Minty says, And we need to get water somewhere else now. Brandy replies, I know. Minty asks, What about the waterway? The park? Brandy, looking away, doesn't answer, causing Minty to say his name again. Brandy, instead of answering Minty's question, fully turns to look out the window, revealing an intense blanket of vibrant stars past the taped up section. Brandy asks, Do you see that? Minty says, Huh?
Brandy points, obviously nervous, and clarifies, Do you? The stars? Minty takes a couple of steps forward, with text above him reading, Step step. Confused, Minty asks, Yeah? What about them? The next panel shows the windows again, showing that from Minty's point of view, the sky is completely normal.
Time passes again. Now, Brandy, Minty, and Sugarcube are out on the street again, with Sugarcube blindfolded and both her and Minty riding in Brandy's head. Brandy carries both the duffel bag and a crowbar, quiet as Minty plays with Sugarcube. Minty says, Dinga doynga doynga doynga! Sugarcube giggles, Aaheehe! and there is text above her reading, bounce bounce. As Minty continues to play with Sugarcube, the bouncing causes her blindfold to slip. At the same time, Brandy spots something ahead, freezing in his tracks.
A massive parasite is stepping out from between two of the buildings ahead, only its segmented leg visible from the sidewalk. Minty, oblivious, lifts Sugarcube into the air, teasing, I'm gonna eat you! Aah. Sugarcube, however, falls silent, a look of horror crossing her face as she spots an assimilated object for the very first time.
It lurches fully into view with massive red text reading, Lurch, twisting to face the three of them. From the gaping hole in its front, it lets out an ominous drone. At this point, Minty seems to realize what's happening, wearing his own look of fear.
Suddenly, Sugarcube screams at the top of her lungs, prompting Brandy to throw off his bag and shout, Take the kid and run! Minty jumps out of Brandy's glass with Sugarcube held tightly in his arms, fur bristling as he makes a break for it. As they leap, an action line follows them, with Sugar's blindfold flying off and white text reading, Leap. Sugarcube doesn't stop crying and screaming, absolutely terrified. With his crowbar ready, Brandy takes a swing at the assimilated object's leg, hitting it with a sturdy, Krak. In response, the object groans, dragging out a, No, sound.
As it raises itself higher off the ground, with flavor text beside it reading, Lift, it only keeps making noise, a grub-infested, spindly hand reaching out from the gaping hole in its front as its droning grows louder and louder.
The hand reaches towards Brandy, dropping little parasitic grubs as it moves. Quickly, Brandy turns and makes a run for it, leaving the hand to grab uselessly at the air. The next shot is back in the apartment, in Sugarcube's room, where Brandy is sitting on the floor beside her bed. At the foot of her bed, there's a little staircase with a flower pattern on its side. On the wall, in chalk, there is a drawing of the three of them together, first of Brandy, then Minty, then Sugar. Looking down to the darkness under the bed, Brandy says, Sugar, Sugarcube, let's talk, honey.
Sugarcube hiccups and cries, Dad. Brandy answers, You don't have to say anything, okay? We couldn't think of a way to tell you how much things have changed. But nothing's gonna happen to you as long as your dads are here. If you're scared, I can sleep by your bed or you can sleep in mine from now on. Sugarcube listens to him speak from deep under her bed, hiding in the corner with a stuffed dinosaur plush and a stuffed duck plush. She still looks terrified.
The final panel is a long shot of Sugarcube curled up in bed with both her plush toys, almost entirely hidden by her blanket. Brandy sleeps sitting upright at the foot of her bed. The way the panel is drawn makes the walls seem like they extend up into nothing, leaving both Brandy and Sugarcube looking very, very small.
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BRANDY has been afflicted with STARSHEET.

The survivor's mind has been gripped with a signal and afflicted with  STARSHEET. Survivor will hallucinate more stars in the sky at night.

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