Mi Mancherai

A Simpsons Fanfiction by A. M. Dressel

Disclaimer: “The Simpsons” and all related characters are copyrighted to Matt Groening and Twentieth Century Fox.

Author’s Note: This story includes a major character from an episode titled “The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star”.

All of my memories
Keep you near
In silent moments
Imagine you'd be here
All of my memories
Keep you near
The silent whispers, silent tears

Made me promise I'd try
To find my way back in this life
I hope there is away
To give me a sign you're okay
Reminds me again
It's worth it all
So I can go home

-Within Temptation; Memories

Despite the happy reunion and the forgiveness of the townsfolk toward her father, the eight year old girl still felt weary. Her large eyes scanned the damage hesitantly; she hated to look at it, she hated having to absorb all that had happened in the past several months.

In the family’s absence, the city of Springfield had fallen into ruin; the lack of supplies and the chaos of having been trapped for so long had all but driven its residents mad, forcing them to steal and plunder to get anything they could to survive.

The sky had an ashen hue to it from the ash and dust that obscured it. The once lush valley had disintegrated into various shades of muted browns and grey. Where proud buildings once stood had now become stripped and crumbled; with only gaping windows as a reminder of what they had once been. Those buildings made Lisa Simpson shudder, and she turned away from them.

She climbed down from the pile of lumber that had served as her perch, making her way across the brown lawn, to be greeted by the echoes of saws and hammers as their house slowly began to return to life.

“Mom! Hey, Mom?” Lisa called, spotting her mother by the trademarked blue curls that towered above everyone else. She gently pushed past Barney Gumble and Ruth Powers, nearly causing them to drop the plank of wood they were carrying. A sheepish smile from Lisa was enough of an apology for them, and they carried on.

“What is it, sweetie?” Marge responded in her gravelly, though warm voice. A thin smile spread on her lips as she looked down at Lisa. Thank God everyone was still alive; it still made the woman elated that the town had welcomed them back in.

“Is there any chance I can go to the park? Or..what’s left of it.” To be honest, Lisa was too little to really help with much of anything, and for the most part she felt better if she were to keep out of the way. She had already caused, accidentally, a number of injuries for the others. Nothing minor, but enough to get them frustrated.

“Hmmmmh..” came Marge’s telltale hum of discontent. “I don’t know, Lisa… I’d prefer you to stay where I can see you.”

“What if I take someone with me?” Lisa asked, rocking back and forth idly and smiling.

Marge looked Lisa in the eye, considering. It would be a good idea if her daughter were out of the way for awhile; she meant well but was usually in the wrong place at the wrong time. Plus a construction zone wasn’t a safe place for Lisa, Bart, or Maggie. But Bart was old enough to assist Homer with minimal chores and Maggie was usually sleeping.

“Who will be going with you?” Marge asked, her eyes still on Lisa’s expectantly.

“Colin!” Lisa nearly exclaimed. She giggled; that boy still made her all giddy, whether she could help it or not.

“Alright, but be back in time for dinner!” Marge called. But by then Lisa had darted across the lawn, knocking over Ned Flanders who in turn sent a box of shingles flying. Lisa apologized quickly and grabbed her saxophone, then grabbed Colin’s hand and rushed to the park.

The Irish boy laughed as their strides slowed down. “Lisa, calm down!” he brogued. “Why the rush to get away?”

“I’m causing nothing but accidents,” Lisa responded dejectedly, sitting next to him on one of the few remaining benches. “Plus, if I hear Dad yell at Bart one more time I think I’ll go mad.”

Both children chuckled and spent the remainder of the afternoon talking and exchanging stories. Time flies by when you’re having fun – because soon the sky began to paint itself with lavenders and oranges as twilight began to set in.

“We should be going home,” Lisa told her friend, standing up and brushing off her dress.

“Yeah. I want to get first dibs on dinner, anyway,” Colin joked.

“Not if I get to it first,” Lisa challenged.

“Are you making a bet?” Colin responded, arching his brow.

“Last one there has to share with Maggie!” Lisa retorted, gently shoving past Colin and darting off.

Giggles and the sound of light footsteps echoed through the darkening ruins as they made their way back to where the residents were staying. They had all decided to stay close to each other during the reconstruction of the town, which had left all but one one quarter of the town populated, or even livable, for that matter.

Then they came to the most difficult part of the journey: the makeshift dam. When the glass of the dome had shattered, large chunks had fallen into the toxic waters of Lake Springfield and causing it to flood uproariously. The flood stretched across the entire city in a mess of pitch black acid that destroyed anything in its path. The only way to cross was by walking over a collective pile of debris that formed a rickety dam across the span of the lake. It was long and crossing it seemed to take an eternity.

Lisa stopped abruptly at the edge and watched the distant bonfires act as the beacon home. It was but a tiny dot of light; it was so far neither of them could hear the townsfolk preparing dinner and settling in.

“C’mon, Lisa!” Colin began to cross the span confidently, as he had done many times since the flood. “You chicken?”

Lisa rolled her eyes. Colin may have been her perfect match, but he still had his immature moments. But the lightheartedness did ease her fear a little. “You’ll be eating your own words soon enough.” With that, she slowly began to cross the bridge, shakily making her way across a pile of lumber.

Partway through the trek, Colin heard a soft hiss down at the water’s surface. Looking down, the boy stopped and went pale.

The bridge’s resolve was nearly gone, and the toxic water was eating it away at an alarming rate.

“Lisa! Stop!”

Lisa opened her mouth to speak, then followed her friend’s stare, while at the same time the smell of sulfur filled their sinuses.

Before either of them could speak, a resounding CRACK! filled the air as sections of the bridge began to plummet into the water. Before Lisa could run forward, the section of the bridge between the two of them vanished with a violent splash and hiss.

“Run!” Colin exclaimed. “I’ll tell everyone else where you are!” With that, both children ran opposite ways, the bridge becoming more and more rickety and wobbly.

Splash! Crash! Hiss!

Those sounds filled their ears as they ran, barely able to keep ahead of the destruction.

But the two of them made it to land safely, having to leap before their last platforms met their end. Colin rolled a few times and looked back to make sure Lisa had made it. He pulled a flashlight from his pocket and flashed it in Lisa’s direction. Lisa promptly responded by holding her saxophone up to allow the light to reflect back.

Colin smiled, relieved. Before long, his legs were carrying him back to the encampment.

Lisa was unable to do anything but sit and wait. She smiled as she saw in the far distance a few lights coming to the shore to keep vigil. They were unable to communicate, but the distant lights at least keep Lisa from bursting into tears.

A few hours passed and Lisa began to shiver violently as the cold night air began to wrap around her. She should probably find a place to sleep. Reluctantly, she wandered into the towers of ruin. They know she’s alive; she’ll be back first thing in the morning.

It’s much darker than Lisa remembered from earlier. She walked slowly, frightened of the shadows that the unfamiliar ruins had created. Laughing nervously to herself, Lisa quelled it as she began to cough and sniffle. She could see her own breath now, and her shivering got more and more violent.

She looked to her left to spot one of the few buildings left, at least mostly, still standing. She couldn’t tell what it was, but perhaps it could offer some shelter from the cold and the wind.

Slowly, Lisa climbed the stoop and huddled in the shadows, trying to keep herself hidden. She allowed herself to cry in bitter silence.

Why did this happen?

Why did she deserve to be separated from her family?

Why?

Why…

The question lingered in her mind as she fell into an uneasy sleep, clutching her saxophone and curling into a ball of shivering nerves.

She didn’t hear the footsteps looming slowly toward the door. They were heavy, with a rhythm to them. A creak of the wooden door was quiet enough to not disturb the girl as a tall male figure slipped out onto the stoop.

He stood there a moment, then glanced around for anyone else. He stood for several minutes, wondering just how the little one ended up in a place like this… Seeing nobody come to Lisa’s aid, the Catholic priest bent down to scoop the girl up.

Lisa could register the man’s presence and being picked up, but she was too cold and tired to do much but whimper.

“Don’t you worry, wee one,” Father Sean’s gentle voice soothed. “You won’t be freezing to death while I’m around.”

With that, he carried her inside and sparing Lisa from a night in the cold.