Tommy said, “okay, that might be a good idea. If it’s okay, I am going to watch a movie or something on the holographic TV if this blackout ever goes off.”
I said back, “yeah, that is fine.”
I tried to breath as softly as I could, and shut my eyes and fell into a deep dark sleep, empty of dreams that would spiral me down into any kind of fear.
19
When I woke up, I had a pulsating headache residing in my right temple. I pressed it in hoping that the pressure would make it better, but it did not.
Tommy was asleep but the lights were on. I guessed that the blackout had finally stopped.
I sat on the bed wondering where Anthony and Sam had gone. Since leaving Mae’s house, I began to worry that it was possible that they had been taken by the secret Unity police. The only ideal possibility was that they were out trying to find us, and they would hopefully end up at the motel.
I wondered what happened to Rose, the supposed motel owner. I didn’t think that she was around, and perhaps it was just Mr. Van and there never was a Rose. Strange things happened everywhere I had been, especially in the hotels I have stayed in or dreamt about.
The sun had finally begun to rise when I had noticed Tommy tossing and turning. I walked over to the motel room door and opened it quietly to glance outside.
It smelt like a melted rubber tire, the dirty walls of the building were a rusted dull color, and the sign to the motel remained brightly lit up. Despite the government saying that they needed to prepare for an invasion, they weren’t all that good about hiding the fact that there indeed was an energy crisis, and it still allowed the motel to run its lights throughout the day.
I stretched over, and walked over to the same bench I had sat before, and felt a rush of tingles and fright go through my body and settle into my stomach.
I watched the open grassy fields in front of me move in the exotic winds, the sky retained a shade of purple as the big bright star rose over the horizon. A strange yet alien feeling had flown over me, I hadn’t seen the sunrise in many years.
Back in New York, the real New York, I remember my small house in the military base. It was much like this motel, a dull rusty color, small to hold a family of four, small to fit many of the same houses within the base.
Everything was perfect. The lawns were perfectly mowed at the same time of every day. The military dad’s left the house at the same time to rush off to base and training. The cars all left at the same time, synchronously as if everyone ran on the same agenda.
An odd feeling really, the idea that the sun would set at the same time, and only change during the seasons change, but it would rise and set, rise and set at the very same time, just as all the dad’s left every morning, all the lawns being mowed at the same time, all the wives cooking lunch for the kids, the holographic TV’s pumping out the same announcements every single day, twenty four seven.
Where had I been living up until I had disappeared?
I felt so odd, sitting on the very bench I had at first fallen into a wake of terrifying visions. Sitting and watching the life on a planet, I could almost consider my home.
Then, with the quiet so soothingly, a loud noise came from the street.
A little black dog wagged its tail and muddled over with its tiny four paws.
Its sniffling noises made it so cute and harmless, I reached down and petted the little dogs back. He reached out with his small muzzle and licked my hand.
I smiled. It amazed me how something so cute, could go lost on a world like this.
I bent further down to ask him, “where’d you come from little guy?”
I spoke to the puppy as if he would respond. Actually, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he talked back to me.
I picked him up, and walked down the sidewalk of the motel, and walked in pushing the door into the office.
“Good morning Luis! Nice to see you awake. What a night, the damn government is going to ruin my business if they keep letting these practice blackouts or whatever you call them to happen. Who is this little guy you have there?” Mr. Van asked me.
I replied, “I found him outside. He was just walking around, and came over to me on the bench.”
Mr. Van looked at the cute puppy and then suggested, “why don’t I keep him here, and I can take him home with me when I get to it. That way you and Tommy can keep working. I’ll be sure to bring him back to the motel when you two leave.”
I said surprised, “that would be great, Thank you!”
I walked back out after handing the puppy to Mr. Van, and as I exited the office, another car had pulled up to the parking lot. The car turned off, and I stood watching to see who would get out.
The front driver's side door opened, and out popped a bearded man with a tall stature and a strong look in his eyes, and out the back side poured two girls, and then one other guy who was also tall with long brown hair.
“Oof,” I said out loud.
I walked passed them and back to room 8B, and inside Tommy sat up in the bed with his shirt practically letting him drown in his bed head.
I said loudly, to wake him up, “good morning, nice to see you finally made it. I actually got to go out, and sit on the bench and watch the sunrise or whatever it is called.”
Tommy replied stretching his arms far over his head, “I know! I slept great. These beds are a little stiff, but it wasn’t anything I hadn’t been used to before. I feel like this whole set of sheets and topper smell like a new car. Wait, you went outside without me?”
He seemed concerned, and I swayed him off and said, “yeah, I just sat out front. I was listening for any cars. Never know who might show up, but a little black pug did come to the step, and I brought him to Mr. Van’s office. He said he’d take care of him. Anyway, I did see an SUV drop off a few people. They got out and it looked like they were getting a motel room.”
Tommy jumped in and said, “oh great! I bet they are going to be those really loud people. Or maybe they’ll just be really nosey and come knocking on our door or try to peer through our windows in the middle of the night.”
I remarked, “oh I hope not either. They did seem a little rough around the edges but we’ve dealt with rougher before. I was thinking we could try to message Anthony and Sam a few more times today, and maybe run back into the city and get some food. I don’t know what you think, I was wondering what you think we should do Tommy?”
He replied, “why don’t we just stick around here today, and wait it out, and maybe order some room service from Mr. Van, I am sure whatever they have here is good. He can’t be the only one working. I hope not anyway, I am almost out of gas, and need to refuel and recharge the lifter batteries on the Cadillac.”
I nodded my head and proceeded to my bed. I sat down and threw the covers back over my face and laughed.
“What movies should we watch today?” I asked.
“Man, I don't mind putting one on and then falling back to sleep and when that one ends, putting another movie on and sleeping the whole day. Did you want to order some lunch first?” Tommy asked.
“Lunch? Dude, you just woke up, why not breakfast?” I asked.
He responded, “we always have breakfast food it seems like. I just want some french fries and maybe a bacon burger with some chili on the side.”
I said, “you know what though, that kind of sounds good dude. Why not. Let me dial over to the office and place the order. I might have the same thing.”
I shimmied over to the side of the bed and picked up the phone to dial for the office. Mr. Van answered the phone, “Service Desk Van speaking, how may I help you today?”
I replied, “hi Van, this is Luis in 8B. Could we please place an order for room service?”
He chuckled on the other line, “we now only order in since it is just me here at the motel now. What would you both like, and I can call the nearest place for delivery for you since I have the address and all.”
“That would be great. So, we just
want two of the same order, and that is a Bacon Cheese Burger, with extra pickles, fries on the side with a cup of chili. Oh, and may we please have our burgers well done please?” I asked.
He said, “got it. Let me find a burger joint and it’ll be on the way.”
“Thanks, Mr. Van.” I said.
“No problem,” he responded and hung up the phone.
I looked over at Tommy from the bed, it was quiet, “Mr. Van said he will call it in for us. I have a little bit of cash that I took from my Dad’s jacket before I left the house.”
He replied, “okay cool. So, I guess we can wait for the food. I am going to shower.”
I nodded my head, I replied, unsure of really what to say, “okay sweet.”
Tommy got up and raced over to the bathroom. I sat and rubbed my itchy eyes, I had noticed the scent of mint and tea leaves.
What an odd smell for a motel room.
Waiting, I felt a sensation, unlike the many others I had felt since being on KS. Despite knowing that the whole world could’ve been a simulation or a game inside my head, it was an odd thing to know that everything on KS had to have come from Earth.
I thought inside my head, How the heck do they remove an entire city from one place on another planet, and put it on a different one several million miles away from its origin?
Nothing interesting had really happened since I had returned from the fence to Mae’s, and how Tommy said that it was too perfect we had been getting away with a lot, and that was optimistic.
I returned outside the motel room door, even though I knew I shouldn’t have been, and watched the crusty four, the two meant and two women come out of the motel office and walked towards me. I hoped that they wouldn’t say anything.
Then just as I had avoided eye contact, the man with the beard looked over to me and spoke loudly as if trying to shoot me in the head with his voice, “hey! Aren’t you the missing kid from on the TV?”
Then one of the females said in a raspy voice, “yeah, you’re the Luis Phillips who's been missing for several weeks now.”
I tried to think of something to say, all that came out was, “I, I am Luis Phillips. My parents know where I am now. Please don’t say anything to anyone about this. I am just waiting until they come and get me here.”
Then the man with the beard got closer and said, “I don’t believe you, man. I saw you, literally on the car television that you were out there still missing, and that there was a large reward to find you. I’m not talking about your parents trying to find you, this is some kind of “Wanted” by the government shit. You did something, or know something don’t you?” he asked eagerly wanting to know some answers. I hated his curiosity.
I remarked to the group, “I am wanted, but only because of this one thing. They don’t want me to tell you. Look around. What do you see? That sun, that so-called star, aren’t there three in the sky now? Look at that cloud, it looks like a field of wax paint, with streaks of blue, purple and yellow, not white. Look out there, past the motel, see that jagged line of skyscrapers. If this is New York City, and you didn’t realize where the shoreline of New Jersey was out there in those open fields, why haven’t you replied this is not Earth, and we have not won the Great War like the government has said. The aliens? They successfully took down our Fleet, they successfully induced us all, and zapped us all here like a gigantic, super tricking hilarious drug trip? And you ask me why the government wants me. Just look around. Where are we if not Earth?”
As I had spoken, my tone had gotten so loud, Mr. Van had stepped outside his office.
There was silence. The man with the beard was red and flustered, but he looked around not doubting my remarks about the true surroundings.
I said again and softly, “if you look around and you see the New Jersey shoreline to the river like there used to be. I need you to tell me so I can call Unity and tell them to come and get me, and that I have been spreading some kind of conspiracy. Do not, please I beg you, do not call anyone or tell anyone where I am pleased.”
Mr. Van looked at me, and then back out front his motel, then he looked at the sky, and realized, it wasn’t the blue and white clouded sky he remembered, and he realized there was no bridge in front of the tiny Rose’s Motel, there were no long string of cars waiting to pick up passerby's, there were no taxis, and there sure as hell were no stop lights.
He then spoke, “The government is making you feel like this is normal, the people of New York City are the only ones who are safe, and that is because they forgot where they lived. They forgot literally everything that used to be around this place on Earth, because they woke up one day, with a drug-induced amnesia, it’s as if we have lived here since the very beginning. Like this is it or some shit, but it's not. I suggest the next time you decide to go for a drive, or you are on your phone, try to look up photos of anywhere else on Earth, and I guarantee you’ll find nothing because that is exactly what Unity wants.”
The bearded guy looked back at me and replied, “I’m sorry. We won't say anything. We are going to go into our room, we’ll leave you in peace.”
I nodded my head as I had usually, I found fewer words the better, and I stepped back into 8B, and slowly shut the door.
20
Tommy had finally gotten out of the shower by the time I sat on the bed. I became impatient. I really wanted to go home. I waited, for what felt like an hour before Tommy finally retreated from the bathroom.
He looked over with his town around his waist, "hey, are you okay?"
I replied looking at the blue-lit clock on the wall, "yeah, it was just those new motel customers. I told them maybe if they looked around and took in the landscape a bit more."
He had a frightful look in his eye, "why did you do that Luis? You know they'll tell someone."
I said back, "I think that we will be fine. If they do call, I think we will get the notice and be long gone. They seemed to realize what is really going on around here."
Tommy rolled his eyes, "Luis, if we can't be hiding, then we will have to go back to trying to solve the universe's problems. I thought we agreed we just needed a break from it all?"
I remarked, "I want and need this break. But how long is it going to last until we finally break even and this is all solved? This problem is bigger than four people Tommy. We can only do this for so long, and if it ever does get solved, or we get Kolash, after that, what then? We will live normal lives, we will follow the rules and the laws, and we will constantly doubt the government's actions. The trust was broken long ago for me."
Tommy sat down on the bed, trying to let his hair drip on the floor and not his blankets, "my parents died Luis. They were killed, murdered by the government. Nothing is going to be normal again unless we get New York City back on Earth. However, we do that.”
He sighed, and paced back behind the closet door to change, and came out in a new clothing suit.
I looked at him and smiled, “your parents died, and I was beaten to death, tortured, drugged and manipulated. Stolen from my home without even knowing it, and enabled the aliens to just swoop their society one place and ours another. As much as we can do something about all this, I doubt we will ever get back to Earth even for you to face The Councilor to kill him for what he has done.”
Tommy responded, “I am going to sit outside. We need to leave. I don’t think it is safe for us to stay here anymore.”
I still sat on the bed, and Tommy left out the door. The lights flickered in and out.
Sirens everywhere began to go off, and the lights on the walls flashed. There was a fire.
I quickly grabbed all of our bags, threw what I could in and got out to the front of the motel.
“Luis, did you grab everything?” Tommy asked.
I replied back over the noise, “yes I did. Is there a fire?”
I asked loudly a second time over the sound of the blaring siren.
I dreaded the heat, it was no longer cool out, and as I retreated further away from
8B, I saw the smoke coming from the office.
I asked, “where is Mr. Van?”
“I have no idea man. I don’t see him and his car is gone, the fire seems to be in the main office. We need to get out of here before any of the authorities show up Luis.” Tommy responded.
I darted over to Tommy’s car, and he hopped in through the front door as I piled in the back with the heavy bags.
Tommy set the car to go into the city, something I would’ve highly recommended against.
The car moved faster than normal, it seemed that Tommy was in a rush and unnerved by something he had seen when he took a step outside. I didn’t ask what was wrong.
It seemed like the car had been in motion so long before I even knew where we were along the edge of the city. It was as if as I passed the trees and abnormal grasses, I could still see what used to stand as KS. The death and sickness of all the nature around was a prime example of why they had escaped this planet. Nothing could have motivated The Councilor more than this.
I closed my eyes for a minute, but like all else that day, the car came to a jolting stop.
I said with my eyes still shut, “Tommy, what is it?”
He didn’t respond.
I opened my eyes and walking along the side of the road was Sam.
I quickly hopped out.
She was staring down at the ground walking slow, and like she hadn’t even noticed we stopped on the side of the road for her. It felt strange and quite scary. I touched her shoulder, and her ragged hair had turned a tint of black, and her cheeks were a rusty dirty orange. I didn’t immediately ask her or say anything to put her off. I finally stopped her and wrapped my arms around her shoulder.
An instantaneous feeling of happiness fluttered over my chest.
I said smiling, “Sam, I am so glad to see you.”
She quietly said, “mhm.”
Sam finally tilted her head up, and in the shining light, I noticed how bloodshot her eyes were. How dry her skin was, as if she had been dehydrated. Tommy finally got out and came around to the passenger's side of the blue vehicle to help me lift her up into a seat. She sat weakly, as I pulled the seatbelt over her shoulder and got in on the other side.
The World of Hope Page 14
