Echo

by J. K. Accinni

  The creature planned to take an excursion to the surface sometime soon. She needed to check on the various groups that clustered in small buildings on land that previously grew stunning fruit orchards.

  Her monumental shock when she witnessed the fruit trees ripped from the earth, destroying a unique gift given to the humans, shook her to her core. Gone—the orchards that would feed so many, for so long. Within a decade, the miracle seeds from those trees and the crops would spread naturally, all over the world, feeding everyone; the wanton waste so unforgivable. As a result, the Womb angrily intensified its plan for revenge. This species clearly refused to learn. How they became programmed for self-destruction, she did not know. Perhaps if the Elders acquiesced differently to the Womb after the discovery of their forbidden experiment, they could have intervened, guiding evolution to a more satisfactory outcome. The very guidance that the Womb enjoyed exerting everywhere else, feeling no planet too insignificant. But the Womb had forbidden the guidance. The humans were unknowingly on their own.

  The creature disconnected from the Hive wall, her tail dry as it withdrew from the thick membrane. Leaving her private chamber, she shuffled and bobbed her way up the long lonely trail to the outside world.

  Arriving at the end of the underground trail, the creature reached her hand into the cavern wall, asking it to part. When the wall parted, she squeezed and contorted her way around the rocks and boulders blocking and disguising the Hive. Glancing back, she made sure the Hive closed behind her.

  She remembered the blame for the catastrophic events of a century ago belonged partially to her. After her Emergence, she left her Brother behind in his helpless hibernation state in her zeal to explore topside. If her Emergence occurred back on Oolah, surrounded by all the help her Brother needed to emerge from hibernation and begin transition, his eventual expiration would have been successful. She herself would receive proper guidance, allowing the time for her awareness to digest all the stimuli being transmitted to her mind from her own transcription cells. She would not have run off halfcocked and uninformed, failing to require the Hive to close behind her, making the fatal mistake that allowed the Sister to enter and discover her birth Brother.

  Having reached maturity, she realized her birth Brother must have called the human to use for his own recovery but she doubted her Brother’s powers were strong enough.

  The Womb creates the energy she and Brother need to survive as a by-product of its slow feeding on the organic material it rested on. It was an inexhaustible source of the energy she needed to feed on as long as she remained underground. Once above ground, she took all she needed from the sun. She could also use a human Brother or Sister but she strongly planned to stay far away for now. Besides, she much preferred the slower absorption from the sun. It reacted more efficiently with her metabolism. Taking nourishment from a human left her species confused and disoriented. Perhaps the very reason Brother left the Hive with the Sister. Maybe confusion reigned.

  The occasional animal that wandered near could obviously smell the membrane and knew the Womb lived. They usually entered out of curiosity and perhaps hunger, causing little damage. But she knew the Sister entered because of her own carelessness.

  Not only did she carry overwhelming guilt and barely tolerable loneliness but she knew her species probably did not know she existed. They monitor the energy outflow from the Womb membrane to determine if Brother still lived. The Womb could not make a distinction between its minions. They undoubtedly think she is Brother. The Womb never registered any simultaneous energy draws, cluing them in to her existence back home. Over the last century, they recorded her withdrawal, mistakenly believing it to be that of Brother’s. At some point Brother would have died. They would not know that he had an offspring or that he had become an Elder. They would expect the humans to carry out the mission of their own volition after her Brother’s death. Monitoring this planet would provide few answers. Only an Elder could communicate through the Womb to Oolah. But the Womb knew. That’s all that really mattered. Oh well, she could only do her best. When she thought the humans were ready, she would begin.

  Pushing all the unanswerable questions from her rambling mind, she stepped around the cairn of rocks that helped protect the Hive and stretched up to the sun. Sensing the life form she detected earlier, she peered around the rocks, unable to locate it. She decided she would scramble up her favorite rock to get closer to the sun where she would be unobserved. She loved to curl up in the depression at the top. It soaked up the sun and warmed her fat belly when she nestled in.

  Reaching out with her long slender fingers, she touched the rock. Her suction-like pads helped pull up her body as she climbed, creeping up the side of the rock. Her head swiveled up and down as she gauged the distance from the top to the bottom. Pulling herself up and over the top, she made an unexpected discovery. There, in her depression, lay the life form; a small human Brother. He wore the coverings humans liked to swaddle themselves in, measuring almost twice her size yet appearing harmless enough as he slept. Quivering with anticipation, she decided to quietly sit and watch, wrapping her golden tail around herself.

  As she observed, she weighed the attraction her Birth Brother felt for his human Sister. She longed to reach out and touch the long fibers on the young Brother’s head; very different from the fuzz and fur on her body. She wondered if it felt softer. It certainly did not keep him warm like her pelt did. She guessed that explained the swaddling. They would not be so vulnerable to heat fluctuations if their metabolisms evolved closer to that of her species; so much simpler. She sniffed, knowing if she consulted on the design, she certainly would make improvements. Her puzzled eyes drifted over the strange markings on his head and the scars on his skin, shaking her head at his obvious signs of disease; the poor human Brother.

  It is no wonder the Womb decided they must be revisited for intervention. Perhaps the time should have come much sooner, before they started to live inside caves instead of the open like herds. And before they learned to practice the wanton bloodlust employed so often for reasons other than survival. They were a lost cause. Banishing all her troubling thoughts, she concentrated on the little Brother. Without realizing what she was doing, she let her probing aura coalesce in his mind. And suddenly his eyes flew open.

  Chapter 3

  What the …? Scrambling quickly up on his butt, Scotty scooted out of the depression, edging to the back of the rock. There he sat and stared at the funny looking creature, eh … no, elf. No, fairy. Yeah, he must be a fairy. Wow. He found an actual golden fairy. Hopping up, he made a grab for it. The fairy unwound his long tail and disappeared over the side of the rock. Scotty leaned over the edge, the fairy nowhere to be seen.

  Carefully, he lowered himself down the rock, slipping on the sharp footholds as he descended. Desperately, he looked around, trying to discover where the fairy disappeared. Gee, Mom will never believe this. He wasn’t sure he could convince her unless he brought the fairy home. Holy mackerel, no one will believe this. His excitement gripped him, a touch of something special in his life for the first time. He knew he must find the hiding place the fairy lived in. Stumbling over the loose pile of rock heaped near the hillside, he discovered an enormous rip in his pant leg. Squatting down he examined it. Mom will not be happy about this. And he didn’t even have the fairy to show her. Straightening up, something caught his eye. A golden glint; just like the fairy.

  He tripped over the rocks, his footing unsteady until he located where the glint came from. Digging down between the rocks, his fingers withdrew an object. A coin. He rubbed it on his jeans, removing some of crusted dirt so deeply embedded. He stared, his wandering eye refusing to focus. Turning it around and over in his little fingers, the heavy coin finally revealed more of the golden sheen and a date, 1702. Hmm, it wasn’t even new. He wondered if the fairy left it for him. Maybe the fairy knew of his birthday and left it as a gift to make up for his dad ruining his day, hurting his mom and calling him bad names. If
he did, Scotty wished the fairy could make the coin a new shiny one. But at least he could show some kind of proof to his mom now. Glancing around for the last time, he brushed off his pants and started home.

  ###

  The creature stood on the inside of the Hive. She felt full of furious agitation, yet oddly exhilarated. She wished the little Brother had not run off. She supposed she could have followed him. She wondered if he might return. If he did, she better figure out a better way to handle the situation. Even though the encounter went badly, she felt different; hopeful. She wasn’t sure why, but she had a feeling about this little human Brother. Maybe he could be The One.

  ###

  The little boy hurried down the path that took him out of his magical woods, the golden coin tucked safely in his pocket. Running down the hill past his neighbor’s homes, he could see his house. He noted with relief that his father’s car no longer sat in the driveway. Bursting breathlessly in the front door, he beheld his mom and Abby waiting for him.

  “Oh baby, we were so worried. Where did you go? We called and called. Didn’t you hear us? We even went up to the woods.” His frazzled mom hurried over as fast as she could, her brace clinking at her side. She awkwardly sat on the floor in front of him, holding out her arms to sweep him to her chest. Tears coursed down her face, the worry lines standing out in relief as she softly ran her fingers over the bald spots on his head.

  “It’s okay Mom. I’m okay. Please don’t cry, I’m sorry I ran away.” He hugged her tight, his young head fitting under her neck for comfort.

  “Hi, sport,” Abby said. “Glad you came home—got’cha something.” Joining her brother and her mom on the floor, she gave Scotty a kiss and put a brightly wrapped slender gift in his lap. He fingered the ribbon with wonder. The bow was bright gold. Unwrapping the gift, he grinned in amazement at the book about fairies. Wow, did this mean they knew? Leafing through the book, he located a whole chapter on Wood Fairies. He would study that chapter first. He knew he would learn everything he needed to know about his fairy in the book.

  “Gee, thanks, Ab. Mom, I met a fairy in the woods today. He left me a present. Did you tell him it was my birthday?” His face shined with unconcealed innocence.

  “Sweetie, I’m sure you met your very own birthday fairy. But what do you mean, he gave you a present?”

  Scotty sighed, knowing his mom worried about child molesters. Though unlikely any lived in the neighborhood, she monitored everything, knowing you must be extra careful ever since they abolished the sexual predator register (declared unconstitutional, they have rights, you know). The Socialist Democrats went nuts over political correctness, although the Muslim Brotherhood rebelled, insisting they police their own.

  “Mom, he did leave me a present. He’s a golden fairy. Abby, do fairies usually have a tail? His tail glowed. And he left me this.” Pulling out the coin from his pocket, he proudly held it up for his sister and his mom. Taking it from him to examine, his mother carefully scrutinized the coin.

  “This coin is very old sweetie, old is good. That’s what makes it valuable.”

  “Is it a special coin, Mom? It must be special because I got it from the golden fairy and he knew about my birthday.” Scotty’s chest inflated, his wandering eye unexpectedly centered in his eyeball.

  Looking over to the kitchen table, a new birthday cake winked at him. He could tell his mom purchased it at the bakery. He wondered where she got the money but the moment contained so much joy he pushed away his guilt. Jumping up, he tugged on both of them.

  “Mom, let’s have cake. I want to blow out my candles and make a wish.” Hurrying over to the table, she lit the candles as she sang to him. While they blazed with flame, he made a wish and blew them all out. Smiling happily to himself; he realized this time, his birthday wish would come true, absolutely convinced his golden fairy would grant it. He couldn’t wait to wake up the next morning to hear of his father’s death.

  When bedtime came, his mother tucked him in. Noticing his gold coin and his new book in bed with him, she removed them, placing both on his dresser.

  “Sweetie, I think we’ll put your coin someplace safe, it’s probably very valuable. I’ll look into it and see what I can find out. Good night, birthday boy.” As his mother shut off the light, the last thoughts filling his head swam with images of the fairy and the most fantastic birthday ever. Scotty slumbered fitfully, unaware of the probing flashes of residual rainbow light that sent fingers to tumble around in his brain.

  Going off to school the next morning, he took his new book with him. Reading the chapter on wood fairies, he found no mention of the golden ones with long glowing tails. As a matter of fact, he didn’t see any fairies with tails. They all wore wings of some kind. Certainly none of them with horns like his golden fairy. His disappointment acute, excitement dimmed, slowly grasping that he might be wrong about his fairy. No, he knew a fairy when he saw one. What else could he be?

  Riding home on the school bus, his spirits flagged, disappointed to find the rain pouring down. He wanted to return to the big rock and wait for the fairy, afraid if he didn’t show up; the fairy might give up on him and find a new little boy to spend time with.

  His mom waited for him at the bus stop. Taking her hand, he scooted under her umbrella. Smiling gently, she smoothed back the wisps of hair that refused to cover his ringworm scars no matter how she brushed them.

  “Honey, your father called. He would like to visit this weekend and apologize for his behavior. Would you like to see him?”

  “No. No.” Scotty screamed, his face turning white. His father was still alive? The fairy didn’t come through for him. Something went wrong with his wish. Maybe he needed to tell it directly to the fairy.

  “Mommy, I need to go to the woods today.” His voice frantic, he begged her permission.

  “Don’t be silly. You’ll get soaked. You’re not going anywhere, except home with me, silly.” Arriving at their front door she closed the umbrella and scooted him into the house.

  Hanging up his jacket, he ran to Abby’s bedroom where he found her studying. She belonged in high school now, her time no longer as available to him. He climbed up on her bed trying to fit in her lap like he used to as a tot.

  “Come on, little dude, I need to get my homework done.” Abby laughingly rained kissed down on his sad face, signs of his infant impetigo less a beacon now that a growth spurt looked to be in play. Stroking his patchy fine hair back from his face, she pushed her books aside, cuddling up with her brother on her pillows. “What’s wrong, Scotty?”

  Tears slowly leaked down his chubby cheeks as he snuggled up to his sister. “Abby, I love you.”

  “I love you too, champ. What’s going on?”

  He put his ear up to his sister’s to whisper. “I think daddy is going to move back in with us.” He quickly looked to his sister’s face to gauge her reaction. Abby looked grim but she hugged him tightly.

  “No, Scotty; that will never happen. Mom promised he would never get the chance to hurt her or demean us again. So put a smile on your face and get ready for dinner.”

  “Ok, but if he does, I’m going to make a magic sword to protect us with. I’ll always protect you and Mommy.” Scrambling off Abby’s bed, he ran to his own room. He took out his book of fairies from his backpack and slid it into a drawer. He would solve his fairy dilemma on his own and in secrecy. That’s probably what his fairy wanted anyway.

  Sitting down to dinner, he noticed his mom serving mac and cheese again, on the fancy blue and white plastic plates she got as a wedding gift before his birth. The aroma of hot gooey cheese tantalized him. Mom made it almost every other day because he loved it, naturally. Chowing down, he noticed Abby and mommy talking in low voices about the welfare money. They needed the welfare money. Everyone got welfare money.

  “Kids, I have some important news for you.” He looked closer at his mom’s face, her lips tightly pursed, her eyes tense. Not with anger, more like scary disappointment.
Did he see fear on his mom’s face? What was going on? Looking at Abby, he could tell she already knew.

  “We’re going to have some new house guests.”

  “No, not Daddy, please.” His stomach started to ache. His mommy reached over to stroke his arm, calming him.

  “No baby, it won’t be your father. He’s gone for good. I don’t even know where he’s going but I do know he’ll leave New Jersey. We’re going to share the house and expenses with another family. It’s all arranged. You know the Diaz family, isn’t Jose on your bus, Abby?”

  “No, mom, he’s still in grade school. Is the whole family coming?”

  “Yes, except for Mr. Diaz. He’ll be heading to Mexico to try to jump the fence. If he’s successful, he stands a good chance of nabbing a job. They’ll probably move out if that happens. If he gets caught, he’ll go to prison. It’s a felony in Mexico; they’re very serious about protecting jobs for their own people. Then we’ll have to think about a more permanent solution.”

  “Solution to what, Mom?” Abby asked.

  “Honey, anyone with a job is being removed from the welfare rolls. We can keep our housing stipend and our energy assistance, thank God. And the food stamps will help until they cut them out. My paycheck will not cover the rest of our expenses. Not with the co-pays for Abby’s dialysis. The Diaz family is losing their welfare check too.”

  “But, Mom—why? Why is the check going to stop? Can we talk to the mailman? Is this the week that he comes, or is it next week?” Scotty’s voice faltered with fright.

  “Don’t worry, honey, everything will work out if we all pull together. The government is just finding it difficult to collect the money from the rich people. They can’t give it to us unless they collect it first. I know it’s not fair, the rich have so much compared to us. It’s not the government’s fault. The rich people are just getting better at hiding the money. We’ll learn to make due. That’s why the Diaz family is moving in.