The Stargazers

by Allison M. Dickson

  It took her several hours to figure out the operation of the woman’s motorized carriage. After a search, she’d located a tome that held the vehicle’s demonic secrets. No incantations or spells were required. It seemed the entire contraption worked off of nothing more than a coordinated operation of the hands, feet, and eyes. Not much different from riding a horse in many respects, once one got the feel for it.

  Darkness had fallen by the time she had driven to the end of the forest road. The ride had been filled with a series of stops and starts, as she kept confusing the pedals that made the vehicle (called a “sport utility vehicle” by its handy reference tome) move forward or stop completely.

  The road that she had come to was buzzing with activity as more of these vehicles, many of varying shapes, sizes, and colors, zoomed by at dizzying speeds. They all had bright yellow eyes on the front of them that blinded her if she looked too close. Oleander sat and watched this activity for quite some time, baffled by how the people here could live this way.

  The man who ended up helping her just happened to be walking down the side of this very road. He wore a strange hat with a brim that jutted from the front. He stopped when he reached the truck. His eyes passed over drying blood stain on her dress before meeting hers. “You all right, ma’am?” the man had asked. “Looks like you had yourself a accident.”

  “I need you to drive me to Oasis House.”

  “Wassat?”

  Oh how her head hurt. She wasn’t sure how much more idiocy she could take for one day. “I need you to climb into the coach seat of this horseless carriage and take me to Oasis House.”

  “That a hospital? Looks like you need a hospital, lady.”

  He’s holding out for something. Coin, perhaps. Give him coin. Ivy’s purse was sitting in the seat next to hers. She had no idea what the currency of this world looked like, but she found a wad of green papers stuffed in Ivy’s wallet and held them up. “I will give you this if you take me where I want to go. And stop asking your stupid questions.”

  The man’s eyes widened at the sight of the money. Things weren’t all that different in this world after all. “Well climb over to that other seat, then. I ain’t got a license, though, so if I get pulled over, I’m gonna tell the cop you coerced me.”

  Oleander didn’t know what any of that meant. She just scooted over to the other seat and leaned back.

  “Oh looky here. You has a GPS,” said the man. Oleander cracked open her eyes and watched the man tap his fingers on a small brightly lit box attached to the vehicle’s front window. A few seconds later, it started talking with a cold woman’s voice she didn’t much care for.

  She attempted to decipher the signs and strange blocky spires of this world, but her eyes and head continued to throb. It was made worse by the speed and motion of vehicle, and her limbs felt as heavy and useless to her as hams. “So what’s your name,” the man asked. “Can I at least have that much?”

  “You have your money. That’s all you need.”

  “Have it your way, lady.” He reached forward and pushed a button. Screams and the ugly wail of some alien instrument filled the interior of the cabin. It made her teeth rattle in her head.

  “What is that infernal noise?” she cried.

  “Noise? That’s AC/DC! Classic rock, baby doll.”

  “Turn it off! I can’t take it!”

  The man looked over at her again, seeming to weigh his options. Oleander pulled her bag closer. The knife was within easy enough reach to slit his throat with if he so much as moved a finger toward her. He seemed to sense some of this, because he looked forward again and made the vehicle silent again. Well, as silent as it could be with that dead woman’s voice navigating for him.

  “When you make your last turn before we get there, I want you to stop and get out. I will finish the journey myself.”

  He looked at her again with a question undoubtedly in his mouth, but something in her eyes must have frightened him again, because he just gave a shaky nod. “Whatever you say.”

  About ten minutes later, he slowed the vehicle down and pulled to the side of the street. They were in an area that was crammed with houses. Oleander wondered how the people around here could breathe being so close to one another. “Just drive a little ways down this street and you’ll be there. I can already see the sign from here. Just on the left.”

  “Yes yes. Now get out.”

  “Look, lady, I don’t know what happened to you, but I—”

  Oleander drew the knife out of her bag with liquid speed and held the tip against the stubbly flesh of the man’s neck. The blood from its last victim looked black under the orange colored lights hanging over them outside. “I have had the worst day imaginable. If you would like the opportunity to use the money I have given you, I suggest you get out now and without another word.”

  The man clearly knew the value of his own neck. He opened the door and stepped out. By the time Oleander had climbed back into the driver’s seat, he was walking back the way they had come. After some fiddling with the stick between the seats, she was moving forward at a crawl down the sleeping street. As the man promised, the sign for Oasis House was just ahead on the left. The rest of the houses had their carriages parked on little concrete pads in front, so Oleander decided to do the same. However, just as she was making the approach, she mistook the stop and go pedals again. The vehicle lurched forward as Oleander’s foot fumbled to stop. There was a loud screech followed by a crunching thud as the front of the carriage collided with a tree.

  She’d knocked her head hard on the wheel and sat there for a few minutes, her rage bubbling like acid in a cauldron.

  So her start as Ivy had been rougher than she’d expected. Already, she had frightened one girl here, and if she wasn’t careful, she would wind up alerting Aster far too soon, if she hadn’t already. It wouldn’t do for the little tramp to know someone else was at the wheel of this little ship just yet.

  Before she left, she decided to create a little insurance. Reaching down, using precise care with her plump but somehow elegant new fingers, she plucked a strand of hair from the tough girl’s short black mop.

  There was so much a woman of her prowess could do with a single strand of hair.

  -14-

  Aster awoke the next morning to the sound of birdsong coming in on the tail end of Ruby’s snores. She looked over to see the other girl dozing, her hair standing up in crazy tufts and spikes, scar-covered arms cradled against her chest. A few hours ago, they had been wrapped quivering around Aster’s waist as Aster coaxed her through a nightmare. Ruby hadn’t been wrong about her bad dreams, and the recent turn of events had undoubtedly made them worse.

  She now saw no evidence of that traumatized girl right now, and Aster wanted to let her remain that way for as long as possible. Slowly rolling out of the bed, she dressed and then headed downstairs.

  Her heart was still chilled over everything she had seen last night, and it was possible that Ivy was down there right now. She hoped not. Her plan was to eat a little something and avoid the strange woman entirely. Better that than to let her see the anxiety, the knowledge that things had changed, pasted on Aster’s face.

  Downstairs, she was relieved to find an empty kitchen. She did, however, notice a pot of hot coffee. Someone had been awake, but that also meant the electricity had returned at some point during the night. She had just ducked her head into the refrigerator in search of some breakfast when she heard the brush of slippers on the floor behind her.

  “Good morning, Aster.”

  Ivy stood in the doorway wearing her bathrobe. Her appearance was a drastic improvement from last night, with her face clean and shiny, her hair gathered into a tight bun, and the smell of gardenia wafting off her skin. Aster hated gardenias. They reminded her of Oleander, who regularly used gardenia soap, but the friendly grin on Ivy’s face was enough to make her question whether she had seen what she thought she’d seen last night.

  “Hi.” She turned
toward the sink and started rinsing out the few plates and cups that were stacked in it. It was a good distraction. “How did your trip go yesterday?”

  Ivy fetched a mug from the cabinet and poured herself some coffee. She took a sip, grimaced, but kept drinking. “Everything’s as right as rain.”

  “Nothing was up in the woods then?”

  “I detected nothing out of the ordinary.”

  Something was off with the other woman’s speech, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what. “Well that’s good, I suppose.”

  “You should eat some breakfast. Things are going to get a little busy around here today.”

  Aster turned off the faucet and dried her hands. She grabbed a banana from the fruit basket beside the refrigerator and busied herself with peeling it, still unable to meet the other woman’s gaze. “Is there a lot of damage from the earthquake?”

  “Have a seat.” Ivy gestured toward the table.

  “Is something wrong?” Even though the other woman’s temperament seemed normal—or at least close to what Aster had learned to expect in the short time she’d known Ivy—a knot tightened in Aster’s gut. She pulled out a chair and sat down.

  “You might not notice, but this whole house is falling apart.”

  Aster couldn’t see what she was talking about. There was some obvious clutter, but the house was far more solid than the one she lived in back in Ellemire, even after the earthquake. “It is?”

  “I did some inspecting early this morning. The shutters are loose. Paint is peeling on the outside, and the walls could use it on the inside as well. Also, I noticed some loose tiles on the bathroom walls and a ceiling leak in the living room. The garden is also far too small. We should be planting more herbs, and most of the plants need to be replaced. In fact, the whole thing should be plowed under, fertilized and expanded. And that’s only the beginning.”

  Aster gaped at the growing list of chores. “That’s a huge amount of work. You expect us to do all of that?”

  “You make that sound like it’s a bad thing. These girls live here free of charge thanks to me. They can at least show their gratitude by making sure their free home doesn’t turn into a dump.” She smiled. The corners of that smile quivered just a tad, and Aster felt more unsettled than ever. This wasn’t the Ivy she’d met on the other side of the Door. It just couldn’t be.

  “I think we can be putting ourselves to better use, my dear,” the woman said.

  Aster didn’t want to argue anymore. This conversation was reminding her too much of home. She stood up. “I suppose I should get started in the garden.”

  Ivy’s grin widened to show teeth, and Aster was reminded of a story she’d read once about a little girl who fell down a hole in the woods and befriended a cat with a sinister smile. “You, my dear, are going to do absolutely nothing. You aren’t one of them. You’re special. Remember?”

  Aster’s jaw dropped. “I’m not special, though. Not here. If I don’t help them, they’ll hate me.”

  “Oh come now. Hate is a strong word. Mildly irritated, perhaps, but what do you care? You won’t be taking any of them home with you. You didn’t come over here to make friends. You came here to find a mate. Stargazers don’t have friends, remember?”

  Aster’s heart sank, and she fought back tears. She remembered what Ivy had said to her the other night, about having fun here, making friends, living life. What had happened to change that? The words flew from her mouth before she could stop them. “Something got to you in those woods yesterday. I can tell.”

  The other woman’s expression could have curdled fresh milk. “You know, there is nothing in Ellemire law that states I have to house a Stargazer when she comes over to this side. She is free to wander as she likes, so long as she fulfills her obligations. If you like, you can endure the rest of your journey on your own. Perhaps you could make a living as a whore. It would speed things along, at the very least.”

  Her words hit Aster like daggers, but what made them particularly painful was the sweet, smiling way in which she said them. Aster’s jaw worked, but no words came out. She was too shocked, too heartbroken, to articulate what she felt. She was also afraid. So easily cowed, aren’t you? She’s no different than Oleander.

  “Go mill about the town today. Think about why you came here, and fulfill your duty. It shouldn’t be too hard for you to find a boy to spread your legs for. All male creatures want nothing more than to stick their wands into something soft and wet.”

  The crude speech reminded Aster so much of Oleander, who relished every opportunity to shock and disgust people with her words. Aster clenched her teeth, biting back a fury of words that wanted to fly forth and slice the other woman’s face and heart like razor blades. But what came out was the same weak dribble that always did when she was presented with a possible confrontation. She hated herself for it the same way she hated the hot tears that were always close behind. “I just don’t understand what’s happening…”

  Ivy got up and stood before her. She picked up Aster’s hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.

  The touch filled Aster with a familiar euphoria, but it felt a little off this time. Like a chorus where the harmony is off key. “If you do this, you can go back home, Aster. You do want to go home, don’t you?”

  “Yeah... I guess I do.” Her spun lazily around, making her feel dizzy and a little sick to her stomach.

  “Good. Remember your obligations and do what you need to do. These girls are none of your concern.” Ivy dropped her hand, leaving Aster reeling with vertigo.

  She gave her head a shake, and a brief memory floated up that she hadn’t thought of in years. It was of the first time she had tried to duplicate one of Oleander’s potions for menstrual cramps. The pain had subsided as it was supposed to, but it had also turned her skin a violent green color. She vomited for days, and it was about a month before her skin returned to its proper hue. Oleander’s fury had been both righteous and immense. That’s what you get when you try to copy someone else’s magic. No one ever gets it exactly right. You especially, you ignorant twat.

  “I smell coffee.”

  Ruby was standing in the same spot Ivy had been a few minutes earlier, when Aster’s world had been standing on more stable ground. She’d groomed and dressed herself in her usual black attire and dark eye makeup. Aster’s heart felt a bit lighter at the sight of an ally.

  Ruby glided over to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup, which she then cradled and cooed to as if it were a newborn. “Sweet, sweet java. Miraculous electricity. Oh how I’ve missed you both.” She took a sip and looked over at Ivy.

  “Hey, you were out past curfew last night. Everything okay?”

  Ivy didn’t even bother to grin. “All’s well. Now hurry up and get the rest of this house out of bed. There’s work to be done. You girls are sleeping in far too late as it is.”

  Ruby’s eyes moved between Aster and Ivy. “Well I guess we can do that.” She put down her coffee cup and started to move from the kitchen. “Come on, Aster.”

  “No, I said you. Aster has other things to do.”

  “Uh, sure.” She gave Aster a bewildered look before she left.

  “So what do I do now?”

  “Get out. Do your job. Save the world.” She sneered a little at the last phrase, as if it had disgusted her to say it. Aster thought of Oleander again.

  Ivy headed toward the stairs, bellowing for everyone to wake up as she went, leaving a stunned Aster standing in the kitchen pondering her future. A few seconds later, Aster heard a loud shriek followed by a thud. She raced to the stairs just as Larkspur darted down them. When he reached the bottom, he coiled around her legs.

  Ivy stumbled down the stairs after him with a large feather duster in her hand and a wide-eyed snarl branding her face. “You keep that creature out of my room, do you hear me? Or he’s out. I won’t even tell you next time. I’ll put you both on the street!” She stomped back upstairs. Tonya and Cynthia, bleary eyed but awake
after that little scene, looked down at Aster from the landing.

  “What’s gotten into her?” Tonya whispered.

  Aster shook her head. “I wish I knew.” Oh you know. You know exactly what’s gotten into her. Or who. You just have no way of knowing how.

  She picked up her cat and looked into his crossed but intelligent blue eyes. “You shouldn’t have gone into her room. What’s gotten into you?” The cat turned his head and Aster spied something caught in one of his whiskers. She plucked it out. It looked and smelled like chocolate. Dread closed over her mind. Oleander never went anywhere without chocolate.

  Part of her mind still tried to insist reason. Maybe Ivy has a soft spot for the stuff too, you know. Everybody loves chocolate. But the voice was every bit as feeble and uncertain as Aster felt.

  She considered sending a message home. That is, after all, why Larkspur had been sent with her. To call home already would send the signal that she was too weak to fix this. She wasn’t a child anymore, and she couldn’t go calling home to her mother when things started getting a little more difficult. Besides, if Oleander was over here, they would certainly know something about it by now. Especially Holly. Holly knew everything that Oleander did.

  Cuddling Larkspur close, she whispered in his ear. “Watch her, but stay invisible. Do you understand?” The feline purred and licked her hand with his rough tongue, signaling that he did indeed understand. She put him down and watched his massive body dart up the stairs again with all the grace of a cat half his size.

  She decided the best thing to do would be to leave before the other girls came downstairs and started asking questions. With only one destination in mind, she put on her shoes and left.

  -15-

  Her feet carried her along the same path she’d walked yesterday with Ruby, and eventually she was approaching the Quick Lube. It was the only place she could think to go. Apart from Ruby, Bryon was her only friend. Well, he was supposed to be more than just a friend now, wasn’t he? She remembered everything that had happened atop the hill yesterday, and her cheeks warmed. Then Ivy’s words from earlier floated up like a poisoned bubble.