As she descended the stairs Mei became aware of a banging sound which grew louder with each step. As soon as Mei reached the bottom of the stairs Maow ran ahead down the hallway, curious to see what all the noise was about. Poo was having none of that and turned on her paws running back up the stairs to the safety of the greenhouse. It didn’t take long for Maow to find where the noise was coming from. She began twirling around in front of the wall about halfway down the hallway. Mei could feel Maow’s excitement. The banging was beginning to sound more and more like knocking.
Mei slowed as she approached the wall, her heart beating wildly. She could see a separate section of wood, at eye level, which stuck out just enough from the rest of the woodwork to be noticed.
She reached out and pushed the piece of wood. Suddenly the whole wall panel next to it swung open towards her and Mei had to step quickly to the side to avoid stopping the panel with her nose.
She found herself facing a boy about her age. He had his fist raised, about to knock again, when he realized the wall was no longer in front of him and he reached out instead to catch himself from falling by grabbing Mei’s shoulder. He hastily removed his hand, like he had touched a hot iron. Favoring Mei with a sheepish grin, he tried to find his elusive balance.
Mei's heart had been racing, but as soon as she saw the boy her fear subsided. This boy wasn't scary. At least he didn’t seem like someone to be scared of. In fact he seemed both embarrassed and a bit frightened by Mei instead.
“Phew! I was afraid no one would be here. My name is Francis but everyone calls me Frankie,” he said, all in one breath.
Frankie had a mess of red hair that looked like it hadn't had a comb visit it in over a last week. He wore a red and white striped shirt that Mei decided he must have stolen from that ‘Where in the World is that What's His Face’ guy. He began to fidget, dancing from foot to foot.
“I’m sorry I made so much noise. I wasn’t sure if anyone was on the other side of this door. Let me guess, this is your safe house and you have a greenhouse above. Am I right?” asked Frankie hurriedly.
Mei nodded with a look of bewilderment. She stuck out her hand, hesitantly.
“Hi Frankie. My name is Mei and I have my CC, NORA here,” said Mei, raising her wristband for Frankie to see. This is our safe house and as a matter of fact we do have a greenhouse above, but how in the world did you know that? And I'm curious how you ended up behind the wall of our hallway, underground, I might add? I thought my Dad and I were the the only ones who lived on this asteroidnet.”
Frankie shook Mei’s hand excitedly.
“As for the greenhouse and safe house, we have them too. I mean my mom and I have a safe house with a greenhouse above it, just like here. I think my mom might be having problems or well I’m not sure what's going on. Actually I’m trying to find her. She left in a hurry in the middle of the night and I haven’t seen her since. She instructed my CC to deliver a message to me if she wasn’t back after six hours. I got the message earlier this morning. It took some searching but I finally found this hidden hallway 'til I came to its end and here I am....except....well I sort of went through something strange to get here.”
“What do you mean, you went through something strange?” Mei asked. She found it a bit of trouble keeping up with Frankie’s excited speech and decided to deal with one mystery at a time, waiting to mention her father was missing as well.
“It's kind of hard to explain. Can I show you? It's only down the hall behind me a short way.”
Frankie’s fidgeting footwork had become more pronounced. Mei, a bit hesitant since she just met Frankie, wasn't sure what to do. It didn’t help that he was the first real person she had met since moving into her new home on the asteroidnet. It also didn’t help that the hall behind him looked dark and sort of scary.
“It's sort of scary at first ‘til your eyes get used to the light,” said Frankie, making Mei wonder if he was reading her mind. “You can wait for your eyes to adjust and I'll be just down the hall. I promise it’s nothing scary. I know we just met but I need your help and I can't explain why until I show you this.”
"No problem. Let's check it out."
Frankie turned down the hallway leaving Mei standing next to the door just inside the dark hallway. As Mei's eyes got used to the dark she could see Frankie more clearly. He was waiting for her under a dim light further down the hall. Mei moved cautiously over suddenly uneven flooring and stood beside Frankie who seemed a little less nervous and was even smiling and offering to take her hand. Mei could sense that she was the first real person Frankie had encountered in a long time too. She could also sense that Frankie must have experienced a loss at some time in his life; a loss similar to when she lost her mother. Mei didn’t let on about her new found senses but instead continued to smile while she took his hand. Frankie’s gesture made Mei feel better about facing this increasingly mysterious day. Mei knew that fears were more easily met with a friend and today was a day she could use all the friends she could get.
“They used cobblestone in this part of the hallway so watch your step until we are there,” warned Frankie holding on to Mei’s hand tightly.
Mei looked down and became immediately embarrassed seeing her beat up pink bunny slippers shuffling along.
“Sorry about my pajamas and...things...I usually am dressed long before this in the morning.”
“That’s all right.” replied Frankie. “I didn't have any clean clothes in the safe house. All I had really was this…um… sort of old shirt my dad used to wear way back when he was in school.”
Well that explains the shirt, thought Mei. At least it’s not a fashion statement, or lack thereof.
“How far does this hallway go?” asked Mei out loud, visions of hours of dark tunnel ahead making her wonder why she didn’t ask before she started.
“Not far at all. That's the thing. It’s just ahead,” said Frankie pulling Mei along.
“Come up next to me and you can see it.”
A shimmer, like a mirage from the heat on a road, rippled from hallway ceiling to floor. Mei could catch glimpses of lights and yellowish color coming from the other side.
“What is it?!” exclaimed Mei with growing excitement.
“I think it transported me from my hallway to yours.”
“Transported? How?”
“Well, I'm not sure. I didn't feel like I was being moved anywhere...but according to the clues my mom left me, I think I've gone a long ways. Not to change the subject, but what type of weather are you having outside your greenhouse right now?” asked Frankie, trying to sound casual.
“It's snowing right now, much more than I have ever seen under our dome.”
“I was afraid of that. It is autumn in my dome outside of my greenhouse but much more severe than it has ever been.”
Mei felt cold all of a sudden.
“What is going on? How can it be autumn at your house and you say it's on the other side of this impossible looking door?”
“I'm not exactly sure what is going on, but maybe we can figure this out together.”
Mei nodded reluctantly. “If w-w-what you say is true then this day just became even stranger than talking spiders and hearing thoughts from the greenhouse plants and my cats and even my CC.”
“Oohh! Then I guess it wouldn't surprise you if I told I knew what my fish were thinking this morning,” said Frankie, a big grin on his face.
Mei smiled too. She felt a huge relief knowing she wasn't the only one to suddenly be sensing the thoughts of others around her.
“My father left me in the safe house last night before the snow started falling. He told me to stay there and not go outside of the greenhouse. He said it could be a while before he came back. If I go to your safe house to help, I'll need to leave word of where I am for my father.”
“Let’s go back to your safe house then,” said Frankie. I’ve already left a message for my mom, so I’m c
overed. I want to see the snow anyway! While you are here, if you aren't scared, stick your head through the door real quick and you can really see our hallway.”
“I'm not scared!” snapped Mei, dropping Frankie's hand to his side.
Mei marched straight through the shimmering door and with only the slightest of tingles was standing in a cheery, yellow wallpapered hallway. The floor was now a dark wood. The lights, no longer in the ceiling, were hanging lamps that alternated sides as the hallway receded.
This is too cool! thought Mei. Without turning around she stepped backwards through the shimmering door and was back, standing in the dark cobblestone hallway.
“Cool, huh?”
Wanting one more look, Mei leaned forward and stuck her head through the shimmering door. She could feel the slight tingle remain in her shoulders where the doors intersected.
“That's very cool,” she said, standing up straight. “I like your hallway; it's much brighter than ours.”
Frankie blushed. “I'm sure my mom had something to do with it. She likes things bright and cheery,” replied Frankie. “Not that your hallway isn't nice too!” he said hastily.
He really doesn’t want to offend me does he, thought Mei.
“Let me show you the rest of our place. It isn't as dark as this,” said Mei out loud. She led the way back down the hall away from the shimmering door.
As she swung the panel back into the hallway two shapes darted past her feet with such speed they nearly knocked her over.
“Poo! Maow! Wait!”
Both cats came to a skittering stop on the cobblestones between Frankie and Mei. They both looked at Mei thinking Now what? We want to explore!
“Is it all right if they explore on your side Frankie?” asked Mei.
“As long as they don't explore in the fish tank!”
“You heard him…this is Frankie, Frankie, Maow and Poo…you two behave on the other side of the door ahead and only look at the fish, they aren't for chasing!”
Frankie seems nice. Bye!
We'll be good. See ya.
“Don't stay long and stay off their furniture. If you want to nap come back here...” Mei shouted after them but they were already out of sight before they had to listen to more rules.
“They really are well behaved,” said Mei. Frankie was just catching up with her as she was pushing the panel door. “Welcome to our home away from home.”
Mei held the panel open for Frankie and he stepped through into the safe house hallway.
Chapter 3
The Greenhouse Effect Page 4
