by Ariane Souza
“Hmm. We can let the door and windows open when we leave, so they can go away when they hatch.” Ed agreed also looking at the ceiling. “These contact lenses are bothering me, and I miss our real food. I don’t mind having to return right away.” As soon as he finished saying this, his cell phone ranged. He answered it and just listened, and when the voice on the other side finished talking, he just said: “Ok,” and hung up. Then he added toward Muriel:
“I thought today had been a long day, but it seems tomorrow will be longer. You were right, something changed. The range of the news is growing faster than what the Administration had expected. Therefore, they just called to say the singing will take place tomorrow, by the end of the day.”
Muriel sighed again, “I wonder if this wasn’t their goal since the beginning.” She whispered to herself.
*
Round Two
On the next morning, since Ed had carried him to Bob’s the day before, Timothy wasn’t with his bike, so his uncle walked him ‘till Nagranto’s borders subway station, near the woods. When he got home, though, he noticed other voices were coming from the kitchen beside the ones of his parents.
“Good morning,” Timothy said coming into the kitchen where he stopped right away because there were three ilions, all with their pale gray hair, but for one that was bald, sitting by the table with his parents. If Bob hadn’t t told him about the gray hair ilion thing, Timothy could think them to be just a group of teenagers who decided to have the same hair color and were having breakfast with his parents, as friends. Except for Marcus who was clearly forcing a smile. “What’s going on here?” He asked, carefully.
“Oh, Hello Mothy. Good morning.” Silvia said. “You must be wondering what this is all about,” she said indicating the guests with a large hand movement. “But it’s all fine. Alex can explain everything to you, just as he explained to us.”
“Hi, Timothy,” the ilion named Alex said, standing up and offering his hand to shake, which Timothy accepted. “Your parents told us about you.” He had his thick gray hair caught in a loose bun on top of his head, and he was wearing a navy blue long T-shirt with white pants underneath it, along with black boots.
“They probably came from the nil in the attic,” Timothy thought to himself. The surprise was written all over his face, what made another ilion called Ferdinand say:
“It’s ok. We don’t mean you any harm. We just want to introduce ourselves to you.” She stood up after she finished talking and walked toward him. She had wavy, also gray hair and pale gray eyes, so pale her pupil stood out in a way Timothy found uncomfortable to look at for much time. “My name is Ferdinand, and that one is Flen.” She pointed to the bald ilion sitting next to Marcus. He had many hoop earrings, from small to medium sizes, in his left ear and he waved at Timothy showing a half-smile.
*
Round Three
“How did they get here?” Timothy asked his parents when they arrived in the living room, after asking for a moment alone with them. The three ilions had exchanged looks between themselves, apparently doubting of the success of their friendly initiative:
“It’s ok. We’re the visitors. You don’t have to feel uncomfortable because of us.” Flen had spoken for the three of them.
And despite playing natural, Marcus had felt clearly relieved to be called out of there. When they arrived at the living room they did not even seat, they kept standing in front of the front door, near the stairs.
“Well, they came in through the attic,” Silvia said as if that was already something usual. “We were having breakfast in the kitchen, but there was that irritating sound of the windows knocking upstairs. So, I went there to close it, and two of them were already in there. Alex came last. He appeared out of the blue, and I just couldn’t believe my eyes.”
“It’s a crazy story, son; you’ll have to keep an open mind to understand it.” His father said almost in a whisper as if someone in the kitchen could hear them. “They explained they came from another world, and that they used a portal to do so. They said there is a portal in our attic. I went upstairs too as soon as your mother called me, and to prove there was a portal in there, Flen just disappeared in front of us and reappeared at our front door in a couple of minutes.” He added, looking amazed and scared at the same time.
While his parents talked, Timothy was texting Muriel because Bob had given her number to him, just in case he needed a nearer help. He texted:
“Three ilions in my kitchen. They already told my parents. Please, could you stop by? Timothy.”
“Who are you talking to?” Marcus asked with an almost desperate tone that indicated that was not the time to text messages.
“With Muriel, the new neighbor. I think she can help us.” He said while finishing texting.
“You don’t seem alarmed, by the way,” Silvia said.
“That’s because I already know about them.” He said, keeping his mobile into his pocket. And his parents did a surprised face. “Ilions, right? And there’s Iliona and the nils…”
“But how did you know this? When were you going to tell us?” Marcus asked. The truth, though, was that Timothy wasn’t planning to tell them anything.
And before Timothy could say another word, Flen came from the kitchen towards them, and they fell silent, observing him. Timothy wondered if he was a timer since his father had said he had gone into the nil and reappeared in their front door. He thought Flen could have managed to open another nil right in front of his house. And as he got nearer, Timothy saw his hazel eyes had crooked pupils, like the one he had seen in Ed.
“I’m sorry to interrupt but…”
The bell rang, and Timothy strongly hoped it was Muriel. He opened it, and to his relief, it was she.
“Hi.” She said to Timothy but waved to everybody standing in front of the door. “Flen! Long time no see.” She pretended she was glad to see him, getting in and giving small taps on his shoulder.
“Hi Muriel, I knew you were in Nagranto, but I didn’t imagine you were so close.” He said, distinctly less cheerful.
“Well, it happens. I’m living in the house next door, and I’m already friends with my new neighbors.” She indicated Timothy and his parents, while Marcus was watching it all with an open mouth. “What about you?” She added, “I mean, What are you doing in here?”
“I’m with Alex and Ferdinand. We’re working.” He said, naturally. There was a silence after that. Timothy looked at her expectantly, the door still opened behind them and so Marcus’ mouth.
“Ok then.” Muriel finally said. “Since I’m friends with Timothy he texted me you were here. He wasn’t sure what to do and apparently neither his parents.” She indicated them, but suddenly realized Marcus was almost fainting:
“Oh my, are you all right?” She asked, rushing towards him. But he wasn’t. He fainted.
Muriel and Flen took him upstairs, to his bedroom, where they laid him on his bed, while Silvia called the ambulance. Muriel took his pulse and noticed it was weaker than the normal.
“He must have been very shocked by so much information,” Silvia said, and then added toward Muriel as to explain Marcus’ breakdown:
“Since we’re kids, our brain is trained to work in a certain way, and when something that breaks this rhythm happens, well, each one reacts in a different way.”
“He’ll be fine, mom. He just needs to get some rest, to digest it all.” Timothy said, hugging his mother, both of them looking at the sleeping Marcus in the bed.
“You should leave now since I guess you already did what you came to do in this house,” Muriel said to Flen, they were standing behind Timothy and his mother.
“Sure. But what about YOU being in here?” He emphasized. “Shouldn’t you be in Iliona City by now? Erry asked about you.” He said looking at the hugging scene in front of him.
“I don’t work with Erry anymore.” She answered him, steady. And he turned to her by the sound of that, to meet her eyes that were already
on him.
“He’ll be surprised to know.” And he left the bedroom, heading downstairs.
Muriel walked towards Silvia and touched her shoulder:
“Silvia, when the ambulance arrives, could you…” She paused without knowing if she should ask what she had in mind since everyone in Nagranto would soon forget about them. But Silvia understood it, anyway.
“It’s ok, Muriel. I’ll not tell them about you. I’ll say he has been working too much or something like that.”
“Thank you.” Muriel said. “And thank you for not freaking out too.” She added. Silvia smiled a little to that, saying: “There are more things in the universe than our imagination can tell, right?”
Muriel also smiled, “Right.” She turned to Timothy then: “Can we talk?”
“Sure,” then he headed to his mom: “I’ll be right back.”
“It’s ok; there’s no need to hurry.” Silvia answered back.
“This way,” he said getting out of his parent’s room and guiding Muriel to the end of the corridor where they sat on the spiral staircase leading to the attic.
“We need to close the nil in my attic.” He spoke first.
“We can’t close it. It’s a permanent nil, and this means it would drag your whole house to be closed.”
He fell silent.
“I have news… not good ones, though.” She breathed in as Timothy listened attentively, sitting one-step below her. “The singing will happen today, by the end of the day. We already told Bob, he must appear any time now to cross the nil you have in here with you and your parents. You’re staying with him at Joanna’s.” Then she added, “I’m sorry.” And he saw her eyes were sorry indeed.
“It’s not your fault,” he started without quite knowing what to say. “I mean, you can’t stop it from happening, can you?”
She shook her head, “No, I can’t.”
“Is Ed making part of it?”
“Yes, he is. It’ll be his first grand singing.” She said drily and stood up. “I need to go, Winda does not answer her phone nor answer my messages, I don’t know if she already knows. I’ll stop by her store.”
She started moving down the steps when Timothy also stood up and spoke:
“Muriel, could you wait ‘till the ambulance arrive? I want to go with you, but firstly I want to have sure my dad is ok.”
“I don’t think this is a good idea. You’d better stay here and wait for Bob.”
“I’ll talk to Bob. And then, we’ll all be in Iliona City anyway.”
She said nothing.
“Please. I promise I will not be a bother.” He insisted.
She breathed out heavily. “Fine, I’ll wait for you downstairs. Take a backpack, and some snacks too, we don’t have human food in Iliona City.”
“Thanks.”
When they were passing in front of his parent’s room again, Flen came back guiding the ambulance people that had just arrived.
“I’ll wait for you downstairs, then,” Muriel repeated to Timothy, then said goodbye to Silvia. She went downstairs with Flen following behind her.
“No comments or critics?” He asked when they reached the front door.
“I guess I just had enough of these in the last hours.” She said with a sigh. “Are you aware of the singing?”
“Yes. But we keep doing our job still. I mean, things can change at any moment.”
“Goodbye, then.” She said, indicating the open door. She could see the other two ilions waiting for him outside, but she didn’t know them.
“Bye, Muriel. See you soon.” He said, going out.
“They said it was just a sudden pressure drop. Dad is fine. He just needs some rest.” Timothy said coming down the stairs, already with a backpack. “I just need to pass in the kitchen to take the snacks.”
While he was in the kitchen he texted Bob if he was coming, after all, Muriel was Ed’s work partner, he thought better to confirm that information. And Bob answered him positively; he was already on his way toward the subway station near the woods. Timothy breathed with relief. He had already pleaded to his mother to go with Muriel, saying Bob would come for them, and that if they noticed anything weird even before Bob’s arrival, they should go into the nil in their attic.
“But son…” Silvia had started.
“Mom, please. I really want to be part of this. And in a certain way, we already are. Since we know about them and what’s going on.” He had said to Silvia with a pleading tone. To which she gave in and hugged him again. “See you later, then.”
“See you later.” He answered back, going down the stairs next.
He was back in the living room, with a backpack full of snacks.
“That’s good. Can we go?” Muriel said when she saw he was back quickly.
“Yeah, I guess I took everything.”
The two of them went away, passing by her house, that it was all closed.
“Aren’t you going to pass in your home first?”
“No, I was about to go to Winda’s when I received your message, anyway.”
“I don’t think Ed likes me.” He said unexpectedly, remembering his meeting with Ed under the ceiling full of cocoons.
“You along with a long line of people.” She smiled. “That’s Ed, it’s hard to like him, and it’s hard for him to like people too. So, if it makes you feel better, you’re not the only one.”
“Well, in truth, I don’t like him much either.” He admitted.
Muriel smiled a little.
“Your mother is a marvelous person, by the way.” She said when they were almost getting out their street, heading toward the nearest subway station.
“I know,” Timothy answered with another smile.
*
Round Four
“Flen only said they were working.” Muriel was filling Zian in.
When she arrived at Winda’s with Timothy, Zian and Tevis were already in there. Tevis was looking for water in the “Things you can drink” section while his cousin spoke with Winda. “Don’t you have water in here?” He finally asked after seeing so many colored cans and bottles of many things, but water.
“We must be out of stock. But there’s water in the jar on the counter.” Winda said, indicating a tray with the jar and glasses next to her.
They were talking by the counter, in the back of the store, which was closed. The street outside was getting busier with some passersby and cars since the middle of the morning was approaching.
“But they’re just arriving anywhere this easy because there are timers who are helping them,” Zian commented. “Without their help, there wouldn’t be so many nils spread around the town.”
“Did this ever happened before?” Timothy asked.
“Not in this proportion. They deleted cities before, but they were smaller than Nagranto." Zian answered.
“I never thought I would be in a city when it was about to be deleted,” Winda said.
“Deleted…” Timothy repeated in a low voice.
And before he could finish his thinking the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” Winda said heading to the door.
“How do you make any money if your store is always closed?” She could hear Ed from the other side of the glass.
“Who called him?” Winda asked to the others from where she was, near the door, but no one answered her.
“Just let him outside ‘till he gives up,” Tevis suggested, taking a sip of his water.
But Ed just kept ringing the bell on and on.
“He will not give up.” She said walking ahead and opening the door.
“Nobody called me. Bob’s was empty, like mine and Zian’s house, so I thought you might be in here.” He said getting in.
He headed to the back of the store to join the others and stopped in front of the counter when he saw Timothy. “Oh my,” he said, rolling his eyes, “What’s this kid doing here again?” Then he added staring at Timothy: “Do you want that much to be an ilion?”
>
“Just leave him alone, Ed,” Zian said.
“I’m not a kid’. Timothy expressed in a serious way. “I’m a teenager; I’m already thirteen.”
After a moment staring at Timothy in silence Ed said sarcastically:
“Thirteen, ok… you’re right. Almost an adult indeed.” Then he took off his sunglasses, and Timothy noticed he wasn’t using his contact lenses anymore. On the night Muriel and Ed had arrived at his house he had just seen one irregular eye. Seeing both was even stranger to Timothy that could not deviate his stare from Ed’s gear shaped eyes. This latter one noticed his surprise and said:
“Beautiful, aren’t they?”
But Timothy said nothing.
“Why you sell all sorts of strange juices in here, but no water or coffee?” Tevis wondered.
“That’s what I say; this place must be very close to bankrupting,” Ed said, finally leaving Timothy alone and sitting on a stool next to Muriel.
“There’s something wrong.” He stopped after sitting and asked: “Do you hear that?” He was talking about a hum that started very low.
He rushed toward the front of the store to peer through its glasses. As he didn’t back, the others followed him.
“What are those?” Timothy asked when he peered to the outside and saw many round red balls being lifted in the air, of the size of regular balloons. However, white strings were attaching them to somewhere consistent they could not see, because the balloons rose only to a certain height.
“They are speakers,” Ed said with a tone of whom can’t believe his eyes. “They spread them all over the city so the singing can reach the whole town. But this was supposed to happen only by the end of the day.”
But the hum was growing louder, causing a little shaking in the store shelves.
“That was the plan, then? Nobody told me any change.” He said bitterly that time still looking up to the rising balloons.
“We have to get out of here,” Tevis said, joining them near the glass. They could see some people outside were looking at the speakers as well, while others just continued their way.
“No one is answering their phones,” Ed said, stunned and upset at the same time. While in the background the buzz was still getting louder. “We have to get out of here before they actually start singing.” He added, closing his eyes and trying to put his anger aside to concentrate.
