by Jules Hedger
I had a horrible feeling of dread. Tomorrow I should be gone. Tomorrow I should be home with my uncle and these past few days should only be a painting on my uncle's wall. My hands flickered over the children's photographs. All dressed in innocent white flowers.
Tyler's footsteps strode down the hall and, after pausing outside my door, turned back down the corridor.
***
Cirrus paced his workshop. His hands drifted lightly over the items laid perilously across the table – broken glass bottles, rusted nails, and glowing bits of unfinished experiments. The relief of finding traces in the forests of the Wilds was soon dispelled when Cirrus lost contact with his train conductor. Cirrus was left at the station waiting for a train that never came. Holding flowers in his hand for the loser that never disembarked. Looking back at the train's route he saw his mistake.
Tyler was one of Cirrus's earliest creations and had made a name of himself with Lucky Creek. He had also inconveniently been unreachable for the past day and a half. Cirrus was trying to use his connections to pertain permission to land in the Wilds, where these rogue dreams popped up, but thus far he had had no luck. Those that chose to live in the Wilds were brave and sometimes slightly stupid. Much of it had never been explored. The Wilds, the changeable wasteland on the edge of Palet, housed forgotten dreams and creations, many of them created by Cirrus in his younger years and then cast away, deemed unsuitable or unethical. It was hard enough finding anything amongst the rogue community of dreams, but getting anything out of Lucky Creek without Tyler's cooperation would be impossible.
A metallic buzz sounded from one corner of the workshop. Cirrus bounded over to the telephone sitting on a stack of books and pressed the receiver to his ear.
"Hello? Yes?" Cirrus heard an exasperated sigh, a sign that Marty's appeal to the Council had gone badly. "Well, what did they say?!"
"I'm still waiting here. I haven't been seen yet." Marty sighed again. "I don't know why you even try."
"You didn't tell anyone about Tyler, did you? Something like that would have caused uproar."
"I wish you'd stop blaming me for this," Marty said defensively.
"And I wish the girl was in my care, safe and sound with her necklace wrapped around my fist. But due to your negligence the Walk has begun in a manner out of our control."
Cirrus released a shaky breath and thought of Maggie in Lucky Creek. He thought of her in Tyler's house, Tyler's long, nimble fingers and a sharp needle . . .
The rage was almost too much to bear and Cirrus nearly snarled into the phone, "Just get me the reinforcements I need."
Cirrus hung up the phone before Marty could reply.
***
I stood at the front hall window and watched the sun start to set over the town. I was wearing the gingham dress. It scratched and smelled of starch. I had taken a bit of time to carefully gather up the spilled contents of the box and pack it back away. I had also taken time to see if I could find any sharp objects in the room that would cause bodily harm. No such luck.
Tyler peeked his head around the corner, a hand held over his eyes.
"How do we look, now?" I watched as he peeked between his fingers like a ten year old child. He smiled and nodded. "You look perfect. Like a picture," he gushed, motioning towards to the open door. "Shall we head out?"
Tyler and I walked down the sloping hill from the house and out the iron gates, guided by the lights at the center of the town. Or, I suspect Tyler was. I was guided by the firm hand pulling on my elbow.
I couldn't see much of the stores or streets in the dark. What I did see, however, looked faintly like a quaint New England town my mother and I had visited to meet the lawyer of my father's will. Mom told me that she felt very uncomfortable out amongst those "leaf raking, secret-keeping druggies." Now that life seemed a world away and I realized with a start this was the first time I had thought of her. My mom. Was she looking for me or was I just another runaway? I doubted I would ever know now.
In the town center everything was lit up with string lights. Tattered pieces of fabrics hung from every lamp post and every sign pole. A large stage was set up at the edge of the clearing in front of the town hall where a group of people sat and played a slow waltz. A few couples danced in front of the stage, but most were sitting down in chairs scattered around, watching the few turn themselves in slow circles.
Everyone seemed to be dressed in the same clothes that I had seen momentarily at the train station, but in the spirit of the festival they had all tied pieces of fabric to their wrists and arms. Besides the music, there was not much talking and everyone seemed to be in a generally neutral mood, neither festive nor rebellious.
It was the most depressing party ever.
Ever.
Tyler marched confidently into the clearing, his hand keeping a tight grasp on my elbow. He pushed his way through the crowd and hauled me onto the stage. We stood listening to the musicians finishing up their waltz, Tyler humming along cheerily and every so often glancing down at me. As the music finally faded, Tyler led the few scattered claps until they died into silence.
Everyone looked up, their blank eyes flashing in the light. Tyler smiled out at the townsfolk.
"Greetings on this wonderfully clear and blissfully warm night! I just want to take a moment to thank the Committee for all their planning and hard work. Would you look at these lights? They're wonderful, aren't they?" A few people clapped again as Tyler beamed into audience.
"Congratulations on reaching the next anniversary of this town of Lucky Creek. And we certainly are lucky, aren't we? When this town was founded, it was merely a scrap heap, like strips of cloth not yet sewn together. But as we've learned, wonderful things can be made from piles of rags." Tyler spread his free arm wide, gesturing to the large city hall. "Like quilters, we sewed this town together and the end result is a generous and beautiful place that not only welcomes every weary traveler that passes its door, but comforts and adopts them as its own."
Tyler turned and smiled at me. "What a wonderful town we've become when we take in young girls such as Maggie and make them part of us." He cocked his head mischievously and winked.
The air was beginning to get cold and I felt goose bumps prick along my forearms as the rags hanging in the square started to flap in the wind.
"We would like to give you, Maggie, a token of our thanks for allowing us to demonstrate our hospitality." Tyler gestured towards the top of the town hall steps where two men stood by a large table. Tyler stepped off the platform and took my hand. He pulled me towards the table as the townsfolk leaned forward in their chairs . . .
***
The phone rang again in Cirrus's workshop. Before he could say anything into the receiver, Marty was shouting frantically into Cirrus's ear, "My contact can't find Maggie!"
"What? What contact do you have there already?" Cirrus asked.
"She isn't at Tyler's house," Marty continued, completely sidestepping the question. "Tyler isn't there either. She's disappeared." Marty was breathing really hard and Cirrus heard a little moan down the line. "Shit," he cursed under his breath. "Sorry boss. Not feeling my best."
"What is your point?" Cirrus asked through gritted teeth.
"The Council refused to get involved. You can descend but you are on your own. Once I told them Maggie had fallen into the Wilds –"
Cirrus's mouth drop open. "You told the Council that she was in Lucky Creek?"
"Honestly Cirrus, if one hair is harmed on her head . . ."
"Watch it, Martin!"
"You should know more than anyone that he's mad! And if he has done something with Maggie, it is nobody's fault but your own! The Walk will be forfeit." Marty paused. "She's my best friend's niece, Cirrus. And I'm withdrawing pretty hard, sorry."
Cirrus stared angrily into the corner of his workshop. The darkness of the night had allowed him to finally open the curtains, but the world outside was busy. It was as if the monsters knew that tonight was full of death.<
br />
"Everyone is someone's someone," Cirrus said finally.
He hung up the phone angrily and walked rapidly to the door, grabbing his coat from the hook. So he was on his own. He could already feel the cloud moving swiftly down. Cirrus hoped he could make it; how much time did he have before Tyler made his real intentions known and the whole situation become beyond saving?
***
The table was bare and the surface was polished. Tyler turned around to face the townspeople watching from the bottom of the steps. The town hall stood dark behind us.
"Each year we get at least one straggler, one misfit who wanders into our midst hoping for acceptance. And we gladly bring them into a community praised for its tight-knit families and friendships." He squeezed my hand. "Maggie, we would like to make you part of Lucky Creek."
"What do you mean?" I asked. My heart was beating so fast.
"We would like to make you a member of the town of Lucky Creek. A citizen, a local, a resident . . ." Tyler replied, beaming down at me.
"Like a key to the town or something?"
Tyler laughed and shook his head.
"No! It's even better. We want you to join us here for good!" He smiled as if this was the most generous offer ever given. "Isn't that wonderful?"
"I'm sorry, Tyler." I spoke slowly and as steadily as I could. My eyes flickered to the townspeople surrounding us. "You know I can't stay. I need to find Cirrus, remember? I need to . . . take my uncle's place."
"The thing you're looking for is right here in Lucky Creek!" Tyler surveyed the square. "My town in nearly perfect, as you can well see. But as Mayor, it is my duty to continually add to its population. To its charm, you could say. When you fell upon my doorstep, I saw you as the perfect addition to our little town." Tyler smiled reassuringly. "It's a good life here, let them tell you."
I looked out at the blank faces. None of them moved or spoke. Nothing registered in the emptiness behind their eyes.
"But I need to go. I can't live here. I need keep moving." Tyler didn't seem to be paying attention. He idly brushed my braid behind my neck and ran his finger down the chain of the dreamcatcher. "This necklace, Tyler. Cirrus will be looking for it. He's looking for me, too."
"But you must understand, Maggie, you are the person I have been looking for!" I started to strain against his grip, but he only held on tighter. The men beside the table began to move around it towards us. "I told you that I've always wanted something to take care of, something to spoil. I need a child, you know that." Tyler took my chin in his hand and forced it up, a bit too hard. "You're pleasant and I feel we understand each other. You would be the perfect companion for someone like me."
I jerked my chin away and yanked my hand from his grasp. Tyler cocked his head a bit reprovingly.
"Now, Maggie, I'm giving you a real honor here. I don't let just anyone into this town. By the time I'm finished it will be perfect, like one of those porcelain dolls you see kept up on shelves at the store. The smooth white skin that you always wanted to touch, the soft curled hair you always wanted to brush and the neatly stitched dress you always wished would fit you." He laughed and opened his arms to embrace my full form. "It fits you perfectly! It was made to fit just you!"
"I bet it also fit Clara," I countered, backing away. "And Bettie and Elizabeth and all those other girls you took." The panic was starting to rise in my throat. I had to get out of there before something horrible happened. I could feel it creeping up on me like an oncoming storm. "You can't have another daughter, Tyler. Not another one. Not me."
I turned resolutely to run down the steps only to find my escape blocked by the two men. They grabbed my shoulders and started to pull me back to Tyler. None of the townspeople moved as I was dragged slowly forward.
"Stop it, Tyler! Let me go!" I yelled. "They're hurting me!"
"Oh no, it won't hurt!" Tyler said reassuringly. "You'll forget you ever had a life outside of Lucky Creek. It's a whole other world here; a nicer place devoid of crime and poverty." He felt a bit of my hair between his fingers and frowned. "That hair could use a curl and shine. It's a bit mousey. And some rouge on the cheeks." He gestured to the men, who lifted me up and forced me onto the smooth table. I started to scream with all my might and kick frantically against the hands pinning me to the surface. Tyler grimaced and covered his ears. Some of the townsfolk looked down at their hands, but most stared ahead unwaveringly.
"Please don't fuss. You'll spoil yourself." He handed a circle of rope to the men and my insides turned to ice as the rough weave wrapped around my ankles and hands. Tyler leaned down from above. His face was like a grown-up smiling just before applying the stinging antiseptic to a scrape.
"All these emotions you're feeling right now will soon be gone and replaced with something much softer and simpler." He patted my cheek. "Cotton."
"Cotton?!" I shrieked, thrashing against the bonds. Tyler nodded calmly.
"Yes, cotton. But don't worry, you won't feel a thing. You see these nice people around you? Cotton is all that fills them and look how happy they are!"
Suddenly, the blank faces and worn clothes made sense. The emptiness behind the blackness of their eyes was only that: emptiness. The people that surrounded me were nothing but dolls, playthings of a madman who had stuffed them like hunting trophies and sewn back together to fill in a demented dream of perfection.
"You can't be serious!" I cried. Tyler's eyes widened in surprise.
"How could I not be? I need a companion in my upcoming glory days and I'm not going to flatter myself into thinking I'm going to find a wife. Better a child to comfort me in my golden years. You have spirit. And really, did you ever think you would really win?" He just about howled with laughter. It was cruel, mocking and indulgent. "Once Cirrus finishes the Reign Walk, you won't have any family. We could help each other."
Tyler leaned closer and put his mouth to my ear. I cringed as his hot breath brushed down my neck. "But really, I'm not selfish. It's more than that. This is my goal, my mission. The world would be such a more tolerable place if everywhere was like this. No fights, no thefts, no hate." Tyler stopped to consider. "True, you miss other things, too. Like love. But really…" He straightened up and winked down at me. "When was the world ever saved with love?"
He stared out into the townsfolk and smiled.
"Lucky Creek will become the supreme example of what a wonderful, docile place the world could be. And others will follow in my footsteps." His smile faded. "You can now understand why I got so angry with you today. You were not supposed to find that paper. If you had understood what it meant, you might have run away."
The men heaved up a bag full of tightly-packed cotton and placed beside it a small metal plate of surgical instruments. They waited behind Tyler. The shock of the moment swept over me and I fell still. Cold crept around the edges of my body.
This isn't happening, this isn't happening . . .
In the silence of the town square I could almost hear the ticking of that blasted clock, counting down so loudly it resounded all the way from Tyler's mansion house.
Tyler looked concerned and stoked my cheek.
"Now, don't worry. You won't feel a single thread. The next thing you know, it'll all be over and you won't have a care in the world."
"I'll drink bleach," I whispered to myself, but Tyler didn't hear me.
He rolled up his sleeves and picked up a sharp looking scalpel. My ears started to buzz and as the cold seeped further I felt a sort of numbness spreading. This moment was the end. I would be cut apart and put back together with no memory of my mother, Marty, or anything about the quest to find Cirrus. I tried to look back at my life, honestly I did, but found it entirely meaningless.
Ashamed, I closed my eyes to the sky.
Tyler was about to lower the scalpel to my neck when I heard a familiar voice yelling frantically from far off. Tyler hesitated and the knife froze an inch above my skin. As the voice grew louder – I was sure I had heard it before �
�� Tyler sighed and stood up straight from the table.
Through my eyelids, I couldn't see anything but a dim flicker of movement. But I was too frightened to see what was happening in case I was already dead. Dead and stuffed with cotton, stitched up with thread and ready to pose in front of an ornamental house plant. But when nothing happened, I opened my eyes a crack; only a crack but it was enough to see that the tables had curiously turned.
Tyler had put the scalpel down and was staring furiously at a man fighting his way through the crowd below. It was only a few more moments before Cirrus pushed his way clear, purple cloud lingering faintly around his legs.
His blond hair was disarrayed and he wasn't wearing his spectacles. He opened his mouth to speak, his face a mask of fury and storm clouds, but before he could say anything his eyes met mine. He saw the surgical knife glinting in the festival lights. He went white.
And my heart sang because even though I had lost the Walk, I might not die. He might not let me die.
Cirrus lurched forward up the steps and, pushing Tyler aside, started to frantically untie me. His breath was short as he hoisted my body off the table. The dreamcatcher throbbed, singing out to its partner, and I hiccupped a breath of desperate relief.
My legs were filled with Jello and I didn't feel like they could ever hold me again. I gripped Cirrus and desperately tried to breathe in air as the sobs forced themselves from my throat. His hands were strong and gripped my arm. It hurt but I wished it was tighter.
Cirrus turned back to Tyler, who was looking angry and put out.
"What were you doing?" Cirrus spat, holding me to him protectively. I clung to his chest like a lost child.
Tyler's eyes flashed dangerously. "You know very well what I was doing, Cirrus. I've been doing it for years."
"This girl is special! You knew that from the start! She was traveling my train for a reason." He pulled out his pocket watch and shook it in front of Tyler's face. Some part of my mind sharpened at the sight of it but not soon enough. "The Reign Walk is in motion!"
