Eli's Town

by Amy Cross

“Damn you, Karen,” I mutter, “why couldn't you just have checked on him?”

  “Did you find anything?” Tatty calls up.

  “Not yet,” I reply, before heading back out and making my way to the bathroom door. If Eli didn't die in his sleep, I guess there's a chance he might have fallen in the shower. When I push the door open, however, there's once again no sign of anyone, although one of the faucets has been left slightly open, with water dribbling into the sink. I make my way over and turn it off, before glancing at the bath.

  Blood.

  There's no body, but there are several patches of blood smeared along the bath's edge, running partway up the wall. From the darkened color, I'd say the blood definitely isn't fresh, and when I look at the plughole I realize there's a little more dried around the side. No-one could lose so much blood without feeling the effects, so now I'm more certain than ever that something must have happened to Eli, something that maybe the whole town is covering up. Stepping back out of the bathroom, I head to the spare bedroom and look inside, only to find that while the room itself is empty, there are more splashes of blood on the far wall. If something bad took place here and Eli died, it's clear that his body must have been moved.

  “Holly?” Tatty calls out after a moment. “Did you find him?”

  “Not quite,” I mutter, feeling a cold shiver in my chest before going back to the top of the stairs and looking down at her. My worst fears are coming true. “I think something happened here. I think my uncle got hurt.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “There's blood in the bathtub, and more on the walls.”

  “For real?”

  “For real.” I make my way down to join her, my mind already spinning as I try to work out what I should do next. “I think he got hurt somehow, but then someone must have moved him. Whatever happened, I'm not sure it was an accident. At least this time that dumb cop is going to have to listen to me.” I turn and head toward the front door, but Tatty puts a hand on my arm, as if to hold me back. “What?” I snap. “I don't have time to fool around. Something really bad must have happened here.”

  “I don't think you should go to Lucas,” she tells me. “If something's going on here, I think there's a good chance he might be involved.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “You've met the guy. Does he seem completely on the level to you?”

  Pausing, I realize she's right. “Then I have to go for help from another town. This place has been pretty well isolated over the years, but once the outside world gets involved, the truth'll come out. It has to.”

  She nods, but I can tell she's scared. I don't blame her: I'm starting to panic too.

  “Do you want to come with me?” I ask.

  “Where?”

  “To the next town, wherever it is. It might be easier to persuade them to come if there are two of us. To be honest, if I just go storming into some remote police station, telling them about all the things I've seen here, there's a danger they'll think I'm insane. With two of us, they'll have to take it more seriously.”

  “Well, I -” She pauses again. “Sure,” she says finally, even though I can tell she's still not quite sure. “I mean, I've never left Tulepa before, but I've always thought I wanted to one day.”

  “We should tell your parents first.”

  “There's no need.”

  “We have to,” I reply. “You're too young for me to just take you off to another town. Come on, you know I'm right, they'd be worried.”

  “Actually,” she continues, “I'm not sure they'd even notice.” She pauses, with a hint of fear in her eyes. “Fine, I'll take you to them. If you really think Tulepa is a weird town, you might as well see the extent of it all. We'll drop by and see my parents on the way, but... Somehow, I think you're gonna find they're the weirdest thing you've seen since you got here.”

  Chapter Ten

  Tatty

  “Don't make any sudden sounds,” I tell her as I turn the key carefully, trying to stay as quiet as possible. “We have to sneak up on them.”

  “On your parents?”

  I nod. “Just trust me. You've never seen anything like this. At least, I don't think so. I don't have so many references points when it comes to what's normal, but... My gut tells me most people don't live like this.”

  Pushing the front door open, I lead Holly into the hallway. As usual, the house is completely quiet, but I saw the cars in the driveway a moment ago, so I know Mom and Dad are home. After carefully pushing the door shut, I make my way across the hallway and peer into the kitchen, and sure enough there she is.

  Mom.

  Just sitting at the table, facing the window and staring blankly into space.

  Not even blinking.

  “Is she okay?” Holly whispers as she stops next to me.

  “Everyone in town is like this,” I reply, keeping my voice low. “All the adults, anyway. It's like, if they don't know there's someone else around, they just shut down and sit there, waiting until they have to start doing stuff again.” I pause, before turning to her. “I might just be an inexperienced girl from a small town, but even I know people aren't supposed to be like that. The craziest thing is that once they start moving about, they act completely normal. Well, not completely normal, but normal for a place like Tulepa.”

  “But other than that,” she whispers, “they just sit around?”

  “Creepy, huh?”

  “Just like Lucas back at the police station.”

  “It's just just him,” I reply. “It's pretty much everyone.”

  “Something isn't right here,” she continues. “I don't mean to scare you, but there's no way anyone should be so passive.” She keeps her eyes fixed on Mom for a moment, before turning to me. “How many people in town are like this?”

  “All of them,” I reply. “Except the kids, but they start being weird once they hit their mid to late teens. I'd like to think I'm special, but I've got this really awful feeling that if I stick around long enough, I'll be the same. Like I told you earlier, it was just a few weeks ago that Brittany Lawrence changed, after going with Jordan to your uncle's house. Not that I'm saying there's a connection with your uncle or anything like that, but... Well, you can see why I get freaked out, right? Add in the fact that someone always dies at midday, and I think I'm totally justified in trying to keep track of all the weirdness.”

  “I think you just might be,” she whispers, keeping her eyes fixed on my mother.

  “Come on,” I add, tapping her arm before turning and leading her to the front room. “I bet you Dad's through here, and he'll be the same.” When I get to the door, I look through and see that I'm right: he's just sitting in the chair in the far corner, staring at the blank TV screen.

  “They're like puppets,” Holly says after a moment. “Puppets that have lost their strings, anyway.”

  “I tested them once,” I continue. “I wanted to see how long they could stay like this, so I just started to be real quiet. I figured they'd have to snap out of it pretty soon.”

  “How long did they last?”

  I pause for a moment, watching the back of Dad's head. “I got to two and a half days,” I say finally, “and then I dropped a glass and woke them.” Turning to her, I can see the concern in her eyes. I guess I was hoping she'd tell me this is a normal way for parents to behave, but all that hope is gone now.

  “Do they even blink?” she asks.

  I shake my head.

  “It's like they've been switched off,” she continues, “or... I don't know, unplugged or something.”

  “I think it's more like they've forgotten to be alive,” I reply. “That's what it seems like to me, anyway. If they're left alone, they forget to do anything.”

  “I've never seen anything like it,” she tells me. “Even when I spent six weeks on a psych ward, I never experienced a case of catatonia like this.”

  “Want to see the coolest thing?” I ask. Without waiting for an answer, I ste
p into the room and grab a book from the shelf, before tossing it down loudly onto the table. “Hey Dad,” I say brightly. “Hard day at work?”

  For a fraction of a second, he doesn't respond at all. Finally, however, he twitches back to life and turns toward me, his face coming live with his usual smile.

  “Hey, sweetie,” he grins, as if nothing's wrong. “I was just a little lost in thought.”

  Huh. The same excuse he always uses.

  “Sure you were,” I reply, before nodding toward Holly. “Dad, this is a friend of mine. She's in town to look into her uncle's disappearance.”

  “Is that right?” Getting to his feet, he hurries over and reaches out a hand for her to shake. “Mike Sutton, I'm Natalie's father. I don't think I've seen you around town. Are you new to Tulepa?”

  “Just passing through,” Holly replies, shaking his hand but clearly feeling uncomfortable. She glances at me for a moment, before turning back to him. “I came to see my uncle, Eli Denton, but so far there's no sign of him.”

  “Is that right?” He frowns. “Well, I suppose old Eli'll show up sooner or later, although...” He pauses for a moment, eying her with caution. “You know what? You actually look a little like him. I can definitely see the family resemblance.” He turns to me. “Natalie, don't you think Holly looks like her uncle?”

  “I guess,” I reply. “I mean, I don't really remember what he looks like.”

  “Honey?” a woman's voice calls through from behind us. “Do we have guests?”

  “That's Diane,” Dad replies with a grin, “my wife. I know it's early, but any friend of Natalie's is welcome to stay for dinner, even if...” He pauses for a moment. “I'm sorry, I don't think I quite understood how you two met.”

  “Holly wants me to show her Bainesville,” I reply, before Holly can say anything. “I said I'd show her the way. I mean, it's not very far and I've always wanted to see some of the world outside Tulepa, so I guess this is a good opportunity. It's okay, isn't it?”

  Dad opens his mouth to reply, but I can tell he's a little uncertain. “Bainesville?” he asks, trying to smile even though he's clearly worried. “Well, I mean... Bainesville isn't exactly the most exciting place on the planet, you know. Are you sure you wouldn't like to just stick around here?” He turns to Holly. “Tulepa can seem a little dull to outsiders, but once you get to know us and our way of life, I'm sure you'll come to understand that we have a lot more going for us.”

  “That's very kind of you,” Holly replies, “but -”

  “It'll only be for an hour or two,” I continue, butting in. “Come on, Dad, I've never been out of Tulepa before and this is only a short trip. I'll be back by dinner, I promise.”

  “She really would be doing me a huge favor,” Holly adds, before turning as she hears footsteps nearby.

  “You want to go out of town?” Mom says, standing in the doorway. “Natalie, that's completely out of the question. We talked about this, remember? You need to focus on things that are closer to home.”

  “But Mom -”

  “No,” she says firmly, before smiling at Holly. “I'm very sorry, I'm sure you're a wonderful person and absolutely trustworthy, but we can't allow our daughter to go off with a stranger. I hope you'll understand.”

  “Now hang on,” Dad says suddenly. “I think maybe this might be a good idea after all.”

  Shocked, I turn to him. “Really?”

  “It's only for a few hours, right?” he continues, with a smile that still hints at greater concern beneath. “Natalie, I think maybe you've reached the point where it'd be good for you to stretch your legs.” He turns to Mom. “Our little girl isn't going to stay a little girl forever, Diane. Bainesville isn't too far, and Holly seems like a perfectly respectable and responsible woman. I say we let Natalie go, so long as she promises to be back for dinner.” He turns back to Holly. “And so long as you, Ms. Denton, agree to join us for dinner when you bring our girl back.”

  Holly glances at me, and I can tell she's surprised.

  “Sure,” I tell Dad, figuring we need to get moving. “We'll all have dinner tonight.” Glancing over at Mom, I can see from the look in her eyes that she's not so certain. “I'm not a child anymore,” I continue. “I can handle a trip out of town for a few hours.”

  “Of course you can,” she replies, with that sickly-sweet grin that always makes me want to hurl. “Just be careful. And hurry back, both of you. I'll make sure to come up with something extra special for dinner.”

  ***

  “But you saw what I meant, right?” I continue as Holly opens the door to her hotel room and leads me inside. “They're insane.”

  “They certainly seem different,” she replies, hurrying to her bag and zipping it shut. “Okay, that's all I need. We should go straight to the car and get out of here. I wasn't lying to your parents, I really do want to get you back here within a couple of hours.”

  “You just didn't mention that you're gonna bring the cavalry,” I point out. “I was wondering whether...” Pausing, I feel a hint of fear in my chest. Damn it, this is dumb, but I'm actually having doubts. “I've always wanted to find out what's really going on here,” I tell her, “but now the moment is here, I'm kinda scared. Is that normal?”

  “I don't think there's any such thing as normal in this situation,” she replies. “I think something's going on here in Tulepa, and I think it's way bigger than anything we can deal with. We need to turn it all over to the proper authorities. Let's not draw too much attention to ourselves, either,” she adds, heading to the door and reaching out to pull it open.

  “Sometimes I don't think they're my parents anymore,” I blurt out suddenly.

  Stopping, she turns to me.

  “I know how that sounds,” I continue, with tears in my eyes, “but... I just don't. I remember what it was like when I was growing up. They were fun, they used to play with me. And then about five years ago, I noticed things changing in Tulepa. I prayed that my parents wouldn't be affected, but one day they both changed.” I pause for a moment, feeling as if I've finally found someone I can trust with the truth. “Ever since then, I've had this fear in the back of my mind that somehow it's not really them. Do you think I'm nuts?”

  She pauses, with her hand resting on the door handle. “An hour ago,” she says finally, “yeah, I would've thought you were imagining things. But now? Now I think there's something going on here.”

  “But if we go to get help,” I continue, “everything'll be okay again, won't it?”

  “I -” She pauses. “Yeah, I think so. I hope so.”

  “It has to be,” I reply, stepping over to her. “I want my parents back.”

  “Don't worry,” she says, pulling the door open, “I'm not even -”

  She stops suddenly as soon as she sees that there's a man standing right outside in the corridor, as if he was about to knock. A grinning man wearing large sunglasses and a bright, floral yellow shirt.

  “Holly?” the man says, as a smile spreads across his wrinkled, friendly face. “Is that you?”

  “I...” She takes a step back, before turning to me with a shocked expression.

  “Don't you recognize me?” the man asks, removing the sunglasses and then holding his arms out for a hug. “It's me! It's your good old uncle Eli!”

  Chapter Eleven

  Holly

  “Come on,” he continues, with his arms still outstretched, “don't I even get a hug after all these years?” He laughs. “I know the years haven't been too kind to me, but I haven't changed out of recognition, have I?”

  Staring at him, I realize that it's true, it really is him. Sure, he's older than I remember, with a little more weight and a lot less hair, but there's no mistaking the strong family resemblance that he shares with my Mom and my sister. After everything that has happened since I arrived in Tulepa, suddenly he's here.

  “You look like you've seen a ghost,” he says, stepping closer and putting his arms around me. “When I heard you were
in town and asking for me, I genuinely thought there'd been some kind of mistake. I thought there's just no way my smart, pretty little niece Holly would have come all the way to Tulepa just to see how I'm doing, but here you are, in the flesh!” He told me tight for a moment, before stepping back. “My God, you've grown into a beautiful young woman. And you're a doctor, I hear? It feels like only yesterday you were a little kid, playing in my yard when your Mom brought you and your sister for a visit. Now don't tell Karen, but if I'm honest, you were always my favorite niece!”

  “Where have you been?” I ask cautiously, feeling as if his arrival is a little sudden, and almost too convenient. “I was looking all over town for you.”

  “Well, I like to keep busy,” he replies. “At my age, if a man sits still for too long, sometimes he finds it hard to get going again. Why, already today I've been up since the sun's first rays. Most of the time, I like to go walking in the hills, it's a miracle I happened to get back early and hear that you're poking about looking for me.” He chuckles. “I know I probably seem a little different, but the truth is, I got tired of being such a goddamn recluse. One day, a few years ago, I just decided to change my life and, well, here I am!”

  “I...” Unable to shake a sense of skepticism, I glance over at Holly and see that she too looks a little worried. When I turn back to Eli, he has that same smile plastered across his face, almost as if he's trying a little too hard to persuade me that everything's fine. “I was worried about you,” I tell him, feeling a cautious sense of relief. “We went to your house earlier. Actually, to be honest we kind of broke a window and went inside, but only because we wanted to check you weren't...” My voice trails off.

  “Dead?” He laughs. “Well, I think you can see that I'm definitely alive and kicking.” As if to prove his point, he pats his belly, causing it to wobble slightly. “I didn't have my little beer baby the last time you saw me, did I? Now, I know it's not the healthiest thing in the world, but at my age I figure a man can indulged himself. After all, life's for living, ain't it”