by Amy Cross
Her face twitches slightly.
“We can worry about that later,” I continue, figuring that I shouldn't push her too much. “You said his name's Robert, right?”
She pauses, before nodding.
“So can I hold him?” Making my way closer, I sit next to her on the steps. The baby still hasn't moved at all, although his skin looks to be a fairly healthy color. A little pale, maybe, but there's no sign of the jaundice that I initially feared. I reach out for him, and Tatty hesitates for a moment before slowly letting me take him in my arms. “He's beautiful,” I tell her, relieved to find that his weight seems pretty good, albeit slightly on the low side. “Who's the father?”
“Someone in town.”
“Do you have a -”
“Just someone in town,” she blurts out, almost as if she's on the verge of panicking. “I don't... You know.”
“Sure,” I reply, realizing that this is another subject I should perhaps avoid for now. I run the side of a finger against the baby's face, and I'm surprised to find that he's warm. He's breathing, too, but I still can't help worrying that he's sick. After all, he hasn't even opened his eyes since Tatty and I started talking. “So where are your parents, huh?” I ask after a moment, turning back to her. “How are they liking having a grandson?”
“They -” She pauses. “They're dead.”
“I'm so sorry,” I reply, genuinely shocked. “What... Do you mind if I ask what happened?”
“Mom...” Another pause. “Mom died, and then a few months later Dad died.” Another faint twitch crosses her face. “It was really sad and all, but... It's not like we can't manage. Robert and I are doing just fine, considering.”
I look back at the house again. It looks so cold and empty, as if – like Eli's – the place has just been left to rot. “What was the cause of death?” I ask finally, turning back to Tatty. I'm referring to her parents, of course, but frankly I feel as if I could ask the same question about the town itself.
“They just...” She swallows hard. “They just died of natural causes.”
“Did Doctor Conyne describe it that way?”
She nods.
“Sounds like a hell of a doctor,” I reply, looking back down at Robert. “And did -”
Suddenly I stop as I see that the child has finally opened his eyes. He's staring up at me blankly, with a calm, concentrated expression. The gray morning sky is reflected in his gaze, and after a moment his face twitches slightly, just enough to show me that he can move.
“He doesn't cry much, does he?” I say after a moment.
“No,” Tatty replies, “I'm very lucky.”
“But he cries sometimes, doesn't he?”
She pauses. “Not for a while now. He cried a lot when he was born.” She turns and points over at the far side of the decking. “Right there.”
Turning, I'm shocked to see a dark patch that appears to be stained into the wood. I don't want to believe that it's blood from the birth, but when I turn back to Tatty I can't shake the feeling that she's dealt with this whole situation alone. Figuring that I need to be more subtle with my questions, I look down at Robert again.
“Do you mind if I give him a quick exam?”
Another pause. “Okay,” she says finally, softly.
Pulling the shawl open, I take a look at the baby's chest, but everything seems fine. When I move lower, however, I find that part of his umbilical cord is still attached, albeit partially rotten now.
“Was this never removed?” I ask cautiously.
“I was wondering about it. I didn't want to damage him.”
Reaching down, I pull the cord and find that it's so rotten, it comes away in my hand, quickly disintegrating into dry flakes and leaving residue on my fingers. “It should have been removed immediately,” I tell her. “You're lucky there was no infection. Didn't Doctor Conyne know how to fix it?”
“He hasn't seen her,” she replies.
I turn to her, not entirely shocked. “Why not?”
“He died too,” she explains. “A long time ago now, right after you left. He just...” Her voice trails off for a moment. “Well, you know, like the others.”
“What others?” I ask, before realizing what she meant. “You mean that twelve o'clock thing?”
She nods.
“Is that still happening?” I ask incredulously.
“No,” she replies with a smile, “don't be silly. Of course it isn't, there wouldn't be anyone left in Tulepa if someone was still dying every day at noon.” She pauses yet again, almost as if she needs regular stops in the conversation. “It slowed to once a week,” she continues finally, with a smile that seems a little more genuine now, “always on Sundays, and then it became once a month. The first day of each month, at midday although... Well, eventually it moved forward to 11am.” Another pause, and I swear she's struggling to contain a smile. “You know how it goes,” she adds finally. “You're still a doctor, right? You of all people should understand that death is a totally natural part of life.”
“Not quite like that, though,” I point out. “Has no-one gone to get help?”
“We're kind of a closed community.”
“Sure, but still -”
“We like it that way,” she adds. “Holly, seriously, you can't expect to come back after all these years and understand us. We're happy like this.”
“Even you?” I wait for an answer, but she simply nods, and her smile is growing now. “Tatty,” I continue, “three years ago you were... I don't know how to phrase it, exactly, but you seemed separate from the rest of the town, it was like you were observing them. You told me about your photo project, remember? You were trying to document all the weirdness.” Again, I wait for a reply, but none comes. “So what happened?”
She shrugs. “I grew up.”
“You did, huh?”
“I'm a woman now.” She reaches over and takes Robert back into her arms, while another fly buzzes around us. “I threw away that stupid camera and I got on with living a normal life. I'm a mother. Are you a mother, Holly?”
I shake my head.
“So you don't really understand.”
“Well, I've had a lot of patients who -”
“You don't know what it's like,” she adds, interrupting me. “It's one thing to watch other people go through it, but until you've actually experienced it yourself.” She looks down at her child. “I just like sitting here, singing to him. One day he's going to grow up and be a big man, a big strong man, the kind we need. There are a few other babies in Tulepa, too. None were born for a while, but then we realized we needed to get working on the next generation. Obviously it takes a while, they can't shoot up overnight, but give it a few years and we'll have young people in town again. Tulepa's on the way back up.”
“Sure it is,” I reply, trying to figure out what's wrong here and how I can help her. “Tatty... Would you be willing to come with me so we can get you checked over by someone?”
“In Tulepa?”
“No, not in Tulepa. I'd like to take you to my place for a while. You and Robert can stay with me for a few days, and I have a friend who I think -”
She shakes her head.
“Tatty, please, at least think about -”
“I don't want to leave,” she replies, sounding a little defensive as she interrupts me. “You can't make me.”
“I know, but I really think you'd benefit from some proper help.”
I wait for a reply, but she's focusing on stroking Robert's face now, almost as if she's hoping I'll simply go away.
“I need to feed her,” she adds finally. “I'd like to do that in private, if you don't mind. I want to -”
Suddenly she stops, and a flicker of doubt crosses her face.
“Tatty?” I say after a moment. “Are you okay?”
She's still looking down at Robert, but she's completely still now and her body seems to be trembling.
“Tatty? What's wrong, are you -”
Bef
ore I can finish, she turns toward me and screams, her eyes filled with terror for just a moment before the scream stops and she flicks back to normal. She looks down at her child, and for a couple of seconds she seems to be struggling to compose herself before, finally, she smiles at me again.
“Sorry about that,” she says calmly. “Just a nervous habit I've gotten into lately.”
My heart is pounding as I stare at her. “You... scream like that a lot?”
“Sometimes. It helps me focus.”
“Tatty -”
“Please just leave me be,” she says firmly. “I really need to feed Robert. Alone.”
“Of course.” Realizing that she wants me to leave, I get to my feet. I have to help her, but I can't force the matter; I need to find some other way to get through to her. “I'll be back to see you again soon,” I tell her. “Okay?”
“You don't need to worry about me.”
“I'll be back anyway.” I wait for a reply, but she's focusing on Robert now. “Just one more thing,” I continue. “The whole town seems to have gone downhill. I know it was quiet three years ago, but it still felt lived in. Today it's more like the place is falling apart. Do you know where I can find my uncle Eli?”
She pauses, before looking up at me. “Oh,” she says calmly, “he's around.”
“So you've seen him?”
She nods.
“Do you have any idea where he'd be right now?”
“Around.”
“Just around?”
“He's kind of everywhere. I'm sure you'll find him soon.”
“I'm sure I will,” I reply, feeling distinctly uneasy. “Is he... Do you know if he's okay?”
A faint smile crosses her lips. “Why wouldn't he be?”
“Just wondering. I went to his house and there was no sign of him.”
“Then I guess he's not there. He's somewhere, though.”
“I guess he's not.” I pause for a moment, trying to work out how I can snap her out of this daze she seems to be in.
“And now I need to feed my son,” she says finally, as if she wants to draw a line under my visit. “I really enjoy doing that, but I don't want anyone watching. It's a private thing between a mother and her son. You wouldn't understand?”
“Do you know how to do it properly?” I ask. “If you like, I could -”
“No,” she says firmly, “you couldn't. You're not a mother.” She stares at me for a moment. “I like doing it in private. I don't like being watched.”
“Sure,” I reply, taking a step back. “I should go and keep looking for Eli anyway, but... I'll see you again before I leave, okay?”
“There's really no need,” she tells me, forcing a smile before looking back down at her son. “I'm fine here.”
As she starts singing again, and preparing to feed Robert, I turn and head back toward the side of the house. I can't help glancing over my shoulder at her, though, and watching as she gently rocks the child. Last time I was in Tulepa, I had a sense that something was wrong, but now I'm certain. The girl sitting on those steps might look like Tatty, she might have the same face and some of the same mannerisms, but it's almost like someone else was staring out at me through her eyes.
Feeling a sudden tickling sensation on the side of my face, I swat away another fly. I swear, there are more flies than people in Tulepa these days.
Chapter Eighteen
Dean
“Hey, wait up!”
Hurrying along the street, I reach the next corner just after the hot girl slips out of sight, but now once again there's no sign of her. I swear, for the past few minutes she's been teasing me mercilessly, constantly appearing and smiling at me before disappearing again. I'm all for girls playing hard to get, but this is starting to feel like too much of a chase, especially when I'm still not certain I'll get a proper payoff at the end. Still, I guess these hillbillies need to entertain themselves somehow, so maybe it's a good thing to loosen her up a little.
“Hey!” I call out, looking around but seeing no sign of life. “Can you cut a guy some slack? I don't have all the time in the world for this!”
“Of course you don't.”
Spinning around, I see to my relief that she's standing in a nearby doorway, grinning at me as if she's expecting some serious action. Now that I'm closer, I can see that she's drop-dead gorgeous, like the kind of girl you'd see in a movie about a hot city guy who comes out and educates a rural girl. Damn it, this situation couldn't be any more cliched, not unless she was chewing on some corn, but I'm not one to complain. I make my way over to her, unable to take my eyes off her very, very prominent cleavage.
“Like what you see?” she asks with a smile.
“I'm a simple man in some ways,” I reply, leaning against the wall next to her and swatting away another fly, “and yeah, I do like what I see. Do you go about like this all the time, or did you make a special effort for me?”
“Wanna see more?”
I can't help but laugh. “Very much so,” I tell her, “but -” Glancing back along the dusty street, I check for a moment to make sure no-one's watching us. After all, this whole situation feels too good to be true, and the last thing I want is for some hick pimp to show up demanding money for a roll in the hay. “You can be discrete, right?” I ask, turning back to the girl. “I mean, I need to keep things a little... under the radar, if you know what I mean. I'm a man with many irons in many fires.”
“You're worried about your girlfriend finding out?”
“Well...”
“Relax,” she continues, stepping closer until her body is pressing against mine. “I don't give a damn about your girlfriend. She looked kinda stuck up, anyway. All I want is you. Nice and simple.”
“Well,” I reply, leaning closer to kiss her, “I like nice and I like simple.”
Pulling back, she takes my hand and leads me through the doorway, into what looks like some old storeroom.
“It's not exactly romantic,” I mutter, “but I've done it in worse places. What did you say your name was again, honey?”
“Brittany,” she replies, letting go of my hand and heading over to the far wall, before stopping and turning to me. Reaching up, she starts slowly unbuttoning her shirt. “You can call me Brit, if you like. Or anything, really.” She smiles. “I respond to most commands. In fact, I don't think I've ever refused anything in my life.”
Feeling like Christmas has come early, I step closer. “And do you often seduce strangers who happen to come into town?”
“I don't know,” she replies, licking her lips. “You're the first stranger I've seen in a long time. Around here, everyone kinda knows everyone else already.”
“Then I guess I'll have to -” Hearing movement nearby, I turn just in time to see another guy stepping into the room. He's around Brittany's age, and there's a kind of blank expression on his face, as if he was expecting to find us. “Woah,” I continue, taking a step back and holding my hands up, “hey, I don't know what the hell's going on here -”
“Calm down,” Brittany says, slipping out the final button on her shirt, “that's just my boyfriend. His name's Jordan.”
“Your boyfriend?”
“It's cool,” Jordan says, leaning against the wall. “Carry on. I just came to watch.”
“He loves watching,” Brittany adds.
“I'm not really into this kinky stuff,” I tell them, starting to feel as if I need to get out of here. “Seriously, I thought this was just gonna be a bit of fun. You know, a random guy and a random girl getting together for a good time...”
“It's not like I'm gonna join in,” Jordan continues. “I just like to watch. Brit's so good at what she does, and I get a real kick out of seeing her like this. She likes it too. I can tell she's ready for you, it'd be a shame if you disappointed her. Just pretend I'm not here.”
“It's that easy, huh?” Still feeling unsettled, I turn to Brittany just as she starts pulling her shirt open. Damn it, every atom in my body is tellin
g me to run but at the same time, this girl is so goddamn fine, I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I turned down a chance with her. To be honest, this situation is kind of a long-held fantasy of mine. “You swear you'll just watch?” I ask, turning back to Jordan. “I mean it, dude, I'm okay with you being there, I guess maybe you wanna make sure I don't hurt your girl, but there's no way in hell I want you trying to join in.”
“You're fine,” he replies. “Go on, get on with it.”
Before I can reply, I feel Brittany putting her arms on my waist from behind, and I already know that there's no way I can resist. I'm a smart guy, honestly, but sometimes other instincts take over. When a man is presented with this kind of possibility, it'd be unnatural for him to not explore it as much as possible.
“It's just fun to see from different angles,” Jordan continues. “You can understand that, right? It's so rare for her to get a chance with a new guy, and I know she likes it more when she's exploring new territory. She's so hot for you right now, I'm sure you don't wanna disappoint her.”
“I've never disappointed a woman in my life,” I tell him, before turning to Brittany, “and I sure as hell don't intend to start now.” With that, I lean closer and kiss the girl on the lips.
Chapter Nineteen
Holly
“Dean?” I call out, pushing the door open but immediately finding that he's not in the hotel room. “Damn it, where are you? We need to get out of here!”
Checking my phone, I find that of course I still don't have signal, which means calling for help is out of the question. We'll have to drive to the next town and tell them that something's seriously wrong in Tulepa. After all, I don't know exactly what was wrong with Tatty just now, but I'm certain that she wasn't herself. I just wish I'd done something when I was here before, but at least I can correct that mistake now. God knows why no-one else has tried to help yet, but I'll worry about that later. Right now, I just need to get going.
Heading out of the room, I hurry to reception, where the old man at the desk is still going through his paperwork. A couple of flies are crawling across the counter, but he doesn't seem to care.
