by Brinda Berry
* * *
I don’t know what I expected, but I didn’t expect the ordinary. After Regulus and Arizona explained that there was a portal in my woods, I envisioned the two would demonstrate a scientific phenomenon by exiting via dimensional doorway. Of course, I was disappointed. Shortly after obtaining my agreement to aid them in stopping the immigrants, they both left me sitting in my living room wondering about the reality of all the things I took for granted in my normal life. I wanted to fully interrogate them on the details of their lives. Could it be true that such things existed in the world?
After they left, Mrs. Anderson called to ask me repeatedly if I was feeling better. I assured her that I felt fine and all was well with me and the world. I tried to concentrate on things I should worry about. Normal things.
I looked at the clock and remembered that I had an appointment after school with Dr. Bleeker at the local U. Dr. Bleeker had volunteered to be the mentor for my senior science project. I was lucky to get him. It didn’t matter to me that the real goal was to recruit the seniors of Whispering Woods High. Not only did Dr. Bleeker have a great reputation, but he wasn’t as stuffy as the other professors.
I could catch up on a day of classes, but I couldn’t miss this appointment. I grabbed a jacket and raced out the door with my research logbook. My dad had handed down his car to me over the summer so I could drive to school and run errands. Last year, I had always ridden to school with Austin. Now that Austin didn’t attend Whispering Woods High, I was on my own for a ride.
* * *
I knocked on the office door and waited patiently.
“Come on in, Miss Taylor. I was just finishing up.” Dr. Bleeker opened the door wide and returned to his computer. I followed behind him and sat in the chair directly in front of his messy desk, which was covered with folders, a fuzzy red stress ball, and a Star Wars pencil holder. I leaned forward to look at a Bart Simpson bobble head.
“I have a collection of my favorites.”
I smiled at the plastic figure. You just can’t help but like a bobble head. “Here’s my logbook,” I said as I handed the thin black book across the desk.
“Tell me about it, Mia. I’d rather talk than read through a bunch of boring entries.” He tossed the book onto a corner of the desk away from most of the clutter.
“Yes, sir. What would you like to know, Dr. Bleeker?”
“No need for formalities, Mia. I insist. Call me Eli.”
I was stunned at the request. I had never called a teacher by his first name. Much less a college professor. I didn’t know what to say.
“Now, tell me what steps you have completed and if your observations to date have surprised you.” He removed his narrow glasses and sat back in his office chair, which reclined to an amazing degree. His voice evoked a pleasant gold swirl around my brain.
“I have my cameras mounted and recording activity in areas around my house. I go and collect the memory cards every day, check them and write down what I see.”
“Do you get activity in all locations?”
“Pretty much. I was really surprised at first.”
“So, a lot goes on in the woods when we aren’t looking.” He nodded with an interested look.
You don’t know the half of it, I thought. “Just lots of deer and raccoons.”
“And you wrote that your chosen method for measurement of the vegetation harvested will be the number of animals eating your plots times the minutes spanned on record. You’ll then chart that raw score for increasing intensity with the changing moon phases.”
I was impressed that he remembered the details of my project. I had told my dad the whole project scenario half a dozen times, and I doubted that he could have recited a summary that efficiently. I tried to remember if he was mentoring any other students from my class. No wonder Austin had said I was lucky to get him.
“That’s it. And I have all that in my log.” I indicated my proof by looking pointedly at the logbook.
“And you’re keeping the camera images in an electronic folder on your computer, I presume?” Dr. Bleeker’s tone was the same, but his words threw a blanket of dark green caution over my mind.
I ignored it. “Of course.” I thought about the pictures I needed to remove before an outsider could view them. The fact that he mentioned the images freaked me out. Was I getting paranoid?
“You’ll need to print out some of those to mount onto your project display board.”
“Oh yeah, right.” I sighed in relief.
“And I recommend that you start entering the data into a spreadsheet. That will make it easy to chart the results.”
“Wow. I never thought of that. Great idea.”
“That’s why I’m here.”
We sat in comfortable silence for a minute.
“So, how do you like Whispering Woods?”
A strange question, plus the shift in topics threw me off. I took a minute to gather my thoughts. “I’ve lived here all my life.”
“I’m just trying to get to know you better. I like to get to know the students I work with.”
“I like Whispering Woods a lot. I’ll probably go to college here.” I presumed this was the real question he was asking.
“That surprises me. We don’t recruit as many from the local schools as we should. Kids are ready to get out. See the world.” He motioned a hand toward the picture on his desk. “My two will probably attend college as far away from here as possible. They think Whispering Woods is boring.” In the photo, two young boys held hands with their mother leaning over them.
“Not me. I’m happy right here.”
“That’s great to hear. Maybe I can give you a tour of the campus while we’re working together.”
“Sure, Dr. Bleeker.” I just wasn’t going to be able to call him Eli.
I looked at my watch. I had already been in his office for much longer than I had anticipated. Squirming in my seat, I hoped he could tell that I was ready to leave.
“That’s all we need to discuss today. Next time, why don’t we meet at the student center for a soda? You can see a little more of the campus that way. Would you like to come by next Monday after school for our meeting?”
I straightened and nodded. Dr. Bleeker handed the slim logbook to me. I had forgotten about it. “That would be great. Thank you for your help, Dr. Bleeker.”
“E-mail some of your images. I’d like to see your evidence.”
“Sure,” I said. I was glad I didn’t have anything with me today.
“I just had a thought. Why don’t I walk you out and show you where my lab is located? If you ever come by and I’m not in my office, you need to check there. Sometimes I let the time get away from me.”
“Oh, OK.” I looked around as I followed him down the hallway and through an exterior door. I walked swiftly to keep up with Dr. Bleeker’s long strides.
Although the campus was located on the outskirts of a small town, students at Whispering Woods University didn’t have to leave for anything. Private donations had ensured that every academic and social necessity was more than adequately provided for the students. The architecture of the buildings gave the onlooker the illusion that the entire campus had been built in the 1800s. This old-world illusion coupled with the fact that the buildings were nestled in the Ozark Mountains created a beautiful campus.
We left the cobbled sidewalk and entered the nearest building. I looked at the oil paintings of what I assumed were former professors lining the walls. Because I wasn’t paying attention, I almost missed Dr. Bleeker darting into an open doorway.
“Here is where I am most of the time when I don’t have classes scheduled,” he said.
I looked around at the test tubes and equipment. It looked like a medical lab. There were even refrigerated cases lining the back wall, full of more test tubes.
“What do you do in here when you don’t have class?” Not being a science person, I couldn’t imagine how someone would spend extra time in here.
&
nbsp; He laughed. The deep chuckle rumbled in my ears. “I have some research that I’m interested in. Contrary to what you may think about overworked professors with heavy class loads, I actually have a lot of free time.”
“Cool,” I said, because I didn’t know what to say. I had never heard a teacher say that they had free time. Dr. Bleeker really was different.
“Yes, it’s pretty cool,” he said with a large smile. “I’ll see you next Monday then.”
I exited Dr. Bleeker’s lab and headed toward my car. I had been at the appointment for an hour and wondered when I would talk to Regulus and Arizona next. Would they contact me? Was I supposed to contact them? I still had a hard time swallowing the whole concept of a portal in my woods. Or as they called it, a dimensional doorway. Did they live here or on the other side? How did they get through? I had stepped on the same spot as Regulus and Arizona, but I obviously still resided here.
I paced myself in driving home. The last thing I needed was for the town patrol car to pull me over for speeding. I finally arrived at the entrance to my driveway. I turned and proceeded at a snail’s pace, searching the woods on both sides of the drive. Nothing. I ridiculed myself, wondering if I expected to see Regulus and Arizona seated in my red waiting booth in anticipation of my return. I continued up the drive, looking here and there for any signs of life and was disappointed.
I grabbed my logbook and stepped out of the car. I looked at the stacks of boxes that lined the garage and could visualize seeing Biscuit’s head peek out from them less than twenty-four hours earlier. Why had Regulus and Arizona been in here in the first place? Had they been hiding in wait for me? That couldn’t be right, because I was certain that Regulus hadn’t intended to involve me. I had far too many unanswered questions.
I could hear Biscuit’s bark as he generally thinks he is a guard dog. I skipped up the steps to let myself in, turned off the alarm, and let Biscuit out for a potty break. I looked around the house to make sure that I was alone. Yep. No one but me and Biscuit.
I remembered that I had turned off my cell phone while I was with Dr. Bleeker, so I powered it back on and looked at the display. Jeez! Em had sent me ten text messages. I had to give it to her for persistence.
I had Em on speed dial. “Em, it’s me.”
“What’s going on with you? You OK?” Em’s voice was always urgent and important. Hearing it raised a vision of sticky pink bubble gum in my mind.
“Did Austin let you know that I was sick today?”
“Sure, but you usually still text me.” I heard a little petulance in her voice because I had talked to Austin and not her.
“True, but I didn’t want to miss my first appointment with Dr. Bleeker, so I had to go to the campus and take care of that.”
“Oh.”
It didn’t make sense to me that I was the one who was supposedly sick today, but here I was, trying to soothe Emily’s feelings because I hadn’t texted her back. This is why guys made better buddies than girls.
“Wanna come over and do homework?” I asked.
“Sorry, can’t. I have to watch my sister in a recital tonight.” Her voice had pepped up at my invitation. “Maybe I can hang in Zion tonight, though. Gotta go now, my mom wants me to be ready in ten minutes.”
“Bye, Em,” I said before she ended the connection. I stared at my cell and wondered what it would be like to live at Em’s house. Em’s family consisted of two siblings, both parents, and a set of grandparents right next door. They ate dinner every night at exactly six. The menu for all the home-cooked meals could be found on the fridge door. A calendar of family activities was even posted for frequent viewing.
I peeled the cellophane wrapper from the edge of my frozen dinner.
Chapter 6
Regulus
Rule number one: Do not engage in personal relationships with subjects in your area of assignment. All emotions may be cauterized in cases of extreme deviance from the regulations set forth by the IIA.
Regulus recited the lines in his head until he had a difficult time listening to Arizona talk. Arizona talked more than anyone he had ever known.
Regulus grimaced while reading the contents of Mia Carina Taylor’s genome file. He could understand why the IIA wanted her. He transmitted the final file onto his electronic reader with a flick of his wrist. Carrying it to the bottom bunk bed, he attempted to lie on his back and stretch out, but his feet hung off the end. He bent his knees in acknowledgment of the futility.
The only light in the dorm room was a desk lamp shining onto paperwork strewn across the desk. Neither Regulus nor Arizona had read the numerous pamphlets left by the dorm mother, a woman of generous physical proportions and advice.
“No alcohol, no noise after quiet hours, no parties.” She had said the words in a booming voice. “Sign here that you understand and agree.”
She hadn’t given them time to read the contract but looked around the tidy room suspiciously. Then she had tossed the pamphlets on the bare desk and left.
“The logical person here would be one with access to a variety of resources, someone who blends in easily, someone who hasn’t lived here since birth. It has to be someone from this university.”
“Yes, we’ve already agreed on this.” Regulus mumbled the response as he stopped reading.
“Then we should use whatever resources Mia may have. It’s the only way that we will find the immigrants that are hidden in this town. We are running out of time. If they are allowed into society and breed, the genetic pool is ruined. Can’t let Whispering Woods turn into a cesspool.” Arizona laughed and leaned over the edge of the bed to look down at Regulus. “And the girl…she’s easy. She’s already cooperating fully.”
“We don’t need her. She’s a risk.” Regulus rubbed his temple. He looked at the digital clock that was given to incoming freshmen at Whispering Woods University, or Whispering U as they heard it called. 11:15, the orange numbers glowed. He wondered if the girl, Mia, was alone or if her father would be in their home. Would she be asleep? Or maybe she would be with the one that was called Austin.
“Did you hear me?” Arizona said. “I said that spending some time with Mia is better than most of the assignments we get. She’s a funny, attractive—“
“You will leave her alone.” Despite himself, his words came out in a deadly, slow hiss. He changed his tone and offered an impersonal, flat spiel. “The IIA has marked her. Since Peter is absent, she is next. She’s to be our third. Our gatekeeper.”
Silence. The digital clock clicked as the numbers changed and changed again.
“You’re attracted to the girl, aren’t you?” Arizona spoke the words in a low voice, his respect evident.
Regulus didn’t answer.
Arizona dropped his head back onto his pillow. He shook his head in disbelief. “Don’t worry. No one will ever know.”
“You’re imagining things. My restraint is beyond your comprehension. Your non-disciplined early years make it hard for you to understand.” Regulus continued using a flat voice.
“You don't believe that, Regulus. We’re the same. The IIA can train you to suppress and channel your emotions. But they can’t erase them.” Arizona stared up at the dirty ceiling above his head.
Regulus rubbed both hands over his face. His voice was low and barely audible when he spoke. “Yes, they would just erase me.”
Chapter 7
School Daze
After I went to bed, I found myself looking at the clock every five minutes. 9:00 p.m., then 9:05 p.m., 9:10 p.m.… Eventually I kicked my legs in frustration. I was exhausted from lack of sleep, but I couldn’t stop myself from looking at the clock.
I jumped out of the bed. Biscuit, for once, didn’t move from the rumpled blankets near the foot. I looked at his sleeping figure in envy. At least one of us would get some sleep.
Grabbing my jacket and shoes, I padded barefoot down the stairs. The house was dark with only a nightlight shining at the end of the stairs. I disabled the ala
rm and opened the front door to see a star-filled sky. I finished dressing while standing on the porch.
I knew that I had to go down to the waiting booth.
I had walked the drive so many times that I could do it with my eyes closed. I took a flashlight on my way out, but knew that I didn’t need it. The stars glittered en masse, a glow that would make the flashlight appear blinding and harsh. I quietly slipped through the grass at the edge instead of using the crunchy gravel surface to announce my journey.
When I reached my destination, I sat in the waiting booth and drew my knees up to my chest. My long pajamas clung to my warm skin in the autumn night. I leaned back and looked up at the twinkling lights and remembered the last time I had studied the night sky. Dad, Pete, and I had camped in a tent in the back yard and built a bonfire. I looked up, lost in happy memories of toasted marshmallows and bad jokes.
I closed my eyes trying to see my brother’s face. He’d disappeared only a couple of years ago, and I was relieved that I could still remember him clearly. People said that we looked alike, and I could see the similarities in his brown eyes and the wave of his dark blond hair.
I dreamed that I heard their voices. Regulus and Arizona were talking in hushed tones. Then arms encircled my body and I became weightless. I was rocked in the most comforting rhythm.
* * *
I awoke to the harsh light of morning and the insistent beep of my cell alarm. Biscuit licked my face with the enthusiasm that only a dog can have at seven in the morning. I sat up confused. I wasn’t sure what was real and what I’d dreamed. My flashlight lay on the nightstand table. A note had been left on top.
* * *
Morning people have always gotten on my nerves. First period English buzzed with the sound of voices recounting escapades true or imagined. I call it talking smack. They were supposed to be working on group assignments. I didn’t care about the project but needed quiet to start the week. Some silence to clear my head and think, but my team members were the loudest group of individuals who have ever walked the planet.
