Eli crossed his arms, shifted in his rubber boots and smirked at Big Ed. “I’ll do my part when Peter does his.”
A wave of satisfaction passed through Eli’s body, further emboldening him to say things he had long felt but had never had the courage to say. “It’s not like you can do anything to me, Dad. I already spend all the time I’m not at school or studying working on the farm. Are you going to make me quit school too?”
Eli flung his arms wide. “I could spend my whole life in this field. Just like you! Is that what you want?”
Big Ed reeled. His wife had always been better handling the emotional aspects of raising their boys, but he thought he would at least have their respect. For Big Ed respect was the foundation upon which everything else was built. His anger built to a crescendo and, for a moment, he worried what he might do. Then he took a deep breath and regained his cool. Eli was thirteen. He did not mean the things he was saying. He probably even had a point. It would break Big Ed’s heart if his sons left the farm, but they ultimately had to make their own choices.
“You don’t have to spend your whole life here, but I do need your help for the next few years.”
Big Ed was proud of his measured response. That pride fell away when Eli answered, “Great. I can spend all of my time farming. Who cares about school? It’s not like I was going to have enough money to go to college anyway, right?”
Big Ed had no words. There was no money for either of the boys to go to college. There was barely enough money to keep the roof over their heads and the bill-collectors at bay. He could not imagine feeling the despair, the hopelessness that Eli evoked. Big Ed had been taught that if you work hard things will work out. Things were not working out. He gave words to the last answer he could think of.
“Your mother loved this place, Eli.”
“Mom’s gone, Dad, and she’s not coming back.”
Big Ed winced and took an involuntary step back. A single tear left the corner of his right eye and slowly tracked down his face until it fell into the murky water at their feet. He nodded at Eli, then slowly walked towards the house.
Eli had immediately realized what he had done. Everything he said was true, but what had he done to his father? Big Ed had never asked for anything. He only did what he thought was best.
Eli grabbed at his temples, pushed against his head with all his might and screamed. As his scream faded he dropped his hands and stared at the muddy water. He felt no different. He turned to walk after his father and saw Peter standing behind him, a bundle of seedlings in each small hand and tears running down his face.
Now back in Peter’s room the boys sat quietly. Time healed many wounds, but some were so deep that they hurt no matter how much time had passed. Eli looked at Peter, wondering how much he remembered of that afternoon in the field when Eli had broken Big Ed’s heart. Eli finally broke the silence. “I don’t like this. I don’t like any of this.”
Eli was speaking to Peter but Orb replied. “Understood. I recognize that it does not help, but please know that I too am unhappy with the current scenario and what is required to achieve victory.”
All three boys stared at Orb. Everything that was happening was beyond their experience and out of their control.
Peter and Eli exchanged a look and both immediately felt a tingling in their heads as something passed between them. As brothers, there had often been moments when each knew what the other was thinking. Whatever had just happened was much more than that. Their eyes widened as they stared at each other.
Peter felt Eli inside his brain, running through all the various paths and options available to them. Their minds met and they collectively explored the options. If they refused to help Orb they faced—at least according to Orb—the end of the world as they knew it. Big Ed was likely going to resign his new job, which meant that even with the return of the river money was again an issue. Eli still wanted a life in the city but had no way to make that happen. And Peter? What was Peter going to do?
Peter and Eli held their gaze a moment longer, when Eli finally, reluctantly smiled. There were no easy answers. There were no guarantees in life. Neither of them truly trusted Orb. They would join Orb’s quest not because they liked him but because it was the only path available to them that could at least potentially end up with a happy ending. Most importantly: whatever happened they would stick together.
Peter smiled in return and inclined his head towards Matt. Eli nodded. Matt would also be part of their brotherhood. A brotherhood that would soon also involve Irene.
Their unspoken agreement now completed, the link between them slipped and fell away. Peter felt the loss of being alone again within his mind. How did we do that? Can we make it happen again?
Eli felt the same loss and, even though Peter could no longer directly sense it, had the same questions.
The elongated silence was now awkward. Peter thought to change the mood by asking a different question that had been nagging at him.
“Eli, why were you guys outside in the middle of the night?”
Eli looked over at Matt, who blushed again, his freckles little islands in a sea of red. Eli then looked over at Orb. “Since your friend claims to know everything that Matt has ever thought or done up until a few minutes ago, I’ll let him tell you.”
Orb pulsed, then declared, “Irene and her friend Jenny secretly left their respective homes and are currently walking together to the abandoned Winslow house. Matt and Eli are sneaking out to join them and expect to play a game called ‘spin the bottle.’ They also plan on spending as much time as possible doing what you call kissing, preferably with a French variation, before—”
“OK, OK!” Eli cut Orb off. “I think you covered it.”
Orb, Eli, Matt and Peter all blushed red, though in Orb’s case it was simply his natural state. Peter had never felt more awkward in his life. Matt attempted to break the tension by softly whistling, which did not help.
Finally, Eli added, “We saw the red light coming from your window, Peter.”
Peter nodded. “All of this on a Wednesday night, Eli? I thought you were worried about getting into college.”
Orb chimed in unexpectedly, “Hormones can cause adolescents to make curious choices, particularly when the outcome involves French kissing.”
“Shut up!” Eli roared.
All three winced as they heard Big Ed emit a loud groan. They waited a few seconds but Big Ed was quiet. They all silently released their breath.
Orb spoke first. “Eli and Matt, I will come with you to see Irene and Jenny. We must explain to them what is needed.”
“Jenny too?” Eli asked.
“Yes, Jenny too.”
“Does that mean that she…?”
“Yes, Eli, your knowledge of one another is minimal, but I judge your feelings for each other to be strong and true.”
“Well, I’ll be,” Matt said as he clapped Eli on the shoulder. Eli again blushed.
“Do not get ahead of yourself, Eli,” warned Orb. “You have much to prove to her and to me.”
Eli’s blush disappeared in favor of a somber, serious look.
“Peter, you will wait here,” said Orb.
Peter looked at the beaming faces of his brother and Matt and thought of the French kissing that Orb had discussed.
“No problem,” said Peter, hopping back into his bed and picking up his book.
As he watched Eli throw one of the dirty shirts from the pile in the corner over Orb to conceal his light during the walk ahead, Peter felt a strange sense of peace. On one hand they were marching into a very dangerous situation with someone, something, he did not trust. On the other hand, the burden was no longer his alone to bear. The secret no longer needed to be kept. He had help for whatever lay ahead.
CHAPTER EIGHT: The Quest Begins
“I’m still not sure about this.”
Matt’s opinion was shared to some degree by everyone else crammed into Peter’s room. That group included Eli, Irene,
Jenny and, of course, Peter.
“As explained, I will apply a fog to the minds of those closest to all of you. They will be aware of your absence but will not be concerned by it. When you return, the fog will be lifted and it will be as if you had never left.”
“But that’s the part I don’t get,” said Matt. “What is this fog? How does it work?”
“Do you know how to start a car?” Orb asked the question in all of their minds.
Eli opened his mouth, about to say something smart aleck, then closed it. He looked at Matt, who shrugged and looked at Irene.
“Johnny’s new car doesn’t even have a key. There’s just this fob thing and you push a button.”
Matt grimaced. The last thing he wanted to be reminded about was Johnny Community College and his fancy new car—and the fact that Irene had been in it.
Jenny volunteered, “I believe pushing the button sends a signal to the starter solenoid, which then engages the starter, initiating movement of the flywheel and, in turn, the cam shaft which opens valves to deliver fuel to cylinders, which are moved by the crank shaft. The fuel is ignited, or combusted, causing the cylinders to move with a force that is ultimately transferred to the wheels via the transmission and the drive shaft.”
Everyone turned to look at Jenny, particularly Eli. Peter wondered if Eli, who thought of himself as well above average in terms of smarts, was up for the challenge presented by Jenny.
Jenny shrugged. “My eighth-grade science fair project was on diesel engines, which are completely different of course in that they use compression, not combustion, but many of the principles remain the same.”
Eli’s mouth again dropped open. He had never been as attracted to a girl as he was right now.
“Yes,” Orb’s voice echoed in their heads. “I was simply trying to make the point that there are many processes that occur all around you that many, even Jenny, would be hard-pressed to explain. You benefit from these processes, much as you benefit from using a car rather than walking, but you do not necessarily understand them. My fog will work. Your friends and relatives will not be concerned by your absence.”
Peter had a strange, jealous pang. Orb had been his discovery, his secret. He was not sure that he trusted or even liked Orb, but his experiences over the past week had been something uniquely his. Now he had to share them with others, all of whom were older and at least one potentially a lot smarter.
Peter stared at Jenny, who sat directly across from him, next to Eli. The red glow of Orb played over her features, which were unusual. Her long, brown hair fell well past her shoulders, mimicking her nose, which seemed to travel the length of her face before ending in a sharp, upturned bump. Her eyes were unique for two reasons. First, they were such a honey brown that they almost appeared yellow. Second, they were abnormally large—or at least they gave that impression because of the wide expanse of white visible all the way around the irises. It almost looked like she was permanently surprised, which was negated to some extent by her small, button-like mouth that exuded calm, cool contemplation.
Peter’s gaze was broken by Jenny’s big eyes, which had caught him staring. “Can I help you with something, Peter?”
Blushing, Peter turned his head and found himself in the gaze of Irene, who smiled knowingly at him. Peter tried staring at his right foot as a safe outlet.
Eli, who was still shaking off his wave of admiration for Jenny, saved Peter by asking a question out loud to the entire group. “We’re really doing this?”
Eli turned and tried to lock eyes with everyone in the group. Matt smiled and nodded, as did Peter and Irene. When he got to Jenny, her small mouth pulled up to the right as if she was trying to remove something stuck in her teeth.
Jenny had spent the first thirty minutes together putting Orb through tests of his knowledge and power—asking private questions no one should be able to answer and compelling him to conjure random items such as a push broom, a blue football and a gold bar. Matt in particular had been quite excited by the gold bar until Orb reiterated that all the money in the world could do nothing to thwart the destruction Cube was about to levy on their planet.
Jenny was grudgingly convinced by the results of her tests. Laboring to pick up the gold bar, she replied, “Eli, either it’s all true and we are fighting for our very world, or it’s all a hoax and five minutes from now we’re still sitting in your little brother’s room next to a pile of his dirty underwear.”
She awkwardly dropped the gold bar to the floor near Orb, where it landed with a thud. Peter stole a quick look at his dirty clothes pile in the corner and felt more than a little nauseated. She was right, of course. He often did not take the time or trouble to wear underwear, but those he had worn recently were mixed into the pile of dirty socks, shorts, and shirts.
Peter’s shame was distracted by another thought—his bloody shirt that he had thrown away after the attack by the guardian. He had described his trip to the others but did not think they truly understood what had happened. He agreed with Eli that helping Orb was their best option. He also felt it was his responsibility to make sure everyone else knew what they were agreeing to do. “Orb, how dangerous will this be?”
Everyone looked at Peter then down to Orb sitting in the middle of their group.
“As stated previously, Peter, there is great danger in our quest. I expect to be able to protect all of you or heal any who become injured.”
“Does expect to mean the same thing as will be able to?” asked Matt, nervously eyeing Irene.
Orb pulsed. “I know everything that has happened, but even I cannot read the future.”
Peter pushed one more time. “Orb, I still don’t understand why you need all of us to go. Originally you only needed me, but now there will be five of us. Why?”
“We have discussed this, Peter. Cube has gathered loyal followers. I need the same to defeat it. The stronger the ties within the group, the more power we can yield and the less likely we are to suffer losses.”
“And five is the maximum number you can transport,” offered Jenny.
“Yes. Once I am reunited with my final receptacle, these limits will not apply. With my current configuration, we will be forced to stop once on our journey so that I can recharge.”
Peter chewed on the first part of Orb’s statement. What he means is that he will have absolute power and no one will be able to stop him.
Eli, puzzled by Peter’s reluctance, glared at him. “Do you want to help or not, Peter? Orb has explained all of this. If we don’t help him, Cube wins and everything we know is gone. We need to do this for Big Ed, for everyone.”
Peter felt the heat of everyone’s stare. No one understood his reluctance—particularly Eli and his black and white approach to decisions. Peter knew that in Eli’s head they had already chosen to help Orb. Once Eli made a decision he did not question it. Eli would not understand that Peter’s hesitation came from the fact that they were putting more than just the two of them in danger—and because he had no idea what kind of world they would live in if it were ruled by an all-powerful version of Orb.
Peter looked at the others. No one else had expressed any serious doubts, except perhaps Matt, but his concerns were focused on protecting Irene. Irene was going, which meant Matt was going. Jenny was a mystery but at least outwardly she appeared to have made peace with the decision to go.
Peter stared at Eli, trying to again forge the link between them. The link did not form and all he received from Eli was a dirty look. There was no good option, but Peter knew that refusing to help Orb would not help his already broken family.
“Okay,” Peter said, “when do we go?”
“Now,” replied Orb. His commands then entered and compelled each of them. “Hold hands, and close your eyes. Do not open your eyes for any reason until I tell you. Keep your hands locked together. We will soon be in Mexico.”
Peter, who had not yet closed his eyes but was holding Matt’s sweaty hand in his left hand and Jenny�
�s smooth hand in his right hand, spoke again. “Where in Mexico?”
“Real de Catorce, Peter. Close your eyes.”
“Mexico?” Matt exclaimed. “I’ve never even been out of Arkansas. Where is Mexico again?”
“Directly south of the United States. It shares a border with Texas and other states to the west,” answered Jenny.
“That’s great,” responded Matt, his eyes wide open. “Should we be wearing helmets or something?”
“Please relax,” said Orb. “Peter has teleported before. There is nothing you need to do but shut your eyes.”
“Peter?” asked Irene. “How was it when you did it last time?”
Peter did not know how to respond, but finally did when Jenny squeezed his hand. “It was…fine, I guess. I don’t really remember it and I had just been attacked by the guardian. But, well, fine.”
“I think we should stop talking about it,” said Eli. “I feel more nervous now than I did a minute ago.”
“Please close your eyes and remain still with your hands locked,” Orb advised.
Peter closed his eyes, tried to ignore how hard Matt was squeezing his hand, and thought back to his report on Mexico. Real de Catorce? That did not sound familiar at all.
Orb advised, “We will arrive in five, four, three, two, one.”
Peter did not know what he expected, but he was a little surprised that he felt nothing after Orb counted to one. Jenny’s hand twitched in his and he again heard the voice of Orb, but this time it sounded as if it was coming from far away.
“You may open your eyes now, young ones.”
Peter slowly opened his eyes. They were all seated on a dirt floor in a dark room, the only light coming from Orb. He felt Jenny let go of his right hand, but Matt continued to grip his left.
Orb pulsed. “You may feel slightly fatigued. This is normal.”
A curtain of darkness slowly descended over Peter’s vision. He slumped over sideways into Matt.
CHAPTER NINE: Real de Catorce
“I think he’s waking up,” a girl’s voice declared.
The Promise of the Orb Page 10
