The Beast

by Ally Condie

  Thing opened its eyes.

  Hello.

  “Whaaaa!” Nico slammed back into Logan and Opal, knocking all three of them to the ground.

  Only Emma was left standing. She gaped at Thing, who watched her calmly, wearing a small smile. Then it waved a skinny arm.

  “Cool,” Emma whispered. She inched closer.

  “Emma, get away from there!” Tyler called out, his head barely poking through the curtain.

  “Why?” Emma’s gaze never left the pedestal. “Thing lives in a jar, Ty. What’s it going to do?”

  “Don’t ask questions like that!” Tyler hissed. “That’s when the alien shows you what it can do. Like melt your face off!”

  “It spoke in my mind,” Nico whispered, scrambling to his feet. “That’s by far the scariest thing a figment’s ever done.” Opal and Logan rose too, though Logan remained in a crouch, ready for fight or flight.

  “Figment?” Opal tore her eyes from the pedestal to regard Nico curiously. “Why do you say that?”

  Nico shrugged. “What else could it be?”

  I’m not a figment, a voice echoed inside Nico’s skull.

  He froze. “Anyone else hear that?”

  “Yes,” Logan rasped, tugging at his shirt collar.

  “I heard,” Opal said, a note of exhilaration in her voice.

  The little green creature dipped its head. Yes, I expect you all did. I will speak to everyone at once, to make things easier. And please excuse me if I sound tired. I haven’t done this in years, and I’ve expended a tremendous amount of energy this week already.

  Nico stared. Thing was hovering in the center of the jar, black eyes shining. The blob was suddenly, totally alive, as if it hadn’t spent every day since they’d found the houseboat suspended in a lifeless stupor.

  I suppose you’re wondering why I haven’t spoken to you all before.

  “You read my mind,” Logan joked. Then his face paled.

  Tyler whimpered over by the curtain.

  Nico swallowed. Oh man, did Thing actually read Logan’s mind?

  To answer your question, Nico: No, I did not just read Logan’s mind.

  Nico stiffened.

  Thing’s smile became coy. Nor did I read yours just now. Some concerns are easy to guess.

  “You spoke to me before,” Opal cut in, eyes burning with a wild intensity. “And you … you made me see things. You wanted me to find that medal.”

  Thing nodded inside the green liquid, an odd sight.

  I did, Opal. Our connection was the quickest to form. I first made contact during your delightful radish ceremony, but it fatigued me more than I’d expected. I had to rest again, and was only able to send images and impressions as the Rift grew more and more unstable. Tell me: Are there no more Torchbearers left to tend it?

  “Just us,” Nico said, jutting his chin. “We’re the Torchbearers now.”

  Thing nodded graciously. A noble sentiment, though not particularly useful in our current predicament. Since you don’t seem to know what’s happened, or how to correct it.

  “What are you even doing here?” Tyler had sidled over to join the group in a loose semicircle around the pedestal. Thing bobbed in the center, holding every eye in the room.

  I live here, Tyler.

  Tyler shook his head in irritation. “No, I mean … why are you on this houseboat, stuck inside a glass jar?”

  That’s a long story. I wonder if now is the best time to tell it?

  “Oh, it’s a good time.” Logan turned and strode to a bench in the far corner. He lifted it and lugged it back across the room, and they all sat facing the jar. Everyone except Tyler, who stood behind the others with his arms crossed.

  Logan jabbed a finger at Thing. “Speak. Please.”

  Very well, but it’s a complicated tale, so for now I’ll stick to the most salient points. To begin most simply: I’m not of this plane of existence.

  “Whoa.” Emma blinked rapidly, her blue eyes rapt. “Where are you from?”

  It’s easiest to explain it as another dimension. I’m from the same realm as the frightful being Nico and Opal confronted within the Deepness weeks ago—you saw quite a few more of them last night at the Rift. In our realm, they’re known as Takers.

  “You’re one of those?” Nico tried not to shudder. The creature he’d faced inside the Darkdeep had nearly scared him to death.

  No, I’m not a Taker. You would describe me as … an explorer. I became marooned here very soon after the Rift came into existence. I found an identical opening in my world, and decided to see what was waiting on the other side. To my horror, I discovered that I could not endure your atmosphere. I was nearly dead when someone found me and placed me inside a liquid suspension suitable for my survival. I’ve been here ever since.

  “Wait a minute,” Tyler said, eyes narrowing. “How’d they know what to do with a dying alien?”

  Thing gave a thin smile. Nico felt something like a snort inside his head. They didn’t. It was a primitive embalming solution intended to preserve my corpse for further study, but it kept me alive instead. We spent years afterward tweaking the mixture, eventually arriving at the formaldehyde cocktail I currently inhabit.

  Logan wrinkled his nose. “Mr. Kress keeps the dissection frogs in that stuff.”

  “You got lucky,” Emma said, ignoring Logan. “Who saved you?”

  The first Torchbearer. Her name was Yvette Dumont. She and I struck a deal. The Rift was unstable and raging out of control, threatening everything around it. Indeed, it had pulled the ship she was traveling on far off course, causing the vessel to founder and sink. Dozens of lives were lost. Even worse, dangerous beings on my side of the breach—such as Takers—had sensed the opening and wanted to pass through into your world. Yvette and I discovered how to seal the Rift by manipulating the chemical composition of the ocean water around it, creating a tenuous barrier that prevents anything from crossing over in either direction. Then she brought me here. I’ve lived among the collection ever since, helping in whatever ways I can.

  Nico stared at the little green creature. “So you’re a Torchbearer, too.”

  Thing blinked. Thank you, Nico. That’s a very kind observation.

  “What about the Darkdeep?” Opal asked suddenly. “Is it the same thing as the Rift?”

  Thing shook its head. Not the same, but the Deepness is connected. It’s difficult to explain.

  “Why didn’t you tell us this stuff when we first showed up?” Tyler’s glare remained hard and suspicious. “We nearly ruined everything by jumping into the Darkdeep like fools. You knew that was a bad idea, right?”

  I wasn’t awake, Tyler. My liquid hasn’t been changed in nearly a decade. When Roman stopped coming by, I was forced to make a choice. I decided to enter a dormant state, hoping another Torchbearer would arrive and revive me. It was only the sudden activation of the Deepness that jostled me from my slumber.

  Nico ran a hand across his face. “When we got here … There wasn’t … You were just a floating blob of goo!”

  My dormant state is extremely disassociated. It took me a week to reformulate, and by then you’d already handled the problem. The Deepness had been freed from the Takers’ influence.

  Opal tapped a finger into her palm. “You sent me clues, nudging me every step of the way to that oil platform. Why?”

  The Rift must be tended. If a Torchbearer doesn’t perform certain functions, the seal can be torn open, creating a possible pathway between our realms. Dire creatures will seek to pour through, and unlike me, some are capable of surviving anywhere. Thing’s pinched face grew solemn. There are worse than Takers on my side of the Rift.

  Tyler’s breath caught. “The Beast!” he blurted. “That’s where it came from! And why it lives around here.”

  Thing’s glittering eyes focused on him. Correct, Tyler. The leviathan is from my dimension. It was the first creature to cross into this realm, before even me. It survives by spending most of its time in th
e waters surrounding the Rift.

  The Traveler! Nico thought. From the Torchbearers’ warning letter. But Tyler spoke again before he could voice the connection.

  Tyler was squeezing his ears. “Oh man. This is too much. You’re telling me the Beast is a freaking demon?”

  Thing seemed to mull the word for a moment. As good a term as any.

  Emma leaned close, her nose mere inches from the jar. “The Rift went crazy last night. We did what you instructed, but the whirlpool overloaded in a way that can’t be good. What happened?”

  Thing frowned. I had you add iron powder to the vortex in an attempt to correct the chemical balance, but the Rift was already out of control. The seal cracked. A path between our dimensions may soon form.

  Nico groaned. “So we really are too late?”

  Thing pursed its lips. Not … completely.

  Opal sat forward. “What do you mean?”

  There’s a way to seal the Rift again, but it’s dangerous. Tell me, have apparitions manifested on the island recently?

  “You mean figments?” Nico nodded firmly. “We’ve caught three over the last few weeks, and dispelled them, but a pack of gremlins is still roaming somewhere right now.” His shoulders slumped. “One more problem to deal with.”

  I suspected as much. The Deepness—or the Darkdeep, if you prefer—is connected to the Rift. Even I don’t fully understand, but it seems to function as a release valve. If the Rift grows unstable, the Darkdeep grows erratic as well.

  “The Darkdeep is connected how?” Logan said.

  “How do we fix the seal?” Opal asked at the same time.

  Thing grimaced. I grow weary. For now, just know we must neutralize the Darkdeep in order to reseal the Rift. Its black, marble-like eyes traveled the group. You will have to be brave.

  Tyler glowered at the jar. “You better not mean jumping into that freaky well again. Because I’m all done with that.”

  We will talk again soon. For now, keep a sharp watch out for figments. With the seal ruptured, more will come. They cannot be allowed to disrupt our task.

  Nico rose to his feet. “When will they show up? What should we do about the Rift now?”

  But no answers came.

  Thing had closed its eyes, resuming a motionless, lolling float.

  18

  OPAL

  Opal frowned at the TV reporter.

  “Halloween is finally here, and Timbers has gone viral,” the man said into a camera, his capped teeth gleaming. “As questions without answers pile up, and tensions escalate, it’s clear that for one tiny Pacific Northwest town, there’s no cure for Beastmania in sight.”

  “Dude, that’s terrible,” Tyler grumbled. “Did he make that garbage up on the spot?”

  Everyone in town seemed to have gathered by the waterfront on the blustery Saturday morning. Having biked straight there from the houseboat, Opal and her friends were now attempting to blend in with the bundled-up crowd, anxious to see whether anyone noticed that the Freakshow boat had been “borrowed.” The sun rose in a shockingly clear sky behind them, but it did nothing to chase away the chill.

  “We never made any plans for tonight,” Emma said peevishly. “Halloween is today, and I have no idea whether I’ll get to enjoy it or not. I never even got a costume together. This stupid Rift has a lot to answer for.”

  “I’ve got a Snickers in my backpack,” Opal said. “That help?”

  “Not even close.” Emma sighed through her sulky frown. “Oh well. Time to go to work.” She started over to where the film crew were stomping boots and blowing into their hands for warmth. “I’ll report back when I can!” she called.

  Logan slipped off to find his dad, explaining, “He’s got my new shirts.” Nico and Tyler melted toward the edge of the throng. Opal was following them when she spotted Evan Martinez and some of his soccer buddies. They were already in costume, dressed as Teen Titans.

  He noticed her and nodded, his expression serious. “Check it out, Opal. We’re famous now.”

  Opal folded her arms. “Famous?”

  “You haven’t watched yet?” Evan popped an eyebrow, which only accentuated his sleek Robin costume. “You might be the only one left in town who hasn’t.”

  “Watched what?”

  “The first three episodes of Freakshow: The Beast were posted last night. They’ve gotten nonstop hits ever since.”

  Opal’s heart sank. “How bad is it?”

  Evan scowled. “Incredibly bad. Although if I wasn’t from Timbers, I’d probably love the stupid show.”

  Before Opal could ask what he meant, people made shushing noises around them. Opal rose to her tiptoes, trying to see what was going on closer to the pier. She spotted Colton Bridger being interviewed by yet another reporter.

  Kate O’Conner of Channel 5 news was using her super-serious voice. “I’m here with Colton Bridger, host of the smash YouTube hit Freakshow, whose boat was attacked last night in a highly suspicious manner.”

  “Oh crap.” Opal ducked away from Evan and beelined over to Tyler and Nico. When she got close, Tyler whispered into her ear. “This is not good. What’d we do to the boat?”

  “Nothing!” she whispered. It was true. Nico had docked the boat in the same slip where they’d found it. They’d used up a lot of gas, sure, but that couldn’t be considered an “attack.” They hadn’t put a scratch on the thing.

  “Our flagship,” Bridger said, his voice carrying to the expectant crowd, “was ready for the next dangerous task—a thorough investigation of the mysterious wilderness where the Beast is rumored to live.” He paused, weighting his words. “Still Cove.”

  “Shut up shut up shut up,” Tyler muttered, eyeing the rapt faces around him. “Nothing to see here. Move along.”

  Two large LCD screens came to life behind Bridger, displaying images of the speedboat’s fiberglass hull. The garish blue paint was scratched and dented. One of the side railings looked … gnawed.

  Opal was so shocked that it took her a moment to wonder why the screens were there. They loomed behind Bridger like he was headlining a rock concert. She saw the Freakshow cameraman circle around the reporter’s film crew, and realized he was recording, too.

  “This whole thing is a setup,” Nico growled. “Bridger trashed his own boat to make it look like a Beast attack.”

  Logan barreled up to them lugging his giant duffel bag, as the screens changed to a shot of the crowd.

  “Wow,” Tyler said. “This is getting meta.”

  “Look how many people here are wearing my shirts,” Logan said gleefully. “You can’t buy this kind of advertising!”

  “Focus,” Opal hissed. “Bridger is stirring people up to get better footage. But is he still going to Still Cove or not?”

  “That wasn’t even his boat!” Tyler fumed. “It’s Sammie’s. He better pay for the damage!”

  Logan tugged on his earlobe. “Trashing a rental is a crime, right? Would Bridger go that far for ratings?”

  Opal blew out a breath. “Of course he would.”

  O’Conner had adopted her “concerned” face. “There’s been a lot of strange phenomena in the area recently,” she said to Bridger. “A red tide appeared offshore, followed by yesterday’s bizarre electrical storm, and a stream of blue-green algae littering the beaches. Now a local eyewitness is claiming that a column of purple lightning erupted over Skagit Sound last night.” She paused, drawing out the moment. “In your extensive world travels, have you ever come across these kinds of occurrences before?”

  Bridger looked directly into her camera, then over at his. “In all my career, I’ve never seen anything like what is happening here in Timbers.”

  O’Conner shoved her mike closer. “Tell us what you mean.”

  “Sorry.” Bridger winked roguishly. “I have to save those discoveries for the next episode of Freakshow: The Beast.”

  The crowd aww-ed in disappointment.

  “Oh, for the love of …” Opal shook her head sharp
ly. “I can’t watch this anymore.”

  “Breakfast?” Logan suggested. “We can eavesdrop in the cafe. I want to hear what everyone is saying.”

  “Fine by me,” Nico said. “But it’s gonna be crowded. The Halloween carnival just started on the square.”

  “We can watch the Freakshow episodes while we wait,” Tyler said. When Nico shot him a dark look, he shrugged. “We need to know what Colton’s saying, Nico. And I need something to think about besides an exploding fissure in space-time lurking four miles away. Or the alien that spoke inside my head before powering down for a nap.”

  Opal thought of those horrifying Takers. Who knew what might be preparing to pass through the Rift at this very moment.

  Thing, she thought. Wake up.

  Nothing.

  Bridger, his interview concluded, crossed the wharf and flashed a thumbs-up at his cameraman. He whispered something and they both laughed.

  Opal frowned, turning on her heels. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Timbers Cafe was packed with both regulars and tourists, many of whom sported costumes, face paint, or Logan’s Beast gear. Nico put his name in for a table and sat with the others on a bench by the door. Tyler pulled out his phone. With great reluctance, Opal scooched close to him. Together the group watched all three episodes in a row.

  When finished, Tyler slumped back and covered his eyes. “I can’t even.”

  “Awful,” Logan mumbled. “We look like a town of idiots.”

  Opal couldn’t speak. The show felt like a running joke, and Timbers was the punch line.

  “Nico Holland? Table’s ready!”

  They rose and trudged to a booth in the back of the crowded restaurant. “Where’d all these people come from?” Tyler mumbled, sliding onto the red vinyl seat. “I thought everyone was down by the docks, but there are more tourists than locals around these days.”

  Opal opened a menu and noticed the Beastburger was no longer listed inside. She glanced up as Melanie, the part-owner, came over with a tray of waters. She’d worked there longer than Opal had been alive.