Magic at Midnight

by Lyssa Chiavari

  Every few hours Maribel had heard rumbles in the distance, and as night fell on the second day, their pursuers made no more attempts to hide themselves, flashing their bright lights over the trees in hopes of discovering their location. Maribel and Valentín walked side by side through the night, both turning their heads at the slightest sounds. Thoughts of the beast of the woods passed through Maribel’s mind, and she wondered which beast would be the most terrifying: the one who hid in the shadows of the woods, taking anyone who crossed his path—or the one who’d taken her father.

  Before darkness fell on the third day, Valentín stopped abruptly, his head tilted toward a noise that had escaped Maribel’s ears. No, not just one noise, but many different sounds came from just up ahead. Maribel stepped back and pulled Valentín with her, being careful to hide them both from view behind two large trees. The night was enveloping any light that would have allowed her to see more clearly, but maybe that was for the best. She led Valentín forward slowly and they walked for several minutes when she began to notice that the ground had turned rocky, the dirt and leaves no longer damp and soft beneath her feet. They continued for almost an hour when there was a rumble above them. The silver plane’s bright light stopped a few hundred feet ahead and began to lower itself to the ground, its light illuminating everything in front of it.

  Maribel had never seen anything like it. A large archway led into a town—no, a city?—with tall silver spiraled buildings, each with countless windows. Hundreds of lights illuminated the buildings, so that Maribel was not sure if they were silver or actually mirrors. The lights moved continuously, some of them in the fashion of a lighthouse. There were men standing in front of the archway, their hands held out to receive the cases and weapons handed to them by the four men who had just exited the plane.

  Maribel could see people walking on the streets of the city behind the men. Small two-door vehicles whizzed by, blue light illuminating the streets every time one passed. Maribel could have watched the people forever, the parents walking with their young children, the couples driving in their small cars. Who knew what they were talking about? As far as Maribel was concerned, they could have been in another world.

  The rumble of the plane brought her out of her daze, and she turned in time to see it heading slowly toward a large hangar, which was not as well-lit as the city. After talking for a few minutes just outside the archway, the four men took one last look toward the woods and made their way into the walls of the city.

  As Maribel watched, most of the lights inside the buildings went out, and the low hum of vehicles driving through the streets stopped. There was an uneasy quiet, and Maribel was afraid to move. There was a ping and a gruff voice echoed all around.

  “Good citizens, tonight we must exercise extra caution and vigilance.”

  The metal wall surrounding the city shuddered a little as metal spikes rose from the top. Black bars came down from the archway, blocking the entrance.

  “The protections your city has in place should serve us well tonight.”

  Maribel heard a small crackle and wondered how many volts of electricity were passing through the wall.

  “The Beast has been sighted—not too far from the edge of our woods.”

  Maribel and Valentín took a step back automatically, hiding themselves deeper in the darkness.

  “We will make sure he does not enter our gates.”

  Maribel looked up at the tallest building, where there were a few lights still on. The silhouette of a man was just barely discernible, and Maribel was certain that his was the voice on the speaker.

  “But we do ask for your cooperation. If you see any suspicious activity, anything out of the ordinary, report it at once. Enjoy your evening.”

  There was an echoing click, and then silence. Maribel continued to watch the man’s silhouette pacing back and forth until he moved away from the window and the light blinked off.

  “You don’t suppose there’s a back way in?” Maribel whispered to Valentín.

  They waited without moving for what seemed like hours, Maribel’s hand holding Valentín’s reins, ready to jump on him at any moment.

  Then, slowly, they began to walk parallel to the city gate, keeping within the safety of the woods.

  “How are we ever going to get in there?” Maribel whispered.

  Suddenly, a scooter emerged from the trees about two hundred feet away, and Maribel pulled back on Valentín’s reins, drawing them farther back into the woods. The scooter was almost completely silent as it made its way toward the tall gate. As Maribel watched, a door built into the metal wall slid open, revealing a woman’s silhouette. The scooter slowed to a stop next to the wall, and the driver—a man—stepped off and followed the woman, who had already disappeared from the doorway.

  Maribel turned to Valentín.

  “This is my chance. Wait for my signal right here. Don’t let them see you, okay?”

  Valentín lifted one leg and set it down again, a sign he understood, and moved back slightly. Maribel looked at him one more time before turning and running toward the open doorway. When she had almost reached it, she wished she had never started toward it at all. How stupid could she have been to run out into the open? The man and woman could return at any moment, and then she would be captured, unable to help her father.

  She felt a tiny fire of hope light up inside her as she reached the doorway and passed through it, her eyes desperately searching for a place to hide. The darkness of the city was a gift, and Maribel was beginning to breathe a sigh of relief when the man and woman rounded a corner, blue light shining from a flashlight in the woman’s hand.

  The man dropped a small package and instinctively took out a weapon, pointing it at Maribel. The woman stopped, her flashlight shining right into Maribel’s eyes. She lifted her hand, signaling for the man to lower his weapon. Maribel couldn’t see the woman’s eyes, but she heard the disbelief in her voice.

  “Marina?”

  Maribel felt herself tense at the sound of her mother’s name. She remained silent, waiting and listening. The man put his weapon back in its holster and bent down to pick up the package he’d dropped—a small box that made a soft clicking sound when it was moved around. The man looked around nervously, then back at Maribel.

  “You can go,” the woman finally said. The man did not move.

  “If you don’t hurry, we will all get caught,” she said to him.

  He nodded and, taking one last look at Maribel, moved past her and through the doorway. The woman touched a keypad on the bracelet she wore on her wrist, and the door slid shut.

  Maribel began to feel panic in her chest. There was no sign of the door’s existence after it slid shut.

  The woman stepped forward, but Maribel did not move.

  “It’s best not to linger,” the woman said quietly. “Follow me.”

  The woman turned and walked away, her footsteps barely making a sound as they fell on the gray stone. When she reached a corner and turned, Maribel broke into a run, almost forgetting to be quiet.

  As Maribel rounded the corner, she was greeted by a wide street with towering gray stone buildings on each side. A few lights lit each door, and even though Maribel knew it was impossible, it seemed as if the street went on forever. From where she stood, she could see two different roads farther down, leading to the center of the city like a maze.

  The woman was almost at the top of the stairs that led to the doorway of the second building on the right, and Maribel sprinted to catch up to her. The woman stopped and turned to watch Maribel, holding the wrist that wore the keypad bracelet. When Maribel reached the top, the woman blinked, turned, and touched the keypad four times.

  “But wait—” Maribel began.

  “Not here,” the woman said. “Someone might see you.”

  The glass doors slid open quietly and Maribel followed the woman inside. A second set of glass doors opened when the woman placed her hand on the glass.

  As soon as the
doors closed behind them, the woman turned to Maribel.

  “You cannot possibly be Marina. You’re exactly as she was, once, but not as she must be now. You must be her daughter.”

  Maribel stared at the woman but did not say anything.

  “I would ask how she’s doing, but the fact that her daughter seems to be breaking into the city during the darkest hours of the night does not bode well.”

  The woman waited again, Maribel still looking into the woman’s eyes—the same striking gray as her mother’s.

  The woman turned. “Come,” she said briskly, and she led Maribel past a large circular desk with a rectangular plaque that read Book Depository. As the woman led Maribel past rows and rows of shelves with strange devices, each blinking a tiny blue light, Maribel stopped walking.

  “But where are the books?” she asked.

  The woman stopped and turned. She gestured with her hand toward the devices on the shelves. “These are the books.”

  Marina raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

  “What’s your name?” the woman asked after a few moments.

  “Maribel.”

  The woman nodded. “And you’re Marina’s daughter.” It was not a question.

  Maribel nodded. The woman stepped toward her.

  “Very good. My name is Minerva, and I take it, Maribel, by the way you’re sneaking about, that something is amiss. While I must admit this is not the way I would have chosen to meet my granddaughter, it cannot be helped.”

  Maribel’s eyes widened, but Minerva raised her hand.

  “If you are here, something brought you. How is Marina? And what are you doing here?”

  Maribel felt an eerie calmness settle over her, the blinking blue lights making her feel suddenly tired.

  “I can help you, but only if you tell me what you’re doing here,” Minerva said, stepping closer to Maribel.

  “My mother—she passed away three years ago,” Marina said, not knowing if there was time to think of a better way to say it.

  Minerva went still, her arm falling down to her side. As quickly as her eyes had dropped, they rose again.

  “And your father is here.”

  “How do you know?” Maribel asked, alarmed.

  “Why else would you be here?” Minerva paused, then turned around and began to pace. “But why now?” She turned to Maribel. “Your father still enjoys his tinkering, I assume?”

  Maribel hesitated.

  “Maribel, please, there is no time to lose. Had I wanted, the authorities would have come to collect you as soon as I locked the door to the depository. Now, is your father still an inventor?”

  Maribel nodded slowly.

  “That is why they brought him here,” Minerva said, more to herself than to Maribel.

  Maribel raised a finger. “Where is here?”

  Lights passed by the front doors, and Minerva held her breath until they had gone. Minerva looked at the keypad on her wrist and shook her head.

  “It’ll be past midnight soon. We must work quickly. Come.”

  She walked briskly toward the back of the depository and a door slid open. Maribel ran to follow her but paused before stepping through the door.

  Minerva smiled a little. “I assure you I’m not the dangerous one here.”

  “Where is here?” Maribel repeated, her frustration clearly audible.

  Lights passed by the front doors again, this time lingering slightly longer before they disappeared.

  Minerva began rummaging through metal drawers that slid in and out soundlessly. “Not a welcoming place for your father,” she finally answered.

  Before Maribel could ask why, Minerva raised a hand, then continued.

  “Your father and mother were once very important members of this city. They received very generous offers from other cities if they would only relocate. Your father was the greatest inventor anyone had ever seen. Is, I am sure.”

  She pulled out a plastic identification card and handed it to Maribel. Below her name, Minerva Vidal, was her title, Bibliotecaria/Librarian, and her picture.

  “This will help you get through the doors of the City Center. There’s a room below ground that is restricted to all but a few city employees. You should be able to enter that room with my card. If your father is here, he will be held there.”

  “But why?” Maribel managed to ask.

  Minerva hesitated as she stepped fully out of the room, looking toward the front doors in search of more lights.

  “Your father created the most effective and intelligent set of robots anyone has ever seen. They not only made life easier for all who live in the city, they performed completely accurate work. No more mistakes in medications, no more mistakes in surgical procedures. Perfect. Until one day, things changed.”

  Maribel whispered, “The robots tried to take over.”

  Minerva smiled. “You would think. No. It was something else.” She hesitated.

  “What?”

  “One of them started to feel.”

  Maribel felt as if there was a heavy weight on her chest. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse and dry. “And... And what’s wrong with that?”

  Minerva laughed bitterly. “You know humans. They don’t like things they don’t understand. It makes them afraid. The robots were destroyed. All except one.”

  Maribel’s eyes widened.

  “A male your father had created: Andres. Your father and mother fled with him, and nobody ever knew what became of them.” At this last part, Minerva winked.

  “Except you, because she was your daughter.” Maribel finished quietly.

  “Yes. Now, since you’re alone, I assume you don’t know where Andres is?”

  Maribel shook her head. She’d never heard of him before now.

  “Well, I’m sure your parents made certain he was safe.” Minerva looked at her wristpad again. “We must hurry. Now, listen very carefully to what I am about to tell you. You will go out of this building and run toward the tallest building at the center. That’s the only one that will be lit up now. You can access any door with my identification card. When you enter, the staircase will be on the right. Take the only flight of stairs down. That’s where your father will be. He’ll most likely be guarded.” She looked around the room, searching for a weapon to give Maribel.

  Maribel patted her back pocket. “I have my knife. I’ll be fine.”

  Minerva raised an eyebrow. “I’ll call the authorities two minutes after you leave. Make sure no one sees you. I’ll make up some story about a theft.” She began walking to the front doors.

  Maribel stared at the identification card as she followed.

  “Why do you have access to those sections of the building?” she asked hesitatingly.

  Minerva stopped walking. “Because I guard the books.”

  “From harm?” Maribel asked.

  “No,” Minerva replied sadly. “From people.”

  “What?”

  “It is against the law to read.”

  Maribel shook her head. “What?” she repeated.

  “People might start getting ideas. They might get creative. Some might even become inventors.” She looked at Maribel and they stood in the quiet darkness for a long, heavy heartbeat.

  “So then, that man, the one near the city gate, he…” Maribel began.

  “…is working in the hopes that at least some of the literature we have will be saved.”

  Maribel’s eyes widened as the two looked at one another.

  “You look so much like your mother,” Minerva said finally. She reached out a hand quickly. “Your mother. This is not what she would have wanted. You’ll be in danger, and I’ll have helped get you there.”

  Maribel pulled out the whistle her father had made. “If it looks like there’s trouble, I’ll blow this whistle. It’ll call our horse Valentín to me and my father. He’s mechanical—he will know where to find us. And it’s silent, only robots can hear it, so I won’t give myself away.” Maribel walked towar
d the doors. “Two minutes,” she said.

  “How will you know your horse has heard it?” Minerva asked.

  “It will affect any robot within a few miles,” Maribel replied, turning to look at her grandmother one last time. She might have been her mother at an older age. She smiled, her chest heavy, before she added, “I know. I have heard it before.”

  ♛

  Maribel loved to run, and this harrowing moment was no exception. She’d covered almost three quarters of the distance between her and the City Center before she had to seek cover in the dark corners of buildings as bright lights sped by, soundless. She pulled her knife out and held it, her arm steady. After watching the building for a few minutes, she decided the best course of action would be simply to run as fast as she could. She leaped over steps and scanned the card, the doors sliding open without a sound. She scanned the card once more to enter the stairway and fell into complete darkness. She’d noticed two cameras outside of the building and knew there was no way she had more than a few minutes.

  She made her way down the steps quietly and more slowly than she would have liked—not because she couldn’t see, but because she didn’t want to make any noise. If there was a guard, she would need to disarm him immediately.

  She scanned the card and a soft beep sounded. Maribel wasted no time. She knew whoever was inside would have heard the noise and so she threw open the door and jumped on the only person standing in the middle of the room. As she was about to stab them in the leg to prevent them from standing, she heard her father yell, “Maribel, no!”

  She stopped immediately, the knife hovering over the man’s leg.

  In the instant that she turned and looked at the cell where her father was being held, the man threw her off, her hand hitting the floor and the knife clattering away from her. He stepped toward her, drawing a gun from his hidden holster.

  Maribel stood slowly and turned to look at her father, unafraid. She walked toward him.