by Nina Perez
As Gervais went over the papers, Violet stole glances at Jack. A few times, she caught him doing the same when he thought she wasn’t looking. Gervais read from Jack’s file first, but once he got to Violet’s it sounded pretty much the same. Words like college fund, life insurance, and estate sale barely registered. Only when he said the word guardianship did they stop assessing each other and paid attention.
“Your parents were great people. Selfless. More so than you can imagine.” Gervais looked embarrassed, cleared his throat.
“In the event of their deaths, it was the wishes of both the Morrows and the Rosses that their children, Jack Ian Morrow and Violet Willow Ross, should be left in the care of Dr. Robert Tesla.”
Jack’s mouth hung open in surprise. Violet stared at Gervais. “Who the hell is that?”
Jack sat forward and without looking at Violet he said, “He’s my psychologist.”
“You’re seeing a psychologist?” Violet’s voice was filled with judgment.
Jack gave Violet a dirty look. He asked Gervais, “Is this a joke?”
“I assure you both, this is not a joke. Dr. Tesla was supposed to be here.” Gervais pulled up the sleeve of his jacket and checked his watch. “But it seems he’s running late.”
“I don’t know this person.” Violet pointed at Jack. “I don’t know him much less his psychologist. Why would my parents leave me with strangers? No. There has to be a mistake.”
Violet’s voice was rising, but she didn’t care. Gervais began to look uncomfortable and kept glancing at the closed conference room door as if he were hoping – praying - that Dr. Tesla would finally walk through it and explain.
“Your parents’ instructions… both parents… were very clear. Would you excuse me for a moment?”
Gervais left the room, leaving all of the documents on the table. Violet walked over to where he’d been sitting and looked over the papers. It was exactly as the lawyer had said.
Full guardianship to Dr. Robert Tesla.
Jack remained seated and looked up at the ceiling. “This is crazy.”
“Definitely. Speaking of crazy, why are you seeing a psychologist?”
Violet didn’t want to be mean to this strange boy with his hair falling into his eyes. Deep down she knew he was just as sad and confused as she was. But the people she was really angry with weren’t there – her parents, the lawyer, and this Dr. Tesla person – so Jack would have to do. Besides, it felt strangely appropriate to treat him this way.
“I mean, if you’re crazy, I can see why your parents thought you should live with a psychologist for the rest of your life, but I’m normal.”
She knew this wasn’t true. Tapping into other people’s emotions wasn’t normal. Jack glared at her and as their eyes met, she could tell that somehow, he knew it, too.
“Shut. Up.”
Violet had no intention of shutting up. In fact, she was just getting started. Gervais returned to the conference room, cutting off her reply. He clapped his hands once.
“OK. There’s been a change of plans.”
Dr. Tesla lived in a section of southeast Rosemont where the houses sat back from the road at the end of long, serpentine driveways and were hidden behind thick clusters of trees. The houses were also spaced so far apart that between that and the trees, the neighboring homes were invisible. Jack had driven through the area many times, but had never known anyone that actually lived in one of the large and intimidating houses.
Gervais drove a sleek Mercedes with leather seats. Apparently, he was a very good attorney. They’d tried getting answers out of him, but he insisted they let Dr. Tesla explain. Halfway across the Sagaw they accepted that their interrogations were failing. Jack and Violet gave up and resorted to staring out of their respective windows.
It wasn’t until they were driving up the narrow gravel driveway did it occur to Jack that a more direct route would have taken them past the home he’d shared with his parents, and Gervais had avoided it. Jack’s anger lessened, but only a tad.
It was dark and a light rain had begun to fall. Their footsteps crunched on the gravel as they made their way to the house. Violet looked up at the two-story structure made of gray stone with black shutters. She shivered involuntarily. Though she didn’t know Jack, she felt an odd sense of comfort having him near. She knew she wasn’t alone in wondering what the hell was going on. He, too, seemed to feel as if she were - despite her behavior earlier - on his side, and stopped next to her at the foot of the front steps. They watched Gervais step on to the wooden porch and stomp his wet boots on the welcome mat.
Without knocking or ringing the bell, the lawyer opened the door and entered the house. He turned and gestured that they should follow.
“It’s okay. Come in.”
The teens looked at each other and followed Gervais inside.
The inside of Dr. Tesla’s house was not at all what Violet had expected from viewing the outside. The entrance was large and spacious with a winding staircase that led to a second floor landing overlooking the foyer. They followed Gervais toward the back of the house, passing a great room with dark blue walls, a flat screen television mounted above a wood-burning fireplace, and chocolate brown leather furniture; a pale yellow formal dining room with white wainscoting and mahogany table and chairs, and a kitchen painted pear green with cherry wood cabinets, marble counter tops and stainless steel appliances.
Jack was also surprised. Dr. Tesla’s office downtown was filled with thick books, medical journals, and old-fashioned furniture. The whole vibe was stuffy. His house, however, was colorful and modern; filled with sleek electronics and unusual artwork. Forget Indiana Jones. It was like finding out you’d been confessing your secrets to Batman.
They stopped outside a closed door, upon which Gervais knocked twice. A voice from within called out, “Come in.” Gervais pushed the door open. Dr. Tesla rose from behind a large oak desk and walked around it to greet them. He wore dark slacks and the sleeves of his button-down shirt were rolled up to his elbows. The walls were covered with shelves of books and the room was dimly lit by an overhead light and a fire burning in a fireplace.
Now this, Jack thought, is more like it.
The two men shook hands.
“Thanks for bringing them, Mr. Gervais. I had some business to attend to.”
“Not at all, Dr. Tesla. I’ll be by in the morning with your copies of the forms. Still need your signature on a few. I thought tonight you’d want to get them settled.”
“Indeed. Shall I see you out?”
“No need. I know the way.”
The whole exchange seemed too formal, like two men pretending to not know each other as well as they did. Violet and Jack exchanged glances and Jack knew that she thought so, too. Gervais turned to them.
“OK. Well, I’ll be in touch with the two of you very soon.” He turned and left the room. As soon as the door shut, the children began their questioning. Dr. Tesla spoke in a reassuring tone. “You want answers. I understand that, but perhaps you’d both be more comfortable if you took a seat. Can I get you anything to eat?”
“No. I’ll stand,” Jack said.
“I’m not hungry. I just want to know what I’m doing here.”
“Very well.” Dr. Tesla walked back to the office door and opened it. “Follow me.”
They followed Dr. Tesla down the hallway, retracing their steps toward the front of the house. He led the children into the living room and closed the French doors behind them. Jack and Violet stood rooted by the entrance while Dr. Tesla walked over to the coffee table, picked up a remote, pointed it at the two windows on either side of the fireplace and pressed a button.
Heavy, black shades descended over the windows, which were tall, covering almost the whole length of the wall from ceiling to floor. Dr. Tesla pressed another button on the remote and the flat screen television above the fireplace slid forward as if it was detaching from the wall. After it had extended a foot or so past the fireplace, the
screen began to lengthen and widen until it covered the entire span of the wall between the windows.
“Yup, it’s the Bat Cave,” Jack mumbled.
Dr. Tesla extended his arm and gestured for the children to step further into the room. “Please. It’s better if I show you.”
Jack walked over to the sofa, but didn’t sit. After a moment, Violet followed. Dr. Tesla reached into a compartment on the side of the coffee table and removed three pairs of glasses. He handed a pair each to Jack and Violet.
“Are you serious?” Violet scoffed. “I’m not in the mood for a movie.” The glasses had lenses tinted almost completely black. When Jack unfolded the arms, little blue lights appeared along them.
“I want to answer your questions, but like I said, I need to show you. This is the best way.” Dr. Tesla looked at them pleadingly. Perhaps because he knew Dr. Tesla, Jack relented first and consented by way of a shrug. Violet looked at each of them for several beats before sighing and throwing up her hands in defeat. “Fine.”
“I’m going to lower the lights, and you’ll need to put on the glasses and look at the screen. It’s going to be a bit disorienting. It’s better if you sit.”
The children sat on the sofa, sinking into the soft leather. Dr. Tesla remained standing and held up the remote once more, this time turning a small knob. The lights in the room began to dim until the room fell into complete darkness.
“When you put on the glasses, things will shift. Your surroundings will change, but do not be alarmed.”
“What? Is it like, virtual reality?” Jack asked.
“Something like that.” Though they could not see him, the children detected a smile in Dr. Tesla’s voice. “Ok. Are you ready?”
Chapter Three
They Were All Being Watched
Jack put his glasses on first. The second he did, the screen came alive. He was looking at a dense forest at night. The images on the screen rushed forward and suddenly he was standing in the forest. Despite his spinning head, Jack looked around trying to quickly orient himself. He looked down at his feet, slightly lifting one foot at a time. His running shoes sank into the soft soil. A twig broke under his left foot.
“What is this?”
Jack turned sharply to his right and saw Violet, swaying from side to side, looking up at the trees, baffled. She raised her hands in front of her face. Dr. Tesla suddenly appeared to Jack’s left and said, “Don’t remove your glasses.”
“But we’re not wearing glasses anymore,” Jack pointed out.
“Back in the house, you are. That’s how you’re able to be here.”
“Where are we?” Violet asked, holding out her hands in front of her, swiping at the thickly humid air.
“A better question might be when are we?” Dr. Tesla looked up at the sky. The moon was full, illuminating the forest with a white light. “History gets distorted, but as best we can tell, it all began along the West African coast around five thousand B.C.”
“We’re in West Africa?” Violet asked. Her voice was raised and she looked around the forest nervously.
“We’re in a construct of West Africa and don’t worry; no one can see or hear us. It takes a few moments for the dizziness to go away, especially your first time. Come, this way.”
The children followed Dr. Tesla through the forest and marveled over how real everything seemed. It wasn’t simply being there; able to touch and hear their surroundings, but they could feel a warm, almost suffocating breeze and the air smelled of recent rainfall. They stopped at the edge of a clearing. Dr. Tesla pointed a few yards away at dozens of crude structures made of clay and stone. They were looking at a small village.
“The Furla Tribe lived here. They were one of three tribes living in this region for almost one hundred years. The Furla worshipped the elements and believed that natural occurrences like rainstorms, floods, and fires were a form of punishment. They were also a people of magic. In fact, the other tribes were as well.”
Dr. Tesla continued to talk as he walked through the village. The children tentatively followed. The rich soil of the forest gave way to a dusty, sand-like terrain. They stopped at an area that appeared to be the village’s center. Large rocks formed a circle and a pile of brush sat in the middle.
“What do you mean, ‘people of magic?’” Violet asked.
“There really wasn’t a name for them then, but today we call them witches and warlocks.”
“Okay, listen, this is all very hi-tech, sci-fi cool, and I’m sure your home theater is all the rage among your Dungeons and Dragons friends, but what does this have to do with my parents?”
She was rude, but Jack gave Violet credit. She said what was on her mind, which was more than he could say for himself. He was still too freaked out to do much more than hesitantly rap his fist against one of the large rocks, and then stare in amazement at the scratched skin it left on his knuckles.
“Violet,” Dr. Tesla said patiently, “It has everything to do with your parents. Just watch.” He pointed towards one of the houses, which looked no bigger than a classroom in their high schools. The wooden door swung open and a dozen people exited the house, headed for the circle. Their clothing was little more than a stiff material tied with rope, and they were barefoot. Violet took a step backwards.
“Remember, they cannot see us.” Dr. Tesla said. “These are the Furla elders. Each tribe was guided by their eldest and wisest members. They were also the most powerful. After practicing magic for nearly a century, the Furla tribe figured out a way to control the elements they revered. This proved valuable in providing rain for their crops, fire for cooking and heat whenever they needed it, and sometimes, they used this fire as a weapon against their enemies.”
“Who were their enemies?” Jack asked, not taking his eyes off the elders as they sat on the rocks.
“Their enemies were the other tribes, of course. Let me show you.”
One of the elders waved his hand in the direction of the brush and said something the children couldn’t hear. A moment later, the brush was ablaze. At the same time, Dr. Tesla swiped his hand through the air in front of him. The world spun around them. Like the windows of a slot machine, the images in front of them slowly fell into focus. It was still night, but they were in a different village. The houses were pretty much the same, but there were more of them.
The village center was similar to the Furla’s and there were people gathered there as well. A girl no older than Violet and Jack lay on a stone table in the center of the circle, screaming and writhing in pain. The adults around her held their hands up in prayer, chanting.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Violet said, then moaned softly. “Close your eyes for a few moments. It helps.” Dr. Tesla advised. Jack was also looking slightly green. “What did you do?” he asked.
“I changed the construct. My headset features the controls. Sorry. I should have warned you.”
“You think?” Violet said. She was bent over with her hands resting on her knees, but she was already looking and sounding stronger. “What’s wrong with her?” Violet asked, nodding her head in the direction of the circle.
“I don’t know.” Dr. Tesla answered. “This is the Edi tribe. They were a tribe of medicine men and women, healers. And they worshipped the sun. I’m not sure what happened to this poor girl, but what they’re doing here…” he pointed and the children watched as the adults rubbed a red substance all over the screaming girl’s face, arms and legs.
“Is that blood?” Jack looked disgusted. Violet covered her mouth with one hand. “I think it is,” she said.
“Yes. The Edi believed that there were healing properties in blood and used it in many of their rituals.”
The young girl continued to yell. “It looks like they were wrong,” Violet said, looking away.
“Close your eyes. We have one more stop to make.” Jack and Violet did as they were told. They couldn’t see Dr. Tesla change the construct, but they felt the push of wind against thei
r faces. When they opened their eyes, they were standing on a farm. People walked around them, oblivious to their presence, leading donkeys and cows by ropes. Downhill from their location was another village with houses made mostly of wood.
“The Ianto Tribe; farmers, shepherds, they worshipped the moon. Of the three tribes, it’s believed that they used their magical abilities the least. They were kinder and fairer, but if provoked they were just as dangerous as the rest.”
“What did they fight about?” Jack asked. He was watching a small boy struggle to get a donkey nearly twice his size into a poorly-fashioned pen.
“What does anyone fight about? Belief systems, land, you name it. In fact, it’s probably easier to list the things they didn’t fight about. And they remained at each other’s throats for as long as anyone could remember until finally, they agreed to a truce. They were tired of losing men and property. Each tribe sent a representative of their elders to a neutral location and for two weeks they negotiated. They agreed to stop fighting; each side making small concessions, and they’d bind their agreement in magic during a ceremony.”
“What the Furla Tribe didn’t know, is that the other two tribes had been meeting in secret and had devised a plan to lull the Furla into a truce in order to betray them and divide their land. And even if they had to resort to torture, they were determined to learn the secrets of the Furla’s magic that allowed them to control the elements. While their elders would be attending the truce ceremony, the Edi and Ianto tribes planned to send witches and warlocks to the Furla camp and attack. And what none of them knew was that they were all being watched.”
Chapter Four
It Was a Massacre
They moved to the trees, but stopped short of entering the forest. Dr. Tesla suggested that it might be easier on them if they leaned against a tree or sat on the ground. Jack and Violet chose the latter. Dr. Telsa stood in front of them and held out his left hand like he was directing traffic and instructing a car in front of him to stop. With his right hand he swiped the air twice. The scenery changed.