by F. Habib
‘Contained? You think he’s dangerous?’ Am I really having this conversation?
Beth just shrugged and climbed back onto her Twiglet legs. She looked so fragile.
‘Where are you going?’ How’s she going to cope with this breakdown on her own?
‘France.’
‘France? What the hell for?’
‘I found a place; it's cheaper and nobody knows me.’
‘Yeah, same as Kokomo, Indiana! What are you going to do for money there that you can't do here? Or does it now grow on trees in France? I hadn’t heard.’
‘I have a little of my mother's inheritance left and the dregs of my savings. I’ll make it work. Also, I have a plan.’
‘Really.’ Mimi raised a dubious brow. ‘At least here people know you’re a Megamind, and you could get a job which pays for a decent nursery where they can look after Galen, and you can get a life…and some therapy.’
‘I can't leave him with anyone else. Sometimes, he gets… freaked out.’
‘Freaked out?’ Mimi glanced at the sleeping baby. ‘This kid is turning out to be more hassle than I’d reckoned, no offence.’
‘He regularly screams like he's got pins in his eyes...it takes an age to calm him. It’s disconcerting to say the least - the babysitter was never going to last. Nursery is out of the question; believe me. I need to figure out what's going on and I can't think here. I need quiet space. I think he does too. He doesn't seem to do well with crowds. I can't take him out anywhere without a fit of hysterics. It's exhausting.’
‘Look, you're just very tired. This weird stuff is weird, but weird shit happens all the time, and I'm sure there's a scientific explanation for it.’
Beth’s head lifted, eyes earnest. ‘I know there is. There always is. That's what I need to uncover. Once I understand what's happening, perhaps I can find a solution.’
The doorbell trilled. Galen stirred, and a large man at the door mumbled, ‘Taxi.’
Mimi watched with a hollow feeling behind her ribs as her friend pulled on a coat. Beth caught her gaze and held it before rushing over to clasp her close.
‘I wanted you to know what was going on. I’ve told Richard I might not be back for quite some time.’ Beth released her. ‘Thank you for all your help this past year. I’m not sure I would have made it without you.’
Mimi swallowed the tears that threatened to screw up her makeup. Lord, when was the last time I laughed with Beth?
‘Huh, you may look like a good breeze would flatten you, honey B, but you could survive anything. Where exactly are you going?’
‘South - near the alps?’
‘The Alps? ’
‘It's not really in the Alps; it's a small country cottage not too far from Cannes. Not bumping into fifteen acquaintances every day would be good. It's starting to make me paranoid.’
Mimi’s shoulders drooped.
‘Acquaintances are making you paranoid?’
‘I keep thinking I'm being watched. Sometimes, I even think I see Liam, but when I look, it's someone else or…or nothing at all.
Mimi was silent. I know things haven’t been easy, but I can’t believe she’s in such a bad state.
‘Go ahead. Say it.’ Beth smiled as she passed Mimi a blanket, the birdcage and a baby bag. She crossed to where Galen was starting to kick his legs.
‘Say what?’ Mimi strained to see if the cute kid she remembered had somehow morphed into a freak.
‘I told you so. You’ve never said it.’ Beth raised an eyebrow.
‘I honestly don't know what to say; I don't know how to help.’
Beth slowly lifted Galen into her arms and familiar palm-green eyes looked sleepily at Mimi.
‘You’ve done enough; it's time for us to go.’
‘You better keep in touch, honey B, or I will hunt you down. I’ll need to monitor my favourite head case.’
Beth turned with a wan smile and left the flat carrying her troublesome bundle.
I can’t understand how all this has happened so suddenly, and how secretive she’s been. That girl has even more under her hood than I’d thought.
Mimi looked around the nearly empty space for the last time; a bright bouquet caught her eye. There was something vaguely familiar about the radiant bunch. With a sigh she turned towards the door.
Chapter Six
Southern France - Three years later
The dark lane curved between swaying fields of grass. Moonlight silvered the undulating blades as Beth’s key clanged in the lock. I wish he wouldn’t turn off all the lights in here.
She worried about leaving him alone on her trips to the Riviera, normally departing long after his soft snores had settled into an even rhythm. Well, I won’t be going back. I can’t believe I blew my low profile.
‘Aow!’
The crack of her shoe reverberated over the stone floor. Beth pulled off her stiletto and clutched her toe, scattering the contents of her bag. A nearby lamp revealed the culprit was a bucket of soil.
She collapsed into the closest chair, her pain replaced by a pang of anxiety at the bundles of cash strewn at her feet.
It wasn’t the first time she’d seen the cards line up for a big night, but she’d always stuck to small wins. Discipline was never a problem. With a sigh she picked up the wads of money and padded to the kitchen to put the kettle on. She unzipped her dress and laid her forehead on the counter top. A trace of adrenaline still trembled through her.
She’d often puzzled over gamers sweating, rejoicing or staring blankly at the tables. For her, gambling was predictable and fairly boring. It was about paying the bills. But this time had been different; everything just seemed to go her way.
Beth cringed at how much she’d liked the visceral pleasure of a big win. Every security camera had surely honed in on the mountain of chips on the blackjack table. That had brought her back to her senses. She’d lost half her winnings in a hurry, curious eyes shadowing her retreat to the exit.
Yes, you definitely killed the casinos. Her picture had no doubt been sent to every casino on the coast, maybe beyond. At least I still have enough cash to last for a couple of years if I’m careful with it.
Brew in hand, she checked the windows and doors, ending in Galen’s room where he slept with covers twisted tight about his waist. She brushed a finger over the honeycombed birthmark at his nape and placed a large bath towel over his shoulders.
I won’t have to leave you alone like this again, darling. Besides, it’s time to move to the next level.
Since he’d turned three, his control had improved beyond recognition. Only Beth had noticed his stillness at their last visitor, a cheery plumber.
She shook her head reprovingly in the mirror as she readied for bed. It had taken too long to understand that he wasn’t afraid of people. We could have started the meditation and breathing exercises sooner if it wasn’t for my lazy assumptions.
She pushed away guilt.
At least he’s able to tap into his serene temperament now. It definitely reduces the pummelling other people’s fears give him. Perhaps he’ll come with me to the village to restock the cupboards tomorrow.
A wave of exhaustion pushed her under the covers and as her eyes drifted shut, she wondered where she should hide the money.
*
A familiar, ineffective tickle against her ribs pulled Beth out of heavy slumber. Galen’s thick mop of hair nudged against her chin as he crawled on top of her, pushing his nose against her throat. She knew what was coming.
‘Pppfffwww!’ It reverberated against her neck drawing a pained laugh from her.
‘Darling, that is so unnecessary,’ She wrapped her arms tightly round his slim torso. He smelled of grass, clean sheets...and milk. ‘How long have you been up, mister? I thought you’d be sleeping after your late-night antics. Why did you put the flowerpot by the front door last night? I nearly broke my toe.’
Beth squeezed him so tight he groaned in protest before exploding with giggles as her highly effectiv
e tickles found his ribs.
‘Stop,’ he yelled, bucking and twisting away. Beth released him and watched as he sat up, pushing hair out of his enormous eyes. Their laughing gaze pierced her heart with such sweet joy, she grabbed at him again, but he jumped down.
‘No, you wake up now, mum. I gotted a s’prise for you,’ Galen hopped from one bare foot to the other in excitement, his naked form covered only by butter yellow, grass stained shorts. Beth gave a groan of dread.
‘Oh no, does this mean I have to go outside?’
‘Uh huh, uh huh,’ he tugged at her covers.
‘Well, can I at least get a coffee first?’
‘It’s there, I made it all by my own.’ Galen’s small finger was pointing to a plastic cup on her bedside table. As Beth peered through the morning light, she made out what looked to be cold milk with lumps of instant coffee floating on top.
‘Um…lovely. Thank you; that’s very thoughtful.’
As the last of the covers were pulled to the floor, she gave a genuine groan, rolling to one side then pushing herself up.
‘Ok let’s go see it.’ She dragged a cotton gown over her shoulders as she shuffled behind a bouncing Galen into the enormous field that was their back garden. It’s simply unreasonable to be so exuberant first thing in the morning, thought Beth, pulling her long hair into a braid; but he was always up with the sun, busy with his projects.
Scattered about were a number of his previous surprises. The first had been disconcerting and Beth had needed a full day to assimilate its creation. She approached it now and sat on it. It was a tree, precisely the shape of an armchair. Too small for her at its unveiling, it now fit perfectly. She’d later learned that arborsculptures were not unique to Galen, but she was certain no one else grew them in under three days.
Next to her chair was a small table and beyond that a scattering of uncanny creatures that included an oversized spider. She’d had to employ all her instincts as a supportive mother to applaud that one.
She took in the wide sky and easy breeze while Galen readied himself for the presentation. She hadn’t seen him this excited about a sculpture before. He was normally shy and a bit reluctant. With an excited skip and hop he pulled back the shielding screen so hard it wobbled and nearly toppled onto him.
Beth jumped up with a yelp, but astonishment cut her off. She’d grown accustomed to moments of astonishment, but this was truly beautiful. Before her stood a tall flowering vine of the double helix. The first laddered rungs were solid enough to hold the structure upright, but the top half was supple, twisting and waving in the breeze. Tiny white, blue and red buds bloomed amongst the delicate cords.
‘Wow!’ Beth cheered and bent at the waist to turn wide eyes on her son. He beamed and giggled.
‘Go Galen, go Galen! Go Galen, go Galen!’ Beth chanted. She clapped out a rhythm and together they did a little jig. Galen’s elbows swung about, ever so slightly out of time.
‘Well done, darling. It’s just splendid. Your best so far.’ She wrapped her arms around his body and swung him till his weight unbalanced her and she hastily put him down. I always regret doing that, she thought as the floor tilted below her feet.
‘So, what's the plan for today then? You get to choose, but I thought if you wanted, we could go to the village?’
‘Oohw, can we picnic, mum? Please, purrrleese…’ Galen tugged at her gown.
‘Ok. I propose we finish our work from yesterday with a breakfast picnic now, then later, if you feel up to it, we can try the village – we could go to Madame Renoir’s café?’ She knew Galen loved the cakes there almost more than life itself. And if we get in after the siesta, it should be empty.
‘Yeahy! Bohm is cited about the picnic.’ Galen dashed to get the picnic basket and Beth followed with a wrinkle of her nose; she’d have to find a way to keep Bohm away. These days he spent his open-cage time terrorising the field mice, often bringing them to the cottage like a prize. As she passed his enclosure near the back door, she wagged a finger at him, ‘no mice.’
He stared serenely back at her with fierce golden eyes. A booted eagle was not an ideal pet for a three-year-old child, but what could she do?
She walked to the kettle and spotted the jumble of cash on the counter. She grabbed an empty flour bag, shoved the wads into it and threw it onto a high pantry shelf. Right, time for coffee.
*
Fierce concentration was needed to avoid distraction from her notes. Bees and ants swarmed all over the picnic blanket, her clothes and hair. They kept crawling up her pen as she scribbled. Galen sat cross-legged, and Beth saw some of the ants near him pile up together. They stumbled and fell, then climbed up again, gradually forming a double helix on the worn chequered rug. The structure swayed and Galen stretched a finger over them; the ants at the top quickly clung to it, stabilising the ladder.
‘Is that the theme of the day?’ She smiled.
He shrugged. His casual posture belied a deep focus that never failed to impress her. She heard a change in the hum from hundreds of wings as the bees rose from their perches. They swarmed around his head and it took all Beth’s will to stay calm. Her throat closed and tears swam in her eyes. She was desperate to look away, but couldn’t. She had to observe and stay calm so that Galen didn’t react to her fear. She’d learned the hard way how much it interfered with his ability.
The first time she’d seen him with a swarm, she’d been unprepared. Her scream of horror had resulted in head to toe stings for Galen, which she’d been convinced would kill him. He’d cried and crawled into bed swollen and sore. After the longest three hours of her life, he’d woken with no trace of the trauma. He hadn’t spoken to her for a while after that. She’d finally stopped begging his forgiveness, lay on the sofa and placed a cold cloth over her swollen eyes. Eventually, he’d climbed up to lay his head on her chest without a word.
Yes, I learned my lesson.
The memory of it was enough to force down her panic now as the bees too formed a double helix that hovered over his head. It drifted towards the tower of ants and swallowed his small hand.
Galen closed his eyes. Slowly, he withdrew his hand from the mass and sat back. Beth pressed her stopwatch, reached for her camera, scrambled to her feet and clicked a dozen quick frames. She was then free to stare. It was the first time she’d seen two species collaborate like this. The bees and ants clung together forming a clear structure over a meter tall. She pointed the camera at Galen and took a few pictures. He looked so small and serious; there was no hopping and skipping now. She noticed a lone bee crawl from his hairline down his nose. His eyes slowly crossed as he tried to see it, making Beth laugh.
‘What about that one?’
‘Oh, he’s…grouchy,’ Galen wriggled his nose so that the bee took off. Beth contemplated this answer before picking up her notebook. She knew there wasn’t much point in asking for clarification. So far, he hadn’t been able to explain how he knew such things. She assumed he could pick up the feelings of a bee just as well as he did with people. He reported asking creatures to do what he wanted by showing them pictures in his head, and they would then decide whether to do it or not. He said it was up to him to ask nicely.
Beth hadn’t figured out the method of asking nicely, but got the impression it was like willing them to cede to his request. It was a similar story with the morphing of Bohm. Galen didn’t seem to choose what species the bird changed to; he just willed an element, such as colour or speed, which then manifested gradually as a particular species. Beth finished scribbling, clicked her stopwatch and closed her book.
‘Ok, all done for today. The Apocritan horde can get on their way.’ Galen turned away from the insects and they immediately dispersed. The bees flew off and the ants collapsed into a jumbled heap before filing off the blanket in an orderly manner. Beth hid her shudder of relief as she watched them go. While they no longer terrified her, she’d never get used to the quiet weirdness of these tests.
Galen pounced
on the tightly sealed picnic basket and she crouched to help him. Time for a little normality.
*
Galen’s hard punch shot her into wakefulness so that she gasped into the dark.
‘Are you ok?’ She glanced at the bedside clock: 02:00. His silence squeezed her lungs as she made out his wide eyes. She clutched his stiff body to her.
‘What is it? Tell me so I can help you, darling.’ He was shaking down to his core and fear squeezed her throat. She turned him to face her.
‘Tell me now,’ she ordered.
His voice was clear and loud. ‘People are here. Three men have come. They want it.’
‘What it?’
‘I don’t know.’
The money? Did someone follow me from the casino? I must hide Galen, quickly. Her heart raced as her gaze darted around the room.
I can push him out of the bathroom window so he can run to the fields. They’ll never find him there.
As she flung back the bedcovers, a close creak drew her shocked gaze to the door. They were in the house already. She watched the handle turn and primal fear sliced her from head to toe. The muscles in her face seized. Before she could move, three men burst in, guns pointed at her head. Black ski masks covered their faces, convincing Beth it was a nightmare.
‘Put the boy down and get on your knees,’ a deep voice barked at her. When she didn’t move, one man stepped forward and snatched Galen so roughly she thought his arm would be wrenched from its socket. Galen screamed in pain, unfreezing Beth.
She leaped at the attacker, smashing her forehead against his nose. He grunted and threw her clean over the bed. Her head cracked loud against the wardrobe.
‘Take it easy,’ the first man growled, ‘damage the goods and you’ll have to tell him yourself.’
‘The bitch broke my nose.’
‘Jesus! Don’t you know he’ll break every bone in your body? Put the kid down and secure the package. We’ve 47 minutes to get to the rendezvous. Move it.’
Galen screamed as the man took him out of the room. Beth tried to get up, but her vision sparked and she couldn’t get her balance. Strong arms yanked her to her feet, hauled her back over the bed and out into the front room. Galen’s sobs came from the pantry. His isolation from the scene allowed Beth’s lungs a full breath.