Orazio stood agape. Billy was pointing at the paintings hanging on the walls. He knew the people in those pictures. Some at least. There was his grandmother, and also his uncles; along with more of his ancestors.
«The paintings», he murmured.
He had thought about it, while reading the book; he believed it would be fun, and now was excited and had almost forgotten about all the dangers of punishment.
«Do you think you can do it?».
«Certainly!».
«Then do it!».
His excitement grew, it was just a magnificent idea. He had never met his grandmother, since she had died before he was born. But he knew very well what kind of grandmother he would have liked. And also that fat man would have been so fun to talk to.
He made fantasy real.
The room was submerged in a buzz, and Orazio had to speak up to make them all silent. «Ladies, gentlemen, a bit of patience please», he giggled, feeling like a TV host. «I’m Orazio and this is my friend Billy».
The greetings started. «Hi Orazio, hi Billy».
«Billy is my best friend! Billy is the king of this house! I want all of you to be polite to him!».
As he was submerged in compliments, Billy bowed. «Very good, very good!».
He bit another piece of cheese
«You’ve grown up now, you aren’t a child anymore, stop crying like that».
Mr. Orazio could not help it. Sitting on the floor in front of the talking mouse, he felt torn by the suffering. Lizzi was right, he could not manage, he could not relive everything again.
«How did Billy die? Why didn’t I save him?».
Mr. Agenore remained quiet.
«He called on me, right? He called for help! Why didn’t I rush to him? Why didn’t I do anything? He was in my mind, it was impossible that I hadn’t heard him».
Mr. Agenore lowered his head, and his voice sounded deeply sad. «I heard him, I heard everything. But I couldn’t do anything, it was useless. I was just a mouse, I would have just died with him».
«Where was I?», Mr. Orazio screamed. «What was I doing?».
«You couldn’t hear him; your mind was closed shut. You were creating».
18
He had stolen it from the attic and hidden it under the mattress. It had to be a surprise, a special surprise for his great friend Billy.
He leafed that beautiful book until he reached the drawing that interested him. The caption read: The Blackbeard Pirate.
It was truly terrifying, Billy would have had so much fun. He was right, the games were on the move.
He focused; a mist seemed to fill the room, and then it became thicker, up to the point it started assuming human shapes. He imagined him precisely as he needed him to be: a fierce look, a great beard, a saber in his hand, and a bandage on his eye, that was indispensable.
It grew more consistent. In the end, the remaining mist faded and the pirate gave them a grim look. «And who are you?».
Orazio leapt carefully. «Captain Blackbeard, me and my friend Billy would be proud of becoming part of your crew!».
The giant pirate seemed to think about it and uttered: «You seem a bit thin, is your friend just like you?».
Orazio’s voice shot out pride. «Billy’s brave and fearless. He’s indestructible».
Now he truly looked like a fountain. He could not stop. «And he was dying! He was dying at that moment! He was dying there and I didn’t know! I couldn’t hear him!».
Mr. Agenore said nothing, maybe he was suffering the same way. Maybe he found the intelligence bestowed upon him uncomfortable at that time, because it had given him feelings, and with that, pain.
«How did Billy die? How did he die?».
Another voice came, from far away, almost as a sigh. «Leave my grandfather alone. I can tell you, if you truly want to know».
He thought he had seen him, as intrepid as ever, on the edge of a cabinet, ready to throw himself into incredible adventures once more.
«Billy, you’re dead».
«So? I know what happened better than him».
«Are you a ghost?».
«Do you think so? Right, you aren’t sleeping this time, I can’t be a dream».
«You said we wouldn’t see each other again, not in this life».
«I was wrong, hasn’t it ever happened to you?».
«Why are you here?».
«Did you really create Blackbeard? That Blackbeard? And was he just like in the picture?».
Mr. Orazio tried to wipe his tears. «Even better, he was a giant».
«Damn it! How would I’ve loved to see him! What a rip-off to die at that time!».
«You would have liked him».
The fountain started pouring once again.
«Hey stop it! Behave like a true pirate!».
«I can’t do it! I’m not like you, I’ll never be like you!».
«Do you think so?».
«I’m a coward».
«I was one too, can you believe me? I was also scared. I wasn’t joking when I told you I pissed myself before I died. It was very embarrassing, even when embarrassment was the least of my problems».
«Who killed you?».
«You know, you’ve always known. You knew it would happen from the very beginning. If you can’t remember you understood nevertheless».
Mr. Orazio sobbed.
«I had it coming, I can’t blame anyone. I loved to stroll, but you already knew that. Even if I didn’t tell you, even if I lied to you, you knew it very well».
«It didn’t matter».
«Well, it did that day».
«Ahhhh! A mouse!».
Billy froze. Damn, he had been discovered.
He turned slowly to look at the ranting human clinging to the door jamb.
«Help! There’s a mouse! Come, come, there’s a mouse in the house!».
Billy tried not to make any sudden movements and stood on its back legs. He tried to smile and show the best part of himself.
«Good evening Mrs. Pierangeli, we haven’t met, but I’m a friend of your son. My name’s Billy».
The scream was even more chilling. «There’s a talking mouse! A talking mouse!».
Billy did not think that was strange, they had to be used to it by now, since even the paintings spoke in that house.
«I didn’t mean to scare you Mrs. I was coming through…».
Marina looked crazy, yelling was not enough, she had also started crying. «What has he done? What has he done! A mouse!».
When he heard Orazio’s father rushing, Billy understood that was bad. He considered escaping.
«What is it? What’s happening?».
«It’s a mouse, that’s what happening! Take the broom, kill it!».
It was not just bad, it was a catastrophe!
Billy tried to show himself serious and trustworthy. «Mr. Pierangeli, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Orazio has talked so much about you».
The man froze, flabbergasted. «Oh God, another one! Orazio did it again!».
Marina screamed; «I don’t care what Orazio did! It’s a mouse! A disgusting damned mouse! Take the broom and kill it!».
Billy retreated slowly, increasingly worried.
The man was confused. «I don’t think… but this is one of Orazio’s creations, can’t you see? He can talk!».
«So? It’s a mouse! Do you want me to live in this house with a mouse? To see it going around the house? Orazio won’t even notice if it’s gone, he’s made so many! Do it in!».
Billy was losing his calm, but he tried to reason with them once more. «Mrs, Mr, I beg you. I was just strolling. I didn’t mean to cause any harm»
He was proud of his vocabulary, he had copied it from a book, and smiled.
«Ahhh! Look at it, look how menacing he is! He wants to attack us!».
«But, my dear, it’s a mouse!».
«Kill it! Kill it! Kill it or it’s the last time I set foot in this house!».
At that point Billy r
ealized things were not going as he had expected, and so he spoke up. «Orazio? Where are you Orazio? Could you come here for a moment? I’m having a bit of trouble with your parents!».
19
Mr. Orazio was contorted from all that sobbing, to the point that Billy stopped. «I’d better stop, right? You can imagine the rest by yourself».
«No, no, tell me everything. I want to know everything».
«You won’t like it; oh, you’ll definitely not like it».
Some more sobbing.
«I’m not making a good impression, you know. I think it’s time to stop».
«Keep going».
«Oh, damn it! Let’s keep going then»
The man took the broom and the mouse started running away towards the corridor.
«Orazio! Where the hell are you? Orazio these want to kill me! Damn it, come here Orazio!».
Far from elegance and decorum, Billy was running like crazy, since his legs were so little; he was a six month old mouse, he was no match for a human.
His parents’ screams were growing loud too: «Orazio! Come here!».
The broom struck the ground a few centimeters away from him. Billy screamed as scared as ever. «Orazio won’t like this. He’s my friend. He’ll get angry with you!».
It was not easy for the man either. Even if it was just a mouse, it was one of his son’s creation without a doubt. An uncomfortable and disgusting creation, but always a miracle. If he had had a choice, he would have let him live, but Marina was on the edge of a nervous breakdown, she could not take it anymore. A mouse! How had such an absurd idea come to Orazio’s mind? He knew very well how much his mother loathed them.
He wanted everything to be over as soon as possible.
Billy was a lightning; it is true that fear puts wings on feet, even on legs. He sped directly towards the stair. He had almost reached it. Yes, a few meters to go; one meter. Almost!
The broom violently hit him sideways, and Billy was shot against the wall. Even the landing was everything but soft. He felt in pieces, as if something inside of him was broken.
It was not possible, he could not believe it. They could not treat him like that, not him.
«Orazio! Orazio!».
That man had a strange face, as if he was about to cry. «Stop calling my son. He was wrong, he shouldn’t have created you»
«Don’t talk to him!», the woman shouted. «Kill him! Kill him!».
Billy was in utter despair, frozen in fear. He felt his legs wet in urine and forgot about his pride. «I beg you, don’t! I don’t want to die! Don’t kill me!».
The broom went up, immobile in the air. The man was struggling.
Billy made himself small, as small as possible. «I beg you, don’t kill me! Let me live! I’ll do whatever you want!».
«Kill him!», the woman screamed.
«Die!», said the man with an upset voice.
The broom went down and crushed him against the wall. Billy felt all his bones break. Then it fell again, three more times, but by then Billy could not feel it anymore.
«Have I been a bit tragic? No, you know, it’s very easy to tell the story of your own death».
Mr. Orazio was annihilated. «You’re dead, so, are you a ghost?».
He thought he saw him shrug. «Who knows, after all it wasn’t you who created me. I’m different from all those toys. Maybe I even have a soul».
«I didn’t bring you back to life, wasn’t I able?».
«How could you have? I told you, I’m not your creation. You didn’t bring me to life. I had parents».
«So… you don’t exist? You don’t exist anymore?».
«I would have loved to meet him, you know the Blackbeard pirate. It would have been a great surprise. Much better than the one your parents gave me».
«You can… we can…».
«I’m not here, Orazio. I don’t exist anymore. I’m dead».
«But we’re talking».
«Who knows. Maybe I’m just your imagination».
«We won’t see each other anymore?».
«No, I don’t think so. Maybe there’s something beyond, who knows. I’m very skeptical about that».
«I can’t do it, Billy, I can’t do it».
«I know. You couldn’t do it before either. I’m sorry».
«Have you remembered? Have you remembered what happened?».
There was no one left on that cabinet. Billy was gone, as if he had never been there.
Mr. Agenore had his fur wet, as if he had cried too. There was no need for any answer.
Mr. Orazio was obliterated. He could not remember feeling so bad, but it was likely that he had felt worse the first time.
«I left, right? I chose to forgot, to suppress my powers, to find other parents, another life. I changed myself».
«It wasn’t that easy», said a voice behind him.
He turned around and saw who was speaking to him.
Lizzi Bizzi was in the front row, and behind her were everyone else, all those that could move at least. The red witch was holding her hand, and Bobo was holding YoYo in his arms. There was also Ms. Peggy and Ax. Only the cook, the magic train and the talking pictures were not there.
Mr. Orazio shook his head. «I want to forget. I want to forget now. I can’t do it, I’m sorry. You were right Lizzi, I don’t want to live anymore».
«Just that? Do you think this is what we fear? That you choose to forget? Have you forgotten what you did?».
A chill run down his spine again. «What did I do? When?».
«When you discovered Billy was dead»
«What did I do?».
Lizzi snorted. «Look at us here! See who we are!».
«I don’t understand»
«And yet I told you! The house was overflowing with life! For four years you had done nothing but giving life to everything! Life was everywhere!».
«I have… I have…».
He could not say it.
«We are the survivors!», Lizzi screamed. «We are those who managed to survive your wrath! Those that were able to hide and make you forget about!».
Mr. Orazio was destroyed. «Mom! Dad!».
«He’s touching it! Do something! Take it away! Oh my God, that’s so disgusting! Stop touching that mouse!».
«Mom is right, Orazio. What’s done is done. Next time you’ll be more careful with your actions. You have to understand…».
Orazio was not listening to them, he was out of that world, he was deaf to everything. He was holding Billy, Billy’s corpse. Billy was dead, his parents had killed him.
For a moment he imagined life without Billy and thought he would go crazy. There was no life without Billy.
He started using his powers again. The air became dense and a thin mist invaded the house.
«He’s doing it again!», his mother shouted. «Stop him! Stop him!».
But his father was not moving, he could not. To him that was a divine act, something wonderful, and he did not care that he was doing it just for a mouse, it was a miracle all the same. Yes, he felt guilty for what he had just done.
The air grew increasingly dense, and the mist shrouded everyone. They’ve seen this miracle happen so many times, and yet it astonished them every time.
Orazio thought love was enough, and he had never loved someone as much as Billy. He thought he could to anything. They had made him believe so, he believed Billy.
The mist grew so thick that nothing could be seen, the air was so hot it made breathing difficult. Even his mother understood something was not right. «What’s happening?».
Orazio was going crazy. It was impossible. He started shouting: «No! No! No!».
The mist faded instantly.
Billy’s corpse was still in his hands.
Then he looked up at his parents; he turned all the wrath, the anger, the frustration and the hate that clouded him towards them. «You! It was you who killed him!».
And he condemned them.
«I wish y
ou had never existed!».
20
«I killed them», Orazio murmured with such a feeble voice that he sounded like a child.
They all exchanged looks with each other, then Lizzi stepped forward. She was scared, and yet she had to do it.
«You asked that they didn’t exist anymore, and that’s what happened. They disappeared, your parents, and everything that belonged to them; everything, in an instant».
«The books…».
«Only those in the attic were saved. I told you, that place was different, it was your world, it was protected from everything. But just there. All the books your mother wrote disappeared, everywhere in the world, and whoever had them forgot about them. You have erased all track of their existence. You have deleted them».
Mr. Orazio could not speak, he was breathless.
Lizzi continued: «Then you regretted it. You tried to bring them back. You tried everything; you did everything to revive them, both Billy and your parents. You were annulled in those attempts and cried all the time, you were in despair. We didn’t know how to help you, we felt so bad».
She turned for a moment to look at her friends, as if she wanted to ask permission to go on. «Then the tragedy happened».
Mr. Orazio managed to emit some words: «What tragedy?».
«Our tragedy. Yours had already happened. You collapsed, day after day of trying. You seemed crazy, you shouted you were evil incarnate, that you were the devil, and had to pay for what you had done. You said we… were abominations. That we had to cease to exist».
Now Mr. Orazio started shaking, he could not stop.
«First was the pirate Blackbeard. He had too many unpleasant memories tied to him that you erased him instantly. He vanished in thin air; then you continued thorugh the house, destroying all your creations. Everything you could find. We tried to run away; even if it was against our nature, we tried to hide from you. You found some of us nevertheless. I had the idea of going up to the attic. I was certain that you would not hurt Mr. Agenore, and in fact you didn’t go up there. Some escaped all the same, you forgot some others or maybe you chose to spare them. The paintings couldn’t escape, but it was Billy who told you to create them, maybe that’s why they were saved».
She finished with a sigh: «In the end you left this house. You had decimated us, you had destroyed almost all your creations».
Lizzi Bizzi and the Red Witch Page 8