by Amy Neftzger
“I’m not taking credit,” Jovan explained. “I’m saying that Nicholas went with you to solve your problem, and Nicholas was holding the beaker when the miracle appeared.”
“Why would that matter?” Nicholas asked in confusion.
“Because we mix things in the lab. What if there are things we’re mixing that we can’t see?”
“Ghosts?” Maggie asked. “Phantom ingredients?” The thought had also occurred to Nicholas, but it seemed farfetched.
“No,” Jovan answered. “What if our attitudes or thoughts get mixed into the process and these are part of what creates a miracle?”
“That’s not possible!” Maggie exclaimed. She looked from Jovan to Nicholas, but she could see that Nicholas was thinking about the idea, and the more he thought about it, the more it seemed that it could be true.
“This is a place of miracles,” Nicholas said out loud. “Anything is possible.” He felt overwhelmed by the concept and sat down on a stool to prevent his legs from giving out underneath him. There was something unsettling about this idea, but he felt there was some truth to it. It also explained why the library didn’t have books and no one could teach miracles. It wasn’t a formula or recipe. It contained something that you couldn’t put into print. It contained abstract particles such as attitudes, thoughts or ideas. Or feelings. “This is huge,” he said looking up at Jovan.
“You gave Maggie your plant,” Jovan whispered. “Think about what the guardians told us. Your plant contains the essence of who you are and you shared that with her.” Maggie wasn’t sure if she should protest the idea or start crying. She sat down next to Nicholas. “And at the same time, you took her plant to help her. You’re nursing it back to health so that Maggie can’t forget who she is. You are helping Maggie to keep her identity. There’s more than just an exchange of plants here. There’s friendship, love, and concern for someone else.”
“And you lied to Taro to protect me,” she added quietly. “You weren’t thinking about yourself at all. You took risks for me.” She paused to continue reflecting on the idea. She’d never come across something that sounded so crazy and yet made sense at the same time. “If this is true, then we’ve discovered something important. We should talk with Taro.”
“Not yet,” Nicholas protested. “We don’t have any proof, and even if we did, we don’t know how to explain it without sounding crazy.”
“We could be wrong about this, too,” Jovan added. “It’s just a theory.” He stopped to consider the idea again. “If these things - whatever they are: thoughts, feelings, attitudes, or whatever - if these things are so important, then why doesn’t anyone else in the orphanage know that? Or why have they forgotten it? I think we need to be cautious before we suggest it to anyone. Even Taro.”
“Besides,” Nicholas added, “we can’t let him know about your plant until it’s fully recovered.”
“Agreed. We need to wait to talk to anyone,” said Jovan. “Let’s work through our current situation and get your plant back to health before we talk with anyone. There’s no telling what could happen if they don’t believe us. So we need to keep working on the theory. Maybe by the time your plant is healthy again and we’ve thought through this more, we’ll be able to explain it well enough to convince Taro.” Jovan sat down on the opposite side of the lab table. He ran his fingers along the edge to feel the grooves as he thought. Something was carved there, but he was too distracted by the conversation to look.
“Jovan,” Nicholas said as he looked across the table. “You’re very smart. I’m glad that Taro put us together. It makes me think that he really did know what he was doing.”
“Me, too” Maggie agreed. “I’m glad we’re working together, especially when we break the rules.” She smoothed the sleeves of her lab coat as she smiled at him.
“So you don’t want to punch me now?” Jovan asked.
“Give me a few minutes. Then I’ll be ready to punch you again.”
As they were laughing at Maggie’s remark, the door to the lab swung open, and Junko’s mentor entered the lab. Barnaby wore the same blue suit that Taro always wore, but he had on a yellow striped tie instead of a red one. His expression was solemn as he approached Junko’s group, and he spoke quietly so that no one else could hear. Nicholas and Jovan noticed the pot he was carrying underneath one arm. The soil was hard and cracked, and the plant inside of the pot was clearly dead.
“They’re taking her,” Jovan said with alarm in his voice. “She’s leaving the orphanage.”
“How do you know?” Nicholas asked aloud, but somehow he knew that Jovan was right.
“I’ve seen it before,” Jovan replied. “She won’t be back.”
“But she just made a fully formed miracle,” Maggie said aloud, trying to make sense of it. Suddenly, she didn’t hate Junko as much as she did a few minutes earlier. In fact, Maggie felt worried for her.
They watched as two large, muscular staff members came into the lab and escorted Junko out the door.
“Apparently that isn’t enough to save anyone,” Jovan said quietly.
They never saw her again.
Chapter Sixteen
A Friendship to Die For
Just after the crow took off into the sky and vanished, Kelsey heard the distant grumbling noises of the monster again. It was like a flood of voices all talking at once, and she couldn’t tell if they were coming closer or not. The noise was chaotic and disorienting and she didn’t remember hearing it before the incident with the crow.
“Is that the crow I hear?” Kelsey asked Megan, who was standing next to Silence as he continued to weep. “Could that thing that sounds like a monster be the noise from a flock of birds?” Silence shook his head as he wiped more tears away. Kelsey felt awkward. He was young and perhaps she should comfort him more, but she just wasn’t the hugging type. She was more of the slicing and killing sort of person. She turned away uncomfortably and addressed Megan. “Do you know what that noise is?”
“I can’t tell you what the sound is,” Megan said. “But I know it’s not the birds.”
“Can you define it by the smell?”
“It’s downwind and too far away,” Megan said with a slight shrug. It bothered Kelsey that Megan was so unconcerned about it.
“I’d like to know what it is,” Kelsey insisted. She glanced around nervously. Weeping little boys and unknown monsters were two things she would rather not have to deal with. Especially not now. Silence may have known how to survive on the street, but he seemed unable to deal with a broken heart from losing a friend. Things would be even worse if the monster caught up with them.
“We don’t need to waste our time trying to figure out what it is if it doesn’t matter. And it doesn’t matter if it can’t reach us.” Megan stood up and began walking into the forest. “Since I can’t smell it, it’s too far away to reach us. But we should be moving before it gets closer. Besides, Roland is waiting, and he’s not the most patient ... thing.”
Megan led them deeper into the forest and down an intricate path that was not well traveled and barely visible. They climbed over several fallen trees and wandered off the side of the hidden path a bit before they came across a beautiful red fox with flowing auburn locks. He was resting amid some brightly colored ferns beneath a willow tree as narrow beams of yellow light pierced through the trees above him. It reminded Kelsey of a scene from an enchanted tale.
“Kelsey, I’d like to introduce you to Roland the Red,” Megan announced as Kelsey studied the fox.
“He’s so adorable!” Kelsey exclaimed as she ran over to the fox and began petting him. She stroked his shimmering fur and scratched behind his ears. It was softer than anything she had felt in a very long time, and it felt good to touch something so smooth and fluffy. It reminded her of being at home in her feather bed. She wanted to cuddle up with the fox and hug him and fall asleep. “And he’s gorgeous. He really is beautiful!”
“This is humiliating,” Roland said dryly in what s
ounded like a slightly foreign accent. Kelsey stopped petting him and stood up, realizing that she had just made a fool out of herself. Roland took the opportunity to stand up and mockingly stroke Kelsey’s hand in the same manner. “Aren’t you adorable, too,” he cooed. He had a manner of elongating his speech and stretching certain syllables as he was talking.
“People aren’t pets,” she replied, feeling both uneasy and offended.
“Neither are ...” Roland caught himself, “creatures such as myself.”
“You’re a fox.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “I forgot the word in your language. As I was saying, neither are foxies.” He paused to think. “Foxi? Fox? Foxes?” He looked at Kelsey for guidance. “What’s the plural of fox in your language?”
“Foxes.”
“As I said, neither are foxes. Now, can we agree to treat one another with some dignity?” Kelsey nodded and Roland appeared satisfied and turned to face Silence. The boy bowed to the fox, and the Roland bowed in return. No speech was exchanged, but this greeting appeared far more proper. Kelsey felt ashamed at her impulsive behavior and struggled for a way to repair Roland’s opinion of her. She suddenly remembered what Megan had said about Roland liking shiny things and she took the rock she had been carrying out of her pocket. She had almost forgotten about it, but the stone had been with her since it fell from the sky in a flash of light.
“I’d like to offer you a gift,” she announced as she held out the stone to Roland. “I think this was a shooting star. I found it outside the city in the rocks.” Roland stared at the rock but made no effort to take it. “I know that you like things that sparkle,” Kelsey said awkwardly. “Don’t you?” Roland sniffed the rock and looked from Megan to Silence and then back at Kelsey.
“How poetic that a shooting star delivered a rock to you at the city in the rocks,” Roland remarked but made no effort to take the stone from her. Kelsey blushed at the delay and wondered if she had offended him again. “I appreciate your offer, but this poetry belongs to you. I couldn’t accept something so personal. Perhaps we could just start over.”
“Yes, of course.” Kelsey immediately agreed as she placed the stone back into her pocket. She stepped forward and nervously introduced herself. “My name is Kelsey. I’m traveling with my friend Silence.” Kelsey motioned towards the boy.
“Nice to meet you, kids.” Roland nodded politely at both of them. He appeared friendly again, and Kelsey hoped the misunderstanding was behind them.
“What is it that you do, Mr. Roland?” she asked to change the subject.
“It’s just Roland. There’s no need to be formal.”
“So what do you do, Roland?”
“Walk on four legs. Hunt for food. Occasionally meet up with friends for a night out. The usual sorts of things.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Kelsey replied. “What do you do for a living? What is your occupation?” Roland paused and locked eyes with Megan.
“I’m in the business of helping people make transitions.”
“Like a mover?”
“Of sorts.”
“You must meet a lot of interesting people.”
“I most certainly do!” he agreed with a slight laugh. Kelsey took this as a good sign and tried to get him to converse more.
“I’ll bet you get to hear some great stories from these people.”
“When they’re not screaming at the sight of me,” Roland answered casually. Kelsey paused before continuing. She had just embarrassed herself by cuddling the fox. However, both Roland and Megan were under the impression that people feared Roland. This didn’t make any sense.
“I’m sorry, Roland, but I just don’t understand why people are afraid of you.” She looked him over and took her time examining his perky ears and velvety coat. He really was cute.
“I’m not a threat to you,” he explained. “You don’t fear the kind of change that I facilitate.” He paused to glance at both Silence and Megan before continuing. “That’s a good thing.”
“How do you know Megan?” Kelsey asked to change the subject again as they started walking back towards the main path.
“We work together.”
“Are you also a healer?”
“Not quite. I told you, I’m someone who helps with transitions from one place to another. It can be a very emotional process, and sometimes these people or their loved ones need healing.”
“So you’re more like a therapist,” Kelsey spoke her thoughts out loud.
“No,” Roland corrected her. “Megan is a healer. But sometimes the best way to heal is to make a change.”
“I’m not following.”
“Are you really that slow?” Megan blurted out in an annoyed tone. “He helps people move from life to death! That’s the change he’s talking about.”
Kelsey stared in disbelief. It couldn’t be true. He was so fuzzy.
“A murderer? You take lives?”
“No, I don’t actually kill anyone. Well, not anyone who isn’t already marked for death, anyway. I just help them move along. I prefer to think of myself as more of a facilitator.”
“Death!” Megan shouted in an exasperated tone. Then she continued, “Some people call him an angel of death, although he really isn’t an angel at all. He just moves people from one life to another. Technically, he is Death, itself, because he causes the change. But he goes by the name of Roland.” Kelsey stopped walking and stared back and forth between Megan and Roland.
“The Grim Reaper,” she announced with astonishment. She would never have pictured him as being so fuzzy or with such perky ears.
“I really don’t like being referred to as grim. I actually have quite a nice sense of humor. I prefer the term ‘Soul Harvester.’” Roland began walking again. Kelsey didn’t know how to respond as she slowly followed him, stumbling as she tried to grasp the idea of Roland’s identity. Her parents had taught her that the Grim Reaper only appears at the time of death. But she wasn’t dying. At least she didn’t think she was dying. It made her wonder if Death was always around but people noticed him only when they were the ones dying.
“Where’s your black cloak? The scythe?” Kelsey asked. “I thought that the Grim Reaper was supposed to be this big powerful thing.”
“First of all, never refer to me as the Grim Reaper. My name is Roland. Roland the Red. Secondly, not everyone dies the same death, so you can’t expect every Soul Harvester to look the same.
“So there’s more than one of you?”
“There’s too much work for just one!” Roland exclaimed as if this should be obvious, “There’s a war going on!”
“I guess I expected the Gr ... a Soul Harvester to be bigger - a giant, towering figure with a lot of strength.”
“Death is only as strong as you believe it to be. You don’t fear death, so you see me in a more pleasant image. I like that about you because this is my natural form. However, anything can become stronger if you give it power by believing that it’s stronger.” All Kelsey knew is that Roland said that he liked something about her and this thought made her happy. If Death could see the good in her, then she was happy to be his friend. She didn’t care what anyone else thought about him or why they feared him.
“Do you ...,” Kelsey started asking when Megan interrupted.
“Enough questions,” she said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve eaten. I’m hungry, and Silence wants to learn to hunt. This is the perfect opportunity to satisfy two needs at one time.”
“I’ll teach him,” Kelsey quickly volunteered.
“Suit yourself,” Megan shrugged. “There are plenty of rabbits in the woods here.” She sat down with a thud and reclined against a tree to observe the hunt. Kelsey watched the rabbits scurry off from the vibrations of Megan’s movements, and Kelsey thought Megan had shaken the ground on purpose. Kelsey turned away and started making her way back into the forest. Roland was quiet, but Kelsey could hear his soft footsteps following her as he trotted next to her
.
“May I make the first kill?” he asked politely. Kelsey nodded and then watched Roland move ahead of her. He could probably smell the rabbits faster than she could spot them, anyway.
As she watched him, Kelsey was still distracted by the thought of his occupation and why he was with Megan. It was an interesting concept, having a healer and death working as a team. She didn’t know exactly how the two of them fit together, but she found the idea fascinating. Megan had previously mentioned that sometimes death was healing when the current body was too worn out to be repaired. Roland’s form as a fox also intrigued her. He was nothing like she had expected and she wondered who else saw him this way. Did he look like a fox to anyone who didn’t fear him, or only to her? It did make sense, in an unusual way. After all, what would make a better Grim Reaper than a fox, one of nature’s most stealthy creatures?
Roland was exceptionally good at hunting. He could simply look at a rabbit in a certain way, and it would fall over dead on the spot. Kelsey admired this about him. He gave Megan the first dozen he killed, and she ate them as if they were peanuts.
“That’s a nice trick,” Kelsey said with admiration.
“It’s not a trick,” Roland replied with annoyance in his tone. “It’s a skill. And there are guidelines, so please don’t ask me to kill anyone for you.”
“I wouldn’t think of it. I can do my own killing.” Kelsey’s voice had a small amount of wounded pride in it. She felt the need to prove herself, so she took out her knife and showed her own skill. Not only did she find and kill three rabbits, she neatly skinned and gutted them before proudly handing them to Silence to cook.
“She’s good with the metal fang,” Megan explained to Roland as she stuffed a few more freshly killed rabbits into her mouth.
“Very good,” Roland agreed as he started to rip open his own freshly killed rabbit.
“I don’t think you want to watch this,” Megan warned Kelsey.
“I’ve seen animals eat before,” she replied. “I’ve seen you eat before, also.”