by Ramsey Isler
“No,” Hax said. “I will stay for a while.”
Oh that’s not creepy at all...
“You know what,” Sam said, “that’s fine with me. I’ll finalize everything on this place tomorrow and you can do whatever it is you plan to do in here.”
“That will be just peachy,” Hax said. “And Sam?”
“Uhh...yeah?”
“Consult with me before you make any visits here,” Hax said. Then he moved further into the darkness, beyond the reach of Sam’s little flashlight.
Sam closed the door, ran down the stairs, got into her car, and drove away as fast as she could.
* * *
Sam was quite awake now. The sleepiness that had made her eyes heavy and her breathing light had vanished during Hax’s creepy tour of the new workspace. She had never had that kind of experience with any of the elves before, and she had difficulty shrugging it off as just another quirky side effect of dealing with beings that weren’t exactly human.
Searching for an explanation, she went back to the Better factory to consult some experts on Kith behavior: other Kith. She found the workshop empty and quiet. This was expected, even though Piv had gotten Hax to end the strike. The Kith didn’t usually take Saturdays off, but it was still very early and most of the elves rarely worked mornings. But Sam knew of at least one of them who would be active at this hour.
“What a sight for sore eyes,” Pogonip said when he saw Sam approach his tidy work area. “It has been a fortnight since I’ve even seen a glimpse of you, lass.”
“I’ve been busy, as usual,” Sam said as she tried to hide her concern. Pogonip looked old. Well, older than usual. His beard was frayed and its color had changed from gray to stark white. His eyes were cloudy, his teeth yellowed, and his face showed something Sam had never seen on a Kith—wrinkles.
“How have things been?” Sam asked.
“All is well,” Pogonip said, nearly whispering. “Quiet, as you can see.”
Sam nodded. “Everyone’s still sleeping?”
“The lads are somewhere in a sleep ball, no doubt,” Pogonip said. “But Piv is up and at it still. I think I saw him somewhere in the back. He was fiddling with some shiny metal.”
“Thanks,” Sam said. “I’ll go talk to him. Are you...okay?”
Pogonip smiled and his wrinkles deepened. “I am as I should be, lass.”
Sam nodded and went to look for Piv. She found him at one of the stations used for pressing bits of stainless steel into the shapes required for the new Victoria II model’s metal watchband. He was humming a happy tune, and admiring his handiwork as he held up a finished watchband to the light. This was what a Kith should be, in Sam’s mind. Nothing like what she saw from Hax.
“Busy as usual?” Sam asked him.
“Yes,” he said. “Everything must be perfect.”
“I just saw Pogonip,” Sam said. “He didn’t look very healthy.”
Piv nodded. “He is autumning.”
“Which means...what?”
“You’ll see,” Piv said. “It should be very special. Even I have never seen it before.”
“Do you mean he’s dying?” Sam asked.
“You. Will. See.” As Piv said each word he leaned a little closer to Sam. When he was so close that Sam could see the flecks of gold in his green eyes, he whispered, “You will never forget it.”
“Okayyyyy,” Sam said as she leaned away from Piv. “I guess I’ll just wait and see what unfolds. In the meantime, I really need to talk to you about something that just happened.”
“Very well,” Piv said.
“I just showed Hax the new private workshop you guys wanted,” Sam said. “He was behaving very strangely.”
“Strangely for a Kith, or for a human?” Piv asked.
“Both,” Sam said. “First, he acted like he didn’t trust me so he refused to go into the building alone. Then he went up into the vacant upstairs area and stayed up there for a while...alone in the dark. He was still up there when I left.”
Piv shrugged. “I told you he would be all funny in the brains if you didn’t let him finish hatching. I think he’s doing remarkably well in spite of it. Yes, he is.”
“Have you seen any odd behavior from him?”
“Not at all,” Piv said. “He has been a wonderful addition to the group, and he’s ever so smart. And helpful. Did I mention helpful? But...you never really know with these things. The Kith who go bad can go bad quite suddenly.”
“Just how bad is bad?” Sam asked. “What happened in the past?”
“That varies,” Piv said. “Some Kith just become very, very mischievous. But usually things don’t become dangerous. Usually.”
“Uh huh,” Sam said. “Well, just do me a favor and keep an eye on him. If he does anything that’s strange or worrisome, by Kith or human standards, come tell me immediately.”
Piv snapped his heels together, stood ramrod straight, and gave her a stiff salute. “Okey dokey, artichokey!”
“You’ve been watching too much TV,” Sam said.
“Do you think so?” Piv asked with a worried expression. “But I only watch the cartoons now.”
Sam just shook her head and walked away.
* * *
Sam spent the rest of the day replaying events in her head. She felt much better after talking to Piv, but she still had nagging concerns about Hax. Something about him just...wasn’t right. The troublesome thoughts persisted until well in the evening, when her phone rang. She looked at the screen and felt a tingling in the pit of her stomach.
It was Akida.
It had been weeks since they had last spoken, and that wasn’t exactly the friendliest chat. Sam had no idea why he would be calling now. She pondered letting the call just go to voice mail, but she knew Akida rarely left voice messages and she’d be left with the mystery of why he called. That would give her mind one more thing to obsess about, which she certainly didn’t need right now. So she answered the call.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hello,” Akida said. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“Uh...yes and no,” Sam said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” Sam said. “I’ve just been having trouble with the...the little people.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Akida said. “Are you okay?”
“For now,” Sam said.
“What do you mean? Is something going on? Did something happen?”
Frustration and irritation blossomed in Sam’s chest. “What are you now, a reporter? Did you call me just to interrogate me?”
“I’m just concerned, Sam. You’re dealing with some potentially dangerous things here.”
“I know that better than most,” Sam said. She regretted it instantly.
“Sam...it sounds like something is wrong.”
“I’m fine,” Sam said. “Everything will be fine. Forget I said anything about it. Was there something else you wanted to talk about?”
“I...I guess not,” Akida said.
“I have to get to bed then,” Sam said. “Goodnight, or good morning, or whatever it is over there.”
She hung up and stuffed the phone into her pocket. Three deep, controlled breaths helped her regain her composure. She looked at her wall clock and noted the late hour. She’d had enough of today. It was time to put it behind her.
It took a few pills to coax Sam to sleep that night, but she did manage to get some rest. The melatonin in her system induced a fitful, dreamless sleep that was free of any lingering concerns about Hax’s odd behavior. When she awoke it was almost noon; the first time she’d slept late in weeks.
It was Sunday, and Sam was determined not to do a lick of work today. Instead, she busied herself with various household tasks that she’d been neglecting. She washed dishes, took Rupert to the nearby dog park for some frolicking, and sat down to watch an online mini-marathon of the TV shows she’d been missing. She finished the day with a hedonistic banquet of
pizza, hot wings, and a cold bottle of Coke. The cheesy, meaty, sugary gluttony was divine after months of only having time to eat the health-conscious food catered at the office.
She sat cross-legged in her living room and flipped through cable channels while she gorged herself. She landed on a show about celebrity mansions, and a new thought suddenly occurred to her. She could buy a new house.
Sam loved her home, which is probably why she had never thought about leaving it. She bought it during a dramatic decline in home prices, and even though the house was quite nice it didn’t make much of a dent in her savings. The place was cozy and convenient and full of memories. She didn’t want to leave it. But...she did also have millions of dollars in disposable income now. Perhaps it was time to make new memories in a new place; a place with a heated pool and a marble bathroom and maybe, just maybe, an elf-proof security system.
* * *
Sam was still thinking about the possibility of having a grand modern mansion when she visited the workshop the following evening. The idea was gradually rooting itself in her psyche. She had spent a little time looking at luxury real estate listings and it was still a buyer’s market. She could own a whole city block if she wanted. The possibilities were numerous and intriguing.
So Sam was in fairly good spirits when she stepped into the workshop that night. But all of that quickly changed when she found the place empty yet again. This time, however, something felt different. There was a stiff breeze blowing through the building. The loading bay doors had to be open. Sam rushed towards the back of the workshop, worry growing in the pit of her stomach with every step.
She found the Kith, all of them, outside. They were amidst a clutch of elm trees about thirty yards from the workshop. Sam could only see them because of a few pairs of shining eyes reflecting light from the lamps on the building. She waited for a few moments, trying to decide if she would run towards them, or run away from them. Eventually her fear was overcome by curiosity, and anger. The damn elves were wasting time, again. She hurried towards them with no effort to hide her approach.
“What’s going on?” she demanded when she was close enough to speak to the Kith.
“Pogonip is leaving us,” one of the elves said. Sam remembered him as Wickiset.
“Where is he going?” Sam asked.
Wickiset gave her a confused look. “He’s going...to die.”
“What?” Sam left Wickiset and went deeper into the tightly packed crowd of Kith. She could easily see above all their heads so Pogonip’s prone form was in clear view. He was lying in a bed of weeds that grew at the base of one of the tall elms. Sam pushed her way through the crowd to get closer. The Kith parted without protest.
Sam reached the front of the group and saw Piv, Melkidoodum, and Noc Noc. Their faces were solemn. Sorrow replaced the cherubic cheerfulness and curiosity that Sam had always associated with them. They stood as still as statues.
She saw Hax’s face in the crowd—he was easy to find being the tallest of the group. His expression was something different than the others. His eyes were dry and his mouth slightly open as he watched in utter fascination.
Sam knelt by Pogonip’s side. His eyes were closed. His breathing came in short, raspy bursts. “What’s happening to him?” she asked.
Melkidoodum said, “All that grows must whither eventually.”
Sam reached out to grasp Pogonip’s hand. His skin was rough like tree bark. “Is he...in pain?”
“No,” another Kith behind her said. “The change will be peaceful for him.”
“The change?” Sam asked. But a moment later, her question was answered. Pogonip’s breathing stopped, and a rush of air flowed from his mouth. Then his skin flaked and fell apart. His fingers disintegrated in Sam’s hand. Sam watched helplessly as Pogonip’s body decomposed into a pile of dust.
When it was over, there was nothing left but Pogonip’s clothes. Sam brushed the dust from her hand and stood. Just as she was about to ask the Kith a question, the weeds where Pogonip’s body had lain burst into bloom. The tops of the scraggly green plants sprouted brown buds which rapidly grew until they split apart and countless flower petals unfolded. The flowers were a dazzling array of colors; reds, pinks, purples and blues transformed the area from an unremarkable weedy nook into a little slice of idyllic paradise. Sam took a deep breath, and the sweetest scents she’d ever smelled filled her nose and tickled the back of her throat.
Sam felt a wave of emotions. Happiness, sadness, bewilderment, and curiosity mixed together in her mind and left her overwhelmed. She didn’t know what to do at first; this was all too much to bear. But then her body instinctively expressed itself in the best way it could. Sam began to cry.
While Sam was trying to come to terms with her emotions, the Kith wept openly. Their tears flowed freely and their usually ebullient faces were twisted into pained masks of sorrow. But there were no sounds. The Kith suffered in silence. They would not give a voice to their hurt.
Sam let them feel their grief uninterrupted. She had no words of consolation for them. There was nothing she could do but add her own tears to the silent mourning.
* * *
It was almost 10 a.m. and Sam had spent an hour lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling.
She couldn’t find the mental energy to do much else. Pogonip’s passing had been the worst kind of surprise, and it left her emotionally drained. She’d spent a lot of time with the Kith after Pogonip’s body had disintegrated into life-giving dust. They all surrounded each other and gave affectionate, comforting hugs. They were so loving, and so deeply attached to each other that it was no wonder that the loss of one of their own would be the one thing that could bring them true grief.
But sadness had not struck all the Kith. Hax had remained surprisingly unaffected by it all. He had observed the scene more like an aloof scientist watching an intriguing specimen. Sam wasn’t sure if that was simply because of his still-developing sensibilities as a Kith, or if there was something else behind his curious, dispassionate stare as Pogonip faded away.
She wondered if it was possible for Kith to be sociopaths.
* * *
Despite an ever-growing cadre of employees taking up space at the Better Timepieces headquarters, Sam always found herself with plenty of work to do. Her email inbox was full of the kind of tasks that only the CEO and owner of the company could handle, and Sam welcomed it all. Being busy was so much better than being sad.
She worked until the late hours of the night, when even the most ambitious employee had gone home to family, friends, and warm beds. Sam only decided to take a break when her eyes started to burn from staring at her computer screen in the dark for too long. She hadn’t even noticed the sun had gone down some time ago.
She stood, and turned on the office lights on her way to the kitchen to get coffee. Just as she was pouring a generous amount of cream into her drink, she saw an odd shadow in the hallway, and went to investigate. She found Hax staring at her, hanging upside down with his legs slung over one of the exposed ceiling joists.
“Enjoying yourself?” Sam asked.
“Always,” Hax said.
Sam took a sip of her coffee. “Is there a particular reason why you’re here?”
“Things have changed,” Hax said.
“What does that mean?”
Hax started swinging back and forth. “Pogonip’s withering made the others sad. Very sad. We need something to make it better.”
Sam sighed. “What do you want now?”
“A vacation!”
“Vacation?” Sam said with a derisive snort. “You’ve barely been working here for two months.”
“Not for me, you dippy girl. For the others. They’re emotional, and they’ve been working almost every day since they started. They deserve a break, don’t you think?”
Sam considered this for a moment. She was surprised that Hax had made such a reasonable request. He was right, after all. The Kith had worked faithfully every day wi
thout complaint. Sam assumed they didn’t need any breaks, but it was possible that they simply didn’t think of taking time off.
“I suppose I could have a few of the guys have a vacation,” Sam said. “I’ll schedule a system of three day breaks for everyone over the next three months or so.”
Hax shook his head and his hair swayed on his upside-down head. “That won’t do. That won’t do at all. Everyone must go at once.”
“That’s crazy talk,” Sam said. “I can’t afford to shut down production while everyone is away.”
“I will stay,” Hax said. “I can provide you with some watches while the others enjoy their vacation in Europe.”
Sam nearly spit out her coffee.
“Yes, Europe,” Hax said before she could say anything. “Some of the Kith are from there, and many of the others have never been. That makes it the perfect region for a vacation.”
“And how the hell are they going to pull that off?” Sam asked.
“You’ll fly them there, of course. The same way you brought them here.”
“That was supposed to be a one-time thing,” Sam said. “And that was very expensive.”
“You’re smart,” Hax said. “I’m sure you can find a way to write this off as a business expense. And you won’t lose much production. This is the slow season, and the others will only be gone for a few weeks.”
“A few weeks?”
Hax nodded. “I have read that it’s standard for employees to receive two to three weeks paid vacation.”
Sam paused and ran her fingers through her hair. “You’re not employees. That was the whole point.”
“No,” Hax said. “The point was that you’d get incredibly skilled and incredibly fast labor that no one else in the world could compete with. We’ve given you that. Now it’s time to give a little back.”
“I’m happy to give the boys a little time off,” Sam said, “but I do still have a business to run here. One Kith is not enough to keep up production even during a slow season...especially not a Kith who is still relatively new to the operation.”
Hax gave her a nasty look and was just about to retort when someone else said, “I will stay as well.”