The Sorting Room

by Angelina Singer

  Luna immediately nods, but a little red flag goes up in her head. Anthony has been all too quick to help her at her every little beck and call, but his motive in unclear. He’s not… like Garth, right? He’s not going to… hurt me, right? Luna’s judgment was beginning to scare her, but she looks over at his easy smile and the ease about him, and reminded herself that Garth was concerning at the very start. She chides herself for not getting away from that disgusting guy earlier than she did. But Anthony, she could tell, was different. Miranda is a blessed girl to have her fate tied up with his for eternity. Or, at least, her intended fate. Thanks to Delphine, things were nearly irreparable. But Luna is determined to fix it. All of it. And when I do, I’ll be going home to Onyx and I’ll live forever with him.

  Her thoughts are immediately interrupted by the sick feeling in her stomach, as the less-than ideal food she just ate begins to mix unfavorably with her stomach acid. She opens her bottle of carbonated liquid to wash it down with, but the bubbles make her feel worse. Her eyes close in response to the pain, and Anthony is too busy talking to no one in particular, to even notice.

  “… and that’s how I accidentally broke my arm while cleaning the kitchen when I was twelve. So… Bubblegum? Bubblegum? Oh, were you sleeping? I’m sorry -”

  “No, I was just… relaxing. I’m fine.”

  Anthony nods, but Luna can still sense the hint of concern in his eyes. “Well, you sure are quiet. And I just realized I know almost nothing about you, besides that you like toaster pastries and lemon-lime soda. What’s your story?”

  “My story?”

  “Um, yeah? You know, where you’re from, what your family’s like?”

  Luna begins searching her mind for any kind of cover that would get him to believe her cover of being just an ordinary girl.

  “Well, I’m not from… here. And my family is… complicated.”

  Anthony nods. “I totally get it. Families can be a royal pain in the ass but you literally can’t live without them, if ya know what I mean.”

  Luna gazes out her window at the landscape buzzing past her. She had never been in a car before and was intrigued by the workings of such an enchanted vehicle. Ironically, the motion calms her frayed nerves and allows her to breathe more deeply than she had been able to for a while. She also marvels at the way she feels so remarkably… safe. Anthony has this effect on her. Maybe it was loneliness, or the emotional disaster she had become after her terrifying ordeal the night before. But she began to worry that Anthony was getting the wrong idea about her, what with them both spending all this time together. And the scariest thing, was that Luna realized that she is beginning to like it.

  ✷✷✷

  “Onyx, I promise you, this is serious. It’s not that she made a mistake. Someone else did.” Onyx’s eyes grow wide as Evander wordlessly points upward in the general direction of where Zephyr resides. “But how can you be sure? Maybe we should run a diagnostic check on her” “Already on it, I sent the lab technicians to her habitation pod. She’s more comfortable there.” Onyx is still quite shaken from the latest revelation of Luna’s unfortunate circumstance, and his mind has been preoccupied with ways to cheat the system and get her home, even when he was supposed to be guiding new recruits.

  Jade sits deep in thought, the harsh fluorescent lights of their conference room dancing across her silver hair like a crown of light on a scarecrow. “Evander, do you have any idea what this could mean for the entire human race? There could be more sorters who are unqualified for their work… any minute, any second, we could have another fiasco!”

  Three guides of the Sorting Room sit in silence for what seems like a small eternity, pondering the ramifications of what Delphine’s inability could imply.

  “Okay, so what do we do with the girl? If she cannot sort, she is useless here.” Jade’s interjection is met with frustrated glares from both Onyx and Evander, because unlike Jade, they both have very complex emotional tendencies.

  “You are not going to lay a hand on Delphine. She’s already been traumatized enough, Jade.” She raises her hands up in defeat. “Well, she cannot just sit around. Everyone here works for their keep. What did you have in mind, then?”

  Onyx rakes his fingers through his bleach-blonde hair. “Well, she can either learn to be a guide…” “Nonsense! How could she teach others when she herself was not even gifted with proper sight?”

  “Or… she could lead the resistance…”

  “Resistance? Against what?” Jade’s silver hair looks like it was zapped by lightning now, her face glowing with a fatal mix of rage and blood-curdling fear.

  “Against the powers that govern the Sorting Room.”

  Evander and Jade exchange worried glances, likely believing that Onyx’s sudden breach of proper respect was a direct product of his loss of Luna to an impossible mission without a return ticket back home. They understand his concern, but his emotions transcended the plane of sadness they themselves were capable of, and that disconnect often makes it hard for them to help Onyx properly adapt.

  “Onyx, we understand that you’ve been through… quite a lot.” Evander exchanged a knowing glance with Jade. “But, do you… do you think you want to go get some rest and then reconvene later? I’m sure Jade could grant you a short mental health break…” Jade glares at him, but a muffled scuffle under the table suddenly adjusts her attitude and she begrudgingly nods with a clenched jaw.

  Onyx shakes his head but hesitates to directly respond. “I’ll be fine. I just… need to bring her back. I think… anything like this will have to wait until I get this first problem addressed.

  “What? Onyx, I know you have some sort of human emotion left in you since your… retraction, but…” Onyx’s previously neutral expression changes to one of defense. “But what?” His face silently warns her to tread lightly on this subject of such critical importance to him.

  “The entire human civilization hangs in the balance! If there’s a potential that sorters are unable to perform the way we are expecting them to, that must be the priority…”

  Onyx stares her in the eye while using every ounce of self-control he has to keep his fists settled by his sides.

  “Okay, well. If you must, conduct a mandatory simulated eye-exam for all sorters. You’ll have to do it in shifts, and it will take a while. Not to mention developing the technology to do so. But until Luna is home, leave me out of it.

  Onyx gets up and leaves the room, and neither Jade nor Evander are totally sure if the chill in the room was his acidic mood, or the automated air regulator being activated again.

  CHAPTER 4

  Luna and Anthony arrive at the venue where Miranda was allegedly playing. They both get out of the car, but Luna hesitates to move forward, as the realization that Garth is likely in the building hits her again with another wave of nausea. She immediately slumps against the side of the car…

  “Woah, Bubblegum, are you sure you’re okay? What keeps happening to you? I’m really concerned…” Luna turns away from him as his hand slides thoughtfully to the small of her back, which makes her face heat up and her heart beat faster again. Something was happening inside of her, an unwanted connection that was beginning to really confuse things. She had arrived onto Earth with her objective crystal clear in her mind, even if the logistics of accomplishing it were pretty foggy. Luna quickly shakes off her discomfort and forces a smile at Anthony’s friendly face wearing a concerned frown. “I’m going to be fine. Just get me in the building… please.”

  Anthony helps her to her feet, but remains within a few feet of her as they walk, just in case she feels sick again. The front door of the venue looms ahead of them as the sun reaches its apex and subtly begins its midday descent… the darkness of night was on its way once again.

  ✷✷✷

  Contrary to what she knows is good for her, Delphine has a habit of checking in on Luna’s live feed broadcasted by one of the many monitors directly outside of the Sorting Room. Evander explici
tly told her to rest up while he tries to resolve her problem of not being able to properly sort humanoid orbs, but the whirring emotions and upsetting details of everything going on keeps her wide awake. Seeing that Luna is at least alive comforts her, but the gut-wrenching realization that she would be unable to return keeps her sick to her stomach, because she knows she herself is the one to blame for it. At the moment, she sees Luna fighting nausea in the parking lot with a boy next to her, who seems concerned.

  “Delphine, I told you to stay in bed. There are things happening that are far too important and stressful to get yourself overtired. Come on now, I’ll walk you to your pod…”

  “No, wait. Um, I was just… checking in on Luna. She’s… she’s okay, right?” Evander pauses, looking for the right words to fully explain what has happened to Luna without further upsetting Delphine.

  “Well, yes, she is currently physically alive, but her body has been… tampered with to an extent that she can not return here…”

  “How? What do you mean by that, exactly?” Evander scratches his chin and stares off into the distance at nothing in particular. A soft, exasperated sigh escapes from his lips, and then he pats Delphine gingerly on the back. “It’s nothing for you to worry about. Back to bed now - you’re still so weak.”

  Delphine opens her mouth to protest, but no words come out. Although she is desperately curious, she knows better than to press the matter anymore. She could sense that, although he could be sometimes unnecessarily cryptic, Evander had her best interests at heart and was likely protecting her from knowledge of a fate much worse than death.

  At her habitation pod, Evander tucks her in again in her warm bed, the plush pale pink comforter and pillows forming to her gentle frame perfectly. With the blankets tucked up to her chin, he smiles at her reassuringly and turns to leave.

  “Evander?”

  He turns around and nods at her in the dimly lit room.

  “Am I going to be okay? Even though I am not able to sort?”

  Evander takes a deep breath, to stall for time before answering her with improper information, for such easily excitable ears.

  “I will do everything in my power to make sure of it.”

  Still concerned, but seemingly a bit comforted by that claim, Delphine slowly nods her head and closes her eyes. Evander takes that as his cue to leave, and closes the door to her pod on his way out.

  Hopefully what little power I have is good enough. She deserves a better life than this. I’ll find something for her. I have to.

  ✷✷✷

  Onyx is slowly becoming emotionally withdrawn and unstable. His every waking moment is concerned with getting Luna home. He has spent countless hours awake, long after a very stoic shift of guiding new recruits to the Sorting Room, drawing diagrams and making lists without any fruitful results. Onyx acknowledges his own inability to complete his task, but knows that he must keep working, because stopping work would incur consequences worse than a stern rebuke. After another especially draining guide session, Onyx walks over to Evander’s habitation pod, hoping that by chance, he happens to be available to talk. A quick press to the digital door notification lets Evander know he has a visitor, with a small blue light illuminated on the inside of the door. After a few moments of desperation, the door opens.

  “Oh, Onyx. I wasn’t expecting you.”

  Onyx nods. “Can I come in? I think there are some important matters to attend to.”

  Evander motions him to enter. “Oh, certainly. I’ll contact Jade to join us and -”

  “No!”

  Onyx’s quick reaction made Evander’s otherwise relaxed face crinkle with concern.

  “And why not?”

  “Because… the matter I want to speak to you about is likely not something she would endorse… I just need to be heard. It is of critical importance to me and I don’t think she has the capacity to… understand me.”

  Evander slowly settles on his nearby couch. “And you think I do?”

  “You are the best option I have.” Onyx awaits his response with bated breath, his muscles tensing as he holds in the complex emotions bubbling up inside his being.

  “Perhaps… but if you want help with Luna, I honestly just wouldn’t know what to say. It’s not something I can control… any more than you can.”

  Onyx nods solemnly. “I agree, it’s impossible. I’ve exhausted all my resources trying to think of something to get her out. I’ve made lists, I’ve drawn maps of her approximate location with the data I’ve collected from the broadcasting systems. And yet, every day, I feel like she is further gone than ever. It’s ridiculous, and time consuming, and pitiful. I’m breaking inside. I feel like a failure. And it’s all thanks to your imbecilic recruit!”

  “Okay, I understand that I am responsible for Delphine, and things got out of hand, but I don’t think you realize the magnitude of -”

  “Oh, believe me, I know. I know that what happened should have never happened in the first place. That little miscreant should have owned up to her misstep! It should be her down there, suffering, not Luna. She must pay for what she’s done…”

  Evander restrains himself from reacting rashly, the way Onyx had been lately. It was hard, but he usually managed to keep his head calm, even when others around him were not.

  “I agree that there should be some consequences for her, but nothing too harsh. She’s already suffering from debilitating stress and emotional turmoil, and on top of it all, Delphine appears to be defective. If I cannot find a replacement task for her, then I have no idea what I’ll do. She cannot be sent to the Underworld… it would not be fair.”

  Onyx rolls his eyes. “You mean, like being wrongly banished to Earth?” Evander recoils at the jarring comeback, but nods slowly.

  “Onyx, I’m starting to believe that you and I are equally concerned about our charges. Now, we can either fight about who did what, or we can band together and save both of them. What do you think?”

  Evander slowly reaches his hand out to Onyx, a shaky, pale white treaty meant to patch up the holes that the space-time continuum, and various human limitations, have blown in their previously rock-solid friendship. With a long sigh, Onyx accepts his hand with his own, and the two begin a long strategy session that would hopefully bring the redemption they so desperately needed. With their two strong minds, there is very little they cannot accomplish.

  The two guides sat tirelessly for a long time, wordlessly sketching out more diagrams and possibilities. No ideas came to mind to properly fix everything. That is, until it did.

  “Evander…” Onyx slumps in his chair, his head in his hands for the thirtieth time that day. “I’ve figured it out… I have a solution, but it’s risky.”

  Evander’s eyes light up at the prospect of getting both Luna and Delphine the help they need, within the context of the bigger problem of Miranda and Anthony.

  “Risky is far from ideal, but it’s the best we’ve got.”

  CHAPTER 5

  “Anthony, where are they?” Anthony continues looking around the venue. “I don’t know, it appears that they’ve already finished playing and are maybe backstage. Let’s go try to find them, if you want?”

  Luna nods. “Okay.” Then she stays nearby him as they both weave their way through the crowd migrating to the exits after the small concert. “I don’t fully know if we’re even supposed to be back here, but stay close.” In response, Luna feels herself grab his hand for some unknown reason. Maybe it was solidarity, or maybe just the need for security. It was definitely something, and Luna was quickly losing the guard on her heart. It was getting extraordinarily difficult to keep her mind on her objective. She looks at a time-keeping mechanism on the wall. If she remembers correctly, she’d only been on Earth a little over 48 hours, and yet it felt like a lifetime. And she was losing touch with everything she thought she knew.

  “Looks like they’re in here.” Anthony jabs his thumb in the direction of a room marked “green room”. Luna takes
a deep breath and opens the door.

  “Garth literally SHUT UP you’re being ridiculous. No one here cares about your idiotic belief about the blue M&M conspiracy!”

  “I told you it was real, Miranda! Now stop being such a bitch about it.” His hand was rested deliberately on her shoulder, both guiding and forcing her to sit in a nearby chair. Her face is flushed with anger, but she manages to show some restraint.

  Anthony clears his throat. “Uh, hello guys. My friend Bubble - … I mean, Luna, wanted to see you. She’s a huge fan of the band, I think.” He turns to Luna and whispers: “Er, why did you want to see them again? I can barely remember…” Luna racks her brain for a game plan, but as usual, nothing comes to mind. She is numb with panic both from the importance of her mission, but also at the prospect of being in the same room with Garth again. But then she realized… that might just be the key to everything. The source of her pain and psychological turmoil could be just the thing to get Miranda away from Garth.

  “Hi, Miranda, I have to tell you something… important.” Miranda locked eyes with Luna. “Oh, um, hi. I remember you from the outdoor show the other day… Lena, is it?”

  “It’s Luna.”

  “Right, right, what’s up? What can I sign for you?” Luna calmly shakes her head.

  “No, I need to talk to you… in private.” Miranda tilts her head to the side, curiosity coursing through her brain.

  “Well… okay.” She follows Luna out to the hallway for the conversation that could change her life forever.