The Sorting Room

by Angelina Singer

  “I’ve been…” Onyx searches for the right explanation, but finds none to explain his absence, besides being in the Upperworld. That detail must not be revealed to a human, it’s too far beyond their limits of consciousness.

  “That’s what I thought. You still need to tell me who you are though.” Anthony begins to settle down, but crosses his arms as if to punctuate his point.

  “Well, if you must know, I am her intended life partner.”

  Anthony raises his eyebrows. “Oh really? Interesting. Now tell me, Onyx, does she really know you? Or are you just some sicko looking to get some action from a sick girl in a hospital?”

  “What? I don’t know what you mean…”

  “But you still haven't told me how you know her or why you’re really here.”

  “I’ll show you…”

  Anthony opens his mouth to speak, but closes it as Felicia quietly pulls at his sleeve to get his attention, and then wraps her arms around his waist. He takes her silent cue to sit down, and places her gently on his lap.

  Onyx moves slowly toward the bed where Luna is.

  “She’s only sleeping, correct?”

  Anthony nods.

  Onyx carefully strokes her pale forehead, gently brushing away the dark tendrils of her unbrushed-hair.

  “Luna, I’ve missed you so much…”

  He gently taps her on the shoulder, but she is in a deep sleep and does not awaken at even his gentle touch. And then he remembers, the last thing he did before her body disappeared in the transport room - it might be just the thing to wake her up. It was something he had studied decades ago during his training to be a Primary Guide, some typical social commonality that humanoids would participate in, likely in response to elevated hormones and emotional desire.

  The thoughts of all the scientific logistics flood his head, but they dissipate the moment his lips touch hers in a passionate embrace. He only meant to quickly jolt her awake, but she fills him with the warmest, internal feeling of consummate satisfaction he’d ever known in his over four hundred years of existence, and he couldn’t stop, until her brilliant violet eyes open for him once again.

  “Onyx?” She breathes softly, her petite chest rising and falling in the wake of both medical trauma and romantic excitement.

  “I’m here now, Luna.”

  Her pale, frail hand reaches up to touch the smoothest skin on his cheek, his bright blue eyes locked with hers. And then Luna slowly sits up on the hospital bed, ignoring the pain from her aching bruises and breaks, and pulls Onyx’s face to her own. She isn’t usually one to be this aggressively forward, but Onyx is her one and only. And he accepts her advances wholeheartedly.

  “Okay, clearly you two know each other, I stand corrected”, Anthony rolls his eyes and stares out into the bustling emergency room.

  “Anthony, what are they doing?”

  “I’ll tell you when you’re older, Fel.” He shields her eyes gingerly with the palm of his hand even though she pushes it away with her own small, but deliberate, fingers.

  A few minutes pass, but to Luna, they’re a small eternity until she breaks their powerful kiss for some air.

  “Onyx, I needed you…”

  “I know, I’m here now.”

  “Don’t let me go alone… I’m scared.”

  “I know, I saw everything…”

  “It was terrible…”

  Short sentences like this fly between the two reunited souls after their long time apart. Throughout their conversation, Onyx eases himself onto Luna’s small hospital bed, carefully avoiding various wires and her intravenous tube. He reaches behind her heaving back, and pulls her close so that his stronger, brave embrace comforts her small, timid body.

  “Well, I’m just going to take Felicia to find some food, she hasn’t eaten since dinner last night. We’ll be back, Luna.” But Luna fails to see the wistful look in Anthony’s eyes as he looks back at her while leading Felicia out into the hallway - Luna is far too lost in thought and perfect rapture in Onyx’s arms.

  CHAPTER 8

  Miranda exits the bus and makes her way through the parking lot and into the main entrance of the hospital. She isn’t feeling too well herself - a nasty break-up and a steady diet of nothing but frosting and cookie dough could do that to a girl. But for some unknown reason, even to herself, she is determined to make sure Anthony is okay. That is, she is assuming that he is the one in the hospital, injured. He must have called in to get off work - or worse yet, maybe someone had to on his behalf. Although she doesn’t know him all that well, Miranda has nothing better to do and feels a rather strange inclination to check on him. With all these thoughts swirling through her head, she gets to the reception desk and asks for her acquaintance-friend.

  “Excuse me, could you tell me where I can find Anthony Stevens? I was notified by his boss that he had been here.”

  The receptionist adjusts her garish, black-rimmed glasses and then rapidly types on her concealed keyboard.

  “I don’t have a patient under that name, do you think you are mistaken, Miss?”

  “No, I think I would know who I came to see.”

  “Well, he isn’t a patient here. If he was, his name would be in the database. Sorry.” And that is the extent of her apology - she quickly reverts back to reading the latest issue of some gaudy fashion magazine.

  “Well thanks for nothing”, Miranda mumbles under her breath. She walks away from the main desk, but refuses to give up and go home just yet. Until she figures out how to find Anthony, the rumbling in her stomach prompts her to embark on a search for some new junk food in the cafeteria to numb the pain from her heartache.

  She matches the rhythm of her steps to her heartbeat and breathes deeply, trying to steady her nerves to avoid a panic attack in the middle of the hospital (even if that might be the ideal spot for a panic attack, it was still extremely unpleasant and embarrassing).

  Miranda is about five steps away from the churro kiosk when she runs into someone.

  “Hey - watch where you’re going, jerk!”

  “Oh, I’m sorry…”

  She recognizes that voice immediately, especially in the context of buying junk food.

  “Anthony? What are you doing out of your room? How are you feeling?”

  “What? My room? I’m fine, I don’t have a room because I don’t need one… what are you talking about?”

  Miranda exhales deeply.

  “Oh, I could’ve sworn your boss said you were in the hospital? I was out of frosting, so I went to the mini-mart and you weren’t there…”

  Anthony sighs. “Yeah, I’m here because the girl I took in, who needed a place to stay, was randomly hit by a truck in the middle of the night, and she sustained some broken bones and bruising. She’s going to be fine, but needs to mend a bit first.”

  Miranda nods. “Oh, right, Luna, is it? She’s a very sweet girl, I was horrified at what she told me about… Garth. Completely shocked. I’ve since dumped his sorry ass and threatened to personally castrate him myself if he ever tries to violate someone like that ever again. He’s the scum of Earth and I’m just ashamed I ever gave him the time of day…”

  Anthony politely nods through her post-breakup tirade, but his heart aches from the realization that his feelings for Luna definitely did not seem mutual. It was selfish, and crazy to get so attached to a girl he barely knew, but he did, and now he’s paying the price.

  “… So now I’ve just been sitting at home, counting dust bunnies. And there sure are a lot of them, especially now.”

  “Well, I’m sorry to hear you’ve been having a hard time, but I really should get Felicia some lunch, so…”

  Miranda grabs his hand. “But I’ve been so lonely. I’m glad that you’re okay… maybe I can have lunch with you guys?”

  Anthony looks down at his little sister. “You know, I think the two of us have just been through a lot recently, and just need a little time -”

  “Anthony, it’s okay. She can eat with
us. You told me to always include anyone who wants to be a friend…” He smiles at his sister’s ingenuity and unflappable spirit.

  “If you’re sure, Fel.”

  She nods.

  “Well, apparently, my sister is feeling more hospitable than I am today. But regardless, sure, we can get lunch together.”

  Miranda stopped fighting the smile threatening to turn up the corners of her mouth, and allowed herself to radiate the nearly heavenly warmth that instantly filled her body. Anthony suddenly begins to smile too.

  The two of them make their way over to a sandwich kiosk, with Felicia tagging along next to them both. An onlooker might view them as a couple with a young child, had they not heard either of their stories.

  And at that moment, the lives torn apart by a terrible blunder come back together. It was merely lunch, but in this case it was the beginning of the erasure of a mistake. Two lives broken are whole once again, and Luna would have been able to return to the Sorting Room at this point, if it wasn’t for the revolution threatening to break out at any moment.

  CHAPTER 9

  “Delphine, honey? You’ve been in front of that TV all day… how about a nice walk outside?”

  Delphine peels her eyes away from the brightly-lit screen, and tries her best to give her caretaker the attention that she knows she rightfully deserves.

  “Oh, um, okay…”

  “There’s a handy little convenience store right down the street, why don’t you get yourself a soda or a treat? Here’s some cash.”

  Delphine nods graciously, but suddenly gets a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach at the prospect of going outside. She decides to ignore it, and walks outside anyway. But she quickly realizes that was a mistake.

  The bright sun in the perfect cerulean sky beats down on her pale shoulders, and her black tank top seems to instantly radiate the heat. Her skin reacts immediately, and a slight rash begins to appear, and with it, burning, searing pain. She drops to her knees, but feeling weakened, crawls back inside the house as quickly as she can.

  “Delphine, are you okay? Why are you crawling?”

  “The… sunlight hurts me. Look.” Delphine holds out her arm to show Elizabeth the irritated flesh. “I’m not sure why it did that but it hurts.”

  “That is so strange… that’s never happened to me. Maybe I should take you to a doctor?”

  “No!”

  Elizabeth frowns slightly but nods.

  “Maybe not for this. Doctors here don't know how to treat beings from another realm. Although I’ve never seen anything like it, it’s probably not impossible. Perhaps it’s just you adapting to the stress and the different climate.”

  “So I’m okay?”

  “I think so. We’ll just have to keep an eye on it. There’s no telling what could happen, if it keeps showing up and we don’t do anything about it.”

  “And can I go back to watching TV?” Elizabeth sighs.

  “At the moment, there’s nothing else I would suggest to you. Alright.”

  Delphine smiles sheepishly and walks calmly toward the living room.

  “But I’m going to put some ointment on that burn, just in case.”

  “Some what?”

  “Just a soothing balm to make it feel better.”

  Elizabeth spreads the thick, white gel over Delphine’s arms and shoulders, and then retreats back to her home office to continue working. But the thought that occurred to her wouldn’t quit.

  I doubt she could have really been a sorter with that strange reaction… I don’t want to scare her but I believe that she has been lied to. Perhaps I should contact Evander…

  After checking to make sure that the blinds are closed, and that her laptop camera is obscured, she taps the communication device that she had permanently reinstalled under her skin upon taking on the responsibility for Delphine. It makes communication with the Upperworld quick and easy, and the fact that it cannot be traced like Earthly phones is critical to her cause. Of course, it wasn’t easy finding a surgeon that knew of such a device, much less that would be willing implant one, but Evander was kind enough to direct her to a friend of his that worked in the Galapagos Islands, who runs an underground medical practice for high-tech body modifications. This device is linked directly to her circulatory system, so it cannot be expelled by her body.

  After a few moments, Elizabeth hears Evander answer her call.

  “Hi, Evander… Yes, she is doing fine. I just noticed something quite strange… you see, I sent her outside for some fresh air and a short walk to the convenience store, but she complained that the sun burned her… No, not like a sunburn. Like an immediate burning. She was out there for maybe thirty seconds before she came back in here with a nasty rash on her arms and shoulders… WHAT? You don’t say… does anyone else know about this? Okay, okay. Does she know? Yeah I think I’d rather not tell her. I’m perfectly happy to take care of her myself for as long as she needs… I never could have kids on my own so I’d rather like that, actually. I just wish I knew about this sooner… How did this happen? Wow. Okay. Thank you, Evander.”

  She pinches her own wrist gently to end the call, and then sits back in her office chair, taking a few cleansing breaths.

  A demon? How could this happen?

  EPILOGUE

  “Onyx… you won’t ever leave me again, right?”

  Onyx shakes his head, while gently caressing the side of Luna’s face.

  “Never again. I can’t imagine… what you’ve been through. I’m glad you’re… alive.”

  He leans over her and kisses her again, but this time, just for a moment, as he can sense that the onslaught of emotions rushing through her brain is quickly tiring her out.

  “Can… can… we go home now?”

  Onyx looks in the direction of Luna’s pointed finger, where Anthony and Miranda walk down the hall together, with Felicia in tow.

  “They’re finally together now…”

  Onyx smiles slightly, but has trouble searching for the right words to explain to her what was happening.

  “They are, and that is fantastic news. But… there’s something else you should know…”

  Luna’s large, violet eyes stare back into his with anticipation.

  “What?”

  Onyx breathes deeply before continuing his explanation. He knows the next words out of his mouth are going to scare her, likely even more than her terrifying experiences on Earth.

  “The system is breaking apart… and you’re being chased.”

  “By who? Is someone following me?” She immediately sits up straighter, gritting her teeth against the pain in her rib cage from her accident.

  “No, don’t get up. I need you to stay calm. No one is after you… yet. But he’s coming, and I bet it’s only a matter of time before he finds you.”

  “What? Who?”

  Onyx gently places his strong hand over Luna’s still slightly swollen abdomen. To the untrained eye, her pregnancy wasn’t obvious. And it ended nearly as quickly as it began. But her body still held the signs of her attack, and the attacker’s fingerprints left scars on her consciousness that would remain as long as she lives.

  “The baby… isn’t gone.”

  “But the nurse told me it was.”

  “Well, okay, in this realm, it is gone. But it ended up in the Upperworld. I saw him myself.” And Zephyr’s using him to… destroy you.” Onyx chokes on the words, willing everything in his power to make the reality of it untrue. But he knows that is impossible, because like it or not, Luna is in deep trouble for trying to return to the Upperworld and allowing Delphine to take her place on Earth. At least, that is how Zephyr viewed the situation. In reality, it was Onyx’s plotting to get her home that likely caused suspicion, especially when Jade meant well, but ended up blurting out everything to the Most High Being of the Upperworld, who would waste no time in exacting his revenge.

  Luna barely responds. She just buries her face in Onyx’s shoulder, and cries. She cries for fe
ar of being caught. She cries because she’s tired of running.

  “When… and where… will I go?”

  Onyx pulls her closer, wrapping his arm around her trembling shoulders. They both stare at the sunlight pouring through the windows, a completely ironic display of joy in the path of utter destruction.

  “Well, I’m not going anywhere, so you can stay with me. And I, myself, will protect you.”

  “But how? I don’t know anything about this place, and I’ve been here, for a little while. You can help me?”

  Onyx brushes some hair out of her face soothingly, and then lowers his own voice down to a whisper in order to keep their abnormal reality a secret from the unwitting ears of the other patients and caretakers in the hospital.

  “You may have forgotten, but I’ve studied Earth life extensively for my guide position. I know this stuff. Of course, I don't have experience living on Earth, but I know enough about it to figure it out as I go. I’ll protect you, Luna. I will make it my mission to protect you as long as I live.”

  “But… what if he finds me?”

  “Well, I think he should be more afraid of us finding him. Because I will defend you at all costs, and it won’t end well for him. Now get some sleep - I know it’s scary, but I’ll be right here. You have to heal. Then I’ll make arrangements for us.”

  Onyx leaves one chaste kiss on her forehead, and then gets up off of the hospital bed and situates himself in the nearby chair.

  Anthony and Miranda re-enter the curtained-off area where Luna was sleeping, with Felicia in tow, nibbling on a giant chocolate chip cookie.

  “So yeah, I mean, we should… do this again sometime.” Anthony raises an eyebrow at Miranda’s suggestion.

  “You mean, accidentally meet up in a hospital after someone I know gets in an accident?” She giggles like a schoolgirl in response.

  “No, silly. I meant we should… hang out more. I have like, no life since I broke up with that asshat. I’m actually ashamed how much I let him get into my life. Without him, without the band, I’ve got nothing.”