by Alechia Dow
“Nothing important,” I answer.
“Ellie, if you’re scared, we can find somewhere for you to hide. I don’t want anything to happen to you. This was a bad idea...”
“Morris, I want to go, and there’s nowhere else anymore. I doubt we could hide me in permanent housing, wherever that even is, it’s probably guarded, right?” Morris nods once. “I bet that mall we left behind is already under siege.” I let that sink in before adding, “Whatever happens, we’ll do this together.”
“I never wanted to see you cry out in pain. It hurts me, oh it hurts me, it was me who did it... I shout, you weep, I lie, you speak...the truth, always the truth, I hold your heart in my hands. I broke it once, but never again...” His voice has strengthened so much now that he could actually be a pop star if the world was different.
My heart leaps every second his voice fills the air around us. It’s beyond corny, but he’s so unabashedly adorable. He’s fearless and unafraid that I’ll hurt him. I want to promise him and myself that I won’t, but I know better than to make a promise I can’t keep, especially right now.
“You are! You are! You are everything.” He draws out the last syllables in a jumbled mess of notes. I purse my lips, trying not to laugh. My worries melt in the western sun, and I give in to feeling in love as we walk through the surreal landscape.
I think of my favorite books and decide on one. “Do you want to hear another story?”
“Always.”
CHAPTER 23
“By Your Side”
—Sade
M0Rr1S
Hours have passed, and M0Rr1S worries that not only will they not make it to the ship without getting caught, but that Ellie’s legs are hurting. He points at a lone building with clothing displayed in its window. It’s the only building they’ve seen for miles as they reach the outskirts of LA, as Ellie calls it. “Perhaps there is something in there for you?”
She eyes the building wearily. “Everything else has been torn down. We’ve seen at least thirty or forty gardens, and lakes I’m sure never existed before. And yet they kept this store? How do we know it’s not a trap?”
“Habitation will keep unique structures that offer a glimpse into humanity. Besides, they like clothes.” M0Rr1S cuts a glance at Ellie. “There’s no one inside. I sense no movement. Do you want to go?”
“Yeah.” Ellie exhales. “I need relief from this hell.”
They enter the store gingerly, and the scent of florals hits him first. Both human and Ilori, like the gardens they passed on the way here. And it’s clean, so very clean. The carpeting is an immaculate dark green, like the forest floor, and fake tree branches climb the walls, congregating on the ceiling with shards of crystals dangling. Light dances around the space. Suddenly, M0Rr1S understands why they kept this. It is unique, but also familiar. Like his home.
Ellie rummages through racks of well-kept garments, squealing in delight at one point. She takes a pile of mixed, colorful fabrics and goes into a small chamber behind a wooden door made from tree bark. He can glimpse only her hat as she undresses. M0Rr1S stands next to the room, crossing his arms, cautious.
Minutes pass, but he’s unperturbed by the delay. He needs some rest as well, this time not because his charge is low, but because there is worry in the pit of his stomach.
What if he fails?
Ellie comes out in a black T-shirt with a spaceship and words that don’t mean much to him. Patches of her legs are exposed in a pair of jeans with holes around the knees.
“These are so comfortable. And look at this vintage Star Wars T-shirt! I can’t believe we found a store with clothes my size! After an alien invasion!” She poses for him, makes pouty lips that he longs to kiss. “Now shoes...”
The shoe area is a neat pile of boxes across the store that reach up to his chest. Ellie sorts through them, causing an avalanche of boxes, tissue paper and various footwear. M0Rr1S peers around, hoping the noise doesn’t attract any attention. She hums softly as she admires the multicolored shoes on her feet. “Vans. The most comfortable shoes I’ve worn in years.” She groans in pleasure. “All right, I’m ready. Let’s go.”
M0Rr1S wraps his arms around her shoulders, and, for the first time since he met her, she seems at her most energetic. “You are my favorite person.”
“I know.” She grasps his hand. “I still don’t know what we’re going to do. But you...” She takes a deep breath. “You see me. All of me. You accept me. You don’t look at me like some weird black girl who keeps books as friends. You understand.”
M0Rr1S feels like his heart might burst upon hearing her words. “And you don’t see me as an evil Ilori who has destroyed your world.” He smiles. “I think, Ellie, we were meant to find and understand each other.”
She pecks him on the lips and slides her hand through his. “I don’t know about that, but I’m glad we found each other.
“So, let me tell you a story inspired by this shirt I’m wearing.” She points to a picture of a man wearing a strange black suit, a woman in a white gown holding a gun of some sort and another man holding a sword made of light. It is very odd, but also fascinating. “Once upon a time, in a galaxy probably not far away from yours, there was a girl named Ciena, and a boy named Thane...”
* * *
The labmade Ilori become more and more visible as they enter the former city. M0Rr1S and Ellie hide behind trees that climb into the sky, imported from home, and within the high grass. They’ve had some close calls. M0Rr1S picked up Ellie twice and ran around harvesting farms to avoid capture. But moving that fast too often takes a toll on him. He sets Ellie down inside a subway station that dips beneath the grass. He clings to the vines as he calms his own breathing.
“Five, the sun. Four...four, my hat... Three, my soft new shoes. Two.” Her voice steadies, and her shoulders droop. “Two...” She closes her eyes and exhales slowly. “Two, the smell of gardens and earth and hope. One—” she glances at him, a small smile tugging at her lips “—Morris.”
Their eyes lock, and everything around them fades from view. A melody drifts through his mind, something he’s never heard before accompanied by their two hearts beating in near unison.
How has he ever lived without her?
And that distraction, beautiful and monumental, is all it takes for him to be surprised by an Ilori guard on the opposite side of the tunnel. The guard stops in their tracks.
The color drains from Ellie’s face as her hands travel to her neck. M0Rr1S wants to run to her, tell her everything will be okay, but the Ilori stands before him. They take in M0Rr1S’s jacket, the lack of identification. Their gaze slides to Ellie quickly before snapping back to M0Rr1S.
M0Rr1S prepares to battle with the other Ilori, a battle that could result in death. He has never killed before. But he must keep Ellie safe even if it means doing something he would regret for the rest of his days. He rises onto the balls of his feet, and lets air sail between his teeth. He’s unprepared for this.
“I—”
“Stay off the main road,” the Ilori states in accented English, surprising them. “Bl0n, male, this is my quadrant.” He flicks a button on his panel, motioning to M0Rr1S to do the same. “I have uploaded the patrols to your panel.”
“Thank you.” The words tumble from M0Rr1S’s lips unexpectedly. “The vaccine—”
“Has been administered globally. There are no more human rebels. All have surrendered, with limited loss of life. True Ilori command will begin the descent in five rotations.”
Before he can ask why and how, Bl0n steps back.
“May the road lead you to success, M0Rr1S 1lv. What G00287 granteth, the labmades taketh,” the Ilori says, putting his fist over his heart and bowing once, before turning and jogging off.
M0Rr1S runs to Ellie’s side as she hunches over, gasping for air. Her fingers circle her neck as if she is bound by t
hat rope on the rooftop in New York City once again.
“You’re safe. They won’t hurt you.” M0Rr1S wraps a steady arm around her. “I’m here.”
Minutes pass as her breathing slows and her back straightens. Her hands shake by his side. “I’m sorry. Panic thing. I’m fine. Are you...are you okay?” Ellie pushes sweaty strands of hair from his eyes.
“Perfectly fine,” he lies, but she sees right through him.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Just stay by me. And if I say run, please run.” She nods and touches the tips of her fingers to his cheek. The sensation of her electrifies his body, and it takes so much for him not to touch her back. To tell her that perhaps, they only have now.
But instead, he uses the scanner to determine the location of the patrols. None register. Their safest option is to linger here awhile.
Ellie slumps against the wall and slides down. “How long will it take to get to the water?”
M0Rr1S sits beside her. “Maybe four hours.”
“Are we going to make it?” She lowers her voice to a whisper.
“Yes, but we should wait until night falls. Reduced visibility will help us move through the landscape.”
Her eyes keep darting to the shadows. “Are you hungry? Do you need juice? We have to do something...”
He takes her shaking hands in his, hoping their closeness will settle her down, make her calm. “We’ll both have something to drink, okay?”
Ellie lifts the supply bag beside her and grunts. “Wow, this is heavy. You didn’t tell me.”
He cocks a smile at her. “Too important to leave behind.”
She sorts through it, shifting things aside until she produces the last bottle of juice. She twists the top off and hands it to him. The first few drops feel like electricity on his tongue.
“Your turn,” he holds it out to her.
“I feel fine.”
Yet he knows she needs it just as much as he does. “When is the last time you drank?”
“Okay, okay.” She rolls her eyes before taking a sip. “This stuff is so good. What’s calef juice made of anyway?”
M0Rr1S chuckles to himself. “You might not want to know.”
Ellie scrunches her nose. “Is it something gross?”
“There’s an animal in Ilori colony V3-77-1011 called the calef. It’s a little larger than your Earth elephant. They roam the colony freely and bathe in the large pools of water, turning the water orange.” Ellie’s face drops in disgust. “No one knows who decided to test the water, or what led them to drink it. But from then on, Ilori from all over the universe drink it. It’s high in vitamins and minerals. It offers more energy than pills or injections.”
A warm memory hits him.
“I remember asking my mother why it tastes so good, and she told me because it tastes like freedom.”
Ellie regards him with some emotion flickering across her expression. “Have you always felt like you were imprisoned in your world? By your dad? Your brother? Your circumstances?”
“Yes.” He answers without hesitation. “But never when I’m with you. You don’t expect me to be anything, and you... I know you care about me.”
She bites her lower lip, and her head bobs in a little dance. “Are we going to survive this, Morris?”
“I don’t want to lie to you, Ellie. We’re in danger. But this is the only way to undo everything that has happened. To change our worlds. It’s not too late to stay behind, to wait for the song to broadcast. You don’t have to come...” He doesn’t want to beg her, or put pressure on her, but the truth is, he’s not ready to say goodbye. Part of him needs her there with him, despite how selfish it is. “When this is done, you can go back to your parents, to Alice. I promised you I would save them, and I will keep that promise, Ellie. It’s your choice. Always your choice.”
Darkness falls, and Ellie’s gaze lingers on it. “I know I’m supposed to feel terrified. But, right now, I feel nothing. I don’t know how long ago I lost this part of me that can’t grasp what’s happened, and the shock. Nothing and no one was spared. We’re all the same here.”
M0Rr1S tilts his head. “Were you ever not the same?”
Ellie doesn’t hesitate. “No. We were never the same. We all wanted to be. We took to the streets. We put on two faces—one for them, one for us. But no, we weren’t the same. Some people were always valued, and some people never were. Didn’t matter how much you tried, how hard you worked, or that you did everything right. We asked for equality and they thought we were asking for more.” She laughs bitterly. “Humans weren’t perfect. Neither are the Ilori. But I’m not as angry anymore. It’s easy to sugarcoat the memories, but the truth is—was—we were already killing each other before you came.”
M0Rr1S, in a way, understands. Nothing in this universe is perfect.
“I could stay somewhere, hope to survive all of this. But I’ve done that for two years at the center and I can’t go back now. Not when you’ve given me the chance to do more. To be more. To change everything.” She turns to him. “If I die trying, it’s better than just watching humanity fade into nothing. To feel myself slipping away into nothing.”
The conversation dies as they both stare out into the silent world.
“Whatever happens, I’m glad to have met you,” she whispers, still holding his hand.
“You are the highlight of my existence, Ellie.”
Tumbling Rocks Music Entertainment Magazine
Review of The Sound of Stars by the Starry Eyed
By Chris Vogel
When the Starry Eyed announced their release of The Sound of Stars a week before it dropped, there was a collective gasp. It’s often remarked, by both casual observers and fans, that the band likes to quietly release albums without warning. Either you’re Beyoncé, who gives us a sparkly new album one day, or you’re Taylor Swift, getting our interest a month in advance by dangling juicy singles for our consumption. Both scenarios work for big-name artists. Both scenarios worked for the first two Starry Eyed installments. Yet, a week before their newest album was gifted to the world, the Starry Eyed was everywhere. Promoting this album on every big stage they could. I don’t think you could change a channel without seeing their faces or hearing tidbits of their new songs. They promised this work was different, their best, and needed an audience.
Some of us in the music industry rolled our eyes and groaned into the void, myself included. Every band on the verge of mediocrity says that to bolster appearances, make money, save face.
However, the Starry Eyed did give us their absolute best here. And this one is different.
You can tell after mere minutes that these lyrics and sounds are important to the band, more so than any music they’ve made before. Let me be clear, it doesn’t deviate from their brand of beautifully constructed work; you’ve got a dreamy, gentle orchestra drifting through each track, intricate guitar work—further proof that both Cecil Wright and Rupert Montague are masters of their mediums—and the drums... Whisper Landsome shows us how far she’s come in a little under two years. She’s truly in her element here, and I’d say she’s the real star on this album. Unexpectedly and quite refreshingly, Allister Daniels isn’t up to his usual showboating, breathy performance. His vocals are an integral piece of the art, moving and transitioning fluidly with a sense of both hope and melancholy. From “Fairy-tale Girl” to the finale of “Lost With You,” listeners will be invested in this story. And it is very much a story the band is trying to convey—a tale of love that feels open to interpretation, and another that doesn’t feel entirely meant for us.
The lyrics make it seem as if the girl in “Fairy-tale Girl” is real, and the Starry Eyed need her and this mysterious other to take note. There’s an urgency to the pacing, as if the world depends on our two lovers to save us all. I could wax poetic about it longer than it t
akes to listen from beginning to end—that’s what this album does so well. It speaks to our very human desire to explore our feelings and find a connection to our lives through the music. Every note demands your attention, every word pulls at your heart. With that in mind, I can’t imagine how they’ll top this.
CHAPTER 24
“He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”
—Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights
JANELLE
The miles stretch into hours. Despite the heat, I hold on to Morris the entire way, navigating a dark LA. We’ve been lucky; we haven’t run into any other Ilori or humans. And my new jeans are saving my life. I almost feel like a bit of me has come back. It’s silly, but good clothes make a world of difference.
We’re both struggling. Sometimes Morris will hum something that’ll settle us both momentarily, but I can tell he’s worried. Everything’s about to change. It all ends here.
“Do you want to hear another story?” I ask, and he squeezes my hand.
“Yes, please.”
I smile. “Once upon a time, there was a boy named Harry who lived in a tiny room under the stairs...”
Morris is quiet, enthralled by the story, and it’s not long before I think I hear waves crashing.
“We’re close now, aren’t we?”
He nods, but aside from the moonlight reflecting in his eyes, I can’t see much. I’m stumbling in the dark with him as my guide. I don’t mind, but Ellie from two weeks ago would’ve freaked out. Ellie from two weeks ago didn’t like relying on anyone and didn’t trust most people. That Ellie thought nothing was really worth saving. This new me is okay with Morris showing me the way. If it were anyone else? I would have chewed them out and stalked off by now.