String Theory

by Daniel Kolade

  One of the mountainous islands harboured a bay where a huge monument of glowing crystal stood on the seabed. It formed a small platform a couple of metres above sea level, with a series of crystal thorns running up the side that faced the island. This construction of crystal shone with a heart-like blub glimmering inside. The strong glow, that slowly faded as it stretched further and further from the heart, was a pale icy colour. The area that failed to be touched by the light was a similar tint to the violet sky, and its jagged edges enjoyed the same alpenglow as the mountains.

  With their legs hanging off the side of the crystal structure, Ren and Kaori sat side by side, overlooking the sea from their icy podium. The ocean acted like an echo of the world as it mirrored everything it saw. They sat gently swinging their legs while the wind played with their hair and blew the clouds’ sails.

  “Ren,” she whispered, turning to him. “So you’re the one I’m hearing in my head?” Her question, floated into the air and quickly dissolved into the current.

  “Yeah, I suppose so,” he replied, smiling at the girl sitting next to him. “I think it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

  “Yeah,” she said, looking back at the open sea. “Hey?” she began, turning to him again.

  “What is it?” his brows rose.

  “Do you—” she paused only for a second as she realised that it become a little difficult to speak her mind. “Do you remember everything from our dreams when you wake up?”

  “Just bits and pieces,” he looked up to the sky. “What about you?”

  “It’s the same for me,” she replied. “I wonder why we forget so much the moment we wake up, but remember when we dream,” she turned back to the vast scenery, hoping that she could find an answer.

  “I don’t know, it always feels like a far-off memory when I try to remember it,” he explained. “It sucks too, because every time I wake up I try to draw you and it just doesn’t work.” His shoulders sunk as a heavy sigh escaped his lips. His words quickly drew her attention away from the cruising clouds and forced her to turn to him.

  “Me?” she said with her ears feeling impossibly hot.

  “Yeah, but I only remember bits and pieces,” he leaned back.

  “Wow, really?” she said, tilting closer to him. “You have to show me sometime!” Her eyes twinkled.

  “Yeah, if I can ever get it right!” he replied with a smirk on his face.

  “I believe in you, Ren!” she chanted in glee.

  “Looking at the two of us—you’re the only one,” he said, giggling a little bit.

  Kaori’s smiling expression quickly disappeared, leaving behind a more serious one as she gazed into his eyes.

  “Ren, I’m expecting something amazing, you know,” she said. Her eyes hung low as she softly smiled.

  “Well then, I hope I don’t disappoint.”

  ChapteR 17

  Draw. The thought fired in his nerves. He jumped out of bed, with his pupils still adjusting to the daylight. In a blink of an eye, he was seated at his desk in his nightwear, with his notebook in front of him and a pencil in hand. His thoughts hadn’t fully awoken to question or rationalise his actions—instead, he was seated free from all distractions and allowed to bask in the emptiness of his mind, where only a single idea managed to be produced.

  While staring at the blank lined page, he imagined the scene that he was about to draw and recreate. He mentally mapped out the overall structure and shape of the illustration, and set up an imaginary template that he intended to follow in order to not hit the same wall he kept hitting.

  With the thought and image still fresh in mind, he quickly began. Pencil in hand, the artist drew light graphite strokes across the page, giving form to that without it. He shaped the void of gray lines and rid it of its mundaneness, giving it something extraordinary to latch on to.

  The guidelines that would serve as a stepping stone for the potentially immaculate drawing had been laid down, like the foundation to a building or, better yet, its blueprints. The groundwork was done and without taking a single moment to appreciate his work so early in the morning, he continued.

  Equipped with the graphite pencil and a finally awoken mind that replayed the fresh memories of his latest dream, he was able to flesh out the bones of the framework he’d set. In the midst of the scenery, the crux of the drawing, the most essential part was given faint details, outlining a delicate face that he gave his utmost attention to, hoping to not ruin or poorly depict the girl from his dreams.

  “Ren?” His name was called from the corridor outside his room, which was followed by a knock. “Ren?” Kena said once more, but wasn’t given an answer. The boy in question was completely absorbed by his art and the girl featured in it.

  “Ren?” Kena uttered, becoming unsure of what she’d find behind the door. She knocked once more, but only silence followed her inquiry. She let herself in, and what she found was shocking. She discovered that her brother wasn’t soundly tucked in bed. Instead, she was greeted by a boy wearing his nighties, sitting diligently working on his craft. The unnerving sight was like an ominous omen.

  “Ren, breakfast is ready…” she took a cautious step back.

  “Kena?” he said, realising that his sister was standing next to him. “Oh, it’s that time already,” he smiled softly, taking his first break since he’d woken up.

  Without saying a word, she slowly backed away from him and quickly walked back to the kitchen, petrified by her brother’s industriousness.

  “Kena, what’s wrong?” Hima asked, noticing her daughter’s blank expression.

  “Ren is a little bit weird today,” Kena replied.

  The breakfast table was set and every family member aside from Ren was present, but it didn’t take long for him to make an appearance in the kitchen.

  “Good morning,” he said, sitting down at table next to his sister, who narrowed her eyes on him as though he had caught a contagious disease.

  “Good morning,” they replied.

  “So, how are you today?” Gin asked.

  “I’m pretty good,” Ren replied, serving himself breakfast.

  “Sleep well?” Hima said.

  “Yeah,” he uttered, beginning to eat.

  “Did you eat something rotten yesterday?” Kena said, examining her brother.

  “Why would I eat something rotten?” He pressed his lips flat.

  “You never know,” she claimed, looking away from him.

  The breakfast dialogue continued as normal and Gin left the table first with Ren and Kena following his lead as they finished their meal.

  The artist eagerly returned to his work and delicately picked up the pencil, employing every ounce of patience in his body to wield the fragile tool. Right before the graphite tip was about to touch the soft surface of the page, a voice came calling out to him from the hall.

  “Ren?” Kena asked. “Are you coming?”

  “Oh.” He let out deep sigh, withdrawing the tip that expressed his impatience. “I’ll be right there,” he replied, taking one last look at the infrastructure of his illustration before closing his notebook and placing it safely inside his bag.

  “Took you long enough,” Kena said, watching him appear from his room in silence. Her words had barely even dented the armoured focus that he gave the page inside his notepad. After putting on his shoes, the pair left the apartment, chanting their usual goodbyes.

  “Ren?” Kena said, following her brother down the street. However, he gave no response and instead remained marching forward.

  “Ren?” she called out again, this time, more forceful and assertive, but once again, her voice failed to penetrate the thick body of concentration that covered his eyes and his ears.

  “Ren!” she exclaimed, finally getting his attention as the boy, in question, came to an abrupt stop.

  “Oh, sorry,” he apologised, realising that he had spaced out. “What is it?”

  “You’re walking the wrong way…”
she uttered with an unimpressed expression on her face.

  “Oh…” he said, looking around and noticing that he had completely deviated from his normal school route. They were forced to scramble, in order to reach the station and take the train that lined up perfectly with their school times.

  The run was longer than expected, but fortunately they were able to catch the train, even through the dense foot-traffic.

  “We made it,” Ren said, panting as they stood by the doors.

  “Thank goodness,” Kena added, exhaling deeply.

  “I’m sorry for the detour,” he smiled.

  “Are you feeling alright?” she frowned.

  “Yeah, I just blacked out for a second there,” he replied.

  “Mhmm.” Her eyes narrowed on him.

  After a moment of aimed suspicion, which she soon gave up on, their trivial conversations filled the silence. They spoke about the lessons they were having and bits and pieces about the strange things that some teacher were known for. The train that carried them and so many others finally reached the stop where Kena was to depart. She walked out of the segmented vehicle, and said, “Be sure not to space out in class.”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t,” Ren replied lightheartedly as the doors closed and the mechanical snake accelerated again.

  His interrupted focus returned as he thought about his drawing. The shades, tints, strokes and details painted the back of his eyes so vividly he could almost envision the final product. Completely absorbed into the zone, he nearly missed his stop, which he managed to get off at by the skin of his teeth.

  The walk to school was almost like a near-automated trek, which he for the first time felt unsure of. He stopped every now and then to confirm that he was on the right track until he reached his school.

  He navigated through the building without fail, finding his classroom and seat as usual.

  “Good morning,” said Maves as he sat down.

  “Good morning,” Ren replied, quickly opening his bag and taking out his notebook, along with a couple of pencils.

  “Still having your dreams?” Maves asked, watching Ren open his book, on the page of the unfinished drawing.

  “Yeah, something like that,” Ren said, looking down at the drawing that seemed to call out to him. It was as though it asked to be drawn by him.

  “That’s cool,” Maves added. “I wonder when I’ll be hearing from my mystery someone,” he continued, allowing himself a moment to daydream.

  “Good morning,” Tanford uttered, approaching them at their desks.

  “Good morning,” the pair replied.

  “Still at it?” Tanford said, looking down at the incomplete piece Ren was working on.

  “I guess,” Ren replied, looking down at his illustration happily.

  Before their conversation could continue, Miss Flois walked in, silencing the room and getting every student to take their seats with her presence alone.

  “Good morning class,” she uttered, standing at the podium, smiling at all the faces aimed at her. She proceeded with homeroom and then moved on to Literature. The lesson was conducted seamlessly and the class followed without fail, participating and engaging themselves with the material by asking questions and remaining attentive.

  However, a single student sat as an outlier to this. The boy who was more interested with recreating the vivid memory that remained complete without any distortions. It was the first of the many dreams he had that didn’t frustrate and plague him when he tried to recall it.

  He sat with the sun offering him perfect lighting in order for him to conduct his drawing without any errors. He held his pencil in a steady grip and moved smoothly across the page, detailing and fleshing out the standalone shapes that built a subtle scene of a girl sitting with her legs hanging down, and gently swinging, from a glowing, majestic, crystal structure.

  Her hair fluttered with the wind, but in no way obstructed her vision or interfered with her content expression. Her eyes were low and her lips bent into a subtle smile, as though filled with an unimaginable joy. The purity of the emotion she conveyed was modest and sweet, one which seemed endless and almost magical. The subtle details that communicated this unimpeded feeling were captured by the boy, who had been sitting next to her, but wasn’t offered a seat in the drawing.

  He submerged himself into the page and delicately shaded the crystal surface that the girl sat on, skillfully retaining its glow and the cracks as well as some of the subtle jagged edges.

  The vibrant highlights and the somber shadows were all captured in the colourless drawing. Every detail was a perfect mix of light and dark elements to offer depth and precision. Although the illustration was still clearly in its early stages, it was already three dimensional and captivating.

  Ren lifted his head from the drawing, finally taking a break from his artwork, restraining his concentration. He looked up, only to see Miss Flois concluding her lesson and dismissing the class. Her eyes scanned the room and incidentally stopped as they met his. Her sharp gaze didn’t need words to follow, but her soft smile that accompanied her keenness was contradictory and a little strange. After the short, momentary exchange, she walked out of the room, leaving the students to enjoy their lunch break.

  “Ren?” Maves said, turning around. “You didn’t listen to a single word, did you?”

  “Uh… I heard ‘that’s it for today,’” Ren replied, casually smiling. Upon hearing his words, Maves let his shoulders sink and his head fall into his palm.

  “Don’t worry, you can borrow my notes,” Maves uttered.

  “Really? You’re too kind,” Ren bowed his head.

  “And you’re simply a slacker,” said Tanford, smirking.

  “Yeah, I know… just can’t help but get distracted sometimes,” Ren shrugged and returned the grin.

  “Anyway, is this it?” Maves asked, turning the open notebook around.

  “Yeah,” Ren affirmed.

  “Let me guess, you think this one is also plagued by some invisible problem?” Tanford noted, looking down at the drawing.

  “I hope it isn’t,” answered Ren.

  “I can tell you it’s looking promising,” Maves smiled, turning the notebook back around.

  “Yeah, it’s pretty good,” Tanford said.

  “Thanks, I’m hoping I won’t mess it up as I continue,” Ren replied.

  “Just be sure to take breaks when your patience reaches null,” Maves added.

  “Speaking of breaks, let’s have lunch,” Tanford nodded.

  With those words they escaped the classroom and went to sit down in their usual spot as they enjoyed their lunch.

  “Hey, café today?” Maves suggested.

  “Sure,” Tanford replied.

  “I’m game,” Ren’s response swiftly followed.

  “Cool, let’s get back to class,” Maves said after they had finished their lunches.

  They returned to class and took their seats as the math teacher appeared. It was a woman with short brown hair, wearing a red blazer and a light shirt along with gray pants. Her name was Miyano. She didn’t hesitate to start the class as early as possible. The students sat fully attentive. All but one.

  Ren failed to follow her, and instead applied himself to the world of imagination and illustration. He continued his exquisite detailing and darkened the tones meant to be darkened in order to really make the picture itself transcend from the page it was drawn on. He smoothed out the kinks and edges, creating a near flawless piece.

  However, as he filled in the final pieces to his puzzle, he realised it suffered the same flaw as its forerunners, yet the artist smiled at his work. His joy came from the fact that it was a significant improvement from the pieces before it. He was able to depict Kaori’s face. It only needed minor adjustments, that he couldn’t for the life of him pinpoint, which would have made it perfect.

  Ren took a moment to enjoy his work before he turned the page and decided to actually pay attention to the class. Although h
e was determined to make up for all that he had missed, he quickly realised that class was just about to end.

  “Okay, be sure to get the homework done before our next lesson,” Miyano uttered, looking across the class as they were packing up their things. “Ren,” she said, looking directly at him, who quickly offered his full attention. The entire class had frozen still with every face glued on his. “Stay behind, I need to talk to you.”

  The words that dripped from the teacher’s lips shivered down his spine as he knew that he was in trouble. Unable to flee the overpowering authority she wielded, he stayed after class as every person left one after another.

  Tanford and Maves, offered their condolences as they walked out of the room, leaving Ren alone with Miyano.

  “Ren?” she uttered, smiling at him.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, knowing what he was guilty of.

  “Don’t be,” she replied. “We all go through it.”

  “What?” he frowned.

  “Here’s a copy of the teacher’s notes for today, both Maths and Literature classes,” she said, handing him a series of papers. “Study these and you’ll be fine,” she added.

  “O—kay,” He accepted the notes, however, cautiously.

  “Miss Flois said that you were being distracted by your soulmate,” Miyano explained. “I know how it is, when I was your age, I was so worried about the possibility of being stringless. Not finding my soulmate.

  “But I assure you, things have a way of working themselves out. So try not to worry about it too much. And be sure to study those notes. It’s Miss Flois’s job as well as mine to make sure that you learn what you’re supposed to,” she added, and then walked towards the exit.

  “Wait, what!” Ren exclaimed, finally realising what she had said.

  “And being stringless isn’t all that bad...” she whispered under her breath before escaping through the door, leaving him with a huge question mark on his face.

  Miss Flois, he thought. You truly are scary. He walked towards his desk while thinking about how insanely sharp she was.