by R Corona
“Admit it, Leev. You just hate it here.”
“No.” She scoffed, “Is it that obvious?—actually…” she bit the inside of her cheek trying to keep the rest of the words in. “The move hasn’t been all that bad. To tell the truth, the city confined me. It made me feel stuck. My life needed a change—although,” Leev confessed, “it’s taken longer than expected. Something tells me our lives will never be the same before the summer is over.” She stared at me and, unable to stop herself, laughter broke through. “This town is creepy. Not to mention it’s so close to those Plains. Seriously, it takes guts to walk by there at night, to walk anywhere. Even during the day, I get a strange feeling…” she set the dishes aside and reflected, “like that of being stalked.” Leev’s voice lowered into a serious tone. “The other day when I was coming from that grocery shop by the Park, something flashed across the sky. It burned for a few seconds, then disappeared. After looking at it, my body felt strange, fragile.”
“A flash in the sky? C’mon Leev.”
“You think I’m kidding? That’s only because you spend most of the day running and exploring that place, which by the way, is made up of nothing but dried grass. If you would have taken the town tour, like I did when we first moved in, you would agree. Ever since we started living here, my body just doesn’t feel the same. This place is sucking up my energy.” Frustrated, she rolled her eyes and returned to the previous topic. “Let me tell you, the tour was very informative…though scary.”
“Oh please, Leev. Do you think you can fool me? We all know well the reason why you took that stupid tour and then didn’t shut up about it for a week.”
“And, what is that?” She narrowed her eyes.
“That boy you keep talking about….” I smirked.
“No. Nah, uh.” She tried to keep a serious face.
“Yeah, what was his name? Oh of course, Jeff. Yes, Jeff B.” I teased, “Mr. B.”
“Whatever June. You can take this as a joke but I’m serious. If you don’t believe me, that’s fine.—I have to go get ready for my job interview. Wish me luck.” Leev had applied to the same company multiple times since we moved into South Ranches Town and had had no luck. SR Corporation was her obsession and everyone else’s. SR Corp. was the only thing that had this town afloat. It made sure the town had different entertainment resources, like parks, and clean streets, fresh painted buildings and safe schools. Oh and Jeff, he worked there also.
While Leev was getting ready for her interview, I grabbed my keys to go for a walk around town to see if I could spot any of the creepiness described by Leev. I was in a desperate search of adventure. There had to be something I hadn’t seen before, new people I hadn’t spoken to, places I hadn’t seen, or maybe something as beautiful as that House in my dream.
The adventurous feeling diminished soon when a more powerful feeling took over…a craving. The more I thought about it the more I wanted it….Carambola. In such close proximity to Ranches’ Fruit-Mart, I could taste the fresh, watery, starfruit juice in my mouth. I pulled the fogged crystal door and stepped inside. There was a lady standing behind the counter, all the way in the back of the store. She wore a green shirt and had her hair tied up in a messy bun.
“If you need help just let me know, not that I may help you much or anything, so think twice before asking!” The clerk rolled her eyes at two boys just as they walked in the store. I made my way to the Carambola basket, grabbed two large, green ones and went to the register. “Is that all?” She waited for a response while smacking around a piece of gum in her mouth.
I nodded and turned to put my change away. Taped beneath the glass countertop there was a paper that read: Assistance needed at Ranches Park. If interested contact us. Thank you.
“I’m sorry, do you by any chance know anything about this advertisement?” I dared to ask.
“Probably as much as you do little girl,” The clerk responded, putting her elbows on the counter. “The paper is as clear as water; they need help over at the Park, near the Magician’s Home.”
“Whose home?”
“Never heard of it?” The woman sneered, “Have you been living under a rock?”
“Close.” Living here for the past three months felt close to having lived in uncivilized territory for three years. Nevertheless, it could have been worse. In life there is always something worse.
“Well if it makes you feel better, no one knows what it is. I’ll let you know a little secret about this town; if you don’t know about something, it’s best to stay away. The Park has nothing to do with the house; it’s only close to it.”
“Ranches Park doesn’t sound too bad for a summer job.” I looked at her.
“No, it’s not that bad. But for some reason the Park has always been desperate for employees. Some visit, but most stay away. I say it’s because of the Park’s location. Head over there if you’re so interested and stop holding up the line.”
***
A man watered the white, rose shrubs on the side of the entrance gate. He wore a plaid red shirt and had a cap which displayed the South Ranches Park's logo. His face looked as withered as the roses he was trying to save. Contemplating the piles of dried leaves around the main office, the man sighed. “Why do I bother?” He reached for gardening scissors around his belt with the intention of mutilating the shrub. “They’re already dead!”
“No,” surprised at the loudness of my voice, I covered my mouth with a hand. “Don’t cut them.” Plants were not my expertise, but seeing the hanging flowers felt like a calling. Even as they withered, the roses belonged on the shrub.
“But they’ve dried.” Finally noticing my presence the man turned to face me. “I cannot handle any more death.” Having a sudden realization he let the scissors drop to the grass. “Oh Greatness.” The man’s appearance transformed with a joyous smile. “My prayers have finally been answered. Finally!—you’ve come for the job, right? I knew the advertisement would work. I knew it! Come with me, come.” He rapidly walked me to the main office. “What’s your name, dear?” The man asked and opened the office door. A black glove covered his left hand.
“June, June Corpelle.” I responded.
“Perfect!” The man squealed with joy. “June, I’m Kostas. Thank you for coming. We need people like you here, June, with fresh ideas, full of youth…of energy. By we, I mostly mean me, and maybe two or three young ones like you. So fill this contact form and…” He paused, rotating his body as if he were looking for something.
“And you’ll call me if I get the job?”
“Here it is.” Kostas grabbed a gray large cloth bag. “You were saying…?”
“Will you call me if I get the job?” I asked.
“No, no weren’t you listening? No one has applied in months, you have the job. Come at 8:00 tomorrow morning and bring that contact card filled.” He smiled at me, squinting his small dark eyes. As he moved towards the light, I saw hints of gray in between the dark hairs on his head.
“But I…”
“Don’t worry, June. I’ll go over everything with you. At this moment, however, something important has come up.” A few seconds ago Kostas had been, absentmindedly, crying over his dead flowers. How could something come up so unexpectedly? “I must be somewhere—remember, be here tomorrow and bring comfortable clothes.” As we walked out of the office, Kostas gave me a puzzling look. “How old are you?”
“I’ll be sixteen in a few months.”
“Bring identification too.” He locked the door and exited the Park.
Did I just get a job? Excitement energized my steps, racing through a path on the left side of the Park. This side of South Ranches was new to me. It was almost the complete opposite of the warm Plains. Yet, I liked it. There were many trees that offered shade to the neighborhood. The wind was a special factor; it felt as if someone was blowing directly on my face. The new ambiance diverted my senses as a massive black bird glided through the unclouded sky. Mesmerized by its artful movement, I faile
d to notice the change in the bird’s direction. It came towards me, wishing to attack. The screeching noises startled me to the ground. With my face still planted on the soft grass, I was able to make out a field of blue flowers in the distance. The bird fluttered over them and hastily vanished behind a large–behind…impossible. There is no way. You’ve got to be kidding me! There it was, standing heavenly, with the shape and color of a gigantic marshmallow; The House
Chapter Two
Since that day, it became part of my life–rather, it became my life. I had taken the beautiful bait that would one day trap my soul. The House surrendered my life to him.
“Finally! I've been waiting for you?”
“What’s wrong, June?” Leev dropped her bag at the door. “You look so pale, are you ok?”
“It’s real.” I managed to say.
“What? What is? June, please, you're scaring me.” She sat down on the couch, next to me.
“The House, Leev. The white House is real. I saw it.” It had been a few meters away; it was as real as I was.
“Everyone knows it’s real.” A sigh of relief escaped her. “The president lives there, sweetie, and he is real too.” Leev never missed the opportunity to mock me and it was my duty to play along.
“All these years and I had no idea–C’mon Leev, obviously I’m not talking about that White House! I dreamt about a white house. Today, I saw it before my eyes…in this town.”
“Maybe it was a coincidence.” Leev quickly dismissed my worries.
“It gets worse.” I warned.
Not liking the sound of my tone, she paused and focused on the conversation, “How?”
“The images of the House come together with the sound of a voice.” Saying the words out loud set me free. The voice was real; clear and powerful. I knew I wasn't crazy, I couldn't be. But Leev wouldn't be as sure. “Over and over, it told me to find the House. I tried to ignore it, but it took possession of my mind—”
“—No, no, no.” Leev shook her head from side to side, trying to rid herself of my words. But she knew I wasn't lying, she had her own worries about this town and its people. “June, I’ve never told you this but you are very insane.”
“Actually, you have, and more than once.”
“Then believe me when I say that what you are telling me sounds crazy. Please tell me that you do not think it is normal for demonic voices to whisper in your ear. Because by the sound of this, you seem enthralled with the idea.”
“It wasn’t demonic Leev!” Not demonic at all, in fact, thinking about it made me feel at peace.
“So, a non-demonic voice spoke to you and told you to find a house? Then the House magically appeared in town?”
“No, the House has always been here, I think.”
“Did the voice tell why you should look for the House? Did the voice even introduce itself?” Her mocking tone bothered me. Why did she have to question everything? All my life I waited for something extraordinary to happen; something fulfilling, special, maybe even inexplicable to the human mind. The waiting never stopped. Time wouldn’t be enough for my future to present itself; there was never enough time. Yet my life was being consumed by time and the vastness of it. For a long time, a strange feeling twisted and spread to the core of my mind. Something out there waited for me; it was something I was meant to do. Perhaps many others could also do, but I could excel at it. Finding that something would connect us forever in purposefulness. Discovering the elements that composed my being would enable me to understand my nature. Doing so, would allow me to understand the immensity of my potential.
These thoughts were strange thoughts, but they were mine and that made them important enough to consider. Nothing had given me a greater sense of direction and purpose as the voice had. My peace had been disturbed and that fascinated me. To silence it, meant to kill it and it had already become a part of me. The House had planted itself in the middle of my life, preventing anything from growing in its place. From now on, all else would have to grow around it, as I waited for it to bloom. How could it be ignored when it was so close; too close?
“I got a job!” The Park had slipped my mind–and Leev. I hadn’t asked her about the SR Corp. interview.
A smile lit up her face as she turned to pick up her bag and took out a paper. She was hired! The news dissolved away all thoughts about the voice and the House. We waited for Aunt Marcelle to celebrate our employment. Finally Leev had done it! She would soon be working at SR Corp; her dream job. After years carrying a feeling of gloom, and months of pure boredom, we would both be occupied enough to give our minds rest.
***
During the night, I sat out in the backyard, hoping to find something unnatural, but it was just the moon and I. It was the sky’s most precious jewel; big, bright, and white. The moon was like the House in my dreams; rather, the House was like the moon. A white shining stone in the middle of profound darkness, where all the other houses were only stars. The House was the moon of my dreams. It was the brightest dream, the most consistent one; making its appearance in-between cloudy, blurry thoughts. It was the only thing I could see, clearly as the moon.
The following morning, Aunt Marcelle dropped a white envelope in my room. It did not have a date or an address. Inside, there were pictures of them. I had not seen pictures of them in a long time. Their faces were beginning to deteriorate from my memory. “Leev spoke to me about how you were feeling with respect to your parents” She kissed my forehead, “I know these are only pictures, but maybe they can cheer you up.”
My eyes felt damp at the sight of them. A few were of my mother as a young child but most of them recent and I was in several ones. It was refreshing to go through the pictures, almost therapeutic. An old, cropped picture of them stared back at me. I placed it inside my wallet to have something to look at later. Whether it was out of joy or sadness I let myself sob. No one would hear me, since my aunt and Leev were probably at work by this time. Work? Work! Great! Late to my first day of work.
***
Kostas was cleaning the windows of the office. He wiped the sweat off his face with his covered left hand. “Oh thank god,” Kostas said as he saw me. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
“Forgive me. Something came up and–”
“It’s alright June–Were you running? Your face is red... Are you upset? We could leave your first day for tomorrow, if there are any problems.”
“Of course not, Kostas. I’ll be glad to start today.”
“Then, let’s do this!” He laughed and signaled to follow him. “—June, about yesterday, sorry for the rush, but there was something important I needed to attend to.” We sat in his office and filled in some papers. “Now let’s go to your office.”
“An office? Cool.”
“Don’t get your hopes up kiddo.” We walked along the tree paths for a while, some of the dry, leaf plies had been cleared out. “Here we are,” he winked. There were three metal swings, a huge rock for climbers, a slide, the usual things a playground would have, and grass.
“Oh.”
“Have fun.” Kostas walked away, shaking his head. There was a small hut to put my belongings in. People came by, some nodded as they saw me and others didn’t even bother to look my way. When it was time for my break; I grabbed my bag and went to buy food. The rest of my break went by as I walked around the Park’s lake. Then, my attention was captured by a light pull on my skirt.
“Hello lady. Do you know where the playing area is?” It was a blonde girl; she had pink cheeks and wide, brown eyes.
“I’m, in fact, going there myself. Care to join me?”
“Thank you so much lady. They changed the Park around and sometimes I get confused. The playing area used to be on the other side of the Park, you know?”
“Really? I’ve never noticed. By the way, you can call me June.” We both walked at a normal pace enjoying the summery wind.
“My name is Antoinette, but you can call me Ette, if you like. I can’t be
lieve you never noticed where the playing area was before,” said Ette as we reached the playground.
“In my defense this park is very big…My family moved here recently and I hadn't visited the Park until a few days.” As hard as it was to admit, before the Voice and the House my interest in this town was nonexistent.
“Oh well. I come to the Park every day. My mom has to work during the summer, so I stay with my friend Kostas, until she comes to pick me up–We’ll be great friends June,–the swings!” Ette ran inside the playground and began to play with the other kids.
The rest of my first day, was mostly boring. Meeting little Ette had been the highlight of my day. Hours later, almost at the end of my shift, Kostas found me staring into space as the kids ran around. “Having fun?” He walked behind me while I turned to face him. “Listen, June, I have a favor to ask of you.” Kostas looked sad as he spoke, almost as if he wanted to say nothing at all.
“Kostas!” Ette’s scream interjected into our conversation. She ran towards Kostas and hugged his leg. “Have you met my new friend, June?”
“Ette, June will be working with us this summer—”
“Really? The entire summer?” Ette interrupted.
“Yes, Ette –June,” Kostas looked at me. “Would you mind walking Ette to her grandmother’s house? It’s just to the left of the Park. She knows the way.”
“–Kostas, why am I going to grandma’s house?” Ette had a puzzling look on her face as she looked up.
“Your mother called me and said that she won’t be able to come today, and you know I can’t drop you off so…June?” They both fixed their heads my way and waited for me to respond.
“Yes. Yes, of course.” It was hard to say no to Ette's hopeful face, but also to Kostas’, not only because he was my new boss but because he looked even more hopeful than she did. Kostas’ hopefulness was tainted with another emotion which I could not decipher. It tainted all of him. It was deeper than hope and perhaps deeper than his own life. Kostas was a dead man, running the paradise that surrounded us.