This is elseworld, p.17
This is Elseworld, page 17
It was unclear why Siona was reluctant. Maybe she was afraid. Asher reached down and grabbed her hand so that they could both fly together as one, but instead of going up with him she used all her strength to pull him back down. She held him by the wrist and wouldn’t let go.
Asher looked into her deep green eyes and asked, “What are you doing? Why won’t you fly with me?”
“Because you’re making a mistake.”
“How do you know it’s a mistake to go up there?”
“Because we still have so much left to do down here. I told you I would come for you and I’m closer to reaching you than I’ve ever been before. You can’t leave until I reach you. Then we can leave together.”
“We’re already together. We’re together now.”
“Trust me, Asher. Please. Trust me.”
“Can’t you hear it? That song, it’s calling for me. For us.”
“The sound is coming from the other side of the light. Listen closely.”
He closed his eyes and tried to focus his ears on the source of the noises. The sound seemed to be coming from everywhere. And nowhere. The rhythmic pulses of the song sent intense waves of pleasure vibrating over his skin that threatened to overwhelm him. He feared he could lose consciousness at any moment.
Asher knew he was dreaming, but was it possible to pass out while in a dream? Just then, before he had the chance to find out, Siona parted her full lips and blew out a puff of warm smoke that engulfed him, shaking his body back into a state of intense awareness.
“What did you just do?”
She smiled. “Do you understand now?”
Asher shook his head. “I’m confused.”
Why doesn’t she want me to go toward the light? There’s nothing for us down here, but up there, the future looked so bright. But I know I can’t leave without her, so if she wants to stay for a little while longer, then so will I.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. I am positive,” she said.
Asher looked around, first longingly at the light and then back toward her.
“You can trust me. I wouldn’t lead you astray,” she said.
“I trust you.”
I do. I do trust her. I trust her with my life. My soul belongs to her and hers to me. We are one.
Asher and Siona rejoined position, and together drifted below the clouds, avoiding the light.
Eventually they landed, their feet finding home within a cloud.
Asher kissed Siona on the cheek, wiping away a tear. “Why do you cry?”
“I am scared.”
“Of what?”
“I came so close to losing you. I feel you're losing faith, but I promise you everything will be okay. I just need you to be strong for me. I need you to hang on until I can find you. Once we’re together, everything will be different. Better. For both of us.”
“How do you know so much? Are you in my head when I’m awake?”
“As much as you are inside of mine.”
“But I already told you, I don’t remember you when I’m awake. I remember nothing.”
“That’s okay.”
“It’s not okay. It’s frustrating. It’s like I’m living two totally separate lives. One when I’m dreaming, and another when I’m awake.” Asher’s voice grew intense. “How much do you know of my waking life?”
Siona stood there watching him, her green eyes filled with a mix of concern and something else—something deeper. He had never seen her like this before. “You worry too much. I've come to convince you that everything will be alright. To save you from yourself. You don’t need to worry about anything else. Our connection runs deep—deeper than you could ever imagine.”
“I am well aware of our connection.”
“No, I don’t think you are. The fact that we can even meet like this during such pivotal times, it’s more than a shared dream, so much more. Do you understand what that means? Asher, the things we could do together when we find each other!”
“But what if things don't go as planned? What if you can't find me? What if you do find me and decide you don’t want to be with me?”
Siona chuckled, a sound like dry leaves swirling in the wind. “Oh, Asher. Such small fears. We will make our own fate, my love. I have complete confidence in our bond.”
“You don’t understand.” Asher looked skeptical. “I’m different. The other me. I told you, it’s like I’m two different people. In my other life, I don’t know you. I have other concerns and problems I’m dealing with.”
“We'll figure it out,” Siona said, her voice firm. “We can work through any problems that come up, as long as we have each other. I'm not saying that it will be easy, but together we can do this.”
“When we meet, what if I don't understand?”
“I'll make you understand.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“I can be very persuasive.”
Asher's stomach turned at the thought, but he couldn't deny the pull he felt toward her. She had a hold on him, a hold he couldn't shake. “Alright. I trust you, Siona. Let's do this.”
Siona's lips curved into a wicked smile as she leaned in to kiss him. “That's what I like to hear. I love you, Asher. All you have to do is stay strong until I find you, and together, we can do anything.”
Chapter twenty-three
Fish out of Water
Asher
Asher awoke to a throbbing pain. He instinctively curled into a protective position, shielding his body within his arms. Blood dripped from a head wound caused by his fall, but the most intense pain was coming from near his abdomen, where someone had stepped on him as if his stomach was part of the pavement.
He coughed and wheezed, stumbling to his feet. Someone pushed him, another bumped into him, and so on, until finally he found himself moving in pace amongst them. His legs were aching so badly he could barely walk, but to stop meant being struck, shoved, and trampled by the surging crowd.
After a minute he turned onto a side street. Asher had stayed on the main roads since entering The Deeps, but the bustling pace of the foot traffic was too much for him to keep up with. This street—no, this wasn’t a street—this alley, it was crowded with men, woman, and children, and there were just as many on the ground as there were standing. So many lying on the ground in the alley that he accidentally stepped on a few himself, who wailed and screamed. Those were the fortunate ones; there were some he stepped on who made no sounds at all.
These people were homeless, but they weren't beggars, for there was no one to beg to, all were like them. He travelled down the side streets moving from one alley to the next until finally he discovered an unoccupied space where there was no one to step on or over, and he stumbled toward a crumbling brick wall, sliding down it until he was sitting on the ground, his head in his hands. The pain in his body was intense, and he couldn't help but moan softly. He knew he needed to get up and move, but for just a moment, he allowed himself to rest.
There were unattended pillows and mats scattered in this alley, which he collected and used to make a nest alongside the others who had already done the same. He sat with his back alongside the wall, resting against a foam pad he found which he used as a cushion. Nearby he found pieces of wood which he stacked and used to prop up his legs. These creature comforts were welcome, but they were like everything else in The Deeps, dirty and unsightly, but then so was he.
He needed to rest for a bit, even if only for a few hours. His body would surely break down if he pushed himself too hard, and then he’d drop where he stood and be at the mercy of the environment. At least if he stayed here for the night he would wake up in the shade, fully refreshed and better equipped for the long road ahead.
Asher closed his eyes and lay back, though he didn’t sleep; he couldn’t, not when he turned his head and noticed there was an old man standing directly above him. If this alley smelled like the contents of an upturned dumpster soaked in urine, then this man standing over him was the source of that urine.
The man had no teeth. “You’re win why way,” he spat.
“Can you say that again, this time in English?”
The man repeated himself in a louder voice but somehow his words were even more incoherent. Asher looked around at the numerous others who were also lying down, just like him, and yet not being bothered. He didn’t understand why he was being singled out by this shouting lunatic. “I’m not trying to be a jerk here. But I really don’t understand what you’re saying. What exactly is the problem?”
“I swaid, you sware in. Why! Way!”
Asher grinned. “That’s what I thought you said.”
“Don’t pway gains with we.” The man sneered, and his ugly face wrinkled. He had the look of someone who wore a chronic mask of depression. There was a world weariness he carried as if everyone was out to get him. Perhaps they were. Perhaps they had good reason. Like most of the people here, this person was missing parts of himself: his teeth, his youth, his common sense.
“Why way. In why way. Move, you fool.”
Asher looked around. “In the way of what, exactly?”
“Hmph!” The old man slowly and deliberately stepped over Asher.
Asher crinkled his nose as a cloud of funk travelled above his face. Others followed, around six or seven people in total, but they walked around Asher instead of over him, all bringing their blankets, pillows, and bags along with them.
They rubbernecked as they passed. An old woman sat down next to the toothless man. It was difficult to tell what he was saying, but he was clearly muttering obscenities under his breath. The others who followed were seemingly not together, but they all moved to the right of Asher just the same.
Everyone seemed bothered by Asher's presence. Their stares were either wary or, in the case of the old man, openly hostile. The reason for the scrutiny remained a mystery; it couldn't have been his appearance, as many of them looked worse off than even him.
At least he still had all his limbs intact. Ahead of him, he saw a man in a wheelchair who had lost the lower portions of both legs, leaving only stumps where his knees once were. Another man was missing an arm, and an elderly woman was amputated below the elbows. He saw men and women with sores, bumps, or discolored skin covering the entirety of their bodies.
Among these people there were enough missing body parts to create Frankenstein’s monster several times over. Some lacked more subtle yet crucial components that couldn't be seen from the outside, like the brain—the body's most essential organ. In the crowd were many men and women who talked to themselves, some speaking entirely in gibberish even more incomprehensible than the toothless old man.
Opposite the man in the wheelchair was a woman who repeatedly slapped herself and spun in circles, requiring constant restraint from others to prevent self-harm. Seemingly, these eccentrics weren’t quite odd enough, because so many still fixated on Asher, who sat alone and caused no disturbance and yet was the entire focus of their attention.
Eventually Asher noticed there were others who stood out too. These ominous individuals, with their menacing stares, stone faces, and eyes so hard they looked chiseled on, were lurking around every corner. Especially this corner.
The only time anyone stopped paying attention to Asher was when these people were around. After all, why concern yourself with a jellyfish when there were sharks in the ocean? From time to time, predators would march through the alley, stopping only to stare. When this happened, the ones with loved ones held them close. The younger women kept themselves covered from head to toe, not because they were wearing their valuables, but because the only things of value they possessed was what was underneath. Despite how they treated him, it was easy to feel sorry for these people. They weren’t merely blind fish; they were a school of guppies in a piranha’s tank.
Lots of chatter occurred in the alley, but it was a nearby redhead that really captured his attention. She had a husky, breathy voice, and spoke in a hypnotic rhythm that seemed unintentionally alluring. “I really hope this doesn’t go on for too much longer. This space isn’t getting any bigger and more people are appearing all the time. Do you think they’ll let in more of us tomorrow?”
“I’m certain of it. They must, right?” The old woman looked at the toothless man next to her as if seeking reassurance. He didn’t give any. “Don’t worry your pretty little face, child. They can’t just leave us all out here for too much longer. That would be cruel.”
The redhead took a long drag from a marijuana cigarette. “I can’t help being worried.” Her fingers fidgeted noticeably, and she had trouble bringing the joint to her fiery red lips. “I’ve noticed they’ve slowed down on letting people inside. They haven’t brought in a single person all day.”
“Child, why do this to yourself? There’s no point getting all worked up. You don’t see me stressing about it, do you? And they’ll take you in before me. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about.”
“What do you mean they’ll take me before you? That’s not true.”
“Wady, wook at the people ‘hey alweady wet in. They don’t wook nut-in like my wife and I, now do they?”
“Can’t nobody understand you.” The old woman jabbed the toothless man with a container. “Will you please put your teeth back in already?”
Firstly, he looked at it with distrust, then he shook his head. She jabbed him with the container again and he finally took it from her, opened it, and removed the false teeth. They were ridiculously white. “Happy now?”
She smiled at him in response. Her teeth were just as white. “Isn’t that so much better?”
“Hmph,” he grumbled.
“The buses will be here soon.” The elderly woman wore a smile that exuded reassurance. “So, you see, even if they don’t let another person into the church, we’ll still be fine. We just need to be patient. That goes for everyone here.”
“Will you stop giving these people false hope?” the old man said. “Dinah, I love you, but you said the same thing yesterday. And the day before.”
Her jaw went rigid. “And I’m gonna keep sayin’ it ‘cause it be true.”
“It’s not true! This poor girl would be better off going somewhere else instead of waiting in this here line for no damn reason.”
“How can you say that? They not gonna keep denying that girl. Eventually they’ll have to let her in.”
“They don’t have to do nothing for her, or any of us for that matter.”
“Then why we here in this alley? Tell me that,” Dinah said. “Because it surely ain’t ‘cause of the view.”
“Because you and I, we don’t have a choice now, do we?”
Dinah’s eyes teared up. “No. I guess we don’t. But that’s why they’ll let us in. The Lord will make sure of it.”
“Well, not if new people keep showing up.” The redhead lowered her husky voice to a whisper as if sharing a secret. “They always take the strong ones first.”
“Strong? That’s got nut-in to do wit it. They take the street kids. The teenagers, especially, so they can groom ‘em.” The old man snorted. “They especially like to take teenagers like you.”
The old fool was staring directly at Asher. He looked ridiculous with those false teeth, but his sunken cheeks were fuller, and he sounded better. Too bad his attitude hadn’t changed much.
“I’m not a teenager.”
“Well, you could pass for one. We all know young boys have always been their preference.”
Red’s voice raised several pitches. “What about my kids?”
It was only now Asher realized the redhead had two children with her, a boy and a girl. They appeared to be around seven or eight years old. In The Deeps, kids often went ignored; it was done without noticing, and Asher was just as guilty of it as anyone else.
“Mommy, I’m hungry,” the boy said now that someone was finally paying him any attention.
“I want to go home,” the girl said.
“I know, honey, I know. Mommy is trying to get you some food. Okay?” She replied to the boy but didn’t reply to the girl at all. Probably because her daughter’s request didn’t warrant an answer. If they had a home to go to, it was unlikely they would be here in the first place.
The boy's complaint caught Asher's attention, as there was no legitimate reason for minors to go hungry on the streets. Surely Welfare would provide for them, especially in The Deeps where the Department of Welfare had such an active presence. It wasn’t clear how their mother was trying to get them food. He himself was on the brink of starvation, but that was only because he wasn’t registered with Welfare. These people were, all of them, otherwise they would have surely died on the streets by now.
Suddenly something clicked in his mind. Before entering this alley, Asher had noticed there was an even larger crowd camped in an adjoining parking lot. That camp smelled of excrement and urine. It had been filled with people in makeshift tents alongside dozens on the ground in improvised beds much like the one he had made.
There had been nothing particularly odd about that. People—not cars—could be found gathered in nearly every parking lot within The Deeps. However, if he had bothered to examine it closer, he may have discovered the people in that lot were arranged in a haphazard sort of line, and the line of people extended to where he currently sat. He was sure if he had checked his map, he would have seen there was a Catholic church adjacent to that lot.
Asher would have liked to think he came to that conclusion simply because he was clever, but it was the three well-groomed men dressed in ecclesiastical robes coming around the corner that clued him in. They each had a multi-tier rolling cart and were distributing bottles of water and containers of something that smelled odd and only remotely resembled food. These men had barely begun their rounds before the complaining started.
“Are you taking more people in today?”
“My wife needs medicine.”
