The Journey
Matthew was talking to Pete on his cell phone when he pulled up to his parents house. “I don’t what they want yet Pete they just said to meet them at the house and that they had something to tell me…Yeah I’ll call you when tonight and tell you everything…Hey Pete I just pulled up so I should go…Yeah I’ve already got the plane ticket I’ll be there the beginning of May…I can’t wait for me to meet her either Pete she sounds like she’s really something…Pete don’t ask me that I’ve told you a million times my love life’s over…I have gotten over her Pete, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to go around looking for some random girl to fall in love with…I guess if the right girl comes along I might consider but unless that happens we’re both going to have to live with the fact that right now you have Megan and I have no one…Look Pete I really need to go my mom just noticed me sitting in the driveway…alright I’ll talk to you later…bye.” He clicked his phone shut and got out of the car sticking the phone in his pocket as he walked up the porch steps and into his mothers waiting arms.
“Hey mom.”
“It’s good to see you Matthew. How are things treating you?”
“Good I started taking a couple night classes again just a few but I’m getting a A’s and B’s.”
“What kind of classes?” His mother looked hopeful
“Not anything in astronomy that ship has sailed I’m actually thinking about going into journalism like dad.”
“It’s a good career son,” His dad said as he rounded the corner, “But just because your old man does it doesn’t mean you have to give up your dream.”
“Dad I can’t it’s just too painful.”
“Don’t let a girl control your life Matt.”
“Just because she majored in it doesn’t mean you have to give it up.”
“Dad it’s more than that, it doesn’t matter I’ve made my decision, Linda can’t be a part of my life and I’ve learned to accept that but it doesn’t mean that I have to do things that remind me of her.”
His mother spoke up now. “Son that’s kind of what we needed to talk to you about.”
“Mom –“
“Just listen to your mother son this is important.”
Matthew nodded and sat down on the couch across from his parents who looked genuinely nervous which scared him.
“Last night I down to Chicago to meet with a high school teacher there named Mary Gerard” She paused as if that name was supposed to mean something to him. “That name doesn’t mean anything to you?”
“Should it?”
“She’s Linda’s sister, Matthew,”
Matthew’s heart caught in his throat in surprise and then anger flooded him “Your prying into my life, Linda is none of your business stop trying to figure out what happened between us.”
“Relax son what happened between you and Linda wasn’t my reason in talking to Mary.”
Matthew wasn’t completely convinced “Then why did you meet with her?”
His mother looked at Chris for support her husband grabbed her hand and looked at their son. “She met with Mary to talk about me.”
Matthew was really confused now and let his face show as much.
“Matthew your father and I aren’t all we say we are.” His mother’s voice broke and tears began to stream down her cheeks and sobs began to rack her body. Chris placed his hand on her back now and grasped for the best way to tell his son what he had to tell him.
“Son your mother weren’t born in America, we were born in a place where we were prisoners of an evil force. We escaped with you to America when you were 3 years old.”
Matthew was still confused. What on earth did this have to do with Linda’s sister? “I’m not sure where you’re going with this.”
His father sighed “You know that disease you have?”
“The one in my eyes?” Matthew had been born with a horrible disease in his eyes that caused him to be born without pupils. His parents had told him it was common eye condition in children whose parents had something called Jukan DNA. It had become such a common part of his life that he had never questioned it. He had worn contacts for as long as he could remember so that no one knew he had less then normal eyes and he had assumed that many other people with the condition did the same. Now for the first time in his life he was actually considering the fact that his eyes might not be as normal as he had always thought. “What about it?”
“It’s not a disease, Matthew. You’re an albino.”
Recognition was slowly beginning to come over Matthew but he was still confused.
His mother had stopped crying for the most part and spoke up again. “Matthew in the note Linda mentioned someone named Christilone.” She glanced at her husband before continuing. “Matthew Christilone is…he’s” She couldn’t continue.
Matthew was getting irritated now. He stood up and although he tried to keep his cool he couldn’t hold back any longer. “He’s what? Dead? Sick? On the other side of the universe what?”
“I’m Christilone Matthew.”
Matthew dropped back onto the couch trying to grasp what his father had just said. “You’re what?”
“I’m Christilone.” Matthew felt like crying his father was Christilone he had spent 3 years searching for a man that was right under his nose his own father. But even more than that his parents were Imaginese which meant only one thing, he was also Imaginese which meant… “I have to get to Imaginess, I have to tell Linda.” He was on his feet and to the door before his parents was able to realize what was going on. “How are you going to get there? Kira shouted after him. Mary’s words echoed through her mind Linda has changed. Better for him to think of her the way she was… Linda has changed… changed… changed!
“I’m going to Chicago.”
“Matthew wait –“But it was too late Matthew was already out the door and in his car before she could say anymore. “Kohath please be with my son he doesn’t need anymore heart break. Please have mercy on his heart.” She felt her husband come behind her and she melted into his arms as he took hold of her. “Oh Christilone did we do the right thing?”
“Yes Kira, I think we did. He’s in Kohath’s hands now.”
Matthew pulled up to Mary’s house late that night. He had been here only once before but he would never forget this house for as long as he lived. He knocked on the door and waited. The porch light flicked on and a second later the door opened. “Matthew what are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to you”
She nodded and opened the door wider so he could enter he noticed then that she was dressed in pajama pants and a sweat shirt. A little blond boy was laying on the couch covered in blankets half asleep the colors from the screen flitting across his face. His mother crossed the room and switched off the TV. “Kyle honey I think it’s about time for bed. Why don’t you go upstairs and have daddy tuck you in maybe he’ll read you a bed time story.” Kyle sat up and rubbed his sleepy eyes then stumbled up the steps in search of his father and warm bed. Mary sat down on the couch pushing the blankets to the side and motioned for Matthew to sit in the seat across from her.
“So Matthew what is it this time?”
“I’ve found Christilone and I need your help to get to Imaginess.”
Mary’s face had paled she stood up and paced to the window a light rain had begun to fall. “Matthew –“
“Please Mary… I can’t do it without you. She can find her parents now it’s the only thing she’s ever wanted. Please help me.” Mary didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth she would help him as best she knew how. Mary sighed.
“Look Matthew there’s not much I can do. I can make a phone call and see if someone can come and get you but that’s all I can do.”
“Thank you so much Mary.”
“Look why don’t you sleep here tonight. No point in you driving all the way back to Springfield tonight. I’ll call them tonight and tell you the answer in the morning. Try getting a good night sleep.”
Mary slipped into her room. Tom was reading to Kyle so the room was all hers. She slipped to the closet and grabbed down the box a moment later it was open and she pulled the phone out. Her finger hovered over the one for a moment but then she changed her mind and switched to the two. A moment later Sira’s voice filled the phone. “Hello?”
“Sira it’s Mary.”
“Mary! What is it?”
“It’s Matthew he’s found Christilone.”
“What!”
“He wants to see Linda.”
“No he can’t.”
“I know but how do I convince him of that without hurting him?” There was silence on the other end then Sira’s sigh filled her ear.
“There’s only one thing to do. He needs to come to Imaginess.”
Mary was surprised but Sira was sure to know better than she did. “Alright where do I have him meet you?”
“Have him meet me at Neila in 1 Vol that’s 2 earth days”
“OK thanks Sira.”
Matthew bumped along a cracked road in Dubuque, Iowa. Mary had told him that he would meet someone in a small wood called Neila by the people of Imaginess which meant death. The forest was behind a farm that Mary had informed him was owned by her parents. She had told him it would be pretty easy to get in with out being noticed but if he did she had assured him that her parents knew about Linda and would most likely let him pass if he stated his business and to be sure of this she had given him a small hand full of flower nuts that could only be found on Imaginess.
His phone rang beside him and he looked to see that it was Pete. Most likely calling to find out what his parents had wanted the night before. He picked up the phone and flipped it open. “Hello!”
“Hey Matt you never called me back last night what’s up?”
“Yeah! Sorry about that. I ended up driving to Chicago to visit Mary Gerard.”
“Who’s that?” Pete’s tone suggested that maybe Matthew might be interested in Mary.”
“She’s Linda’s sister and Pete she’s married and in her thirties.”
“Oh too bad. So why’d you go and visit her?”
Matthew sighed, he’d never told Pete the truth about Linda. Linda had trusted him to keep it a secret and up till now he had kept it a secret but now that he was an alien as well it was as much his secret to share as it was Linda’s but still he didn’t want to put the pressure on Pete and he definitely didn’t want to ask his friend to keep the secret from his future wife.
“I needed to find out where Linda is.”
“Matthew can’t you just let the past die?”
“Not this time buddy.”
“So where is she?”
Matthew hesitated for only a moment. “Dubuque.”
“Iowa?”
“Yep,”
“You’ll be back in time for the wedding right.”
“That’s still two months away.” Four by Imaginess time. “I should definitely make it and if everything works the way I want it too and if you and Megan don’t mind I might just bring Linda with me.”
“I sure don’t mind but just be careful man it’s been 3 years. A lot can change in 3 years.”
“Yeah whatever Pete. I’ll show you, in two months I will be entering that church with a beautiful redhead on my arm.”
“Hey I’m just telling you to not to get your hopes up…but I sure hope for your sake that your right.”
A brown farmhouse had come into view and Matthew finished his conversation with Pete, parked his car a couple yards away from the house and made his way toward the house. He saw a woman go into the barn with a bucket and he figured he was safe to head toward the woods he ran for the cover of the trees and once he was safely hidden by the trees he stopped to breathe.
“Why were you running?” A little girl about 10 or 11 stood in front of him with twin boys who looked to be 15 or 16. Matthew had jumped at the sound of the girl’s voice but he relaxed when he saw that there were no adults with him.
“I like the exercise.” He responded matter-of-factly. The girl nodded taking him at his word but the two boys were looking at him suspiciously. One of the boys grabbed his younger sister protectively and pulled her back as his brother stepped forward. “What are you doing in these woods or on our land for that matter?” So these were Linda younger siblings. She had mentioned that she had younger siblings but she had never mentioned that they were this much younger than her.
He turned toward the young girl. “You must be Jenny.” Then to the boys “And Trevor and Tyler.”
The boy in front of him was taken off guard by this and it took him a moment to find his voice. “How do you know our names?”
“I know your sister Linda. I came to these woods to meet some friends of hers who are going to take me to her. My names Matthew.” The boy closest to him still looked unconvinced and the boy behind him looked as if he hadn’t gotten over the fact that Matthew knew their names. “Look I have some flower-nuts that I got from your sister Mary. She told me to give them to you to prove that I know your sister.” He pulled out the sack and poured a couple into his hand. Jenny had become excited at the mention of flower-nuts and had pulled away from her big brother and took a couple of the nuts from Matthew. “Jenny” the tougher boy scolded her “don’t take candy from strangers. He’s made his point but don’t eat the nuts.” He marched over and took the nuts from her and handed them back to Matthew. “we’ll let you pass but we won’t take any of your nuts our sister sends us flower-nuts once a month.”
Jenny looked upset and as the three of them walked away he could hear her complaining about how her nuts had run out just last week. He suddenly got an idea he had a small tin box of mints in his pocket he quickly pulled it out, ate the last of the mints, and placed 3 of the largest nuts in the tin then wrapped the bag tightly around the rest of them and placed them under a tree with the tin on top. He only hoped Jenny would find them before an animal did. The nuts in the tin would most likely be safe but he wanted her to have all the nuts.
When he was done he continued his journey though the woods until he reached the clearing Mary had told him about. He sighed with relief when he saw the pod with Sira standing next to it. He quickly ran up and hugged her. It had been 3 years since he had seen her. “It’s so nice to see you again.”
“It’s nice to see you again too Matthew.” She said laughing. The two of them climbed into the pod. Matthew could hardly contain his excitement. He was going to see Linda again. He was going to Imaginess.
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