Chapter 3: Liminality. Part 2

Chapter 3: Liminality. Part 2

The Mansion – La Quilla South

Coffee time was almost here, and its bittersweet smell was beginning to linger in the kitchen.

Despite the calm and natural interactions of the strangers around her, Haeri couldn't shake the uncertainty she felt. Hungry and worried, she leaned her legs against the thick wooden windows.

There she was again, waiting for him, and that was beginning to be more than frustrating.

Haeri: …

An hour had passed since the group where Gitta Vintana was in had left for the outside, outside the safety of the mansion. The fog made it difficult to see beyond a few miles. They had lost sight of each other.

Not much had been said about it. Of course, those who left had no relation to those who stayed, except for her own friends and herself. What happened to them or not, it seemed that it would hardly matter to anyone else; each one was minding their own business, something common in the province of La Quilla.

Among them, some men were showing a lot of movement. They were those “anarchists” who had arrived at the mansion somehow, although not all of them were visible.

Now they could be seen arguing quietly outside the windows. Their grimaces showed their discomfort, but nothing could be heard about their topic of conversation from the window through which she watched them.

It was early morning. The position of the building between the settlements and the order to close all curtains gave the place a hint of artificial darkness.

Inside, people were lurking in the shadows of the columns of the small office rooms.

Nisha and Xiomara continued to help calm the mothers; the boy's leg had completely recovered. On the other hand, Winslow, with his long blond hair, distressed sweatshirt and acoustic guitar in hand, identified himself as a musician as he played soft jazz club tunes to interested children and young people. The small twin dolls were among his audience.

Sein, the member of the group who had decided to stay under the word of feeling ill, was now playing in a corner with an old-fashioned digital radio, his face illuminated by the screen.

Haeri saw him lounging around and went back to occupying her own time playing with the noisy key chain she carried, rolling it between her fingers and lifting it over her head.

The figure looked like a small, pale boy with a black hood, of whom “no one knows what he has under his hood”, or so the old TV ad that promoted them described him. A “Yevo.”

Its appearance matched hers, who wore a black hoodie with light blue stripes, her favorite one.

And perhaps she also shared the doll’s fluffiness. She hadn't been physically active for quite some time and ate sweets whenever she had the chance. Her hoodie wouldn't hide her fat rolls forever.

Haeri: … (That wasn't necessary.) Hm… I remember Ketsy had one of these in her room…

Once again she picked up the doll, this time bringing it close to her mouth, though the sound of footsteps ahead stopped her.

Xiomara: Oh! Do you have a piercing?

Fluffing her long beige cardigan, the young blonde changed direction towards her. Nisha had turned to Sein to ask for help. They had discovered him too.

Haeri: …Ah.

The curious visitor had noticed the shine of the silver piercing on her tongue. Moving the bangs that covered half of her face under her wool cap, she got closer to the face, to which Haeri responded by closing her mouth right away.

Xiomara: I-I was just wondering how it felt. The surgery and all. I always wanted one but…

Haeri: …

Xiomara: …Uhm.

Haeri: It hurt.

Xiomara: Really?

Haeri: Yeah. There’s no anesthesia. It’s like having your eye pierced and the needle moved back and forth for an hour. The pain was so unbearable that they had to strap me to the stretcher or I’d jump out the window. A-And the recovery… They need to sedate you so you can sleep every night for the next few weeks…

Xiomara: Seriously…?

Haeri: No —she shrugged her shoulders to end her joke—.

Xiomara: …

Haeri: Well, it hurts at the time of the piercing and the recovery is a bit annoying, but the real problem is the maintenance, and it’s not like it’s easy to maintain it now. Ha… My boyfriend asked me to take it out or my tongue would rot —she sighed.

Xiomara: I see. Right, you mean him. You guys… you came from abroad. Were you able to find your travel companions? I’m sorry we couldn’t help you much. A lot has happened… —she looked away slightly— We know you want to go back. I guess your parents are waiting for you at home.

Haeri: Is that so? —She tilted her head, thoughtful— My dad is in the air force. My mother works all the time. I've never had much supervision, so to speak. Maybe except for my uncle, but he died a few days ago.

Xiomara: Huh…?

Her tone, her words. It seemed strange to her. She had said those phrases too naturally and it looked as if she herself had not noticed such a fact.

It would be a lie to say that Xiomara did not feel a slight chill running down her spine.

Out of intuition or premonition, she got up from the chair, picking up the provisions she was carrying.

Xiomara: Uh… I think I will…

Haeri: Do you need help to distribute that? I wanna get distracted a little.

Xiomara: Well…

Jevo: It would help us.

The bandaged young man walked behind them making noise with the dishes he was carrying. He was on his way to take care of the “lady in white”.

Jevo: ...You shouldn't play with that doll —he murmured, after quickly observing the waving keychain in the girl's hands.

Haeri: …?

The three of them walked through the living room and the cafeteria.

Mattresses scattered on the floor and the rustling of bags could be heard among the people who made the effort to find comfort. The crowd gathered in small circles of relatives, friends or acquaintances, surrounding candles and talking in whispers, as if they were afraid that something else would hear them.

Outside, the situation was uncertain, and inside, one could say that there was an attempt at order. However, even with doors locked and windows closed, uncertainty and paranoia permeated the air of the mansion.

Most were unaware of the emergency situation, while those who experienced such an emergency first hand continued to show signs of confusion and preferred to remain silent.

A child clung to his mother's arm, he had seen it, what had really happened the night of the incident. Now, he only held on to her arm, trembling, with a gaze that did not leave the main exit.

An older woman was reciting the same words, her lips moving restlessly, constantly clasping her hands together and looking at the sky. The people around her avoided her and looked at her from a distance with a combination of pity and concern.

Without communications or electricity, no one was really able to confirm what was happening outside. They weren't sure about going out, or sure about staying. They were limited to waiting for an event that would tip them to one end of said scale.

A faint sound from outside. It was the wind tapping at the window as if trying to wake the young woman beside her; Cadie Saggiatore.

Haeri, Xiomara, and Jevo had come to accompany her.

Resting on a makeshift stretcher, the woman's light dress matched the white bandages, and like them, stained by dirt and dust.

Jevo then leaned down to change the cold compresses on the forehead of the lady in white.

Haeri: ...Why is she so important? —She arched an eyebrow as she whispered the words to Xiomara beside her— I mean, is he a family member, a partner, or something? He seems obsessed.

Xiomara: Uh… I don’t know what relationship she has with him but…

Haeri: Do you know her?

Xiomara: She’s my best friend. Along with Miruno… I’ve known them since we were kids. And she’s also the younger sister of one of our politicians, Clay Saggiatore. The Saggiatore family has been part of the government for a few years now.

Haeri: (Who is Miruno?) Hm… So she IS important.

Xiomara: You could say so…

Jevo: It seems that not even a senator has done much to safeguard the integrity of his own sister.

Haeri: (Heh, did he hear us?)

Shaking his robes and gathering the sheets, the boy stood up, addressing the pair behind him.

Jevo: I’ll go rest. Xiomara, please take care of her.

Xiomara: Sure… Ah, wait Jevo. I hadn't asked you… Do you know anything about Miruno or Rousset?

Jevo: Rousset. Hm… —he brought his hand to his chin— We parted ways when we arrived in this province. I haven't seen her again since then. And regarding Miruno, I don't know where he is after our school trip in the mountains. He decided to travel with you, so if you don't know anything about his whereabouts, maybe Izzy does.

Xiomara: Oh… Okay. Thanks. Rest well.

Turning around, the boy nodded and continued on his way, leaving the white lady in the care of Haeri and Xiomara.

Haeri: So you were referring to that Miruno, uh. I had forgotten about him. Well, I should go to sleep too. I couldn't last night because you two kept arguing about him —she said crossing both arms and turning her gaze towards Xiomara.

She just looked down at the floor, then at Cadie beside her.

Xiomara: Sorry, really. It's just that... Ah... —she sighed sadly— it’s just that Izzy confessed to me that she sent Miruno to do a favor for her, but apparently things didn't go as expected and... now she doesn't know where he could be. Also, there have been a lot of disappearances these days. Maybe we should do something... but...

Haeri: I remember that he wasn't a very healthy person, let's say. He kept coughing and—

Xiomara: Y-Yes! I know that very well. It worries me.

The conversation woke up the lady in white, who leaned forward immediately, slowly separating her eyelashes. Her long black hair fell over her pale face, and between it, her green eyes peeked out.

She had rarely been seen awake before, most of the time she was in bed.

With a soft voice, she murmured her first question.

Cadie: … Where is Miruno? Miruno…

Her gaze turned to Xiomara, sitting next to her.

Xiomara: A-Are you okay? Uh… Miruno had things to do. She went out for a moment. He will be back soon.

Without turning her head, her gaze was now directed to the window to her right. A bright halo of light passed through the curtains.

She squinted her eyes. Xiomara had noticed her annoyance, so she closed the curtains tightly, making sure that no light entered.

Xiomara: Are you feeling better?

Cadie: Warm… So warm…

She smiled.

Bringing a hand to her forehead, Xiomara checked the lady's temperature. The lady rested back on the stretcher.

Haeri: Mm, I'd say you'd better let her keep the compress.

Xiomara: Yes… You are not use to go out much, right, Cadie? You must have trouble adjusting to the climate in this province.

Cadie: Yes…

The lady didn't pay much attention to the words she heard. Her ears only heard the melody, a subtle melody originating from the instrument of the room's musician, Winslow, who hadn't stopped all morning.

The strings were worn and the wooden body had cracks that told of years of use and neglect, yet the sound was soft, just a whisper of notes floating in the air before disappearing into the gloom. Each string vibrated with a melancholic cadence, as if crying.

The sound was so low that it seemed to be directed at a single person and not at a surrounding audience.

He doesn't play to entertain. I see it clearly. The chords, slow, uncertain, silent prayers begging for a break.

But those notes… I don't remember any of them.

No one said anything. No one moved. No spectators. All, smiling witnesses.

Yes, smile.

-[Ø]-

Only weeks ago the group were just students on a school trip around their hometown, and now they were more than 200 kilometers away in a province they had never visited before. It was impossible not to be fascinated by seeing the outside world before their eyes.

The picturesque lanterns hung from the roofs in the miniature settlements, moving in the gentle currents of the salty sea wind.

The rock formations, molded into extravagant shapes, jutted out from the walls of the enclosures, some reaching a few meters tall, contrary to the gardens of low and fragile vegetation that adorned the paths.

Each building, like part of a canvas, was decorated by colorful artistic figures and multicultural expressions. There was no single nation clearly distinguishable in sight; instead, the intention was always to create a mix of everything; people, ideas and cultures. The town seemed to be more of an abstract art than anything else.

However, for the province La Quilla, despite having a perfect description for a bustling area, it was anything but that. The city was empty, dead.

The provinces in the Republic of Manecia functioned independently, as if they were different countries in themselves. Each province had what its residents needed, no more, no less, so rarely did a resident of a province feel the need to leave. Nevertheless, this had its own implications; means of transportation were almost considered privileged commodities, and roads were not usually built to facilitate traffic. It felt as if all urban cities had the limitations of small rural villages.

Getting around on a day-to-day basis was basically a walking task, so the group did not have better options. Crossing the narrow paths, they explored the market area.

The buildings and shops were piled on top of each other like checkers trying to maximize space occupation, and although this caused difficulty in transit, it made it easier to browse in each store they came across on their way.

Closed by curtains.

Doger wandered around checking every package in sight. His spirit animal, a raccoon.

They had entered a convenience store. On the counter, next to other knick-knacks, there was money scattered among some groceries. Thinking that the purchases had already been paid for with those bills, Doger did not hesitate to take some products and put them in his backpack, among them fruit puree for babies; Earlene's favorites.

Doger: Hm... Mm... Yeah... Not this one... Hm...

Meanwhile, Izzy also searched for supplies but her attention was constantly diverted to the books on the shelves. Among the smaller ones, she took the one that seemed most interesting to her and made room in her bag, next to her half-drunk bottle of water, to hide it away while the other members of the group were distracted by the paintings on the walls.

The day was sunny and with a subtle chill carried by the winds. A pleasant time for a tourist trip if it didn't point out the approach of the dense fog that they had managed to see gathering on the coast.

Each step taken took them away from the shelter and closer to it.

Garwin: Doger, don't stay behind.

Doger: Look, I found some fruits and vegetables that they left on a shelf.

Izzy: Are they fresh?

Doger: In 8 hours I'll let you know if they were... Maybe less, he he.

Izzy: ...

Doger: Well, I'm good at being a vagabond, aren't I? Where do I hand in my resume?

Garwin: Did you check that the owner of the store was present, at least? We're looking for things that don't belong to anyone.

Audrey: (Heh, is there really such a thing?) For a market I see they're pretty short on merchandise these days —she added.

Doger: Relax. There was no one there. If we didn't take it ourselves it would rot anyway —he searched through his now loaded bag— Buuuut I think we should have brought more people. This will disappear in a flash if it's not refrigerated quickly.

Garwin: They refused. And we will not force anyone to come.

Doger: Jevo and Earlene? That reminds me, am I the only one who noticed her thinner than usual?

Izzy: …

Audrey: Oh, we got an observer. You can't take your eyes off the girl, he he. She's got meat in all the right places.

Doger: I'm not saying that. I mean—

Audrey: You guys don't waste time —she interrupted—. I remember Shaun had company too.

Shaun: Me? —he said, completely uninterested in the conversation.

Audrey: Uhm, yeah, the girl who followed you everywhere for days…?

Shaun: You mean that girl? I didn't even know her name. She just came up and started talking to me because she wanted to. Then she walked away. It's not the first time that's happened.

Doger: … (Ok, now we got it, “Korean supermodel”).

Audrey: Wow… I hope you don’t leave her behind too, Gitta Vintana. She would leave too.

She approached Gitta. This time the comment was directed at this reserved boy who followed the group closely.

Gitta: ...It is dangerous to go out.

Garwin: Understandable. I actually didn’t think you would come again, Audrey. I was expecting more of a group of men only.

Izzy just frowned, ignoring the comment and looked back at the water bottle she was carrying.

Doger: Sausage party!

Audrey: You don’t know me well yet —she showed a relaxed smile— Plus you would be lost without your tour guide. But changing the subject, why is Izzy wearing all… that? Is she also a Cosplayer?

The young woman turned to the group upon hearing her name while checking some pots on the way. She was right. She looked curious, wearing shoulder pads, a chest guard, and other common protections of American football uniforms.

Doger: Yeah, Gar. Why aren't you also wearing the equipment? Any special reason...? Huh? —he said in an exaggeratedly mocking tone.

Garwin: I-I just forgot. Don't dwell on it.

Izzy: Sure... On two different occasions, both when certain new members joined us —she commented while drinking from her bottle.

Garwin: …

Audrey: Oh... I assume you’re from some sports team.

Doger: That's right. A long long time ago in a far far away land, we formed a team called "Eleven Jaguars" in our Institute.

Izzy: Although it didn't last long to disband. Members deserted.

Doger: I was in charge of running with the ball —he imitated the movement of running with a ball at his side—. I was untouchable. The moment that ball was in these hands, no one could catch me. Ah, good old days... We should relive it someday.

Audrey: So in conclusion, Garwin is embarrassed to wear that in the middle of the day~

Garwin: Hey…

Audrey: Mmm? He he…

Garwin: Guys, that's enough of updating our new member —he adjusted his mask before addressing the group—. I want to know your opinions on what's going on. Jevo wasn't joking that night, that's for sure.

Gitta: We haven't seen anyone since we came to this market —he replied—. Something strange is definitely going on.

Garwin: That's what I mean.

They didn't wear watches, so they didn't know the elapsed and remaining time either.

Normally the presence of passersby works as a compass; You would know that a person entered a coffee shop for coffee, a pharmacy for medicine, an art gallery to look around, you would see where they came from and where they were going, and you would follow them or rely on their judgment for your own destinations and plans, but now, there was no one.

They were starting to get restless, to feel exposed, because there were no other people around to attract attention with their daily activities. Therefore, the attention was focused on them. Any noise, no matter how small, would be caused by them and no one else.

They would know where they were.

Doger: … What do you want me to say, man? The world went to shit. There is nothing more to add.

Izzy: I agree with Doger.

Garwin: Really? —he raised an eyebrow, turning to the girl.

Izzy: Without mentioning what Nisha and the others said, we do not have any more information. It is a fact. All that remains is to act on our own and react to what happens.

Gitta: …

Audrey: That's right. Hm… If anyone knew more… —she commented— The nearest police station is many miles away from here, near the border. So I guess we'll have to keep looking for ourselves.

Shaun: That house. Yes. I see someone. Right there.

The group member suddenly stopped and pointed his finger into the distance.

They had walked through the commercial area, leaving behind the shops and wooden shelves, now stepping onto the hard concrete floor of a circular exit.

From that position, it was possible to see a group of settlements a mile away. Instead of small settlements stacked together, this time they were large homes forming tall rows that even obscured the view of the coast. They cast a wide shadow over the cracked road.

Gitta: (I can't see the fog from here…).

One of the houses in particular caught the eye. It happened to be the only one with some visible lighting from the outside, and from one of its windows, Shaun claimed to have seen shadows passing from one side to the other.

Doger: Uh… Which one of all the houses?

Shaun: Are you blind? That one. The only one with lights —he pointed again, several times.

Doger: Man, do you expect me to see anything from here? And to begin with, what are you doing here with us?

Garwin: Come on, come on, guys. It's not the time.

Audrey: Yep, I see that they are a man and a woman. The woman is carrying something, a baby? (But… why are they…?).

Everyone was surprised by the precise description that the young woman had given despite the long distance.

If it really was a family, taking care of a baby may have been the reason why they had not yet sought shelter.

Through the rocky path and dodging the trees, the group advanced in silence as they headed towards the dwelling.

No, they were already advancing within the silence. Their ears were alert to any sound, but none came other than that of the gusts of wind and the crunch of leaves under their shoes. The silence had followed them from the commercial area to the residential one. It was persistent.

Although there was a difference now, the temperature was beginning to drop. The cold winds laden with sea salt intensified the smell but not their own presence. They diluted over time, resulting in one less sound emitter in the environment, an environment that felt heavier.

Farther and farther away and closer and closer.

In the scenery, small lakes outside the settlements began to be seen, with tree leaves swimming on their surfaces.

The waters were still. No fish, insects or birds present.

After crossing a small bridge over the ponds, they had arrived at their destination.

It was a large house compared to those seen on the tour. It was surrounded by palm trees and plantations that gave it a tropical look, and at the same time hindered the passage of Doger who looked out the windows.

There was indeed lighting coming from inside; a dim and occasional one like that generated by lit candles.

Izzy: Put away your masks and weapons. They won't open if they think we're looters.

Not far from the truth.

The group listened to the young woman's reasonable argument and followed the indication.

Doger: I don't think there's anyone there anyway —he whispered, removing his mask—. I can't hear absolutely anything coming from inside.

Shaun: Tsk.

Annoyed, Shaun clicked his teeth and immediately approached the main door.

When he was about to knock, he heard a sudden noise that made him stop. A sound not caused by any of them.

It was the lock moving. The door opening in front of them.

To be continued…