Enigma

They’d been walking for a long time. And it was cold.

May wasn’t sure where they were going, but thanks to her phone having her father’s location available on it, she was able to stay far enough behind not to be seen, but also close enough that they could see where he went if he lost connectivity.

Where are we even going? she thought.

Alice trotted along by her side, having to float between a walk and a run to keep pace with May—and she was just trying to keep up with her father’s little dot on the map. He must have been walking fast, likely out of a desire to get the meeting over with, and then get home fast.

He thinks we’re sleeping, after all. May smirked cheekily, and glanced over at Alice.

“You good to keep going?”

“Yep,” Alice replied energetically.

It baffled May how her sister had so much stamina. Must have been all the jumping and slashing she was doing to imitate that anime protagonist. May herself was lightheaded, and might long since have fainted on the side of the road if not for the adrenaline and coffee coursing through her.

After all this time, her superpowered scientist parents were finally going to put their heads together to make some headway.

“And maybe Mom will listen to me…” she muttered.

“What?” Alice ran a couple steps ahead of her to make eye contact.

“Nothing. Just excited to see Mom.”

“Yeah…” Alice sighed. “She’s busy.”

May nodded. “More now than ever.”

I wonder what Bianca knows about my Mom, she thought. She’d met with the girl at the café for the past four days in a row, spending thirty or so minutes with her each time, getting pointers from her over a coffee. Bianca had to go around the same time every day, but she knew a lot about extirpations.

When May had asked her about it, her answer had been nothing if not vague.

“I have experience up close with them,” she’d said.

What that meant, May didn’t know. But by the time she’d built up the courage to properly ask, their last meeting had been coming to a close, so more details would have to wait until the following morning.

She and Alice continued hurrying along the road. Their father’s dot had taken a turn up ahead to put them on a road that headed straight into the city nearby.

But that road was long. Quite a hike to make it into the city proper.

She prayed to herself that he wasn’t planning to walk all the way there. She wasn’t sure she’d make it.

I mean, for God’s sake, call a taxi, she thought.

But at the same time, she was happy he neglected to arrange transportation: it enabled them to sneak out and have a hope of following him.

But, as she was about to whirl around the corner, she looked at her phone one last time.

Her father’s dot had stopped just ahead. At the other end of the block after the turn.

She slid to a halt just at the corner, peering around the bushes at its edge. Alice slammed into her from behind, nearly sending the both of them tumbling out into the open. But with a heave, May shoved the both of them back into the shadows of the corner they now hid behind.

May peeked an eye around, looking for her father. Alice clamored on top of May, sticking her head out over the top and resting her chin on May’s forehead.

And sure enough, standing at the opposite corner from where they watched, was their father.

Just as the map claimed, he stood still, waiting. He paced a short distance back and forth, once in a while swiveling his head all around to look for the person he was supposed to meet.

May checked her phone. 9:58 P.M.

She supposed they meant to meet him at ten o’clock. That made the most sense to her.

She pulled back behind the corner, dragging Alice along with her. She would glance out every minute as the clock turned, she decided, assuming that to be sufficient granularity.

“May,” Alice whispered into her ear. “What’s happening?”

“I don’t know, but I was just looking, like, five seconds ago. So probably nothing,” she hissed back. She swung her head around to confirm.

He still stood there, looking completely confused and out of place.

Perfect, she thought, retracting her head. “Yep, nothing.”

Alice nodded, sitting back on her heels and pulling her knees to her chest in a tight ball.

May glanced at her phone. 9:59, now.

“Hello, May.”

A familiar voice.

May’s brow furrowed deeply as the face to accompany it surfaced in her mind. She turned away from the corner to find another figure there, squatting behind her sister.

Bianca.

Alice yelped before covering her mouth with both hands. May nearly fell out into the open, but she steadied herself and locked eyes with her recent acquaintance. “What’re you doing here?” she hissed.

“Oh, I was just out for a walk,” she said—at normal volume. It seemed all the louder in the moment, given how quiet they’d been trying to be.

“Shh.” May held her finger over her mouth. Her eyes narrowed as Bianca said it, but this wasn’t the time to scrutinize.

Bianca raised her eyebrows, but complied, remaining silent.

She, as usual, wore no coat, but May didn’t see her shivering—or any other signs she was remotely cold, for that matter. Her sweater was cropped, nearly enough to reveal her midriff.

“How are you not cold?” May whispered to her.

Bianca simply shrugged in response, shaking her head.

May checked her phone again. “I’ll explain in a second.” She raised a finger to Bianca and Alice telling them to wait as she poked out her head.

Their father was gone.

May’s heart clenched. She scrambled to open her phone, checking his location.

He was speeding away down the road, at a speed only possible if he was in a car.

“Shit,” she said under her breath.

Alice stared at her wide-eyed as she said the word, but said nothing herself.

“Were you watching the man at the corner?” Bianca asked, standing up and brushing herself off. “Another man picked him up just before I greeted you.”

“Ugh, I shouldn’t have looked away…” May muttered to herself, watching her father’s dot move into the city. “Is he alright?”

“Well, there was no scuffle. They spoke a few words, and then he simply got in the car and they drove off.”

“Can we go after him?” Alice asked, frowning.

May checked her phone one last time, seeing his dot race down the city streets. “I don’t think so.” She showed the phone to Alice and Bianca.

“Yes, no sense in following him,” Bianca said, watching the dot fly through the forest of buildings. She paused, cocking her head. “Why were you following him, anyway?”

“That was our dad,” Alice answered.

“Ah. I was wondering why you were out so late.”

“But why are you out at this hour? And in that getup? Where’s your coat?”

Bianca looked down at her clothes. “Well, never mind that. I’ve been meaning to talk to you, so this is a good opportunity.”

May wrinkled her brow. “Uh, about what?”

“Just… come this way.” She smiled, turning on her heel and signaling for May and Alice to follow.

———

“May,” Alice hissed, “who is that?”

“A girl I met the other day. She’s been… helping me,” May whispered back, a hand shrouding her mouth even though Bianca’s back was turned. “She’s weird. But nice”

Alice nodded.

Bianca made a sharp right around a fence, into a public playground. It was closed at this hour, but she placed one hand on the fence, throwing herself over with unsettling ease. She landed softly inside the fence, steps padded by the mulch spread over the ground.

After fiddling with the lock for a moment, she threw open the door and beckoned May and Alice inside.

They’d been here dozens of times in May’s life. The park was just a few minutes from their house, and was a favorite of hers and Alice’s growing up. Walking inside stirred up powerful nostalgia in her heart, intensifying with every step farther inside.

Bianca sat down on a swing. May took the one next to her, and Alice sat on a bench across from her.

“So…” May prompted, trailing off.

Bianca nodded, looking at her. “I wanted to talk to you about your research.”

“Okay…? What about it?”

“Is your father also participating?”

“Well… yeah. That’s why he’s going into the city.”

She nodded slowly, looking out at the silhouette of the city skyline far in the distance.

“What?” May asked bluntly.

“I’m just… surprised both of you are trying so hard. And for so long.”

“Well… aren’t you scared?”

Bianca was silent, but a darkness crept across her face. May glanced over at Alice. Her eyes flicked back and forth between the two of them, observant as ever.

“I’ve seen so many of them,” Bianca finally said. “And… what happens to those that oppose them. That try to understand them.” The gloom over her was deep, as though she’d seen something haunting. But the night was just as still as ever.

“...What do you mean?”

“Do you love your parents?”

“Well… that’s a weird question.” May looked at Alice again. “Of course we do.”

Bianca nodded. “Who was your father going to meet tonight?” She locked eyes with May, some intent May was privy to drilling deep into her soul.

May swallowed at her sudden intensity.

“Our mum,” Alice replied for her.

“What’s her name?”

May’s mouth was dry. Why had she gotten so serious? “Irina Soma. Or… Alexandrova now,” she finally responded.

Bianca drew a sharp breath, closing her eyes. She rocked gently on the swing. “I thought so.”

“Do you know her?” May asked.

Bianca didn’t answer for a long while. She just sat there, swinging gently, eyes pointed at the sky.

"Bianca. Why did you say that like you know her?" May asked, pressing her further.

Nothing.

But after a long silence, Bianca finally broke it. “You know, most have already given up.” She looked back at May. “They meander through their doomed lives, somehow both resigned to their fate and ignoring it completely. They recede into a shell of familiarity in the face of certain death. They forgo all possibility of connection and advancement as their time winds down. That is the frame of mind of every other person I’ve come across. But… not yours. And not your family’s.”

“What are you trying to say?” May stared at her with slitted eyes.

“That I admire your courage and passion.” Bianca turned to Alice, smiling with that familiar warmth. “And yours. But… you all should keep in mind that saying about ‘gazing into the abyss.’”

Then she stood up, and started walking toward the exit of the park. May sat on the swing unmoving, and Alice stared at her, waiting for her to act first. But she couldn’t. She found herself stuck in place, mind turning over the things Bianca had said.

Bianca turned, casting her gaze back at May over her shoulder. “I’ve been helping you because I think we’re alike. But what you all are getting involved in…” She stuffed her hand into her pocket, fidgeting with something inside it. “It’ll be best to keep your distance.”

May was transfixed by the stark difference in her demeanor from her usual self.

She knew something.

No… not just something. More than that.

She wasn’t just a random girl. If May learned anything from this conversation, it was that.

But now—as Bianca left—the conversation May had expected to give her some answers, left her with nothing but more questions.