Endangered

“Are we human because we gaze at the stars or do we gaze at the stars because we are human?” Madame Blount tapped her foot, her heavily make-upped eyes skimming over the class several times, looking for someone to pick on. I began to wonder why I’d chosen this class.

My eyes glanced at the clock, with only twelve seconds to go, there was no risk of another in-depth discussion. There was no risk until Darby raised his hand. My head turned lazily in his direction, he hadn’t spoken but there was always a quick noise like a violent wind whenever he raised his hand to ask a question. Madame Blount, undoubtedly as tired of this class as I was, nodded at him. His rosy cheeks wobbled as he adjusted his position in his chair and deep dimples like craters on the moon formed in them as his mouth split wide open into a smile. At the front of the classroom the analogue clock hung on the wall, ticking noisily. Before Darby could ask his question or pose his argument or compliment Madame Blount, the analogue clock’s long hand reached twelve and the familiar ringing ran throughout the entire school.

Cacophony filled the classroom as every student grabbed his or her coat and books and launched themselves at the door. I took my usual route out of the back door, avoiding the stampede into the halls. I was happily greeted by a rush of cold November air on my face. I put my satchel down on the ground and put my coat on and buttoned it up. Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I headed for the school gates.

It was a Thursday. Thursdays meant picking up my little brother from nursery. Thursdays meant cooking dinner. Thursdays meant staying awake for two or three more hours than I usually would to let my father into the house when he finally arrived home. On Thursdays, he worked late on a “top priority project”. I didn’t really know what kind of special projects lasted for over a decade and I had started, several months ago, to doubt that any did.

“Can I give you a ride, Eve?” Darby, sitting in the driver’s seat of a battered Sedan.

“Does your way home take you past the nursery?” I asked, stopping and leaning into the car through the open passenger window. Darby shrugged.

“It can, depending on which way I go.” I knew that meant that he drive several miles out of his way to take me to the nursery and then he would drive several more miles out of his way to take me home.

“I can catch the bus; wouldn’t want you going out of your way to see me home.”

“I’m going to town first.” An obvious lie, but even Darby’s smelly old Sedan beat walking in the freezing cold of November.

My little town looked even smaller in winter when all the trees were bare and the flowers gone. I contemplated this as I pulled a cigarette out of my coat pocket. Normally I would’ve asked if he minded me smoking in his car but I knew Darby well enough to know that he smoked twenty odd a day.

“Darby, you got a light?” Without a word, he handed me a pink lighter. It was almost empty but I had no trouble lighting up my cigarette. I blew smoke out of the window, watching the country landscape go by.

Darby slowed down, letting a large group of elementary school kids walk across the road. Peering out of the corner of my eye, I caught him staring at me. “You going to Annabel’s party next week?” He asked. I knew he wasn’t - he hadn’t been invited - so I said no. The children crossed the road and the car continued to speed down the winding country roads, taking the fastest route to the nursery.

“Me neither,” he said, half-frowning. “They’re kind of overrated.”

“Yeah, kind of.” I was never much of a conversationalist.

We reached the nursery and I jumped out while the car was still slowing to a halt. Darby leaned forward across the passenger seat. “I’ll drive you home if you want. It’s getting colder and the bus stop is a long walk from here.”

I smiled, “Thanks Darb’. I’ll just be a minute.”

The nursery was as chaotic as usual, with little children running around screaming and blasting each other with imaginary weapons or dressing each other in imaginary gowns. I spotted one brown-haired little boy running in circles, chasing after two other boys, and picked him up.

“Eve! We’re playing Power Rangers!” He pouted and kicked his legs. Hugging to my chest and grabbing his coat from the floor, I said, “Play tomorrow, it’s movie night tonight.” Cue the excited squeal.

Finley didn’t like the smell of Darby’s car, though I doubted anyone did, and constantly commented on the “funkiness” throughout the entire journey home.

“Thanks so much Darby, see you tomorrow,” I picked up my brother and closed the car door.

“It’s no biggie.”

“Bye funky car!”

The house, as it always was after a day of not being lived in, was cold and unusually tidy. I set Finley down on the ground and hung our coats on the coat rack. Immediately he raced off, the sound of his clumsy footsteps echoing through the house.

It was getting dark already and the mountains were looming dark shapes peering down on my house. From its hiding place behind one of the mountains, the sun illuminated several dark rain clouds. I shuddered; I hated rain.

“What shall we eat tonight, Fin?” I asked, leaning against a kitchen counter.

“Spaghetti!” He yelled, as I knew he would.

“With pesto? Tomato sauce? Cheese?”

“I wanna have a Dolmio day!” I smiled to myself, we had the same meal every Thursday.

As the pasta cooked on the stove it began to rain. I watched the droplets hit the window and slide downwards, sometimes joining with another droplet on the way. Beyond the window everything was pitch black, not even the looming mountains were distinguishable in the winter night. It made me feel uneasy, isolated and threatened. Endangered.

This Thursday evening my brother was subdued. He talked calmly about his day at the nursery, telling me all the details in a very matter-of-fact way. He didn’t complain about having a bath and he didn’t deliberately splash me (though I ended up covered in water anyway). We watched the movie in almost silence. When it was time to put him to bed, I tucked him in and kissed him on the forehead.

“Are you okay, Fin?”

“Yeah. I’m just scared of the dark.”

I brushed the hair out of his face and gave him another kiss. “Don’t be, it can’t hurt you.” I paused, waiting for him to say something more but he didn’t. “Goodnight Fin.”

“’Night Eve.”

I did my homework in the living room. When I finished it was half past nine. I did twelve sudokus, each taking me almost a quarter of an hour. I finished reading a book my grandmother had given me. I looked at the clock; six minutes to midnight. I watched a documentary about the life of Jesus Christ. When it was over it was ten past one in the morning. I lit a cigarette and tried to prevent myself from freaking out.

Not worrying had never been something I was good at so I called my dad’s mobile. It rang and rang and rang. He didn’t pick up. I left him a message, waited twenty minutes, and called him again. It rang and rang and rang. I didn’t leave another message.

Less than ten minutes later, the phone rang. I answered it in a heartbeat. “Dad?”

The line went dead. Subsequently, someone knocked on the window. I couldn’t see who it was and I could barely see their outline. They were roughly six feet tall and had a build that looked similar to my dad’s. Figuring it was him, I crossed the room and opened the window.

“Dad? I got your call but the signal gave out. It must be the weather. How long have you been standing out here? I didn’t hear you ring the bell.”

“He’s not here?”

I’d been twiddling my cigarette between two fingers but now I dropped it out of surprise. The shadowy figure’s voice was nothing like my dad’s.

“Darby?” I squinted, trying to make out facial features.

“Is the doctor here?”

“Who... who are you?”

“Is the doctor here?”

I pulled away from the window, surprised at the sudden hostile tone.

“I need to speak with him.”

Shaking my head I backed further away from the window. “No, come back in the morning. He’s not here.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you. I just need to speak with Doctor Mendez.”

Out of the corner of my eye I glanced at the door behind me, considering whether or not it would be wise to run. “I told you, he’s not here.”

“When will he be?” I shrugged in reply and took a few more cautious steps backwards. “Can I wait here?”

I paused, cocking my head to one side. “You can come back in the morning.”

“But I need to speak with him immediately.”

“I don’t know who you are.”

“I don’t know who you are,” they pointed out. Before I could protest they had grabbed onto the frame of the window and were hauling themselves up, into the living room. I yelped in shock and fell backwards.

As they closed the window behind them I screamed, “Get out! I’ll call the police, I swear!”

In the dim light of my living room I could see them more clearly. It was a boy with untidy sandy blonde hair, light blue-green eyes and a face covered in scratches and bruises. His clothes were muddy and wet and he stank of damp. He offered a hand to help me up but I swatted it away and pushed myself off of the ground. The chances of me being able to force him out the house fell to zero. Even though I stood at five foot eight, he was several inches taller than me and more muscular too.

“It looks a lot tidier than when I was last here,” he commented, peering around the room.

“You’ve been here before?” My memory often failed me when it came to names but I never forgot a face and I knew that I never seen this boy at my house or around the town. “Who are you?”

“Who are you?” He raised his eyebrows at me and I frowned.

“Eve. Doctor Mendez is my father... how do you know him?” The boy took a small step forward and, startled, I took two large steps back, knocking into the piano in doing so.

He’d had a playful air about him a moment ago but now his expression was one of utmost seriousness. “Mendez promised he would cure me.”

“O-of what?” I stammered. Something had caught my eye when he spoke but I told myself that it was nothing. I was confused, tired and scared and it was beginning to take its toll.

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

“You didn’t answer when I asked you who you are.”

“Pfeiffer.”

I swallowed and nodded. “What’s wrong with you? Why do you need to be cured?”

Pfeiffer’s eyes had been wandering around the room, his nose had been twitching and the tip of his tongue had been licking his lips over and over again but when I spoke his eyes flicked to mine and he was completely still.

The corner of his mouth twitched and he snarled, barring his teeth. My hand flew to my mouth.

“Do you know what’s in the dark, Eve?”

I shook my head, my eyes wide and lips pursed. Pfeiffer inched forward until we were just several inches apart. He smelt faintly of something very familiar but I couldn’t think of the name. He flashed his teeth again and I inhaled sharply. I could taste iron on the tip of my tongue.

“When was the last time you saw your father, Eve?” I frowned and thought back. On Thursdays he left for work very early in the morning, usually before I was out of bed. I shrugged and asked, “Why does it matter?”

“When did you last see him?” There was a hint of irritation, bordering on something far more sinister, and I decided it would be best to provide an answer.

I stammered, “I d-don’t know... last night, I think.” Pfeiffer’s brow creased.

“Is that your father’s car in the driveway? The Mercedes?” When Darby had dropped me off I hadn’t even noticed that my dad’s car was still parked neatly in the driveway. I swore underneath my breath.

Pfeiffer had moved away now and he was heading down the hallway. I followed him. “Do you know what’s happened to him?” He didn’t reply. He was standing very still, pressed against the wall next to Finley’s bedroom door. Gingerly, I tapped his shoulder. “What is it? Is Finley okay?” I whispered, panic beginning to settle in my stomach. Pfeiffer put a finger to his lips. Pfeiffer seemed to be listening intently but I couldn’t hear whatever he could. To me, it was totally silent, save for the sound of my heart’s beating.

Then I heard a creak, the sound of someone opening the window, and a scuffle and then I could the howling wind outside and the rain pelting the windowpanes. I leaned forward a little, so that I could see into Finley’s room, and heard something that sounded like a chuckle. However, the room was empty. Finley was gone.

“Where’s my brother?” Pfeiffer didn’t respond. “Where’s my brother?”

What happened next went too quickly for me to even react. Pfeiffer bellowed something incoherent and then we were outside and my feet weren’t touching the ground. He was carrying me in his arms and running faster than I would’ve previously thought was possible. I turned my head to look over his shoulder at the shadowy form of my house, already several hundred metres away. I could’ve sworn that there was someone standing in the dimmed light of Finley’s room, next to the window, watching Pfeiffer run with myself in tow.

“Look at the stars, Eve,” Pfeiffer panted, “look at the stars and make a wish.”

“How will a wish help me find my brother and my dad?” I asked, annoyed.

“They’re more powerful than you’d think.”

“Why don’t you make one then?” I snapped. His pace was beginning to slow.

“I don’t look at the stars.”