Vinctus

Chapter One: Going Home

#1 - Joe

He sees Angie in the turmoil. Angie, and his mum, his dad, several other family members. He sees Ms. Jacobs, his year six teacher, who got him involved with and interested in robotics. He sees his grandfather, Ernest, his startling blue eyes staring right into his soul from behind a curtain of fog and mist. He sees the many, many people he loved throughout his life, one by one, their smiles and faces stamped on his heart. He hears hums, hums and whispers, but is unable to identify their sources.

Joe can smell a faint scent of peonies.

#2 - Junior

Pauline holds his hand as he floats around the white light. She squeezes it tight as he watches Angie from afar, blonde curls bouncing up and down. It's like a hologram, an illusion, a trance. He's out of his body, out of his mind, possibly out of the dome too, though he doesn't quite know if that's a thing he likes. Pauline and Angie are there, and there's a little girl too, a tiny little red-headed girl with cherry lips and purple slippers, humming to a song he doesn't recognise. There is no ground, no ceiling - the sky isn't above him - but he feels grounded. Safe.

Junior feels feather-light kisses on his left arm.

#3 - Norrie

Alice looks exactly the same. She has the same smile, walks like she always did, her hands still as steady as they ever were. She moves straight ahead, as if directing Norrie to a known path, occasionally stealing a glance at her daughter and flashing her a smile. They walk and walk and walk a bit more, without a word, and Norrie doesn't think they're getting any closer to wherever they're going. Alice stops suddenly still, and with a small smile and a wink, leaves Norrie to her own devices.

Norrie tastes blueberry frozen yoghurt.

#4 - Barbie

Julia. Julia, Julia, Julia, Julia. She's in his arms, where she belongs, breathing steadily. He hears giggles, soft and childish and delightful. She can hear them too, stirring in her sleep and opening her eyes to look up at him.

Four blue orbs meet somewhere amongst the light and the fog, silently communicating through unspoken signals in learned language, one that was theirs alone.

"Not too long now." He hears her say, and has no reaction.

Barbie's legs are asleep.

#5 - Melanie

She leads them, as she's supposed to. A monarch rests on her right shoulder, bridged between pale skin and lilac fabric. She feels peaceful, complete, surrounded by something she trusts, the foggy matter she knows all too well. She sees clearly through it, the scenery is forming before her eyes, blue, green, speckles of red, yellow, orange. There's movement, things are alive, droplets of water fall and she thinks - she knows - they're close. We'll be home very, very soon, she thinks, smiling to herself. We all will.

Melanie's mind is numb.

#6 - Julia

It's not that she's not happy he's there - she did love Peter - it's just that he doesn't belong there. The journey wasn't his. Still, there he is, she can see him right as she opens her eyes, the giggles still fresh in her years. Barbie's there too, she's in his arms, seemingly intertwined to him by a connection more than bodily, but spiritual, surreal.

"Have no fear." she hears a deep male voice say "You are safe. You all are."

The giggles cease.

Julia's cheeks are warm and wet.

—

It's like waking up from a really long, really vivid dream. Nothing has changed. Not the grass he's lying on, not the sky before his eyes, not the soft 'swish' sound of the lake behind his head. Nothing has changed, but everything seems different.

Julia is lying next to him, apparently as confused as he is.

Joe is on the other side, curled up next to Norrie, both staring at the sky.

Upon sitting up, he spots all the other residents of Chester's Mill, some still lying on the grass, disconcerted, some seemingly hopeful, some trying to be as close to their families as possible.

He doesn't see Melanie anywhere.

He cannot find Junior either.

Julia sits up as well, brushing shoulders with him, seeking comfort.

"What happened?" she asks in a whisper.

He doesn't respond, opting instead for getting up and grabbing her by the hand. They run, as fast as they can, hand-in-hand, towards the limits of domed Chester's Mill. Joe and Norrie aren't too far behind, following the two of them.

It's still there, he can tell. They all can.

Melanie and Junior await for them next to one of the dome's "borders". They just stand there, motionless, as the four of them run in their direction.

"What happened?" Barbie asks "You said you were taking us home."

"I did." Melanie nods "This is your home."

Norrie jumps towards Melanie, but Joe grabs hold of her before she can get to the girl.

"We know it's not what you expected." Junior states, smiling. "But you'll learn how to accept it," he asserts "and in time, understand the reasons why."

Barbie is almost sure he would've killed Junior if he hadn't heard the now-familiar giggles echoing from behind the two of them.

"What is that? Who's making that noise?" He asks, pushing Julia behind him.

"Oh." Melanie smiles "This is Liv." she says, opening some space between herself and Junior, through which a little girl passes.

"Hi." the little girl says, shyly.

"Don't worry, you'll get to know her soon enough." Melanie tells them. "Welcome back home."