Chapter Four
(Todd)
It's been a few hours now since Ben and the Sky left. Me and Viola sat for a while longer and she talked to me, told me about the new village. Told me about how the Spackle and the human settlers live in peace now, in New Haven.
There's a lot more settlers now, she says, more ships have arrived bringing more people. Most of them have trouble coping with the Noise, but the new classes at the new school teach them new ways to handle it. Everything is fresh and new here.
Except one thing.
Viola.
I can't stop looking at her, thinking about how I missed her, how that warm and kind voice of hers took me through my darkest dreams, my coldest memories. And she looks right back, most of the time, except one or two times when she's looking out the entrance to the hut, as if looking for something, listening for someone… But then she turns back to me and looks at me and it's the best feeling so I can't help from smiling.
Anyway, we are leaving the tent now that I can walk, finally, and going through the village. It's not just Spackle, either, humans are there too, playing and working and talking… it's a paradise.
I remember that from my dreams, when Viola's voice read to me, something about building this planet into a paradise…
"That's your ma," she says, and I suddenly realize she's looking at me. "I can hear your Noise, y'know. That book, though…"
I remember. Every time I see or hear something, memories keep flooding back. I know that book was my ma's, and I remember it. About a town, and a winter, and a Mayor…
I remember the Mayor too. Oh, yes, how I do remember him. I remember how he was evil and how he hated me and tortured Viola… I shove the thoughts out of my head. I cover them up with the happy thoughts of now, but Viola's already heard them.
"The Mayor is dead now, you'll also remember." She looks sad.
"Not about the Mayor, though," and her smile turns into a grin as I realize that she read me, again.
"I'm gonna have to get used to that, aren't I?" I asked, but it was to the empty air. I looked around, and Viola was running up the path to a figure, a man with a blindfold for some reason…
She yelled, "Lee!" and I remembered him, too. About his eyes, and about him and Viola. Suddenly, the thought occurred to me that while I was gone, while I was away sleeping, Viola might have grown closer to Lee. I tried to hide my jealousy in my Noise, but I think a little still showed through.
"Hey, Vi." Lee said, embracing her. He looked up and saw me, too. Well, didn't see me really, but you know what I mean. "Todd?"
"Yes, Lee, Todd's finally woken up!" Viola says, her voice full of glee. "Isn't that great, Lee?"
"Yeah, it sure is!" Lee walks over and gives me a hug, too, with Viola beside him.
Yeah, it sure is, I think, but hide it in my Noise so neither of them notice my jealousy.
"I'm just showing Todd around the village," says Viola, "but you could come along, if you want."
"Great!" Lee indicates that he's coming with us.
"Actually, I'm a bit worn out from all this walking." I say. "Maybe I could go catch some sleep and finish the tour later?" I was careful to leave out "with Lee" when I talked about finishing the tour. Viola may be oblivious to the Noise around her, but Lee definitely took the hint.
"Sure, Todd, I'll take you back." She comes back over to me, looking concerned. "Catch you later, Lee."
"See ya, Vi," Lee smiles. He looks carefree but I can tell in his Noise that he is annoyed.
As soon as Viola and I are back to the hut, she asks, "Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you?" I nod, and she jokes, "You were just asleep for three months, and you have to sleep already?"
I manage to crack a smile, though I really am tired now that I think about it. "We'll get you a proper house and everything tonight, but nobody was…" Viola trails off.
"Nobody was expecting me to wake up?" I finish her sentence angrily.
"No, Todd, of course everyone knew you would come back, it's just…" she trails off again, and then whispers, "I always knew you'd come back."
With that, Viola turns and leaves the hut, leaving me inside. I think about what she's done. She waited for me and read to me and kept me from going insane during all those weeks asleep…
So why doesn't she love me?
Chapter Five and many more coming soon! Make sure to follow so you get updates as they come! I promise to be active and not leave the story alone for long, but a few good reviews and such will boost my confidence!