[Todd]

"There's a boy in my class who likes me and I don't really like him but if I pretend that I do will I get Noise like his?"

"No, stupid! You have to be in love with him to get his Noise!"

"Well, what if I don't love boys yet? What if I don't love boys at all!"

I'm wonderin how I got stuck watchin the kids while Viola spoke with their mothers inside of our house; but the little girl, Sophie, makes me laugh. She and her brother Sean are playin in the remnants of snow that pepper the front of the house while I sit on the front steps, elbows on my knees, tryin to make sure they don't get into trouble while also listenin to the conversation inside. So far, thru Viola's Noise, I've only gotten small pieces of information –

Their husbands are still injured –

Their homes still haven't been rebuilt –

They will have to learn how to use their Noise –

Sooner, rather than later –

If not, there could be more explosions –

More flames –

More chaos –

Sophie throws a weak snowball at my shoulder.

"You listenin, Todd?" She says, two balled fists on her hips like she's gettin ready to accuse me of somethin. I laugh, seein her standin like that.

"Yeah, Sophie, I hear you." I tell her, then straighten up on the steps. "Yer can't trick yer way into gettin Noise. The connection has to be real."

"See. Told you." Her brother says, kicking his shoe against the ground. Sophie, lookin unhappy, furrows her eyebrows at me.

"Well, how come the men got it but we don't?" She says, mad at me like I'm the one who did it – but even after all we been thru, and all we've learned, I still can't give her a straight-forward answer.

"I don't know." I say, shruggin my shoulders. "We're still learnin how it all works. But Noise comes from the Land, which we're all connected to in one way or another. Women may be able to get it on their own, somebody. We don't know yet."

Sophie just stares at me for a moment, thinkin. And then she starts stomping her feet against the ground – shoutin down at it, too. It shouldn't make me laugh, but it kinda does.

"I don't like the Land!" She's sayin, stompin and stompin and sendin flecks of mud into the air. Sean stops walkin around in his little circle to look up at his sister, shakes his head as if to say, "here she goes again." He sighs with his chin tucked to his chest before walkin over to me.

"Do girls always throw temper tantrums when they're mad? Or will my sister act like she's two years old forever?"

He's squintin his eyes at me, waitin for an answer, and I'm careful about what I say, just in case Viola can hear me thru my Noise. "No. She'll grow out of it. But older girls throw temper tantrums, too. Just in different ways."

I meant it as a joke but Sean sighs, soundin distressed. Then he sits next to me on the middle step. "I don't think I want to share my Noise with a girl at all. The one I already got is overwhelming enough."

His Noise is a grayish blue color and it kinda feels like he wants some comfort, some advice. I start lookin around, as if that person is goin to show up out of thin air, before realizin he's wantin that attention from me.

"Hey, don't say that." I say to him gently, or what I hope is gentle. "Sharing yer Noise with a girl is kinda cool. Cooler than havin one by yourself, even."

"Really?" He asks, lookin up at me like he don't believe it, but wants to. "How come?"

I think for a minute, then say to him, "Well, if she's funny, yer get to have all these inside jokes with her that no one else can hear. And she'll know exactly what to say when yer feelin sad, or upset, cuz she'll feel it too. And sure, she's probably gonna yell at yer when you get to thinkin crazy – but that's' only because she'll care about yer, and doesn't want yer to get lost inside yer own head."

I'm talkin about Viola and Sean knows it – but his Noise stays the same color. Bluish gray. I'd ask him what he was thinkin but I can already tell.

"I don't know if I'll find someone like Viola." He says to me. "All the girls in my class think we have cooties."

I don't know what that means but I chuckle at the image he shows me in his Noise – girls runnin away from him and his friends in class, or when they're outside playin in the middle of the day. Then I say, "How old are yer, Sean?"

"Nine."

I reach over, pat him on the shoulder twice.

"Yer got time then, kid." Even tho I still kinda am, myself.

Sophie stops fussin around and walks over to us – her shoes and pant legs covered in mud. I'm startin to think this is the kinda thing I'm supposed to prevent from happening, but it could have been a lot worse.

"Yer clothes are all dirty now, Soph." I say, givin her a nickname even tho I'm not sure why. "Let's go inside so yer ma can wash yer up."

"Are they done with their conversation, though?" Sean asks, worried that we're breaking Viola's strict instructions to stay outside until their done with the conversation. Sophie, on the other hand, is already chargin past us on the steps. Leavin mud footprints on the wood as she goes to the door.

"Yeah. We're in the clear." I say, then tap my temple. "I hear them wrapping up with it now."

Val (Sophie's ma) yells at her when we get back inside.

"Young lady! What did I tell you about staying put until we were done in here?" She shouts, then charges forward so quickly that I think she's comin for me, and not her kid.

Viola and the other women turn from the semi-circle they were standin in. Panic is in Viola's Noise, probably thinkin that Sophie got hurt – but she smiles after seein that she'd only ruined her clothes.

You couldn't keep the kid still for a couple minutes? She says thru her Noise, and I shrug.

You try watchin her next time. I say, and nod towards Sophie, who's whinin' and complainin' as her ma drags her out the room to get cleaned up.

I would… Viola says, But I'm gonna need you to stay with Val's kids for a little while longer. Hildy and I want to spend the rest of the day teaching the women about their Noise. That way, when the men are healed, they can practice together.

I'm thinkin it's a good idea – but why am I the one who has to stay behind with the kids?

Last time I checked, I was the one who got Jane and Wilf usin their Noise together. I say, and Viola gives me a look.

Alright. She says, and then crosses her arms, which is how I know she's gettin ready to say something smart. I'll watch the kids and you can deal with Val's nagging and Hellie's talking and Iris's crying –

On second thought. I say, interruptin her Noise, I'll do just fine with the kids.

Viola snorts and then walks up to me, says in a quiet voice, "Thanks, Todd. I'd say that it won't take long but I'm not sure when we'll be back."

"It's okay." I tell her, shruggin my shoulders. "But don't overwork yerself. It's not like they can use their Noise fully anyways – not without their husbands around."

Viola nods, cuz she already knows this. "I know. But I want them to at least have the basics down. That way, when their husbands have recovered, they'll be ready."

Val and Sophie come back into the room now – well, Val is stompin in, still fuming, and Sophie's draggin her feet, lookin upset.

"Please behave, you two." She tells her kids at the door, where are all the women are gettin ready to leave. "Do not give Mr. Hewitt any trouble while I'm gone, do you hear me?"

Mr. Hewitt? I'm askin myself, at the same time the kids are answerin "Yes ma'am" to their ma. Viola laughs at the confusion in my Noise just as the women are walkin out the door, and I throw her a quick, Don't even think about it before she can tease me about the name.

See you later, Todd. Don't give the kids too much trouble.

Sean was sittin in the middle of the livin room and readin all of Viola's books until the sun went down, and Sophie stomped around the house, gettin into things she had no business touchin. I let her have her way for a few hours so that I cud straighten up the house, have it all neat and tidy before Viola and the other women got back. I'm fixin up the bed in the room that me and Viola share when Sophie, who's footsteps I've already memorized, comes stomping in –

And with my ma's journal in her hand.

"Is this your diary?!" She asks me, holdin it up for me to see. I let go of the covers on the bed to snatch it from her hands – and, unsurprisingly, she smiles.

"No, not a diary." I answer her. "Where did you get this?"

She shrugs, then says 'I dunno!' in a childish way – skips right out the room before I can make her answer. Alone again, I thumb thru all the pages, almost like I'm makin sure they're all there –

And then I shove it underneath the mattress. Out of sight for anyone else to see, or get a hold to.

"Okay, you two." I say when I get back into the living room – but I pause when I see Sophie and her brother sitting on the floor, looking guilty. They look like they were just havin a secret conversation – a conversation they didn't want me to kno about.

"Wut's goin on?" I ask them, but I really don't have to, cuz I can see it all in Sean's Noise –

My ma leavin me behind –

Her findin the Spackle community –

My pa meetin up with her again –

The explosions with their Noise –

The threats from the Spackle –

"Sean is scared of that story in your journal." Sophie says, a matter of fact. "He thinks our parents are going to die with their Noise, now. Like the people in the story did."

It's the first time I'm realizin that the kids barely kno wut's goin on – not about Noise, but all the politics goin on around it. How dangerous some people thought it wuz.

"The people in the story didn't die from their Noise." I say, omitting the fact that I'm talkin about my parents.

"So then… what happened to them?" Sophie asks now. "The story isn't finished."

I take a deep, long breath before answerin her with the only explanation I got. "I don't kno." I say, then move into the livin room to sit cross legged in front of them. "But Noise ain't anything to be afraid of. Not when you use it right."

Sean is lookin at me like he ain't so sure – just like he wuz earlier. Then he says, "So how come it set our house on fire? And how come it hurt our dad? And how come it's makin our ma so angry?"

"She's always angry." Sophie adds, under her breath.

"Because," I start to tell them, "Yer parents don't kno how to use it right. But once me and Viola show them, it'll be okay. Better than okay, actually. Yer see how the two of us are together. It's harmless."

Sophie only shrugs, like she cud care less – but Sean is still lookin worried. Real worried.

"C'mon. Why don't we play a game or somethin?" I say, tryin to get them in a better mood. Sophie shrieks to show she's in agreement and goes to find the cards – but her brother is just sittin there. Starin at me – and then at the window, where the sun is startin to go down.

Todd.

I didn't mean to fall asleep, but after feeding Val's kids and playin seven rounds of card games with em – I was more tired than usual. I let them have the bed in the back room while I waited in the living room for Viola to get back – and here she wuz, crouched down next to me.

"Yer back." I say, happy and relieved, even tho she hadn't gone that far. Force of habit, after all we've been thru. "How'd it go?"

"Really good." She whispers. Now that I'm wakin up, I can hear the other women gettin into bed in the other room, can hear Val sneakin into the back room to check on her kids. "They did really well, Todd. Hildy and I are going to see if their husbands are any better tomorrow morning. If they are, we'll practice with them, too, and then maybe we can go check on their houses, if they're anywhere near finished rebuilding –"

She's talkin a million miles a minute and I can hardly keep up, seein that I'm barely awake. I put my hand on her arm, then interrupt her by sayin her name. "Viola."

She stops, looks at me. "What?"

"Do you even kno wut yer sayin?"

She blinks twice, like she doesn't understand the question.

"Yer talkin really fast." I say to her. "Even yer Noise can't keep up."

Even with the room bein dark, I can still see her smile, but it's small. Apologetic. "Sorry. There's just a lot going on."

I nod, cuz I understand, then pat the spot on the blanket next to me. "Why don't yer get some rest, then?"

But Viola only shakes her head no. "I have to ask you something, first."

"Now?" I ask. She nods.

"Now."

"Okay. Wut is it?"

"Let's go outside, first."

"Right now?" I ask, my eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes, Todd. Right now." She says, sort of laughin, but she's also serious. I watch as Viola stands up from her crouched position, then nods her head towards the door. It's the middle of the night and she's been workin all day but she's still goin –

I stand up and follow her outside.

I saw Mona today. Viola says, and she's usin her Noise now, just in case someone cud here us. She's leanin against the outside of the house and I join her at her side, our shoulders touchin. A breeze runs across our skin, but it's warm. It looked like she was spying on us. Taking notes in that journal of hers.

Wuz the elder Spackle with her? I ask, and I try my best not to let concern show in my Noise. The elder Spackle's warning still played in my mind from time to time – but I didn't want to give it any control. Noise wasn't dangerous, not like she said it wuz, and me and Viola were proof of that. Wilf and Jane were proof of that. Val, Hellie, and Iris wud be proof of that, soon –

Just like my parents were, too.

It wuz wut I made myself believe in.

No, she wasn't. Viola says, But I'm pretty sure that Mona reported what we were doing back to her. Letting her know that we were still teaching people to use their Noise together.

I let out a deep, long sigh, tryin not to sound irritated. But Viola already knows how I'm feelin. Can see it in my Noise.

Todd. She says, lookin at me now. You don't plan on trying to attack the elder spackle, do you?

I look up and meet Viola's gaze, hopin that the truth doesn't just in my Noise, but my eyes, too. Viola. Yer kno I'm not intentionally goin to start a war with her –

So then what were you talking about, earlier today? When you said that.. if she wanted a war, she would get one?

I'm tryin to think of how I cud say it without bein too harsh, but I can't hold the truth back from Viola. I meant it the way it sounded. If she wants to try and stop our Noise, she can all she wants. But her Noise ain't a match up against ours.

Viola, still lookin at me, says, And you don't think that's alarming?

Not really. I think it's just a precaution. Just in case.

Viola doesn't say anything, just looks down to the ground.

Wut are yer worried about, Viola?

She takes her time before answering, looking up at me with soft eyes. We can't keep looking over our shoulders, Todd. How much longer are we going to have to defend ourselves before we can actually enjoy –

I'm not sure if Viola can hear it, but there's a rustling in the tree's on the other side of the field – cud be from the wind, but I still take my gaze away from Viola to see for myself. No one seems to be there, and the rustling stops after I look, but even if it's all in my head, it still feels like a presence is there. Watching. Waiting –

-Ourselves. Viola says, still goin. I'm just worried that people are going to think their Noise is for the purpose of war, instead of just enjoying it, and using it to connect with the Land. And that isn't your fault – I mean, I'm worried about what the elder Spackle might do, too. I had this nightmare the other night that she was –

But before Viola can finish wut she's sayin, there's a loud cry from inside the house. We both turn around, ask each other What was that? In our Noise – until I recognize it as Sean. Viola and I push off the wall and hurry inside, stumble our way through the dark hallway until finally reaching ours. Hellie and Iris are standin behind Val, who's sittin on the bed beside her cryin son, tryin to console him. Sophie is standin by the door, and she looks up when me and Viola step in. For the first time, she actually looks scared. Hands tremblin. Fear in her eyes.

"What happened?" Viola asks. Iris and Hellie turn to look at her.

"Sean had a nightmare!" Hellie says, or shouts, rather. Iris nods beside her.

"It wasn't a nightmare." Sean says between cries – and his ma hushes him. "Ask Sophie, she saw it too!"

We all turn to face Sophie, who's eyes scan the room, lookin at all of us before she speaks. "He's r-right." She says, stumbling over her words. "She w-was in here, by the w-window."

"Who was?" Viola asks. Sophie's lower lip trembles, and she's so scared that she grabs Viola's hand, steps close to her side as if seeking protection.

"A lady with crazy hair." Sophie says, but only to Viola, even tho we can all hear her. "And another one. A Spackle. S-she… s-she…"

"What is it, Sophie?" Viola says, soft and quiet. "You can tell us."

Sophie presses her face on Viola's pant leg, her cries all muffled as she whimpers against the fabric. Seein her that way, I have to clench my fists at my sides, bite back the anger rising in my Noise –

It was one thing to send us threats –

But stalking our community –

And putting fear where it did not belong –

Was something else entirely –

"She was looking for you." Sophie finally says, tugging on Viola's hand. "She tapped on the window and told Sean… she told him that… that…"

"That we need to be careful." Sean said for her, his voice still tearful. Everyone turned their gazes to him, waited for what he was gonna say next – but I cud already see it in his Noise. Cud already see the elder Spackle, standing behind Mona as she leaned in thru the window, whisperin to Sean,

"They are dangerous, but they don't know it. Their Noise is going to kill them – and in time, it will kill you, too. But not if we find them. Not if we stop them."

Viola shudders beside me. Sophie keeps whimpering. The woman share worried expressions and Sean just looks at me. Waitin to see what I'm going to do next.

Or maybe he's already readin it in my Noise.

"Did they say where they were goin?" I ask, and both the kids shake their heads no.

"Just that they want to find you." Sean says.

"Are they going to kill us?!" Sophie shouts. Her ma shushes her, and Viola only squeezes her hand. Shakes her head no.

"No, they're not." She says – then looks up at me, still talkin to the group, but with her eyes on me. "You guys go back to bed, okay?"

I can tell that everyone's got questions – but there's no time to answer any. Viola gives Sophie's hand another squeeze before letting her go to her ma, who gets them back in bed. Hellie and Iris walk with us back down the hallway, askin us questions we don't have the answers to yet. Just stay calm, don't worry about it, everything is alright – that's wut Viola is tellin them.

She tells me something different when it's just the two of us.

We need to go see Ben. She says, watchin me as I get ready to leave. We need to go see Ben and tell him everything that we saw. The elder Spackle can't just go around scaring people, and making up lies about Noise. It'll have our whole community in even more of an uproar –

I know. I say, finishin up the laces on my shoes before standin up. Takin her hand. She won't get away with it. I promise.

There's somethin in her eyes that says she believes me, and that's all I got to see to kno we're on the same page. That we're gonna fight back.

Just like we always have.

Author's Note:

Ehhh this chapter is not my favorite, but I'm so glad I got it done! I'm thinking there will be four or five more chapters before I end the story, and I've already got some of the next one done, so hopefully it's out MUCH sooner than this one! Let me know what you guys think/ if there is anything else you'd like to see – and I hope you've already had a great start to your New Year!