CANNOT BE SEEN

XxX

Chapter 7

"To prohibit the reading of certain books is to declare the inhabitants to be either fools or slaves." Claude Adrien Helvetius

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The warning bells rung in the distance, the trills echoing off every surface of the village. They rang out into the deafening silence, inciting fear, chaos, and hysteria to everyone that harkened them. They screamed out into the night, a warning of such profound measure that it provoked the people of the village to run like prey. The citizens of the village were taught to react this way to such an innocent thing as the toll of a bell. A Pavlov's dog, if you will. Remarkably, abetting such things from the moldable, corruptible minds of humans is simple. The instinct of fear is triggered so easily and the catalyst of that moving feeling can be trained. One, most definitely, can be made to fear something that is in no way threatening. They can be forced into fearing by instruction…it can be implanted into their mind by others.

Fear is our protector. It guards us from what threatens us, or what we believe will threaten us. Pushing us away from what may potentially cause us harm, or what has caused us harm in the past. Because what has caused pain and suffering to us previously, we will avoid at all costs. And facing our fears could very well be the most painful thing one must endure.

Everyone in the village who was running, who was overcome by panic, who was worrying for themselves and their family were running from their fears, as most sane people would. But, they never stopped to think about what they were running from. They never took the time to understand their enemy…or what they thought was their enemy. They just run, blindly, from what they have been told was a threat. And those who told them, those who had, in the first place instructed this fear. And buried it, like a seed, into the influential minds of those who are capable of fear. Those whose panic may be turned on with the flick of a switch, or the ringing of a bell. The people who had created, procured, and maintained this unceasing fear of the adversary, they sat and listened to the bells. The bells that stirred, in them, an emotion different from trepidation, an emotion closer to that of gratification. And they sat and they listened.

And at last, the bells' voice died on the cold night air. The last echoes of its straining uproar reverberated, trembling, suspended in the very breeze.

The only thing to be heard now, was the scramble of people, the panic induced shouting and hiding of the villagers. And then all was silent.

Alice Hunt was the first to break the soundlessness in the meeting hall, "I believe everyone is in their homes." She said it needlessly, but anything to stop the ringing silence.

Edward Walker, the chair of this meeting, nodded. They had sent one of the elders, dressed as a creature, to alert the watchtower attendant. And, oh, how it worked.

The village was off edge, they needed to be reminded again of the antagonists that lurked in the woods. This would put the creatures back in their thoughts for certain, the elders had agreed upon it.

The plane, however, was another matter. It was still unknown as to why it had flown over the village. It should not have happened. A plane had never flown over the village in all the years that it had existed. And Edward was counting on the fact that it never happen again.

They had to believe that it would never happen again while planning what to do if it ever did. They would do everything in their power to keep this village innocent. Whatever it took.

XxX

Ivy, who had been waiting for a horrible, uncomfortable question from Lucius, was surprised into stillness by his words.

"What is my color, Ivy?"

She did not move for a moment and then an easy smile spread over her face as relief flooded her. Lucius never failed to cheer her up.

Ivy leaned closer to Lucius, pressing her cheek against his so that her lips were by his waiting ear.

"I shan't tell you, Lucius." She whispered with humor evident in her voice. "It would not be proper to speak of such things. Not until our wedding, at least."

Ivy heard, through Lucius's breathing, the slight smile that grazed his face whenever their wedding was mentioned, and it made her feel almost like things were normal again. And it felt so good.

Just as she pressed a kiss to Lucius's cheek, the front door creaked open, hard heels clicked on the wooden floor above their heads, and a voice called out, "Lucius?"

It was Mrs. Hunt.

Lucius pulled away from Ivy abruptly and she giggled quietly as he stood and pushed open the trap door, replying. "Here, mother."

He turned back to grab Ivy's hand and led her up the steps where Lucius's mother informed them that it was safe to go out again. Alice was still under the impression that Lucius knew nothing of the creatures' inexistence, and he said nothing to make her think any different.

Mrs. Hunt, then, went off to bed and Lucius walked Ivy home. He left her at her porch, with the promise of seeing her tomorrow being the only thing that made his heart not ache with the strong sorrow of separation from his love.

XxX

The sky was a morning grey and the air was cold in a careless sort of way.

It was early the next morning and Ivy was perched on the settee in the sitting room, waiting for Lucius. It would most likely be another thirty minutes at least until he would arrive, but Ivy had trouble sleeping last night and had been lying in bed, awake for an hour before deciding to get up just fifteen minutes ago.

In the still silence of the break of day Ivy's idle mind started to wander. Her unseeing eyes drifted to the book shelf as her thoughts overtook her.

The books that her father was hiding. They had to mean something, or else they would not be hidden. Why they were being hidden, however, was a question that needed answering. And Ivy was now committed to finding it. Her and Lucius together were going to figure out what the elders were still hiding, by whatever means necessary.

Ivy sighed and sat back against the settee. She felt so much better after telling Lucius about the creatures. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She no longer felt the guilt that plagued her about keeping secrets from Lucius, she still, however, regretted not telling him sooner. And Lucius was so understanding about it all, and that made her feel all the worse. He was-

"Ivy?" Mr. Walker broke Ivy from her reverie and she started at his voice.

"Whatever are you doing out here all alone?" He asked his daughter is surprise.

She trained her eyes on her father's color and after a moment, spoke, "I could not sleep. I just came in here to think." She looked on for a long moment, seeing her father in a different way after they had found out he was hiding things still.

"Ah, I often do my best thinking in the early morning." He smiled and sat down next to her just as Mrs. Walker came down the hall humming a soft tune.

"Good morning, Ivy" She said cheerily and moved to her husband's side.

"Morning, Mother" Ivy replied after a moment's hesitation. Her mother was oddly in a very pleasant mood.

Tabitha Walker leaned in and kissed her husband on the cheek before moving to the other side of the room to stroke the dying fire.

Mr. Walker watched her briefly before turning back to his daughter.

"Are you anticipating your wedding, Ivy? It is only drawing ever closer." He put his hand on her knee and she could hear the true joy in his voice. It made her feel guilty for resenting his secrets and she smiled easily back.

"I am very excited, Papa. I cannot wait to be wed." She sighed happily.

"Oh, marriage is such a beautiful thing." He reflected, his voice sounding far away and wistful to Ivy's ears.

It provoked her mind to wander to other matters, such as the relationship between her mother and father, but he tore her from those thoughts as well.

"You and Lucius will be very happy," he tucked his daughter's hair behind her ear and looked at her lovingly.

Ivy smiled and nodded, though she heard a bit of sadness…or something that she could not quite place, in her father's tone.

She took a deep breath and, with a final decision on something she had been thinking on for a while, she turned to the shelf at her left and reached out. She remembered distinctly where she had heard Lucius place the book back upon the shelf and her hand found the title with little trouble.

"Papa, will you read to me?...only until Lucius arrives?" Her tone was very innocent and she pulled the book from the shelf before her father could react in any manner.

But when she held it out for him he hesitated and she could swear she heard him thinking rapidly, as if not knowing what to do or say.

The silence stretched and she heard her mother turn to watch the scene unfolding.

Her father, then chuckled a little uncomfortably. "Of course I will read to you, Ivy," he relieved her of the book's inconsolable weight. "But, not this book, Dear. There is nothing of great interest in here." It was then that he moved to put it away and Ivy gently took hold of her father's wrist.

"But, Papa, I want you to read this one," Her fingers, she ran across the stamped lettering of the dust jacket. "I so adore Longfellow."

Mr. Walker moved the book from her reach and hastened to put it back on the shelf.

"There are none of his best works in there, Ivy. Here, I will read to you a poem I am very fond of," He riffled for a few short moments, and Ivy simply sat there. The way he reacted. He was hiding something of such magnitude…she knew now for certain. He did not want her to know what was in that book. It was a pity she already did.

Now, the childish resentment at her father for hiding and going to such lengths to shield her, bubbled to the surface.

"Here, Ivy. This is a good one. It is authored by Thomas Kimble Hervey and entitled 'Love'," He cleared his throat, and to Ivy's complete disinterest, started to read the poem aloud.

"There are who say the Lover's heart

Is in the loved one's merged ;

O, never by love's own warm art

So cold a plea was urged!

No!-hearts that loved hath crowned or crossed

Love fondly knits together ;

But not a thought or hue is lost

That made a part of either…"

Her ears no longer listened, her mind trained only on the thought of what had transpired just a few moments ago. However, the sharp knock on the door made every noise in the room stop and Ivy turned to the offending door.

"Do come in," Mrs. Walker finally called after a short pause.

The door opened and Lucius peeked coyly inside.

"Good morning, Mr. Walker. Mrs. Walker," he inclined his head to each in turn, his greeting quiet, but said with polite respect. "Ivy," He nodded to her as well and her face broke into an involuntary beam in his presence.

"My Boy, do come in," Edward beckoned to Lucius with a joyful smile.

Before Lucius had the time to answer, Ivy sprung up. "No, Papa, Lucius and I are going for a walk…" She gathered her cane and hastened from the room, calling over her shoulder, "Good Bye!"

Her father, a smile still on his face, bid them farewell as they closed the door behind them.

Ivy took hold of Lucius's arm and led him away from the house so that she could inform him, without fear of being overheard, of what had happened with her father.

XxX

After the door closed and Ivy and Lucius were out of earshot, Mrs. Walker turned deliberately to her husband.

"Why," She spoke with a low suspicious tone, "did you react so to Ivy's interest in your books?"

Mr. Walker sat there, staring at his wife, searching for words to explain. He didn't need to, for she went right over to the shelf herself and plucked the infringing book from the rows of literature. She ripped the cover off with anger and saw beneath it just what she was expecting. A modern book. Disguised.

Her eyes moved from the book to her husband's guilty face. "You," She could not go on for the rage she felt. "You! You…brought books from the 21st century! It was strictly forbidden, and you brought them into our village!" Her voice rose to an even higher pitch with her indignancy.

Mr. Walker raised his hands in quiet surrender and spoke quietly, trying to soothe his ruffled wife. "I know, I know, we were not supposed to bring books, but-"

"No! No 'buts'" She dropped the heavy book to the floor. "We took an oath! You are endangering everything we have made! What if someone had found these!" Her fervor echoed off the small cabin's walls and before Edward could say anything in his defense, she moved to the shelves and started pulling books from them, ripping off the dust covers and throwing them to the floor.

"These are not allowed! Someone could have found them! How can you be so careless with our hard work? With all we have promised!" With that, she grabbed the books from the floor, piled in her arms and moved to the now roaring fire that she had just restocked.

"These will not jeopardize our village any longer!" And she threw them, one by one, into the fire.

Mr. Walker watched in surprise as the first couple of books were consumed by the fire. The flames danced over the burning pages and the paper curled before blackening and disintegrating into nothing.

"Tabitha, I know we were not supposed to bring books with us, but, I needed them. To remind me of what we came from. I needed them when we first arrived, and I would not have survived without them. It was so hard to be here, to abandon everything. The books were my salvation." He squatted down beside his wife trying to get her to understand.

"And I was careless, I know. But…it is of no consequence…no one has found them. And I am ready to get rid of them now. They are no longer needed." His voice was quiet, forcing her into listening.

She stopped moving and when she turned to her husband there were unwashed tears shining in her eyes.

"I know you meant no harm. I know it," She sat back on her heels, defeated, and tears started to make their way down her face. "I am just so troubled. I want so much for our village to stay as it is. Innocent. I want nothing to ruin our chances of keeping this village surviving as it is. We cannot be careless any longer. It is up to us to keep what we have built working and not to let it fail." There she buried her face in her trembling hands.

"Oh, I know. I know. We can burn the rest of the books. It is time to be more active in the conservation of our village. We will. We will do it. Do not fret, My Wife." Edward kneeled down before his wife and embraced her tightly, comforting her tears away.

Mrs. Walker curbed her tears and nodded into her husband's shoulder. "You are right. I am sorry, I overreacted. I am just so troubled."

Mr. Walker shook his head and hushed her. "I promise not to be so careless in the future."

She looked up at him with tears drying on her cheeks and he leaned down, kissing her carefully as their lips touched.

After he pulled away, he picked up a book from the stack at his right and threw it into the hungry fire. They both watched as the book turned black with burning and they watched as the resounding link to what they once were, the very breath of the modern world that they had left behind, burned up, the fire devouring every last page of their past.

XxX

TBC

Until next time…