Chapter 5: The Hamster Car
Although Blanca and Mary decided to set out right away, there was one thing the white marshmallow wanted to do before their journey became official. The two of them walked across the peppermint cobblestoned streets for a long time. Mary wasn't sure how long their walk was, and her legs started to throb after a while, but she didn't dare complain. Besides, after having dealt with Dana for so long, aching legs were the least of her problems. Finally, they stopped in front of one house, which was basically a gigantic wedding cake. Blanca sprouted an arm and knocked on the door with a fist.
"Coming!" A voice called out from inside the wedding cake house. The door opened, revealing another talking white marshmallow. Only this one was slightly shorter than Blanca by about two feet from what Mary could see. "Oh, hi Mom! How are you?"
"Good morning, Sugarbelle," Blanca greeted her daughter, Sugarbelle, with a smile. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I can't stay, and I was hoping I could ask you a favor."
"Sure!" Sugarbelle exclaimed, only just now noticing Mary next to her. "Who's this?"
Instead of answering her question outright, Blanca continued on. "I know this is on short notice, but can I ask you to check up on my house every now and again? The reason being that I've decided to accompany this passenger, Mary, on her journey through the train," She explained calmly. "As you can see, she's fairly young, and I'm concerned that she may encounter dangers on the train that she won't be able to handle, so I've taken it upon myself to accompany her on her journey. At least until she's able to leave the train."
The three of them fell silent for a brief moment. Mary could see Sugarbelle's smile turn into a frown, and immediately turned rigid. Was Sugarbelle sad or angry? Or was she just lost in thought? Mary couldn't tell.
"This is a surprise. You don't normally leave the Sweets Car," Sugarbelle said after some brief rumination. Then her frown turned back into a smile. "But I understand. I can keep an eye on the house for you while you're gone."
Blanca inhaled an audible gasp, and she used both hands to take her daughter's hand. "Thank you so much, Sugarbelle. You're doing me a big favor. I apologize it's on such short notice, but I just want to make sure this child is safe."
"Do you know when you'll come back?" Sugarbelle asked.
Blanca shook her head. "No. Passengers don't have a set time frame for when they're able to leave the train. They have to resolve their issues at their own pace," Blanca explained further. "Only when their numbers go down to zero, can they go home."
"Your mom's really nice!" Mary chimed in on impulse.
Sugarbelle flashed a smile at her before looking back up at her mother. "She's not the only reason you're leaving the Sweets Car, now is it?" She inquired.
Not the only reason? Mary's eyebrows shot up. Was there something else she wanted to do outside the Sweets Car? She looked up, seeing Blanca's eyes tremble for just a moment. Sugarbelle noticed it as well.
"There's no need to hide it, Mom. I know what you really want to do," Sugarbelle said. "And I won't stop you. I'll check on your house every now and again. You go and have fun!" She sprouted an arm and gestured for the two of them to get going.
Blanca's smile returned. "Thank you for understanding, Sugarbelle. I'll return as soon as I'm able, and please pass this information on to everyone else, if you can."
Her squishy daughter flashed a thumb's up. "You can count on me! See ya!" With that, she closed the door.
Blanca looked down at Mary. "Well, that takes care of that. I think it's time we set off on our journey."
The Sweets Car turned out to be bigger than Mary had expected. She wasn't sure how long the two of them walked, and even with Blanca sprouting a long pair of legs, it seemed like the land of sweets went on forever. But Mary didn't mind. Just being with Blanca made her feel warm inside...and safe. Sugarbelle's words did echo in her mind a lot of the time, and she couldn't help but wonder: Did Blanca have ulterior motives for wanting to accompany Mary? Maybe now would be a good time to ask.
"Blanca? Sugarbelle said you wanted to do something else outside the Sweets Car," Mary inquired. "What is it, exactly?"
The giant marshmallow stopped in her tracks, as did Mary, but she didn't say anything right at first. Mary wondered if she said something she shouldn't have. "Oh! Sorry! I probably shouldn't have asked," She was quick to apologize, afraid that she might have made her mad. Mary wished she could just instinctively know what made certain people mad so she could avoid those at all costs. But life didn't come with those kinds of instructions.
"No no. I'm not angry," Blanca clarified, her voice as dulcet as it always was. "But...you're right in that there is something else I want to do while I'm with you. However...it's not something I'm comfortable talking about. At least, not right now. But I'll tell you when I feel I'm ready."
"Okay then!" Satisfied with the answer, Mary decided to drop the issue. She even decided to memorize what Blanca said just now, in the hopes of using it whenever people tried to force her to talk about things she didn't want to. She wondered why she hadn't heard that kind of response before, filing it away in her brain for future use.
Still, she did find herself wondering just what else Blanca wanted to do outside the Sweets Car.
Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, the duo finally found a red door with gold handles. "Look! There's the exit!" Mary was the first to point it out, running towards it even though her backpack weighed her down slightly.
"I'll open it for you," Blanca offered, walking over to the door, growing a set of arms, and using her hands to turn the handle.
Wind hit them like a ton of bricks as they made their way outside. Mary anticipated this and held her arms over her face, but Blanca winced as the duo left the train car, with the entrance shutting behind them with a clang.
"You okay, Blanca?" Mary asked.
"Yes. I'm fine," Blanca replied, brushing some dust out of her eyes. "It's been so many years since I've been outside the train. I'm afraid I'm not quite used to this part of it," She explained.
Mary knew the feeling. If she hadn't been to a place for a really long time, suddenly going back to it would make it feel as new as it was the first time she'd been there, complete with all sorts of textures, sensations, sights, and rules that she needed an extra minute or ten to process. Not that Dana would ever give her that. It wasn't long before the two of them walked across the bridge and made their way to the next car. Mary opened it this time, and when they went inside, their mouths fell agape at what they saw.
This train car had...nothing in it. It was just a small white room with literally nothing inside, and the exit was just ten feet away.
"Oh wow. I thought this car would have stuff in here," Mary said.
"Me too," Blanca added, just as befuddled as Mary.
The two of them did take some comfort in that they didn't have to deal with any danger or obstacles. Mary turned the handle on the exit, and they made their way to the car after that. Blanca decided to open the door this time around.
Colorful plastic tubes coiled around the area every which way, with rows upon rows of houses made in the exact same material, only they all reached as high as Mary's shoulders. The floor was completely covered in rice, wheat, and grain, though the duo could see some fields of them growing further down. Mary looked down and saw hamsters scuttling about. One hamster carried a small bag on its back, walking on its hind legs like a person. A group of smaller hamsters crawled through a plastic tube like the ones she saw on playgrounds.
"Eeeee!" Mary couldn't believe her eyes, and squealed out loud. "This car's full of hamsters and they're all so cuuuuuute!"
Every hamster within her vicinity stopped in their tracks and turned to face the duo, their small eyes shrinking as soon as they heard Mary's voice.
"Hello!" Mary crooned, waving her hand at them.
Instead of greeting her back, the hamsters all scurried away on all fours, taking refuge in their plastic houses. Mary's smile faltered. This was not the reaction she expected.
"Why'd they all run away from me?" Mary asked, her voice bordering on a whimper.
"Maybe they're not used to strangers coming onto their train," Blanca suggested. "Or it could be because we're bigger than them, and they may see us as threats."
That seemed plausible. Mary was much bigger than a regular hamster, Blanca even more so. They probably thought Mary would step on them, even though she herself would never do something like that. But they didn't know that.
"Let's keep walking and look around," Blanca said. "I'm sure the exit is around here somewhere."
Mary nodded in agreement, though she did wish she could talk with at least one of the hamster denizens. They kept walking, seeing more plastic houses and tubes. There were even some houses that were just big hamster cages, complete with wheels, water bottles, and plastic igloos. Unfortunately, every single hamster they saw ran away from them as soon as they saw the duo coming towards them. Mary's heart hurt with every group of hamsters she saw scurry into their houses like they saw a ghost. Why were they so scared?
They did come upon one group of hamsters that didn't run away, but eyed them with fear. Mary thought now was the time to convince them she wasn't a threat. "Hello," Mary kneeled down and greeted them using a low voice. "Do you guys wanna be friends?"
The hamsters all exchanged concerned looks.
"I promise I won't hurt you or step on you. That'd be cruel, and I love hamsters!" Mary added hastily, hoping that would convince them.
Unfortunately for Mary, they still didn't respond. They kept chittering amongst themselves, and their small bodies shuddered with fright. Mary frowned, unable to comprehend why her efforts weren't working.
"I have an idea," Blanca said, gesturing for Mary to move back a little. Mary backed away three feet.
In that moment, Blanca's body began to shrink. She turned smaller and smaller until she was exactly the same size as the hamsters. She even grew a set of hamster ears, a tail, and modeled her body, arms, and legs after one, so she looked like a pure white hamster, without the noticeable nose and teeth. The hamsters' mouths fell agape at the transformation, as did Mary's. She knew Blanca could grow arms and legs, but she had no idea she could make herself smaller.
"Please excuse us for frightening you," Blanca began, taking the initiative this time. "We have no intention of hurting you. We were wondering if you could show us where the exit is. We promise we're only just passing through."
One gray hamster muttered, "That's what they all say," but he did finally respond. "The exit's further down that way," He pointed behind himself. "But you'd best make it quick. Outsiders aren't welcome here."
Outsiders? A weight pressed down on Mary's chest. They really didn't like them, all because they weren't hamsters like them? She balled both hands into tight fists. If they said they didn't like her, Mary knew it was pointless to try and change their mind. Still, it hurt to know that even hamsters didn't like her just because of what she was. At the very least, they were honest about it.
"Why is that, if I may ask?" Blanca inquired as politely as possible.
Another hamster, a brown one with darker brown stripes, spoke next. "Some time ago, a group of rowdy children came barreling through here and destroyed everything left and right. We tried to fight them off, but they were too powerful. We only just managed to finally fix all the damage they left behind," She explained. "We're sorry to be so unwelcoming, but you must understand, we're trying to get by and make sure this doesn't happen again."
So that was why. Mary felt a pang of sympathy for these hamsters. They were afraid Mary and Blanca would be just like the people that destroyed their car. Mary knew she and Blanca would never do something like that ever, but from the hard tones of their voices, she could tell they were set in their ways.
"We understand. We apologize for bothering you. Have a good day," Blanca said, changing back into her original form and gesturing for Mary to follow her. The two of them walked away, their hearts heavier than before.
"I know they say they had to deal with bad people, but…" Mary found herself speaking her thoughts aloud, unable to keep them contained. "That doesn't mean everybody's like that. We would never hurt them, right? Why don't they like us?"
Blanca exhaled a desolate sigh. "It's true. It's wrong to hate or judge an entire race of people or animals just because of one group's actions. In theory, you and I both know this, and I'm sure, in the back of their minds, they understand that as well...in their own way. But fear can be very powerful and controlling. It's not easy to face one's personal prejudices, whether they're the result of trauma or because someone taught them to treat others that way. Most denizens are set in their ways, and we can't force them to change their views. All we can really do is just leave them be unless they wish to change their ways."
There was a beat of silence as Mary struggled to process what Blanca said to her. But she appreciated that the marshmallow was being straight with her, and not trying to sugarcoat it or talk to her about it like she was stupid. She wondered if her mother was like that as well. Maybe she met an autistic person who gave her the wrong impression, and decided that all autistic people were just like that one person? Or saw something on TV that told her such? If that were the case, Mary wished she could go back home and tell her mother that she wasn't like whoever or whatever made her think autism was bad. But knowing her mother, she probably wouldn't listen.
A part of her was relieved when a realization hit her: Nobody on the train made an issue of her being autistic. Not even the hamsters, who made their distaste for Mary and Blanca clear as crystal. It still felt surreal. Before her mind could wander further, Mary's shoe made contact with something round and plastic.
"Wha—?!" Something rolled underneath Mary's leg, and she fell backward, unable to maintain her balance.
Luckily, Blanca acted fast. She swung an arm outward, catching Mary with her hand as soon as she toppled over. Thankfully for the both of them, Mary was spared the pain of falling down, even though her heart pulsated with adrenaline from the shock of it all.
"Are you alright?" Blanca asked.
Mary took some breaths before speaking. "I'm fine now. Thanks," She stood back up and looked down at the object that almost made her fall backward.
It was a large, bright purple tube made of hard plastic. About the size of Mary's whole arm at most.
"There it is!" An unfamiliar voice called out from the left side.
Both Mary and Blanca swiveled around, hearing hay and grass seed rustle as another hamster came trotting toward the tube. The hamster had orange and white fur, though a tuft of blonde hair on his forehead frayed outward, defying gravity. Its ears were studded with yellow, star shaped earrings, and wore a necklace with a green bead-like jewel dangling from it. The hamster ran up to the tube and began sniffing, its tiny, pink nose wrinkling as it examined the object in question.
"Glad I caught up to you! Now I just gotta—huh?" The hamster was about to pull the tube away, but he noticed Mary and Blanca, looking up and freezing in his tracks.
Mary slowly hid behind Blanca, expecting the hamster to tell them to go away like the others. Blanca simply stood firm, flashing a friendly smile towards the furry denizen, expecting nothing. Oddly enough, the hamster ran right up to them, his brown eyes sparkling with delight as he let out a loud squeal.
"Whooooooa! Are you a denizen from another train car?! No way!" The orange hamster immediately began scrutinizing Blanca, checking her out from all angles. "Awesome! I've never seen a denizen from a train car outside of mine before! This is amazing!"
Blanca's body relaxed, wiggling a bit as she lowered herself to the hamster's level. "Well, it's certainly refreshing to see a friendly face for once."
"You don't want us to go away?" Mary asked, slinking out from behind Blanca. "The other hamsters don't like us."
It was here that the orange hamster finally took notice of Mary, jumping on one of her shoes as he scrutinized her from below. "They're just a bunch of spineless cowards who can't get past their prejudices. Don't pay them any mind," The hamster retorted in a young, boyish voice that made him sound like he was about twelve years old if he were a human. "You're kinda smaller than the other humans that have passed through here lately."
A smile broke out across Mary's face. Could it be? A hamster denizen who actually liked her somewhat? This was an opportunity Mary couldn't let slip away. She gently pushed the hamster off her shoe before getting down on her knees so she could talk to him better.
"Hiya! My name's Mary and this is Blanca!" Mary exclaimed. "What's yours?"
The hamster flashed a smug grin and puffed out his chest. "Well, if you really must know, kid, I go by the moniker Victorino Achilles Isidoro Liberatore VIII!"
Mary and Blanca exchanged confused looks. They didn't expect a hamster to have such a long name. Seeing their confusion, the hamster gave a small grunt. "Or you can just call me Vic. Yeah, I know, super long name is super long. I get that a lot."
"It's very nice to meet you, Vic," Blanca replied, shrinking her hand to make it as small as Vic's, extending it out for him to shake. Vic obliged, using his paw to shake Blanca's tiny hand. "Although, I should let you know, Mary almost slipped on that tube just now."
Vic's eyes shrunk. "Oh, did you? So sorry about that!" He was quick to apologize. "I was trying to fix one of the pipes in my house, but this one slipped away from me."
Unbothered now that she knew it was an accident, Mary waved a dismissive hand in his direction. "It's okay! If you want, I can help you carry it to your house," She offered. "I bet it's too big for you to carry."
"Oooh! Now that would be very much appreciated!" Vic said. "Can I ride on your shoulder while you're at it?"
"Sure!" Mary extended her hand out. Vic wasted no time crawling up her arm and perching on her right shoulder, right in front of one of her braids. Mary thought Vic's claws would cut into her arm, but he was surprisingly gentle. She picked up the tube and held it to her chest.
"Can you show us where your house is?" Blanca asked.
Vic pointed north. "Don't worry, you can't miss it. It's that one, the biggest one in the whole car."
The trio walked over to the house in question, which wasn't that long of a walk. Only about fifty or so feet by human standards. Vic was right, his house towered over all the other houses the hamsters inhabited, and most of all, it looked like a regular brick house, only with some colorful plastic tubes going through parts of it. Even the door was surprisingly human sized, but the knob was right at the bottom. Vic leaped off Mary's shoulder and turned the knob, which was just low enough for him to use.
"Come on in! It's not often I get visitors," Vic said before rushing inside.
The interior of Vic's house was just as amazing as the exterior. For one, the walls were the same as the outside, all red bricks, and there were shelves upon shelves full of books. Books filled the shelves from top to bottom, with many of them being far bigger than Vic. Only one area didn't have them, and that was because a hamster wheel was nestled in the far left corner. A few knick-knacks Mary couldn't put a name to were scattered about the house, and a wooden coffee table that was as long as her had piles of paper on it that threatened to topple over. She also saw a rectangular bed made out of wheat clippings and shredded paper, held together by a wooden frame.
"Your house isn't anything like the other ones here," Mary noted. Vic's house almost looked like a regular house on the inside.
"Yep, and it's entirely by my own design!" Vic exclaimed as he hopped onto his coffee table. "Well, I designed it, but had the conductor send his...Steward thing...to build it for me."
"How'd you get all these books?" Blanca inquired, using one hand to pull out one book in particular. The cover showed a human heart, and the book was titled Anatomy of the Human Body, rendered in gold lettering. "They're so big, I honestly doubt you could carry them all in here all by yourself," She noted, more out of concern than anything.
"You'd be surprised at how many humans come here that just leave stuff behind," Vic noted as he sorted through some papers. "They often either drop stuff or just give them to me because they don't want to deal with them. Anything I can't drag to my house, I ask the other hamsters to help...though they don't particularly like it. Or me," Vic's tone adopted a bitter undercurrent.
Mary's ears perked up at the last sentence. Was he implying the other hamsters didn't like him? She thought the hamsters here only disliked humans. She kneeled down at the coffee table and put the plastic tube down before speaking. "The other hamsters don't like you?" She asked.
Vic ducked his head, biting the bottom of his lip. "As much as I hate to admit it, yeah. I'm kind of an outcast here. I'm the only hamster who actually wants to go explore the train and learn about the passengers," He explained curtly as he sorted through the rest of the pile of papers on his left. "Hamsters are naturally very timid and fearful, preferring safety and security over taking risks, facing danger, and learning about the unknown. Me, though?" Vic slapped his chest with one paw. "I want more than anything to get the hell out of here and explore the train beyond this car! Why do you think I have so much stuff humans left behind?"
The orange hamster spread his arms akimbo, marveling at the collection of books and items he amassed. "All of this is the result of years of collecting and studying! I want to learn as much as I can about anything and everything!" He proclaimed. "In fact, my family and I are the only hamsters in this entire train, maybe even the world, that know how to read and write and have extensive knowledge of the human world!"
As enthusiastic as he was, he immediately deflated soon after. "Unfortunately, I can't exactly leave the Hamster Car."
"Why not?" Blanca asked, but put a hand on her mouth soon afterward, immediately regretting it.
Paying it no mind, Vic answered her question. "Uh, hello? Have you seen how tiny I am and how big those train doors are? I can't exactly reach them, and even if I could, I'm not strong enough or big enough to turn the knob!"
Understandable enough. Size was obviously the main problem. Mary and Blanca could go through the train doors just fine since they were naturally bigger and stronger. Still, Mary found herself smiling, remembering how enthusiastic Vic was about sharing his knowledge of humans from everything he collected throughout the years. It reminded her of how Mary wanted to go on and on about her favorite shows, books, and games, and about animals. Hearing how his fellow hamster kin shunned him for his interests and bravery only solidified Mary's desire to befriend him. He knew what it was like to feel ostracized and unfairly judged over something that didn't need to be made into a big deal. What was wrong with wanting to see the world? If Vic wanted to study humans and leave the train, why not let him?
"Besides, the other hamsters don't like the idea of me leaving the train car," Vic said before adopting an intentionally nasally tone. "'Oh, Vic! Why would you want to leave the hamster car?! After what those hellions did to it last time, you actually want to learn more about humans?! What's wrong with you?! This is where you belong! You've got some nerve acting like you're so much better than us!' It's the same old crap and guilt-trips every time I even so much as mention it," Vic imitated his hamster kin before extending an index finger. "Just because they have their reasons for hating people and not wanting to leave the car doesn't give them the right to shame me or dictate how I want to live my life!"
A smile broke out across Mary's face as she listened to Vic's woes. He really understood! Why did he have to be made to feel bad about his interests just because the rest of his kin had one bad experience with a few people? For rodents who claimed Vic was the one acting like he was better than them, it seemed more like the other hamsters were the ones acting like they were better than Vic just because they preferred safety and security over facing their fears. Granted, Mary knew there was nothing inherently wrong with preferring to be safe and away from danger. If Mary had her way, she'd stay in her bedroom forever. But she knew that just because she herself wasn't a huge fan of dangerous adventures, it didn't give her the right to stop anyone else from doing what they wanted to do. Her father told her such. In fact, she remembered one time, when she was eight, she wanted to try out horse riding at a local fair they went to. Her mother was convinced she'd never be able to handle it and did everything she could to dissuade her from even attempting it, even for a short run, convinced Mary would either throw a fit or fall right off even with supervision.
Her father actually let her ride the horse. "Why not let her give it a try?" He had said. "She wants to learn something new. There's nothing wrong with that." Although reluctant, Dana relented, and not only did Mary enjoy it, Dana's worries were unfounded.
Of course, there was one dark spot on that particular memory: Even after Mary proved she could handle riding a pony at a fair, her mother never smiled at her or even told her she was proud of her. She just insisted they move on to the next exhibit, and Mary distinctly remembered seeing other parents hug their kids and tell them they were proud of them at that very same horse ride.
Back then, Mary thought her mother was just in a bad mood. Now that she knew about that awful blog, Mary knew exactly why her mother never once praised any of her accomplishments or appreciated the gifts she got for her.
She wondered if the hamsters who shunned Vic felt the same way.
"That really stinks," Mary told him, her small voice resolute. "It's okay if they don't like humans, but why make you feel bad about wanting to learn about them?"
Vic snapped his fingers. "Exactly! So glad somebody gets it!" He exclaimed.
There was one thing that was on Mary's mind. "Hey Vic. You said other people came through the car, right?" Mary asked. "Did they ever ask you to come with them, or you ask to go with them?"
It took all but seconds for Vic to deflate once more, and he shook his head grimly. "Sadly, no. I asked plenty of people, but oftentimes they were in a rush, so I couldn't get two words out. Most of the ones I did ask were either terrified of rodents, or said that having a cute hamster around would hurt their image, which I think is bullocks," He replied. "I mean, if they don't want me around, why bother?"
Good point, but Mary found it utterly sad. Every opportunity he tried to take to leave the hamster car was out of his reach, like a door slamming shut right in front of his face. There had to be some kind of solution to this problem. Vic didn't deserve to be stuck in a car where he wasn't wanted. He deserved to go out and fulfill his dreams.
A light bulb flashed in her head. There was a solution to the problem, and she wasted no time proposing it.
"I have an idea!" She found herself shouting without meaning to, but she couldn't contain it any longer. "Vic, would you like to come with me and Blanca?"
Vic's mouth fell agape, and she could see his two large front teeth. "Wha—?!"
"Please, Blanca? Can he come with us?" Mary immediately approached Blanca and pleaded with her. "He's so lonely here, and he deserves to leave the hamster car and explore the train!"
Although Mary had a feeling that Blanca would approve of the idea, she still had her doubts. She was so used to all of her opinions and ideas getting rejected—Usually by her mother—that she still felt like she had to watch her step and go out of her way to make her case on anything she said, did, or wanted. Thankfully, it took no time at all for Blanca to make her decision.
"I don't see why not. I bet he'd make good company for us," Blanca agreed. "Vic? Would you like to accompany us? We'd be very happy to have you."
For a brief moment, all was silent. Vic was rendered completely and utterly speechless. He did find his voice after a bit, and began jumping up and down, cheering and whooping as loud as he could. "WOOHOO! FINALLY! I can get the hell outta this place! Oh! I need to pack first!" He stopped jumping and held out his index finger. "I need a minute to get some stuff together!"
"Would you like some help?" Blanca proposed.
"Actually…" Vic took a brief moment to ruminate before nodding. "Sure!"
Vic wanted to bring a backpack with him, and had Blanca help stuff some books and some other knick-knacks inside. It was slightly smaller than Mary's backpack, but far bigger than the hamster could ever hope to carry on his back. Blanca offered to carry it for him, as she was strong enough and flexible enough to handle it, to which Vic agreed. Mary couldn't help but jump up and down, flapping her hands in an attempt to push the leftover joy out. The thought of traveling with not only a talking marshmallow, but a talking hamster, one of her favorite animals, was so exciting. What other fun, magical possibilities did this train have? She couldn't wait to find out.
"Hey Vic! Do you want to ride on my shoulder?" Mary asked, kneeling down to extend her arm out for him to climb. "I've always wanted to have a cute animal ride on my shoulder!"
"Sure thing!" Vic didn't hesitate, scurrying right up Mary's arm and making himself at home on her right backpack strap. Mary did wince a little, as Vic's claws bit into her skin just a little bit, but it didn't hurt. At least, not nearly as bad as when Dana pinned her down at the bookstore and cut her wrists with her fingernails.
With that, the duo was now a trio, and they exited Vic's house with renewed zeal in their hearts. "Ooh! Now there's three of us! We're like the Three Musketeers now!" Mary exclaimed out of nowhere.
"Wait," Vic's mouth twitched as he turned his head towards Mary with wide eyes. "You actually read that book?!"
"Huh?" Now it was Mary's turn to be flummoxed. "No. I'm talking about a cartoon my big sister and I watched once."
Blanca put a gentle hand on Mary's shoulder. "Well, it's true that we're a trio now, so whatever the case, we'd best get going," She advised with her usual bright smile. "I'm sure we're in for plenty of adventures."
"You can count me in for sure, Marshmallow Lady!" Vic exclaimed, raising his hand as though he were in school.
"Hey! Her name's Blanca!" Mary scolded, scandalized that Vic would refer to her as just Marshmallow Lady.
Of course, Blanca didn't pay it any mind, and the three of them walked through the rest of the Hamster Car until they made it to the exit. Thankfully, it wasn't too far of a walk for Mary and Blanca, only about fifty or so feet. Mary took the liberty of turning the door handle. As soon as they walked out into the wasteland, Vic's mouth dropped open in awe of what lay out before him.
"Whooooaaaa...so this is what they call the Wasteland...hey Mary. Walk over to those railings, would ya?" Vic said, pointing towards the metal railing. "I want to get a closer look."
Mary obliged, taking care not to walk too fast, lest Vic fall off. Thankfully he didn't, and he took a minute to process the new scene, smells, and sights before him. "I've heard stories of this place before. This is my first time ever seeing it in person," Vic mused, completely mesmerized.
"We gotta be careful though," Mary advised. "Someone said giant bug creatures called Ghoms fly around here, and they eat people."
"Oh, I've heard the stories. No need to tell me twice," Vic said, gesturing for them to cross the bridge.
Although the scenery outside the train was barren, without any trace of natural life, Mary found herself smiling. She and Blanca made a new friend and were helping him fulfill his wish! Never before had she ever felt so proud, and the trio crossed the bridge, excited to see what new adventures awaited them.
Frigid winter air chafed at Reagan's red cheeks as she stapled another missing person's poster on a telephone pole. It showed a picture of Mary, smiling and holding Mimi in her arms. Unwilling tears blinded Reagan's vision as the clicking of the stapler rang in her ears, doing nothing to overpower her increasing heartbeat. This was just one of many posters she photocopied at a store she and her dad went to not long after she got home from school. The more people who knew to look out for Mary, should she reappear, the higher her chances of being found would be. The poster listed everything about Mary: her hair color, eye color, home address, age, height, weight, the date she went missing, various phone numbers, and some details about her autism diagnosis and what to do and not do when approaching her.
Blood pulsed in her ears, and fatigue slowly got the better of Reagan. She rested her head against the poster she just put up, inhaling shaky breaths. It had already been several days since Mary went missing, and although Reagan occupied herself with passing out posters and putting them every place she could, the worry gnawed at her endlessly. Questions without answers swam through her mind, like a shark closing in on its prey. Where was Mary? Was she okay? Was she hurt? As much as she didn't want to, it was hard not to picture her lost and alone, frightened and vulnerable in some dangerous place, like deep in the woods or kidnapped by some creep.
"Reg!" A familiar voice called out to her, along with the light ringing of a bike bell. Reagan turned around to find a boy behind her, with short, dark hair, olive skin, brown eyes, and wearing a blue sweater, black jeans, tall brown army boots, and a white scarf around his neck. His bike was a bright lime green, bright enough to be seen even in the dead of night, though right now it was the late afternoon.
"Hey, Oliver," Reagan replied, her voice low and wooden. As nice as it was to see her boyfriend, she didn't smile as he rang his bike bell to get her attention. Usually, she always did so whenever he rang his bell.
"I put up a ton of posters down that side of town," He told her, pointing east. "How are you doing on your end?"
"Good. I managed to convince a bunch of people to take these," Reagan huffed, hobbling over to the basket on her bike.
Oliver's eyebrows furrowed as he watched Reagan pull more posters out of the basket. "You should probably head back home and rest. You've done enough today, and I'm sure your dad's probably worried."
"No. I can't," Reagan insisted, running to a big tree nearby. "We need to pass out as many of these as possible. Mary's life depends on it! If we don't—!" Oliver stood up from his bike and ran over to put a hand on Reagan's, cutting her off.
"Hey. Don't push yourself so hard, Reg," Oliver advised. "You've already done so much."
It was here that the dam finally broke. Tears spilled out from Reagan's eyes as she sat down at the edge of the street. She quietly cried into her hands. Oliver sat down next to her, letting her cry it out.
"No I haven't. I know I'm partly at fault for why she's gone," Reagan whimpered, her warm tears stinging her frigid cheeks. She paid the cold October air no heed. "If I had just put my foot down and told Mom to just lay off her, none of this would have happened!"
Oliver wrapped his hand around Reagan and pulled her close, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. "Don't blame yourself. I'm sure there wasn't much you could do," He told her. "Besides, the police are still searching. They haven't given up on her, and we won't either."
"I know...but I'm so scared, Oliver…" Reagan wiped her tears with her sleeve, but it barely did much. "I'm so scared. Mary's out there, all alone and possibly in danger...I can't imagine what she must be going through…"
Other than Reagan's crying, the two of them were silent. Oliver let his girlfriend have a good cry for a few minutes. Gradually, Reagan's sobs died down, and her glasses fogged up, though she barely paid them any heed.
"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly happened before she ran away?" Oliver asked. "I know when you texted me on Saturday, you mentioned stuff on your end wasn't okay."
Reagan gasped a little as she tried to compose herself. She did remember texting him just before finding out Mary went missing. It occurred to her right then that she hadn't told him about Dana's outburst in the bookstore. Maybe now was as good a time as any to explain.
"Well...last Friday, we all went to Barnes and Noble. It was supposed to be a fun little shopping trip for all of us," Reagan put bitter emphasis on the word supposed as she spoke. "But Mom saw Mary stimming and she just went nuts. She started pinning Mary down to the floor and screaming in her face and making Mary out to be some violent criminal. Dad and I tried to calm her down—Mom, I mean—but she just refused to budge and kept scaring Mary. She was literally making a huge scene out of absolutely nothing, even though she's constantly claiming that Mary is the one who does that, which is just not true."
Just thinking about that incident made Reagan taste bile in the back of her throat. "I mean, it's not even the first time she's done that to Mary, and frankly, I'm getting sick of it," Reagan hissed. "She didn't used to be so obsessive and high strung, but ever since Mary was first diagnosed, it's all Mom ever thinks or talks about anymore. It's like she's on a personal mission to make Mary...well, not autistic! And we all know that's not possible! She constantly makes a huge deal out of everything Mary does or doesn't do and keeps signing her up for all these...questionable treatments and therapies that are really glorified scams, and I know for a fact that Mary's sick of it, too."
"Your mom sounds like a real piece of work," Oliver mused, though he personally thought that was an understatement.
"I know, right? Mom needs to just get over it already," Reagan pushed the words out like they were poison, biting the tip of her thumb right afterward.
Another moment of silence, then Oliver's eyes shrunk. Reagan looked up, noticing the sudden change in her boyfriend's expression.
"Uhh...what's wrong?" She asked sheepishly.
"This...is probably going to sound really bad," Oliver began, his voice shaking a bit. "But...do you think, maybe...I dunno...your mom had something to do with Mary's disappearance?"
It was easy for Reagan to catch the implications behind her boyfriend's question. "Do you mean, like...Mom kidnapping her or hiring someone to kidnap her and hide her somewhere?"
Oliver ran a hand through his hair, embarrassed by the words that left his mouth. "Sorry, that sounds cruel. I shouldn't have said that. I watch way too many crime shows," Oliver said.
"It's okay. I'm not mad," Reagan was quick to reassure him. "I mean, I know Mom's kind of overzealous and freaks out over every little thing, but I know for a fact she would never want Mary dead or anything."
Do you, though? A voice in her head asked, dripping with venom. Doubts began to seep into Reagan's mind. Would her mother be the kind of person to intentionally hurt her daughter, kidnap her, or outright abandon her someplace? As much as Reagan wanted to believe otherwise...the possibility was there. But there wasn't much in the way of evidence supporting anything like that. The police would have taken Dana to the police station if they had, at the very least for questioning.
"Come on. I'll take you back home. Don't want your dad getting worried," Oliver suggested, standing up and extending a hand out.
Reagan flashed an unsure smile and took his hand. "Thanks. You have no idea how big a help you've been."
"No prob. We'll get through this, and we'll find her."
Reagan nodded in agreement. As tired as she was now, she was not going to give up on her little sister.
Things weren't much better back at the Summer house. While Reagan was out, Todd did everything he could to keep himself busy. Passing out his own piles of flyers every place he went to, cleaning every corner of the house, asking the police if they had any leads, and so on. But no matter what he did, the stark emptiness of the house hit him like a train to the face. The house seemed so much quieter without Mary around. Every morning, he woke up expecting to hear her voice calling out to him, "Daddy!" just like she always did.
Yawning, he drains the coffee pot, pouring it into a dark brown mug he had for several years, dousing it in more milk than was appropriate. Drinking it at the dining room table filled him with warmth and kept him awake after many sleepless nights, but it failed to take him away from the current reality. A reality where his beloved youngest daughter wasn't by his side. Wasn't safe in the house where he and his wife raised her. He sat in silence, lost in thought. Dana was at her clerical job at the city hall, which was only a short drive from the house. In all honesty, he was glad for the silence. He really didn't want to deal with Dana right now. Not after the heated argument they had the night before.
A knock at the door pulled him from his troubled thoughts. Who could that be? He didn't normally have visitors at around this time. The mailman always came at around four in the afternoon, but never knocked on his door.
"Coming!" Todd hastily stood up, leaving his unfinished mug of coffee on the table, running to answer the door.
He opened it, and a person he didn't recognize stood at the entrance. A slightly heavy set woman with neat red hair cascading down her shoulders met his eyes, and in her hands was a tightly wrapped white plastic bag. She wore a thick, purple sweater, a long, billowing black skirt, and subtle pink lipstick made her lips glisten under the sunlight.
"Hello. Mr. Summers?" The woman immediately greeted him.
"Uh...yes. How can I help you?" Todd wasn't quite sure what to make of this, but thought it'd be rude to turn her away.
"Sorry to drop in on you so suddenly. I...heard about...what happened to Mary, and I thought...I'd stop by," The woman explained, unsure of how to put her intentions into words. "Oh, you probably don't know me. I'm Edith Kesserling. My son goes to school with your daughter."
Kesserling...the name certainly was familiar, if not for the best of reasons. Still, Edith seemed nice enough so far.
"Would you like to come in? I can make some coffee for you," Todd said, gesturing for her to come inside.
"Sure. Thank you."
Edith walked inside and sat at the dining room table while Todd poured another cup. He hadn't intended to make so much of it, but now he had an excuse to get rid of the excess. Maybe it was a good thing Edith dropped by. Todd handed her a full mug, sitting down as he did so, but she didn't touch it.
"I brought you some apple pie that I baked the other day," Edith passed the plastic bag to him. "I know this isn't much, but…"
"No, it's okay. I appreciate it. Thank you," Todd smiled sheepishly as he slid the package closer to himself. "I don't think you and I have met before. Exactly how did you know where I live?"
"Your home address is listed on the missing person's posters that have been all over town," Edith clarified.
"Oh. Right," Todd mentally chastised himself for forgetting that detail, more so that he was the one who insisted that it be listed, should someone find Mary and take her directly home. That was all it took for the atmosphere around them to turn awkward.
At least, until Edith broke the silence. "I know, it's odd that I'm dropping in on you like this. The reason is that...I came here…" Edith paused for another moment, forcing herself to continue. "I...I came here to apologize."
Todd paused as he lifted his unfinished coffee cup. This was not what he expected her to say. "Apologize? What do you mean? You haven't done anything to me."
"What I mean is…" Edith stammered. "Mr. Bryant has informed me that my son Greg has been bullying Mary constantly, and for a long time. I've been trying to curb his problematic behavior every way I could, but…" Edith heaved a big, defeated sigh. "I can't deny that it hasn't been working. I even overheard him say that he's happy that Mary is gone," She locked eyes onto Todd. "The poster said that Mary ran away, correct?"
Todd nodded.
"I'm worried that...Greg might have been the reason she ran away," Edith said, her voice breaking just a bit. "I want you to know that if Greg somehow contributed to her disappearance in any way, I'm deeply sorry for both my son's actions and for my own part in it as well, and will do everything in my power to discipline him to the best of my abilities."
Nothing she said made any sense. Edith believed her son was responsible for Mary's disappearance? Todd put down his coffee. This needed to be cleared up right now. "No no, Edith. Don't apologize. You and your son are absolutely not the reason Mary disappeared. Trust me on this one," Todd reassured her hastily. "I appreciate your contrition, and I am aware of your son's actions, but don't blame yourself for what happened."
Edith gave another sigh, this time of relief. "Oh, that's a relief. I really was worried. Of course, there's no excusing what Greg has said about and done to your daughter, so rest assured, I'll see to it that he takes responsibility."
"Thank you for your kindness," Todd said before taking a sip of his coffee.
"Of course, I'm more than happy to assist you in any way that I can," Edith added. "If there's anything you need, anything at all, even if you want to just talk to someone, don't ever hesitate to let me know," She opened her black purse, pulled out a pen and a small notepad, jotted down a phone number, and slid it to him. "Here's my phone number."
Todd took the paper into his hands with a sad smile. "You don't need to go out of your way like this, but I really do appreciate it nonetheless."
Edith frowned. "I can't imagine what you and your family have been going through. I'm sure you're worried out of your wits."
Todd's forehead began to throb, and he rubbed it with his fingers, to no avail. "Understatement of the millennium. I haven't had a good night's sleep in days," He explained. "I have nightmares that Mary might have gotten hurt or kidnapped or...worse…"
Another brief silence followed. Todd couldn't remember the last time he opened his heart to someone like this. He used to be able to talk to Dana about anything, from his worries to the things that made him happy, and she would do the same. But as the years passed, they seemed to drift apart.
"By the way...there is something else I'd like to discuss with you, if that's alright," Edith said.
"Sure. Go ahead."
Edith looked around the dining room for a brief minute before speaking, as if she wanted to make sure nobody else was here. "I apologize if this is embarrassing to mention...but last Friday, my daughter and I saw you and your family at the bookstore. We happened to see...that incident."
"Oh. That," Todd shook his head. "Sorry you had to see that. I swear, that's not how we normally are."
"No no. I understand," Edith waved a hand at him. "But...I want to ask...does your wife...always treat your daughter like that?"
Todd raised his eyebrows. When did this conversation start swerving towards Dana? Why was she even asking about her? He could tell she wasn't trying to be malicious or anything, but he felt a pit in his stomach when she brought up the incident from Friday. It didn't help that...she wasn't exactly wrong.
"Unfortunately...it has become more common lately," Todd replied, averting his gaze. The tip of his finger circled the rim of his mug, and he barely registered the aroma of the coffee anymore. "Dana has always struggled with accepting Mary as being autistic. She seems to be convinced that she absolutely has to cure Mary no matter what, like she's somehow a problem that needs to be fixed, even though there is no cure for autism. It's all she ever thinks or talks about anymore, and she's always cared way too much about what other people think of her. I've tried everything I can to convince her to change her way of thinking and treatment of Mary, but it's all fallen on deaf ears."
The chelation therapy pamphlet came back to mind, and Todd shuddered at the thought. He had done some research on that after Dana tried to bring it up and was appalled by what he saw. There were several instances where autistic children died after receiving that treatment, and found several articles confirming that there was no evidence that it could ever actually cure autism, not that anything could ever really do so. Just the idea of putting Mary through something that could potentially kill her...Todd couldn't bear the thought.
"Well...that certainly explains a lot," Edith chimed in. "I've noticed some other really worrying things as well, and I thought...I should tell you."
Worrying things? "Like what?" Todd asked.
"Do you remember two years ago, when the school had all the kids go on the field trip to the Carnegie Science Center?" Edith said.
Todd nodded. "Yes, I remember that. Mary really liked it, and talked about it for days. She really loved the miniature railroad and village display," He replied. "Oh yeah, Dana chaperoned that."
"I was one of the mothers who volunteered to chaperone the kids as well, in case of emergency and to make sure Greg didn't pick on the other kids," Edith elaborated. "There were some other parents there as well, and...I noticed a lot of things while I was there."
Edith went on to tell Todd about most, if not all, of the things Dana did while she was there. All throughout the entire trip through the science center, Dana never seemed to let Mary out of her sight. Not even while teachers or attendants were there. She always insisted on staying right by Mary's side, even when she had to go to the bathroom, practically hovering over her and breathing down her neck. Even when teachers and aides offered to watch Mary for a bit and give Dana a break, the latter insisted on staying, like she thought the teachers wouldn't be able to handle her by themselves. Not only that, whenever Mary asked her mother to do something with her, like put their faces in cardboard cutouts and get their pictures taken, Dana's answer was always no. She wouldn't even let Mary participate in the hands-on exhibits, even when the attendants encouraged it. "If I don't rein her in, she'll break everything," Dana had said. Edith couldn't quite believe it, because all throughout the trip, Mary never once touched anything she wasn't supposed to and was always careful not to break anything. If anything, Edith was more concerned about Greg breaking things, since he could be rough with his toys and games.
But those weren't the most troubling things. One of the teachers managed to convince Dana to let Mary participate in a small contest that was being held at the center at the time. Mary somehow managed to win, and she won a pack of candy bars. Mary was so happy she kept jumping up and down, squealing with joy, which was typical for any child, really, and nobody paid it any mind. However, Dana kept insisting that Mary keep her voice down. "You're bothering the teachers and the other students! When are you ever going to learn to use your indoor voice?!" Edith heard Dana say to her. Nobody could understand what the big deal was. More than that, not once did they ever see Dana smile at her or even say she was proud of her. She never even praised her for any of the good things she did while on the trip. Edith made it a point to tell Mary herself that she was proud of her for winning the contest and for sharing most of the candy bars with her friends, because it was good to praise a child for being generous and for being a good sport. If a child was genuinely happy and proud of something, why not share in their happiness? Later, when the kids had lunch, Mary managed to break away from Dana and get some food for herself. Edith saw Greg go after Mary and knock her lunch tray out of her hands, and was quick to scold her son for his bullying.
"But it was what Dana did that really threw me for a loop," Edith continued on. "Mary was obviously upset, Mr. Bryant was comforting her, and I tried to make Greg apologize. But when Dana came over...ugh, just thinking about this makes me cringe."
Todd raised both eyebrows, and his eyes shrunk more and more with everything Edith had told him so far. "What did she do?"
"I don't know why, but for some reason she got it into her head that Mary was acting out," Edith explained. "She took Mary away from the cafeteria, practically dragged her to the bathroom, and started yelling at her. Caitlin overheard what was going on and told me about it. Ugh, the things I heard her say to poor Mary are just…"
Todd could only blink helplessly, unable to process what Edith was telling him. "What did she say?" He asked, his voice hardening.
Edith took a minute to breathe before continuing. "I heard her say "I know you were giving that boy a hard time! Don't you dare lie to me! I saw you throw your tray at him! Do you have any idea how much you embarrassed me back there?! People will think I can't even manage my own daughter! Why do you always have to make everything so difficult for me?!" She raised her hand at her like she was about to slap her. I stepped right in and stopped her. I don't know why she thinks Mary threw her lunch tray, because I saw Greg knock it out of her hands with my own eyes. I even told her such. I said to her, "Dana, calm down. Mary's not the one at fault here, and you're scaring her. She needs you to support her and be there for her. Why are you acting like she's some kind of criminal?" Then she said to me, "You'd best stay out of my personal business. I'm trying to get her under control. I'm the only one who can." Mr. Bryant did inform me in advance that Mary's autistic, and having raised an autistic child myself, I knew for sure Mary wasn't acting out in any way.
"So then I said, "Dana. Do you really think this is what Mary needs right now? I've raised an autistic child myself, and I can tell you plainly that your yelling at her isn't going to solve anything. I don't know why you're convinced she's acting out, but she isn't," I even asked her why she was being so hostile with her and for the entire trip. She looked at me with this...death glare and said, "I don't know what kind of rose-tinted world you live in, but guess what? This is the reality I have to live every single day. Neverending fights, struggles, and disgrace. You don't get to come in here and tell me how to parent my child. You don't have to go through the struggles I go through on a regular basis. I have to fight Mary and her autism all the time. Why don't you put yourself in my shoes for once and THEN talk to me about what's right for her!" I even tried to give her business cards for some great autism programs and therapists that really helped Lianna—my daughter—but she just brushed me off like I was some scam artist trying to con her out of money."
For a moment, Todd was speechless. He managed to find his voice soon after, and all that came out were weak croaks. "I...I never knew. Dana never told me any of this…" The tale Edith told hit him like a train to the face. As much as he didn't want to believe it, he wouldn't put it past Dana if she actually did do all those things. Not even Mary mentioned any of this.
"I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't," Edith chimed in, taking a second to sip her coffee. "I told Mr. Bryant about it right afterward, and he didn't waste any time comforting Mary. I don't know if he reported the incident or not, as everyone was focused on making the rest of the trip fun for the kids and keeping them happy. Maybe he waited until after the trip. I'm not sure. But...to be honest, I often questioned what I saw. I thought it was just a one-time thing. Or maybe it looked and sounded worse than it actually was. But then Lianna and I saw you guys at the bookstore, and...well...let's just say it opened my eyes."
Another silence. Todd balled his hands into fists, his heart a volcano threatening to erupt at any moment. How and why would Dana do all of that to Mary? This was far worse than he ever could have expected, not to mention that the principal or the teachers never informed him of what had happened. Or maybe they tried to and Dana deliberately kept them from doing so somehow. He wouldn't put it past her if she did. She always did want to handle everything herself even when she often couldn't. He knew one thing for sure: The second Dana came home from work tonight, he was going to have some choice words with her.
"I'm sorry, Todd," Edith put a hand on one of Todd's trembling fists. "I'm not trying to talk trash about your wife or make up lies or anything. That's not my intention at all. After what's been happening lately, the bookstore incident and finding out Mary went missing...I thought you had a right to know about what your wife did. I wasn't sure if that had anything to do with it, but...I couldn't keep it inside anymore. I have to do the right thing."
Todd wiped a stray tear from his face, flashing an almost broken smile. "Thank you, Edith. I am sad to hear about what happened at the Science Center...but I appreciate you informing me about it. Thank you for...being an ally to Mary. This has been...very enlightening."
Edith flashed her own smile. "I'm just happy to get it off my chest. I hate to add to your troubles—"
"No no. Not at all," Todd was quick to cut her off. "I'm glad you told me all of this. I believe you. To be honest...Dana's whole attitude towards the recent incident...and Mary going missing has really pushed me past my limits," His mind went back to last night's verbal altercation. Even now, Dana still couldn't see that her methods only made things worse for not just Mary, but for everyone. If Dana was unnecessarily hard on Mary during a school field trip, what else did she do to her? How many other incidents were there that he didn't know about? Did this have to do with why Mary ran away?
"I can imagine," Edith said.
With that out of the way, the two of them talked for another half an hour. Before long, Reagan had returned, saying a quick hi to Edith before going upstairs to do her homework. When the clock hit 5:30 PM, Edith decided to leave, not wanting to overstay her welcome. She said goodbye to Todd and was about to leave the Summers house, but stopped right at the entrance.
"Oh! That reminds me," Edith swiveled around to get Todd in her field of vision. "I've been thinking, and...in the event that Mary is found, would you be okay with arranging for her to meet my daughter?" She suggested. "They're both on the spectrum, and Lianna is a big fan of anime, manga, and old classic books just like Mary is. I thought maybe...Mary could benefit from having a friend who is similar to herself. I learned that autistic people can really benefit from having friends who are also neuroatypical. A support network is very important...and it'd be a good way to teach them that it's okay for them to be themselves."
Mary and Edith's daughter being friends. From what Edith told him, Lianna was similar to Mary in a lot of ways even though she was several years older. Maybe, if Mary turned up safe, she would like to have a friend who was also autistic. Of course, it wasn't necessarily a guarantee, and for all he knew, they might choose not to be friends for whatever reason. But...the idea did sound nice, and Mary could really use someone like Edith and Lianna in her corner. Plus, this needed to be Mary's choice.
"If she comes back, I'll ask her about it," Todd murmured. "But...I think she'd like that a lot."