Aldo's Fantastical Movie Palace (9 page)

A girl. Just a girl like me
. Chloe's heartbeat slowed and she smiled.
Well, not quite like me
.

Precious stones adorned the visitor's dress and sparkled in the sunlight. She was a princess. Or an angel. Chloe peeked down at her own dingy clothes, the same clothes she'd been wearing since her arrival.

Chloe swallowed and pulled her T-shirt to hide the bottom of her scar.

“I bet you're lonely,” the girl said.

Don't speak. Don't speak
.

“Walk with me.” The girl smiled and backed off the road. She was so beautiful — more so than any movie star who'd ever appeared on Aldo's screen. Chloe stepped forward, and then again.

“Stay on the road!”

The voice was urgent, distant, and Chloe ignored it. Another step, and her toe brushed the grass.

“A little farther.” The beautiful one stared at Chloe's feet.

“She's not a girl!” Scout screamed.

Chloe blinked hard and staggered back. The girl's face snarled, darkened, shrunk. A beak grew and wings spread, and a hideous buzzard took off toward the east.

Scout slumped back onto the road.

“What did you say?”

“Uh … nothing. I … I said nothing.”

Scout frowned. “Then why did it come? What were you doing when you first saw her?”

Chloe mentally retraced her steps. “Thinking of home.”

“Memories,” Scout whispered. “The Senseri are drawn to your memories. Understand this: any Retinyan man or beast that turns, that sides with Vaepor, will, like It, start to lose its own shape to take on other forms. Do not trust any appearance you see. Only when anxious do Senseri lapse back to who they really are.”

Chloe's face was blank.

Scout stepped nearer. “I do not know what men fight for in your world. But here, the battle is for our thoughts, our memories. It wants them. It's scared of them. For no free-thinking man will follow It.” He
breathed deeply. “So as long as you didn't speak, as long as you stayed on the road, the Senseri saw your scar and likely thought you just another Lost One. It might suspect, but it doesn't know.”

“Know what?”

“I'm not sure. But for a Senseri to stray so far from the palace, you're more valuable than I'd imagined.”

Chloe bit her lip and winced. “My foot did brush grass —”

Scout's eyes widened and he grabbed her arm. “Then we run.”

They ran east, following the path of the bird.

Between rapid breaths, Scout said, “They know visitors have broken through. They know of your friend. They will come for you. We need to reach Medahon.”

O
N THEY RAN
, until Chloe's thighs stung and her lungs ached, and then, suddenly, they didn't hurt at all. The second wind she usually experienced in the 800-meter breaststroke wafted over her, and her pace quickened. But it soon disappeared, and she slowed to a limp beside Scout.

“I can't, Scout. I need to rest for —”

Chloe's toe caught on cobblestone, and she collapsed on the road. Scout bent over and gently lifted her to her feet.

“There.”

Lights burned brightly, and even from a distance, Medahon loomed, a great fortress city with jagged walls poking into the sky.

“We'll make it,” Scout said. “Just a couple miles, and —”

“And then what? You'll leave me too?”

Scout exhaled hard and grabbed her hand. “No. I can no longer leave.” His face was grim. “I think your business and my business might be one and the same.”

A horn blared. Not a sharp trumpet call, but a moaning roar. For minutes, it filled the air with sadness, and then it stopped — at least Chloe thought it did. The tone roared on inside her brain.

“What was that?”

“The Call. Tomorrow the Pilgrimage begins. The dark march to the pool will start, and the entire city will empty.”

“Oh, I wish I didn't have to see this.”

Scout raised his eyebrows. “Yes, but understand what is horrible for Retinya is in this case good for you. Medahon will be in panicked preparation for the morning's departure. In the chaos, you will be hard to find.” He glanced at the sky. “That is, if we can get into the city before the gates close.”

“Then please, let's go!” Chloe said.

Filled with new strength, they pushed forward toward granite walls, which closer up were only taller and more imposing.

I never meant to write them this big
.

“The walls of Medahon.” Scout huffed. “They
withstood many attacks. But now men have forgotten why they fought.”

An unnatural shadow spread over them quickly, turning day to night. Chloe slowed to glance up, but Scout grasped her arm and quickened the pace. A thunderclap rippled through the cloud that eclipsed the city and lightning jagged across the darkening sky. Greenish funnels swirled overhead, but on the ground there was barely a breeze.

“It's going to pour,” Chloe said.

“That's no storm cloud.” Scout released her arm. “That's Vaepor. Watching. Waiting.”

Chloe looked up, stumbled, and regained her balance. “Waiting for …”

“You.”

From behind came the clop of horses' hooves. A herd of fifty overtook them and slowed. On the back of each horse was a musician, and on the back of each musician was a pack bulging with musical instruments. Wild, colorful strips of clothing formed turbans on the riders' heads, and they bowed low and hopped off their mounts. Chloe pressed into Scout as tambourines, flutes, and horns filled the air with loud, excruciating noise. It sounded like an off-key band, except far more painful. The troop danced, flailing and whooping with each gyration.

“They're all drunk,” Chloe said. “Just like Dad's workers.”

Scout again grabbed her hand and pulled her into their circle. “We're in luck. Calainic gypsies. And no, they haven't been drinking!” He grinned. “See the scars?”

Children, grown-ups, and all ages between bore deep marks on their faces and necks.

Chloe nodded.
Even the kids go into the pool?

Gypsy children grasped hands and ringed Chloe, circling and giggling.
Life without memories doesn't look so bad
. They sure seemed carefree.

“Dance!” Scout rolled his eyes and spun in a limping circle. “We'll need cover to enter the gates.” As soon as the words left his lips, another violent thunderclap came from above. “Come on, Chloe. Join!”

There was no pattern to the craziness. Chloe jumped and flung her arms, hoping she fit in.

Grandpa would love this
.

The more Chloe jumped, the lighter she felt. She couldn't remember the last time she'd leaped or shouted. Not in this world. Certainly not in her own world. In swim meets, she felt wild freedom, but only when underwater, and there strokes required focused discipline. She certainly didn't feel this light
in Aldo's projection booth, where she couldn't do much more than whisper.

Chloe suddenly felt a vibration. She glanced at the pale, blue light coming from her pocket.

Scout's eyes widened, and he rushed toward her. “What were you doing?”

“Nothing!” She plastered her hands over the glow, but again light penetrated her fingers. “Just thinking I couldn't remember dancing like this before.”

“Remembering. Figures.” He leaned over. “It might be wise to keep your mind in this world until we're in the city.”

Scout glanced around then froze. A dark, twisting finger descended from above. It reached the cobblestones and bent forward, like a widening funnel. Out from the spinning darkness strode a tall, robed man, nine, maybe ten feet tall. Travelers parted in front of him, and his eyes glowed the same color as Chloe's stone.

“Vaepor's found you.” Scout stepped between the man and Chloe and hobbled forward. The music stopped. In fact, everything stopped but the roar from above. Chloe ducked behind a harpist ten feet behind Scout.

“I don't want to speak with you, brave fool,” the robed man croaked. “Stand aside. I will speak with the girl.”

“No, you will not!” Scout's voice rang out in the silence.

The man raised his hand, and with a movement so quick Chloe barely followed it, crunched his fist into Scout's ribs. His hand entered Scout's body and appeared out his back.

“Scout!” screamed Chloe.

But Chloe's protector was not moved. He grabbed the shoulder of the giant and flung him backward, where the man stared gape-jawed at his own clenched fingers.

Scout stepped nearer. “You are hollow! You have no memory. You don't know who you are. You can't hurt me.” Scout's voice strengthened. “And you may not touch her!”

Scout spun and forced both his hands into the giant's midsection. “Change!”

The giant recoiled and gave a hideous scream. His form shifted and grew into a creature much like Flit, except no bird features — including the soft underfeathers — remained. It was 100 percent dragon, with a scarred and burned underbelly. The dragon scooped up Scout with his talons and slowly lifted him from the ground.

“I'll come to you,” Scout shouted down. “Leave
the city with nobody else. Don't even leave with me, unless you're sure!”

“Scout!” Chloe cried, and chased the dragon until it disappeared behind the city walls. The music and dancing returned, but Chloe could not join. Not anymore.

First Nick, then Nob, and now Scout. Everyone's leaving me!

“Don't cry.” A kind-looking woman gave her a hug. “Dance. Soon we'll all be free from these painful memories. When we reach that glorious pool!”

“No!” Chloe pulled away and stumbled forward.
I don't even know who you are!

The stone in her pocket felt heavy, but its glow had faded. “Dumb rock. You're what Vaepor saw. I should throw you away …”

She'd reached the gate — doors two stories high and built of solid wood, which she'd created as the only entrance into a fortress city with walls of fitted stone. And there, sitting by the entrance, leaning back against the rock wall, was Nick.

Musicians shouted and danced all the wilder as Chloe pushed her way to his side of the street.

“Nick!”

He cocked his head and stood, scanning the group of gypsies. Chloe relaxed.

We'll leave the city together. I can remember enough to get us to the palace
. Scout's face floated into her mind, but she shook the image out.
I can't help him now. I have to get through the window and home. Secholit will have to help Retinya remember by himself
.

Chloe opened her mouth to call to her friend, but let it flap shut.

Another Nick, identical to the first, wandered aimlessly just inside the gate. “I'm lost! I'm lost! Chloe, help me.”

Then another appeared, and another. The entire entrance teemed with Nicks. Identical, and searching.

“Nothing is as it seems,” Chloe whispered.

Senseri
.

The first Nick stepped into the crowd of dancers. “Chloe? Was that you? I can't believe you found me!”

Chloe glanced wildly around, and danced. She grabbed a flute from the woman beside her and blew a note, loud and ugly. She tried to squeeze to the edge of the road, but bodies funneled toward the gate and pushed her right in front of —

“Oof!”

Nick and Chloe collided, and she fell to the cobblestones. Nick leaned over, grabbed Chloe's
hand, and helped her to her feet. He paused and she paused, and for a moment everything else vanished. Nick scanned her, searched her. His head cocked and he reached out and touched the scar, rolled his eyes, and kept walking. “Chloe? Have any of you seen a girl with that name?”

Chloe exhaled, and danced a furious dance into the city — she didn't stop until all the look-alikes were behind her.

I need to find Scout
.

She pressed deeper into Medahon and stilled. Aldo would have loved this city when it was first built — the buildings were straight out of a Salvador Dali painting or a Dr. Seuss book. Chloe imagined how it would have looked long ago: Rooms perched on pedestals, walkways rose, fell, and vanished. And the stairs! They twisted and wound, one even looping like an out-of-control roller coaster. A few climbed into the sky, disappearing into the dark, rumbling cloud.

But the city had crumbled, as if shaken by a giant earthquake. Chunks of stone lay exploded on the ground, buildings were riddled with holes, and the walls — labyrinth-filled and once beautiful — were cracked and crumbling.

Chloe walked on, and the road widened and
spread into an enormous courtyard dotted with thousands of identical gray tents, with thousands of people milling in all directions.

“I'll never find the real him,” Chloe muttered. “Grandpa, what would you do?”

Immediately, her stone blazed blue. Those nearest her shielded their eyes from the light.

“I see you, Chloe!” Vaepor descended, and voices changed to screams. Out of his cloud screeched five creatures like the one who had taken Scout.

“Quiet, you dumb stone!”

Chloe leaped into a tent, where a family reclined around a picnic that smelled of fried chicken. The littlest girl scampered into her mother's arms, and Chloe snatched up her drumstick.

“I'm sorry! I just need to be in a tent right now. And after three days of lingonberries …”

She dug in her pocket and pulled out the stone, then dropped to her knees, stuck the drumstick in her teeth, and scratched at the soft earth like a dog.
I'm going to bury you. I'm sick of being chased every time I remember something
.

She paused and scanned her surroundings. A whisper of vapor flicked in beneath the canvas, and the tent lifted skyward. Chloe pocketed the rock and ran. “If I don't die first!”

Chloe weaved through the chaos. Creatures from above swooped and grabbed and ripped at the surrounding tents, filling the air with parachuting canvas. Tent pegs and dragon talons and children's screams mixed together in a hideous scene, and Chloe froze.

“Hello, Chloe.”

“Nick?” The voice was his, but the figure was Vaepor's. The swirling mass surrounded her, billowing nearer on all sides. “Did they tell you I was painful? That was a lie.”

Chloe glanced around. Only two tents remained in her shrinking circle.

“Did they tell you I was evil? That was a lie too.”

That's it. I'm going to die
.

“Don't be afraid. I alone can send you back home. As you saw, and as you now hear, our friend Nick already knows that.” Vaepor collapsed in on Chloe, just as strong hands grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked her inside the last tent.

“Enjoy the ride, young one. Greet Quill for me.”

The next feeling was that of falling, and then coasting like she was on the waterslide at the Melmanie pool. But there was no water; just a smooth stone slope that had no end.

She slid so deep and for so long, Chloe forgot the
fate she'd narrowly escaped. Her mind wandered home, to horses and chickens and quiet country roads. Minnesota was beautiful.

Chloe sped around a sharp corner and felt her speed ease. She pressed her hands against the inside of the stone chute and slowed to a stop. When she jumped to her feet, the room around her spun, and she toppled onto her knees. Chloe closed her eyes tightly, waited for her world to still, and cracked open an eyelid.

“Please, please be the Quints.”