Time Traveller. Part 3. The Mill. The Caches. Encounters.

The police officer did not let go his grasp from the young man’s arm. The man who they assumed was from the security company was on his side.

- What are you doing here?

- The same as all these people. Being curious about what has happened.

- I know you. I have seen you before, I’m sure.

The man wearing glasses pretended he was just a tourist and dismissed the security man’s affirmation.

- It’s not possible. I’m not from here. I’m just spending the day at the beach. Was the mill broken into?

- Don’t try to be funny, young man.

- I’m not trying, officer. In a small village like this, even a robbery is a big event, you know.

- I thought you said you were not from the region.

- It’s easy to guess, isn’t it?

- I’ll take care of him.

The security guard grabbed the young man’s arm with a grip that felt as strong as a powerful claw.

- Hey, let go of me. I did nothing.

He spoke out loud and that made the people in the area turn their heads to their direction. He then looked around and saw his two friends coming closer, ready to take action and help. He shook his head, discouragingly. They understood the message and stayed away, observing from a safe distance, together with the other locals, who started circling around them.

The evidently bigger and stronger man tried to pull the young man away, under protest, attracting even more attention to them than before. The small crowd soon completely surrounded the three characters who were in that increasingly heated argument.

The burgled mill itself had been forgotten for a minute or two.

That was an opportunity to be taken advantage, before anyone would notice it, so the pale man slipped into the building and climbed the steps to the upper floor. A few minutes later he came back downstairs, almost unnoticed and left through the unattended open door.

***

- That was an insane but very brave move.

- I have to agree. I could not leave that chance untaken. It would not be fair, after all this trouble.

- True!

- Come on. We need to help him now.

- Did you get anything from up there, after all?

The pale skinned man smiled demurely.

- We will talk about it later. Let’s help our friend. I have a good and convincing argument. If they want to take one, they will have to take all of us. Let’s make the crowd come into this with us and bring them to our side.

- You’re absolutely crazy, my friend, but that’s a great idea!

Amidst the whole turmoil, they did not allow the police and security guard to take the young man wearing glasses away with them and he was soon released. Those two men were not happy, however.

The three friends got off as immediately as they could. They had a couple of things they would need to work out straight away.

***

The Jeep turned around the roundabout and took the right exit. They were back on the A28, heading south.

- They would not be there for no reason.

- That’s what I thought.

- That incident just confirmed my suspicions.

- There’s one piece still missing in this story…

- Yes. The man in the hooded tracksuit…

- What he wants, we kind of know already… What we need to realize is who he is and what he knows…

- And if he is a friend or a foe…

- One thing is true: we are one step ahead… still… but we need to go and visit that lighthouse again down in the city… And it must be done immediately!

The two friends stared at the pale skinned man, who was holding the phoney ‘geocache’ he took from the mill in his bare hand.

***

- Shame! What could have happened here? I can’t find it anymore. Where is it?

- What? What do you mean you can’t find it anymore?

- I think I know what could have happened. I wonder if…

- Do you think he got here before we did?

- Yes, I do.

- And what do we do now?

- I don’t know, but if he hadn’t realized it, yet, he will soon find out that we hold the other piece of this puzzle and maybe he will come to the sensible conclusion that we will need to work together, otherwise somebody else might…

- Are you serious? He is not a friend, as far as we could find out.

- We don’t know it yet…

- Then what is he? Who is he?

- Think with me: if he ran away from the police and those guys, he is not an enemy at all…

- Well, he broke into the mill, didn’t he? That’s not an innocent move. He knew exactly what he was doing.

- We’ve got to find that man and get some answers to all these questions.

- But how? How can we ever come to find him in this city? We have no clue as of to where he is and how to contact him…

- We need to find a way. I wonder if there’s a way to communicate… He might not be far from us… from here… from this whole thing…

- You are correct!

The three men turned around at the same time. A man with a dark hooded tracksuit was standing at the door of the lighthouse. His face was in the shade.

- That ‘cache’ is no longer there, as you have already noticed, for sure. I was waiting for you!

- What?

- It’s not going to be effective fighting against each other. It doesn’t make any sense. We’ve got to work together and quick. These people are dangerous and they want the same as we do, but with a different intention. And they are getting closer and closer…

- And who the f… I mean, who the hell are you?

The man uncovered his head. The three friends were in awe.

- How can this be possible?

***

Hypnos (Part 2: Surprise)

- Let’s try to be practical. How many of us were in the observation room, when that happened?

- All of us. You know that.

- Four, then.

- Why? What difference would that make?

- It makes all the difference… because what he saw must be related to one of the four of us.

- What do you mean? One of the four of us?

- Exactly. One of us is responsible for a suicide. Or maybe one of the two, if we consider the two of us out of the suspects list… in principle.

- For heaven’s sake, explain it better.

He opened his mouth but something on his mind made him think twice before speaking. He looked into the shaded room where the experiment had occurred. There wires and the sticker terminals were still hanging from the bed in the capsule. He frowned.

- What if…

- What now?

- Neither of us had the headphones, during the experiment, right?

- Right.

- Maybe the connection is there… It must be there…

- This is not helping much.

- That cannot be just a coincidence. There must be a link between what he saw in his dream and that connection must involve the two people who were wearing the headphones. What I saw was in your head and you were wearing them as well.

- It cannot be that simple. This is just a theory.

- It’s the only thing we have now. We need to try and follow a line of thought…

- Yes… No… We must stick to the facts only.

The young scientist stared into his friend’s eyes. He took a deep breath and looked down to the two scars in his colleague’s wrists.

- That was so horrible. I felt the despair and the anguish, before and when the blade tore your flesh apart, as if they were being made on me…

The other man looked down. He could not face his friend’s stare. He felt a deep sorrow. The past should have been buried very deeply in his mind. Those painful memories had not been recalled in years.

***

Childhood friends, school mates, apart for many years and then reunited by a coincidence when they found themselves in the same job, the two young scientists were now more connected to each other than ever. The Universe conspired and put them together again after a tragedy. And now…

- We must repeat the experiment, without raising any suspicion.

- How? The lab is locked for investigation.

- That will not go for long. The witnesses will never be confronted. Everybody saw what happened. Nobody touched that man. Justice and the University Rectory can forbid new experiments to be made with external volunteers. But that will not be the same with the researching staff… if we keep it secret, of course. But we still need to convince the other two to continue with the testing and investigation.

And he smiled in a funny way. That smirk was a sign that there was a plan being built in his head.

- I’m going to prepare the argument for the idea. Help me out here, will you?

Although not completely sure if that would be a good idea or not, going ahead with the plan was the only option they had. The young scientists accepted it like a challenge. His investigative vein was pulsing with anticipation.

***

The corridors were silent. The only audible sound was the soft hitting of the rubber soled shoes on the immaculate waxed floor. The Investigation lab was still locked and sealed by order of the Rectory. The examinations of the incident, as expected, were unconvincing, basically by the lack of evidence. Everyone could see clearly that the volunteer, in delirious state of mind, broke the security protocol and dove from the balcony to his own death. The security camera records were distinctly clear and irrefutable.

Although they could not blame anyone for the incident, the method was being questioned and represented an imminent danger to those whom would be submitted to the experiment or treatment.

Persuaded by good argumentation, the scientists had decided to disregard the orders and repeat the procedure, in the name of science. They had to investigate further and unveil the mystery left unsolved.

Following their original plan, the two young friends arrived earlier at the premises and prepared the room for carrying out the tests.  If they could find out the reason why that student had decided to put an end to his own life instead of facing something that a vision of a dream triggered, they would know what to do next.

- Let’s get everything ready before someone shows up and spoils the fun. We’ve got lots to do before they get up here.

***

- That should be me!

- This was supposed to be a democratic selection. The majority of votes should decide.

- My vote, then, is for him to play the guinea pig in this experiment.

- It’s really indifferent to me...

The woman looked at the three scientists and let her arms down. She had been defeated.

The two young scientists looked at each other without saying a word. The two walked into the room where the apparatus was ready to be used and started preparing for the procedure by sticking the terminals around the head and along the chest of the volunteer, who lay down in the bed that was in the chamber. Cameras and other high resolution apparatus were all around. He did not smile. He was apprehensive but at the same time, curious about it all. His friend spoke very little while preparing him for the experiment. They had had enough chat some minutes before the others arrived.

- Are you ok?

- I’m not sure, but I will not think about it now. Let’s get on with this.

The young man nodded and fastened the leather belts to his friend’s wrists and ankles.  He checked the whole set of equipment and put a hand on the young man’s shoulder. The volunteer was already falling into a state of lethargy. His eyelids were heavy under the effect of the sedative. 

In the attached observing room, the more experienced scientist sat down and put the headphones around his head. The woman sat at his side and did the same. The young scientist entered the same room and took a deep breath. He needed to observe carefully everything that would happen and he knew that the procedure could be interrupted at any time, if needed. The possibility of it happening was enormous. He had passed through that same experience before and knew there were quite a few reasons to be worried.

The lights in the experiment room were dimmed. The cameras were switched on. The face of the volunteer patient appeared on the screen in good detail. The camera focused on his young face and he seemed calm and relaxed. His breathing was dense, deep and slow.

In just a few minutes the first rapid eye movements began. He was dreaming.

***

- That was really scary. Fortunately, I was prepared and could resist a little longer. Thus, I could see more…

- And what did you see?

- Two men on the beach. One was waiting for the other to meet him and when they did, I realised what was happening. They are twin brothers… and…

- What? I don’t understand anything. Twin brothers?

- We have got everything the wrong way. It was never that young man or the two of us who were in danger.

- What do you mean? Never?

- In fact, it has never been anyone of us.

***

The Ginger Fox (Epilogue)

The rented house, in the outskirts of the city and close to the woods, not far from the ‘Ost Autobahn’, was especially chosen so we could have a nice week-long-staying in Vienna, with a different type of the luxury we would have at a hotel, but being intimate at the same time and free to have our privacy and our meals at any time, without any tight schedules. It was cheaper than a hotel anyway and it was a bargain I found on the internet.

- We really need to talk.

The conversation had been postponed due to the movement and noise of the crowd in and out of the Café at the station and our tourist visit agenda.

Now, that we were back home and had a light meal, he came back to the point where we had stopped some hours before.

He held both my hands in his. I looked into his green eyes. His pupils dilated as he returned the stare. I took it as a good sign.

- We cannot go on like this for much longer.

My heart missed a beat. ‘What is he talking about? I must have misread the signals. How did I…?’

I tried to understand.

- Like what?

- Like this… (He hesitated…) situation… relationship... whatever you would call it.

‘Oh, my sweet Lord. What is this now? Is he trying to say he is leaving me? Why?’

I felt a punch in my stomach.

- What are you trying to say? You’re scaring me.

- Don’t be scared. I’m trying to be as clear as possible.

- Well, you’re not succeeding and I’m more than just scared to death now. What is it?

- Calm down, please.

I took a deep breath. That was not supposed to be happening… He kept on holding my hands firmly, although I tried to escape from his grip a couple of times.

A strange sound on the outside interrupted that very awkward moment. I pulled my hands out of his and went off the back door, feeling relieved for a moment. My head was aching. I needed to breathe…

***

- It seems we are always being led to meet foxes in our ways, for some strange reason.

He was trying to catch up. I was not comfortable yet and small talk was not my thing at that moment.

- Yes. The poor animal was just trying to eat. Funny it was a ginger fox…

He missed that hint.

- Well, now it’s going to enjoy your gift, anyway. It was very sensible of you to give it a piece of meat…

- It was the least I could do…

I was not facing him. I wanted everything to be OK. I was afraid of what that serious conversation was going to be lead to and was not sure I wanted to hear what he was going to say. I had a demon on my back, whispering in my ear, telling me I was going to be seriously hurt.

‘For how long can one pretend not to listen to the obvious?’

- We really need to conclude this talk.

‘Oh, man… it is now!’

- I’ll try to be as clear and brief as possible.

- I hope you can.

- I thought a lot about us and our situation and I think we need to change it. We should not go on like this anymore…

- What’s wrong with this situation, anyway? We are happy.

- Yes, we are, but…

- There’s no but… if we are happy, why do we need to change it?

He gave up. He knew me and he knew I would not listen to his arguments, once I was in a very unsettled state of mind.

- OK, then. You’re not being reasonable. We talk later.

***

I smiled when he lit the match and then the little candle, having both hands around the tiny flame that progressed from diffident to stronger in a few seconds, painting his face with an amber tint. I was watching him closely. Then he blew the  flame out of the match and looked at me in awe.

- Now, what?

I sang the song.

“Anyone can light a candle

But not the way that you do

For if we look too close

Pure magic we would see

Pure magic we will be” (*The Candle Song – Jon Anderson & Vangelis)

He laughed at me.

- You’re funny. Sometimes you’re practical and sometimes so romantically silly. It’s just a candle. How can one light it another way? Now, let’s dine.

My time to give up. He was still smiling… that lovely grin of his. I was still worried.

- Ok. It’s just a candle, but I love the way you light it. It’s so unique, as if you were protecting it from extinguishing with such care. That makes my heart warm up.

- Yeah. Right. Will you pour me some wine now, please?

He was, in general, so adorably and sharply shy, especially when he pretended to be nothing but practical. I knew that was a defensive behaviour, only, so I let it go softly, took the bottle of dense red and poured him some, pretending I was saying, just casually:

- Of course.

He looked at me very serious and fired:

- You did not want to listen to my talk, but I need to tell you, anyway. I had a formal phone call not long ago and I was offered a very good opportunity, coincidentally here in Vienna and I am prone to accept it, so good it is to my life and career.

- Oh...

Caught in surprise, I was speechless. I kind of knew it was a very serious thing and I was right.

- But the reason I told you we cannot go on like this anymore is that I don’t want to be here without you. I know you can move as well, if you organize some things the right way.

- Yes, but it’s not that easy…

- I know, but I want you to consider marrying me. That can make things easier.

- What? What are you talking about?

- Don’t you want to?

- No. I mean, I don’t know. I never thought about it that way.

‘Oh, man… I was so awfully wrong’…

- Then don’t give me a definite answer now. Think about it…. For a while, at least.

***

- I’m so sleepy. I think that wine got me knocked out. I can hardly stay awake.

He giggled. Then he kissed me.

- It was a very good wine, my dear. Not like back home but very good anyway. Now you have some rest. Or maybe don’t… even… bother… to…

I did not open my eyes. He started unbuttoning my shirt and kissing my body… slowly and tenderly, finding his way all over my naked skin, front and back.

I surrendered to him… completely, feeling the heat coming up and down my body, my mind absolutely disconnected from everything else but his gentle caresses and his warm kisses.

He found the spot behind my ear and rubbed his ginger beard up and down, kissing it provocatively, covering my skin with uncontrolled goose bumps. Then he whispered in my ear.

- Think about the proposal I made, will you?

- The answer is yes…

- You’re drunk.

I giggled.

- I am.

***

The Big Rocks (Part 3)

- Beware of what you believe. The human mind is very powerful.

- She was very generous.

- Was she? Those two are completely deranged. Be careful…

She laughed, but I realized that there was something behind that smile. Perhaps it was only concern or even doubt, but a shadow crossed my heart, disturbing my peace.

***

The south wind blew mercilessly into the bay, stirring the waters and staining the tranquil blue-green with agitated tones of ochre and natural sienna.

As much as I listened people swearing against it, I always loved the windy afternoons. I used to have fun. Maybe I had fond memories of those afternoons when going to school was almost an adventure, and the wind that was blowing wildly through the streets leading to the sea tangled my once long hair.

I went out onto the porch and closed the door behind me. It was cool, not necessarily cold, but I did not want the doors slamming or things messed up inside.

I watched people walk, arched against the wind, along the shoreline. The rough sea carried my thoughts, free, beyond the waves and far beyond the island in front of me. There were several memories, some deeper than others, but did not stay long enough in my mind to have me worried.

I was born on the island. I have always had the sea as the background, from childhood, to my mental journeys. I learned to forecast weather, reading the indications of the sea and the sky. That wind was a harbinger of bad weather. The lead-coloured clouds were already coming down over the Cambirela peak, bringing rain and lower temperatures.

The fishing boats and canoes had been put in safekeeping boathouses and the nets rolled up. It was bad weather for fishing. The group of fishermen finished the task of collecting the vessels and containers, and walked up along the beach toward me.

- We’re gonna have heavy rain tonight.

The announcement, in the simple wisdom of the sea-men, was only a confirmation of what I had already foreseen.

- Certainly. Tomorrow must be calmer.

- No way! This is bad weather for three days, at least. It comes without the thunderstorm. A thunderstorm would come and go fast, but not this...

- It is true. Well thought…

The man laughed. The skin on his face was creased and tanned in a natural way. The smile was open and spontaneous. He was glad that he had said something I had not thought of. It made him feel superior. He adjusted his old hat and continued on his way along with the others.

I looked up at the sky. The clouds were approaching fast, bringing dense precipitation with them. Even before nightfall we would have the weather worsening.

- The rain is going to fall sooner than later.

I turned around without saying anything. She was standing behind me, but not smiling, which was unusual, when she drew attention to some fact, out of nowhere, catching me by surprise. With that wind, I had not heard the sound of the door opening.

- No doubt. There is going to be a lot of rain. Are you OK?

She took two steps closer. The wind intertwined her hair.

- I am... I think...

I looked at that face, which I knew well, and I was not convinced.

- Did anything happen?

- I don’t know. I feel a strange anguish in my chest.

At that moment a gust of wind blew against us and, opening the door, violently, messed up the carpet and the other things in the living room, slamming doors and causing overall uproar.

- What the hell! Let's go inside!

The rain fell down soon after, rushing us inside the house. I went in and held the door, waiting for her to come into the house.

- I’m glad we were on the porch, not the street or the beach.

A shadow crossed the threshold of the door, as fast as the south wind, while I was still holding the door.

- What was that?

The livid face was looking at me with wide open eyes, as if she had seen a ghost.

- I don’t know!

I searched in the kitchen and in the laundry area. I did not find anything. When I was on my way to the living room, a noise made me stop and go back. I took a flashlight because the light was sparse and I checked carefully behind the washing machine.

The large green eyes reflected the lantern light. A cat, as black as a moonless night, had come in, probably frightened by the rain and wind, through the first open door he saw... and that was mine.

- Come here, but carefully, without making a fuss about this.

- What's it?

- He's scared. Be careful. I don’t want him to attack you. See if we still have some tuna, to try to calm the little moggy down with some food. He will only come out when he feels safe. Or he'll try to run away, if he is too scared to stay in.

We still had, fortunately, some cans of tuna. I put some on a saucer and, speaking very calmly, I pushed the food close to where it was. A little farther, I left a little bowl with clean fresh water.

I turned off the light and got out. We sat in the living room, hoping that the best would happen... even if it were best for the pet to walk away through the open window of the laundry room.

- I left the open window in case he wants to leave. I do not want him to feel trapped or scared.

- He gave me a big fright! I thought it was something else.

I laughed.

- You did not think it was a ghost, did you?

She opened her mouth to say something, but said nothing. She passed her hand over her chest and stroked the small amulet, hanging from her neck. I pretended not to see it.

We were still there, without saying anything else, when a very low noise made us look at the kitchen. The cat had come from behind the washing machine and was walking, still half suspicious, towards us. Without ceremony and without looking at me, as if I were not there, he jumped from the rug to the lap of my daughter, who was surprised by his attitude. He leaned on her legs and rubbed his head against her hands, as if to beg for a cuddle. She looked at me and, seeing that I was smiling, opened her hand, so that the cat would know he was welcome. He offered his head and then the back to be stroked in a gesture of extreme confidence. Then he snuggled into her lap and looked at me, his eyes half closed, but serene.

- I think you got a new friend.

- It does not look like a stray mistreated cat, nor badly fed. He is so adorable. But he’s probably someone’s pet.

- We'll look for the owner tomorrow, then.

- When the rain is over…

I nodded. The cat closed his eyes and dozed right there on her lap. He was comfortable.

I was not surprised. 'Amazing how animals soon realize who is trustworthy,' I thought to myself.

***

Rain and wind whipped the place mercilessly for three whole days. The cat was always close to her. In those few days, they seemed inseparable.

- If we do not find the owner, I already have two names for him.

- Do not get too attached, otherwise you will suffer. And what names did you think?

- Either Mr. Crowley or Mephisto.

I laughed.

- Both very seductive names, for sure.

- They both fit well.

- Then why don't we call him Mr. Mephisto Crowley? That way you will not have to choose.

- All right then. That’s better.

The cat, as if aware that we were talking about him, lifted his head and jumped to her lap, where he offered the body for a snuggle.

- Hi, Mr. Mephisto Crowley. You're a good boy, aren’t you?

He blinked, slowly, as if answering ‘you’re right. I like you’.

We searched the neighbourhood as soon as the rain stopped, including at the local veterinary clinic, to find out if someone had complained, but no one seemed to have reported any lost animals.

After a few days, we decided that Mr. Crowley would stay with us for the rest of his seven lives. Properly dewormed, vaccinated and tagged with a chip and a red leather collar, the puss used to spend his days dozing on the living room sofa or at his favourite spot in her bed. He paid little attention to me except when he wanted to be fed.

When we were going to walk on the beach, however, he followed us, with his tail upright, all proud and full of himself. He was fearless and curious, but always remained close to us, as if he were worried about not losing sight of us or willing to protect us. The fishermen were amused to see a cat behaving like that, and sometimes they offered him some fish, which he gladly accepted, though he preferred cooked food. It was almost as if he knew that he should keep the network of contacts very active and available.

Late Sunday afternoon we were on the balcony enjoying some of the spring air, with the cat lying on the last patch of sun still shinning on the wooden floor, when he suddenly stood up and looked in the direction of where the big rocks were. His ears were like two small radars searching for some sound, which only he had detected, with his sensitive eardrums.

We saw nothing but the huge boulders on the beach. Mr. Mephisto Crowley jumped up and ran across the sands by the sea, to where the rock most resembling a huge person sat undisturbed.

- Mephisto! Come back!

He did not turn around, nor did he pay attention to the girl, who was running, followed by me, through the sun-drenched sand.

- Mephisto!

The cat was standing on one of the rocks, staring behind one of them. The tide was calm but suddenly a strong wind began to blow. The cat stayed there, until we got closer. He jumped from the rock and waited for us.

- He's a very special animal!

- What?

The man, who came out from behind the rock, squatted down and held out his hand, as if he wanted to touch the cat, but the feline stepped back, with the hair on his spine standing up. He hissed and puffed up his tail, preparing the attack. The man, all dressed in black, smiled in a strange way.

- So, Mephos, don’t you know me anymore?

The cat hid behind us.

- His name is Mephisto!

- Of course. Coincidentally, it was a very well-chosen name, if we take into account his past!

***