Chapter 18: Telepathetic

The End of the World was surprisingly fun! August and Echo had stayed the night with the oddly dressed man who had found them, whose name was Haunt. He was cheerful, bordering on jolly, and he had been happy to show them around in the morning, starting with the treehouses.

“My next door neighbor Spark is one of the people who was born here,” Haunt explained as they walked across the unsteady bridge that connected his treehouse to the next one. They were about thirty feet up walking on planks of wood that August could see between to the forest ground below. People walk on this bridge every day and no one has died, August reminded himself as he tried not to look down. At least, I assume no one has died.

Echo acted unconcerned, as seemed to be her norm. Her hair and eyes were silver today, which made her look witchier than usual. “Does that mean you weren’t born here?” Echo asked Haunt as they reached the end of the bridge.

Haunt nodded. “I arrived a few years ago. I’d say it’s split fairly evenly in terms of who was born here and who wasn’t. It’s a nice place to be, so I’d say we’re all lucky to have ended up here, however it happened.”

He knocked on the door and a woman opened it, smiling when she saw him. She had long brown hair and was wearing a navy beret and green overalls. “Hello, Haunt!” she said happily, stepping aside to let the three of them in.

“Good morning Spark,” Haunt replied, blushing conspicuously as she hugged him. August nearly did a double-take. He hadn’t given it much thought before, but he had seen no hints of romantic interest in anyone in this world so far. He’d seen people at the market that appeared to be couples, but he’d never confirmed that they were or seen them engaging in any kind of affection. As Spark led them all to her eclectically decorated living room to sit, August watched Haunt acting as awkward as any Earth human would when facing their crush. Maybe this world is more like Earth than I’d realized, August thought, right before an orange bird with the head of a pug flew through the open window and landed on the arm of his chair.

August jumped and Spark laughed. “Don’t mind him, he just likes to meet people,” she said. The pug-bird sniffed August, then nuzzled his arm with its tiny and soft face. It was the perfect combination of cute and creepy, and he tentatively scratched it behind its floppy ears.

Haunt introduced August and Echo and Spark smiled widely at them. “It is so wonderful to meet you! We haven’t had anyone new here since Haunt arrived.” She patted Haunt’s arm fondly and the stout man beamed. It was rather adorable, really.

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” August replied. “I’ll admit, this place is very confusing, so I’m grateful that Haunt is helping us out. He’s been great.” August was pleased to see that his praise earned Haunt another smile and arm-pat from Spark.

The pug-bird made a painful-sounding noise between a squawk and a bark and August looked at it to make sure it wasn’t dying. It seemed fine, so he continued scratching. “So, how do so many people and animals end up here?” he asked, then glanced around the room at the motley assortment of furniture, rugs, and wall hangings. “And other things?”

Spark shrugged. “This is just the place where things end up. If you go far enough in any direction, you’ll wind up at the End of the World. As for the objects, I don’t entirely know how they get here: I think they’re just lost or unwanted, and then they pop up somewhere in this forest! Nothing is unwanted here.” She smiled kindly at August and Echo.

Nothing is unwanted here. It was a beautiful sentence, and August burned it into his memory for later. For now, though, he wanted to understand more about the mechanics of this place. “So, Haunt, did you just walk around until you found this forest?”

Haunt scratched the back of his neck. “Essentially yes. I was at a point where I didn’t really know what to do with myself, so I just started walking in the hopes that I would find something. And, well, I did!”

“How long did it take?”

The portly man thought. “Oh, about a day. I passed through a few towns and other places, but nothing felt right until I got here.”

Only a day? August had imagined it taking more of an extended pilgrimage to reach the End of the World. “Is that what it’s like for most people who come here?”

“Yes,” Spark answered. “All of our new arrivals had felt lost or alone for a while, then once they started walking they were drawn right to us, no matter where in the world they’re coming from! And they always fit right in, like family.” She looked at Haunt and it was her turn to blush at him.

August glanced at Echo and could tell by her smile that she noticed the blushing, too. Then the witch tilted her head thoughtfully. “If people can end up here from anywhere in the world, does this forest have an actual location? Where are we in relation to other places?”

“Well, we’re within a day’s walk of all of them,” Spark answered unhelpfully. Echo nodded as if satisfied by that, and August frowned.

“Wait, that doesn’t make sense. The world is bigger than a day’s walk all around, so how is this place close to everything? Where is it on a map?”

“A map?” Haunt repeated, and even Echo looked confused. August glanced at the faces of his three companions.

“Yes, a map or a globe that shows where everything is in the world. Do you not have those here?”

Echo shook her head. “If I want to know where something is, I’ll usually just go there,” she said. “Plus, the world is constantly changing, so who’s to say something that is in one place today won’t be in a different place tomorrow? These maps must be incredibly difficult to make if they can keep track of all that.”

“Well, places on Earth usually stay put,” August said, not sure how to conceptualize a world where anything can be anywhere at any time.

Spark perked up. “Did you say Earth? You know about Earth?”

“Yes, I’m from there!” August answered, feeling his hopes rise. “What do you know about it?”

“There was someone from Earth here many years ago,” Spark answered. “My parents met her toward the end of her life. She had arrived when she was still quite young and lived the rest of her life here! From what I hear, she was very sweet.”

Another person from Earth, August thought, reflecting on Amy as well as Echo’s potential Italian heritage. How many of us have there been? And why do we keep ending up here?

“Do you know anything about how she got here or if there is any way back to Earth from this world?” August asked eagerly.

“I’m afraid not,” Spark said. “She was a very young child when she left Earth, so she didn’t know how it had happened, and she never bothered looking for a way back once she found her home here.”

“Alright, then,” August sighed. “Thanks anyway.” He thought for a few seconds. “Would the day’s walk principle work in reverse? Could I get anywhere in the world from here in less than a day?”

Spark’s eyes widened. “I have truly no idea. I’ve never tried it.”

August stood up and started pacing. “It might be worth a try. If I could just figure out where Silly is, I could walk right to her! I just wish we had a way to communicate.”

Echo raised her hand, her eyes suddenly brightening. “Well, if we’re trying things at random, I have a potential way to get in touch with Silly.” August looked at her for an explanation and she continued, “Today is an agnolotti day, which allows the eater to telepathically link with someone as long as the pasta is in their digestive tract.”

August had never heard of agnolotti, but it sounded both Italian and very promising. “Why didn’t you mention that before? It’s perfect!”

Echo bit her lip. “Well, the catch is that you don’t get to choose who you link with. It could be any person you know.”

“Well, I don’t know that many people in this world, so there’s a decent probability that it will be Silly,” he pointed out. “Wait, unless I can link with people I know from Earth! Would that be a possibility?”

She shrugged. “No idea. I know it doesn’t work with dead people, but I’ve never served it to anyone who has had friends in another world before.” She smiled. “Shall we try it?”

“Yes!” August exclaimed. If he could figure out where Cecily was via a telepathic link, he could either get to her by walking or at least have a clear destination by the time Echo’s house was mobile again. Plus, it would be a way to know she was alright.

“Wonderful!” Echo said, standing up. “I can go back to my house and prepare it, but it will take some time, so you can either come with me or stay here and explore a little more.” She looked excited about the idea of cooking, and August wondered if there was some kind of magical effect that kept her from getting tired of making Italian food every single day.

“I think I may stay here, if that’s okay,” he told her. Echo nodded and excused herself, practically flying across the rope bridge and down Haunt’s ladder to take off toward her house.

“I don’t really understand what she’s going to do, but it sounds interesting!” Haunt said after a moment of silence. “Anyway, August, is there anything in particular you wanted to explore?”

“Well…” August smiled awkwardly. “Could you point me toward where the giant kittens live?”

It turned out that only the lavender kitten lived here, so August assumed it had gotten separated from the others, or perhaps it was just ahead of the curve on getting lost and feeling a lack of purpose and meaning. Me, too, buddy, August thought as he pet it.

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He hung out with Haunt, Spark, and Lavender—which seemed like the obvious choice for the cat’s name—for a few hours until Echo found him, bearing a large pot of pasta that just looked like misshapen ravioli. “I brought enough for you two as well, if you want it,” she told Haunt and Spark as they climbed up to a nearby treehouse and Haunt pulled some plates out of the kitchen. August didn’t know whose house this was, but its owner wasn’t home and Haunt and Spark didn’t seem to find anything unusual about helping themselves to someone else's things. I guess if they just found all this stuff for free anyway, it doesn’t matter as much if other people use it.

Echo served up the agnolotti and August, Haunt, and Spark all took a bite at the same time.

Hello? August thought, feeling no different. Haunt and Spark looked startled, then grinned at each other. “Did you two get each other?” August asked as he saw their facial expressions changing as if they were having a non-verbal conversation.

Spark nodded. “Yes! What a fun coincidence!” She must have added something telepathically to Haunt because he blushed and looked away.

Anybody there? August tried again. Silly? Can you hear me? It’s me, August.

And thus the punishment continues, a voice that was definitely not Cecily’s replied in August’s head.

“Oh, no,” August groaned out loud. Bright?

Unfortunately for both of us, yes. What are you doing in my head? Tormenting me with your physical presence wasn’t enough anymore?

August scowled, which must have been confusing to the onlookers. Look, this isn’t what I had hoped for either, but let’s make the most of it. Where are you? Are you with Cecily or Amy?

No. Bright’s voice was a lot clearer telepathically than it was when he was whispering in person, and August could actually hear what his voice sounded like. It was soft, low, and just a bit gravelly, and August had to admit that it was a very nice voice. Of course, that did nothing to change the fact that it was soley used for evil. After letting August sit in dismay for a few seconds, Bright added, But I know where they both are.

Well, where are they? Is Cecily okay? August asked, and he could hear Bright sigh, which meant that Bright had deliberately thought the sigh just to irritate August.

Everyone is fine. Bright’s thoughts went silent for a few seconds. Are you?

Bright, did you just… ask me how I’m doing? August wished he could see Bright’s face and, more importantly, that Bright could see his. It was a lot harder to tease someone long-distance.

Bright sighed again. As the only competent one in this ill-advised group, I know it would fall on me to retrieve you if you got yourself into trouble, so yes, I would like to know that is not the case.

August grinned smugly, then shrugged at Echo when she raised an eyebrow at him. Well, I appreciate your concern nonetheless. I am fine, at least physically. I’m with Echo, but her house is too tired to teleport again for another two days or so.

Where are you?

I’m at a place called the End of the World. Have you heard of it?

Yes. I should have assumed you’d be the one to end up with the lost and unwanted things.

Ouch, August thought, then realized he hadn’t meant to think that to Bright. He didn’t know if all of his thoughts were available to the winged jerk or only the ones he sent on purpose, so he would have to be more careful. Still, that had been a particularly low blow, even for Bright.

Bright’s thought-voice was reluctant. Are you hurt?

No, I’m fine. August didn’t want to give Bright the satisfaction of knowing his words had an effect. What’s the plan now? Do you know which forest is the one we were aiming for?

We were aiming based on a complete guess from Amy, who knows almost nothing, Bright replied flatly. But I now know where Baby is, so if you are still determined to talk to him for some reason, you’ll want to find your sister’s forest.

Great! Do you know how to get there from the End of the World?

You really can’t do anything on your own, can you? Bright sighed. Just start walking away from the End of the World. You’ll go right to her.

My theory was right! August thought triumphantly. Thank you, Bright. Will you meet us there?

If I can stomach it.

Bright didn’t say anything else, so August turned to Echo. It felt almost strange to use his actual voice again as he said, “I got in touch with Bright, and he knows where Silly and Amy are! He said if we just leave here and start walking, we should end up where we want to go, which is the forest where Silly is.” Of course, it would have been nice if he’d delivered that information without all the added insults, August thought.

I can still hear you, Bright’s voice muttered in his mind. How do you make it stop?

August felt his face heating up. “Um, Echo? How do you turn off the telepathy?”

“Oh, it will stay active until the agnolotti has been digested!” she answered cheerfully, and August groaned.

“That could take hours! Exactly how digested does it need to be?”

Echo threw up her hands. “I don’t know! I’ve never followed up with someone hours after they’ve eaten my pasta!”

“Okay,” August whispered to himself to avoid exposing his thoughts to Bright. “I just need to be careful with my thoughts for the next few hours.” On one hand, this could be his chance to figure out why Bright was like this, but he would rather do that when he was not already stressed out of his mind with trying to find Cecily.

Echo was watching him with confusion, and Haunt and Spark were still engrossed in whatever silent conversation they were having. It looked like their chat was a lot more enjoyable than August’s had been: they were laughing and seemed to be sitting a bit closer to each other than they had been the last time August looked over at them.

Must be nice to have a telepathy partner that actually likes you, August thought, then winced. “Great, I immediately failed,” he whispered as Bright’s voice became active in his mind again.

You make this sound like my fault, but I didn’t ask you to invade my mind.

No, but you don’t have to be so mean all the time, August snapped back. Other people have feelings, you know.

Does he really think I don’t know that? I just– Bright thought, then abruptly stopped as if realizing August could hear him. It was a bit comforting to hear Bright slip up as well, and August was curious about how that sentence would have ended.

He wasn’t about to ask Bright about it and invite more criticism, though, so August shook his head and looked back at Echo. “Should we start walking to the forest where Silly ended up? Based on everything I’ve heard, it should take less than a day to walk there, so even if we have to camp overnight, we’ll still get there faster than if we wait for the house. Plus, Baby is there, so we can talk to him and get those answers that we came for!”

Echo ran a hand through her short silver hair. “That does sound promising, but I don’t want to leave my house. Why don’t you go on ahead, and I’ll bring the house to pick you and Silly up when you’re finished talking to Baby?”

“Yes, I guess that would probably be the best plan,” August said, unsure how he felt about wandering off alone. This world is a safe place compared to Earth, he told himself. Everything will be fine, right?

He heard Bright sigh in his head. Pull yourself together and start walking, August. Nothing bad is going to waste its time on you.

Then what are you doing now? August shot back, willing his lunch to digest faster.

Trying not to let Bright sour his last few minutes in the End of the World, August waved at Haunt and Spark. “I’m going to head out to find my sister; thanks so much for your help!”

The two potential lovebirds stared at him for a few seconds before remembering to speak out loud. “Oh! You are very welcome, August,” Haunt finally said, clasping August’s hands in his. “It was wonderful to meet you, and please feel free to get lost anytime and make your way back here!”

Spark gave him a hug. “Good luck, August. Remember that you are always wanted somewhere.”

Echo climbed down the rope ladder after August to the forest floor. “I’ll see you and Silly soon,” she promised. “The house knows you two well enough by now that I should be able to send it to your location wherever you are, so just stick together once you find each other.”

“Will do,” August promised, then hugged Echo. “Thanks so much for your help. I don’t know what I would have done if I was all alone out here.”

“You would have figured it out,” she said as they pulled apart. “You Earth people seem to be very resourceful.”

“Well, thanks anyway.”

“You’re welcome.” Echo turned to look around at the bizarre plants and animals. “I wonder if I can find any new ingredients here!” August inhaled sharply and she laughed. “Not the animals, August, I mean any new vegetables or spices.”

“Oh. Right.” It was a weird note to end on, but August felt like thanking her a third time would be overkill, so he gave her an awkward wave and walked away, picking a direction to stick to until he found Cecily. It was early afternoon, so if it took a full day to walk there, August would have to find a place to spend the night. He doubted that would be a problem unless there was another weird emotion storm. He’d never been particularly outdoorsy, but the climate here was mild and mosquitoes didn’t exist as far as he could tell, so it wouldn’t be too terrible if he had to sleep under the stars for one night. Crazy that this is what it takes for me to get my first camping trip, he thought, then was grateful when Bright didn’t bother responding.

Lavender found him as he was approaching the edge of the forest and began walking next to him. “Hello, friend,” August said, petting its side. He didn’t know if Lavender was male or female, but on a kitten this large it felt extremely invasive to check, and August didn’t care enough to try.

Lavender walked with him even as the trees started to thin and August left the forest entirely. “You’re coming with me?” August asked, surprised, and the giant kitten just nudged him gently with its nose. “All right then. I could probably use the company.”

August walked peacefully with his feline friend for an hour or so, looking at the cloudless, too-blue sky and the randomly colored grass. It was nice, but after a while he started feeling bored enough to ask for trouble.

You still there, Bright?

What kind of Favor deficit did I rack up to deserve this? Bright sighed.

August huffed. Fine. You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to.

He walked in silence for a few minutes, then Bright said, There’s a reason I know where the End of the World is.

August blinked. You’ve been there? I thought people didn’t ever leave.

I am a rare case. I’ve been there multiple times.

Multiple times, August repeated in his mind. That must mean that Bright had frequently felt lost or unwanted. It made sense, considering his abrasive personality, but it was still sad for some reason.

Stop feeling sad, Bright cut in. August frowned, wondering just how much access Bright had to his emotions as well as his thoughts. The point is, I never wanted to stay, because I don’t need to be wanted. All you other pathetic people have the constant need to be desired and liked by everyone you meet, but I’m not interested in being wanted by other people.

Why are you telling me this? August thought.

You told me that other people have feelings, as if you thought I didn’t know that, but unlike you, I am observant and had figured that out a long time ago. I know that people have feelings, but the thing is, August, I don’t care. So, there’s that explanation you’ve been wanting. You’re welcome. Bright’s voice held no hint of self-satisfaction, but it was hard not to imagine him being smug.

August paused. What would it be like to care so little about what other people thought of him? What would he do differently if he didn’t have such a strong need to be wanted? I would have transferred to U Conn, he realized with a pang of guilt.

What nonsense are you spouting now? Bright asked.

August shook his head. There were a lot of ways he could respond to Bright’s declaration about not caring about others’ feelings: with indignation, accusations of selfishness, or a reprimand about empathy, but August knew none of those would make any difference. Instead, he just smiled. Thank you for explaining, Bright. That’s actually very helpful for understanding you.

Bright didn’t reply.