Human Spines

Going on a Walk-V

Dumaine

        It was a false alarm. We passed it without any problems. We stroll swiftly now, trying to forget the dinosaur behind us. Hans is leading again, keeping one of his thousand eyes on our destination.

        "Emmeline, there's something I've been wondering." I kick a small stone with us as we trudge the rocky roadside. "Did you ever think about turning yourself in? To like, a mental hospital, or even just the police? I'm sure they would have gotten you home."

        "Oh, yes, I tried many times. I would be about to call or sometimes just show up at the hospital, when I would blink and find myself sitting in the middle of a movie theater or one time on a rollercoaster, a couple states away. It's amazing I don't have a fear of blinking."

        "The Translucent wouldn't let you turn yourself in?" I hate the thought.

        She's nodding her freckled head. "Correct." The sun has steadily been peppering the dots across her skin the last few days while it burns Hans and tans me.

        "Why do you always make sure I eat way too much food?"

        "Because, when you do, your cheeks get all chubby like they're supposed to be. Your face starts to sink in when you haven't eaten enough. It's almost a bit spooky."

        "You shove me full of food so my cheeks are chubby?"

        "Exactly." She smiles, proud of her answer.

        "Would you be doing the same thing to your sister if she were here?" I take a chance.

        Her face loses all expression. "...She wouldn't let me. She never let me make her decisions." We haven't spoken a word about Emmeline's family, or her missing posters that have been at every place we've stopped since the day we left Denver. "Do you think they know I'm not dead? Or do you think they're just guessing." Her voice is soft. She's looking up at me, seven years old again. Her hair is a tangled knot at the top of her head, greasy and sweaty from the sudden spike in temperature. It's been fairly nice these past few days, but today it's at least eighty-five degrees and cloudless. It's like the Translucent are purposefully not creating any wind.

        "I think they can't bear the thought of you dead. Their only choice is to believe you're alive and safe. To believe you'll come home one day."

        "Is that what you believe about your mother?"

        Her question is a stab in the throat even though I know she didn't mean it that way. Words don't come fast enough, so I just nod.

        "You know, Joeni really hates boats and ships and yachts and canoes." Hans is talking about Joeni for the third time today. Sometimes he talks to Joeni, but today it's been all about Joeni. We've learned a lot about Joeni.

        "Does Joeni hate the water?" I ask.

        "No. Yeah. Some days," he responds.

        "Which days?" It's fun to see what he comes up with.

        "Crunchy days. And spicy ones."

        "How are...? Nevermind." Some days his answers make no sense. I've wondered if Joeni is a Dr. Seuss character that Hans is just really fond of, but I have no way of knowing unless I ask him, but I feel like that would be mean. I've also wondered if Joeni had been his son, but something so horrible happened to him that Hans swept fifty painful years of memory under a giant rug.

        "I do like tomato soup," he announces. I wonder if he's simply lost his mind.

****

        "How do you remember all the notes?" Emmeline skips circles around me.

        "I don't know. I've known these songs for years."

        "Are you in high school?"

        "I was."

        "What's it like?"

        "I don't know, I spent most of the day with the nurse, or the principal, or the librarian, or just not there. They didn't like putting me around the other students."

        She thinks for a moment. "Play that one again."

        Emmeline really likes the harmonica. Not as much as my accordion, but she keeps asking me to play the same few songs. She doesn't dance to the tunes, just stares at me, quiet, until I finish.

        "Land has been spotted!" Hans points ahead. "Lots of land!"

        "What do you mean?" I stop playing.

        "A hotel! And a clothing store!" He's spinning. We've passed a lot of hotels, but never at the right time. And Hans has been wearing the same clothes for the past ten days. Emmeline and I at least got to change clothes twice with the extras she had in her backpack. I didn't tell her, but I normally only change clothes twice a week.

        I feel bad for the old man. My feet have gone numb, my knees have turned to Jell-O, and the aching in my back is indescribable. I have no idea how he still manages to stand. And then there's Emmeline, who seems to be getting healthier with every million-mile day. Tumbling instead of walking, twirling circles around Hans and me, talking to herself so quickly it almost hurts to listen to. I actually think it might be because she hasn't been possessed since the bus. She's getting comfortable having entire days to herself.

        "Can we all get plaid shirts?!" She's bouncing. We've been going uphill for the last ten minutes and she is still exploding with energy. Maybe the Translucent want her body because it comes with five million watts of energy.

        "Of course, my sweet." Hans smiles. Emmeline has him wrapped around her itty bitty fingers. If she wants to play a game, we are playing it. If she wants to rap a song, we are beat boxing in the background. Ah, darn it. She's got me all wrapped up too.

        But I know she isn't always happy. Sometimes her energy is spent missing Amistifer, and I think she may be worrying more about getting my accordion back than I am. Which is a pretty crazy thought because last night I dreamt I chased the bus down and twisted every passenger's head off just for being there. Then I woke up, took Emmeline's hand, and watched the Translucent helping her sleep. I've been doing that every morning. I had no idea how inhuman they are. I swear one of them was just a green tongue with an eye.

        I don't think she's afraid of Hans anymore. Or if she is, she at least likes him a lot more. And Hans is always so excited when she dances with him. It's like she still has her fear of old men but has slowly realized he's not an old man. Those are simply wrinkles on a young man's face.

        We haven't talked about Lochlan. I'm fairly sure Emmeline has a plan for him though. I also know she has a plan for meeting the Reaper-Mother, but I don't think I should ask about it. Again. The first time I asked, she stuck the honey bun she was eating into my mouth and told me the microwave hasn't beeped. I figured it meant she wasn't done thinking about it yet. Or Hans's crazy was starting to wear off on her.

        "I see it!" She's pointing ahead at the giant shopping mall coming into view. "I haven't bought my own clothes in years!"

        "Me neither." Hans and I say in unison. This is going to be an interesting trip.

Thank you for reading! We are getting closer and closer to the end of the book! Don't forget to vote and comment! And just a reminder, because I know I suck at responding to comments,  you can shoot me a message anytime and I will defiantly hit you back!

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