Oskar rolled over, felt Eli next to him and snuggled up against her back. Are you awake?
Yep!
What are we going to do to find him, Eli? Should we try the cave again? Oskar was suddenly confused. He had no recollection of yesterday at all, he suddenly realized. The last thing he remembered was stepping up on the porch and running for the kitchen, full of the news of their incredible discovery.
“Find who, Oskar?” Eli sat up on the edge of the bed and stretched.
“The Leprechaun, of course! Or fairy! Or whatever he was.”
“What on earth are you talking about, Oskar? You’re making no sense at all.”
“The boy! With wings! Who painted Hannah’s flowers on the wall of his cave in the western cliffs!”
“You must have had a really interesting dream, Oskar. Show me.” She grinned at him then slid up next to him, closed her eyes, and pursed her lips.
“Stop it, Eli! It isn’t funny! Where’s Hannah?”
She’s in her own bed, still asleep, Oskar. Can’t you see her?”
He could, he suddenly realized. “But she was here last night! We snuck out of the house and flew, and found his footprints on the compound wall, just like the prints you and Hannah found on the beach.” Now he was really confused. They were in bed so it had to be Thursday morning, because he distinctly remembered being up all Tuesday night into Wednesday, and coming home just in time for breakfast Wednesday morning. He was missing an entire day.
“Well, you got that last part right, at least. But that was yesterday. Tuesday. We were going to hang out at the pool today to see if we could spot her footprints. Remember Oskar? Hannah said they were made by a girl.”
“But it was a boy! A boy with wings! That’s how he left the valley, and why there weren’t any prints along the beach.”
Eli sighed. “Oskar, you’re wrong. There’s no such thing as Leprechauns. You were dreaming. And it’s still today, not tomorrow.” She grinned at him. “And yesterday isn’t the day before yesterday. Today is Wednesday, not Thursday.”
“You’re wrong, Eli. Today has to be Thursday.” He grabbed his watch off the nightstand. Wednesday! He flopped back down on the bed, totally confused. “Here! I’ll show you!” He grabbed her and pressed his forehead against hers, just to make sure she got it all, just as he had lived it. But it was all for nothing.
“Oskar, that was an incredible dream! I wish I’d had it myself. But you know how I know it was just a dream?”
He sighed with resignation, “How, Eli?”
“You got away from Hannah and me. That could never have happened. I would have caught you before you got to the lighthouse, and I would have seen you even if you had made it. I’m not slow or dumb.” She grinned at him. “Or blind. If you could see me from the lighthouse railing, I could have seen you.” She hopped out of bed and headed for the dresser. “I can smell bacon cooking. Mom cooks bacon on Wednesday mornings, remember?”
Breakfast was a combination of a blur and déjà vu. The second Wednesday of the week, on which nothing that had happened on the first Wednesday had been discussed, made no sense to him so far. But Oskar was determined. Hannah! You and Eli have to come with me to the pool!
Hannah rolled her eyes. What are you trying to prove, Oskar? That your dreams are true, unlike those of everyone else? But they followed him across the lawn anyway. They had changed into their suits in anticipation of a leisurely swim, just in case they came up empty.
The pool was full of kids. The weatherman had forecast an unusually warm day, and everyone was taking advantage of it. “Great, Eli. This won’t be a waste of time after all. We can look for footprints as soon as Oskar is done making a fool of himself!” Hannah grinned at him and dodged out of the way when he grabbed for her.
Eli and Hannah examined the wet deck carefully, looking for the signature footprints that matched the ones in the sand, to no avail. “Come on!” Oskar said, impatiently. He jumped up on the wall and put his hands on his hips. Eli rolled her eyes and hopped up next to him.
Oskar was already examining the top of the wall, when Hannah jumped up in front of him. “Careful, Hannah! You’ll mess up the prints.”
“Too late, Oskar. It looks like a whole herd of kids has been up here before us.”
Oskar’s heart sank. Hannah was right. There wasn’t a clear footprint anywhere along the fence. He slipped past Hannah and walked slowly toward the corner, hope fading rapidly. Then, he saw it. “Have you been up here before, Hannah?”
“Nope! This is the first time.” She followed his gaze.
“Then why are your footprints up here?” He pointed toward the corner, where three still distinguishable sets of footprints, side by side, were visible. “And Eli’s. And Mine?”
Eli pushed her way past him. “Coincidence, Oskar. It’s not like our shoes are hand-made or anything. Anyone can buy them. She put her foot next to one of the matching prints. “It is my size though, Oskar.” She grinned at him.
Hannah quickly followed suit. “And these are my size Oskar.” She grabbed Eli’s hands tightly and stage-whispered, “Eli! Do you think Oskar might be right?!”
“Gosh, Hannah! Maybe he is. Maybe it’s the entire universe that lost a day, instead of Oskar imagining one in his dream!” They both started laughing hysterically.
Oskar scowled at them. “These are my size too, oh ye of little faith. What are the odds of that?”
“A lot less than the odds that the universe lost a day, Oskar.” Eli just couldn’t resist poking at him. “And where are these mysterious bare footprints you… oh that’s right! That I discovered in your dream?”
“They’ve been tromped all over, Eli. But that doesn’t mean they weren’t here!” Oskar noticed that they were beginning to attract the attention of some of the bathers. A few curious kids were moving slowly in their direction. Sara, Anne and Allan were already there, standing just below them.
“Hi, Oskar! What are you doing up there?” Sara asked.
“Sara, do you guys climb up here? Have you seen anyone walking up here lately?”
She giggled. “Not me Oskar, but Allan and his friends have been up there before. Even though the rules say we aren’t supposed to.”
“Be quiet, Sara! You’ll get us in trouble!” Allan hissed.
“No she won’t, Allan. They’d never tell on us,” Anne retorted. “Right, Eli?”
“Right, Anne!” Eli winked at her.
Oskar hadn’t given up. “When’s the last time you guys were up here, Allan?”
“About a week ago. It’s no big deal. Like, it’s not as if there’s anything interesting up there or anything.”
“It rained on Saturday, Eli,” Oskar said, triumphantly. “All their prints will have been washed away.”
“Oskar, quit grasping at straws. There are lots of kids here. Allan and his friends aren’t the only ones who can climb up here. Right Allan?” Hannah jumped down beside him.
Allan shrugged his shoulders. “I dunno, Hannah. Probably not.”
“Don’t put poor Allan in the middle of this, Hannah!” Oskar jumped down beside her. The rest of the small crowd, finding the conversation uninteresting, was already dissipating. Even Allan, Sara and Anne were losing interest.
Look, Hannah!” Eli pointed at the deck and jumped down, almost landing on Oskar. “There at the edge of the deck!”
“The footprints,” Hannah whispered. They’re the same!” She stood on tiptoe and scanned the crowd. There must have been over fifteen kids and eight or ten adults, either in the pool or lounging around the deck and surrounding lawn. Several were leaving on bicycles at the same time others were arriving, making their search all the more urgent. The footprints were clear at this end of the pool but disappeared in the overall wetness of the deck closer to the pool.
“It looks likes whoever it was came from the house-side of the pool, stood here for a while, probably watching us, then went back on the fence-side.” Eli’s blue eyes swirled with gold as she amped up her vision acuity.
Oskar was way ahead of her. He was already halfway down the deck, looking at all the faces, trying desperately to find the special one he would never be able to forget. He thought he saw a flash of red hair, but when he rushed around the pool, it had vanished. The only other red hair was on the heads of twin seven-year-old girls, sitting on the edge of the pool, legs dangling in the water. “They’re not old enough, Oskar,” Eli kidded. “And their feet are way too small.”
“I know that, Eli!” he scowled at her. “Besides, the footprints belong to a boy, and I’m the only one who can recognize him.”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot. You talked to him. What was it he said again? In Gaelic? Or at least what did I tell you he said in your dream before you flew to our rescue?”
“‘Is fearr rith maith ná drochsheasamh!’ or as you translated, ‘A good run is better than a bad stand.’ And I didn’t talk to him. You and Hannah did. I didn’t even see his face, at least not in person. You showed it to me.”
“In your dream.” Eli crossed her arms in front of her. Oskar sighed, then nodded.
“So you can recognize him from my thoughts, from your dream, early on an imaginary Wednesday morning that doesn’t exist, because this is Wednesday?” she grinned at him.
“That’s about it, Eli. And these footprints prove it.” Oskar continued scanning the crowd, but was now almost certain that whoever it was, was long gone. Especially if he was right.
“No, they just prove that Eli and I were right, and that the person who broke the rules and explored my valley was here at the pool on your second Wednesday morning.” Hannah chided.
His face turned red. “I don’t understand Gaelic, Hannah! How could I have known what he said, let alone how to say it right?”
Eli and Hannah looked at each other. “You’re right, Oskar.” Eli mused. “And the other phrases, too. How very mysterious!”
“Okay, Oskar. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. I’ll ask if anyone has seen a boy that matches your description.” Hannah hurried over to a group of kids clustered around the bike racks.
Oskar sighed with relief. “So you believe me now?”
“Nope! But it’s certainly mysterious, isn’t it?” Eli slipped her arm through his. “I know it seemed real to you, Oskar. But you have to admit it seems really unlikely. Besides, there are no such things as Leprechauns.”
“Most people don’t believe in vampires either, Eli. Does it follow then that they don’t exist? We all know better.”
“Good point, Oskar. But still…”
Hannah rushed over to them. “Guess what?! They told me there was a red-headed boy here earlier, but no one saw him leave. They said they hadn’t noticed him before last week, but that he has been a regular at the pool since then.” She paused a moment, then grinned at Oskar. “They said his name was Michael. And he has a thick Irish accent.”
“We’ve got to find him, Eli! Hannah! Did they say which way he went?” He started toward the southern gate by the warehouse.
Hannah grabbed his arm. “No one noticed, Oskar. But since he’s not here, he must have left. And if he left on foot or by bicycle, the only way we might catch him is…” she unfurled her wings.
“Good idea, Hannah. Since I’m fastest, I’ll fly over the hills toward the village. Oskar, you follow White road to the village, and Hannah, you fly west ‘till you get to your valley, then fly up over the hill and down White Road from Phoenix Park. We’ll meet at the school.” Without waiting for an answer, she was off.
Hannah and Oskar grinned at each other. “See you at the school, Oskar.” Hannah leaped into the air, flew low over the pool, eliciting screams of excitement from the kids, then disappeared over the fence.
Oskar flew low over the Archaeogenetics building, circled over Sava’s house making sure no one was on the dock to the north, then flew low over White Road toward the bend up the valley.
§
Eli flew over the apartment building on the hill, circling it twice slowly, peering in all the windows and checking the deck on the roof, on the unlikely chance that he lived there. She was certain no new families had moved in, but she didn’t want to take any chances. Then she flew down over the east end of the ridge separating the village from the compound, saw Oskar making his way methodically up White road, then turned her attention to the ridge itself and the slope into the village valley. The grass was relatively short, so it was unlikely she would miss him if he had taken this route. She was torn. She really wanted to believe Oskar, mostly because it had seemed absolutely real to her when she read him. But how could it possibly be? She scanned the ground carefully, making sure she covered all the dips and boulders he might be able to crouch behind as she passed by. She wasn’t exactly invisible, flying up here in broad daylight in her white bathing suit and black tennis shoes.
She was about half-way up the ridge when she spotted him. The flaming red hair stood out like a torch against the dark green of the grassy hill. He was sitting on a large rock, legs crossed and arms wrapped around an old, shapeless canvas bag of some sort. She dropped down in front of him and retracted her wings.
“Wow! I’ve been wanting to meet you ever since I got here! Which one are you? Eli or Hannah?”
She eyed him suspiciously. “Eli. I’m Eli.” He sounds and looks just like Oskar’s Leprechaun! But not as cheeky.
“If you don’t mind my asking, what are you doing up here? Not following me, I hope.” He gave her a huge freckle-faced grin.
“Not exactly. But now that you mention it, how were you able to get all the way up here from the pool in less than 15 minutes?” She reached out to Hannah and Oskar, but there was nothing. Where are they?! Why don’t they…
“I’m a fast walker?” his grin widened. “I flew?” He raised his eyebrows. “How do you know when I left the pool? It was actually over a half-hour ago, if I remember correctly.”
Cheeky! He’s getting cheeky now. “It couldn’t have been. We saw your fresh footprints only after we had been there a few minutes. And we only got there 20 minutes ago.”
He held up a bare foot and wiggled his toes. “My footprints? What’s so special about my footprints?”
“You don’t wear shoes. Everyone wears shoes!” Hannah? Oskar? Where are you!?
He hopped down off the rock. “That doesn’t make any sense, at least where I come from. If everyone wears shoes, I must wear them too. Simple logic. ”
Eli was getting flustered. “You know what I mean. You didn’t grow up wearing shoes! Your toes aren’t …deformed like most peoples’ are” Sava?Papa?
“Do you really think that you and I are the only ones on the island with perfect feet?”
“How do you know I have perfect feet?!” Eli was becoming less and less certain that Oskar had been dreaming, in spite of herself. And now was as good a time as any to put it to the test. She wasn’t going to wait for his answer. What would be the point? “What’s your name?” she demanded.
He grinned at her. “I thought you’d never ask. My given name is Michael.” He paused for effect. “But all my friends call me ‘Mick’”
Eli stopped breathing. Oskar! Hannah! Where are you?! She relived Oskar’s dream over and over again in her mind, thankful that he had shared it with her through touch-talking, which always left her with a crystal-clear image of the train of events. Mick was clearly keeping her from communicating with anyone. But why? Was he afraid of them? Or, as she suspected, was he just playing a game with her? In Oskar’s dream, he was able to keep her from moving even when she was awake. If he could do that, could he keep her from talking to the others? Too many questions, and no answers. “Where do you live, ‘Mick’?” She put her hands on her hips. “This is a small island, and we’re generally aware when anyone new arrives.”
“Me? I’ve been here a very long time, Eli. Are you sure you’re not Hannah? I heard that Eli was the scary one. You don’t seem the least bit scary to me.”
“Who told you that?! I’m not scary at all!”
“I don’t know exactly. But everyone tells me that. Even Anne and Sara.” His eyes twinkled.
“They do not! Anne and Sara really like me!” Her face flushed. He’s just baiting me. And I fell for it. “Enough! You’re avoiding the question. Where are you from, who are your parents, and when did you get here?”
“That’s three questions. You know that, right? Ireland. That’s where I’m from.”
She looked back over her shoulder. Where’s Oskar? But she knew where he was. At the school waiting for her. And Hannah too. She had no idea when they would start wondering where she was and come looking for her. But she was sure it would be a while yet.
“And your parents?”
“Dead.”
“I’m so sorry! But…then how…” She was really confused now.
“It’s alright, Eli. It’s been a long time now. Over 400 years.”
She frowned. “Then, when did you get here?”
He ignored her question entirely. “It’s not that I don’t miss them. I do you know. But after all, 400 years is a long time. You can get over anything in 400 years.” He looked down at his feet. “So! You think my feet are perfect?” He wiggled his toes. “They are kind of pretty, aren’t they?”
Hannah! Oskar! Nothing. They should be worried by now. Where are they? “You can’t be here, you know. The only kids here have parents that work here.” 400 years? Who does he think he’s kidding? “Where do you live? You still haven’t told me where you live.”
“Ask Oskar. He knows.” His grin was ear-to-ear now. “I’ve lived in the same place since before you were born, Eli. And it’s anyone’s guess as to how much longer I’ll be there. This place is getting a bit crowded for me. And I’m running out of room.”
“What do you mean?” Her head was spinning now. Was Oskar dreaming or not?
“No more room for my paintings.” He shook his head sadly. “Too bad! Thanks to you, there are so many new things for me to paint. He winked at her. “And to answer your unasked question, how do you know you’re not dreaming now?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, how do you know whose dream is real? In your Wednesday dream, Oskar has shown you his Wednesday dream. The only reason you recognized me when you first saw me was because Oskar showed you his dream. And you know what’s even more interesting? In Oskar’s dream, he never saw me. Only you and Hannah saw me. You showed me to Oskar yourself. In his dream!” By now, Mick was pacing back and forth excitedly, chuckling to himself. Eli got the distinct impression that he was simply admiring his handiwork, almost oblivious to the fact that she was standing in front of him.
“I’m done! And this is the best of them all! I’ve won this round and I don’t care who knows it!” He put his hands on his hips and pranced around like a stallion. “Wait until I tell the others!”
“Others? There are more of you?”
As quick as a wink, he kissed her on the lips, then spun away laughing gleefully.
Suddenly, the veil of silence was lifted and Eli could see them all. Jack and Hannah, Oskar, Mama, Papa, Sava…
Hannah! Jack! She felt a warm glow deep inside, as the last of their conversation echoed in her mind. They were coming for her. And did she ever have something to share with them!
§
“Jack! What are you doing here?” Hannah moved over. Jack sat down next to her on the bench. Oskar was still only halfway up the valley, but he had a lot of houses and yards to fly over. She had had the easier route, and decided to wait at Vista Point until Oskar reached the school.
“Anne and Sara told me what you were up to. And where you in particular were going. I guess things have gotten a bit dull around here lately, haven’t they?” he grinned at her.
“What do you mean?! Do you think we’re making this all up? We really did see strange footprints coming out of the sea going toward my valley. The footprints looked like Eli’s.”
He smiled at her. “I’m sure you’re not making it up, Hannah. Oskar told me about the footprints yesterday – Tuesday, just to be clear.” He winked at her. “Whose idea was this, Hannah?”
“Mine! It was my idea. I had to convince Eli and Oskar, then Oskar had this strange dream, and lost a whole day in his mind. He still thinks today is Thursday. Since this morning, it has been Oskar’s obsession to prove that today is Thursday and that on his Wednesday, he met a leprechaun named “Mick.” She grabbed his hand and brought him up to date.
“More magic then,” he said softly. He smiled at her and put his arm around her. “Haven’t you wondered how this all came about, Hannah? How a lonely child, caught up in a nightmare she never deserved, has brought us all to this place at this time?”
“I never really thought about it that way, Jack.” She leaned her head on his shoulder, and for just a second, let herself think about the future.
“I’ve thought about it a lot, Hannah. Ever since I fell in love with Eli so long ago. Look at all the people she’s rescued over the years: First, Oskar. Then Dr. Dawson who, but for Eli, would have died alone and guilt-ridden over the death of his first wife. Then Elaine who would have died at her own hand, but for Richard. Then you. But you were different. Your life would have been happy without her.”
“No! It wouldn’t! It wouldn’t be the same.”
“Not the same, assuredly. But happy, nonetheless,” he insisted. “Then came Gudmund, who died at his own hand once he was certain he had done right by Eli. But he gave us Sava, who gave himself to Eli. His life now has a greater purpose – as our avid protector. And of course, there is Jonathan, who rightly or wrongly inherited Gudmund’s obsession. And look at the result.” He threw his arms out wide. “This beautiful island and Eli’s genetic legacy. A world-changing legacy, I might add.”
“You’re right, Jack,” she said softly. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
And that’s only the half of it, Hannah. The riddle is only half-answered.” He turned and took her hands gently in his own.
“What do you think we’re all doing here, Hannah, after all?” He paused. “We’re fulfilling Eli’s destiny. She’s gathered us together to fulfill her destiny, to make up in some small way for the terrible things she’s done.”
“But Jack! Wouldn’t she know it? How could she do it without knowing it?” Hannah simply couldn’t believe it even though it was a most beautiful thought.
“How else can you explain the perfection of it all, Hannah? Oskar gave her the strength; her papa gave her the means, her mama relieved her of her self-loathing. And you, beautiful child, showed her what she might have been and still could be. What else does she need?”
Hannah kissed him gently on the cheek. “She needs you, Jack. She needs you to tell her in the end.” It was suddenly clear to her.
Hannah! Jack! Come quickly! I’ve found the most amazing boy! Oskar, you were right. You were right! It must be Thursday!