I never saw him again. Our city is small, we should have crossed at least once, but somehow, he was never there. His face never left my thoughts no matter how hard I've tried, and the more I think about him, the more I forget what he looks like. Is that strange? I stopped thinking about him for the past eight years, and so far it's been working...until now.
It's been almost ten years, and my parents want to throw me a party. I didn't want to. For my birthday, I just wanted hang out with my girls and go to a bar like last year, but my mother was pretty persistent on the subject. She said that she would bring beer, so I guess the party would be okay.
The party has been going on for an hour, and right now, I don't feel like being social with everybody. I was outside in the backyard, a cigarette in between my fingers and a beer bottle in the other hand. I sighed with a puff of white smoke leaving my mouth. I tipped the bottle back, letting the cold liquid freeze the inside of my mouth over. It was then I heard the back door open with music exploding and everybody laughing. I turned and saw my brother giggling in the arms of a man I didn't recognize. I took in a breath from my cigarette as I watched them drunkly staggered away from the door. My eyebrows raised in surprise when Caleb let the man push him against the wall. I exhaled and turned away.
"Mother's going to kill you when she finds out," I said. I turned back, and the two were parted, embarrassed, but parted.
"I'll see you later," I heard Caleb say quietly.
My eyebrows raised again when I heard a smooch from behind me. It wasn't long until Caleb was standing right next to me. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and sighed. I knew he didn't want to talk about it, so I let the both of us stand in silence.
"You should be inside," he said finally. "It's your party."
"I didn't want one," I replied. I dropped the end of the cigarette and stepped on it. I held the bottle loose in my hand, waving it back and forth.
"You don't smoke," he said, seeing the cigarette end die out.
"And you don't have boyfriends either," I said instantaneously protective. I saw the shock and hurt in his eyes. "I'm sorry."
Caleb shook his head. "Don't be. It's my fault. I shouldn't have brought him here, not to your party."
We stood in silence again. He took the bottle from my hands and drank. I crossed my arms tightly over my chest as I looked out into the darkness. I let the cool breeze pull my hair back and the night sky take my mind off of everything. It was very peaceful and I liked it that way.
"Alfred Hilter," Caleb said, breaking the serene silence. I'm glad he did; it caught my attention, but I really wanted to stay in silence. "That's his name." He returned his gaze to the dark night in front of us. "The boy you were talking about? The one who you kept thinking of? Who kept entering your dreams? That's his name. Alfred Hilter."
Excitement and fear rushed through me as I returned my gaze out into the world. I didn't know what to do next that I know his name. I could so much with just that little. I'm not sure. What I do know is that I'm excited.
"Thought you would like to know," Caleb finished, taking one last drink, giving it back to me, and walking back to the house.
I'm finally twenty. I don't know what to do with myself. I was walking across the park, seeing beautiful trees and familiar faces that I should know. Everything was happy as it always is: women were working, being followed by their husbands, looking after their kids, the usual. I even heard some of the conversations between the women and their husbands. I could not believe what those men were saying, and having the audacity to even think of those kinds of things were shocking. But thankfully, their wives put them back in their rightful place.
"I was thinking of voting for Senator Airys," said one the women to their husbands. "She's an intelligent individual and she would know how set this country on the right path. Of course President Marilyn has already done that, but it would be a good change."
I walked past another couple. I was terrified to cross them. They were screaming their heads off, and I can see why. The husband was talking nonsense. I didn't want to eavesdrop on their conversation, but I knew what they were talking about anyways. The man was saying that he wanted a government position or a position in the field of law. The wife didn't think it was a good idea, and I agree. Only five percent of governmental jobs were given to men, and that includes lawyers. Not many men were given strong positions in our government. According to what my great grandmother said, leaders that were men became dictators through lust of power. Other leaders that were men wanted them to stop, and everything resulted in war and deaths. I did not want to go through war.
I was walking past a mother and her child, and it was a sweet sight. In some families, the mothers always chose who their son's going to marry. If a family's mother doesn't want their daughter to propose, they always result to an arranged marriage. There is a system that if the daughter doesn't like her husband anymore, she can apply for a divorce. If she can give a valid reason and is accepted, she can divorce. If not, they have to stay with each other till death do they part. But that rarely happens. The mother presented her son to a lovely little girl to whom he was betrothed, and they would seem to be a lovely pair; woman and husband.
I stopped at the Government Building and strode in through the doors. Everyone knew who I was, being the Vice President's daughter and all, and greeted me with warm smiles. I walked in to the Athenaeum Archives and up to the woman sitting behind the desk. She was the friendliest person i have ever met. I mean, everyone is friendly, but she never got me in trouble.
"Well if it isn't Miss Astrid Holter," the old woman said, pushing her glasses up with trembling fingers.
"Hi, Mrs. Veil," I said quietly with a huge smile, which she returned.
"How may I help you?" She said kindly as always.
"I'm looking for a boy."
"But why? They should be looking for you. You're so pretty. You look just like Amelia, you know. Always having boys line up to say hi to her and never get the chance."
I chuckled. "Well, you see, Mrs. Veil, this boy is...mysterious, I might say. I've only seen him three times in the last ten years. I was hoping that there might be information about him?"
Mrs. Veil chuckled quietly and very happily. "There should be something on everyone, darling. Let me help you." She slid her chair to her computer. "Now, what's the name of this mystery boy you're talking about?"
"Alfred Hilter."
I only wish I didn't say the name out loud. I only wish I didn't say the name at all. I could've said, "Oh, you're a sweetheart, Mrs. Veil. Thank you, but no. I'll look for it on my own." I could've said that. I should have. Once those words left my lips, the whole room was silent and she froze with fear. I felt all eyes were on me. It was only a matter of time when she finally gave me all her attention again.
"Maybe I misheard that name, dear," Mrs. Veil said with a low voice of concern.
Confused, "You misheard nothing," I said. "Alfred Hilter," I repeated.
Mrs. Veil looked around, seeing everybody's eyes on the both of us. I looked around as well, but they turned back to their work, trying to pretend that nothing had happened. I turned back to Mrs. Veil, but she wasn't there anymore. I looked around for her, and she was walking away from her desk, pushing a book cart deep into the athenaeum. I decided not to approach her anymore. She turned as white as cotton at the sound of his name, but I still wanted to know. I had to.
I walked deep within the walls of the athenaeum, trying not to notice the hundred eyes watching me as I sat myself in front of a computer. I looked around, and the eyes shifted back to their work. I turned on the computer and put the headphones on my head. I thought the name and on the screen typed "Alfred Hilter" in the search bar.
I looked around the athenaeum and only a few people were staring at me. I tried to ignore them, but I felt uncomfortable. I was relieved to the sound of the two-bell ring. I turned my attention to the screen and his picture showed.
The first thing I noticed was that he was marked a criminal. He had a criminal record, everything, and it only made me interested in him even more. I swiped up at the screen to read more, and every piece of information I could ever want was right in front of me.
"Alfred Hilter," I read, "born on January 1, 2277 was the bastard child of Annabelle and Randolph Hilter. There are no records of him since he and his mother moved outside of the city, and there are sightings of him available since their departure. Alfred Hilter, or Criminal 101, is known for his gross misconduct, causing the Trial of 2289. Women who are caught speaking of the Trial of 2289 will be sentenced to ten years of prison. Men will be serve twenty years and will be held under house arrest for ten. Alfred Hilter's actions are better left unsaid and forgotten, and on behalf of the Grand Branch of Governmental Authority, we advise you to leave this matter alone." That's where the matter ended.
I didn't understand. What did he do? Why is he the most wanted criminal? Why? I removed my headphones and the article disintegrated behind the screen. I leaned back against the chair, arms crossed tightly against my chest, and I just sat there angry and frustrated. Who was he?
I walked back home and barged right into Caleb's room.
"Hey!" Caleb yelled, getting to his feet and close to my face. "You can't just enter my room without knocking fir-,"
I raised my hand to stop him. "Excuse me?" I said infuriated. "What gives you the right to speak to me that way? I can have you behind bars if I so wish it, Caleb."
His eyes softened, and he forced his anger to writhe. He sat back in his chair. I approached him and leaned forward to look him in the eyes, feeling my eyes blaze with fury ignite off onto his.
"Don't you dare speak to me like that...ever," I said through my gritted teeth. "Do you understand, dear brother? There is nothing on this earth that gives you the power to speak to me in that tone."
Caleb's intense anger grew into a cowering tremble. "Yes, dear one," he replied, his voice shaking. "I apologize for disrespecting thy noble one who has been all so generous to me."
"That's right," I said. "Because without me, without me, you would be dragged across the town by the wrists from a horse, tortured, publicly, verbally, physically ridiculed and assaulted by the entire town, and most of all killed. And not just you. Because I know now, your little boyfriend too."
"And for that, I am grateful."
I stared down upon him with an angered look of despise. He wasn't allowed to speak to me that way. He knew that, I knew that. I could have reported him, but there was something that stopped me from doing so. It wasn't love, that's for sure.
"Now," I said. He refused to look up at me, but I chose to forgive him on that, "let's start this again, shall we?"
He nodded. "Yes, dear sister."
"Good."
He got to his feet and took in a deep breath that shook intensely and tremendously. "How may I be of service to you, dear sister?" He said kindly.
"Better."
Caleb never spoke to me like that. Mother always said to me and Catherine that if any boy decides to speak to us in that way, scold them and reporter them. She said we would be safer that way if those who choose to sultry us were behind bars. I couldn't do that with Caleb. There are times when I would need him, and he would sentenced for death, not just for yelling at me, other cases too. I would miss him too.
I relaxed almost immediately, but there was still a raging fire that was taking some time to die down. "I found Alfred Hilter in the Athenaeum Archives. Most of his information is inconclusive, but I got some information that is worth knowing. Do you know anything else that i might want to know of?"
I can see the terror in his eyes from being scolded at so harshly, but he managed to speak anyways. I would have given him a moment or two to group himself, but he didn't want to keep me waiting.
"He was born out of wedlock," Caleb responded, the tremble in his voice still audible.
"Yes, I already know that."
"I'm sorry," he cried out, fearing there was an impatient tone in my voice. "He was convicted for his first crime when he was twelve for physically assaulting a girl. He says it was an accident, and it was, but the girl who was assaulted says otherwise. He was placed in prison for two years, but he escaped. They lied about leaving with his family. He killed them the day he escaped and has been on the run for as long as now."
"Then, how is it that I'm able to see him?"
"You can see him?" Caleb said with interest, forgetting about his scold and sitting up straight on his chair.
I nodded. "At school, at the park. I even followed him around the city."
"Did he say anything to you?"
"He only told me to stay away from him."
"The park?" Caleb asked after a short pause of thinking.
I nodded.
"Where have you seen him at the park?"
"At the willow tree."
Caleb sat up and grinned. He sat back against his chair.
"What?" I said getting tired of his silence.
"He's coming back."
My eyes widened with fear and hidden excitement.
"Would you like to see him again?"
Without taking a moment to think about it, I nodded my head vigorously. Caleb's thin grin grew into a smile then into a chuckle.
"Meet me outside the house tonight. We're going to have a visitor."
YOU ARE READING
Talmer-Grey Terrace (or Hilter and his Beating Heart)
Ficción General2300, and women ruled the earth with grace and majesty. They controlled everything that is important to man's survival, and the world could not have been a happier place. Wars haven't occurred since the Battle of 2100, differences and discrimination...
