Balance

Chapter 6

6

From that day on, Eleanor’s visits to Knotweed weren’t resented or taken with ill ease; rather, she began to take pleasure in seeing and speaking to Calix. Perhaps she even looked forward to it. Though he never knew where or when she would step out of a home or into the forest, Calix always welcomed her sudden appearances with a smile and ready conversation. Eleanor still hadn’t told anyone in the Heavens about him.

            Though she had overcome the first few waves of fear and hesitation that came with seeing Calix, that lingering sensation of wrong would blossom in her belly if she came close to speaking of him. She didn’t think talking to him was prohibited. Why would it be if no other human had ever spoken to a soul-gatherer? Who would even believe Calix if he revealed her? Still, as he tossed her a friendly wave when she passed, the unsure feelings would roil her otherwise pleasant thoughts.

Eleanor chose to ignore these. She enjoyed Calix’s company, and wouldn’t let strange thoughts ruin her fun.

She stayed with Calix on one of her days off from the toil of soul-collecting. Summer was still in its infancy, was still far from the lengthy, scorching days that were bound to come. The two had met on the same dusty trail that snaked through a patch of woodland in Calix’s town. Thick green leaves like fingers and hands spouted from numerable trees, providing a pleasant shade for the boy and his dead friend.

“Okay,” Calix said, steadying a dirty soccer ball between his feet. “Watch this.” He spun one leg, and then kicked the ball with a heel so it popped straight up. He continued to bounce it up from foot to foot until he trapped it beneath a sneakered toe.

“How many more useless tricks do you know?” Eleanor wondered aloud.

The redhead considered the question for a moment or two. “How high can you count?”

“Why do you waste time doing those, when you could be practicing actual techniques?”

“Psh,” Calix shrugged. “I dunno. Summer conditioning starts up next month, so I’ll just wait for real practicing until then. Plus this is more fun.”

“Procrastinating,” Eleanor called in a sing-song voice.

“Oh, whatever. Don’t you do anything for fun in The Heavens? Or is watching people die your only entertainment?”

“Of course not. We, ah…” she looked up in thought. Calix smirked at her, unconvinced. “Oh, hold on! We play games and things, and there are some shops we can visit. Sometimes we’ll put on concerts or plays for the other Brothers and Sisters. I’ve continued my schooling.”

“Lame.”

 “A lot of us just watch humans for fun.”

He shot a glance her direction. “Yeah. I’ve noticed.”

She easily fought a smile. “I could always stop visiting you, if that’s what you want. I have to look at you humans every day, and should probably take a break from that whenever I can.”

“Eh, we’re not so bad. You were a human, too.”

“Yes. But now I’m glad I’m not.” Her tone turned sour. “Humans can be so ignorant about everything: their emotions, their environment, the people around them. War is always raging, and everyone dies by absolutely the most preventable causes. And they’re always filthy.”

Icily, he regarded the Sister. “You honestly think you’ve changed that much since you died?”

Eleanor had nothing to say. She looked anywhere but at Calix in the stretched silence, and as her eyes wandered, she caught sight of fluttering white skirts and sooty hair.