Who is Blake Evans

3 Trillion trillion trillion years

Blake

After Jane's boyfriend dropped me off, I went straight to the computer. There's a big reason why I want to lead a normal life away from being a keeper. My dad went away when I was around ten and I haven't seen him since. My mom wouldn't talk about him and she moved on. But I haven't. I need to know, now more than ever. I need to know if he decided to be a keeper or if he decided to lead a normal life or whatever else could have happened to him. I know his name but I can't find anything from the extensive google searches and on social media. I call my mom.

-Hey, mom?

"Yes dear? How is everything going, it hasn't rained all day, are you close to you know...?"

-No, mom. - I wipe away a bit of sweat from my forehead. It's incredibly hot in Deep town when it's not raining or windy. - I need to know something before that happens. - She goes silent, I think she's been waiting for me to ask her this. - Where is Dad? Can I meet him?

"I don't know if that's such a great idea. But if that is what you want honey then we can make it happen."

-Yes please.

"Oh, you mean now?"

-Please. - There is urgency in my tone. I don't like to feel like I am begging but I kind of am.

"Okay. I'm coming home in thirty minutes. I'll make a call and we can drive there. It's going to be a long drive."

-Okay. Thank you.

.

As we are driving to meet my father, I feel a lot of energy pulsing trough my body. Today was an energetic day. I felt serene and accepted and I was able to receive a lot of energy from Deep town's desert. I need to let some of it out or I will implode. The sun is going down and the sky is all different shades of beautiful colors. Then it starts to get gray and foggy and, in a few minutes, you can't see much of the sun anymore. It starts raining and I relax into my seat. It's going to be a long ride.

.

-You've been looking very chipper. What's gotten into you? Making new friends? - I look at her quizzically. Does she want me to make friends? Won't that be waste of time to my training?

-Yes. They are great. One of them is in the hospital. He got hurt.

-Oh, I heard, Liam Peters, right? - I nod. It feels weird that she would know of my friend. What would she think of Jane if she met her or Hannah? She makes a turn into a fast food parking lot.

-Let's eat, shall we? - Now she's speaking my language.

-Yes.

.

-We are almost there. How is he doing? Do you think he'll be able to talk to Blake? - I overhear my mom talk on the phone. I shouldn't be eavesdropping but I desperately want to know more. - Huh-uh, I see. Well, just seeing him would be great for Blake. Okay, talk to you soon. Thank you. See you in a bit.

-Aunt Layla is expecting us. She's... close to your dad. - My mom wants to say something else that she's not saying.

-Okay. - I nod. It's so surreal to be meeting him in real life. I've thought about this moment so much.

.

-Blake, wake up honey. - My Mom wakes me up gently. The light inside the car is shining in my eyes. We're in a vast piece of land parked right in front of a small cottage. There is a woman standing with her arms crossed looking at us. She waves and smiles at me and she looks a bit more pleasant.

We go inside and my Mom and Aunt Layla are talking in a low voice. They're making small talk about how great I've turned out and how much they've missed each other.

-Where is he? - I ask in a normal tone. They don't reprehend me.

-Harold is right over here. Come say hi. - We go to a room upstairs.

I take a good look at the man in front of me. He looks much older than how I remember him. He hasn't aged gracefully. He has blanket covering his shoulders. From what I can tell his frame is very skinny, not at all like the strong dad I remember. He has his eyes open but I can see he's looking straight through me. He is meditating.

-Hi, dad? - I say gently trying not to startle him. He moves in his seat, blinks and then he is right there with me. He looks me up and down and he tries to get up to hug me but he is too weak. I move to hug him instead. We share an embrace for a few minutes. Somehow, I can sense his illness trough touching him. I break the hug and look at him. He goes back to meditating.

-Why is he so weak? - I ask Aunt Layla.

-He didn't anticipate having a universe. He was a storm creator. Someone who messes with the weather so they don't have to create their own universe. But one day when you were little it happened. He knew he had a genetic disease that would likely impair his adult life later on but what ended up happening was his universe also got affected. It's been very tragic. I've been taking care of him through it all. - My Mom is hugging me as I'm getting the news.

-So, what is it like? Inside his universe? - I ask.

-Black holes. It's going to be like that until the equivalent of 3 trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion years when the last black hole evaporates.

-Doesn't that happen with all universes? They end?

-Yes, but it's been a more painful existence than normal for your dad, there was never any plant life or any kind of life in his universe. That is devastating for any keeper. - I nod. I break free from my Mothers embrace and I come closer to Dad again. I kiss his forehead.

-I think I can become a keeper now? I mean, I don't know. I like the idea of maybe becoming a storm creator like my Dad was. I'm ready for the next stage of my life. - They both hug me and there's tears in our eyes. It means a lot that I felt ready to say that.