BOOK ONE

“PATIENT ~"

PROLOGUE

There is something divinely unique and strange about power --- or rather the perception of power. Constantly evolving, we allocate it to those in one lifetime that we’d never remotely consider allowing near it in another. It comes in all different forms from banal superficiality to the uncontrollable carnality of the fives senses. Those who possess it can be both aware of its ability and simultaneously oblivious to its peripheral consequence. In contrast, it can envelope and blind to great lengths those who are inherently weak, thrusting them into an existence they never considered possible. Devious, treacherous, euphoric and divine it lay ubiquitously waiting to harness or be harnessed in the most un-expected ways.

SCENE – A BOXING MATCH

The belligerents in this battle are Oliver Stables, Law Student (B.A. Commerce) University of (_______________ ) and Thomas Radford, Political Science P.H.D Candidate (B.A. Political Science) (University of _______________). The prize? To win the affections of the beautiful and equally intelligent Miss. Susan Hudson, Fine Art Graduate Student Candidate (B.F.A. Painting) (University of ______________) sitting with her three friends. The venue? A mediocre pub on the outskirts of campus known for its quality ales and terrible service. Despite there being four available women, both men happened to approach Miss. Susan Hudson at precisely the same moment after finally building up the liquid courage to do so. Neither wanting to return to their managerial team of pep-talk frat affiliates who look on judgingly from booths at opposite corners of the establishment, they immediately attempt to out woo the other for the lady in waiting with knowledge and charm, which quickly digresses into brute stupidity. What they failed to realize is that during their attempts to out-philosophically-wax the other, Miss. Hudson and company had elected to move to the bar to take in the action from afar. Once realizing that she’d shuffled off, the anger between the two escalated as both looked to blame the other. These two men, despite being from the alpha male order on an intellectual level, are in fact males who fall in with the omegas when it comes to physical strength. Words run dry and tempers flare giving way to the first flimsy attempt at a punch. Arms begin flying but it looks less like a fight and more like a struggle for air from a human drowning in six inches of water. Needless to say the entire pub has now joined in on the laughter as these two titans go air punch for air punch battling until what they imagine will be the glorious end. Unfortunately, there is no glory in the outcome of the fight at all. Sadly, after only a minute, Oliver Stables slips in some spilt beer and crashing to the hard floor splits his head open, knocking himself unconscious in the process. To this Thomas Radford cries victory to a crowd that is now split between those who are concerned for the fallen and he who stands to still be laughed at for being the best of a bad bunch. However, the heavy divide quickly falls in favour of the fallen Stables as Radford defeats himself by spitting on his downed opponent. Not five seconds pass before he finds himself being cussed and removed from the bar for poor play. On his way out, he has the bad luck of catching the faintest glimpse of the prize rushing to the aide of Stables, who still unconscious has no idea that he has in fact so how come out victorious.

Feeling a sensation akin to being thrust from the womb into the world, Oliver hazily came back to reality to find the usual image of a crowd of onlookers starring down at him all asking the same question. Through the blur of faces, his eyes locked and settled upon the only clear face in the bunch looking back at him. A dough-eyed moment between Susan and Oliver ensued and despite not needing to be said Oliver uttered; “I promise I’ll never lose again” to which Susan replied, “You’ll never have to”.

Choosing to forgo a trip to the hospital in favour of a bag of ice from behind the bar and a few more pints, the two sat in the corner engaged in conversation until all but their two chairs had been flipped onto tables and they had to be asked to call it a night. She wanted to be a mother someday soon. He wanted to be a father someday not as soon.

SCENE – THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM

The screams resonating from Susan the night she gave birth could be heard beyond the farthest reaches of every ward in the hospital. Above the accident sufferers, chronically ill, and near death patients Susan was taking the centre stage and the spotlight. The desperate communication between the nurses and doctor could barely be heard over the breathless agony of Mrs. Stables (nee Hudson), as Oliver stood watching in gut wrenching suspense at the scene before him.

“Get me the tray and prepare for a blood transfusion and full epidural!” cried Dr. Chan.

“Yes Dr. Chan!” came a unanimous reply from a handful of nurses.

“I told you I didn’t want any sedation! Do not give me anything!” cried Susan in response.

“I’m sorry Mrs. Stables, but it’s for your own safety. You have to trust me.”

“Dr. Chan don’t you dare---”

“---Susan. If I don’t do this you will die.”

“NO!!!!!”

Dr. Chan turned to look back at Oliver, who nodded in agreement.

“Everything is going to be fine Susan. I promise.”

With that, Susan felt herself fall slowly into a vacuous oblivion of weightlessness as all sight, sound and most importantly --- pain --- vanished from her senses.

“Is she under?” asked Dr. Chan.

“Yes.”

“Alright, I’m making the first incision.”

Dr. Chan M.D. (University of __________) a doctor of the utmost integrity was for the first time in his career unsure as to the reassurance of life he’d just accorded Susan Stables. An exceptional doctor in many fields, he became physician to the Stable family as they began to encounter difficulties and oddities over the course of her gestation. Initially brought on by their family physician, Dr. Petal, for opinion and consultation, he quickly took over as permanent physician for his expertise and personal ability to convey everything in a clear and comforting manner to Oliver and Susan. While possessing an exceedingly large amount of knowledge, he always respects the choices and decisions of his patients in every situation. However in this instance and moment he felt terribly nervous and unsure as to the outcome for two reasons. The first was that he may have just lied to Susan, and secondly he’d already lied to her once. In fact he’d been lying to her for 6 months. The only saving grace was that he’d not lied to Oliver, and while this hardly made anything justified he hoped in this very moment that it was not all in vain.

CHORUS

“When, what to my wondering eyes should appear…”

SCENE – A PRIVATE HOSPITAL RECOVERY ROOM

Susan Stables awoke to find herself alone in a room she did not recognize. A quick glance around helped to settle her first and immediate anxiety as she was reminded that she was still in the hospital, though in a much more comfortable room. Catching her breath and feeling her heart rate slow, she settled back against the pillows and closed her eyes. As she lay quietly, her attention drifted to the various beeps emanating from equipment in both her room and outside down the hall. Oddly enough, she found some solace in the completely random rhythm of the digital pulses. They soothed her and induced a desire to stretch out her limbs which were tight and sore from lactic acid build-up acquired during her lengthy and sordid labour…labour? LABOUR? Her pregnancy --- her baby girl. As her heart rate began to climb at a staggering rate a rush of vague memory came pouring into her consciousness. She was in the hospital for the birth of her daughter. Where was her daughter? Susan tried to scream but choked on the dryness of her own mouth. Panicking, she began to fumble around for the call button and in the process slid her hands under the covers over her stomach toward her hips. Discovering for the first time the bandages covering the scar that will remain with her until the end of her days she no longer found her throat to dry to scream and let loose an ear piercing shriek which caught the attention of several on duty nurses. Calming her as quickly as they could, they made contact with both Oliver and Dr. Chan immediately who were on the other side of the hospital.

Desperate for an answer, the only rumbling she could get out of the nurse was:

“Everything is fine. I’ll let the doctor explain. Please try to relax. You’ve been through a lot.”

Everything is fine? Fine has always been the answer of choice when one wanted to avoid having to actually discuss the problems that were truly on deck. Fine was a distraction. Fine was not what she wanted to hear upon waking up from being drugged before the birth of her first child. Let it be known that the good doctor would be getting more than an earful if all was not infinitely better than fine. Her stomach was not fine. Not in the slightest.

After some time, her heart rate slowed and mind settled to a more reasonable pace of thought. Rationality set it. The good doctor had never failed her before so why should she mistrust him now? Gazing out the window at the slowly rising sun a sense of calm set it. While she’d slept a snowstorm had swept through, and now the dawn reflected beautifully from its smooth remains. Winter was always her favourite time of year. She too had been born during the cold months, and part of her always thought that her subconscious had elected to conceive in the spring so that her first born could also be a winter baby. Her mind drifted briefly to her youth and wondered if somehow she’d always wanted to replace what was lost to her and her mother. Could the subconscious be that strong? Of course it could and she suddenly found herself searching her consciousness for moments of blatant desire to take back what she felt was taken so unjustly as only human nature can.

Susan only had the faintest memory of her twin sister Sarah, which she admitted was more likely by this point more of a constructed memory from photos rather than actual memory but nevertheless she had her permanently engrained in her mind’s eye. Sadly, Sarah was not long in this world. Five short years into her life she died of bronchitis and pneumonia. The unfortunate thing for Susan is that Sarah lived just long enough to reach an age where Susan would be able to retain a memory of her. Rather cruel in some ways but Susan has always tried to see to the positive side of this loss. Sarah was the smaller and weaker one and despite all her best efforts Susan had always wondered if it had been her bed which sat closer to the window on that cold stormy night when it burst open, then would she have been the one who’d taken ill? This question has plagued her since her sister’s death and she somehow couldn’t help but feel and think that she’d always wanted to bring her back to life somehow so that they could once again sit for afternoon tea in the garden all the while bringing every possible fantasy to life. Sarah. Not a day passes that I don’t think of you. I hope you’re proud of me. Susan felt a rush of guilt as she realized she hadn’t been to her grave in over a year with the advent of her pregnancy and while she owed her more than that made a personal note to get there as soon as she was fit enough. Gazing out the window, she didn’t hear Dr. Chan enter the room.

“I’ve sent a nurse for Oliver. He’s been pacing back and forth between you and the

maternity ward,” Dr. Chan’s voice snapped her back to reality.

“Then my baby is alright?” she demanded.

“They both are. To a certain extent.”

Susan could have sworn she heard herself flat-line.

Twins? Fear coursed through her entire being, paralyzing her in an instant. She felt frozen hearing only a few selective words come from the doctor’s mouth. Complications. C-Section. Incubation. Deformity. Life support.

Oliver entered the room just in time to hear Susan hitting her stride in furious anger toward Dr. Chan and the slew of hate which was formulating in her mind was having to pass through her still heavily sedated motor skills making for rather lackluster clarity though passion and volume could not be denied.

“Mrs. Stables, I need you to remain calm. They are both going to be fine. As I said, your daughter is in perfect condition. It is only your son who is suffering but he is not going to die. I promise you that.” Dr. Chan squeezed her hand firmly and looked directly into her eyes as he repeated himself, “I promise you that.”

At hearing the word die Susan’s anger blended with her fear and confusion as she broke down in a fit of tears. Oliver, who was now sitting on the opposite side of the bed to Dr. Chan took her in his arms and whispered softly to her that it was he who was to blame for the news.

“I chose to keep the information from you because I felt a panic in your pregnancy would only have induced an unstable and stressed environment on both gestations, possibly with dire consequences,” and he stressed her past “I didn’t want you thinking of Sarah. Please forgive me. I love you dear and I know it wasn’t fair but I was scared of losing all of you. Please forgive me one day.”

Susan was so exhausted and overwhelmed from all of the information, she found herself falling asleep in his arms and within moments was deep in slumber. Oliver set her back gently on the bed and turned to Dr. Chan.

“I’m bloody tired too. Can you point me to a empty bed?” he asked.

“Follow me.”

The following morning Susan put aside her anger at both men, electing instead to put the focus on what really mattered --- her children. Her fury would be dealt with at an appropriate time and mistrust voiced clearly when she felt she could do so. She found it especially difficult to comprehend the future of her relationship to her husband, but again forced herself to push her issues to the back-burner in favour of the well being of her new babies. After a light mid-morning snack Dr. Chan began to explain to her what had transcribed.

He became aware of a second gestation in the second trimester of the combined gestation. Aware of Susan’s past and unsure as to the diagnosis of her current situation, he chose to retain the information until he felt confident with a diagnosis. However, as time progressed the pregnancy seemed to defy all logical assessments right up until the birth. With the first appearance, he was inclined to believe that it was merely a very small vanishing twin and would eventually disintegrate with no effect on the healthy fetus. However, the variable here was that the heartbeat had showed up much later than normal and in most cases of vanishing twins the heartbeat would have begun to disintegrate by this point --- not grow. After some further observation, he suspected that perhaps it was a parasitic twin as its size was so minuscule and quite often in the case of a parasite twin it is almost unnoticeable. He could not discern any sex but there was a heartbeat and the larger, strong twin was showing no signs of being affected by the other. Confounded again, but confident that neither was of any great danger he watched closely and tried to retain as safe an environment as possible. As time went on, he saw no cancerous cells developing which only furthered the curious nature of this growing anomaly. As they grew, in the same placenta he assumed them to be mono-zygotic (identical) twin girls and finally came upon the realization that a transfusion was occurring and in fact the smaller less developed fetus was the ‘donor’ twin explaining the small and anemic physicality, with the ‘recipient’ being larger and polycythemic. What this meant was that the blood from Susan was being diverted from the smaller into the larger. Given the growth rate, late on-set and seeming constant improvement he was confident that with plenty of rest careful monitoring he felt confident that he could deliver both children alive and well. Had she known the possibility she faced he feared she would have focused all her energy on fear and stress leading to a weakened state for both her and her unborn children.

Susan looked at him with absolute vacancy. She didn’t know if she wanted to slap him, scream at him, hug him or leave him. Oliver, who had been holding her hand tightly throughout felt it slip through his fingers as she recoiled into herself. Susan attempted to weight the immediate pros and cons of the situation. First and foremost was that both children were alive. In a conception situation where the chances of a dual survival are slim to none they had come out on top. Yet she couldn’t shake the deceit and betrayal she was feeling.

“How long have you known Oliver?” she asked without looking at him. Oliver fell silent as he knew this was always going to be unavoidable.

“How long?” Susan repeated.

“From the moment Dr. Chan first discovered the pulse. The entire time.”

Her mind started to race again. She remembered Dr. Chan mentioning the words ‘to a certain extent’ and demanded the specifics of what this meant. Dr. Chan continued to explain that there are most often two things to expect during a pregnancy as unique as this one. First and foremost is that both infants will be of the same sex, and second, there will be a disfigurement to both and in particular the smaller one. However he case again presented uniquely defying results. She did not have two girls or boys but rather one of each. The girl was born the larger ‘recipient’ child and had no signs of any deficiencies and tested tremendously well for health. She was in fact born with near perfection in all aspects of health. The boy was born the smaller ‘donor’ child and, unfortunately had suffered greatly. He was currently living and would continue to live but for exactly how long and under what circumstances had yet to be understood.

“At the moment he is in incubation and under 24 hour surveillance. He needs help breathing and produces a very low count of red blood cells, which we are helping him with.”

“I want to see them. I want to see them both. I’m ready,” said Susan.

“We can’t permit you to see your son. He cannot be removed from his incubation unit. We can have your daughter brought here immediately.”

“Darling, they can’t bring Lucius here, his skin is too sensitive. He’s safe. Trust me.”

“Do not speak to me Oliver unless I speak to you. Understood?”

“Susan, please be reasonable. We’ve come out on top.”

“Oliver I swear to god if you utter another word---,” she said looking directly at her husband. Oliver nodded and left the room. After he’d left, she realized she’d heard a name --- Lucius.

There was a knock on the door before it opened and in walked a nurse carrying their beautiful baby girl, two days old and with that Susan had her life changed forever. The sight of her daughter washed all her troubles of the moment away and as she held her quietly in her arms she could feel her constant breath matching her own and out came the name Leona. Leona.

The lives of twins Leona and Lucius had begun.

CHORUS

“Sometimes things must begin as black and white so that some day they can become grey.”

SCENE – THE STABLE FAMILY ESTATE

Naturally, being graduates of institutions intended to educate only the upper echelons of society (though said institutions will vehemently insist that they have their doors open to anyone who meets the criteria and can afford to do so), it is fitting that they have enjoyed a life of professional and financial success in addition to family dowries and support. So it was that on Christmas morning Oliver Stables’ Land Rover Defender which had previously been his father’s came to a stop in front of the home that had been built and passed down through 4 generations of Stable families. A fresh layer of snow had fallen the night before and was now glistening with serene beauty under a mid-morning sun. As he went around to open the door for his wife and new baby girl, his fresh footprints made slight squeaks in the snow and were the only noises other than the high pitched chirps of the birds getting on with their daily routine.

The Stable estate was moderately majestic. Among old money families and estates, it was definitely the picture perfect image of balance between size and sophistication. A stone structure of the highest quality of masonry, it represented the last of an era before ‘new money’ families --- in a way only new money families can --- would bring shame and utter disgust to the word estate with their massive glittering stucco obstructions whose sole goal when looked upon seemed to be the quest to create the largest eyesore or carbon imprint on the earth’s ecosystem. Stable Manor was a moderate 15000 square foot main house on 45 acres of land which contained a small private lake stocked with trout and pike, a barn with horse stables, a small caretakers cottage, lush forested ground as well as open rolling hills and lastly a small hunting cottage situated at the extreme edge of the property overlooking the endless ocean. On clear days, the ocean could also be glimpsed from the uppermost floor of the main house and looked particularly splendid at sundown as it faced west. Lastly, not far from the main house was perhaps the most unique feature of the entire estate and had retained itself as the staple feature for all the generations of Stables who inhabited the house. The hedge maze or Labyrinth as they preferred to call it was of particular uniqueness because it was comprised of three different aesthetics; stone, hedge and a dense canopied forest. The canopied forest let in little to no light even when the sun was at its zenith and was therefore lit with the original gas lamps despite the rest of the estate having been converted to electric power decades earlier. The Labyrinth was a place of relaxation and thought for the generations of Stable men who inhabited the house, and after so many years the route became second nature and could almost be completed blindfolded so the only thing to do was immerse oneself in escapist thought. For the children, it presented infinite opportunities for games and fantastical worlds to be created and destroyed. With an abundance of caves, streams, cliffs and crevices to be explored across the rest of the grounds, the property was definitely any young child’s dream surrounding to spend their formative and youthful years.

Oliver passed around to the passenger side of the Rover, opening the door for his two girls who stepped out onto the snowy driveway, exhaling soft white condensation into the crisp morning air.

Inside, the house again presented itself with such unassuming regality that one could not help but wonder how so much perfection could have been achieved in one location. It was almost enough to make one angry. Almost. Amidst the high cathedral ceiling of the foyer and great hall was a simple and spartan décor consisting of shelves and furniture made of dark walnut and cherry woods. Both classical and modern art adorned the walls and next to the massive paneled glass window at the back which allowed access for viewing the entire grounds was a beautiful Bosendorfer grand piano, which Susan did at one time play regularly though she had suddenly stopped playing for reasons unknown to Oliver. Knowing she must have had good reason, he nevertheless always hoped she’d return to playing and found himself wondering if Leona might be the catalyst for such inspiration. Venturing further into the home, every room and corridor connected from one to the next with complete fluidity presenting or containing piece of family or social history. Its imposing and staggering beauty when viewed from outside was juxtaposed with a clear sense of warmth and security inside.

The master suite was located on the second floor of the east wing of the manor. It encompassed the entirety of the space and included a large en-suite bathroom, two walk in closets, a small sitting area with an adjoining balcony, a fireplace and a nursery which would be Leona’s until her brother could arrive home to share it with her. When the two of them had outgrown the needs of a nursery so close to Susan, they had adjoining rooms waiting for them in the west wing of the home. While Oliver began getting a decent fire going, Susan settled into an arm chair next to it with Leona.

“Can I get you anything?” Oliver asked.

“Coffee and a scone. Then I’d like to be alone with Leona.”

This had been the extent of their conversation for the last week at the hospital which Oliver now came to the understanding wasn’t going to end because they’d arrived home. Regardless, he took to the task then retired to his study on the ground level to catch up on some much overdue casework.

Several hours passed until it was mid-afternoon and Oliver hadn’t accomplished anything. The wall Susan erected between them infuriated him and was bleeding into his ability to be productive in his work. Feeling the need for a change of environment, he headed to the mud-room to dress for the outdoors and escaped the tension of the home in favour of a breath of fresh air.

From the bay window next to which Susan sat, she saw Oliver walking across the grounds toward the Labyrinth. Knowing he took the maze in moments of joy or serious frustration she knew what the cause was immediately, but felt no sympathy or empathy for him. She was still furious and had no idea when she would forgive him, though seeing him leave did awaken the question as to when she should at least begin to speak to him more openly. Through the glass watched him grow smaller in the distance then disappear through the arched stone entrance to the Labyrinth.

In addition to the species of birds, rabbits, weasel ermine and rodents which made the grounds and Labyrinth their home, White Tail Deer often wandered into the maze unknowingly or because of the shelter it provided over the course of the changing seasons. Much to his delight, Oliver was privy to a relatively fresh set of tracks at the entrance and so began to follow them, in the hopes that the animals had a fawn and hadn’t elected to push their way through the thick cedar hedge to escape the confusion.

Several turns in, his thoughts were back on the choices he’d made regarding Susan. He still felt he was right in all of his actions. He knew how easily stress affected his wife, he knew she’d lost her sister and most importantly he knew how easily she could become crushed by her own passions to points of exhaustion. He’d witnessed it happen, on more than one occasion and while she chose to shut those points of her life out of memory, he never did nor would ever allow himself to. He’d fallen in love with her for her staggering beauty at first glance but more importantly that she was from a completely different world than he was. She possessed in many ways all the things he wished he had, desire to contribute, to create, to take grand risks and accept the outcomes only to push on again. Oliver felt he didn’t have a risk taking entity in his entire being. He wasn’t overtly passionate because in many ways he wasn’t allowed to be. He did exactly as he was told and turned out exactly as was predicted --- successful, trustworthy, stalwart, appropriately opinionated and exactly like his father. Not that he felt he would have made a great artist or philosopher but he felt he never gave himself or was allowed the opportunity. When he met Susan, she was his risk and he took it with great fervor, not that he had any control over it as she’d bewitched him from the very moment he lay eyes on her. Remembering that moment in bar he realized what a risk she ended up being. Her highs and lows were beyond standard issue but he’d loved her throughout every peak and valley. He knew she had secrets and allowed her to reveal them to him when she felt comfortable though he still felt she’d only revealed the tip of the iceberg. Regardless his patience, love and understanding of their history had given him more than enough reasoning to know she couldn’t have handled stress of possible miscarriage. He felt so tempted to remind her of their 5th anniversary, the year in which she stopped playing music, painting, writing and even speaking for a few months as proof enough but knew that would only make matters worse. As much as it angered him to play possum he knew it was the best course of action and eventually she would come around. However, for his own ego he was going to draw a line, exactly where was all he needed to decide ---

Turning a corner he stopped dead in his tracks. Unaware, he’d ventured deep into the Labyrinth and now stood facing one of its many dead ends. Directly in front of him sat a doe with her fawn. Locked in a gaze, she made no effort to move or disturb her sleeping babe. Oliver looked around and realized that from the moment he’d entered this portion of the maze, he’d been drawn directly to her without the aid of snowy tracks as the branches overhead were too thick to allow enough snow to fall through. He crouched down and observed her for a while as she turned her attention back to her fawn to clean her eyes and nose from sleep. Time passed until the lights came up inside the maze and Oliver knew where his line was and with that, he turned back toward the house feeling delightfully refreshed.

CHORUS

“So cold, so icy that one burn’s one’s fingers on him! Every hand is startled when touching him. --- And for that very reason some think he glows.”

SCENE – INTENSIVE CARE UNIT – PEDIATRICS

At the farthest end of the pediatric ward, past all the jaundice, cancerous, feeble, deformed and general state of near death infants pointlessly clinging to life in the face of crying parents and on-lookers was the door to the current crown jewel at St. Joseph Hospital. An anomaly of such rarity that he warranted his own temperature controlled room with infrared lighting as well as a modified incubation system for tremendously finite growth monitoring. Surrounded by a multitude of cardiovascular monitoring equipment, breathing apparatus’, neurological monitoring and computing hardware, time controlled IV injections and permanent measurement of bone marrow levels, it was a truly state of the art care room for medical and scientific study. It was a combination of the assessment by several doctors after extensive tests were performed and produced results that led them to believe the boy could and would live, and through the process help further medical science and practice.

The most assuring of all their initial findings was that, despite horrible disfigurement, his brain had developed perfectly and the firing synapses were above average. However, his ability to convey and externalize his thoughts physically would be delayed for some time, as his internal organs had not developed enough for him to sustain life and his premature birth had left his undeveloped face without a fully developed hard palette or dental set from which to formulate oratory sounds. It was very difficult to assess how he would grow as all physical aspects of his body had progressed at different rates. None of his limbs were matched in size, extremities were scattered --- in the case of his right foot there were none --- and his torso had developed completely lop-sided. He had only one functioning lung, his nasal passage had yet to open along with his left eye but his ears were in perfect condition. The doctor’s were confident his urethra would be functional within the first year but as such they administered a supplemental catheter to dispel what little excrement he would produce. Lastly, he had extremely low levels of pigment throughout his entire being hence the need for extreme shelter from light and the decision to use infrared lighting and a heavily tinted polarized incubation chamber. While there were protests from many medical practitioners in the community as to the validity and fairness of sustaining the life of such an anomaly, and some even called for euthanizing him it was the unconditional emotional and financial support of the Stables as well as the undeniable results his brain produced on every EEG, MRI and CAT test that solidified his worth and desire to live.

Lucius remained in his customized room at the hospital under close scrutiny for nearly a year to the day of his birth, and not a single day passed that either Susan or Oliver failed to appear by his side. It was throughout this year than Dr. Chan, along with his associates developed and stabilized a life for Lucius that they believed would eventually aid his growth to a point where he would be free of his confines and be able to breathe and live independent of cardiovascular support systems and steady transfusions of blood and medicine. Through out this time, they developed a system entirely unique to his needs increased his ability to produce red blood cells which was vital to the animation of dormant organs within his being thus stimulating his independence and more importantly his assure of an extended life. While it was never recorded on paper, the physicians who worked with Lucius took to calling him ‘Patient ~’, on account of the infinite obstacles he slowly overcame or rejected thus helping further the modern medical science of the day.

As a result of his progress they concurred that it would be safe to transfer him to the home to continue the same care, with a direct replica of his environment reconstructed in the nursery next to Leona’s crib. Fittingly enough, on the first snowfall of winter and nearly a year to the day he was born, the ambulance carrying young Lucius and his father left the car park at St. Joseph’s Hospital and headed for the elegance and quiet of the Stable Estate, where hopefully in not too long, Lucius would come out of his shell.

CHORUS

“There are no moral phenomena at all, but only a moral interpretation of phenomena-----“

MONTAGE – METRONOMES FROM HELL & HYMNS FROM HEAVEN

Year One had definitely put its strain on Susan and Oliver’s relationship with the lines of communication and mistrust taking ever so long to mend. Through many fights, emotionally wrought discussions and nights spent apart and together they slowly found a rhythm but both were beginning to fear the worst that they’d never get back what they had. Oliver looked for additional external reasons for their struggle and always surmised that the separation of Lucius was central. They saw very little of one another between work, home, schedules and separate visits at all hours to check in on Lucius. They both --- in particular Oliver --- hoped that Lucius arriving home would help unite their family and in essence slow everything down to allow for more enjoyment and a better quality of family life.

For the following three years, life resumed its natural progression and there was love, honesty and hope in the Stable home. However, time took its toll and ultimately by year four, things began to digress yet again.

As Lucius lived and grew in his chamber, there were three constant sounds that reminded the Stables that he was there beyond the natural instinct of parenthood. The first was the constant beep of the heart monitor. This beep was a quiet tone and pulsed with a constant softness, which was somewhat easy to get used to. The second was more difficult to become accustomed to and for good reason. Four times daily at 00:00, 06:00, 12:00 and 18:00 a much louder horn would sound, resonating throughout the entire house. The task to be obeyed upon hearing this horn was the immediate change of medication being administered via IV to Lucius. Failing to change the medication within thirty minutes of the horn would result in certain death for the boy. Lastly, the final alarm was a bell, which would ring once a day. For both Susan and Oliver, this was the reward. It was during this time that they were permitted to remove Lucius from his incubation chamber and hold him in their arms for twenty glorious minutes. All of these tasks belonged to Susan with the exception of the 06:00 medical swap, which Oliver tended to. The time they were permitted to remove him was set for 20:00 so they could both enjoy his company. However the crux of issue was that Susan, being so close to him lost track of his progress and simply couldn’t see that he was improving --- which in actuality he was. The incessant monotony of structured daily rhythms slowly ate away at her bit by bit as it simply wasn’t her personality to have to endure or live such a structured life. She knew parenthood would bring a sense of structure and truthfully she looked forward to it, but the curveball she’d been thrown with Lucius in addition to Leona was proving to be too much. Sadly, she could see that he was growing physically but could not grasp the possibility that he was improving mentally because he simply wasn’t giving anything in return. Not a single sign or signal that he would ‘wake-up’ and that he just needed _________ for days, weeks, months or years. Oliver, realizing the stress and futility setting in on his wife attempted to alleviate the pain.

The first change that had to occur was that both Leona and Lucius were outgrowing the nursery. The time had come for them to be moved to their respective quarters, which occupied equal space on the second floor of the west wing at the other end of the house. One of the rooms had at one time been occupied by Oliver while he was a youth and his father before him and his father before him. The two rooms were specifically and uniquely designed for siblings. Though Susan and Olive had taken the time to re-decorate for Susan while she was pregnant, and then subsequently for Lucius after the birth they retained all the features initially implemented.

The quarters took up the entirety of the second floor of the west wing. Each room was a mirror image of the other, exact in design in every possible way. These rooms had been created to subconsciously transcend equality between those who inhabit them. They have the exact same sized windows, doors, cupboards, armoires and beds etc. However, they must possess some differences as one is outfitted to be inhabited by a boy while the other a girl. Naturally, Leona’s room has been outfitted with all the trappings that would inhabit and encourage the imagination of a young girl. Light pastel colours flood the room, paints and crayons sit next to an easel, a tea set with many stuffed guests waiting for the biscuits, a closet full of dresses and shelves upon shelves of books. Lastly, a massive canopied four post bed completely covered with even more stuffed animals and a beautiful window seat with plenty of cushions waiting for the reader to return. It is a bright, soft and very appealing room.

Through a small, shared recreational room with a balcony and adjoining shared lavatory was Lucius’ room --- which couldn’t feel or look any more different. It is the antithesis of Leona’s room. All is dark, from the top of the curtains to the area rugs on the floor. All of the lighting is indirect and diffused. What natural light does penetrate the room is tremendously filtered. There are no mirrors to reflect or refract light and few images or paintings adorning the walls. It does contain similar furniture to its sister suite but none of it appears to have ever been used. The only piece of furniture that appears to have been used at all is a beautiful oak rocking chair sitting next to the large bay window. This chair appears very old and worn, the cushions bearing the scars and marks of having been patched and re-patched. Lastly, in lieu of a grandiose four post canopy bed was something quite different. While his incubator in the hospital and nursery was no larger than a small crib, it was decided --- in the hopes and expectation that he was going to grow --- that a much larger containment unit be constructed for comfort and space. Sparing no expense, Oliver had a queen sized sate of the art incubation facility be fashioned from a canopy bed and fitted with the latest technological equipment for monitoring and aiding his growth. A massive tinted cube integrated with the luxurious posts and canopy of the bed made for an aesthetically beautiful or haunting focal piece of the room --- depending upon what circumstances it was viewed.

Slowly and steadily Lucius grew. Oliver and Dr. Chan never thought of Lucius’ environment as life support or sustainment. It was life in motion to them, a life being realized, albeit at an excruciating pace. Susan was harder to bring around to this realization. There was no denying the fact that there were days, even weeks when Susan would scream with pained frustration, become bed ridden and so filled with sadness and anxiety that she turned all but catatonic wondering when the spell would be broken. She was certain her son was going to suffer the same fate as her sister. When would the torment end? When would her son take his first step? Eventually with the help of her husband, she’d pull herself out the pit into which she’d fallen and find the energy to devote herself again to the belief that someday, something phenomenal would happen. However, these stressful years would forever bear a scar on Susan in particular, but Oliver too. Needless to say the energy required to maintain hope in such an extreme situation yet balance it with the needs and proper upbringing of their beautiful daughter Leona was difficult. Even with the aid of a care worker to alleviate some of stress, Susan showed little to no improvement or seeming to make an effort to want to improve which truly infuriated Oliver to no end. Why couldn’t she move forward? He truly desired the woman he fell in love with to return, the woman who was wild with ambition and passion for the future. What he saw now was a fearful and weak woman who’d slowly over the course of many years pre-dating the birth of their children, given up on hope and excitement. Sure, there would be days when she’d show an interest in her son, but slowly it became clear that it saddened her too much and she began to focus solely on Leona and allowed the care worker to tend to Lucius.

Across the hall through the adjoining recreational room the story was developing rather differently. Bright and full of life, Leona was developing into quite a precocious bright young thing. Beautiful too, like her mother, yet destined to become even more so as she grew to become a woman. Despite womanhood being a long way off, her startling looks that were setting in simply couldn’t be ignored. Sparkling hazel eyes, straight black hair that shone in even the dullest light, cheekbones just prominent enough to suggest there was an elegantly angular lower mandible that awaited her beyond puberty. Her chin was soft with a slight protrusion that marked it just enough to hold it’s own against her full but delicate lips that formed when so desired to make smile of near perfection. Her nose was spaced appropriately with a small button turned up at the end and riddled with freckles that would later in life lend her an air of youthfulness when casually strolling about a promenade or the beach, while at night in a bar with a subtly painted face would cave the hearts of men and women alike.

For the moment though she was still young and learning, and in these formative years had a superlative amount of freedom. Until she was able to speak and walk (which came rather quickly and with ease), she was read to every afternoon and evening by one or both of her parents. Early on, the Stables simply read aloud their own books for their own enjoyment, then as it seemed she was actively picking up on the language they changed to children’s books and began to bring her into the process more actively. With this, her growth moved quickly and before long she was walking, talking and quickly picking up reading aloud. Naturally, with her confidence in mobility she began to explore the house, though never out of eye or earshot of her mother. There were times, of course, when she would manage to escape the wandering eye of surveillance yet could always be found in the same place; sitting on the floor next to Lucius’s enclosure. She couldn’t see him, and could scarcely understand his situation yet was always drawn to be by his side. These moments, when Susan would find her there, were the scarce few that instilled the minute hope of a positive outcome for her son.

As she grew, these visits became less a matter of consequence or instinctive luck and more a matter of definitive choice.

Reading was always Leona’s favourite pastime and would continue to be so throughout her entire life. She learned the written word quickly and the subsequent power it had for escape and the early learning of this would figure into her life more prominently as she grew older. While she would graduate through various stages of literature both complex and benign, she would never go more than a few days without at least opening what she considered her most favourite of all books --- the Pop-Up-Book. Fascinated by not only the excitement of action coming to life, she was intrigued by the actual construction and began undertaking the task of learning to construct her own motion books. Her arts and crafts became solely devoted to recreating individual scenes brought to life in the form of a pop-up. There was little to no story connection between the vignettes she created other than the fact that they were all fantasies spawned from her imagination, and always contained one constant. Every vignette or pop-up showed a moment shared between herself and Lucius. Not one other single person appeared in any scene, not even Susan or Oliver. These were realms where only she and her brother existed, and they existed without the strains of real life. With each new creation, Lucius’s represented ailments and deformities would lessen and his strengths and looks would develop to match hers --- which interestingly, she portrayed with much more modesty than was actually the case.

Beep. Horn. Alarm. Repeat.

When the time came to enroll Leona at school she was reading above her grade levels. After much discussion, it was decided she should remain in her proper year, as she was starting in on the education system later as a result of being schooled at home for a few years. In addition to this, she was enrolled in a French Immersion program for an in depth education in all subjects outside of English. Mathematics, physical education, social sciences; any course that was not English Grammar or literature was taught in French.

Ecole Primaire Xavier Missaien was a 20 minute drive from the Stable estate and sat halfway between there and Oliver’s office. Every morning he would drive Leona to school, and on the way he would tell her what he’d read in the morning paper which was always never in the actual paper but outlandish lies to test her gullibility. Though he never felt himself to be an overly imaginative person, he found it easy to pull at those of his daughter and thought it important to do so as he was so displease with the demise of his wife’s. This was never the dismal news of world devastation or political mayhem, but rather the oddball occurrences and most often lies spread by tabloid papers looking to make a cheap buck.

‘Family of Snakes Emerges From Hotel Toilet.’

‘Boy Found After Living With Wolves For 10 Years.’

‘Real Life Rapunzel Located in Romania!’

Fearing age and a formal education would one day snuff out these kinds of wonders he wanted to fuel them for as long as possible and it made their relationship more enjoyable and was an escape from the strains of life at home. Though he was cautious of creating too much disillusion, he nevertheless was more wary of the disillusionment of reality that he’d seen destroy the hopes and dreams of so many friends and colleagues over the course of his own life. He’d decided in himself long ago that a healthy imagination and ability to think beyond what seemed possible a much healthier alternative that relegating one’s belief that mediocrity was acceptable and could still make for an enjoyable life. It simply could not.

Beep. Horn. Alarm. Repeat.

Twice weekly, Dr. Chan would come to look in on Lucius. After every visit, he assured Susan that despite her doubts he was progressing. The proof could be found in the fact that the amount of medication being administered was continually being decreased. His organs, immune system and subsequent self-sustainability were increasing. Yet Susan still kept her distance, fearing the worse. The constant beep, horn and alarm were making her mad with frustration, turning slowly to self imposed responsibility and racked with depression and guilt. Dr. Chan began to prescribe her medication to aid her mood but finding a balance continued to be a constant hurdle.

Luckily, Oliver was not affected or discouraged and could see the progress Lucius was making. Perhaps it was attributed to the fact that he wasn’t home all day and constantly in his presence or the sheer fact that he was hopeful of the impossible for the first time in his life. He was hopeful toward the abilities of human imagination, perseverance and triumph. Regardless of the exact reason, he was able to distance himself and see the bigger picture and the future it held. With this in mind, both he and Dr. Chan took to discussing elements of Lucius’s future not previously laid out. When he did become conscious in the way they knew he would (for the time being he was referred to as being socially unconscious because his body had not developed enough to create the necessary electricity to fuel all the synapses to fully engage in society, though he was clearly absorbing knowledge and observing while awake), he would require special and intensely focused studies of a private nature beyond the abilities of the care worker currently in employ. In the end, they decided it best to find someone who was willing to commit to a long-term position. The candidate would have to be a combination of care worker, special interest educator and a scholar of advanced physical and psychological academia. In short, they needed to find a super scholar: a renaissance man in a modern world. Luck was not so much on their side in this task.

They’d come quite far in keeping Lucius’s situation a private matter. The only persons aware of his unique existence were kept to the inner sanctum of those actively caring for and helping him. The last thing they wanted was for Lucius to become the bait of study, a medical wonder placed under the scrutiny of physicians who cared more for publishing fame than the well being of those they exploited en-route to their goal. In so far as this, they had been successful, but now to find the appropriate help, they feared the environment they’d worked so hard to build would ultimately burst if not approached with the utmost precision and planning.

The search began with sifting through the finest schools from around the world. Ivy League and Rhodes Scholars abound, they were unable to find a suitable candidate. Their quest was difficult because of the secrecy they wrapped it in when approaching institutions for help in offering or recommending potential employees. They had a certain vagueness about their approach that made Deans and tenured professors leery of offering names that could be of help. Both Oliver and Dr. Chan were of the though that the person selected had to be young enough to endure what could be a 20 to 30 year position, possibly enough a life of service devoted to Lucius ergo their reasoning for someone recently out of a PhD or roughly 30 years of age. They also thought it best that it be a male, as Susan would also be around therefore providing a balanced environment. They weren’t locked to this decision but definitely favoured it.

Beep. Horn. Alarm. Repeat.

Months passed without success when finally a bit of luck came their way. One day, while passing through the Sick Kids ward of the hospital, Dr. Chan noticed a young man whom he’d never seen in the hospital before playing a simple strategy game involving coloured blocks with some of the children. Dr. Chan knew the game and it’s purpose and wasn’t surprised by the appearance of a stranger in the ward. They had dozens of volunteers and were always in need of more, but this man was different and drew a peculiar interest. It was a combination of the interaction with the kids and the way he engaged them. He possessed a quality that the children felt much more comfortable around than anyone else he’d seen in his 20 years at the hospital. There was joyous laughter between them and a physical comfort that was genuine. Who was this man?

Dr. Chan observed quietly for a quarter of an hour more, pretending to make notes across the room, until the man left much to the kids’ dismay. The man promised to return in two days time with a new game and a special surprise for them all but they had to promise him one thing; they all had to remember and write down one dream they had. It didn’t have to be long but they had to have enough to be able to tell it back to him.

After he’d gone, Dr. Chan approached the on duty nurse to inquire about the man. She informed him that his name was Edward Chapman and he had just recently moved to the area. About a month ago he’d come in offering to volunteer spending time and playing games with the sick kids and she’d done a background check and he cleared with flying colours and has been volunteering at hospitals everywhere he’d lived since he was 18 years old. He’d come to the area after taking a position at the local community college.

Dr. Chan was equally intrigued and embarrassed.

Beep. Horn. Alarm. Repeat.

CHORUS

“All credibility, all good conscience, all evidence of truth come only from the senses.”

“Whoever is a teacher through and through takes all things seriously only in relation to his students ---- even himself.”

SCENE – EDWARD CHAPMAN

The next day, Dr. Chan made a call to the college to contact Mr. Chapman. After a few short formalities, Dr. Chan asked if Edward would come by his office after he’d finished his volunteering for the day. Dr. Chan insisted that it was something he only wished to discuss with him in person, and being always inquisitive Edward could not say no.

It had ended up being a rather upsetting day in the hospital. One of the children, a young boy only 8 years old named Justin, who had been struggling with Leukemia had passed on the previous night. No matter what he tried to do to lift the other kids spirits as well as his own, it all felt simply futile. Fear had fallen deep into the hearts and minds of all the children as to who would be next to go. It would take weeks and months, as it always did in these situations, for the kids to shake the realization that an early death was a far greater reality for all of them than a long prosperous life was. However, with time they would again learn to enjoy the time they had, made possible by all those who cared for them at the hospital and within their families.

It was on this somber note than Edward left his time with the kids early and made his way across the hospital to the administrative wing to meet Dr. Chan. As he roamed from one end to the other in a slight daze, he contemplated going at all, preferring to go disappear into the local cinema to vanish into a world where happy endings could be sought and guaranteed upon for a small price of admission. However, he sucked it up and continued down the corridor fueled by personal determination not to get too down on the current situation as it was, after all, only to be expected in the situation he placed himself in. He reminded himself that he hopefully brought some joy and escape to the young boy’s life before moving on. The fact was that he had successfully accomplished this and had done so for so many others in the decade that he’d been volunteering, but his modesty and penchant for getting attached to the kids more often than not clouded the positive influence he’d given them. As his spirits began to lift, so did his curiosity in why Dr. Chan had taken an interest in him and despite going so far as to search him out at the college, remained so cryptic about why he’d done so.

Edward looked around Dr. Chan’s office with a subtle inquisition. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in a doctor’s administrative office. Taking in the room while he waited for Dr. Chan, he noticed countless books and periodicals which flooded the room and covered a broad range of topics and medical practices from Paleolithic medicinal practices and prehistoric medicine to stem cell research and integrated artificial intelligence. He made a note of the degrees and accolades the doctor had received which crowded the wall behind his desk and quickly deduced that if he’d been confused about why he’d been contacted yesterday; then he definitely didn’t have the foggiest idea at present.

Behind him, he heard the door open.

“Mr. Chapman. I’m Dr. Chan. Thank you for coming in.”

“Pleasure, though I must say I’m confounded as to why.”

“Well, a number of things actually. How are you today?”

Edward paused a moment and thought of Justin who’d just died the night before. Dr. Chan saw the look in his face and spoke again.

“It was inevitable. You know he lasted 8 months longer than projected. Sad yes, but sleep well in knowing that, from what I’ve recently found out you definitely helped prolong his life.”

“I find myself questioning in such an instance if that is a good thing though? Is it fair?” Edward replied rather solemnly.

“Let me ask you something. I know you’ve been volunteering with sick kids for a decade or so. How many have you spent time with that have died while you’ve been there?”

Edward sat silent for a few moments trying to feign a difficulty in acquiring a number despite knowing exactly how many and how they’d affected him.

“Twenty one children, and one adult.”

“In how many hospitals?”

“7 hospitals.”

“Including Justin last night?

“No.”

“So 8 hospitals.”

“Yes.”

Dr. Chan thought for a moment. He could see that Edward was upset at the thought of having to recall all those he’d spent time with knowing full well that they’d pass. Why did he choose to constantly work with terminally ill children? He questioned whether it would be fair to bring someone into Lucius’s situation who would clearly care but perhaps wouldn’t be able to handle the repercussions of failure, should that happen to be the case, despite his own tenacious belief that it would not happen. He elected to change gears and feel Edward out a little more on his personal life history before letting him on Lucius’s story, which was tantamount to anything else at this stage.

Dr. Chan segued with grace, saying that as he’d been a physician at the hospital for 27 years, he tended to be aware or at least become alert to anything out of the ordinary that was going on and always thought he was abreast on most volunteers as these were sometimes in great numbers and at other times drastically needed. Mr. Chapman curled in his seat and was about to retort when Dr. Chan assured him that this wasn’t a meeting to question his true intentions for wanting to help children. His background check had more than assured him that Mr. Chapman was sincere, to which Edward smiled and relaxed again. His reasoning was rather that it had been a long time since he’d witnessed a pursuant approach to spending time with the kids. He apologized for having observed from afar on a few occasions without letting Edward know; then pointed directly to the things he observed. Dr. Chan was fascinated by Edward’s strategic games of logic, the active and animated way he engaged the kids in understanding the material he would read to them rather than just have them sit in a circle and the patience he had throughout it all. In all honesty, he couldn’t on some level believe that Edward wasn’t a doctor in disguise. Edward began to collapse somewhat shyly in his chair and Dr. Chan couldn’t help but laugh at him. Upon finding out that he was a college instructor working with an array of adult aged persons he decided he had to meet him.

“I’m flattered. I didn’t think I was that interesting,” Edward responded shyly.

“Well, your potential has yet to be truly revealed. What do you teach at the college?”

“I teach in the English Department. I hold various classes in comprehension and literature. I have an Undergraduate Degree in Literature, and an M.A. in _____________.”

“Impressive,” said Dr. Chan.

“Not by comparison to the wall I’ve been forced to stare at behind you.”

“Age and time is all I’ve got on you. Trust me,” Dr. Chan responded, laughing off the praise.

Dr. Chan offered some coffee and they both chatted about academia for the few minutes it took for his secretary to return with two cups of cheap vending machine coffee.

Dr. Chan could see that Edward was now a little more at ease and elected to prod a little deeper. Anxious to know the answers to two questions growing in his brain, he decided to tackle the one he knew would be less personal, at least he hoped would be less personal.

“Where does the psychology of it all come in? From what I’ve seen you possess a vast knowledge of psychological analysis, game theory, response study and all things pertaining to the pursuit of understanding and forging didactic improvement of the mind.”

Edward took a sip of his coffee and contemplated how to answer the question --- honestly or not. Despite feeling comfort and security around the doctor, he didn’t feel this was any of the doctor’s business.

“Would you like me to stop volunteering, Dr. Chan?” Edward responded.

Dr. Chan was taken aback as this was not what he expected nor thought he had provoked to elicit. He suddenly realized he’d touched a nerve and desperately wanted to know which one.

“No, no. Not at all. We’re just talking “ Dr. Chan said, back-peddling somewhat.

“Dr. Chan, I’m not sure why you brought me here and while you’ve been kind you still haven’t revealed your greater reason. Unfortunately, I’m out of time and will be late for another engagement if I don’t leave now. I hope you understand.”

“Yes, of course.”

After Mr. Chapman had left, Dr. Chan got himself another cup of coffee then passed through the Sick Kids Ward. The nurses had set them up with a film and he entered quietly to sit in the back and ponder the discussion he’d just had as the images on the screen rolled vacantly across his face.

------------------------

Edward sat idle in thought behind the wheel of his 1971 Jaguar XKE for twenty minutes before he leaned forward and turned the ignition. While driving home he felt the pain he tried to avoid every day of his life stronger than he’d felt it in years. He had gotten tremendously good at suppressing it over the years, but the events of the day at gotten to him and as such he was subject to an all encompassing sadness like no other. Upon arriving home, he hastily parked his car and raced in through is front door.

“Hello?!”. He cried out again – “Hello?!”

After no-one answered he lit a cigarette and poured himself a glass of scotch then took to a rocking chair on his back porch. The chair made him feel old, which in turn made him feel relaxed. He had always felt and hoped that time would help heal his pain, and for the most part it did. However, on days like today when the hurt would come flooding back, he liked to sit in an old rocker and pretend he was 80 years old and happy with the life he’d lived and the family he’d been responsible for caring for all his life. Before long he was lost in the dream that was his own future, years ahead of himself where everything was calm, loving and collected.

CHORUS

“The will to overcome an affect is ultimately only the will of another, or of several other, affects.”

SCENE – ANNA FAIRBAIRN MAKES AN ENTRANCE

Fall was in full swing as Leona was beginning to settle into her new environment. Despite being initially shy at school, she had begun to reveal the inquisitive and outgoing personality that populated the rooms and grounds of her house. It didn’t take her long to befriend a few girls at school, and to be precise she was approached from an early stage and made welcome by another young girl named Anna Fairbairn. Anna was a fiery chatterbox but lacked the bossiness that came hand in hand with this quality in so many others at this impressionable age. She was a bright girl, but was often chastised for her incessant vocalization despite the fact that she was most often able to provide a correct answer when called upon within moments while seemingly not paying any attention to the lesson being taught at all. Due to her slight naiveté, Leona was innocent to the minor faux pas committed by Anna on a daily basis and was once or twice herself chastised in the early weeks of school. Still, Anna insisted on passing notes and even though she didn’t reciprocate, Leona found her the most interesting of all the girls in class. This was to become the first layer to the foundation of a very long and convoluted friendship.

Anna was cute. She had short blonde hair and blue eyes with a very similar slight build to Anna. It was clear neither girl was going to grow into an Amazonian beast of a woman in their later years, though their egos may end up giving the corresponding illusion. Like most of the girls at this school, Anna came from a family of breadth and wealth. The Fairbairns were six generations of steel magnates and their operations around the country helped pull the middle classes to a positive and secure status. She was an only child, which definitely contributed to her demanding personality, but had also been denied enough things in her short life to have begun to develop a cunning sense for manipulation and the intelligence required to pull it off. In short, she was a tremendously entertaining child who needed to be constantly reminded when she was acting like one and when she was abusing one. However, let it be known that she never once abused Leona but rather wanted so dearly for Leona to join her in amusement and realize that pleasing the teacher wasn’t everything. Anna was dangerous in this sense, particularly since she seemed to be so in tune with this side of herself at such a young age. Regardless of how much she was actually aware of it at present she nevertheless had the potential in her. However, for the moment she was still young and her games still harmless.

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, Leona came down the stairs dressed in a white smock stained with blood. Her hair was massively teased and tinted green while her face was painted up with white make-up. Shadowy wrinkles had been added where age would not set in for another 15 years while her teeth were stained with various shades of yellow. The glasses she wore contained only the right lens, which itself was cracked. On her hands she wore rubber dish gloves; one yellow and one blue, both stained with blood and guts. Her pants were an old and tattered pair of pin-stripped slacks. They in turn were tucked into white rubber boots caked in more dried intestines. Lastly, she had some accessories to complement the outfit; a stethoscope, a plastic hypodermic needle, a stainless steel clipboard and a name badge labeled – ‘Dr. Lucius’. This was her first Halloween costume, party and group trick-or-treat and Susan Stables had to contain her laughter at her daughter’s choice of costume. Both Oliver and Susan had made attempts every year to entice Leona into the spirit of Halloween, and every year they were met with waning speculation from their daughter. She took part in many other social activities with her girl guides groups and dance lessons but for some reason she always wanted to stay home on Halloween. In fairness, she didn’t really have a sweet tooth and needed little in the way of escapism thanks to her incessant reading. Leona was scared of very little and she explored the morbid on her own accord with great interest and little judgment. She simply didn’t understand what made cramming it all into this one day so damn important when horror could be found all around on any given day if one were to look for it. The most interesting aspect of her previous refusal to partake in the festivities concerned her brother. She felt she needed to be by his side, reading with him and watching films funny films projected on the wall. She knew deep down that he could see and hear it all, but just lacked a way of letting her know. It was particularly important on Halloween to be by his side because of the emphasis people put on this day to embrace the dark, she felt she needed to shield him and maintain a light around him on this dark day. Though they were secluded enough from the hoards of teenagers with fireworks, firecrackers, air bombs and smoke bombs she felt he needed protecting. The doorbell never rang on Halloween as their house was simply too far and secluded for anyone to walk to, but she always feared that if it ever did she would need to be there to protect Lucius from whatever lay on the other side.

This year felt different. Part of her felt that she was abandoning him for a newfound life and to a certain extent this could be considered correct, but the gravity of the of the pressure she put upon herself was not. Nevertheless, she was propelled to leave him this Halloween in the trusted hands of her mother and father, who were more than happy she’d chosen to engage in social activity without any pressure from them.

Exactly where and why she’d devised her costume was beyond the understanding of Oliver and Susan but they were enthralled with the end result just the same. When Leona came to her with the initial drawings she’d made Susan had expected something odd, but not the evil scientist cum mad doctor hybrid which stood before her now. She knew her daughter wasn’t going to be one to present her a sketch of a princess or a fairy; that simply wasn’t her daughter. A witch or a sorceress of some sort seemed a more logical costume for her but as she and her husband looked upon Leona their minds began attempting to put the puzzle together.

“How do I look? Is this good enough? Is it ok?” asked Leona.

“You look marvelous,” replied Susan.

“Aces. Frightfully top notch insanity if ever I saw it,” added her father.

“D’you think I’ll fit in?”

“You’ll stand out, and that’s what it’s about. Now lets get going, you’re going to have a blast.”

Susan grabbed her hand bag and over coat, gave Oliver a kiss then headed for the garage with Dr. Lucius in tow. Oliver stood watching them walk down the hall toward the entrance to the garage, when Leona suddenly turned on heel and ran back to her father with her arms outstretched. While giving him a big hug and a kiss she whispered into his ear.

“Take care of Lucius please, dad? Keep him happy.”

“I will sweetie. He’s in good hands. Now go have fun.”

“I love you daddy.”

“I love you too.”

With that she smiled and turned back to catch up with her mother. Oliver watched her until the door to the garage was slammed shut, then shifted his attention to the ascending stairs from the foyer leading Lucius’s room.

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The Fairbairns estate was located about a thirty minute drive from the Stables, and like their own it was a lavish example of masonry perfection. While it was a beautiful home and in truth dwarfed the Stable estate in size, it lacked the nuances and individualistic flair that singled out the Stable estate as truly unique. It was of such a grand scale that the demands and needs of the current generation made using the entire manor un-necessary and had therefore elected to ignore the up keep of the entire west wing, preferring to keep it sealed off from use beyond storage needs.

As Susan drove down the kilometer long driveway, the manor rose up in front of them like a mountain being forged up from the collision of tectonic plates. On the roundabout driveway which circled a large, dry stone fountain in front of the main entrance to the house, at least a half dozen cars were parked. The entrance to the house had been decorated with faux cobwebs, which oddly enough did not seem or feel faux and blended almost perfectly with the heavy wood door upon which was fastened a heavy brass door knocker represented by a stoic yet menacing depiction of Augustus, First Emperor of Rome. One knock was all it took and within moments the door was opened and they were greeted by Anna herself.

“Leona!” she cried and threw her arms around her. Taking a moment to stand back, she looked her up and down and decided she very much liked Leona’s costume. “You look fantastic! I’m so glad you didn’t dress like some prissy fairy or princess.” Leona smiled and looked to her mother who responded with a wink. Anna had chosen to create a look that blended borders as well, and like Leona seemed to see the superiority of taking inspiration from the best bits various characters had to offer. In short, she appeared to be the partially mummified zombie of a lonely old rich grandmother, now wrinkled and saggy but still clinging to her heyday of Jazz era beauty. Around her neck she wore more jewels than could be counted and a boa made of flamingo feathers. Tobacco stained white gloves covered her hands, which in turn held a long Bakelite cigarette holder. Susan couldn’t help but find her almost too haunting, with her soft features still coming through the wrinkled cracked skin makeup and running mascara from dark, sagging, puffy eyes. She was an eerie vision as Susan watched her briefly ham up the character of a woman still clinging to a youth, despite clearly dying already and being partially mummified. It was under these circumstances that Anna first introduced herself to Susan.

“Mrs. Stables, I’m Lady Fairbairn widow of Lord Fairbairn and forever the desire of every boy who has the misfortune of meeting me. Thank you for coming to my party. Please come in.” The words flowed with eerie form from Anna’s lips.

Anna’s buffoonery put Susan slightly more at ease and she shook her initial sentiments, reminding herself young girls have large imaginations and play like this should be encouraged. So, she played along and allowed Anna to throw one of the complementary boa’s around her neck and followed her into the adjoining room where everyone else was gathered.

As they passed through the foyer, the sound of music and joyous din gradually grew in volume from another wing of the mansion which they moved steadily toward. It was not long before Anna had led them into the grand hall of the house where the party was taking place. The thirty foot high vaulted ceilings were Gothic enough in their 200 year old design that they required no decorations to create the feeling of horror and as Susan looked around she found herself wondering if the room was ever used on any occasion other than Halloween. Shifting her glance from the beautiful grandeur of the ceiling she took in the rest of the ballroom. At the far end of the space was what appeared to be a cave built solely for the purpose of this party. With one shadowy entrance, this cave held within it the dinner table for the girls upon which they would later dine on delicacies such as ‘rotten muscle spaghettini’, ‘witches brew’ and ‘snakeskin crisps’ (all of which would be prepared to perfection by the renowned Chef Dupplessis, at a fair cost no doubt.) Before she could take in the rest of the room she was approached by Anna’s mother, Mrs. Olivia Fairbairn. Truth be told, Olivia and Susan had met many years prior, but only in passing and had never really forged a relationship but now were set to become forcibly closer thanks to their offspring and both hoped that common ground could be forged.

“Susan Stables, why has it taken this long for us to connect?” Olivia was a couple of gimlets deep and it showed with class. She smiled and threw an arm around Susan, dropping a kiss on her cheek in the process.

“It’s odd isn’t it? I supposed we have the girls to thank,” she continued.

“The girls. Yes. Thank you girls. Let me tell you, Leona is absolutely stunning. I don’t think I’ve seen a prettier girl in all my years. Don’t ever let that girl put a pinch of make-up on. She’s immaculate.”

As Olivia quickly pulled Susan by the arm toward the adult table before she’d had the opportunity to respond to the kind remarks, it wasn’t hard to see where Anna got her personality from; liquored or not Olivia was a humble diva. She knew she was pretty but not beautiful. In contrast to Susan, age had brought some weight upon Olivia and fortified a more voluptuous figure and with it an even more boisterous personality. True it could be unbearable at times, but in moderation it was nothing short of sheer entertainment. Funny, self deprecating, crass and at times downright dirty, she loved being the life of the party and somehow managed to do so without embodying and becoming that god awful centre of attention needing insecure ass usually found in struggling stand-up comedians who pull the party toward them knowing that their friends will feel somewhat forced to laugh at their horrific jokes supplying them with a shallow boost of self esteem. Olivia was not this at all. She would merely keep conversation going on any topic, though if it began to veer toward anything to bleak or heavy she would casually steer it back to something cheerful all the while making sure that everyone’s drink was always topped up without even realizing it and always, have enough cigarettes to last through seven parties.

Olivia led Susan to the centre of the ballroom where a moderate conservatory adjoined it. Inside the glass dome sat a dozen other mothers of the daughters who were in attendance at the party. As Olivia poured Susan a cocktail, she made the necessary introductions around the room then pointed to an empty seat on a wicker divan next to her. Olivia had outfitted the conservatory as more of a ladies social parlour than a space of horticultural experimentation, but still kept an array of flora including hydrangeas, _____________ and _____________. Looking west out the windows was a well kept garden with another large fountain and beyond that a beautiful stone swimming pool which had been emptied for the fall and winter seasons. All around them, leaves of varying shades of red, orange and yellow clung to trees for dear life or sat moulting on the ground hoping to be brought back the following spring. The room was tremendously comfortable providing all the wonderful sensations of being out in the fall without having to endure any of the cold or wind which became inevitable as the season progressed. Through conversation, Olivia revealed that this was where she enjoyed to spend the most of her time, alone or entertaining and as such had the windows cleaned every day to ensure that the smoothest transition between outside and in was had. There was also a small fireplace which at the moment wasn’t needed but got plenty of use in the winter months when the real cold set in.

In the ballroom, the girls busied themselves with fabrics, paints, crafts, candies, soda, song and dance until they all reached a level of sugar euphoria that could only be cured with a massive proper meal inside the grotto followed by a couple of frightful films.

CHORUS

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SCENE - FIREWORKS

Beep. Horn. Alarm.

Oliver had spent the better part of the afternoon pouring over documents and dictating letters to be sent out come Monday morning but the dark of night had now set in and he decided to call it quits for the evening and indulge himself with some personal time while Susan and Leona enjoyed their party at the Fairbairn’s. After consuming a perfectly seared prime-rib steak and mash, he poured himself four fingers of blended scotch and returned to Lucius’s room to screen a classic horror film with his son.

Roughly halfway through the film a change occurred. Unlike Susan, Oliver had become one with Lucius’ needs. He didn’t have need for the constant reminders present in the beep, horn and alarm to care for him. His body had instinctively set itself to the regime and he often asked Susan if they couldn’t turn the indicators off, knowing that despite her opposition, she had more than ingrained the schedule into her daily routine as well, but she also opposed him out of fear that one day they might slip up and she would never be able to live with the consequences. It was under these circumstances that while walking to the kitchen to refill his glass, Oliver stopped dead in his tracks midway to the bottle. Charging through the recesses of his brain, he struggled to pinpoint what had suddenly made him so uncomfortable. Nausea was developing so rapidly in the pit of his stomach that he felt he was going to vomit in the middle of the hall when at last he realized that what he was hearing was actually real. His glass slipped from his hand and smashed on the marble floor into hundreds of shards as he turned and bolted back toward Lucius’ room; toward the screams, which had seamlessly replaced the monotony of sounds that had resonated from his quarters for so many years.

The entire event unfolded with the slow motion horror of a train wreck. Panic, excitement, fear and joy overwhelmed him as he struggled to pull the doors open to the chamber in which Lucius now thrashed with confusion and angst. As quickly as he could Oliver climbed into bed with Lucius and attempted to hold him still, to calm him from his heightened state of exasperated confusion. After many long minutes he’d managed to restrain his son, and reaching for the phone found he was simultaneously crying with joyful confusion and ecstacy as he called for Dr. Chan. Looking into his son’s eyes he saw him looking back at him for the first time with an astute consciousness. There was an acknowledgement that they’d both longed for that had finally arrived and all either one of them could do was smile in sheer ecstasy knowing that they both trusted in one another that the day had finally come. They were alert to life in a way neither would ever feel again --- supreme euphoria.

The following week was a fury of excitement and uncertainty around the Stables Estate. Oliver had taken the week off from work but was still responsible for keeping on task, Dr. Chan was exclusively devoted to caring and helping Lucius transition smoothly to his new consciousness and Susan was adrift with somewhat of a disbelief as to the reality around her. Of all present, Leona was the most reserved and once she’d forgiven herself for not having been there for Lucius’s awakening she embraced in herself a new sensation that she knew no one else could feel or understand. She prided herself on this knowledge and cherished its secrecy for herself and only herself. While everyone around her seemed to be moving at a frantic pace, she felt warm, calm and collected. The first few nights, she kept her distance and obeyed Dr. Chan’s orders while he made sure of Lucius’s stability, but on the fourth night of Lucius’s awakening she grabbed her flashlight and crept out of bed while everyone else was deep asleep and let herself into his room for her first moment alone with her twin brother.

There was a hard wind blowing in from the west that whistled through the treetops and turrets on the house as Leona tiptoed through the washroom she shared with Lucius. The marble beneath her feet was cold and she quickly found herself standing on the rug next to Lucius’s bed with more haste than she had anticipated. Frozen and unsure as to what her next course of action was going to be, she stood holding her breath as she watched him sleeping. This was the first time she’d been able to hear him sleep and sense the struggle he had in breathing. He weezed through every individual inhale and exhale, and for a moment was overcome with sadness but managed to hold back tears. Slowly, she reached with her right arm towards him and gently placed it on his delicate little chest, allowing it to drift up and down all the while being careful not to add any additional strain. Through his rib cage, she could feel his heart beating on it’s own for the first time in 10 years and closing her eyes she turned her thoughts inward to find her own heart beating in unison.

Quietly, Leona opened her notebook to a fresh page and pulling up a blanket turned her flashlight to the page to put pen to paper. “Our world just exploded Lucius in the most amazing way imaginable” she whispered as she settled into her favourite pastime.

Siena Chronicles Chapter ___________. (TBA)

CHORUS

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SCENE – ACCEPTANCE OR HAPPENSTANCE

The beauty of autumn had run it’s course and the trees were now bare and spindly as they awaited the cold and snow, which had already dusted the peaks of surrounding mountains. It was the final day of classes before the holiday break, and Edward waited patiently for the last of his students to finish the course examination. He hadn’t given the meeting with Dr. Chan much thought in the past month, but as he looked out the window he found his thoughts drifting back to the bewildering event, wondering why Dr. Chan had taken so much time and then not followed up. What had been his purpose? He hadn’t been to the hospital since then, so perhaps he was equally responsible for the issue?

He hadn’t been to the hospital.

Suddenly he felt a rush of guilt and sadness. What had been happening with the kids? Were they upset with him? Would they welcome him back? Had any moved on?

Edward didn’t realize the dazed state he’d drifted off into until the last off his students dropped his exam onto his desk and wished him a happy new year. He had planned to stay and begin marking immediately, but upon glancing back out the window he saw the first snowflakes of the season falling past the pane and elected to pack the exams into his briefcase for a later date and make his way to the hospital. Just as he was closing the top his case, the door to his classroom creaked open and he turned to see Dr. Chan standing in the doorway.

“May I come in?” he asked.

It took Edward a few moments before he could respond as he struggled with the oddity his entire relationship with Dr. Chan continued to present him with.

Dr. Chan took a seat at a desk in the front row and found himself smiling for a moment as he was taken back decades to the last time he sat in a classroom, fondly remembering how much he enjoyed being a student.

“Thinking back to your glory days?” Edward said with a pleasant chuckle.

“Some of them yes. It’s strange how strong sense memory is and how it can come out of the farthest recesses of one’s memory” he responded.

“Scary, indeed” Edward said before pausing to remark, “you know I was just about to head to the hospital?”

“Well looks like I saved you a trip. If you’ll give me another chance, I promise I won’t waste your time. I’ve got a story tell.”

Edward nodded then suggested they get a cup of coffee before the story began.

By the time Dr. Chan had finished relaying the story of Leona and Lucius to Edward darkness had fallen and the school sat very quiet. Edward had sat nearly motionless for the entirety of the tale and when it finally came to an end he felt relieved, as he’d become very tense from what he was hearing.

“I can see you’re in need of some time to process. Why don’t you take a few days to consider the situation and if you would like to come meet the family. For now, I have to get home to my family. I only ask that you keep this in to yourself, in confidence. Agreed?” Dr. Chan looked at Edward sternly on this point.

“Agreed.” Edward took a deep breath. “It’s a lot to take in.”

“Believe me, this is only the beginning.”

Edward wasn’t aware how long he’d remained in his desk deep in thought until the late night cleaning staff entered the classroom and he looked at his watch to see it was almost 11 o’clock at night. He grabbed his case and headed out into the cold and what he already new was going to be the most interesting change in his life to date.

SCENE – HOLIDAYS

Snow blanketed the rolling hills, trees and mountains of the surrounding landscape as December moved onward. Edward had asked for more detailed information on Lucius, Leona and the Stable family to take with him as he travelled via train to his sister’s home to spend a fortnight with their immediate and extended family. Dr. Chan complied and supplied him with all the medical information including a photographic procession of Lucius’s growth and living arrangements to help him get a visual sense of what to expect in addition to the mental progress to date. Despite the fact that Lucius was to be the primary focus, he needed to understand Leona’s place in this situation as she was an integral part of his life so he included all information on her as well. Flipping through the documents and photos, Edward felt both horrifying sadness and an uplifting excitement at the fascinating journey the Stable family had already endured in their short time together. Not only did he feel deeply that he had to do what he could to help, he felt extremely flattered that it was he who’d been sought out among all others to do what he could. As the train rocked gently across the quiet landscape, he only hoped the Stables would be satisfied with his character after meeting him in the New Year.

The Stable’s had been informed of Edward Chapman’s interest which was icing on the cake to a landmark holiday season already. However, despite all the excitement, they had to remind themselves to take things slow while enjoying themselves. Lucius still had to be treated with great care but the simple fact that he was able to enjoy moments with them made it difficult not to get too excited. He was far from being able to formulate clear consonant words but his eyes, facial expression and laughter made it clear that he was absorbing and learning at an alarming rate.

As was tradition in the Stable family, a horse drawn sleigh ride through throughout the estate was taken with plenty of hot chocolate for Leona and plenty of brandy for Oliver. Susan had always stayed in with Lucius. They had hoped that Dr. Chan might give permission to bring Lucius with them if he was completely covered but alas, he declined. It simply wasn’t safe yet. So, mother and son watched out the window as father and daughter waved back at them from the sled being pulled by two Clydesdale Stallions exited the stables and vanished over the first rolling hill toward the forest trail. As they passed over the land, brush and bridges Leona stayed busy making notes of the trail and of all the wonderful animals and creatures they came across that day including foxes, deer, badgers and squirrels. Thomas gave his daughter the space she needed, knowing a new chapter in her journal was brewing, and elected to enjoy the calm and relief that was setting into his family again.

Siena Chronicles Chapter _______________.(TBA)

Lucius was aghast with simply absorbing everything around him, but with every day that passed his desire to speak his mind became an increasingly frustrating hurtle. It was clear that he was formulating the words in his mind but simply couldn’t get them out of his mouth and nor could he write them down. Susan and Oliver worked with him as best they could but neither seemed to have the skill or the objectivity necessary to instruct him. They were clouded by the excitement of his facial expressions, which in many cases they misinterpreted excitement for pain, frustration and anger. Seven years they’d endured with absolutely zero reaction from their son, and now every blink of the eye, smile or laugh was a revelation of recognition and understanding. This coupled with his more deliberate movement (what little he was capable of yet) versus the erratic motions displayed prior to his awakening had them spellbound with joy.

Leona spent time visiting Anna throughout the holidays but was reluctant to do so given the excitement at home. Nevertheless, she did make time but was never fully engaged in Anna’s conversation or theatrics --- much to Anna’s dismay. When Anna would question her and call her to attention, Leona would direct the conversation back onto Anna in such a way that flattered her back into a flurry of chatter regarding whatever subject matter, most often an idea of her own. It was during this time that Leona first began to understand her own uniqueness as well as Anna’s. While they would remain the best of friends for a lifetime it wasn’t because they were so similar and inseparable, but rather because of their catastrophic differences. These differences when combined could create something strikingly powerful, but for the moment that resource had yet to be tapped. At this juncture, they were equally imaginative and on this they found even ground but where Anna could not suppress the need to vocalize and externalize every thought for discourse, Leona was a more introspective girl. She didn’t feel the need or want to share every idea with her friend and cherished her budding ability to discern what realms of thought were for Anna or Lucius and those she kept strictly for herself. Leona’s comprehension of secrecy was in part advanced for her age due to the imposed situation involving her twin brother but it also came instinctively as though preparing her for a future that would necessitate it in matters of life and death. One could imagine she was destined for the life of a cold war spy the way she was able to cryptically convey her personality to others and herself. The new found livelihood of Lucius had subsequently awakened a side of her on a very deep level that she couldn’t possibly comprehend or be completely aware of at this point in her short life. It was during this time that she experienced her first sleepless night and found herself sitting in her bay window staring out across the grounds toward the Labyrinth as snow fell quietly over the shrubs, blurring the line between path and wall. When morning came she felt somewhat high, as though she’d eaten too many sweets and was oblivious to conversation at the breakfast table. Later that day, she fell asleep in the afternoon on the couch in her father’s office and she slept through until the following morning when school was set to begin again.

SCENE – NEW BEGINNINGS

Although the sun was shinning bright, it had snowed heavily the night before and while Edward brushed the excesses from his car he cursed himself for not taking a house with a covered garage. Dr. Chan had arranged to meet him at the Stable Estate at noon, which he was grateful for because his nerves had gotten the better of him last night and as such wasn’t able to fall asleep until the early hours of the morning. As he drove out along the two-lane road away from town his nerves settled, allowing the serene landscape to open his thoughts on the encounter ahead. He reminded himself that nothing was concrete, and he still had his post at the college if this situation did not unfold in a mutual fashion. Lost in thought, he missed the entrance gate to the long driveway leading to the Stable home and was a good ten kilometers down the road when he realized his mistake.

Pulling up to park in front of the home, he almost found it too fitting that a story such as the one he’d been told, educated himself upon and was about to encounter should occur in such surroundings a those before him versus the impossibility of something so rare taking place at a run of the mill row or track housing development. No, it had to happen here.

The four of them: Edward, Oliver, Susan and Dr. Chan sat around the kitchen table. It wasn’t merely that it was lunchtime, but Oliver and Susan always felt the informality and comfort of a kitchen was best for putting new guests at ease and for this Edward was thankful. They sat and chatted casually about personal histories, education, politics and travel while snacking on sandwiches and coffee. It wasn’t until a solid hour into the meeting that they began to breach the topic of Lucius.

“I’m nervous. I don’t know if I’m up to the challenge…sorry, what I meant to say is that I’m not sure I’ll make your cut.”

“Neither do we? This is all new to us too,” Oliver replied.

“Right. Is he aware that I’m here? That someone new is coming?”

“We’ve told him and he seemed to understand.”

Edward took a deep breath. His heart was racing tremendously. Part of him wanted to turn and leave immediately, the part that knew his weakness and the inherent personal risk he would place upon himself by staying. However, he was torn by the help that this family was clearly in need of and his own curiosity as to how he could affect their lives and his own. There was a potential for a mutual outcome, perhaps something he’d longed throughout his past years. Taking a prolonged sip of coffee, he filtered out Dr. Chan’s suggestion that they go meet him as he thought back to his crisis decade earlier. A minute passed until Dr. Chan tapped him on the shoulder to realize he remained the only one still seated.

“So, sorry. Lead the way,” he stuttered as they left the kitchen for the matching rooms of the twins.

The afternoon sun poured in through hall windows heading towards the stair case, catching and reflecting the tiny micro-dust particles floating effortlessly, waiting for a gust of any kind to be shuffled to a new resting spot of weightlessness. As the hall turned slightly, the group had to lift one hand to block the now piercing light from blinding them. Climbing the marble stairs, Oliver gave some light anecdotes regarding the inconsistencies in the marble and the odd number of steps in to this portion of the house due to a gas explosion during a freakish winter several decades earlier. His aim was to lighten the mood, and the two other men did acknowledge this but, in actuality, it did nothing to help calm Edward. At last they arrived at the fork where one door led to Leona’s room and the other to Lucius’s room.

“Why don’t Dr. Chan and I go in first as he’s probably sleeping,” suggested Oliver.

“Whatever you think is best,” replied Edward.

Just as they were about to enter the room Edward remembered something he’d meant to discuss back in the kitchen.

“One last thing, gentlemen,” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Is he aware of his own situation? Is he aware of his own physical disabilities? I mean you’ve made it clear that he appears to hear what is being said and attempts without success to vocalize, but has he looked in the mirror?”

Dr. Chan thought a moment how best to answer the question then proceeded.

“He is definitely aware, but what I think isn’t clear is progress. He could assume that his growth has just moved slower than those he sees and figures he will one day move like us. Sadly, even with surgical procedures this will never be the case. That’s the best answer I can give,” Dr. Chan replied with an honest smile.

Edward nodded and watched to two men enter the room while he waited with Susan.

Edward was nearly brought to tears at the first sight of young Lucius. They were not tears of sadness, pity or joy but rather the product of feeling what can only be described as witnessing something truly unique. Suppressing his emotions he moved objectively into the darkened room slowly, allowing for his eyes to adjust between the harsh sunlight of the hallway to the diffused, almost moonlight quality of Lucius’ chamber. Lucius had been moved from his bed to his mobile chair, a device specifically designed to accommodate him until his muscle mass had developed through exercise and thus would no longer be needed. Approaching slowly, Edward came to stop directly in front of Lucius, who had remained fixated on him the entire time. Edward then crouched down to introduce himself to a now smiling Lucius, and returning the smile found every shred of anxiety he’d been harbouring fall into oblivion along with the surroundings and others leaving only himself and Lucius locked in subconscious understanding. In a moment he saw that he could and would be able to help this young boy equip himself for his difficult life and in return he felt a genuine desire and trust in understanding that seemed to exceed the comprehension and emotional ability of the boy. For the first time in a long time, Edward felt he could stop searching and feel that he was needed in a capacity he’d longed for in the complex direct expression of Lucius’s gaze. Introducing himself, he was surprised when he saw Lucius extending his right arm to touch him. Edward took his hand gently and gave it a mild squeeze and with that the deal was sealed. All five in the room now looked about smiling between one another, and almost on cue began to laugh in unison at the overwhelming positivity of the situation.

CHORUS

“The attraction of knowledge would be small if one did not have to overcome so much shame on the way.”

SCENE – STRENGTHENING

While it was painstakingly difficult and slow, Edward and Lucius eventually devised a method of communication that was unique to the early months and years of their relationship. The crux of the process was that Lucius could understand audibly and process most of what was being said as he’d absorbed much language while in his dormant state for 7 years, he lacked any ability to connect the dots between the phonetic, literary and visual representation of the term. Lucius had a lexicon of both individual words and commonly formulated sentences such as ‘are you hungry?’, ‘good morning’ and ‘time for bed Leona’ yet did not know when and how they were to be used. It was to their advantage that he did have a built up vocabulary from which to work upon and it was toward this understanding that Edward decided they should begin.

The first step was to garner an understanding of what the words meant, through image cards with accompanying type, filmstrips and Edward’s animated yet amateur acting skills which he equated to being a decent as those of a blind man playing charades. Nevertheless, they entertained the un-judgmental eyes of Lucius bright with laughter and helped overcome frustrations and difficulty when they arose. Edward felt it was a logical and necessary step to understand what one was going to say before one knew how to say it. This was also the only logical place to start as Lucius’ hard palette was horribly disfigured and incapable of formulating consonants until a reconstructive procedure could take place in another years’ time. However, he concluded that he must always vocalize everything clearly in the hopes that Lucius could begin to store a data bank of the correlation between the audible and visual lip formation much in the same way he’d managed to retain so much vocabulary whilst in his unconscious state. Edward was amazed at the sight to sound memory abilities Lucius began to display with near immediacy. He truly had a preternatural gift for connecting the two senses and showing further proof that despite all his physical shortcomings he’d suffered no such effects to his intelligence development.

Mere months into the process, Edward was able to begin testing Lucius on his early vocabulary. He did so by bringing in a small portable typewriter for him to punch out the spelling of the image or action being presented to him. Edward had every intention of teaching him how to write and print as properly as he could, but at the moment all focus had to be stressed upon communication being acquired between the two of them in the quickest and clearest way possible and then from there could they begin a proper and involved education. Using a single index finger to punch out one letter at a time, words like ‘pig’ were banged out when shown the corresponding image. It wasn’t long before he was able to type out, albeit slowly, the action of ‘Edward opens a door’. While his conjugation would falter, it truly was remarkable the rate at which he was able to absorb and put to use his intelligence. His facial expressions were tremendous tell tales on both ends of the spectrum, as Edward would see both joy and frustration in his assessment of his own abilities. As with any child, when frustration would arise it most often manifested itself in a fit of rage. When this would happen, Edward would hold him very still and speak gently into his ear, reminding him to understand that the most important thing was trust; trust himself and trust Edward that all was moving well and there was no rush. The fact that Lucius’s intelligence competency far exceeded his communication skills was most often the source of his anger, which was also new and something that Edward had initially not considered. Not to his fault of course, having prepared for as much as possible he still overlooked the fact that Lucius was --- despite being 11 years old --- still extremely infantile in his ability to process emotion. He simply hadn’t had to deal with it on a conscious level and so was prone to extremes in every aspect of joy, sadness, thought, anger, frustration and madness. He really had no middle ground, and though he was learning this all the while tapping into his intellect, it definitely lagged far behind in its development and in many cases became a hindrance for Lucius and a headache for Edward, having never been a parent who had to deal with an impetulant child. When these situations would arise and escalate to such a state where basic lessons were not possible, Edward would resort to one of two things. Either he would inform Susan that he thought it was time Lucius to take a nap, or if he didn’t appear tired he would present Lucius with a series of short animated cartoons or documentaries on basic popular science and invention. These were welcome distractions for Lucius and would enter his mind in such a way that he wasn’t aware it was being used. These films would calm him into a state whereby he would be capable of and ready for an afternoon nap and supply Edward with a much needed break, which he would in turn spend with Susan.

SCENE – THE KITCHEN TABLE – EDWARD/SUSAN

The relationship between Susan and Edward possessed all the elements of a heightened game of quid-pro-quo in which neither was willing to lose. Neither would come out and say it yet they both were playing it. It was interesting situation because they both knew, barring some catastrophic event, that they would be spending years in common company and in many ways Edward would slowly become part of the family. Despite this knowledge they were very reluctant to divulge personal information, almost as though they were each saving interesting elements of their lives and thoughts for the perfect moment. Thankfully, neither was opposed to semantic banter and they would often allow their conversations to veer in that direction to mutual enjoyment. Wit and sarcasm were strengths that both possessed and Susan found this particularly engaging in contrast to her husband matter of fact approach to most things.

Since her son’s ‘awakening’, Susan had began to settle back into the woman she had been prior to his birth, though not necessarily the woman Oliver had always hoped her to be. Though all had been forgiven, their marriage was strained. There was resentment on either end that it felt would never be resolved. Her bouts of hysteria had subsided, they spoke openly and even made love with passion but there was a divide between them. Perhaps it was something they both elected to overlook from the day they met, their ingrained differences and habits built up years earlier. Susan knew she’d hidden a lot from him, possibly too much as she now felt trapped between the person she felt she’d reinvented herself to be and the person she knew still lay dormant within her being. Through the combination of the guilt of not believing in her son who proved to her that he was a survivor despite all odds, and the breath of fresh air brought into the long cold manor for so many years, she felt the desire to explore the woman Oliver had fallen in love with in the hope it might help solidify and rekindle the feelings which made her feel so safe from the life she once knew. Edward’s sensitive understanding and interest in the arts was a welcome contrast to Oliver’s discerning miss-understanding of creative process and constant need for a firm and immediate solution to everything. Though they were the qualities she wanted, saw in him and fell in love with they had now become the thorns in her side and substance of the wall between them. He loathed her aimlessness and she is over achievement.

One afternoon, many months into the ‘process’, as Edward called it, he entered the kitchen to find her absent. By this point, Lucius and Edward no longer needed her assistance in getting him to bed as both had built a mutual understanding of physical boundaries and Lucius ceded to Edward’s aid. He normally found her there, but on this particular day she was absent and hadn’t informed them that she’d be leaving for the afternoon, which she always did if such was the case. He made himself a cup of tea, and after waiting fifteen minutes or so decided to go for a look around. Although he’d spent many months at the house, Edward respected the boundaries of privacy and refrained from exploring the home. He really only passed between the foyer, the hall to Lucius’s room, the kitchen, the nook and of course the bathroom adjacent the foyer. He could ascertain where the master suite was, as it had it’s own stairwell leading to it from the East wing. He chose to begin down the lengthy West wing corridor which pushed out under the twins sleeping chambers above. As strolled gently down the hall, he wondered to himself why he hadn’t been shown, but also why he hadn’t elected to explore the house on his own on one of the many occasions he’d been alone in the house. He wasn’t out to snoop or steal, but simply explore. Why had he’d been so fearful with respect to this? He could be almost certain that anyone and everyone else in this position would have scoured the entire place corner to corner within a week if they’d had the opportunity. This led to thought about to what depth this could be applied to his own life outside the situation at hand, and had he been overtly respectful and soft footed in situations when he should have put forth more curiosity and insistence? Had he been soft in his life? Should he be a stronger person by this point than he actually was? What risks and bold moves did he overlook in favour of mediocre acceptance. Roaming the hall, to his right was only a string of large windows looking out toward the driveway and car park, while on the left were a couple of guest rooms with adjoining en-suites and a linen closet. These guest rooms were large and identical with beautiful views of the rolling countryside behind the house. They possessed the same beautifully hand crafted stately Queen-Anne décor which characterized much of the house, at least what he’d seen. Reaching the end of the hall he found one final door on the left and opened it to find a staircase, which made it’s way down into the darkness. Assuming it wasn’t customary to remain in a darkened basement unless being forced to do so, he turned his attention to the set of double doors found at the end of the hall, one of which hung slightly ajar. He pushed the door gently and subsequently found himself in a large room, which appeared to be a recreational room and library. At the center was a classic snooker table and beside that was a multi-purpose card table with a large fireplace at the North end. To his left was a small sitting area, huddled around a massive bay window looking south over the estate. Directly opposite him on the large Western wall was a library of books stretching the length of the room and reaching as high as the vaulted ceiling above. Naturally, it had a ladder to reach the highest shelves and as he passed over the collection found it to be extremely extensive both in content and publication dates ranging from current pressings to editions he was afraid to handle without the use of sterilized gloves. Turning around to look back at the wall through which he’d entered, he expected to find some massive oil paintings or something similar flanking the entrance to the room, however he found no such items. Instead, the walls sat empty yet showed fade lines indicating that the frames he’d guessed to be there had indeed once hung but for reasons unknown had been removed but the walls had yet to be repainted. He found this strange as everything else in the home was so well cared for, but quickly put it out of thought. Feeling rather comfortable in the room, he turned his attention back to the extensive library and as he moved along stopped at a section of books, which appeared to have been marked or recently pulled as they stuck out from the rest of the collection. Reading down the spines the general topic of the selections was Art History and shuffling through them he could tell that some had been taken out. Scanning through, he settled on a book he’d not seen in a while: The Book Of Optics by Ibn al-Haytham (English translation_______). Giving in to the luxury and spellbinding comfort the room seemed to provide he settled into a large wing-back chair with ottoman and opened the book. It wasn’t a book necessarily intended to be read cover to cover so far as he was concerned but possessed fascinating bits of information and discovery which jumped off the page in conjunction with it’s accompanying drawings. The ability to drawn such conclusions in what now seemed a prehistoric era unpopulated by the current instruments used to make such calculations in the current times confounded him with respect. The section outlining the construction of a functioning pinhole stuck out to him as something he might be able to do Lucius as it would complement the short documentaries on popular science for kids they’d been watching. Perhaps it might even be something he could include Leona in, permitting Oliver and Susan conceded. While momentous early discoveries such as this or in the fields of exploration, cartography and medicine garnered massive respect from him, he couldn’t help the envy and his growing subsequent questioning of himself toward his contribution to the world. He found his thoughts returning to those he had walking the hall and found himself once again feeling weak and pathetic in his existence. His gaze had shifted out the window to the melting snow and icicles surrounding the bay window.

“Thick reading that one” came Susan’s voice over his shoulder. Edward snapped up to find her standing with an unlit cigarette in her hand looking down at him.

“I came looking for you and found myself here, then got sidetracked” he responded, “I didn’t mean to overstep any privacy boundaries”.

Susan studied him a moment, looking at the earnest truth in his eye amidst the fear and regret that clouded it.

“You’ve never snooped around the house while I’ve been out?” she asked with a slightly cocked smile.

“No. It’s not me.”

“Is Lucius napping?” said Susan.

Edward nodded confidently in response, and with that Susan looped her arm through his and said “Well, I suppose it’s time for a proper tour of the house we hardly use Mr. Chapman.” Smiling, she ushered him over to the bar located near the fireplace.

“What’s your drink?” she asked.

“Now? Well, I’ll have to get back to Lucius. It’s also nearly time for Leona to get picked up isn’t it?”

“Nonsense. Lucius lessons are done for the day. He had a horrible sleep last night and needs the rest. Leona has asked to spend the night at Anna’s as it’s a Friday and Oliver is at an overnight event. Now, what will you have to drink?”

Edward looked baffled but took little hesitation in answering. He could use the break and saw Susan wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“Rye. Four fingers with ice, “ he responded.

Susan smiled and poured the two of them drinks.

“Where were you just now?” he asked. Susan turned to him and handed him is drink.

“In my private study. It’s not on the tour.”

They both smiled and said cheers as Susan hooked her arm back through his and began to tell a tale about the room they found themselves in --- most of which Edward was sure was complete and utter bullshit. Room after room, they continued on consuming cocktails at every stop --- which was many --- until Edward found himself contributing to Susan’s imagined history of the house. After a couple of hours Edward found himself feeling no pain and still certain that they hadn’t explored the whole house. He called it a day and before leaving to foolishly drive home under the influence he asked Susan one question as she stood standing in the doorway with a martini in hand.

“What brought this on?”

“Because I felt old”, she replied after a brief pause.

Edward looked at her and almost said something he knew he’d regret.

“You’re only 36”.

“I only said I felt old. I didn’t say I was old.”

Edward smiled and said goodnight.

CHORUS

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SCENE – HEARTBREAKING NEWS

During the final weeks of school, Leona could hardly contain herself at the prospect of summer and more importantly --- time available to spend with her brother. In some ways she felt slightly cheated at the timing of his awakening, with her having to start attending a proper school outside the house just as he decided to come to life. Countless hours she’d spent reading and hoping he’d react while they still had the time together were now a very close reality. Nevertheless, she knew it was pointless to dwell in such a way and looked forward to the time coming her way.

Needless to say it came as a surprise to Leona when on a beautiful spring afternoon with only days left until her ten weeks of freedom that her parents sat her down in the living room to have a chat about her future. The strength of the scream she let loose rang through the house rattling every painting that hung on the walls and sent shivers squirming down Edwards spine who was busy with Lucius. Susan and Oliver weren’t sure what to expect but it’s safe to say it most certainly wasn’t an outrage the likes of this, so when Leona immediately got up and ran out through the back garden and into the Labyrinth, they made no immediate effort to stop her. After all, they knew exactly where she was going and thought it best to give her some space. Edward aware of what had happened had moved to the window in time to see her disappear through the entrance, then turned his attention back to Lucius to reassure him that there was nothing to worry about and pulled his attention back to the lesson at hand.

Leona hadn’t been in the maze since mid-minter when it was laden with deep snow that brought with it the deafening silence that only such weather can bring. This time however, as she ran toward her favourite dead-end she could hear the birds nesting in the thick of the brush and the smell of blossoming flowers and fresh cut grass that blew softly through the late afternoon air. Turn after turn she ran on autopilot and with every step her cadence slowed with her anger as it transitioned to tears of sadness. Arriving at her destination, she stopped and fell to her knees allowing her face to fall into the palms of her hands. After several minutes of serious sobbing, she lifted her head slowly to look upon that which always gave her a sense of peace and escape when she felt she needed it --- which had never before been as needed as it was in this very moment.

It had been made by her great grandmother, a sculptor who was too shy to share most of her works with the public and coupled with a slow and low output made for a personal journey of expression. Many of her pieces were created directly for specific places around the maze, where she drew most of her inspiration and spent a good deal of time while others were intended for other places but somehow found their way to the maze. It was her father (Leona’s great great grandfather) who had designed the maze and always hoped that from generation to generation family members might slowly fill the spaces he’d left open. He never guessed his own daughter would end up filling almost all of them with such wonderful works and he couldn’t have been happier with the results. This particular spot in which Leona took such a shine to was beyond the stonewall section and found in the secondary portion consisting of proper cedar hedge walls. It was a square clearing on the south side of the maze roughly ten meters by ten meters and at the centre stood ‘The Bassinet’ --- a bronze cast large enough to fit a grown woman which was suspended as a hammock would be with heavy gauge cable supporting it in lieu of a hemp line. It had a few steps leading up to it, but it was only in the last couple of years that Leona had grown enough to be able to make the final crawl in on her own. The inside, though cold bronze had been cast to fit the curvature of one’s back and was raked at such an angle that one could see out of it comfortably --- though all these designs were lost on Leona as she was still too small to benefit from them. The sides came up just high enough to provide a sense of safety without making one feel claustrophobic and a shade came over the head space to block the sun at it’s zenith. Lastly there was small lever located on the inner right hand side, which was connected to ballast hanging from beneath the cradle. When shifted to and fro, the operator could rock the cradle with relative ease and control, despite the tremendous weight of the structure. As she was still small, this took all of Leona’s strength and both hands but she could get it going after several minutes. Once in motion, The Bassinet would sway a surprising amount of time, thought it was wise to recharge the momentum every now and then to avoid having to start from scratch.

As Leona settled into The Bassinet and had set it about a soothing sway she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, allowing her gaze to drift deep blue sky and clouds above. She felt her heart rate slow as the comfort and safety of the cocoon enveloped her. Tears still rolled down her cheeks but the tension in her face had subsided and she reminded herself of the surprising physical comfort to be had in the metal structure in addition to psychological benefits. After some time, she finally felt comfortable to allow her thoughts to drift and assess the news she’d just received.

Boarding school. Why? Had she done something wrong? If so, she couldn’t imagine what it could have been and as such ruled that possibility out almost instantly, turning her thoughts toward further possible reasons for this exile. How long had they been thinking of this? Had this always been the plan? Why had they waited until now to tell her? Being the reasonable person she is, she had to also consider whether they had previously told her or been telling her and she’d refused to hear it for her own well being. Leona struggled through her memories, searching for a discussion between them all in which it may have come up but couldn’t remember such an instance. What infuriated her the most at the moment was that this completely shattered her building excitement and additionally put instant pressure to really make the most of the next ten weeks. At least if she was going to school locally she’d still see Lucius on evenings and weekends as she did currently --- when not at dance or music lessons --- but at boarding school she’d be back only on holidays and she assumed the summer too? How did boarding school operate? Her thoughts shifted briefly to the fact that it wasn’t being away from her mother and father that concerned her, at least not as a priority, and with that realized that while she loved them she saw that in her future she’d never miss them the way she’d miss her brother. She didn’t know if this was normal, healthy or beyond her understanding but her instincts informed as much to which she found herself looking inward for any concern regarding this --- ultimately finding nothing. Was she mature? She hadn’t the foggiest idea but suddenly had a visceral urge to be by her brother yet wasn’t ready to leave The Bassinet. Wiping her sniffles on her shirt and giving the counterweight a dozen or so more throws, she allowed herself to close her eyes and give into the gentle even sway of the sculpture. Slowly, her mind drifted from all the news and questions she’d been struggling with toward the weightlessness of the air she was breathing and clouds in the sky. Siena had entered her being much to her approval and within moments she’d escaped to her alternate life.

Siena Chronicles Chapter _______________.(TBA)

Oliver leaned quietly over ‘The Bassinet’ and watched his daughter sleeping for at least ten minutes, gently helping the sway of the sculpture which had long since died. He was urgent to know her thoughts and dreams, and subsequently began questioning his own parenting choices, becoming sad as he felt he’d forgotten what it was like to be a child and had no idea the feeling it was to be little girl. He heard his own parents along with countless other parents continually remind their children how ‘they were kids once too don’t you know?’ yet here he was struggling to remember his own childhood. Wading through his memories he couldn’t recall a thing earlier than age fifteen and this concerned him. Had he some cognitive condition? A mental defect of some kind? He knew his childhood had been agreeable, but perhaps that was just it --- there was nothing worth remembering. He knew from his mother’s accounts that he’d never been the creative type, had no eccentricities, and never acted out yet here he was looking down at this ball of eccentricity and imagination. Obviously it must have all come from Susan yet he wanted so dear in that moment to find part of himself in his beautiful daughter but couldn’t. Regretfully, he felt a moment of jealously which he’d never admit to anyone and he immediately felt tremendously embarrassed over it --- and rightly so. Eschewing those thoughts he reminded himself of the balance his family gives him, and gently leaned forward to pick his daughter up in his arms. Leona stirred slightly but didn’t awaken, and once he had her settled he set off back through the maze. For a moment, he was tempted to journey deeper into the maze, realizing that it had been a few months since he’d last been to the depth and into his favourite location but held back, knowing it would be dark soon and his daughter needed to get back inside the safety and warmth of the house. However, he made a mental note to take an afternoon to himself and walk the maze for his own well being. While traveling out, he had to congratulate himself on his memory of the entire maze, as never once did he make a false turn, and upon reaching the exit he turned back to smile and think of his grandparents and how proud they would be to see what they’d created still being used and loved by new generations of the family.

Susan and Oliver were somewhat surprised at the length of Leona’s sleep. They half expected her to wake up in the middle of the night, having gone to bed so early, but she didn’t. What did surprise them was that when they went to wake her, she wasn’t in her bed. Slightly puzzled they instinctively went to Lucius’s room where they found her curled up next to him, still deep in a dreamy slumber.

After breakfast, they settled upon the topic of boarding school from a much gentler starting point explaining to Leona their reasoning for making the decision.

“You’ll be in a French Immersion program, and all the girls will be new arrivals” Susan outlined, “including Anna”.

“Anna is going too?”

“Yes she is, along with a few other girls from your class so you won’t be alone.”

Leona pondered these two pieces of news for a few moments, and felt a smile creep over her face though on principle she immediately tried to hide it without much success.

“In fact, we’ve already arranged for you and Anna to be roommates” she continued, “it will be fun, just trust us. I went to a school just like it and it was such a great experience. Plus, if you ever need us it’s really not that far away.”

Leona was beginning to see some light in the situation, but still struggled to understand why only tell her now and as she was about to ask, she choked on her words and blurted out something completely different.

“What about Lucius?” she exclaimed.

“Sweetie, you know he’ll be here. He’s got Edward. We all like Edward, he’s a wonderful teacher and good for Lucius,” said Oliver.

Leona looked through the walls in the direction of her brother’s room, wishing he could come but realizing the impossibility and foolishness of the idea. Of course he was staying here.

“Run along and get your bag honey or we’ll be late for school. We’ll have plenty of time to answer any more questions and also tell you all about the school later. Anna’s knows she’s going too so the two of you can chat about it at lunch hour today.”

As Leona ran to get her school bag, she started to laugh at the idea of Anna waiting to chat until lunch hour, and suddenly the day didn’t seem so bad after all.

Sure enough, as she walked through the doors to the school the first thing she saw was Anna waiting in her usual spot jumping up and down and screaming with excitement. Throughout the day, Anna told her all she knew about the school as her older sister had gone there and all the wonderful things there were around it, and most importantly, the crown jewel being that across the grounds was Eastern Prep School For Boys.

CHORUS

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SCENE – TWELVETEEN

Sweltering heat arrived no less than a fortnight after the last day of class. Record high heat and humidity indexes forced most time to be spent indoors, which was still further complicated by the age of the Stable manor. Despite having a fireplace in nearly every room, it failed to match such extravagance in the ways of air conditioning. During more common conditions the stone structure was still bearable in the summer months, but the current conditions pushed everyone’s tolerance over the edge and as a result made for an even more interesting summer for all, specifically the twins. In many ways, the conditions could be seen as a blessing in disguise for the two of them, for Lucius couldn’t venture outdoors to begin with, which coupled with the extreme heat meant that Leona didn’t need to feel guilt about not going outside. To escape the heat they found a new place in their ever increasing realm to spend time, somewhere Leona had always been too scared to go alone but now found purpose and more importantly --- company.

The entrance to the basement was found just before the entrance to the library, with the staircase following beneath the path of the upper staircase leading to the twins’ rooms and master suite. Curving its way down with stonewalls on both sides, the drop in temperature and humidity could be felt and enjoyed with each step. Reaching the bottom, the stairs fed directly into a massive stone chamber much deeper than a standard basement and as a result had a cavern-esque quality. The aforementioned stone making up the walls and ceiling was very old, appearing to be older than the home itself, though in actuality was the same as the original construction date. Regardless it lent the feeling that the house above had been constructed on top of this chamber --- at least part of it --- leading to the possibility that this chamber may have been the original dwelling of the settlers. The room was large with arched support columns, and but for a few small rectangular windows barely large enough to pass a chipmunk was completely null and void of natural light and violated every possible fire code known to man. Archaic electrical housing and heating ducts ran rampant and exposed far above, but as they’d not faltered in the past 200 years the proof was in the make-up that they ‘sure don’t make’em like they used to’ as was a favourite quotation amongst every alpha male since the first one decided to stand up. For the last many years the room had been used to store the old, but still valuable Queen Anne furniture used while Oliver’s mother and father still inhabited the house. Despite liking it, Susan insisted on acquiring new furniture for their tenure in the home but respected it’s value --- both and financial and sentimental --- enough to keep it stored below. There was also a utility room containing a large basin, a toilet and an open shower, resulting in the room having the multi-purpose feel of a lavatory on-board a confined sailing craft or something likewise. In other words there was a large universal drain in the epicenter of the room for a complete wash-away ability. Cool, quiet and drenched with unknown mysteries and possibilities; the basement became the headquarters for Leona and Lucius the summer before she was to leave for boarding school.

Together with Susan, they sorted through the old furniture, which had sat covered for years and selected the pieces they found most comfortable and began to set up a multi-purpose recreational area at the centre of the room. Toward the back wall they blew up a couple of air mattresses they’d found along with some other camping gear in a closet and arranged two sleeping areas in the corner, stacking piles of old magazines next to each one to substitute as bedside tables upon which sat mismatched lamps. Leona had stumbled upon an old novelty lamp of her father’s and after she and Susan had laughed hard enough at some memories Susan had of the lamp, they set-up the glowing female leg with stocking and tasseled shade next to the sofa. To finish out the space they brought down all her art and writing supplies, a small television for watching movies, a stereo and even managed to find a small bar-fridge to keep drinks and snacks in. Leona’s books would slowly file in, but for the most part she wanted to make weekly trips to the library for new stories to explore and share. When all was said and done, the space proved magnificently comfortable with plenty of space for Susan and Oliver to spend time with them. As to be expected, this organization and set-up was done with an endgame of surprising Lucius and after a few days of work, they blindfolded Lucius and for the first time (under supervision of course) Leona carried her brother down the stairs to the new summer hideout.

Lucius wasn’t sure at first what he was looking at, being bombarded with such an onslaught of visual stimuli packaged in some kind of phenomenal retreat. Leona had taken the time to hang heavy sheets and curtains around the walls and ceilings, accentuating the secure and safe intention of the space from the outside world. The floor was covered with a multitude of busy Persian rugs then covered with every possible pillow she could find in the house. In the corner was a reading and writing nest with it’s own table and supplies. Large maps, which she’d begun to draw were leaning against furniture and walls, waiting to be completed by the two of them as they continued to lay out the realm of The Siena Chronicles she’d started for them. The music of Camille Saint-Saens was gently playing in the background and all the lamps had been fitted with low watt bulbs, but when all 20 lamps were going as they were now, the entire room floated in a soft glow. In short, she’d turned the entire room into a womb of complete escapism. Lucius, with his arms already around her neck for support pulled himself toward her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Amayzeen,” he said looking into her eyes. Leona smiled and gave him a kiss back then asked “would you like to read a chapter together?” to which her brother nodded and she took him over to the reading nook. She set him gently down and helped prop him up against a pillow. She pulled her notebook from the shelf and after opening it, looked toward the bottom of the stairs where both her parents stood, simply observing and enjoying the moment before them until their daughter made a ‘get out of here’ motion with her hand in an effort to assert herself that they could trust her alone to take care of Lucius. Once Susan and Oliver had ceded her request, she opened her book and began to read to her brother.

CHORUS

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SCENE - SUBTERRANEAN GROUNDING

Days turned to weeks, which in turn produced months and finally the day Leona had tried to ignore throughout the entire flow. However, before doomsday arrived the time they spent, including the hours with mom and dad were truly spectacular.

Despite hiding out and constantly making additions or changes to their space via the movement of furniture, erection of quilted forts or the hanging of paintings and drawings, they did still leave the basement for some reasons. In the evening, when the sun would fall beyond the horizon, they would rise from the comforts of their subterranean lair like vampires to join their parents in realms above. While Lucius’s skin was improving slowly with the help of medical supplements, it would still be many years before he would be able to handle full strength sunlight, he was nevertheless granted to permission by Dr. Chan to head out into the light of night so long no skin was exposed and the use of a heavy veil covered his face. The nights spent in the cool breeze of this summer were to become the most memorable for all them. Lengthy walks through the clear and forested grounds, torch light games in the maze and many rides in Oliver’s old worn-out truck to the edge of the land to look out over the ocean and listen to the waves crashing against the jagged rocks 50 meters below where they sat in the small frail hunting shack which overlooked the endless blue water which shown silver in the moonlight. Sitting on the small, rickety porch which clung to the front of the house, Oliver would tell them stories about his great grandfather first arrived on the property and this was the first house he’d built for his family and from there started up his ????????? company, eventually earning enough to construct the first faze of the house they live in now. Leona would sit mesmerized by the stories, with Leona continually interrupting to question the validity of certain aspects of life from the era which her father explained such as sanitation, cooking and the appliances used at the time. Lucius, constantly improving with the help of Edward was engaged in the steps his great-great-great-grandfather had taken toward attaining success in the speedily changing industrial world he was a part of. In many ways, Lucius felt tremendous identity with this long dead relative of his, as he was now becoming aware of the adversity he was going to face in his life and hearing the struggle against which his fore-father prevailed gave him a fire in his belly that summer which he would carry with him for many, many years.

Back at the house, on those hot days Lucius still spent time on every single one of them with Edward though they did shorten their lesson duration for obvious reasons. On certain days, Leona was permitted to sit in, but she would quite often take this time to go visit with some of her other friends outside the estate. They would gather on a beach nearby or at Anna’s house where there was a wonderful pool to cool off in, and for all intents and purposes --- very, very few rules. Some mothers would gather from time to time, and occasionally Susan would stay to chat with the others to rinse down a few cigarettes with afternoon cocktails.

(*RYAN FIX/CLEAN UP THIS PARAGRAPH – IT’A MESS)

Most of the time however, Susan continued to use the time alone to ease herself back into a world from which she’d turned her back on. Upon Edward’s first visit to the library, Susan refused to tell him where her private study was. Had she done so, he may have been lucky enough to be shown to her study --- though in all likely-hood not. It was her sanctuary and hers alone. In the library is a narrow door at the end of the bookshelf, which is concealed into the wall, but not so much that it isn’t noticeable after a second glance. A simple push on the wall next to the bookcase is all it takes to reverse the magnet holding it shut, thus popping open the door. Behind the door sits small landing, then beside that a steep and narrow staircase running directly behind, and parallel to the bookcase in the library. Curving slightly at the top to open into an attic-esque room sitting directly above the library. With heavily angled ceilings it didn’t posses nearly the space the room below it did, but it contained enough space for a variety of different writing, drafting and reading desks with additional room for low-lying bookcases, a divan and a small painting area at the far end. It was definitely a cramped space, but it was just how Susan liked it, and furthermore it was her space. For many years she’d used it to escape Oliver when fighting or wanting to simply be alone and he respected that. She’d often spend nights here, but always getting up in time for Leona and Lucius. The room would have felt tremendously cramped if it weren’t for the greatest feature found in the room --- a large squared skylight running the length of the central quarters of the roof. As it ran east to west, it allowed the natural light to travel equally and steadily from one end of the room to the other as the day progressed. The room had originally been simply a storage attic until Susan discovered it and asked Oliver if the skylight couldn’t be installed and the space turned into her own sanctuary. As the house was so old, and had been in Oliver’s family for so long, she never felt there was a space in the home that was truly hers. She knew of all the spots built or changed by the previous wives of the Stable men and decided very early on that this one was going to be hers. It instantly reminded her of the flat she’d had on a year abroad in Prague while she was a student, and with so many fond memories lodged in her brain from that one year she wanted somewhere she could not necessarily re-live those times but somewhere she could feel the energy they had provided. For the first time since she’d had it built, her loft began to give back to her in the way she’d always hoped it would --- albeit with the much needed help of a supplemental air conditioning unit. Slowly she began to re-immerse herself in her study of all things classic and modern, in the hopes that one day she might feel the urge, comfort and desire to begin creating on her own again. While she hoped that day would come soon, she knew she wasn’t nearly ready for it and had to face down some serious moments from her past before the confidence in her could grow again.

Edward’s sessions with Lucius were proving to be a continual success. His ability to shape vowels was getting stronger and while some of the harder consonant sounds were still a long way off many of them were taking shape nicely. Edward knew that once the reconstructive pallet surgery could occur, the clarity and ease of it all would come more naturally and as such was very pleased with his progress. However, it was all the time spent with Leona that was proving to be the most beneficial for him. The hours he’d been spending with Edward since their first meeting had always been of a more formal nature rather than personal. Edward struggled to help Lucius with his emotional highs and lows, though try he did. With Leona, Lucius began to settle and learn from her the scope of human emotion --- at least what she understood of it. This wasn’t achieved through her directly telling him or showing him, but by merely spending time with her and allowing himself to feed off her when she was sad or upset and attempt to learn why, subsequently applying his understanding to himself. With his speech improving simultaneously, Lucius made leaps and bounds over these few months. He was able --- to a certain extent --- discuss emotion with her and when it was appropriate to feel. In many ways, Lucius was somewhat similar to Pinnochio at this time, attempting to absorb the spectrum of human emotion to become a real boy. They would continue to read together, which was of invaluable aid to him as well as their past history which Leona would tell him everything that happened in their lives before he woke up. Lucius would have her continually repeat stories from this time, to which she always obliged because she could tell they pulled at his emotions and further helped his development. With each re-telling, she could see a new feeling welling up inside him and would encourage him not to fight it, and the two of them would laugh and cry together until they were sick to the stomach. This progress helped greatly with regard to his studies with Edward as he learned to control his rage and frustration.

There were times when Leona would become struck with the blatant reality of their situation and it would crush her to pieces. She would spend many nights, watching Lucius sleep feeling that she’d stolen part of his life and vowed to give back as much of it as possible any way she could. Racked with the guilt of their inequality she wished she wasn’t beautiful, or at least not reminded of it so often by those around her. The truth that Leona found herself discovering was that she felt very uncomfortable with the praise and adornment she was increasingly receiving from those around her. In many ways she wanted to hide away, like Lucius and be merely concerned with learning, reading and creating without the invasiveness of reality. Other times, she’d feel the opposite and longed for the day that she would leave the confines of the estate for boarding school to a world where she hoped she might be seen differently and have the ability to reinvent herself. It was in this conflicted state that she awoke on the day she departed for school and did her best to hide all.

CHORUS

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SCENE - FOREVERNEVER

“Leona! The car’s all packed! We should get going!” Oliver yelled from the foyer.

In the basement, Leona sat on the couch with her arms around Lucius while Susan stood at the bottom of the stairs waiting patiently. As Leona spoke gently to her brother, Susan watched with such pride at the bonded strength her children had formed over the summer. It was something she never thought would come to be all those years while Lucius was asleep and in that instant found herself questioning their decision to send Leona away.

“We can always talk on the phone, whenever you want,” she said to her brother “right mom, we can right?” turning to her mother for an answer. With tears in her eyes Susan nodded.

“Stowreez?” Lucius asked.

“I will send you chapters whenever I write them. I promise.”

Susan, after hearing Oliver call again interrupted, “you have to go sweetie.”

“I’ll miss you so much Lucius.” She gave him a kiss then started toward her mother to give her a hug and a kiss. She was two steps up when Lucius said to her “forevernever?” she turned back smiling with tears in her eyes.

“Forevernever.”

Susan heard the car start and the sound of the engine fade as it travelled away from the house down the long driveway until all was quiet again. She wiped a few tears from her eyes then walked forward to her son and took a seat next to him on the couch.

“Would you watch a movie with me Lucius?” she asked.

Lucius feeling true sadness for the first time in his life could only nod in agreement as his mother pulled him in closer to her and started the motion picture.

Later that evening, Edward sat alone on his back porch with a glass of rye whiskey in one hand and a gold pendant in the other. Turning the octagon shaped pendant over and over in his hand, his thoughts drifted to the previous owner of the item --- Lizzy. It had been 10 years to the day since she’d passed away.

EPILOGUE

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