Preview: The Vocal Cords of the Universe

The Vocal Cords of the Universe.

Chapter 1. Black Pearl.

The snow drifted silently down from the unseeable heavens; skies white. Every fleck, every dot was a whisper of God's Kingdom. The silence that it forced upon the inner cityscape was only of divinity...It almost seemed magical. Imperial...Demi-Godly. 

"You know it's just snow right?" Anatoly spoke from across the round wooden table. "Happens every year. Same time too."

"No shit Sherlock", Nikolai joked. "...Just feels different this time."

Anatoly laughed, smally. "Sure, bud. Different. The frozen water falling from the sky is different this time." He shook his head, crossing his arms on the round table. "If it wasn't your birthday I'd make more fun of you- maybe kick your ass a little for being such a nerd, but..."

"You'll be nice to me today", Nikolai turned from the large restaurant window they were seated next to. "The nicest time of year", he chuckled.

"Don't be a puss. I've never bruised you", Anatoly told him. "And I'm buying you breakfast, so you can't complain fucking once."

"Damn. I wasn't."

Anatoly chuckled. "I'm fucking around."

"And you have too bruised me!" Nikolai smiled. "Damn liar."

"Damn", Anatoly leaned back against the plush restaurant seats- balloon seats. "I guess you don't want your present then."

"No-"

"Fucking-"

"No wait-"

"-Bummer, dude." Anatoly smiled, crossing him arms first. He paused.

"You can't be serious", Nikolai flopped his head to the side.

Anatoly shrugged. "Eh. Let's eat first."

"It better not be a fart in a jar."

Anatoly chuckled at that. "I never farted in those jars you know? It was just to scare you."

"Don't care. It's the principle of the matter."

" 'principle of the mat-' shut up kid", Anatoly mocked. "You can't be saying shit like that out loud. You'll get your ass kicked. Maybe not in here, but definitely somewhere else. Someplace I'm not. "

"Yeah, by you."

Anatoly chuckled. "Ya, no, that sounds about right. But I'm fucking around. Those other kids hear you say shit like that and they won't be fucking around. They'll spike your head on the fucking ground. You get that? I mean it."

Nikolai blinked. "You're being extra with this whole bullying thing. No one does that anymore."

Anatoly felt his brother's grand ignorance, but decided to leave it alone. It wasn't worthwhile today, not today. Perhaps another. "Sure. Anyway your present-" He caught a glimpse of the waitress making her way from the kitchen, carrying that metal tray like an Olympic torch. Her face unfriendly, but so symmetrical- her blonde hair curled around the sides of her face, and her brown eyes were too light not to notice. "...Fuck me."

"She wouldn't touch you with a six foot pole", Nikolai made fun of his older brother.

Without looking away from the waitress, Anatoly huffed, "don't worry mine’s seven- hey ma'am, good morning, how are you?" Anatoly spoke warmly to the pretty woman, whom he noticed was a little older than himself. Nearing her thirties, but not quite.

She smiled with perfect teeth as she said each plate from the tray down. "Hey, that's my line."

"You can use mine if you want", Anatoly offered.

"Oh ya? What's your line?" She asked, a bowl of oatmeal and a plate of pancakes on the table- along with a sticky silver dish of syrup.

Anatoly stopped himself. "I don't have one actually. I hardly talk to girls, I just thought you were so pretty that I had to say something." He smiled back at her, his lies going undetected.

She laughed a little. "Well good for you. I don't think I'm that pretty, but thank you. Would you like anything else?"

"Your number", Anatoly answered.

"Ha. Funny", she said as if she wasn't considering it, but Anatoly saw the blush in her cheeks and the curl of a smile on her pretty pink lips.

"Careful, ma'am", Anatoly looked into her eye and held it warmly, "Your eyes are twinkling..."

She didn't know what to say, she hesitated. "Damn, you're good at that- you really don't want anything else?"

"Well, it is the kids birthday, I think he asked Santa for a kiss on the cheek from a beautiful mistress", Anatoly smiled. He was proud of himself for that one, he thought of it on the spot.

She laughed. "Funny", and she turned and she left- Anatoly noticed how she fidgeted with the silver tray, running her small fingers over its rim.

Anatoly put his hand to his mouth and huffed. "I'll have her number by the end of breakfast."

Nikolai spoke, slightly impressed, slightly nervous. "You play too much. You got three other girls' numbers this week. I mean, at least you didn't recycle the same line."

Anatoly paused for a second, his hand over his mouth- he was thinking of this girl. "No...She's different. This one's different. I think I want that one."

Nikolai raised his brow, annoyed at his older brother. "What is your problem? You said that about the last one- and you have a girlfriend, Anatoly! What are you doing?"

Anatoly smiled. "I'm breaking up with her. And I'm deleting all those other numbers." He plucked his phone from his pocket and did just that, typing away with precision and speed, like mirco-gymnastics. And he did all of it with a smile.

"What if you don't get her number?" Nikolai asked. "You're screwed, ya?"

Anatoly finished up his break-up text and casually tossed his phone to the side. He could smell his cinnamon oatmeal, and he reached for that silver spoon. He took a scoop and ate. "Oh ya. That's it", mouth still full, he talked to Nikolai. "I'm absolutely certain she'll come back, pick up my phone and put her number in personally- I have no doubt in my skill."

Nikolai shook his head, after a pause he picked up his butter knife and fork and began to slice into his plain, syrup drenched pancakes. "How do you know?"

Anatoly tapped his forehead, food in his mouth. "Psychology, my friend. Psychology. Jordan Peterson and whatnot." He took another bite.

Nikolai raised a brow and pointed his syrupy fork at him. "You. Watch Jordan Peterson?"

Anatoly shrugged. "I've seen his clips. He's real smart."

Nikolai nodded, realizing that was the only way the meat head could consume any form of entertainment, or information. "You know his lectures are full of information."

"I'm not watching that", Anatoly said truthfully. "No way in hell. I'm done with school and I'm not going back." They continued to eat as they talked.

"We should get a dog."

"Fuckin' no", Anatoly shook his head. "The fuck. Where did that come from?"

Nikolai shrugged, not upset. "Just a thought. The house is always empty."

"Cause we're never home, kid. You know how dogs work. Constant attention- things we can’t give."

"That's fair."

They continued to eat and eat, Nikolai did not finish his food, Anatoly scraped every sticky nugget of his cinnamon oats away, downed his water and Nikolai's water.

Nikolai slid the ceramic plate across the table. "That's all you, big guy."

"Fuck that", Anatoly pushed it to the middle. "That's like twelve-hundred calories, chief- and pancakes at that. There's nothing good in that."

Nikolai shrugged. "Call it a cheat meal."

"That's not cheating, that's a divorce, my guy", Anatoly shook his head. "How does your brain function off that shit?"

Nikolai shrugged. "Ask my brain. I couldn't tell ya."

Anatoly reached across the table and knocked against his brother's skull. "What the fuck man?" He asked his brain. They laughed.

"Oh shit. I forgot", Anatoly reached over to his side and grabbed Nikolai's birthday gift. "My bad." With one hand he picked up the gift and set it on the table -a book- he slid it across to Nikolai. "How about that shit, uh?" Anatoly crossed his arms and leaned on the table.

"Fuck you- fuck you! -what in the fuck", Nikolai panicked in his overwhelming degree of joy. He put his hands on his head and then ran them over his face. "Holy shit", Nikolai covered his face with his hands. Through his hands, he muffled more curse words. "You fuck- are you fucking stupid?" He dropped his hands, looking at the book. "...Dog." He looked up to his brother, who wore the proudest smile on his face. "Are you fucking stupid?" Nikolai laughed. "Holy shit! Jesus- Lord...fuck..." Nikolai looked back to the book smiling, gawking over it. He exhaled, his heart beating like an Olympic sprinter.

"...If mom heard you curse like that..." Anatoly joked. It was a rough joke, but one nonetheless.

"She won't- but...I...I have no words. No words."

"Good. There's plenty of words in there", Anatoly said and tapped the book.

"That was stupid."

"That was funny is what that was."

"No."

"Yes."

"No- actually nevermind, I don't care."

"I'll count that as a win."

"Whatever you say." Nikolai stared at the book as if the Holy Grail- perhaps his Bible. He didn't want to touch it, as if he'd bring harm to it accidentally.

"Open it", Anatoly encouraged.

"No. I can't."

"You won't break it, fucker. It's like industrial paper, its so fucking heavy."

"...Where did you even find this?" Nikolai asked. "These are so rare. And so expensive- fuck. How much did you spend?" He worried.

"Two-twelve", Anatoly said.

Nikolai sighed. "That's too much."

"Shit, you're telling me."

"...Thank you. Thank you a lot, Anatoly."

"It's no problem."

"I'm sure it was. It's a tough book to find. And expensive. It's a little bit of a problem."

"Nah not really", Anatoly scratched his scalp, lying wonderfully. Almost fooling Nikolai. Almost. "We should get going though. Uncle Tom wants to visit. He said something about family and vacation. I don't know, it's hard to understand that one."

"Cause he brings that bottle with him wherever he goes", Nikolai said. "Constantly drinking."

"True", Anatoly agreed. "Let's wrap this up then", and he stood, stretching for the ceiling and yawning. And he smiled as she saw the waitress walking to him from the back of the restaurant. "There she is." He smiled at her. "Hey beautiful. Miss me yet?"

She carried the weight of an innocent child in her light brown eyes. "...Well, I was just...giving you the bill." She gave him the receipt, Anatoly hardly bothered with it and dug in his pocket, pulling out a dirty hundred. "Your tips in there too. I'd give you more, but I should be saving for our honeymoon."

Her jaw dropped as she took the money.

Anatoly closed it for her. "You're alright."

She giggled. "This is a hundred-and-twenty percentage tip- are you serious? You know this won't make me date you right?"

Anatoly smiled, nodding. "The money is for making my day better than it already was."

She glared at him, fidgeting with her feet. Then finally she caved as she caught the reflection in the man's dark eyes, paired with his handsome smile. "Dammit. Give me your phone." She held out her hand.

Anatoly smiled, turned back to his brother and raised his eyebrows, like a 'I told you so' and he turned back around, pulling his phone from his pocket and resting it in her palm. She turned it on. "What's your pas-", she swiped and unlocked it. "...No password?"

"Nothing to hide."

She smirked. "Dammit that's good", and she added her number in his contacts, handing it back, all smiley. "Here you go."

Anatoly gently shook his head and pointed to her shortly. "Never stop doing that. I love that."

"What?"

"Smiling."

She bit her tongue. "When's our honeymoon?"

"What's your name?"

She blushed. "Tide. I'm twenty-six."

Anatoly smiled at her, pausing purposefully.

"What?" She asked him.

"...Sorry, just...that name is beautiful", Anatoly told her. "Tide. My name's Anatoly, I'm twenty." He took her small hand gently in his and as he stared her down he kissed her hand slowly. He watched her try not to bite her lip. He held her hand and gestured to his brother. "And this is my brother, Nikolai. Don't worry about him, he's six. Still a baby."

"No he is not", Tide laughed.

"Well", Anatoly shrugged. "Close enough right? Anyway", he returned his attention to her, "we have to get going now."

"That's alright. I have to get back to work", Tide told him. "...You're not letting go."

"I don't want to."

"You have to though. Places to go. Things to do."

Anatoly smiled at her, and slowly, he let her go. "...Ow."

"That hurt, did it?"

"Too much. Goodbye Tide."

"Goodbye Anatoly." And for a second they stared at each other, not wanting to leave.

Then Anatoly nodded and he grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Goodbye", and then he turned and left before she could say anything, but as he got to the door, he stopped and turned back. "Tide", he called out to her and she turned back, stopping, mesmerized by his voice. Anatoly smiled at her. "Remember me." And she nodded, and before she could say anything, he walked out of the door and into the snowdrift world of Christmas eve, Nikolai at his side.

"You're so stupid", Nikolai told him as they walked down the white street, few cars drove. The winter cruising speed. "You think any of that is going to work?"

"I know it'll work. And the best part is that I have her number, so I have to text first. Meaning every hour I don't text her, she's going to be wondering if I forgot her, or if something happened and she'll never get to see me again", Anatoly shared his secrets. "And then finally when she gets that text, it'll be like magic. She'll know I didn't forget her and that I was thinking about her too. You know sometimes I think I'm too powerful for my own good."

That made Nikolai snicker. "You're an idiot. I hope you actually keep this one around."

"Why? Cause she's hot?"

"Cause you haven't kept one single girl around since seventh grade. You gotta start settling down, or whatever it is grown-ups say."

"Ya, you're right though, believe it or not. I wanna keep her around", Anatoly agreed with his brother, snow flakes in his hair. He was unbothered by it. "And I'm almost certain she was a virgin, which is a massive plus."

"Really, at that age? How could you tell?"

"You didn't see her cross her legs when I kissed her hand?" Anatoly asked.

"No. Why does that matter?"

Anatoly chuckled and clapped his shoulder. "Ya, now I know you're a virgin. That's fine though, you're still like nine years old or whatever."

"I'm definitely fifteen as of three hours ago, but sure."

"Ya same thing", Anatoly said. "But this girl, Nikolai...There's something different about her. I'm gonna keep her, I promise. There's just something different..."

And Nikolai looked up into the white heavens, watching the snowfall with its slow graceful approach to earth...and he thought the exact same thing.

The silver key click-clicked- the door opened with a push and Anatoly entered first. Nikolai followed him swiftly, carrying his book he had just got for his birthday. "I don't know when Uncle Tom is going to get here, but you know him, so just be ready."

"Ya I know", Nikolai called back as he made his way down the hallway, coming to his bedroom door. He opened it and entered. He stopped. "...Hi uncle Tom."

He was passed out on Nikolai's bed, his massive legs crossed somehow, and his head resting against the wall as he snored- crumbs in his brown curly beard. "Alright then", Nikolai nodded, accepting the situation. "Anatoly, I found Tom."

"He's here?" Anatoly called back from the living room.

"Well. Ya. Here. Not sure how here he is", Nikolai watched his obese uncle sleep on his bed. "Seems pretty out to me."

"How did he get in? The doors are locked and so is the fire escape window."

Nikolai didn't care anymore, he placed his book of Rocket Engineering amongst the rest of his books neatly shuffled together on his shelf. He stepped out of his room, gently closing the door to let his uncle sleep in peace. "He's out, Anatoly", Nikolai told his brother as he came down the hallway, into the living room. He sat on the couch and reclined. Anatoly sat on the other side of the couch, on his phone.

"He doesn't even have a copy of the key", Anatoly told his brother without looking up from his phone. "There's literally no chance he got in. Not with his fat ass."

"Well. He's in there. Not sure what to tell you. Can we sue him?" Nikolai joked.

"Maybe", Anatoly shrugged. "I'm not a lawyer."

"Shoot."

"What'd you just say?"

"Shit. I meant shit", Nikolai corrected himself.

"Ya I bet you did mean shit", Anatoly tisked, about to jump on him. The room fell silent. The silence did not last long as soon after a wooden creak and crash came.

"Fuck", Nikolai cursed, jumping to his feet, than he ran down the hall. "Oh no."

"He didn't", Anatoly said as he hopped off the couch and followed his little brother to his doorway. He stopped and laughed once. "He did." He laughed again as his brain processed how that had happened.

Nikolai knew there was humor in this situation- but when your uncle Tom had broken through your bed frame because of his obesity, well. He was just confused. "...How? Anatoly, how do you do that?"

"I couldn't tell yuh bro. Gravity, or some shit."

That made Nikolai laugh. Which then opened his eyes to actually how funny the situation was. He just wondered where he'd sleep tonight. The couch wasn't too bad- 

Uncle Tom opened his eyes, terrifying Nikolai who was looking directly at them. His snoring stopped as his heavy brown eyes beamed through Nikolai. Then he smiled a wide, old smile through his heavy brown and gently rusted orange beard. "Morning fellas." His voice was deep enough to scare children.

"Morning, Uncle Tom", Anatoly waved, stopping himself from laughing.

"Tom", Nikolai was more concerned with the physics of him breaking his bed in half. "...H...How?" He said simply, gesturing to his bed Tom was still laying on, which had been broken on every leg, sent into splinters.

Uncle Tom grumbled and rubbed his belly. "This."

"There's no way."

"Well", Uncle Tom shrugged. "Look. It happened. Nowuhh...I need some help up."

Anatoly smiled, pulling out his phone. "The paramedics or the beached whales society?" Uncle Tom grunted while Nikolai laughed hard.

"I'd turn that phone to wood if I could", Uncle Tom said, still stuck on the floor.

"I think you need more than one more support to keep your bed up", Anatoly joked, slipping his phone away and approaching his uncle. He held out a firm hand and with the unnecessary help of Nikolai, they pulled him up to his feet.

Uncle Tom sighed and tapped his belly. "That was exhausting. Now I'm hungry", and he walked out of Nikolai's bedroom, hardly fitting through the doorway.

Nikolai turned to Anatoly. "What in the fuck just happened?"

Anatoly just started to laugh. "I don't even know dude. I don't fucking know."

"He comes in somehow, like magically teleports or some shit, than comes to sleep in my fucking bed, than he breaks it...I...I don't even know."

"I think what you mean to say", Anatoly began, "Is thanks for the birthday present Uncle Tom. Because this is better than cash, definitely."

"But my bed."

"Your bed is fine, it just needs some care."

"It's in pieces..."

"Yes yes and pieces can be put back together."

Then Nikolai became speechless. Where would he even begin? He gave up. "No you're right", and he walked out, no emotion whatsoever. He sat on the couch.

"Where are the grapes?" Uncle Tom asked as he snooped through the kitchen.

"We don't have any", Anatoly told him as he came out of the hallway, and stood in the living room.

"That is...ridiculous", he continued to snoop. Then he huffed as he closed the last drawer. "You have nothing edible in this household. I'm disappointed."

"We have tons of food."

Uncle Tom turned to Anatoly. "Ya thirty pounds of vegan garbage. That shit'll kill ya." He made a disgusted face with his aged skin, big nose, big bushy mountain-man eyebrows. "Eck- Let's go get something to eat."

"Oh we just ate", Anatoly told him.

He shrugged. "So? So did I. I'm still hungry."

Anatoly smiled, holding back an evil laugh. "Ya. Well- how did you get in the apartment?"

"Magic", he shrugged. "I'm hungry. I need something to eat." Tom came up to Anatoly and held out a hand. "Here, hold this until I come back. I'm going to get some food." He dropped a black pearl into Anatoly's palm. "Don't lose this. Also, I was wondering if you two wanted to go on a little vacation up north. I have a cabin up in the woods."

"Just the three of us?" Anatoly asked, skeptical. He looked to Nikolai who was violently shaking his head.

"No no, course not, skipper", Uncle Tom assured him. "All the aunties, cousins- the whole family is going to be there. It's Christmas Eve!" He laughed in a Santa-esque manner, just more of a homeless Santa who had been smoking cigars in the cold. "And...", he made sure Nikolai wasn't whispering to Anatoly, but his whisper was shit, so Nikolai heard anyway. "Girls. Plenty. Of girls, Anatoly."

Anatoly was already on board, he was going regardless. "Girls? What do you mean?"

Uncle Tom's eyes opened and he grinned like a homeless man. "Girls, Anatoly. Come on. You know how your Uncle gets down."

"What's the drug situation look like?"

Uncle Tom slapped his chest, not hard, but he was so heavy it still hurt. Anatoly wondered how much of his mass was muscle. He laughed. "Nothing magical. Just drinks and smokes- and not in front of your aunties. Everyone else, sure, who gives a fuck. Buta...ya. Hotsprings too. It's just a hike. You can tell I don't go up there often."

"Or ever."

"Ya", Tom laughed. "Or ever. So what is it? Ya'll down?" He looked at Nikolai and pointed. "How old is he?"

"Nine. Today." Anatoly joked, smiling.

"No no. Tom I'm fifteen today", Nikolai corrected.

"Oh that's a good age. Solid age kid. You wanna try adult shit out in the woods, aye?" Tom laughed, although he was serious.

"Uhhm. Well, I don't know-"

"He's a stickler. He'll like them, I know he will", Anatoly reassured his uncle. "He's a Petrovna after all."

Tom laughed hard at that. "That he is. That he is, son. Alright, so we're going, is that correct?"

"Yes, we're going. We're going." Anatoly told his uncle, despite the disappointment in Nikolai's face. He slumped into the couch.

"Alright alright, good. That's good. Ya'll won't be disappointed. The family misses you, you know that?"

"Of course, of course. That's why we need to get out there. Have some fun."

Uncle Tom laughed kindly and patted Anatoly on the back with a meaty hand. He didn't know if Tom meant to hit him that hard, or if he just didn't know his strength. "Alright then. Hey, I'll be back in a few and ya'll better be ready. It's kinda a drive, alright?"

"We'll be waiting Tom."

Uncle Tom stepped for the door and grabbed the handle.

"Tom", Anatoly stopped him before he left.

"Ya?"

"...How'd you get in?"

And Uncle Tom just smiled. Then he snickered, and he left. As the door closed behind the large man, Anatoly noticed a glimmer in the handle..."Holy shit."

Uncle Tom had squeezed the door handle, so hard he left a dent in the steel…

Uncle Tom's car was an old gray mini van- the paint was peeling, the sliding door was rusted and could hardly even slide. Nikolai opened it and it stopped halfway through the motion. He had to physically pry it all the way open. Nikolai caught a whiff of a bad smell, one he did not like. He shook his head and groaned.

"What?" Anatoly asked.

"Stinks."

"No shit. It's a minivan. Look who's driving it", Anatoly told him. "It's not gonna smell decent." Anatoly pushed Nikolai into the van, then he placed his bag in with him and slid the rusty door closed. Anatoly opened the front door with the oldest sounding creak and entered without a second thought. He wondered if the transmission was even remotely suitable for the drive ahead of them. Maybe even the tires would fall off. Or explode. Anatoly didn't remember seeing tread on them. He sighed. "Oh well then. Hey kid. Buckle."

"Are you serious?" Nikolai whined from the back.

"I am."

Nikolai tisked, but pulled the belt across his chest and clicked it in. "...Anatoly?"

"Yuh?"

"...This is going to be terrible isn't it?"

Anatoly nodded, looking out the front window at the falling snow, drifts gliding across the barely visible roads. "Probably. But it's for family. Whether we enjoy it or not, you're going to smile and laugh and I'm going to smile and laugh- got it?"

"Ya."

"Try again."

Timidly, Nikolai spoke again. "Yes sir."

"Lil' louder."

"Fuck you, sir."

Anatoly chuckled. "That's better. Also, no cursing in front of the aunts. They don't like that shit."

"Alright."

Anatoly grabbed the back of the seat and turned around to look at his younger brother. He didn't speak, he just stared at him.

"...Yes sir", Nikolai corrected himself.

Anatoly smiled boldly. "Goodshit. More of that please. Make us look good in front of the family." He turned back around, then played with the radio from the early 2000s. It didn't work. "Shit." Anatoly sighed. "This is going to be a long ride."

"It smells like cheese."

Anatoly sighed. "...I know. Put up with it."

"I am, but like...it's gross. And there's no heating in here."

"That's why you're wearing a sweater. Stop complaining." Anatoly closed his eyes for a second.

"This is going to suck."

"Shut up."

Nikolai sighed, crossed his arms and slowly drifted to sleep.

The car door opened and the driver seat crunched under severe stress- Tom had sat down with a giggle. "I'm a fat fuck aren't I?" And he laughed, slapping Anatoly's leg. "Anyway. Let's move shan't we?" Tom grabbed the keys off the dash, flipped through a few of them before he found the right one and stuffed it in the ignition, turning it over. It roared like a thirteen year old dumpster cat missing its tail...and most of its fur. "A beaut ain't she?"

"Sure", Anatoly fibbed. "Does she have any music?"

"Sure, whatcha want?" Tom asked, pressing the dusty black buttons on the stereo.

"Anything rap. Absolutely anything."

Tom pressed a few buttons at random it seemed and like magic when sounds came out of the one working speaker, on the back passenger side.

Anatoly believed he recognized the song- something from Tyler, The Creator. That's what it sounded like. "Thank you."

"Of course", Tom exaggerated his words. "Now we're ready to get a move on?"

"Yes sir."

"Yes sir", Nikolai added after Anatolys.

"Excellent. Excellent." And into the snowy afternoon, they began their journey, leaving the city behind them.

... Hammers. Hammers beat on cured steel. Hammers ring in the black of night. Sparks fly as metal strikes metal- a man's eyes illuminate in the sudden burst of light. His eyes are like black pearls. His glare like concentrated destruction- black decimation.

Anatoly awoke, his heart pounding, but he showed no emotion. No fear. Yet he felt all that and more inside. The only hint of the nightmare stood in how wide his eyes were.

"What’sa matter, chief?" Uncle Tom asked as his fat hands gripped the wheel. He was driving with both hands, which felt off.

Anatoly looked deep into the falling whiteness that was a snowstorm before he answered, tiredly. "Nothing. Justa...odd dream."

"Odd dream ay? Yeup, those come around every-so-often, tell'ya that. Anyway...if I'm not mistaken, we're about five minutes from the road."

"We're already here?" Anatoly seemed surprised. "How? I thought you said it was upstate."

"It is", he nodded, "and now we're upstate."

"But I literally only took one nap."

"Yup. Now we're here, ain't that somethin'."

Anatoly was so confused his brain wrinkled. "Right."

They drove for a little while more through the snow, surprisingly without any complications and then like Tom said, a gravel road appeared on the right, he slowed down and turned into it. There was a sign that named the road, but Anatoly couldn't read it- it looked mostly like shapes. The gravel road crunched under the bald tires as it climbed the incline. A mailbox appeared from the snow and Tom pulled next to it. "Can you check that?"

Anatoly manually rolled down the window, letting in the ice of the outside world and he checked the box- pulling out three letters and a small cardboard package. Quickly he rolled the window up and Tom continued up the gravel drive, not bothering to check his mail just yet. They drove up and up for five long minutes before they reached the climax of the hill and then the road flattened and they drove continuously on like that.

The trees got bigger and bigger as they drove- Anatoly noticed because there were some spots by the base of trunks where snow had yet to reach. Meaning the trees were so large they served like an umbrella, catching all the white ice from above. The trees back at the road were little baby birches- these were grandfather pines. Great grandfather.

And there it was, appearing from the whiteness like God might appear from the clouds; the cabin. "Fuck you, Tom." Anatoly said in shock and surprise- awe, more or less. "Holy shit."

"Im not available this weekend."

Anatoly didn't hear his wonderful joke, his eyes took in so much information they blocked out all sounds.

The so-called 'cabin', wasn't even close to what Anatoly had pictured. Which was a single room, fireplace to heat the house, one single electrical light hanging in the middle, built of logs. This was similar, only in regards to it being built of logs. A lot of fucking logs. It was three stories and looked like it had three wings to it, like a school. It had double doors, a balcony for the master bedroom it looked like, tons of rooms- assuming every window was a room. Even a garage. It looked extravagant, especially when the image you had in your head was one-fourtieth the size of the actual thing.

"...This is...this is incredible...Hey, fuck you", he pointed a finger at Uncle Tom as he slide the car into park and pulled the keys out of the car. "You lied to me."

Anatoly smiled as he watched Tom smile. Then he laughed. "No, no I did not. You just pictured the wrong thing, boy." Tom slapped his shoulder. "Think better of your Uncle Tom would ya?"

"Yes sir", Anatoly laughed. "Holy shit, this is incredible." He said as he exited the van, stepping in a few inches of snow. It'd be deeper if it wasn't for the massive trees overhead.

"I know right. I built it myself back in...eighty-eight I believe. Had some refurbishment since then, obviously."

"You did not build this yourself."

"Ask your auntie", Tom told him. "She knows all about it. She did all the math for me."

"Wow", was all Anatoly could speak. It was impressive. Just to lay your eyes on it was a magical experience. Magical was the only term that truly defined what it was like. Anatoly walked to the butt of the van and opened it, retrieving his duffle bag and Nikolai's, since he was asleep. Anatoly closed the ass-end, two bags on his shoulders and he tapped Nikolai's window. He was still out, so he opened his door and tossed his bag on him. He awoke with a groan. "Good morning. We're here."

"What the fuck, Anatoly", Nikolai groaned.

Anatoly pointed a finger at him. "Language."

"We're not around the aunts."

"We're in proximity."

Nikolai rolled his eyes at his older brother. "Spell proximity."

"Bench your bodyweight."

Nikolai wanted to be mad, but that was funny and he laughed on accident. "Fuck you", he said through laughter. He hopped out of the van with his bag around his shoulder, and he closed the door. "Wow..." he said as he finally laid eyes on the so-called cabin. He rubbed the boogers out of his eyes. "Jesus, this is real. This isn't a dream?"

"I don't see no pussy brother. Can't be a dream." Anatoly joked -partially- and walked forward, Uncle Tom was already halfway to the door. They caught up and met under the large concrete balcony. They stomped off the snow and swiped at flakes stuck to their jackets and hair. Uncle Tom didn't bother with the double doors and flung them both open. A whole swath of people were visible from the doors, as they sat around in the living room fifty feet forward- the Christmas tree up high, its religious star glowing radiantly. The rainbow-esque Christmas lights were hung up and glowing boldly, radiating off a bright white interior and pine tree trim. The television was mounted over a riverstone fireplace, playing some cop show on a low volume. All the aunts were standing in the living room, all the uncles sat on the white leather couch- the cousins and such blended in casually, not enjoying being left out of conversation.

The very moment the aunts noticed the boys -and Uncle Tom- they abruptly stopped their chatty commotion and charged at them with the pace of a drunken elderly woman. All their nails were done in pearl white, their make-up down decently enough and their hair all a sort of matching blonde-highlighted brown.

They swarmed the boys like a pack of hungry hounds and immediately began to talk in their high-pitched Brooklyn accents- atop of kissing and hugging like starved children. All while they balanced their wine glasses in one hand, a cigarette safely tucked in between nimble old fingers. Anatoly just smiled and nodded, although he couldn't hear a single thing they said- not one word, safe for a common phrase or two. 'Oh my God! I missed you so much baby!' And the occasional 'you've gotten so big!'

Nikolai had a strong distaste for all the nonsensical attention and blabbering. Immediately he wanted to escape. Escape where? When he'd been in the cabin for fifteen whole seconds. He'd find a route. Immediately he began to look, and he noticed a long hall going left and right. The kitchen was also immediately to his left and a bathroom to his right. He had to move before Anatoly mentioned his birthday. At that moment Anatoly tapped Nikolai's arm, shooing him away, toward the kitchen- and at that moment Nikolai listened and he dipped off into the white-tile and into the hall, as Anatoly got eaten alive by his aunties. 'Poor kid', Nikolai thought as he carefully made his way down the wooden hall, looking back to see Anatoly getting his cheeks pitched and the red lips planted up and down his face. 'Poor kid' and-

Nikolai rammed into something bony and hard and spun into the wall, although thankfully into another hall, so the aunts couldn't see him. "Fuck", Nikolai grabbed his face, his eyebone felt bruised and his brain shook a little. Then he saw what he had hit- whom, actually. A brown-headed girl, who was also holding her face. "Oh shit, are you alright? I am so sorry." He made his way to her, kneeling in the dark hall.

"No, I'm fine. I'm the clutz who can't watch where she's going", she spoke, rubbing her forehead. Her eyes were- fuck…

Nikolai swallowed. "What's your last name?"

"What...Schopenhauer. Why?" She said, whipping her watery eyes dry.

"Are we related?"

She snorted and smiled. "Probably, if we made it into the same cabin on Christmas eve." She snorted again. "You're awfully straight forward."

"Well- I just- I didn't mean it like that-"

"Yes you did", she told him straightforwardly and she held out her hand. "Now help me up please."

He hesitated for too long, but eventually took her hand and gently pulled her to her feet. He tried to let go, but she gripped him tightly, as she looked down at their joined hands. He felt off. Then gently, she slid her hand away from him and looked up to him. For a second he saw her bright blue eyes flutter in a green luminescence and back they went to their bright blue. He got stuck in them. They were beautiful, he'd never seen anything as gorgeous as her eyes. "...Thank you", she said with a smile.

"Well, you made me- but I was going to do it anyway."

She smiled. "Not that. The compliment."

"I didn't say anything."

"I know- um", she blinked and turned to face down the hall she had just come from. "Your room is this way, Nikolai." And she began to step- step down the dark wooden hall. Then she stopped when she noticed he wasn't following. "...You're curious. Not scared...Others would be fearful."

Nikolai struggled to speak. What would he say? "...I am."

"Now you're lost for words. Not sure what to think."

He nodded. "How...?"

"I'll tell you later", she answered. "Let me show you to your room please." She looked at him with this softness that infected him intensely- it was like being taken by the white rapids of the river; you had no chance, you were not surviving and no amount of strength would help you here. Nikolai licked his lips as his heart sped up and his dick tingled. And softly he spoke, his curiosity being put to the side. "...Okay." And he walked with her. Nikolai continuously examined her- firstly sexually, of course, as was prone to all men, even the feeble ones, and secondly through his curiosity. How did she know his name? How did she know where his room would be? How? What was so special about her? What did she have that he didn't? The confusion was stronger than all else he felt. As his curiosity was his ultimate device within him. It's what pushed him to do anything. And everything.

The dark hall was long and unlit. It ended in a closet and a staircase was on the right. It was short, only eight steps to the next floor and she climbed them silently and instantly. Nikolai tried not to look at her ass as she climbed, but he could not help himself- although he did look away as soon as he could. It's just what she wore...His heartstrings were plucked. He followed her up the stairs and the whole hall was dotted with doors to rooms and lit up very well. She took off to the right, her arms swinging low, and he followed. They walked past half a dozen rooms before they got to Nikolai's- 'room 9-9', it read in golden stamps. Suddenly she had keys in her hand and she unlocked the door, it opened silently. She stepped aside, jestering for him to enter, and he did, tossing his duffle to the wooden floor. He flicked on the switch. It was a basic room, eight by eight, ceiling fan, white popcorn paint, small closet, small bookshelf, small nightstand, small light, no bathroom, twin mattress.

"May I enter?" She asked kindly, standing at the doorway.

Nikolai nodded. "Sure", he answered, sitting on the edge of his bed.

And she entered, closing the door behind her. "...And now you're nervous. I closed the door so we could be alone because that is what you wanted. And now you're nervous." She snorted. "You city kids are like clouds; never satisfied with your shape and too soft." She looked him over, her hands folded into her chest. Nikolai looked back and his heart fluttered. She smiled. "And now you are aroused. Hm." She blushed. "...Would you like that? On your birthday?"

He blushed, embarrassed. "How are you reading my thoughts? This doesn't make any sense."

She took a step toward him. "That is not what I asked boy", and another. She bent forward so her leg touched his...she looked deep into his eyes and licked her lips. She put her hand on his leg. "...You are extremely easy to please...And I asked you a question."

And in his head he answered.

"Excellent..." And leaned forward, breathing in his ear. She hovered over his lips and she licked them slowly, then kissed him. She giggled as her hands planted on his chest and gently rolled down until they reached the pleasure point. She tickled his cock and unbuttoned his pants pulling them down- he was fully erect and she giggled, pulling it free. She looked him right in his eye as she played with it. ...It didn't take long before he was done. "That's it?" She joked. "Your first time is always the quickest. You're alright."

Nikolai lay there, exhausted, frightened and extremely blissful. He didn't wish to move. He panted words he should not have. "I think I love you."

"I think you're retarded", she fired back. "You don't even know my name."

"I don't care", he panted.

She laughed at him. "You don't love me. And don't say that again. You're ridiculous."

He sighed, eventually deciding to pull his pants up. He was exhausted as he buttoned them and zipped, then he tried to stand but everything felt weird. He did not want to. He wanted to lie there, in his bliss. He moaned accidentally. "...Who are you? What are you? How can you read my thoughts?"

She rolled her beautiful blue fucking eyes. "I read your feelings, not your thoughts. I'm an empath, not some wicked witch..." She crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head as she looked at the boy dressed in bliss. "...You didn't even clean yourself up." He groaned.

"Awe, look at the first-timer. Exhausted isn't he?" She joked. Nikolai smiled and nodded. "...They really didn't tell you anything did they?"

"Who?" Nikolai questioned, his eyes lazily shut. He desired a nice cozy nap, which might have been something he did. He was nearly asleep by the time he thought of it. Then a rather large hand gripped his face, awaking him.

"Don't fall asleep on me now", she told him as she spoke to his face. She was oddly strong. "I was just going to spill all the tea- like you wanted."

He was too tired to even know what she meant by that. "Can you lay down with me?" He asked. It was an odd request, especially from someone he had just met- but she had also just given him a hand job, after five minutes of knowing him. So a quick nap wasn't so devious.

She tisked and sighed. "You don't even want to sleep- you just want to lay with me. Cause you think you love me- hey, big dummy-head, I can read your feelings- you don't love me, you're just lustful." She sighed in annoyance, putting her hand to her head. "They're all lustful..."

He opened his eyes, feeling bad for the statement. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"I know", she stopped him. "It's my job to please you, and so I pleased you. It's just I'm quite upset with what pleases you. I thought you'd be different from the others. Sadly you're just the same..."

Nikolai was hurt by her words, even though he had no idea what she meant. He sat up in his bed and looked her in her saddened blue eyes. They're beautiful, he thought to himself. So beautiful he might cry. "...Do you wish to talk to me?"

She blinked, her arms crossed. "...The lust is gone." She said quietly. She paused for a moment. "Maybe I was wrong. Maybe you are different."

"Different from who?"

She snorted. "You are so lost. Your brain is going to hurt after I tell you." She shook her head, then held out her hand. He took it and shook kindly. "I'm Tego."

"Tego. Thats...that's 'under' in Latin isn't it?"

"No. Hiding."

"Hiding", he repeated. "I like that name. It fits you."

"...You don't even know who I am."

"But I know your name", he smiled. "And I'd love to hear more."

She looked at him, deeper than his skin. "...You've known me for fifteen minutes...Yet there's already hints of love in your heart. You don't even know me- what if I betrayed you?"

"I'd be heartbroken."

"And you don't seem to be so cautious of that. You've never been heartbroken have you?"

He shook his head. "I don't think I will ever experience it."

She smiled. "And you're willing to risk it all for a girl you just met?"

"For a girl that is extremely attractive, lustful, kindhearted and has eyes like a Goddess...yes. Yes please."

She smiled again, her cheeks going pink in his compliments. "You call me kind after I called you a retard."

"I know you’re kind. You just don't care to show it much."

She squinted at him. "You're very observant."

"Hard to miss such behavior from a beautiful girl."

She paused for a long time, they simply stared at each other. He smiled, as she thought deeply. And quietly, she broke the silence with words like silk. "...You really aren't like the others. You're so human. So pure."

He smiled at her words. "Human is all I can be."

"...If only you knew what those words meant." She looked within him, in his soul, in his head, in his heart...she was obsessed with something of him. Something that was purely him. Purely human. She took a step toward him and put a hand on his head. In that moment she was within him, more so than she already was. "...Do you accept?"

"I accept."

And thus…

It was that simple, that easy- so uncomplicated. She became his soul mate, his playmate, his person, his hand and love. She became his friend, his mate, his guardian.

"...Woah", he shuttered. "What was that?"

"Let me explain it to you. I have a lot to explain. Damn humans- it's alright though." She opened her mouth, but hesitated. "Do you want to go somewhere else? Like to the hot springs?"

"...Uhm...sure?"

She sighed. "You want to go to the library like a nerd."

"You have a library?" He said excitedly.

She rolled her eyes. "A massive one- but im not taking you right this fucking second. You can wait. Like a good boy."

"Yes ma'am."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but laugh. "Goodness gracious kid." She sighed. "I'll take you to the hotsprings tonight. After dinner. The aunts were excited to serve you on your birthday. And on Christmas eve." She smiled at him. "Come on."

"...I have to?"

"Yes. Yes you do. Unless you don't want me around anymore."

"No", he quickly interjected. "I- huh...that was too fast of a response wasn't it?"

"Way too fast", she patted his head kindly. "Let's go. And tonight I'll reveal everything."

"...Yes ma'am."

"Stop pouting."

"Yes ma'am."

"Shut up would you."