A man watched the sun set amidst a gray Michigan sky. From his vantage point on a jagged, high cliff, he could also see a sea of autumn color below him..a dazzling array of red, yellow, orange, and green subtly moving in the breeze. The same wind blew his blond hair about and rustled his jacket. He stared impassively, a torrent of thoughts running through his head.
Behind him, under a mound of fresh earth, lay the body of his mother.
Nothing about it had gone the way he thought it would, the way it always seemed to in movies. His mother had requested that a wake would be held the night before and then a simple graveside service; no clergy involved at all. Everything had gone smoothly (he had somehow made it through delivering the eulogy without breaking down completely) and according to her meticulous plans. Except, Daniel thought, what I'm supposed to do now.
In the distance, he could see dark clouds approaching. The dull ache he had been feeling in his knees since arriving at the cemetery was getting rapidly worse. Barometric pressure's dropping..that storm is coming sooner than I thought. Wasn't even in the forecast for today. He sighed and turned, gazing at his mother's simple and elegant grave marker. The wind started picking up as tears blurred his vision. "Farewell, mother," he said softly before putting his hood up and walking slowly to his car. His wife and daughter glanced at him as he entered, then resumed looking somberly out their respective windows as he got in and started it.
He was glad for the relative lack of traffic (though he had to be mindful about the usual deer at dusk wandering about near the road) as he drove back towards his mother's..no, his house until he managed to sell it. He also had the option of turning it into an AirBNB or somesuch, but he was leaning towards the former. He hadn't made all that many visits to this part of the Upper Peninsula the last few years, as his mother usually came down to his house in suburban Chicago for holidays but he had had to stay in his old bedroom the last few weeks after his mother's condition became terminal and she began palliative care. He and his family were planning on leaving in the morning, then he'd come back by himself at some point and take care of anything else that was left to do while his wife handled their practice.
I honestly don't know if I'm going to miss this place he thought as the first truck in several minutes passed him, discarding a cigarette while doing so. The remnants danced on the road, glowing momentarily before fading away. Somehow, he felt at ease either in a relatively isolated small town such as this or in a vast metropolitan area in a sea of millions. He was still mulling over what he should do with the house as he pulled into the driveway, hearing a familiar crunch of gravel under the tires.
The wind was getting stronger and he could imagine the whisper of leaves rustling as he drove toward the house. When he was growing up here, his mother's dogs would always chase any incoming vehicle, due to their herding instinct. There'd also be horses calmly grazing in the field and cats roaming the barn, but they were all gone now. He looked over at a patch of land near the barn where several of them were buried. He also remembered how any impending thunderstorm forced his mother and him to drop anything they were doing and get all the animals to safety. Now, there was nothing to do but head inside.
The car had been silent the whole time back, as both Criosa and Zoe had been completely uninterested in any conversation whatsoever. While his wife could be reticent at times, to hear nothing at all from the usually effervescent Zoe was quite unnerving, especially when she was usually so interested in storms and severe weather. He opened the garage and guided the Rav4 in, glad that the house had an attached one as it was raining quite hard now.
It was completely still and silent as they entered. He was grateful for a distant rumble of thunder as he turned on the lights and sat on the couch. "So...um, do we have anything for dinner?" Zoe said as she headed for the kitchen.
"Leftovers from the wake," said Criosa. "Mac and cheese and some cornbread..make yourself a plate." She sat down next to her husband and pulled her phone out of her purse. "Lots of condolences from everyone, of course," she said evenly as she flicked through her notifications.
"Ah, that's good of them. I'm glad for that," he said softly. He decided to leave his phone in his pocket..the rest of the world and its increasingly chaotic news could wait for at least one evening. As much as he felt like his world had stopped, the rest of humanity was moving inexorably and indifferently forward.
He heard the microwave running and glanced over at the kitchen. Zoe was frowning and tapping at her tablet while perched on a stool. He could hear the rain beating steadily on the roof of the nearby porch, along with more frequent thunderclaps. Well, at least I might sleep more easily tonight, he thought. I need to talk with Jens tomorrow about the estate and anything else we need to do right now before we go. He glanced at his wife; she was writing a group text to her parents and siblings. He looked around the living room at the various pieces of furniture and artwork that had accumulated over the years, wondering what they should take home. We'll have to have an estate sale at some point..but just going through everything is going to take a while..and I'll need some help.
There were so many memories everywhere else he looked..the time he had gotten baking soda over almost everything in the kitchen as a toddler (and when his mother had shown the pictures to Criosa when they were dating)..his mother bandaging him on this couch when he'd accidentally cut himself badly with a scythe as a teen..when his favorite cat had died suddenly and his mother had held him as he sobbed..when he got the letter saying he'd been admitted to the Michigan State College of Veterinary Medicine and they'd celebrated joyously. Through it all..his mother. Her smile, her laugh, her gentle words, her kindness, the unique sound of her keys jingling that let him knew it'd be okay..Mom was there and everything would be fine.
Never again.
Criosa passed him a box of tissue and squeezed his shoulder. He took a tissue, blew his nose, and nodded at her.
"I'll be okay..eventually," he said. He used some more tissues to wipe his eyes. Criosa nodded and returned to looking at her phone. It was just then that Daniel noticed something on the coffee table. It was a dark blue envelope with no other markings on it; it was sitting misaligned on top of a stack of magazines. "Hey Cri," he said, sniffing loudly. "Have you seen that blue envelope there before?"
She looked up and frowned. "No, I hadn't..probably another bill to take care of." There was a bright flash and then the lights dimmed for a split second amid a particularly loud burst of thunder.
"Let's have a look, then," Daniel said, shrugging. Criosa sighed, put her phone down, and reached to her left to pick up the envelope.
"This paper feels very weird..like it's thick and thin at the same time," she said with a puzzled expression. "I can't even tell if there's anything inside." She held it tightly and started trying to rip the top off. "What the..it's not giving at all."
"Zozo, there's some scissors in the drawer next to the stove," Daniel said. "Can you bring them to your mother?"
"What? Oh, sure thing, Dad," said Zoe as she put her tablet down. She got the scissors and presented them handle first to her increasingly frustrated mother.
"Oh, thank you, sweetie," said Criosa. She put her fingers in the handle and brought the scissors to the envelope. "Oh for..it's not cutting at all!"
"What?!" said Zoe. "Mom, they're kind of old, but I'm pretty sure those scissors aren't that dull."
"Here, let me try.." Daniel said, reaching for the envelope. Criosa scowled at him and pulled it away.
"What, you think I can't do this?!" She sighed, quite irritated. "Zo, get me a steak knife." Fortunately for Zoe, her mother didn't notice her rolling her eyes as she went back into the kitchen.
Why now.. thought Daniel, furrowing his brow as he felt his heart rate accelerating. He focused on his breathing as he knew that saying anything at all would likely make things worse. The rain was very heavy now and there wasn't much of a gap between the lightning and the thunder. Criosa had dropped the scissors on the table with a loud clank and was now furiously using the knife Zoe had given her to try to saw the envelope open. "What...is..this...thing...made of?!"
Daniel glanced over and saw that, despite all of her efforts, she hadn't been able to cut the paper at all. What in the world.. he thought. Why would anyone make an envelope that's this hard to open..
"Bah..I give up," said Criosa as she put the knife on the table and disdainfully flicked the envelope with her wrist. To Daniel's surprise, it fluttered right back into its previous position. "Some kind of dumb prank," his wife said with disgust as she picked her phone back up.
Reflexively, Daniel reached out to pick the envelope up and gasped as a previously unseen flap opened at his touch. Neither his wife nor daughter had noticed as they were ensconced in their respective devices. He reached inside with his right hand and found a single piece of paper. When he pulled it out, it appeared to be a standard piece from a printer, vertically folded. He carefully opened it and took a deep breath. "Cri, Zozo..you guys need to see this," he said, his voice trembling slightly. They looked up and stared at him in wonder.
"How..how did you open that?!" said Criosa, looking more annoyed than shocked. "And what's that letter?"
"It's..my mom's handwriting. And it's addressed to all of us." Zoe had put her tablet down and was now sitting on the couch next to him. Criosa moved closer and looked intently at the letter as he held it. The rain had slowed and there was a distant rumbling of thunder, but otherwise, the house was silent. Daniel cleared his throat, his heart pounding as he began to read.
"My dear Daniel, Criosa and Zoe. This is the hardest letter I'll ever write. It was very hard to decide whether I should write it at all, but, in the end, I decided that you needed to know who you really are, Danny. I believe that you'll never be truly complete until you do. I am so proud of all of you, all the things that you have done and that you will do. I know that you are all going through a hard time right now, as you are likely reading this letter very soon after my funeral. Learning the truth will be even harder, but I know you all will make it through." Daniel blinked and paused. What is she talking about..I know who I am, I figured that out a long time ago. he thought. No one knows me better than I know myself.
"Danny, I know you're wondering what I'm talking about and why I'm not just telling you in this letter. First, you wouldn't believe me if I said it, no matter how carefully I phrased it. This is something that you have to see for yourself. If I have any regrets in my life, it is that I never told you the truth when I was alive. I was terrified that you would think that I was completely insane and put me in an institution. I was determined that I would live my last years in peace, dignity, and freedom, even though it meant having to lie to you by omission. I just couldn't see any other way. That was selfish of me, and I am very deeply sorry."
"Oh Mom," Daniel said, pausing as he took a few fresh pieces of tissue. "Nothing to be sorry for.." After wiping his face, he looked over at his family; they looked just as puzzled as he felt. He coughed and continued reading.
"You are all about to go on a great journey, likely an adventure. Your guide will arrive soon. I don't know what form your guide will be in, but you will know them as soon as you see them. Part of what I didn't tell you is that I traveled for an extended period with your guide and saw and did things very few other humans have ever experienced. After you were born, Danny, my adventuring days were over and your guide and I parted ways. Being your mother was the best thing that ever happened to me...I could not have had a better son. I feel terrible that I've deceived you, but now that I am gone, you will know the truth, and it will set you free." Daniel needed some more tissue after reading the last few lines. His wife and daughter silently embraced him as he wept.
"I know this is all happening very quickly, but I need you all to remember the following things: Pay attention to what's going on around you. Listen to each other. Definitely listen to your guide. Follow their instructions to the best of your ability. Be patient, as it will all work out and will all make sense in the end. Love each other. That's the most important part. I hope you can forgive me at some point for how I've wronged you, Danny. This is my way of trying to make things right. I will be with you every step of the way. I love you so very much, more than any words of mine can say. -Mom."
Daniel put the letter down on the table and tried to take deep breaths; he could feel himself starting to hyperventilate. "It'll be ok, Dad," Zoe said, hugging him, though he could tell she was struggling to stay calm as well. "Wait, what's that at the bottom?"
Criosa picked up the letter and read the postscript. "It's not your mother's handwriting," she said perplexedly. "And all it says is `Criosa, this isn't a dumb prank.` Wait, how could anyone else know that?!" Daniel's breathing had slowed down and he glanced at the bottom of the leader. Indeed, it was a strange hand that had written that line. It was precise yet bold, with thick, evenly spaced letters. It was almost the opposite of his mother's loopy, almost dreamlike writing. He shook his head..how could any of this be real? What could have happened to have made his mother so frightened of being branded a lunatic that she had only posthumously hinted at what had happened in her past? She had never talked all that much about how her life had gone before he was born; all he knew was that she was an only child and she'd grown up in this town, gone to college and graduated, then returned and started working on the family farm. Her parents had died before he has born and he had never met any of his other relatives on his mother's side.
While he was pondering this, he heard the grandfather clock by the door begin playing the Westminster Quarters..it was 7:00. His wife had resumed using her phone; he watched as her thumbs moved rapidly on the screen. His daughter was carefully examining the letter and envelope, a quizzical expression on her face.
The clock started sounding the hours. He counted them much as he did when he was a kid and thought about how comforting that was, then and now. No matter what happened to him, time was a constant. When the seventh strike faded away, he suddenly heard a rhythmic whooshing and groaning sound from just outside, each iteration of the sound ending with a solid thump.
Somehow, he felt as if he'd heard it before.
"Hey Dad, what's that?" said Zoe, looking up. "There's..something on the porch," she said, pointing at a large silhouette at the window. Criosa noticed it as well and dropped her phone in shock. The rain had totally stopped and they could clearly hear a door opening and closing, along with a series of brisk footfalls on the wooden boards. Then, there was a series of four rapid knocks on the door, followed by a long pause, and then four more.
"Beethoven's Fifth," Daniel whispered. "The way Mom always knocked." Is this die hand von Schicksal? he thought as he summoned whatever courage he had left and stood up.
"Dan!" Criosa said with a low hiss. "What are you doing?! You have no idea who's out there!"
"It's ok..I think this is the guide Mom mentioned," he said in a low voice. "I'll..get the door." He walked carefully towards it and very tentatively opened it.
Much to his surprise, there was a woman at the door. She had blonde hair in a bob cut and strikingly vivid green eyes. Her outfit was quite outlandish, though; she had mustard-colored suspenders holding up a pair of rather high-waisted teal pants. Her shirt was dark blue with horizontal yellow, green, and red stripes. Over this peculiar display, she wore a light gray overcoat with rainbow trim. Her brown boots looked rather worn but were the only part of her clothing that would likely fit in around these parts. She smiled at him and he couldn't help but smile back..he had seen her somewhere before..but where..and when?
"Hello, Daniel!" she said cheerfully in a crisp Yorkshire accent. "I'm the Doctor!"
"And I'm here to take you to your father."