The Visitors (12 page)

“Thirty-five. I am the youngest of all of the gift-holders,” she said proudly.

“What about Noah? How old would he be?” I asked in fascination.

She smiled. “Noah would be one hundred and seventy-two. He is one of the oldest of the gifted members.”

I frowned. “You mean I'm in love with a one hundred and seventy-two-year-old man?” I shrieked.

She laughed out loud. “It doesn't work that way. He's still a seventeen-year-old in mind and body; he's just much smarter and more experienced than your typical teenager.”

Side by side we walked out of the woods and back toward the visitors' chamber. The community was striking under the dim light from the stars above. Flowers glimmered with radiance all around us. When we got close to the chamber, I turned to Lucy. “Thank you for everything. I know you didn't have to talk to me, and I appreciate it. You jeopardized your own safety, and I'll never forget you for it.”

She smiled. “I know I don't know you very well, but I know how important you are to Noah. I would never want anything bad to happen to him, or the person he loves.”

I knew I caught her off-guard when I pulled her into a hug. Hugs were one of those forms of affection that they did not practice in their society, but I didn't care. It was an instinct. Although she was stiff and obviously uncomfortable, she allowed me to hug her without pulling away. When I released her, she nodded to me before she turned and walked away.

I focused all my attention on slipping back in the door without waking anyone. In my concentrated state, I almost didn't notice the shadow move beside me as I put my hand on the door. Frozen in fear, I imagined who it could be. My mind pictured Sir Andrew standing there, waiting to attack me because of my newfound knowledge.

I turned slowly to face the shadow, and to my horror, it was even worse than Sir Andrew. I found myself looking directly into the pained eyes of Luke, who must have heard every word of the conversation that had just taken place outside the visitors' chamber. We stood motionless, staring at each other until he finally spoke. “Noah's in
love
with you?” he asked in horror.

My time was spent just going through the motions. Just as I had done every day for as long as I could remember, I followed the daily routine. I went to work, I ate my meals in the dining hall with Sir Andrew and the humans, just the way he wanted me to, and I went to bed, ready to repeat it all the next day. On the outside, I was the same Noah that the community had always known.

But on the inside, I was empty. I felt lifeless. The only time I felt anything at all was when I saw Jady, and the only thing I felt then was the sting of knowing I couldn't be with her. And even though it hurt and it made me miserable, I was relieved to see her. At least then I could feel
something
. The little things that used to bring me joy no longer fazed me. All the satisfaction I used to feel because of my job and the gift that I could bring to our society no longer mattered. Each day, I sank deeper into a depression – something no one else in our society had ever even remotely felt before.

Lucy tried everything to cheer me up. While she never acknowledged the difference in my behavior aloud, I knew she could see it. Her worry was obvious. I could tell from the waves of concern that surrounded her every time she talked to me. She wanted me to snap out of it so that she could stop fretting over me.

I didn't get to see the humans as much with each passing day. They were spending their time in different areas and didn't come to the training facility anymore. Three times a day, I saw them briefly during meals, and even then, none of them tried to talk to me. Jady did not even sneak glances my way anymore. Luke was the only one who ever looked at me, but it was never pleasant. Pure hatred oozed from his body every time we made eye contact. Jady was the only one who could make his anger subside, and even when she talked to him or touched him, it never disappeared completely. It only faded a little until the next time he saw me.

Lucy was the only one who seemed to notice the change in me, and that was how I wanted it. I didn't need Sir Andrew's questions; I wasn't sure how to even begin to explain it. My “normal” act was convincing, and I had everyone fooled. Faking my interest in the day-to-day occurrences, I smiled when appropriate and even managed to ask a question or two when necessary. As far as the society as concerned, I was the same Noah I had always been.

It had been three days since Jady and I had even spoken. The fact that the last words I had said to her had been a complete lie plagued my mind with each passing minute. Although she had seemed skeptical at first, she now seemed to accept it. Whenever I tried to read her emotions, I got nothing. When I focused on her, there was no sign of the distress that I couldn't seem to shake from myself.

As we sat in dinner, in the same manner that we had for the last several days, I happened to overhear Luke's father as he talked to Sir Andrew. “Sir Andrew, we are eternally grateful for everything you've shown us here. We will leave here indebted to you for your generosity.”

Sir Andrew's response was muffled. I wasn't completely tuned in, my thoughts distracting me from any conversation, until I heard Luke's dad say, “We would greatly appreciate that as well. It's hard to believe we will be leaving in just three days.”

My heart came to a dead stop. Three days! Out of reflex, I looked at Jady, who stared down at her plate. There was a hint of anxiety that surrounded her, but it was quickly overpowered by the rage that engulfed Luke when he saw me look at her. Avoiding his eye contact, I looked away, reprimanding myself for looking in her direction. While I had always gotten a vibe of dislike from him, it had grown much more aggressive over the last few days. I wasn't sure what had caused it, but I didn't want to push it any further.

As I lay awake in bed later that night, a stabbing pain filled my stomach. Three days. I should have been thrilled, relieved that I would no longer have to see her. Lucy had told me that with time and distance, my pain would heal. My feelings for her would slowly be forgotten, and it would someday be a distant memory. The problem was, I didn't know if that would ever happen. And above all, I didn't know if I
wanted
that to happen.

That's when the realization really set in: I couldn't let things end this way. I knew we could never stay together – that was impossible. But I couldn't let her leave in three days, thinking that what we had was only a mistake. She needed to know how I really felt about her. I no longer cared about the danger that could bring for me, because I didn't see the point in living a long life that didn't include her somehow.

It wouldn't be easy, but I knew what I had to do. Getting out of bed, I started thinking of a plan while I changed back into my daily coverings. It was late and I knew no one would be awake as I made my way out onto the path to the visitors' chamber. I wasn't sure how I was going to get her to see me – she was surely in bed, sound asleep. If anyone caught me there, I would have some major explaining to do. But I didn't care. I would figure all that out on the walk over there – I just had to see her.

The walk was way too short. Soon the visitors' chamber was in plain view, and I still had no grand idea for somehow getting Jady outside without waking anyone else. As I approached the chamber, I could see the outline of a body sitting against the side of the building. I couldn't tell who it was, but I could see that the person was hunched over, face in hands. Immediately I stopped and ducked behind a tree, trying to figure out who the person was and how I could sneak inside to find Jady without letting the person see or hear me.

That's when fate smiled at me. The face that rested in those hands lifted, and I saw Jady's beautiful eyes look up toward the sky as she rested her chin on her fist. She was alone, outside, away from everyone else. This was the perfect opportunity.

I approached her slowly, tucking my hands in my pockets. “Jady,” I called softly as I grew closer to her. “It's me, Noah.”

She stared at me with wide, shocked eyes. “Noah, what are you doing out here? Why are you up? It's the middle of the night!”

“I came to see you,” I told her honestly. “I
needed
to see you.”

She got up and walked toward me as tears spilled over onto her cheeks. “You shouldn't be here,” she said firmly. “It's not safe.”

“So let's go,” I pleaded. “Let's go back to the waterfall. I just have some things I need to get off my chest. There are some things you need to know before you leave.”

She hesitated for so long that I thought she was going to send me away. I waited for her to tell me I was too late, that she didn't care what I had to say. But to my surprise and relief, she nodded one time. “Okay,” she whispered.

We walked swiftly and silently all the way to the waterfall. I stayed slightly ahead of her, pushing the branches out of the way so that she could see where she was going. When we reached the final group of branches that stood between us and the waterfall, she paused, holding the branches back so that she could take in the view. Her smile lit up her whole face as she stared in awe at the beauty in front of us. “I will miss this place,” she said sadly.

Finally, she stepped through the branches and sat down on one of the big rocks that faced the waterfall. She didn't look at me as she pulled her knees up to her chest and leaned her chin on them, playing with the shoelaces on her tennis shoes. Waves of uncertainty surrounded her. I knew she was unsure of why I had brought her there, and she seemed guarded.

Taking a seat on a rock directly across from her, I thought about how to phrase my words. I had spent so much time thinking about how to get her alone that I hadn't even thought about what I should say to her once I had her. She waited patiently for me to speak as she continued to tie and re-tie her shoes.

Finally, I took a deep breath, and decided to just let the truth come out. “Jady, I can't stand this. I'm miserable, knowing that you're here but that I can't talk to you or even look at you anymore. This isn't working. There's just so much that you need to know, but before I tell you anything, I need you to know that I lied to you. When I told you I didn't feel anything for you, I lied.”

“I know,” she whispered.

I breathed a sigh of relief. “You do?”

“Yes,” she replied. She tilted her head as she finally looked up into my eyes. “Didn't Lucy tell you that we talked?”

I blinked several times. “You talked to Lucy?”

“I can't believe she didn't tell you,” she said, more to herself than to me. “Yes, we talked. She told me everything. Just when I was about to confront Sir Andrew, she stopped me. She came and met me a few nights ago and took me out into the woods, where she explained it all. I know about your chip. I know about your real age. I know everything.”

“
Lucy
told you all of that?” I yelled. “After she told me I couldn't tell you?”

“Well, she did it for my safety. For both of us, really. If I would have confronted Sir Andrew, I would have gotten us both in trouble. She read my mind and knew what I was about to do, so she took matters into her own hands. And I understand why you blew me off. I would never want you to be in danger. Like she said, it's not worth it. I'm leaving soon anyway.” She shrugged when she finished talking, looking back down at the ground.

I got off the rock I was sitting on and walked over to her. Putting my hand under her chin, I lifted her face so that I could see her eyes. “Jady, do you really believe that? That it's not worth it?”

She gulped as she blinked back tears. “Noah, I can't be responsible for putting you in danger.”

“
You
are not responsible for
my
actions, Jady. I don't care about the danger; I care about you. There was no way I could let you leave here in three days without knowing that.” Putting both hands on her face, I pulled it close to mine. “I love you, Jady.”

As the truth came out of my mouth, Jady pulled her face away from mine. The tears rolled down her cheeks as she put her head down on her knees. “This is reckless, Noah. It doesn't matter how I feel about you; we cannot be together. You are an important part of this society. Don't let me mess that up for you.”

As I planted my feet in front of her, I pushed my hands back into my pockets. “Jady, let me explain something. For years now, I have lived in this society, believing that I was happy. I was contributing to a greater cause, and I was blessed with the highest honor a member of society could possibly be given. I have the ability to live on indefinitely, continuing this lifestyle and repeating the same customs and habits every day. But in the short time you've been here, you've shaken up my world. You've opened my eyes to a whole new life – one that I never knew existed. How can I go back to my old ways, knowing that you exist and that I didn't even try to be with you? This honor I've been given means nothing if I have to spend a lifetime without you.”

Jady gave me a half-smile as she stood up to face me. I waited for her to speak as I wiped the tears from her cheeks. She opened her mouth twice as if she was about to speak, but then shut it again. Finally, she shook her head and sighed as she pushed her body close to mine. Looking up into my eyes, she leaned in until her lips met mine. It was a gentle kiss at first, but soon grew deeper and more intense as she wrapped her arms around my neck. This kiss was different than the others. It wasn't just about the passion and physical connection we shared. There was so much emotion behind it. My heart raced as I put my hands into her hair, tilting her head as the kiss continued. Our knees gave out as we fell to the ground, still embraced in the kiss. Though my back was pressed against the jagged rocks, I barely noticed the pain. Her hair fell all around my face as she pushed her weight against me.

Unexpectedly, she pulled away, gasping for air. She rolled gracefully off of me and sat up, pulling her messy hair back out of her face. I sat up to face her. “What's wrong?” I asked in alarm.

“Things were getting too…we can't let things get out of hand,” she said as she continued to try to catch her breath. “We've got a lot to figure out here.”

“Yeah, we do,” I agreed.

She smiled at me. “Well, what do we do from here?”

I bit my lip. “I have a plan that's been rolling around in my head tonight. I have no idea if it even stands a chance of being successful, but it's all I've got right now.”

“What is it?” she asked as she sat up on her knees, staring at me with those big brown eyes.

“I could go to Sir Andrew and the other leaders, and ask permission to leave. I could come to Earth and be with you there.”

She threw her head back and laughed, but then realized I wasn't laughing with her. “You're serious about this.”

I nodded. “It's the only chance I have. As I told you, I don't want to continue my life here if you're not in it. But it's more than that. I want to experience your lifestyle. I want to see what it's like to be part of a family. When I watch the special bond you have with your dad, I think that we're missing out on something here. I want to leave.”

Her eyebrows went up. “They'll never let you leave.”

“We don't know that. As far as I know, no one has ever requested to leave. I have never given any of the leaders any reason to question my loyalty to our society. All of my years have been spent in devoted service and I have done everything they have ever asked of me. Hundreds of society members have been trained for their professions, all by me. Throughout my entire life, I have been a model member of our community.”

Jady squinted as she stared at me. “Which is exactly why they'll never let you leave! You're too important here, Noah.”

“There's one way to know for sure. I have to ask,” I told her. “My mind is made up.”

“Well, I think it's insane,” she said firmly. “It's way too risky. Don't get me wrong; I would love nothing more than for you to come back with me. But we have no idea how Sir Andrew and your other leaders would react to your request. I would rather never see you again if it meant you were safe. The thought of something happening to you...” She shuddered, looking away.