15
Check Your Pockets
Kevin played his overture on top of her track, and a waveform went across Luna’s arm.
She played her last few notes before she was done. Kevin released his finger.
“That’s music in the future, Luna.” He put his own teeth together as he sought her feedback.
“Brings me back.” They shared a smile.
He tapped the console twice with two fingers, and the pad played a slow mix. Some quick piano, then a male voice came in and sang along with it before the track wiped him out.
The yellow door opened slowly. The girl inside emerged with the glowing cube being juggled around with her fingers. It sat quietly, warmly, illuminating her palm with an amber light.
“Looks like we have a visitor.” Kevin muttered under his breath. The playlist paused for Luna.
“Come inside, Luna. Important.”
“Okay then.” The butler stood up, checked on him and saw him looking back up at her. She nodded, before turning away from him again, and disappeared back inside the yellow room.
Kayla had the film turn on the lights inside the room. The metal cube dimmed its image. She waited until Luna sat still on the side of the mattress before she looked at her and started her voice.
“This thing was in your pocket.” Kayla held the now-blue cube up high. Luna could feel herself tense up, but before she could mutter a single word, her master spoke. “I must have dropped it.”
She chucked it behind her.
“Irene gave it to me. What is this anyway?”
“Luna, I probably shouldn’t be asking this but, I need to know what you saw. You woke up in a cold sweat—“
“Yes, that is what happened.” She held the red plaid fabric as she always had when Kayla looked off. “Please let me know everything. If it’s a secret I won’t tell.”
“Fine.”
“I understand. So, um, what was that again?”
“I just wanted to know.” Kayla’s face sunk. “What did you see? Who did you see? Where are you?”
“I felt like it was eighty years ago again. I think I was at a park, but I’m not sure.” Luna’s eyes met the covers as she tried to strain her brain for answers. “People don’t stick films to their arms. The doors have to be pulled. There were no flying taxis.”
Kayla’s attention was directed at her.
“I saw you, I think. You kept asking me about the, uh, debt.” Luna’s eyes and voice drifted away from her and up into the ceiling before returning. “I saw you bawling like crazy because you can’t say me back—“
Her voice was effectively killed off when she noticed Kayla’s head hung low and her eyes damp.
“What was it?” Luna held her. “Do I have the privilege of knowing?”
“They told me not to tell anyone.” Her voice shook in her throat.
“Who?”
“They took me down in that elevator in the store. Gave me an agreement to sign.”
“Something to do with the cube?”
Kayla nodded. Luna silently gestured her to go on.
“They told me that this cube would let me go through time and space. Only me because of the dumb ‘signature’.” The butler was mildly surprised when she saw Kayla take the other identical glowing cube out of her shirt and cast it lightly on the mattress. “They planned it, the letter, the plane crashing, and the guy knowing my—“
“Who planned it?”
“Dad did it. He made this thing, he did all the—“ Kayla was reduced to tears and the butler mechanically threw arms around her and let her exit reality for a brief moment.
Luna expected a continuation but none came, even when the servant herself would prefer some space for thinking things through herself.
“What did you see?” The butler switched rails for her.
“You badgering me for money… And I paid you…” The fluids rushed down her throat even when she made herself stop.
The butler scrambled to locate the metal clip again. Her hand touched on something cold in the low light, and counted the dollars again.
“Ten, eleven, twelve… thirteen…” Luna was one of the key committee members in service of Kayla’s security. She took a deep breath before she used her voice again. “How much did you pay that Luna?”
“Two hundred to— let her shut up.”
Luna threw herself forward and hugged Kayla tightly. She gave the rich girl a good thirty seconds before daring to speak anything into the girl’s head again.
“But I’m not there?” She pretended to be oblivious to Kayla’s current emotional state so the latter could be left alone. Kayla shook her head.
“I’m in an old apartment. Disgusting, the walls are torn, and ceiling is falling apart—“
“And she called you?”
Kayla nodded and tried to force herself to the screen, but quickly turned away from it.
“I’m just an assistant, so— I figure we’re replacements?” Luna somehow got her attention. “Can we both go? I mean we can— I don’t know, we don’t know them. Their lives. I’m sure you won’t want to be there. Alternate timelines. They would make better homes for Kayla Two, and uh, Luna Two.”
“Have you ever asked her why are you owing her money?”
Kayla shook her head and noticed that Luna clutched onto one of her cubes while it napped in her palm.
“Did it ever seem like it wanted to run from you?”
“Run?” Luna looked at the cube her master is staring at.
“Sean said only me, but you’re holding it just fine.”
They exchanged a glance, and only now she realized that this Luna had no misapplied mascara, no headphones, and no smell. And the hypercube in her hand.
“No… it shook when she handed it to me. But you held it and it never moved again.”
Kayla gathered both cubes in her hand, and set it on the nightstand. Luna placed one hand into her pocket, and pulled the pocket inside out to just the stitching for the fabric.
“I don’t have it now.” The butler whispered to herself.
“What?”
Luna tucked the pocket back in.
“Go to sleep, Kayla. I guess. I probably lost my sanity or something.” She reached for the mug inside the tea maker.
“But it’s real, right? It’s just gone now. There’s no saying it didn’t happen. Tell me it’s real.”