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Knight
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When it came, it came out of the blue. Nathalie had never thought that she would see the day when the town's planetarium closed its doors for good. Her home away from home, the inspiration for her art, gone in the span of 24 hours. She had walked along the sidewalk, mind lost in thought of galaxies and nebulae far beyond the Milky Way traveling the familiar route without a care only to find the unexpected at the end of her journey.
Dear Patrons,
The Heronville Planetarium will no longer be opening its doors. We're sorry for any inconvenience caused by this, however due to extenuating circumstances we are no longer accepting patrons.
Thank you,
The Heronville Planetarium Staff
The note didn't sound like William's writing. It sounded all wrong, too vague and incredibly formal for someone who had once told her "You look like a nerd. I don't think you'll cause any trouble if I go take a nap will you? Cat's in charge." And promptly went to a back room, leaving the actual cat "in charge". There had never been a sweeter beast she was sure, the cute grey feline sitting in the sun following her around diligently -almost as if it were aware of being in charge. So this note, the padlock chaining the door shut, and the papered windows must be some kind of joke. It had to be. William would never shut the place down, would fight to his dying breath to keep these battered doors open.
She fought the wave of terror back, the reality of the situation, not quite ready to face it yet. She circled around to the back, hoping against hope that the back door would be unlocked and William would be waiting for her like normal. She had come to this place so often he stopped charging her an entry fee, surely if he was in danger of closing down he would have given her some notice. Something. After three years she wanted some type of answers, any type of closureto fill the gaping hole beginning in her chest. Her prayers were unanswered, the back being just as locked as the front.
"Goddamnit!" She couldn't help the scream that bubbled up her throat. It was better than crying for right now.
"Where did you go Will?" She asked softly, knees beginning to buckle. It was sinking in, with the slow inexorable press of truth one would rather not accept. Hot tears ran down her face as the teenager was slowly forced to acknowledge that Will, Sweetpea and the planetarium were no longer going to be there for her at the end of the day, or on long weekends when she wanted to escape to the clouds. She was grounded, both metaphorically and literally -this was the only place she went, William the only person she counted as a friend in this town. For him to up and leave her without even a word, a hint that he was going to close the place -it was inconceivable. Nothing could have prepared her for the collapse of the small support system she had finally been able to eke out. However a little warning before the rug was suddenly yanked from underneath her would have been nice. She thought a little consideration was perhaps implied from the relationship she saw. Perhaps William had only been tolerant of her because she was one of few visitors he received. Maybe she had never mattered to him at all.
Perhaps the hardest thing about being old was the sudden way things came on. No warning, no signs and then boom. You were sitting in a hospital unable to move while a nurse took your blood pressure and fluffed pillows you couldn't tell her were already too high. No voice to complain, or ask for news with. He wanted to ask where he was, where his cat was, how he'd gotten here. Who would watch his planetarium while he was here? A pinch in his arm broke his train of thought, looking over at the sour faced orderly who was taking out his IV.
"Time to go for a short ride." He told the older man, face inexpressive as a doorstop.
A ride? He refused to spend the last days of his life in a nursing home. The shuffling, geriatric zombies were not something he wanted to interact with or become. But what other option was there in a home that only cared you took your medicine and didn't die on them? And only to rob your relatives blind for "good care" in the "twilight of your life".
But he was wheeled through the corridors without any ability to protest, words dying before they reached his mouth, lives cut short somewhere between his throat and tongue. Was there drool coating his chin? What had happened to him? Nothing felt right, from the too bright lights to the absolute inability to do anything but think. And barely that. Flickers of movement on his sides kept sending his thoughts tumbling as he tried to figure out where he was going. They passed through several doors, swinging open like magic before the gurney.
"He's all yours Doc."
This couldn't be right. William recognized this smell, buried deep in his brain from previous days in school and more recently...
"I'm not dead!" He yelled, finally able to sit up. But as he whirled around, mind unable to process the conversation the orderly and coroner were having, he realized that the body below him was not moving. When had he begun to float? He was slowly ascending, able to see his body one last time as he desperately tried to swim back into it. But he was tugged higher and higher, only able to wonder if Nathalie would understand. She needed the planetarium as he needed her to keep him going day to day. She was going to be a wonderful young woman some day if she was able to step outside her shell a little more and leave this place. He hoped she knew that.
Dear Patrons,
The Heronville Planetarium will no longer be opening its doors. We're sorry for any inconvenience caused by this, however due to extenuating circumstances we are no longer accepting patrons.
Thank you,
The Heronville Planetarium Staff
The note didn't sound like William's writing. It sounded all wrong, too vague and incredibly formal for someone who had once told her "You look like a nerd. I don't think you'll cause any trouble if I go take a nap will you? Cat's in charge." And promptly went to a back room, leaving the actual cat "in charge". There had never been a sweeter beast she was sure, the cute grey feline sitting in the sun following her around diligently -almost as if it were aware of being in charge. So this note, the padlock chaining the door shut, and the papered windows must be some kind of joke. It had to be. William would never shut the place down, would fight to his dying breath to keep these battered doors open.
She fought the wave of terror back, the reality of the situation, not quite ready to face it yet. She circled around to the back, hoping against hope that the back door would be unlocked and William would be waiting for her like normal. She had come to this place so often he stopped charging her an entry fee, surely if he was in danger of closing down he would have given her some notice. Something. After three years she wanted some type of answers, any type of closureto fill the gaping hole beginning in her chest. Her prayers were unanswered, the back being just as locked as the front.
"Goddamnit!" She couldn't help the scream that bubbled up her throat. It was better than crying for right now.
"Where did you go Will?" She asked softly, knees beginning to buckle. It was sinking in, with the slow inexorable press of truth one would rather not accept. Hot tears ran down her face as the teenager was slowly forced to acknowledge that Will, Sweetpea and the planetarium were no longer going to be there for her at the end of the day, or on long weekends when she wanted to escape to the clouds. She was grounded, both metaphorically and literally -this was the only place she went, William the only person she counted as a friend in this town. For him to up and leave her without even a word, a hint that he was going to close the place -it was inconceivable. Nothing could have prepared her for the collapse of the small support system she had finally been able to eke out. However a little warning before the rug was suddenly yanked from underneath her would have been nice. She thought a little consideration was perhaps implied from the relationship she saw. Perhaps William had only been tolerant of her because she was one of few visitors he received. Maybe she had never mattered to him at all.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Perhaps the hardest thing about being old was the sudden way things came on. No warning, no signs and then boom. You were sitting in a hospital unable to move while a nurse took your blood pressure and fluffed pillows you couldn't tell her were already too high. No voice to complain, or ask for news with. He wanted to ask where he was, where his cat was, how he'd gotten here. Who would watch his planetarium while he was here? A pinch in his arm broke his train of thought, looking over at the sour faced orderly who was taking out his IV.
"Time to go for a short ride." He told the older man, face inexpressive as a doorstop.
A ride? He refused to spend the last days of his life in a nursing home. The shuffling, geriatric zombies were not something he wanted to interact with or become. But what other option was there in a home that only cared you took your medicine and didn't die on them? And only to rob your relatives blind for "good care" in the "twilight of your life".
But he was wheeled through the corridors without any ability to protest, words dying before they reached his mouth, lives cut short somewhere between his throat and tongue. Was there drool coating his chin? What had happened to him? Nothing felt right, from the too bright lights to the absolute inability to do anything but think. And barely that. Flickers of movement on his sides kept sending his thoughts tumbling as he tried to figure out where he was going. They passed through several doors, swinging open like magic before the gurney.
"He's all yours Doc."
This couldn't be right. William recognized this smell, buried deep in his brain from previous days in school and more recently...
"I'm not dead!" He yelled, finally able to sit up. But as he whirled around, mind unable to process the conversation the orderly and coroner were having, he realized that the body below him was not moving. When had he begun to float? He was slowly ascending, able to see his body one last time as he desperately tried to swim back into it. But he was tugged higher and higher, only able to wonder if Nathalie would understand. She needed the planetarium as he needed her to keep him going day to day. She was going to be a wonderful young woman some day if she was able to step outside her shell a little more and leave this place. He hoped she knew that.