Like it’s a secret. Just between them.
The photographs, of course, hang from the walls, perfectly intact.
XVII
HE HASN’T given up.
He hasn’t.
It’s just that he doesn’t know what to do.
The Wednesday before the Harvest Festival, he takes Sean to the road leading out of Amorea, and Sean’s laughing at his side, saying, “Taking me for a walk, big guy?” Mike’s got a death grip on his hand, and he’s a little angry that this is happening, that he has to keep showing this shit to Sean and have it amount to nothing.
But here they are and maybe this one will stick. Maybe this one will open his eyes and let them stay open.
He says, “Do you trust me?”
Sean says, “Always.”
He says, “I’m going to show you something. Something you won’t understand. But I need you to see the truth.”
Sean grins at him. “You got a secret identity? You a Ruskie? A Red? A spy?”
“No.”
“A vampire, then.”
“No.”
The smile starts to fade. “Hey. It’s okay, Mike. You know you can tell me anything. You know that.”
Mike squeezes his eyes shut and sighs. “I know.”
“Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out, okay? You can tell me anything. You’re my best friend, Mike. My fella. My main man. We can do this together.”
Mike opens his eyes. Sean is watching him, looking concerned. “Your fella, huh?”
“Yes.”
“I like that.”
“I know you do. So do I.”
They start walking down the road again.
It takes only a few minutes before the pressure hits them, and everything around them distorts and bleeds together. There’s a roaring in his ears but he can still hear Sean saying, “Oh my god, what is this, oh my god, Mike, Mike,” and then it’s over. They’re through and facing Amorea from the opposite side of town from where they stood just seconds before.
Sean’s pale when he says, “What… what is…?” He takes a stuttering step forward. He inhales sharply. “Mike. It’s—”
“I know,” Mike says. “It’s… an island. Or… I don’t know. There’s nothing. Outside.”
Sean turns to look at him, eyes wide and frightened. Mike hates that he’s scared him. “Out… side?”
“Of Amorea. Sean, there has to be an outside of Amorea. There has to be the whole world.”
Sean laughs, but there’s no amusement in his voice. “I don’t understand.”
“I know,” Mike says. “And that’s okay.” Because he’s starting to get a little hopeful, maybe more than he should, but it’s there. Maybe this is all it takes. “We’ll figure it out. There has to be something we can—”