Once Mr. Linscott left in the van, they proceeded to walk forward, sharing an uneasy silence.
"So, what's the game plan?" Dane asked, breaking the silence after a few minutes. Jack hadn't known him for long, but he got the feeling Dane was a talker.
"We pretend we belong," Sky responded, their brow furrowed as if deep in thought. "But why would the whole town view us as one of them?"
"Concordant fuckery," Elliot replied in annoyance. "The Ministry's already shown they won't hesitate to manipulate minds. Hell, they did it to me in a heartbeat."
"But to affect an entire town?" Dane said. "Who does the ministry employ that could do such a thing?"
"It may not be the ministry," Isolde interjected. "It could be a side effect of whatever is impacting the town."
"That's possible," Dane conceded.
They fell into silence once again. Jack was very aware of the fact that they still lacked a plan. After a few more minutes of walking, they saw buildings start to pop up in the distance. As they got closer, Jack noticed they were just standard suburban homes.
The houses all looked identical, a picture of idyllic Yudror. They began walking on the sidewalk, hoping to get closer to the center of the town.
Jack was unsure of what to look for. Everything seemed relatively normal, with the occasional family walking by. Cars drove past them to get further into the town. Everyone seemed to be very friendly.
"Hello! How do you do?" a gentleman walked up to them. He looked quite sharp, wearing a neatly pressed suit and gelled hair.
"We're doing wonderful, thank you for asking." Isolde smiled. "It's good to be back home. How have you been?"
"I've been doing wonderful!" the gentleman said, smiling broadly. "It's very nice to see you all back. Especially you, Elliot! My son's been asking for you. He misses that peanut brittle you'd sneak him whenever you delivered a package."
"Uh, yeah, the peanut brittle." Elliot responded, a little confused. "I didn't think you noticed."
"Oh, I notice everything," the gentleman winked at him good-naturedly. "But who am I to deny him a sweet treat every now and then?"
"And Dane!" the gentleman continued. "It's good to see you've stopped getting into trouble. The town was getting a little worried for a moment."
Dane looked a little sheepish. "Yeah, I'm trying to straighten out. Don't worry, Mr. Danvers."
That's odd, Jack thought. He couldn't remember having gone through any introductions.
"Come! Come!" the gentleman said. "You must be tired after your trip. A good home-cooked meal will perk you right up!"
"I'm sorry, sir." Jack said cautiously. "But we've got something we need to do first."
"Bah! You and Sky are always so serious!" Mr. Danvers smiled at them. "I promise it will be quick."
Sky and Jack looked at each other in confusion. Why were they singled out?
"We'd love to, Walt." Isolde said graciously. Since when did he say his first name?
"Then follow me!" Mr. Danvers lead them to his house across the street.
Everyone but Jack and Sky eagerly followed. Sky seemed very hesitant to go, while Jack had something screaming to him that this was wrong.
"Should we stop them?" Sky asked him, worried.
"Why should we stop them?" Jack asked, then he blinked hard. For a moment, Mr. Danver looked different. His hair was disheveled, his eye bloodshot. A smear of red across his cheek.
"Mr. Danvers is nothing if not trustworthy."
For some reason, Sky didn't seem reassured by this. Mr. Danvers was right; they were far too serious. If Jack could relax, why couldn't they?
They entered the house and walked over to the dining room. There was a large spread ready. Turkey, stuffing, corn, green beans, slaw, and more. It was truly an impressive feast.
"Let me get Eddie to come in. He'd out back playing." Mr. Danvers went out back for a few moments before popping his head back in. "He just needs to wash up first, then he'll join us."
"It's no problem." Isolde said. "My kid was like that, always playing outside."
"He certainly loves the outdoors! The neighbors always talk about how happy he looks when he's wandering around!"
Jack was distracted from the conversation by the smell of food. How long had it been since he'd eaten? He'd been so busy on their vacation that he'd subsided on one or two meals a day.
He dug into the turkey, delighting in its juicy flavor. Mr. Danvers certainly knew how to cook.
While he was eating, Eddie must have finished cleaning up and sat down. It looked like Elliot was sneaking him pieces of peanut brittle. Isolde was watching Eddie fondly.
He couldn't find Annie, which was strange. Where could she have gone? She must have gone to wash first. Annie had always been concerned with cleanliness, even when she was younger. He remembered that one time when Annie had started crying after Dane threw mud at her when they were kids. Jack had to stop Elliot from beating Dane into a bloody mess. Who would have thought they'd later become such good friends?
Sky didn't seem to partaking in the meal. They must not have been terribly hungry. They'd always had a small appetite.
"You should visit more often, Eddie." Mr. Danvers told him. "Eddie always said he thought of you as an older brother."
Elliot teared up slightly. "He does remind of my younger brother, sir."
"It's a shame what happened to your family. Dreadful business." Mr. Danvers said. "I'm not sure what I'd do if I lost Eddie."
"That would be terrible to all of us, sir." Annie said. "He's viewed as a staple of the town."
When did Annie get back? She must be remarkably stealthy.
They continued eating dinner until there was nothing left. The turkey had been picked to its bones, and all the bowls lacked even a crumb.
"That was wonderful," Mr. Danvers said, patting his stomach. "Though the guest are what made our meal truly enjoyable, wouldn't you agree Eddie?"
Eddie said nothing, but Jack got the impression he was the happiest he'd been in weeks.
Mr. Danver stood up and clasped his hands together. "I suppose its time I bring you home!"
Where's their home? Jack couldn't remember. His memory felt fuzzy, like static interfering with a radio.
"Thank you, but we can find our own way back," Isolde told him politely.
"Nonsense, I insist!" Mr. Danvers declared. "I must ensure you all get home safe!"
"Don't worry Eddie, we'll be back soon." Elliot calmed Eddie down. It seems like Eddie really didn't want them to go.
"Yeah," Annie backed Elliot up. "We wouldn't abandon you."
Jack and the others said their own words of encouragement, not wanting to hurt Eddie's feelings. Sky didn't say anything, they just watched with a confused expression.
Mr. Danvers led them out of the house. The sun was just starting to dip beyond the horizon. They'd spent more time there than Jack had anticipated. He was looking forward to getting home.
Mr. Danvers stopped after only a block, gesturing at the house in front of them. "Well, Isolde. It seems this is temporary goodbye."
"I suppose it is," Isolde told him. "I need to make sure Albert is in bed. Don't want him to be tired in the morning."
Mr. Danvers laughed. "Of course. If you two have time, I'd love for the boys to play together tomorrow."
"I'm looking forward to it," she smiled at him before walking into her home.
"Now, Elliot," Mr. Danvers looked over to him. "Say hello to your family for me. I heard they just got back from their own trip."
"They did?" Elliot's eyes widened, as if he had an epiphany. "Of course they did! I don't know why I wasn't expecting them."
"Well, there was that house fire not too long ago. You barely made it in time to drag them all out!" Mr. Danvers told him cheerfully. "You're a hero boy. If you hadn't made it in time, they would've died!"
Elliot now had tears streaming down his faced. "They're alive. I made it in time."
As they were speaking, a couple and their young son came out of the house next to Isolde's. They cheerfully waved over at them.
"Elliot!" the man called out. "Come inside, we've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow!"
"Yes, Dad!" Elliot called out, jogging towards them. He waved over his shoulder at the rest of them.
Something felt very off. He could have sworn Elliot's family looked different. Was exhaustion getting the best of him?
Sky looked even more baffled. They opened their mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out. Jack supposed whatever they were going to say wasn't too important.
"Now, I know the rest of you moved away from your parents! Your all adults, ready to face the world!" Mr. Danvers chuckled. "It was a smart move to share a house between the four of you. It really must cut down on cost."
That's right, Jack remembered. Dane, Sky, Annie, and him had decided to move in together after graduating. It had been a few years since, but none of them were ready to move out.
It had been a few years since they graduated.. right? Or had they just met earlier that day?
No, that didn't make sense. Of course they'd lived here forever.
Sky lagged behind, looking as if they wanted to argue with Mr. Danvers. They'd always been a little combative with others, slow to trust and quick to lie. They were a good person at heart, but you couldn't trust anything they had to say.
"What's keeping you?" Jack asked Sky, urging them to come along.
They opened their mouth, but nothing came out. They lunged as if trying to grab Jack, but stopped just before they could.
Sky just looked at him as if they were looking through a window, watching a man drown just out of their reach.
Mr. Danvers led them to their home. It wasn't very well-furnished, but Jack supposed it was fine. It wasn't like they spent much time there anyway.
They headed to their respective rooms. Jack lived on the second floor, with a window facing the street. His room only had a desk, typewriter, wardrobe, and a radio.
He got ready for bed, lying down and closing his eyes. It had been a good day, full of interactions with good people. Living here was the best decision he'd ever made.
As he was drifting into sleep, a voice broke through the radio.
"If you're hearing this, it's started. Good luck, Jack Halden."
If Jack had been more aware, he'd have recognized the voice. It was Arthur Linscott, sounding more sympathetic than he'd ever been before.
But Jack wasn't aware. He was sound asleep, eager for the sun to rise tomorrow.