27th Cylus Arc 722
In the darkness of the basement a girl wrung her hands and cast a hopeful gaze between the two figures. Hyde stroked his stubbled jaw slowly as the woman wept her story onto his floor. The young girl, for she could not have been older than eleven or twelve, was tearfully relaying the disappearance of her brother. Her older brother was a quiet and introverted young sailor whose job took him to sea for long stretches of time. He had been sailing with their father since he was old enough to throw a bowline, and shared with his sisters fond memories of the fog banked shores, hundred shades of grey, and the sound of silence. He had missed his father when he left and looked forward to joining the ranks of the professional fisherman. Watching his father’s easy comradery with the men he spent seasons at sea with, the lonely boy fantasized about the community he would enter when he reached manhood. Twelve had come and gone with tremendous excitement. The boy had waved to his two sisters and mother at the docks with generous arm wagging. At the time, Dolores, the girl before them, had joked with her family how much he had looked like Cami, the family dog, spotting a seagull on a beach walk. Dolores almost smiled as she recalled the story.
“But when he returned…I thought he would have a million stories of the million shades of grey. I thought he would tell his funny stories about all the types of fish they’d caught. He used to pucker his lips like this,” she demonstrated, sucking her cheeks in and puckering her lips while trying to make her eyes as large as possible. “But instead, Pa seemed so angry, and he was so silent…” She paused to sniffle and dab at her eyes with the handkerchief Hyde had provided. “It’s a heavy lift, with a gift so humbling. Always left Ma and the family fumbling…grappling with poetry they couldn’t understand. Do you understand?”
Hyde shook his head.
“Each trip Bruno came back greyer and greyer. I think…I think they were bullying him. He’s a sensitive sort ya’know? He likes poetry and he speaks softly. I always associate him with the sound of falling sand. The fisherman though are loud, boisterous, perverted, and well…I don’t think the work was at all like the idyllic and quiet trips he took with Pa as a kid. The most recent trip he came back full of colour! He went out drinking with the grey like Pa did, and he seemed so much happier. Luisa, our sister, was relieved and said everything would be fine now. But something still seemed wrong. Pa was still angry with him, and I heard him and Ma yellin’ at him in the street once. I peeked and Pa even shoved him. The next morning he was gone. Ma and Pa said he had gone to work. But…” She looked intently at Hyde this time, lifting her eyes from the flagstones.
“…I know he isn’t at work. He would never leave without saying goodbye. Even if he left in the middle of the night – he always left Luisa and me a goodbye note. It’s dangerous work…fishing is….He knew every time he left he might not come back. Luisa is acting like everything is fine and it’s JUST NOT! She thinks he’s just outgrown leaving his little sisters notes but….he wouldn’t. It’s like we Don’t talk about Bruno anymore. Mom just says, “No, no, no.” when I ask where he is.” She looked at Wisp for the first time out of the corner of her eye but acknowledged her no further.
“Can you find Bruno?” She whispered, and let a few nel clink onto the table.
“Yes. Yes we can lil’ one.” Hyde replied, without hesitation. He used to be one of the sailors she spoke of and he had known a few lads in his time who had been more lyrical and soft than Almund would allow. Having been in the crew, Hyde had more than a few ideas what the boy had gotten himself into. But, this was also the perfect first job for his new contract hire. She was a mother and the job wasn’t really all that dangerous if it was no more than what it seemed.
“Looks like you got your first job.” He looked to Wisp, pocketing the nel. “Good luck!” Wisp watched his lumbering back disappear into the shops shadows and turned back to the girl. The two eyed each other uneasily.
“S-so this is your first job?” The girl murmured unhappily. Wisp sighed.
Little did either of them know. Luisa wasn’t as satisfied with their parent’s explanation as Dolores thought. As the elder sister, Luisa hadn’t wanted to worry her little sister. But, in another part of Almund the elder sister was pursuing her own solution.