In Jam

“Why is it that the lights are always red?”

And when they finally turn green, traffic freezes and we don’t move at all.

“Move already! You’ve got a few feet in front of you. I’m going to be late again.”

Not that those few feet matter. I should’ve left earlier. But I still had to get my ship designs together. I glance at the back seat.

“Pff. I didn’t forget it at home.”

“No, I’m not crazy. If there were someone in the car, I’d be talking to them.”

“Go, go, go! We can still make it through.”

Okay… and now we’re stopped again. Just a little closer. Always a little closer. Small steps, but we’re moving. Optimism first. I’ll make up time on the main road.

I actually like my job. I just wish I didn’t have to commute. Or that it was closer.

Alright, fine. A shipyard does belong by the water. But I could’ve drawn houses, too.

Eh. Houses are boring. They just stand there. A ship is different. It’s not enough for it to look good. It has to glide. And it definitely won’t get stuck in traffic.

“Come on, come on. Just two miles to the highway… and an eternity.”

I should trade places with Theo. I think the village is closer. Sure, it’s so top secret it doesn’t even have a name. Or maybe he’s just not allowed to tell me.

What kind of security guard moves to a nameless village, anyway?

“Damn it. I’m supposed to be there in ten minutes.”

I press the button on the steering wheel.

“Call: work.”

After a few rings, the shift supervisor’s low, gravelly voice answers. “Hello.”

Of course he’s already there. He lives closer. Maybe he lives in that village? He doesn’t have to fight his way through the whole city.

“Hello, good morning. This is Mario. I’m afraid I won’t make it by eight. I’m trying, but the whole city’s at a standstill.”

“I see.” The brief sigh doesn’t quite make it through the phone. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to inform Mr B.”

Shit.

“That won’t be necessary. I’ll be there in minutes. I’m already on the highway.”

Well. Almost.

“Then focus on driving,” he says, and hangs up.

“Damn it!” I slam my hand against the steering wheel. “Just what I needed. They’re going to fire me. I need this job.”

My gaze flicks from the digital clock to the brake lights ahead of me, and back again. One’s moving too fast, the other too slow.

Finally, I creep onto the highway on-ramp. And then—

Mr B speaks beside me. “Hmm. This isn’t the highway yet.”

I scream, the sound filling the car.

Thank God my foot is already on the brake — I practically stomp through the floor. Mr B covers his ears, giving me a reproachful, long-suffering look.

My hands lock on the steering wheel, trying to steady my breathing — and not look at him.

That’s not possible. He can’t be there.

I’ve lost it. I’ve completely lost it.

“Finished?” he asks lightly, lowering his hands again.

Someone honks. Mr B gestures forward. “You can go.”

I cling to the wheel, but my foot feels like it weighs a ton as I try to lift it off the brake.

I have to keep going. Forward. Small steps. I focus only on my foot, and finally manage to move it. As the car rolls forward, everything somehow feels a little lighter. Though I can’t exactly rule out the fact that Mr B is still sitting right next to me. And he doesn’t let me forget for a second.

“You always say you live too far away,” he says, as casually as if we were chatting over morning coffee. “We’re going to fix that. You have two options. You move to the village. Today you’re on unpaid leave, and starting tomorrow you show up on time. Every day. Or you find a job closer to home.”

The village? That village? Where—

“Well?” he asks. “Which will it be?”

I should answer immediately.

I swallow, but my throat is completely dry.

“The… the village? Where Theo lives?”

“I don’t know who Theo is,” Mr B says, “but a lot of people live there. If you want to stay, this is the only way. And if you move to the village and still manage to be late, the consequences will be serious. This isn’t a threat. It’s a promise.”

I shouldn’t have mentioned Theo. I shouldn’t even know about the place. I’d love to see it — but moving there, just like that? A village isn’t a city. Everyone expects things of you.

“I don’t have all day,” Mr B interrupts, cutting through my racing thoughts. He wants an answer now.

I like this job.

“Alright,” I say, nodding, my eyes still fixed on the road as traffic finally starts moving faster. “The village.”

“Then take the next exit.”

I nod.

I should call Theo. But how, when my boss is sitting right next to me? How did he even get here?

“Mr B.”

“Yes?”

I take a deep breath and finally look at him.

“How the hell did you get into my car?”

He smiles.

“I could tell you,” he says. “But one day off won’t be enough. Watch the road. There’s the exit.”

A few minutes later, we’re driving through the forest, along a well-maintained gravel road. I slow down so the loose stones won’t scratch the car. We reach a barrier that looks far too modern among the trees. Before I can stop, it lifts. Mr B gestures ahead, and I drive through.

The road slowly dips underground. The lights flick on one by one. We seem to pass a guard booth, but no one stops us. In the tinted glass, I can only see my own reflection.

A parking garage in the middle of the forest? There are far more empty spaces than cars.

I glance at Mr B.

“You can park somewhere over there,” he says, pointing toward the far end.

As I pull into one of the spaces, a figure steps out between the cars and walks toward us.

Somehow, it’s reassuring when Mr B opens the door and gets out. I follow his lead.

“Who did you bring?” the stranger asks, instead of greeting us.

“A new resident,” Mr B replies.

“And who sent him? Where from?”

“I did.”

“You know that’s not how this works.”

“Everything works the way we allow it to work. Mario Deluna — my lead design engineer at the shipyard. You can look him up. You can even inform Ted. Oh, and keep an eye on Mario. He doesn’t know yet.”

The tiny bit of safety I felt disappears instantly — along with Mr B. I’m alone with the stranger.

“Nothing, huh?” the man mutters as he steps closer and holds out his hand. “Koragh. Sheriff.”

My eyes drift to his chest. He really does have a star there, like in the old movies. I shake his hand.

“Come on,” he says. “I’ll explain how things work.”

I follow him toward the exit. But I can’t shake the question of whether this is the same village.

“Do you know Theo?”

“Sure. I mean— I know a Theo.”

“Greenberg.”

He turns halfway toward me. “How do you know him?”

“We’ve been friends since high school.”

“That’s great. Bruce.”

I glance around, but it’s just the two of us. Before I can ask who that is, he keeps going.

“Is Theo in the village?”

“I don’t kn—”

Koragh raises a hand for silence. He’s not talking to me.

“Send Theo to my office. There’s something he needs to take care of.”

I watch his ear, looking for a wire, or at least an earbud. He opens the door, steps outside, and holds it for me.

“Welcome to the village,” he says with a smile. “Theo will fill you in on everything. Easier for you. Less work for me.”

I nod. I have a million questions. But I won’t be asking him.

I follow the sheriff, taking it all in. A sparse forest opens up around us. Buildings stand farther off, scattered. I’d expected neat little houses and narrow streets. Instead, everything feels wide open.

The grass is green. The sky is blue…

I look up, and all the strength drains from my legs.

In the crystal-clear sky, there are four suns.