the game. It is what allowed me to allay your father's illness. Would you like me to teach you how to use it?"
"How long have I been here?"
"Do not be upset," he pleaded. "Time is different here --"
"How long?" I screamed.
He flinched. "Three years."
My knees buckled, and I floated to the floor. "Three. Years?" The floating was courtesy Eloy, who had caught me when my legs folded.
"Annabel, are you hurt?"
"I've been gone for three years?"
He propped me against the wall and kneeled beside me. "Do not hate me. Please do not hate me. Your father knows you are well. It was a small thing, to give him that reassurance. But I could not ease your sister. She didn't understand or believe him when he talked of me and this place. She worried that your father continued to suffer from delusion. He wonders that too sometimes, but then he looks upon the dress I gave you and is comforted."
"What about Luella? Can you make her better?"
"Do not ask this of me."
"Can you?"
There was such desolation in his eyes. "If I left to tend her, time would steal you away. You would be stranded here, and for each handful of moments I spent there, a decade would pass for you."
"That doesn't make sense. If time goes slower here, then --"
"It is very complicated, and I don't have your words to explain it. It comes to this: though my years are endless, yours are not. I would be gone longer than your life."
My head hurt. "You said you could teach me how to use the recorder. Can you show me how to heal Luella?"
"It is a simple matter --"
"Then let me go to her; let me heal her. I'll come back. The time doesn't matter to you."
"That I have infinite time does not make the passage of it easier," he said bleakly.
"Please, Eloy. Let me go."
"I do not think I can bear being alone again." He cupped my cheek with his hand. "But I cannot bear to be the cause of your unhappiness either." His hand slid to take mine, lying limp in my lap. He wrapped my fingers around the smooth barrel of the recorder, summoned magically from the air.
He lifted me in his arms, and the walls melted. When he put me down, we were in a forest grove. Before us was the tree trunk painted with graffiti. The painting was indeed a window, or rather a portal, and it opened onto the alley between the donut shop and the all-night laundromat.
Eloy nuzzled his chin on my cheek. "Take what you have learned in the rooms of my house. You are a creature of empathy and compassion, my Annabel. You should be with those you love, not a captive to my seclusion. Go to your sister and play for her. Be patient, for minds heal slowly, but she will mend."
"Eloy --" I tried to turn, but his hands on my shoulders wouldn't let me.
"Peace, sweet Annabel. My will is not so strong. Go now. Be with those you love. And if you should think of me, try to remember me fondly."
He gave me a gentle shove. I stepped forward, and I was in the alley. At my back, there was only the graffitied brick wall. I clutched the recorder in both hands and ran home.
My key was in my pocket where I had put it, days or years ago. It slid as easily into the apartment's lock as it ever had.
"Daddy! Daddy, I'm home!"
Father hurried in, open ledger in hand. "Annabel?" Papers fluttered to the floor. We came together in a crash of arms and laughter and tears.
"What happened? How did you get here? And what is that?"
"I don't have time to explain. I need to see Luella."
"She's in the hospital," Father said. "They have her in the psychiatric ward."
"I know. Eloy told me."
Father's forehead creased. "The doctor in that sanitarium you found me in, his name was Eloy." His eyes hardened. "But he wasn't a doctor, was he? He stole you away."
"He also helped you. Do you remember that?"
Father nodded, slowly. "Sometimes, when I'm about to fall asleep, or before I wake up, I remember music, a melody without words."
"It's from this recorder. I have to play it for Luella. Please, Daddy, can you take me to her?"
He was brimming with
"How long have I been here?"
"Do not be upset," he pleaded. "Time is different here --"
"How long?" I screamed.
He flinched. "Three years."
My knees buckled, and I floated to the floor. "Three. Years?" The floating was courtesy Eloy, who had caught me when my legs folded.
"Annabel, are you hurt?"
"I've been gone for three years?"
He propped me against the wall and kneeled beside me. "Do not hate me. Please do not hate me. Your father knows you are well. It was a small thing, to give him that reassurance. But I could not ease your sister. She didn't understand or believe him when he talked of me and this place. She worried that your father continued to suffer from delusion. He wonders that too sometimes, but then he looks upon the dress I gave you and is comforted."
"What about Luella? Can you make her better?"
"Do not ask this of me."
"Can you?"
There was such desolation in his eyes. "If I left to tend her, time would steal you away. You would be stranded here, and for each handful of moments I spent there, a decade would pass for you."
"That doesn't make sense. If time goes slower here, then --"
"It is very complicated, and I don't have your words to explain it. It comes to this: though my years are endless, yours are not. I would be gone longer than your life."
My head hurt. "You said you could teach me how to use the recorder. Can you show me how to heal Luella?"
"It is a simple matter --"
"Then let me go to her; let me heal her. I'll come back. The time doesn't matter to you."
"That I have infinite time does not make the passage of it easier," he said bleakly.
"Please, Eloy. Let me go."
"I do not think I can bear being alone again." He cupped my cheek with his hand. "But I cannot bear to be the cause of your unhappiness either." His hand slid to take mine, lying limp in my lap. He wrapped my fingers around the smooth barrel of the recorder, summoned magically from the air.
He lifted me in his arms, and the walls melted. When he put me down, we were in a forest grove. Before us was the tree trunk painted with graffiti. The painting was indeed a window, or rather a portal, and it opened onto the alley between the donut shop and the all-night laundromat.
Eloy nuzzled his chin on my cheek. "Take what you have learned in the rooms of my house. You are a creature of empathy and compassion, my Annabel. You should be with those you love, not a captive to my seclusion. Go to your sister and play for her. Be patient, for minds heal slowly, but she will mend."
"Eloy --" I tried to turn, but his hands on my shoulders wouldn't let me.
"Peace, sweet Annabel. My will is not so strong. Go now. Be with those you love. And if you should think of me, try to remember me fondly."
He gave me a gentle shove. I stepped forward, and I was in the alley. At my back, there was only the graffitied brick wall. I clutched the recorder in both hands and ran home.
My key was in my pocket where I had put it, days or years ago. It slid as easily into the apartment's lock as it ever had.
"Daddy! Daddy, I'm home!"
Father hurried in, open ledger in hand. "Annabel?" Papers fluttered to the floor. We came together in a crash of arms and laughter and tears.
"What happened? How did you get here? And what is that?"
"I don't have time to explain. I need to see Luella."
"She's in the hospital," Father said. "They have her in the psychiatric ward."
"I know. Eloy told me."
Father's forehead creased. "The doctor in that sanitarium you found me in, his name was Eloy." His eyes hardened. "But he wasn't a doctor, was he? He stole you away."
"He also helped you. Do you remember that?"
Father nodded, slowly. "Sometimes, when I'm about to fall asleep, or before I wake up, I remember music, a melody without words."
"It's from this recorder. I have to play it for Luella. Please, Daddy, can you take me to her?"
He was brimming with
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