The Dream Thief

Chapter 1-3

Several people were out for Sunday afternoon strolls when Karl and Andy stepped onto the porch. Young couples not much older than Andy, married couples not much older than Karl. Pushing brass-and-leather strollers, pulling brightly painted wagons, walking hand in hand, huge colorful dresses contrasting with dark jackets. The peaceful scene sat uneasily alongside whatever was bothering the younger Gilmore.

"What's up, little Brother?" Karl said.

Andy shook his head, dark brown curls floating over his high forehead. Karl kept his unruly hair a good bit shorter, but otherwise he could have been looking into a mirror. A younger, better rested mirror.

"You know how it is," Andy said. "Can't say a word without Mother overhearing or Father disapproving. I just wanted a minute or two with someone I can talk to."

Karl smiled with one side of his mouth, and though Andy tried to fight it, the two of them burst into laughter. From the day Andy was born, Karl felt a year or two older rather than more than ten. In that moment, he felt like they were exactly the same silly age.

"Out with it, kid."

Andy was still smiling, but his eyes were serious in a heartbeat. He looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching as they walked away from the house.

"I hate to bug you about work," Andy said. "I know you can't say much of anything anyway."

Karl counted ten strides while he waited for his brother to go on. When they were too far from the house for anyone to see them, he detoured onto an ornate wrought iron bench against the row of lilacs.

Unless someone hiked up to the tallest point in their parents' house, the tiny window in Karl's rounded turret bedroom, no one would know where they were. Andy sat beside him and sighed in perfect imitation of their mother.

"Come on, what's going on?" Karl said. "You were out of there like a shot before Mother could say a word."

Andy smiled, but this time it was worried rather than amused.

"It's just...I've been hearing a bunch of talk, probably mostly bullshit. But it's been going on for a long time."

He stopped again, looking at the slightly less grand row of houses across the street. They were painted just as elaborately and kept just as neatly, but most were one floor, too small for more than a couple of people.

"Talk about what?" Karl said.

Andy turned to him, barely fifteen but looking a lot older in that moment. He squinted into the distance and chewed his lower lip.

"I suddenly know a lot of people with family members out at the Columns, Karl. A lot."

Karl tried to hide it, but he knew his maddeningly observant brother caught that brief twist of his mouth. Again, Andy was just like their mother.

"You know I can't—"

"I know you can't say much. I do," Andy said. "But hear me out, okay?" He waited until Karl nodded. "I'm used to people having to go every now and then. We all are. But this is different. I've counted more than ten in the last month, and I know I haven't caught all of them. A lot of people keep it really quiet, you know?"

That was how most folks outside of their family felt and acted about Karl working out at Joffrey Columns. Don't talk about the crazy house at all, or it might happen to you.

"I know. Ten people isn't all that unusual, Andy."

"No, that's not all of it. I heard you say you've been busy lately, and I'd bet it wasn't just from new trainees, was it?" Karl looked into his brother's eyes, not trying to hide his scowl. This was definitely crossing the line. "Let's try this. If you weren't extra busy with new patients, what are all the new trainees for?"

"You got me, kid," Karl said. "We've had a heavy workload lately, sure. I'm not sure why you're so worried about it, though. Our family isn't exactly susceptible to that kind of trouble, not for a long time."

"This is more than that," Andy said. "Do you get to see the paperwork, the intake, whatever you call it? The things that have to be filled out when someone new gets there?"

"I see it for my new patients, yeah," he said. "But not for everyone. That's not exactly my department."

Karl was more than a little nervous now, and he had to force himself not to look over his shoulder. That oath of secrecy he'd taken when he got the job at the Columns was burning in his mind, brighter than the sun.

"Well, you might want to look around a little bit," Andy said. "A whole lot of kids I know, kids from right around here, have had parents or brothers or sisters heading out your way over the past few months. And none of them had much of a history of crazy in the family, either."

Karl blinked, and before he could stop it his mind was spinning through the names and faces he'd come across since his own birthday three months ago. No one he knew, not personally. He had an idea the Director kept that from happening for a very good reason.

But now that he thought more about it, he had seen a few more family names that he recognized than usual. And since families tended to stay in the same neighborhoods...

"You have seen something," Andy said.

"You know I—"

"Yeah, I know. Listen, I'm not asking you to say a word. I'm just asking you to take a look around. That's all. I'm not the only one who's getting a little worried. No one's sure if it's the newest Builds, something that went pear-shaped during a big push on a new project, or maybe something in the water. Hell, it could be something as simple as a bad batch of Crumble, not that that wouldn't be a disaster. But I'm getting more than a little bit worried. Our whole family could get caught up in whatever this is."

Karl tried to let that roll off his shoulders, knowing Andy didn't mean to hurt his feelings like other people in the family sometimes did. But it did hurt, just a little.

When he was back here, surrounded by the handsome old houses and breathing in the sweet scent of lilacs from this street, he never forgot for even one second that he was no Builder. Everyone in his family could get caught up in something going wrong.

Everyone but him.

"Sure thing," Karl finally said. "I'll keep my eyes open, okay? Don't worry so much. You'll be old before your time."

Andy closed his eyes, and his shoulders sagged. He nodded and smiled.

"Thank you, Karl. I appreciate this. You better run, or you'll miss the last train out. Don't want to end up in Mother's clutches overnight."