There Is Nothing Wrong With The Children

Chapter 12: INTERNET HISTORY


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The café where Rose works is especially quiet in the afternoon. He types on the computer he borrowed from his roomie while he sips on iced tea. The cold breeze of the AC behind him caresses his neck.

Natalie's medical records are gone, as well as his own copy. If he had doubts, the attack at the hospital made it pretty clear. Natalie's death must be suspicious. There must be something... But that thread has been cut already. If he'd been quicker, if he'd seen them coming...

A slight headache echoes in the back of his head. The artificial light of the screen sends needles through his eyes. He swallows a Tylenol with the tea, hoping it'll help.

He clicks on the 'Previous broadcasts' tab on the TY News web page, and it produces a list of archived files by date. He opens Riley's diary on the month of March. There, on the 24th, two days before Riley's 'accident', a quick doodle that reads MEETING WITH PR. ZHANG. STUDIES.

He scrolls, reading the uploading dates. Since it's already the beginning of May, the broadcast is almost lost in the sea of radio programs. But on the 4th page of the list, there it is: 24th May.  There are 6 files with that date, spreading the twenty-four hours of the day into four-hour segments. He downloads the 8am-12pm broadcast, and sends it to his phone. He'll listen to the program on the way to The Old Bookhouse.

Noah finishes his tea, and goes to the counter to hand the computer back to Rose.

"Did you find it?" She asks as she's wiping the coffee machine.

"Haven't listened yet."

She turns, a crease in between her eyebrows.

"Where are you going?"

"To annoy Rune a bit," Noah responds smiling.

"You've spent a lot of time with him lately." She's smiling, but Noah finds it doesn't reach her eyes.

He shrugs, as if it's not that important.

"It's just a quiet place to think. I love being here," he points at the café, "but it gets too busy in the afternoon." He offers her an apologetic smile.

"It's alright, no worries," she says with her usual excited voice, "but I thought you hated Rune."

"Hatred is such a strong word. Maybe... I disliked him before... but now that I got to know him more...", he stutters, searching for a plausible explanation.

"Just, be careful. Don't you remember he almost killed Sam? He beat him to a pulp." He expression is dark, her hand is gripping the tablecloth hard.

"Can't say Sam's an angel, though."

"Yeah, I know. Sam's trash, I've always said it." Her voice is low, she's leaning over the counter, her eyes darting around searching for possible eavesdroppers. "But Rune's definitely not better..." She looks at Noah with an apology in her eyes. "There's word around that Rune chased Sam first, and that he got Sam into drugs, and then dumped him when he got addicted."

Noah shakes his head, he narrows his eyes. "I don't think so."

Rose backs away, and shrugs. "If there's anything bothering you, you can talk to me, alright? I'm here. I promise I won't leave you."

Noah smiles, "Thanks, Rose. You're a great friend."

She nods, and greets a new client.

It's hot outside, especially when compared to the chilly atmosphere in the café. He takes off his sweater, leaving only a simple grey T-shirt. The messenger bag bounces in his upper thigh.

Rose's revelation about Rune unsettles Noah. It's a rumor, as trust-worthy as someone's prejudice. Rune's quiet, and deadly cold, and Noah is sure he's capable of destruction greater than his own. He's seen the imperceptible shift in his muscles, and the slips in his mask. But the more he knows Rune, the more he realizes he doesn't really know him. He's complex to his very core. Simplifying him with that rumor is an offense to his many layers. Maybe there's truth in it. Noah found out the many faces of a truth when he stole Riley's body, when he himself twists his very own being to fit as much of Riley's story into his own. So he knows no story is complete.

The reflection of sunlight on the windows blinds him. Evaporation smoke rises from the pavement, now warm enough that it's noticeable. Sweat prickles on his brow and down his spine, his hair is stuck in his forehead. He grabs his phone, puts on earphones, and starts fast forwarding the audio, trying to forget the unsettling feeling in his stomach with other bad things.

He has many questions still, but he's sure Riley messed up with someone powerful. Erasing a history from a hospital requires many connections and the protection of power to commit unlawful acts. It's someone that has the means and the heart to do it. And if they tampered with Natalie's death certificate, as Dr. Corrales had hinted, and tried to end Riley's life, they aren't afraid to go to lengths in order to hide something. Did Riley discover what they were trying to bury? It's that the reason they sent Sam? If Noah's right in his assumptions, Sam is the pawn, who can dirty his hands in the name of that powerful figure.

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Now that Sam has been provoked, Noah can take advantage of his drug-fueled mind. Take him down, so that he's not a threat to either Rune or him, and figure out who sent him to beat Riley up. 

The radio host announces the interlude at 10 am. A series of ads, about a TV show, a car dealership, painkillers for headaches and flu symptoms, a food delivery service. Then, the program continues, and it's a discussion of social policies. Are they effective? Or is the regression a violation of social rights? With a frown, he rewinds, and listens to everything again. He tries listening to the program before the interlude, but the discussion topic is the same. Even widening the hour range, there's nothing significant. Still, Noah takes out Riley's diary, and he writes:

SOCIAL RIGHTS + REGRESSION

CAR SHOP. LOOM'S PLACE.

MONALGIA. SOLACE PHARMA.

BYE RUSH. SUBSCRIPTION?

He puts his phone on his bag, and comes inside the packed space. The bell chimes, greeting him. As he usually does, he runs his fingers along the spines, reading the titles with his head tilted to one side. On the inside, he hears the old couple chitchatting.

Noah chooses a book about Yuanfen.

Rune is reading on the counter. Without lifting his eyes, he says, "What'll be this time?"

"This one," Noah responds sliding the book on the counter.

He pays in cash, then picks a chair, putting it next to Rune, in a corner. And he starts reading the book in peaceful silence. At first, his unsuccessful search frustrates his focus, and he has to keep reading the same page all over again. Both paths are closed, be it for outside forces or unfruitful endeavors. But the unmoving force by his side settles his trembling energy. Rune's godmother, Elise, brings Noah iced tea.

He steals a few glances at Rune. He's sitting in a high stool, his boots on the footrest, and his torso arching as he props his elbows on the glass counter. And he thinks about Rose's warning. A sudden sadness washes over Noah.

The vibration of his phone wakes him from his daydreaming, and he quickly turns his head away from Rune, with warm cheeks. It's from Duncan:

CHECK IT OUT.

YOU THINK WE GOT THE BASTARD?

There's a link below. Noah frowns as he taps on it.

And then his fingers freeze on the air. His eyes widen, and his breath catches. His mouth is dry as he swallows.

Another buzz. A message from Eve.

TOMORROW WE START THE HUNT.

But his eyes barely register the bubble text. Noah reads the headline of the article again and again, as if stuck in an incredulous cycle that condemns him to understand alien words. Because this has to be alien words. This cannot be the real meaning behind them. It's impossible.

The article is from a tabloid. As always, these catchy titles are common among journalists that only care about clicks and views: NOAH DAVIES HAS APPEARED? There's a photo at the beginning of the article. It's blurry, as if it's a zoomed picture. It's taken from behind, a figure standing out in the crowd. He's turning back, staring at the camera. His hair is deep in a baseball cap, and his eyes are covered with sunglasses. He's smiling at the camera, a wide mocking grin that challenges the viewers to go for him.

It's Noah's face staring back at Noah. But neither Noah is really Noah, be his soul without a body, or a body without his soul. He's two parts of a fragmented whole.

Noah gapes at the photo. His minds racing with a thousand questions. Only a few loud enough to drown the chaotic cries of his thoughts.

What happened to Noah's body?

How did it end up in that photo?

Who is inside his body?

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