More than just an illusion.
Part 1.
Some of you will probably think that this story is complete nonsense, while others will find that it is something inspiring – there is no accounting for taste. In any case, I hope that those who will read the four parts of the story will understand the hidden message of the events that I will describe… I wish you all a pleasant reading.
Iris was going down the stairs of a music store; she liked just to come there and watch the pianos. The girl knew that she couldn’t afford such an expensive instrument. She came there just to enjoy the atmosphere and imagine a performance of famous composers: Debussy, Bach, Mozart. She was a girl full of dreams and ambitions, often absorbed in her own thoughts. Iris’s mind was travelling in time, while she was standing in the middle of the store. Every Friday, she comes to this place, and this day was no exception. This time, she decided to buy a collection of notes on her salary; her mood was upbeat, so she decided to go to see a friend.
Although it was November, the weather was very warm, as though spring had come again. The girl went to the subway and stood near a phone booth. She was searching for her Opus in her purse when, suddenly, the phone rang. Iris abruptly turned around, but no one paid attention to the sound. The girl was surprised; she thought that she might start hallucinating because of sleepless nights. The phone kept ringing persistently. A piercing sound was sounding in her ears. Briiiing. Briiing. She picked up the phone.
“Hello, please take off your lenses,” a soft man’s voice said. Her mouth went dry; she did not even know what to say. She was standing there, speechless. Iris never knows what to do in those situations and she hates herself for that.
The voice kept saying: “Don’t be afraid, take off the lenses and look around yourself, then put them on your eyes again.” She was groping for words.
She began to get tired of this meaningless conversation, and, naturally, she hung up.
Iris went out of the phone booth and continued to look for her Opus, but, at the bottom of her bag, she found only her library card and a pack of gum.
“Is it your Opus?” Someone asked behind her. It sounded like a familiar voice. She turned around and saw a man. He was wearing wide pants and a white long jacket with a hood. His hood was so big that it was hiding his face. The girl immediately noticed his eyes. They were unusual, as each eye had two small pupils. In addition, one eye was green and the other was blue. She was petrified and stood still. There was something unearthly about this stranger.
“My, thank you. Where did you find it?” she asked.
“You dropped it at the entrance. I was the one who called you,” he said.
“Don’t be afraid I won’t hurt you,” he continued, “I finally managed to find you. You must be 17 already?”
“Who are you?” whispered Iris. There was an edge to her voice.
“I am your closest person on this Earth.”
The man was saying very odd things; she wanted to leave, but something was holding her back, her curiosity and desire to get into some adventure.
“Please listen to me, you will understand everything, just do what I ask. Take off your lenses.”
Under hypnosis, the girl somehow found her contact-lenses’ case in her bag and automatically took off her lenses.
Everything around her suddenly disappeared, even that man. She did not understand anything– she was very confused, and the situation was frightening. Iris pulled away. Outside, there was traffic, orange cones were lying on the street, and the road was closed because of construction. Around the Hudson Bay, there were blankets of homeless people. At first, she thought that nothing had changed. A few seconds later, she noticed that there was not a living soul around.
A sign with the name of a café was swaying by the wind. Cring. Cring. Cring.
“What’s going on?” She screamed! “What’s going on?” Iris was consumed with madness.
The man that she met a few minutes ago showed up in front of her.
“We are now in 2050, the year people like to talk about in 2020. Everyone is afraid of global warming and the pollution of our planet, which will destroy everything. However, what you see in front of you isn’t the consequence of global warming, but the result of political problems. Biological weapons have killed everyone on this planet.”
He gave her a mirror.
“Do I also have two pupils?!” The girl exclaimed. “I can’t stomach any more of this!”
“Yes, you have two, but before you weren’t able to see them. This phenomenon is known as polycoria. Now, as you are aware of your special characteristic, you would have to learn how to use properly your eyes. Iris, you are not from this planet. You were sent on the Earth as a punishment!”
The girl shook her head; she was not surprised at all. It was a liberating thing to realize who she actually was. Since childhood, it seemed to her that she was from another planet. In primary school, her peers bullied her, because she was different from her classmates. She was never influenced by others and never ran with the crowd. For a long time, it was difficult for her to find friends. The little girl cried and told her mother that she felt like she was from another planet; she was lonely and had trouble with socializing.
“How did I get here? Why did you decide to find me only now?”
“The monarch of our planet expelled you in 1350. You were openly saying that you wanted to change the political system. You had a lot of followers that were supporting you. The monarch was afraid of a rebellion, so, at first, he wanted to execute you, but I tried to convince him not to do that. I knew that it is not worth killing someone like you. He got very angry and hurt you in the side; that’s why you have a scar on your body. In the end, he expelled you and sent to the Earth. You were born again in the early 2000s without remembering your past life. Society needs you more than ever, and that’s why I decided to find you. You are stronger than you think, and you are able to change some dangerous upcoming events.
Iris managed to keep a straight face, but, in reality, she was very excited, even she did not fully believe the men. The light of combat was present in her eyes. Suddenly, she saw three familiar people. They were sitting at a table eating ice cream.
“In 2050, these three people wouldn’t be there anymore, because, in 2020, they will make a big mistake that will affect their lives. You must address the issue before it is too late”.
“Why do you think that I can change something?!” the girl asked. She knew these people very well, and she was aware of problems they had in their lives. How can she help them? She hasn’t talked to them for a long time. There was her friend, who betrayed her, her neighbor that frightened her brother when he was small, and the best friend of an important person in her life.
“You can’t change them, but you can influence their life. You know more about people than you think, and you need to analyze situation. Think logically.” The man disappeared.
“It was more than just an illusion!” thought Iris.
She put on the lenses and saw the world as it was before. People were walking with their masks, and friends were laughing while happy couples enjoyed the Friday evening. The girl was terrified; she was carrying the weight of people’s lives; this was the punishment of the monarch. Maybe it was not a punishment, but rather an incredible opportunity to give many people a second chance.
A heavy rain began, and the girl ran into the subway…
By Nataliya Nazarova
