Halley Always Returns

Chapter 3: Government?

"Meet me at the window you had the privilege of observing me from last night." She glanced at the message on her phone. It was as if Aurora's heart had stopped.

"The dream... That wasn't a dream?! THAT WAS A REAL BOY?! WHAT?!" she thought.

She ran towards her room while her Dad tried to stop her, but she was determined. She pushed the door open and saw that same boy sitting on the window beside her bed—The boy she saw last night—His back facing her. She screamed and her Dad came running.

The boy turned towards her and said, "Yo!"

His silky white hair flowed like a river, his glowing golden eyes resembled the sun, and his skin peeled off of his body, glowing, becoming fireflies.

She backed off, her pulse racing. Her body froze, and the phone slipped from her hand, clattering to the floor.

"He can neither use his ears to perceive me nor his eyes," Halley said sitting on the window sill.

She pointed at Halley, her hand trembling. "Dad, look... It's Halley..." she said, locking eyes with her Dad. He stared at her expressionlessly, his eyes widening in worry.

"Said so," Halley said, climbing on the window sill.

"Dad, look at the window! He is right there."

"Look at me, Aurora," he said, dropping to his knees and gripping her shoulders. "I can't see anyone."

She looked at the window from her peripheral and Halley was gone. She ran towards the window, peering outside. All there was, was a newspaperman on his bike, a crowd gathered around a breakfast shop, shopkeepers opening their shops, and a hovering truck from the Future City parked in front of the public stage, selling supplies to the shopkeepers. But Halley was nowhere to be found.

Aurora looked back at her Dad, and he was gone too. Her phone dinged on the floor. She walked up to it and picked it up.

"At precisely three o'clock, I shall see you outside The Last Crumble," Halley had texted her.

She took a deep breath and looked outside the room and her Dad was walking toward the room, carrying two chairs. He placed them in the middle of the room and sat on it, gesturing at Aurora to have a seat. "Calm down and tell me everything."

"No, Dad. There is no point in telling. Just look at this," She said, showing him the Halley's chat. He took the phone from her hands and began scrolling through the messages. His expression softened, but a deep frown remained etched on his face.

"You know, I don't usually talk about this..." he began, focused on the chat, "but I think this is the government's doing."

"Government?"

"This world has changed a lot," he continues, "You must have seen all those tall buildings, the hovering cars, and the superficiality on social media. The world wasn't always like this. It used to be more like our town—simple, natural. But now, most of the World peddles tasteless foods as healthy; there's no sunlight, no plants, just sterility and ugliness." He takes a deep breath, staring at the floor. "I searched everywhere for a place that felt like home, a place far from the Government's eyes, and finally, I found this town. Here, I saw plants again after years. I saw the clear skies, dirt, and real people." He looked up and smiled. "You know... I met your Mother in this town."

"Oh..."

"This Town is important to me, but now I believe that even this town has fallen. It is no longer safe from the Government's eyes. The Comet you are talking about... all of us have forgotten. But for some reason, you still remember the truth. I believe everything has a soul and I think the Comet's soul came to ask help from you, Aurora."