Illustration by TresKiddos

“I am you and what I see is me.”
- Pink Floyd (Echoes)

~~ Page 7 ~~

“Where is he? He said he’d be here by now.” Glass Noss tapped his foot anxiously, unaware of the fact that the sole of his foot had begun to crack and chip, inching closer towards the same fate that his hand had come to earlier that same day.

“He’ll be here soon. Based on what he said, it sounds like he wants to come to a compromise. I doubt he’d bail on us,” Metal Noss affirmed, his rust now having extended up the length of his arm, shoulder, and now even some of his neck.

“Maybe he's trying to figure out a way to let us back in.” Wooden Noss added with a hopeful tone in his voice.

“Oh fuck no. The last thing I want is to be trapped in there again.” Glass Noss retorted. “I’ll at least hear what he has to say though. If he can give us complete independence, then I’m all ears, obviously.”

And so, the three of them waited on a bench in Division Park, waiting to meet their maker. They opted for this spot, because it allowed them to keep a low profile after the sun had gone down. As a result, they were all reasonably surprised when an unexpected visitor suddenly appeared instead.

The air itself opened into an ethereal, oval-shaped portal, about the size of an average doorway, floating a foot or two off the ground. Its perimeter shone a bright, warbling green that spun around an unexplainable opening in spacetime, which led to some mysterious place that was much too garbled and distorted to identify. The Nosses could hear what sounded like gunfire on the other side.

What emerged from the portal seemed even less explainable than the portal itself.

As if his bones were made of slime, the creature oozed through the bottom half of the portal, toppling onto the ground pathetically. He landed on his pair of wings, one of which appeared to be very recently wounded by a gunshot. He wore a kind of futuristic looking armor. Along several surfaces of his body, panels of light, possibly screens even, flashed and flickered with numbers and words and charts in various colors and light intensities.

Despite the armor, his hands and face remained bare and unprotected, both covered in a coat of short, brown fur. His face consisted of an upturned nose, beady eyes, and a pair of white horns. Each finger on his hands led to claws at each fingertip, where he held two unique items. In one hand, he held a strange, translucent looking bottle containing what appeared to be a white, glowing koi fish. In the other, he held a black book with the astrological symbol for Aquarius painted on the front in blood red paint.

Before any of the Nosses could figure out what the portal was, or where it led to, it disappeared into thin air, leaving the three of them alone to figure out what to do with their new, uninvited guest.

But before they could even think of coming to a collective decision, the creature opened his eyes slowly, and spoke without opening his mouth.

After a moment of shocked silence, Glass Noss looked around to see if anyone else nearby was also there to witness this wild development. But sure enough, their spot was too well hidden. Only the three of them were there to answer this strange tourist’s question. “Close, but no cigar. This is Somewhere, not Nowhere.”

“Hmm… maybe that was a shitty joke to make. I don’t actually know how far away it is. To be honest with you, I’ve never heard of a place called ‘Nowhere’ before.”

The creature then pointed to Wooden Noss.

Shocked, Wooden Noss looked to his friends for help, stammering for the right words, “What? Me? But I don’t want t-”

With a burst of energy, the creature jumped to his feet, now towering over the three men. With the book tucked under his armpit, his newly freed hand clutched Wooden Noss’ wrist like a vice. And before any of the three Nosses could blink again, another portal appeared before them, The creature wasted no time stepping into it with his new passenger in tow.

Within the brief window of time that the portal stayed open, Wooden Noss looked back to his only two friends with a certain look in his eyes that seemed to confirm his existence as a human being: that certain fear of a vast unknown that anyone would be terrified of going into alone.

And just like before, the creature closed the doorway he had created in the blink of an eye.

The two remaining Nosses both stood in shock, helpless to do anything about the sudden kidnapping of their friend.

“What… the fuck… was that…” Glass Noss shivered as his world now took on a new definition. One of the most exhilarating aspects of his newfound existence, to him, was the sheer assertion of his free will from his creator. Free from Noss, no longer could he be yanked around or silenced whenever his intentions didn’t match that of his maker’s. He didn’t have to obey him, or anyone else for that matter. But the realization that he and his friends hadn’t quite escaped this, the fact that he didn’t actually have complete control of his own world, and the fact that his friend was now missing, somewhere in the expanse of a universe of unknown size, now terrified him to his core.

Solemn and still, Metal Noss didn’t have an answer for his friend, “Hmmm… I hope Nowhere isn’t too far from here.”

“Is… is that all you have to say? Our friend… no, our brother just got fucking abducted by an alien, mutant, bat monster!” Terror and disgust swirled in his tone.

Metal Noss stayed quiet for a moment, trying to process similar feelings, albeit in a less transparent manner compared to his only remaining brother, “It’s a bit ironic, don’t you think?”

“What are you talking about? What are you saying?” Glass Noss clenched his fists.

“Out of the three of us, he was the one who wanted to join with Noss again the most. Maybe this was for the best.”

At this, Glass Noss snapped, “You mean to say that it was a good thing that he was kidnapped?”

“No, no, of course not. All I’m saying is… out of any of us to get kidnapped, there’s a sort of silver lining with him being the one taken. Furthermore, I don’t think his role with Noss was as… necessary as ours. If this had to happen at all then maybe this was the best way it could have gone.”

Glass Noss thought for a moment, frustrated, yet ready to reveal one of his deepest inhibitions for the first time within his short, fragile existence. He loathed Noss for keeping him trapped inside for so long, but now… with a new definition of restriction to his free will, his inner fears began to bubble to the surface all the more. After all, when faced with the vastness of the unknown, even a dissatisfying known could be seen as much more preferable by comparison.

“If Noss decides that he does want us back, then… do you think we should join him again? Like… if Drifty wasn’t as ‘necessary’ as you and I are. Then are we obligated to surrender ourselves in order to help Noss? Because we’re ‘necessary’?”

Though they had never agreed upon it explicitly, Metal Noss had a feeling that he was the leader of their trio. To him, Wooden Noss lacked the necessary conviction to lead, while Glass Noss lacked the necessary temperament. He was the middle ground between their two obvious extremes. Despite this, Metal Noss wasn’t entirely sure of how to answer this question. He needed to find some kind of justification for his independence, for the first time in his short, autonomous existence. After all, how could he ever hope to lead someone else if he couldn’t lead his own life?

“Well… I think if you asked me that five minutes ago, I wouldn’t have had an answer for you. But now, regardless of whether Noss wants us back or not, we have a very valid reason to exist independently: To rescue our brother.”

Glass Noss nodded, relieved to hear that he too now had some justification for his independence from Noss. “Hey Tinny, going forward, I think we need names for ourselves.”

“I agree. But like I said before, don’t call me Tinny…”

…

“Hannah? Hannah, what’s wrong?” Outside the fifth coffee shop on their list, Norah turned around to realize that her friend had stopped short before the door, suddenly sniffing at the air frantically like a starving dog.

What? What are you talking about? 

From within Hannah, her impulse felt sudden, and overwhelmingly strong. As though a series of wires had coiled around Hannah’s muscles and bones. As if she had suddenly become wound up like a puppet. To a certain extent, Hannah always had a feeling that she could repress Pisces to certain extents. But at this moment, she felt a crushing certainty that she couldn’t do that right now. It was moments like this, moments when even her best efforts couldn’t keep Pisces at bay, that served as the kernel of a certain kind of anxiety that festered within Hannah for the past three years: the fear that she was never in complete, definitive control.

Still, this didn’t stop Hannah from trying her best.

While she still had the chance, she managed a glance inside the building, noticing the very woman that she and Norah happened to be looking for. Inside, Ginny was playing the saxophone on a little stage for a meager, weeknight audience.

Hannah stammered, “Norah, I see Ginny inside. Go in and talk to her. I have to… step away for a sec.”

“Whoa really? That’s great! But, where are you go-”

CLANG

“WHOA! HEY!” A man cried out.

Before Norah could finish asking her question, her friend had vanished into the evening’s now ominous twilight. In her wake, she had already pushed over a trash can and a pedestrian.

“Sir, are you okay?” Norah ran over to help the older man up off the ground.

“Ugh, I’ll manage.” He stood up, finding his footing again with the help of his cane, “Thank you for helping me. Do you know who that was?”

Norah nodded, “Yes, she’s a friend of mine. I’m sorry she pushed you down like that. That’s not like her at all.”

…

Despite coming to a newfound sense of inner peace and meaning in his life, Noss was once again late to his meeting. But by the time he got to Division Park, he immediately wondered if he wouldn’t be the last to arrive.

“Ummm… aren’t there supposed to be three of you?”

“How nice of you to finally show up, flower boy.” Glass Noss answered, noticing the small succulent plant that Noss held in his hand, “And yes, you’re right. Despite our agreement to discuss our current affairs, you’re not the Noss that I’d like to see the most right now. Drifty just got abducted.”

“Abducted? By who?”

Glass Noss elaborated, “No clue. It was this bat looking alien creature wearing some kind of armor. And it had this weird looking fish with him. He just sort of appeared out of nowhere, and before we could figure out what was happening, he and Drifty were gone.”

“I’m… sorry to hear that.” Noss spoke with a validating reverence in his tone.

Despite this sincerity, Glass Noss clenched his fists, “You disgust me, you know that! How can you just stand there and say that? He’s as much us as he is you! And we’re as much you as he is for that matter. So don’t act like he’s our friend and not yours.” Glass Noss asserted. “We don’t want your condolences, we want you to help us find him!”

“Speak for yourself. That’s not what we agreed on.” Metal Noss asserted, annoyed by his brother’s chaotic and unpredictable stance with their current dilemma.

Glass Noss craned his neck, “You’re not backing me up on this? Tinny, what the fuck is wrong with you! Your brother gets kidnapped, and now you don’t give a shit about him anymore?”

“You’re wrong, I do. My objective is the same as yours, to find our brother after we make amends with Noss. But you’re roping Noss into that commitment before we’ve even tried to understand one another.”

Flustered, Glass Noss had nothing to say. Though they had never agreed upon it explicitly, Glass Noss had a feeling that he was the leader of their trio. After all, of the three of them, he hated Noss the most. So why wouldn’t he be the one to lead the three of them as they each worked to sever their unique ties from their maker? He had the most conviction and that’s all there was to it. It made every bit of sense to him. If only his brother could understand.

Metal Noss continued, “Besides, I thought you and I were on the same page about ridding ourselves from the original Noss. Why do you need him to search for Driftwood with us?”

Glass Noss threw his hands in the air, “We are on the same page! But that doesn’t mean I don’t want him to feel the same pain that we’re feeling. He doesn’t have the right to just… abandon one of us like that!”

“But Glass… we’re the ones who want to abandon the original Noss. Your logic doesn’t make much sense here.” Metal Noss scratched his head, genuinely confused by his brother’s line of thinking.

At this, Noss chimed in, “Wait, so you guys don’t want to come back to me? That’s… actually what I was hoping for.”

“It is?” The two remaining Nosses asked in unison.

“Yes! I’ve come to the conclusion that I shouldn’t rely on the three of you anymore. Since the four of us separated, I’ve actually rediscovered who I used to be. As strange as it may sound, I wasn’t the original Noss when the three of you separated from me. In a way, I was actually just like you three. A copy.”

Metal Noss tilted his head. Glass Noss grinded his teeth.

Noss continued, “But I don’t think those details matter very much at this point. I think it would be best for us if we went our separate ways. I don’t need you all anymore, and I don’t want you to need me.”

Metal Noss stepped forward, “I’m happy for you Noss. And while I will miss our working partnership, I agree that we’d be better off as our own people. Wouldn’t you agree, Glass?”

“What… the… fuck??? Tinny, are you insane?”

“Don’t call me Tinny.”

“I don’t care! Have you forgotten the fact that we aren’t as independent as we want to be? Look at your arm for fuck’s sake! And look at me, I only have one hand! We’re falling apart and we have no way to repair ourselves. Noss here just wants us to go away and turn to dust so he doesn’t have to deal with us anymore!”

Metal Noss had to think on this for a moment, “Hmm… Noss, I don’t agree with him completely, but Glass makes a good point. We want to be free, but we’re decaying. You said that that woman wouldn’t come with you, so we were hoping that you would at least know how to repair us. Can you help?”

Noss’ expression turned solemn upon noticing their rotting skin, “I… I don’t know. I’m sorry, I don’t know how to fix you. I didn’t even know this was happening to you.”

Glass Noss couldn’t contain his composure anymore, “Brilliant! Fucking brilliant! At this rate, maybe we’ll have better luck asking the fucking bat boy with the magic fish to piece us together. Unbelievable.”

At this, a new, blood curdling voice introduced itself from the nearby entryway of the park.

The girl’s eyes looked dangerously hungry for answers and carnage. “You have no idea how LONG I’ve been waiting for a fucking lead like this!”

Noss was the only one to recognize who this was, his sister’s best friend, Hannah. But before he could ask what she was doing there, her body lunged forward faster than any of the Nosses would have expected her to. Immediately, she grabbed for Glass Noss, gripping him by the throat.

His eyes filled with a new, unfamiliar horror, now closer to death than he ever thought he would be, “Plea- Le- go of me! My bod- is made -f gla- ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”

Before she, or either of the remaining Nosses could realize just how tightly she was gripping the decaying, glass man’s throat, it fractured into pieces.

POP

The moment seemed to happen in slow motion, crawling, yet unstoppable. As his head fell to the ground, that same, terrified look: that fear of a vast unknown now painted over his once stubborn, yet convicted scowl. And only after a second of chilling stillness, his torso, arms, and legs followed suit, now without a head to guide them. His body collapsed to the ground and shattered like a stack of wine glasses.

Noss watched in horror as the version of himself that had once navigated his romantic endeavors suddenly broke into a million pieces, dying right before his eyes. The sight of it catalyzed a new, vulnerable self awareness within his newly reconciled, yet fragile heart:

Could I shatter just as easily…?

The girl turned, eyeing Noss with a hungry glare.

She began to walk towards him, until she was able to recognize who he was.

Noss stammered, just as terrified of death as his glass counterpart was just moments ago, “Ummm, well you see…”

Impatient, she lunged forward, trapping Noss’ words in the process.

Just ten minutes prior, Noss had no reason to be afraid of his little sister’s best friend. But after seeing one of his personas die at her hands, he had every reason to be.

“I… I don’t know anything. I’m sorry.”

She gripped his throat.

“I… don't... kno-… let... go…”

Metal Noss finally interjected, realizing that he couldn’t keep himself under the radar for much longer without severe consequence, “If you want people to talk, then you shouldn’t choke them. It’s counterproductive. Don’t you think so?”

Keeping her hand where it was, she turned away from Noss, spitting back towards Metal Noss’ direction.

Metal Noss continued, “That bat creature. He said his ‘code’ was ‘Capricornus-13’.” 

She turned to look at him again, her curiosity piqued.

“Let him go, he doesn’t know what I know.”

At this, she released Noss’ throat, “Hmmm… You’re lucky you have an honest friend like him.”

Honest?

The word bothered him as he recalled his former label, still fresh in his mind.

LIAR

As the girl moved her attention to his only remaining counterpart, Noss’ confidence visibly faded. He took a step back, even after she had released him.

~~ Page 7 ~~