Thernoville

I was waiting on the bus at the 71hw outside Greenlock. It was like getting inside a greenhouse, wet just like I was out of the shower. The asphalt was burning like a frying pan under my feet. I bet if a had an egg with me it would cook right away, I thought.

My glasses were dripping with my sweat. I tried to clean them with my shirt, but it just made it worse.

Thankfully the bus was almost coming, and the little shadow that the cherry tree beside me gave me was a blessing.

The rusty gray metal bus arrived and I could feel it smoking. It kind of dried part of my clothes, when I got close enough. I picked up my backpack and my portfolio and proceed to get inside the moving oven.

“Can I see you ticket sir?” the bus driver said with a dry voice while cleaning his bald head with a small towel. I don’t know how he deal’s with that mustache, I thought while showing my ticket.

I looked for a seat near an open window so I could breathe some clean air. I sat down putting my backpack on my side and my case on my legs. The leader was warm, and it had been mostly in the shadow.

I was nervous, it was my first time doing a big commission outside Greenlock. I stared at my portfolio while some of my sweat crashed down on my initials G. L. I opened it and went through all my drawings carefully. I had the task to pick only the best 5 of them to impress the committee of Thernoville. They were picking a new artist to paint the children’s hospital. My hands were shaking, all the stories they had told me, invaded my mind. It was strange, with the fact I had done A dozen murals on my hometown, but this one just got into my bones.

One of the stories they told was about this musician, Rebeka Chore. She was the most talented violin player I had ever seen. She would be the center of every single concert. Her red hair flying with every move along with her violin was astonishing.

She got an offer to perform at the opera house in Therno. And then her life change forever. The moment she arrived there, nobody received her, chills all over her body, but everyone when everyone was wearing shorts and skirts, she had to take out some clothes of her luggage to warm up.

Once she arrived at the opera house, only the director talked to her. Told her to set up for a trial. She was a professional! She got confused when he told her that she needed to be tried out. But she was there already to be judge, right on the stage, she grabbed her violin, she took a deep breath. Every single person from the orchestra was watching, not a single word, just their eyes possed on her, looking how she struggled to make the violing sing, not a single note was played that day, and she did not grab the instrument again.

Nobody knew what made her freeze, why she couldn’t play the violin. It was in all the newspapers all over the country, she was devastated; people said her red hair turn gray after she came back, she could never play or listen to the violin. nobody knew what happened to her after.

I was terrified about that story, what if it happened to me? I tried no to think about it once I arrived at my destination. It was like an empty old house, the chills covered my body, and my sweat was now cold, I grabbed my jacket and put it on.

There were only two people at the station with my name on a paper. At least somebody waited for me. I walked towards them trying to hide how nervous I was.

“Grant Luxer I presume,” the told guy with a gray-black beard said with a rusty voice.

“Yes that is me,” I said with a crumbly voice “pretty empty the station today eh?”

“yeah, it is a national holiday here at Thernoville, you will love it.” said the other guy, he was shorter than his companion but much younger, his honey-like eyes and messy brown hair made him look in his mid 20’s.

The station was huge, nothing like I had seen before. The interior was like they had an explosion and all the metal pieces got stuck into the ceiling, the floors where black and brown with unused train tracks under a crystal surface so you wouldn’t trip over. Nobody told me about this fantastic weird place. I was still nervous about the story of Rebeka.

We arrived in their car, and I got in grabbing my stuff. “You are traveling light Mr. Luxer. not planning on staying for a long time?” The tall guy asked me.

“I don’t know, and sorry I didn’t get your names”

“O sorry Mr. Luxer, I’m Mr. Carton, and he is my assistant Mr. Berton.” the car started to move, and once we got out the parking lot and started getting to the city I was blown, the buildings weren’t tall like in greenlock, but they were long enough that must of them just cover the whole block. No more than six floors in each one, but what got my attention was the shape of them. It is still hard to describe the way they looked, Like looking into the inside of the chamber of a violin or a guitar. Not sure if it what a mind trick when we went around a building, it appears to be changing position every time we made a turn. the light post on the street appeared to be floating until you got close enough to see a tiny wire but strong enough to support them.

“Amazing city isn’t it?” Mr. Berton said with a soft voice in comparison to Mr. Carton “Here in Thernovile we love innovation, art, and science. But we only hired the best of the best, as far as you should know”

“Sorry I don’t,” I said ashamed “we only heard the sad stories like the one about the poor Rebeka”

“I don’t understand Mr. Luxer, she is one of the greatest here in Thernoville. We have a whole building dedicated to her” The tone was doubtful. Like he didn’t understand why I was telling that it was a sad story.

“Sorry If I offended you but the story they told me,” I told them what everyone had heard about her. I was expecting an overreaction, some rage, or sadness, but instead, they just smiled and laugh.

“Sorry, Mr. Luxer ” Brenton said with tears in his eyes, “I think is better that we show you what happened, and why this story is told.”

We arrived at the museum of music and arts, the building, shaped in many instrumental forms, if you look it from the right side you would see violins, cellos, guitars. But if you look it from the left side, you would see drums, clarinets, trumpets. I was fascinated.

We went in and the first thing you would see was a broken violin. It was Rebeka’s violin and in a metal plate the story, the real one. I read it, and know everything made sense, the awful story was only to scare people so only the brave ones and the ones up to challenge would still be pursuing their dreams even if it was scary.

“Mr. Luxer. any more questions?” Brenton told me, I was astonished and quite embarrassed.

“Not at all, I guess we should head back so I can show you my proposition”

“That is not necessary,” Carton said while walking towards me with a piece of paper. “You seem to us worth it, and up to a challenge”, he hands me the piece of paper. “We hope you are ok with terms so you break the magic of Thernoville”

“Of course I will not, and thanks a lot for the opportunity” I signed the contract and we head off to the Hotel. The city was changing, and I was going to be part of that.