#robert quick

The House. 

Larger than most universes. Older than most religions. Smarter than most of you. She is strange, infinite — and wonderful. 

Won't you come in? 

The first collected edition of the 2010s' most unique collaborative literary creation, as originally developed on Ficly.com, now presented in a clean, annotated edition with an original foreword by Aristide Twain

(Download links and further explanations under the cut.)

By the time Jenny walked up the path to her house, her dad was home from work and making dinner. Both of her parents were amazing cooks and in completely different ways. In the background a mournful cello filled the air with melancholy.

“Hey, Dad!” Jenny dumped her school bag into a chair that sagged under the weight.

“Hey, Darling,” her Dad answered. “How was school?”

“Oh, it was really interesting.” Jenny stuck her head in the refridgerator. “I think I am really going to like highschool.”

A wooden spoon tapped her gently on the arm. “Stay out of there, kiddo. Dinner’s almost done.”

“Snack?” Jenny asked, holding up an apple from the crisper.

“Snack.” her dad agreed.

The cello playing turned violent as if imitating a thunderstorm.

“I guess Mom is really into it tonight.” Jenny said.

“Yeah she’s been in there since I got home, which is one of the reasons we’re having porkchops. Hungry?”

“Starving! They made us do these-”

As the conversation continued, Jenny was briefly aware of how lucky she was.

Gwen left her room with a purposeful stride that became a run anytime she let her attention wander. Doors to other living quarters dotted the hallway seemingly at random. Although there were many doors, she had never seen another person besides N in the two years she had been stationed at the Library. She assumed that there were other agents just like her, out there murdering Jenny’s.

One windowless hallway led to another before she arrived at the lift. The doors were open as if anticipating her arrival. Stepping inside, she used the touchscreen to highlight the area in Operations marked Director before hitting the green button that read GO.

While she waited for the lift to circle to the east, she zoomed the screen as far out as it would go and admired the shape of the building. According to the computer, the Library looked like a giant golden acorn. There was something pleasing in the smooth contours and the cap made it distinctive. Nature had created something that managed to be both bullet and shield.

Despite a rocky start, the day ended up being quite satisfactory. Jenny was looking forward to her classes. Most of it was the basic freshmen lineup: Algebra, English, Foreign Language (Latin), Art, and P.E. (Track and Field). The only exception was AP History. She loved History. There was something about the past that really resonated with her. Her imagination invigorated even the dryest textbook making it come alive in her mind. That probably explained her love for sci-fi and fantasy novels too.

Jenny was a little sad that she only shared the first class of the day with Gracie but hoped that they would both meet some new friends. She’d always secretly wanted to be the leader of a group, but her neighborhood never had enough people her age.

When they met for lunch, Gracie pointed out cute boys, much to Jenny’s chagrin. None of them intrigued her as much as they did Gracie, who seemed determined to get both of them boyfriends this year.

It had been a good day, even if it had really begun with her death.

Jenny’s friend, Gracie, leaned against the mouth of the alley that was their shortcut to the bus stop.

“Sup, Ewok!” Gracie said, peeling off the wall, as Jenny passed her.

“Whoville!” Jenny replied, answering nickname with nickname. “Here, my mom made me take these and I didn’t want to throw them away- starving people in Africa and all that.” She held out her hand, revealing two shelled hard-boiled eggs.

Gracie accepted the offering. “I can’t believe you don’t like eggs.”

“I like them fine- I’m full.”

“Breakfast is more than just toast for most people.” Gracie said, stuffing a whole egg into her mouth.

“I’m not most people.” Something about that reminded Jenny of her dream. "Hey, Gracie?

“Hmm?” Gracie said, her mouth full.

“Do you ever die in your dreams?” Jenny asked, quietly.

“Nowhr.” She swallowed and wiped her face with the back of her hand. “No, that’s weird. Why? Wait, don’t answer that. Please, I’m begging you. Can’t we be normal today? We’re starting highschool. Think about all the boys!”

“Rewind.” Gwen watched the two figures reappear onscreen, holding hands. They ran backwards together until they disappeared out of frame. “Play.”

It was grainy security camera footage that had been filtered and remastered to make it as clear as possible. Horizontal lines still flickered occasionally. The camera was focused on a store called Radio Shack. Some motion caught the camera’s attention causing it to pan upward towards the roof. Two girls ran into frame, hand in hand.

“Pause.” Frozen in mid step, Gwen could see that the one in the lead one was more mature. Together they looked almost like a mother with her daughter.

“Play.” The two figures resumed their frantic flight. As they reached the edge of the building, both of them slid aviator goggles over their eyes. They leaped- and disappeared in a flash of purple light.

END OF SESSION

Gwen cracked her knuckles and started to pace.

Two of them? Together? What did it mean?

For the first time in two years, Gwen felt the flutterings of uncertainty.

I had another dream last night. I was standing on the back of a whale, riding it across an ocean that glowed like the night sky. I was on my way to a very important meeting, a meeting that would change everything. We were almost there when a girl stepped out of a black doorway and stabbed me. I drowned in my own blood.

Jenny frowned as she looked at what she had written. All of it was true but it looked so different once it was put down on paper.

“Jenny? Are you up? You don’t want to be late for your first day of school, do you?” Jenny’s mom yelled from the kitchen.

“Coming, Ma!” Jenny yelled back, slamming her diary shut and locking it. Her parents would freak if they ever read her diary.

She stopped on her way downstairs to look at herself in the mirror and sighed. No matter how cool her dreams were, murder notwithstanding, she was always the same in the morning.

Jenny hugged her mom good morning.

“What do you want for breakfast, dear?”

“Toast will be fine!”

Her mom scowled. Toast was not enough.

Gwen showered after her most recent assignment, scrubbing the blood off of her skin with a luffa. Stepping from the tile shower to the rubber mat covering the deck plate, she took time to study herself in one of the bathroom’s long mirrors. There was almost no trace of the scared girl she once was, bluffing her way through her first murder. The blond braids hair had slowly become a shorter, darker and far more practical layered bob with bangs. Skin that had once been soft and pale had weathered into a rough bronze. Even the way she held herself had improved, standing taller now, confident in her body. She didn’t shy away from the word murder any more either.

Naked, except for the thick metal band that covered most of her right forearm, she watched the reflection of the irridescent numbers in the armband’s first window ticking down resolutely. 22:01:65. Twenty-two hours then until her next assignment.

Maybe she would head to the Library and study up on her adversary.

There were so many Jenny’s left to kill.