She knew that the things she'd been seeing made little sense. She'd been squinting all afternoon at the sun, asking The New Boy what it was she couldn't see in it.
"You're sure you can't look at the sun?" he asked.
"Yes."
"But that's silly. Why not? It's right there," he'd say, pointing to it. Sometimes he didn't understand her or the way she thought at all.
"I can't look at things like you can."
"My hair likes it. My fingernails too." he told her. "Maybe if you just try harder?"
"I tried hard this morning."
"...what happened?" he asked.
"It made me see things. Weird things."
The New Boy asked her what kind of things, and also why that should be surprising in the first place considering that was the entire point of looking.
"Colors. First there is a mountain, and then there is no mountain, and then there is." She told him.
"Yeah, that sounds familiar." Boy looked and just saw the big bright dot he always did. It made him happy. He waved to it.
"I see things that aren't always there sometimes too," he told her.
"I know. Dogs and new neighbors and who knows what else... Oh, and there was that thing by the lake last week."
"She's nice, she's my friend."
"You told me that, yeah." Alba had looked through every box in the shed and couldn't find a telescope.
"Why do you want a telescope?" he asked.
"So when the sun goes down I can look at the stars."
"You can't look at stars either?" The Boy was shocked.
"No - I can, but I want to see them better," she said.
"You might find a relative up there," he said, "if you do would they have to answer your questions, like what's behind the sun and things, or is that just for leprechauns?"
Alba knew The New Boy was a little insane... but she had to admit the idea of things she couldn't see sure rubbed her the wrong way. It was a problem looking for a solution.
"I think if you could see the trains from farther away you'd get a better head start." The New Boy offered, "Maybe you'd win a race with a telescope."
Alba stopped rummaging and thought about it... "Boy, you know - that's actually not a bad idea at all! Help me look in the barn."
She marched for the big wooden building before she remembered Boy's phobia. Alba turned to see him standing where she left him. "Oh come on... Please? It won't be that bad... and I can't get in the boxes by myself..."
"No." Boy said.
Alba didn't know what it was about the barn... it wasn't things made from wood - she'd already established that... "Just for a little bit? You can say hello to Muselon... I know you like her."
"No," Boy said. She may have heard him whisper something else, she wasn't sure. The look on his face though...
"Ok! Hey... we don't have to." She said quick as she could, "I know - let's go to Mr Schonberg's and see if he has any Italian ice? Ok? I'd really like some!"
The New Boy nodded. He took a step toward her, then wagged his head from side to side as if chiding himself while he turned back to get his toy car.
When he caught up with her The New Boy reached up and took her hand.
"Fire is dangerous," he said.
"Yes," she said not understanding him at all, "Yes it is."
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