I spring awake. Being very careful not to hit my head, I clamber down the ladder and stand in line to the bathroom. I should have woke up earlier! I inwardly moaned. The girls line to the bathroom and changing rooms always took a long time. On days like today, however, it could take HOURS. I wish there was another way in!
Good Morning Kayla! The voice stuns me. I am not quite used to the ever present Ziri, who sees, hears, feals and experiences everything I do. Not to mention that she responds to my every thought. I am sorry to say that there is no other way in, but there is another bathroom for you to change and get ready in. Would you like to go there?
Yes! Yes! Yes! I almost say it aloud Where? Where do I go?
A semi transparent gps screen spreads over my vision and a doorway lights up in purple. I turn toward it and, though it takes a short second to process, the light shifts to lay over the same doorway. Without thinking, I brake from the line. Florence and a couple other girls jeer at me.
"What's that matter pewny? You going to steal some food? Well, we aren't saving your spot! You are going to have to go to the end of the line!" I can see, out of the corner of my eye, Florence, shoving some girls into the place I had just stood. She smiles toward me and I turn away to find that the floor is now being lit by this new gps thingy. I follow and follow and run and follow until I come to a door that I have never seen before, or at least not payed any attention to. I have run this hall countless times on my way to the greenery, but...
It is not locked. Again Ziri reads my thoughts before they even register to me.
I try the handle and, like she said, it opens. I go in and the automatic lights flicker a little before coming on. I'll have to tell the repair crew about those lights. I think. It must be very old, because It is not the standard blue the community has been painted for six years, nearly all my life since I am seven. It is a beautiful shade I have only seen in the greenery on the leaves of the plants. green Ziri tells me. green it sounds wonderful. It sounds like a strange magical word that Kevin might use in his stories of the place that humans came from called, earth. I like this room. This... green. I have seen this color before, I know I have. I think for awhile and try to remember where. Yes, I see it in the greenery, but... I have seen it... on the walls. Yes! I saw it once when the old blue pain chipped off the wall and I had run by just before the repairer had come to cover it up. It must have originally been all green and then it was ordered to be painted over. It is so sad that the ZAG made the community paint all the walls blue. Why couldn't all the walls be this lovely green again?
They do not need this place any more. They are hoping to tear it apart and make it a storage room. You see, when the Humans first started building this in-
I cut Ziri off in my thoughts and rush to get ready. Soon I am on my way and as I pass the girl's resting area I smile and wave at Florence, mouth dropped. I know what she must be thinking and I know that she will try to force it out of me later, but I don't care. I will not let Florence ruin today.
I skip cheerfully down the hall and wave "good morning" to the adults that pass. I rush around for hours cleaning, delivering, noting, fixing and helping with whatever I can. By the time we are finished, twelve o'clock, I am already extremely hungry. Even though it is against the rules to skip a meal, somehow, in all the hustle and bustle, I had slipped away unnoticed to prepare some more. I am always restless on November 1st, but even MORE so today.
Today... I can't even THINK what I am feeling. I am so... Oh...
Arrivals! Arrivals! The speaker says and suddenly the entire Zermedine community is buzzing. I am glad I am close to the gate and I rush up to the very front of the steadily filling courtyard made for just this sort of occasion. I am pushed and shoved, I hear mother calling my name, I call back, but I know she cannot hear me. I don't care though, I get bumped an bruised every year on this day and, since she has every year for as long as I can remember, I know my mother will find me just in time. Sure enough, just as the gate keeper types the code to open the gate and the community holds its breath, mother steps to my side.
"Hold your breath tight dear." She says like always and the gate... opens.Though I am pulsing with anxiety, I do not know what lies in the future, at the end of the day, or... on the other side of that door.
It is not locked. Again Ziri reads my thoughts before they even register to me.
I try the handle and, like she said, it opens. I go in and the automatic lights flicker a little before coming on. I'll have to tell the repair crew about those lights. I think. It must be very old, because It is not the standard blue the community has been painted for six years, nearly all my life since I am seven. It is a beautiful shade I have only seen in the greenery on the leaves of the plants. green Ziri tells me. green it sounds wonderful. It sounds like a strange magical word that Kevin might use in his stories of the place that humans came from called, earth. I like this room. This... green. I have seen this color before, I know I have. I think for awhile and try to remember where. Yes, I see it in the greenery, but... I have seen it... on the walls. Yes! I saw it once when the old blue pain chipped off the wall and I had run by just before the repairer had come to cover it up. It must have originally been all green and then it was ordered to be painted over. It is so sad that the ZAG made the community paint all the walls blue. Why couldn't all the walls be this lovely green again?
They do not need this place any more. They are hoping to tear it apart and make it a storage room. You see, when the Humans first started building this in-
I cut Ziri off in my thoughts and rush to get ready. Soon I am on my way and as I pass the girl's resting area I smile and wave at Florence, mouth dropped. I know what she must be thinking and I know that she will try to force it out of me later, but I don't care. I will not let Florence ruin today.
I skip cheerfully down the hall and wave "good morning" to the adults that pass. I rush around for hours cleaning, delivering, noting, fixing and helping with whatever I can. By the time we are finished, twelve o'clock, I am already extremely hungry. Even though it is against the rules to skip a meal, somehow, in all the hustle and bustle, I had slipped away unnoticed to prepare some more. I am always restless on November 1st, but even MORE so today.
Today... I can't even THINK what I am feeling. I am so... Oh...
Arrivals! Arrivals! The speaker says and suddenly the entire Zermedine community is buzzing. I am glad I am close to the gate and I rush up to the very front of the steadily filling courtyard made for just this sort of occasion. I am pushed and shoved, I hear mother calling my name, I call back, but I know she cannot hear me. I don't care though, I get bumped an bruised every year on this day and, since she has every year for as long as I can remember, I know my mother will find me just in time. Sure enough, just as the gate keeper types the code to open the gate and the community holds its breath, mother steps to my side.
"Hold your breath tight dear." She says like always and the gate... opens.Though I am pulsing with anxiety, I do not know what lies in the future, at the end of the day, or... on the other side of that door.
Oh! The cliffhangers again! Errg! I both love and hate those! (mostly love, but it is hard to admit that to myself right now.:)
ReplyDeleteugg a clifhanger? it is really good Nicole!
ReplyDelete