A Wider Sky Ch. 13

A Wider Sky: Beyond Eclipse Series

by Talyis Bagley Ellison

Copyright first edition 2013, 2015

Chapter 13

I sat on Ben and Maddie couch looking out the window unto their perfectly coiffed yard. The eerie tree-lined suburban street that was always empty. My eyes noted the tree, the fresh cut lawn and the dark houses across the street. Even though I registered what my eyes landed on, I wasn't seeing twilight settle on the horizon of a safe neighborhood. I only saw Windsor using the remains of lost souls into an unnatural earth shell.

I arrived only a few hours ago, but my body was still shaking. I couldn't settle my stomach. It was like someone punched me through living an aching hole. I felt bad that I pushed my fork around my plate. My appetite lost ruined the thoughtful dinner Maddie and Ben prepared for me and my return stay.

When setting the table, Ben's perfect smile beamed proudly as gave me a playful jab to my arm and motioned to the food. Sweet potatoes and turkey.

"You've come a long way, right Kiddo?" he chuckled.

I felt bad that I was aloof. They were so excited to hear my stories about university when I arrived. I couldn't shake what I had learned that morning during the lab trip. The comments made by the students of all Professor Windsor's classes were on loop in my head. I had made a spectacle in front of the entire program. I wish I could focus on what I should do next as a solution. I knew this is what I needed to do to stay sane. Instead, I only thought about the ride back to campus.

The students leaned over the seat to share their glee with Galen, their future king and my kind's future annihilator. They'd notice he wasn't interested in retelling Windsor's spectacular demonstration. Then their eyes shifted to me and gave an array of faces trying to comprehend what was happening to me. Discreet ones whispered, asking Gaelen if I were alright, they really wanted to know if I was a defect. He politely answered no and then asked for some privacy. I had to have looked odd, neither I looking at the window, nor my classmates around me; and never glanced in Gaelen direction. He held me sat next to me, watching with protective vigilance and hoping for signs that I would snap out of it.

"I heard that they were Rebel Colonist," one student said to another, referring to the piles of bones Professor Windsor desecrated.

"Wow that's scary, they were able to get this close to The Realm," another student responded.

My shoulders tightened with stress but I didn't let the fear in their comments be my focus. If there were rebels and I had to find out who they were and where they are.

"Baby, I am worried about you? Please talk to me." Gaelen begged in a whisper into my ear. He kissed my cheek to try to get me to respond to him. Desperate for me to look at him.

I was numb. I didn't even feel his kiss or his thumb caressing my hand in his. I just pawed the marbles that were still in my hand stuffed in my pocket.

"Wasn't that amazing Gaelen?!" Bane sat up from his seat and stood over ours. Gaelen only shook his head and motioned to me. Bane then slunk back into his chair apologizing.

Bane's comment made me flex my jaw and I felt anger surge through the numbness. I tightened my hands around the marbles as hard as I could and then released it as my hand began to hurt like I was holding a dagger. I pulled my hand out of my pocket and glanced at a long red gash that was sliced into my hand. I wasn't too worried about the deep cut in my hand.

"Fuck, Mouse, what the fuck?! Kiowa damn you tell me what's happening?" he hissed frantically, still careful to not draw attention.

Gaelen wrapped my hand tightly with his scarf to stop my hand from bleeding. His eyes darted around the craft to see if anyone had noticed and then back to me. I still didn't feel anything or care if anyone noticed. I was more astonished by the red glass that had been fused together jaggedly in my hand. I registered Gaelen's coat that he draped across my lap to keep me warm. But I was in shock because I had fused the marbles into one piece of jagged glass with the force of my hand. I had never done that before.

***

Once we returned to campus, stopping in front of the Harvard building, I stormed out of the transport vehicle as fast. I sprinted ahead of Gaelen, my heart pounded hard in my chest, I didnt want to lose it before I was in the safety of privacy.

Gaelen was shouting for me from behind as I pushed people out of my way. I reached the edge of the poppy covered ground and nearly toppled over onto the field. My feet stopped cling to the edge of the poppy field grass lawn. I was not going to crush them with my feet again. Gaelen had caught up to me and I was evaluating my options for escape. I could use the sidewalk but too many people were in the way.

I was fueled by anger, pain, sorrow everything hit me with blasts of focus. With every intake of air, I was hit with another. My braids began to blow in the breeze, but the wind was only hitting me and now one else on the quad. It whipped at me and then Gaelen as he approached me. I thought it was Gaelen having another fit but then I realized it was me.

I turned to the poppies that had been crushed throughout the day by the aliens as if they wanted to continue to crush the spirit of humanity. I flicked my wrist and the poppy flew into the air, allowing me to run across the field. But Gaelen grabbed my waist and with a sharp twist, pulled me into his body. The poppies now swirled around us in a beautiful cyclone of red, speckled with yellows.

"I don't know what happened back there, and I don't care whatever your reasons are. But I love you Kiowa. I love you. Please, don't run away from me," Gaelen pronounced and pulled me into his embrace.

I had never seen him so vulnerable and worried. He was so cocky, confident but now he was concerned and afraid. He painfully crushed his lips into mine with such deep desire and desperation. I could taste his salty tears that hit my lips as he kissed me.

He loved me but how could I explain to him that I was a human. My mind was conflicted. I kept telling me he didn't throw the marbles. Maybe he knew. Maybe he's known for a while that I was human. He did see my dossier, but was he waiting for me to tell the truth. Oh God, what if I tell him and I was wrong. I had to end this now. Before it was too late. His soul would open soon anyways and reveal who he should be with and it won't be mine. I was human.

"I have to go Gaelen," tears streaked my face. "Even in post-Eclipse, I feel there is a line of respect for the dead. I am not being a rebel, I am just listening to my heart."

***

"Kiowa," Maddie interrupted my thoughts. "I have the kettle on, maybe that will settle your stomach."

I gave a soft expression of thanks trying to hide the pain I was feeling. I waited a few more moments in thought before ambling to the kitchen table for tea. I missed tea. It always was so soothing and calming. I wanted to make sure to ask if I could take some with me to school, that is if I did return.

"So how is school?" she looked at me with a gentle smile as she pawed her warm tea mug. For the first time I saw something lighting up behind the faces of Maddie and Ben. It was hope.

"Why don't you and Ben have children?" I headed off her question.

She tipped her tea mug to her lips and then licked them to prepare them for the right, practiced answer. "We are not allowed to have children in this... colony."

"Colony?"

"This is not The Realm, Kiowa. We are in a colony, although no one around here wants to call it that. They are still in denial."

"People in the colony are allowed to have children."

"That is if they survive giving birth to them and the children have parents to care for them. I know what happens in the lower colonies, Kiowa."

"You have doctors here?"

"Yes, but we are not allowed to procreate. Our offspring would pose a threat to The Realm."

"How?"

"We are... were people of privileged and affluent. We were people of privilege pre-Eclipse. We had money, were were in positions of power, we controlled 1% of the world's wealth and we dominated it with a invisible fist. No one really realized the power we really had until it was too late. We had power to shape our futures and everyone's futures but we were greedy. We were blind to who were in our ranks that we thought were one of us. We sent people to fight our wars, scrub our floors and raise our children. They spent everything they earn on our stores and we spent our money on ourselves. We bought from each other that was unattainable to the rest. Unless they sold their soul and future to debt, which we gladly shackled them down with.

We had so much power Kiowa. When the Y'vroi were taking over the world, killing humans left and right, we offered a white flag of surrender. As long as we paid for it, because everything could be bought. We purchased a chance to have something of a normal life. We had money and we were offered the chance to this live while people who had nothing pre-Eclipse still have nothing. But we were foolish, we still end up with nothing as well, nothing of real worth anyway."

I sat in silence taking in what she had told me. I didn't know why she felt the need to tell me, they seemed so secretive the last time I was here.

"Ben is not my husband. My husband lives in another colony of privileged people. He was a Senator and he purchased our tickets that allowed us to live in what looks to the outsider a normal life. But you wouldn't know would you what the world was life pre-Eclipse. You are the new generation. I was forced to be partnered with Ben and my husband forced to marry another woman. You see if they allowed our families to stay together, we would help each other to fight. If we had children, they would be instilled with the principals of entitlement. And that is dangerous to the Y'vori, humans that they aspire and expect to be something can not be subjugated. So we were all sterilized before entering this colony. If you are allowed to stay in a colony like ours, you will be assigned a husband, assigned a job role and you will be sterilized. They won't let you stay in The Realm, Sweetie."

I just pawed my untouched mug of tea in my hands, warming them. I considered all she was saying. My soul felt subjugated. I pressed my tea-warmed hands to my heart that seemed to feel like fire and ice all the time since I turned the marbles to glass.

"You are special Kiowa. This is why I tell you. You are able to be in there with them. Maybe... Maybe..." she let her shoulders fall drastically and slumped a little in her chair losing her usual perfect posture. "I've watched you struggling over there on the couch. I've seen that before, it's a longing in your eyes and the way you clutch your heart. Whoever he is? You will not be able to stay with him. He doesn't know you are human and when he finds out he will only stay with his kind and on his kind's side. Why would he jeopardize everything for love."

"Your husband bought you a pass into this life for love. He took a chance -"

"And he was wrong!" She snapped, "There is really no life for humans post-Eclipse Kiowa. The reason why the streets are empty is because there is no life." Maddie rose to her feet and shuffled out of the room towards the staircase.

***

In the morning, Maddie didn't join us for breakfast. I woke up early because I wanted to cook a thank you breakfast for my hosts. Ben sauntered into the room and hummed as he stretched. A large grin spilled across his face when he saw upon the spread of eggs and turkey pieces I had laid out with fresh cut fruit.

"I am so proud of you Kiowa!" Ben said, "But breakfast makes me even more happy to have you in my home."

"Thanks Ben."

I slide more pieces of turkey from the skillet onto the serving plate and dutifully place on the dinning room table.

"Guess what kiddo. You can call your mom in a few minutes. She should be arriving at your town hall or something like that with your governor. They shipped a phone to your colony last week and one here yesterday."

"Be careful what you say," Maddie startled me as she entered the kitchen and pour a cup of coffee. Her pink and purple terrycloth robe was tightly sashed around her center. Her matching fluffy slippers made her steps stealth like. "They will be listening in, you can bet on that."

Just then the phone rang and I ran to the living room where it originated. I pressed the button and a hologram illuminated out of the phone with my mother.

"Oh baby! Kiowa!" She started to tear up. "I was so worried about you. I miss you so much."

"I miss you too mama." I started to cry as well. She looked like she had aged so much in the short time that I was gone. Her strong body and temperament seemed frail.

"You are going to be able to come home for Christmas, that's what Governor Pion said. How is school? You look like you are as thin as a rail, my girl are you eating?"

"Alien food." My mom raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "It's not that bad, just looks and smells terrible, but their desserts are the best."

"How are classes?"

I told my mom about the lab in the forest and the Festivities. I could see her body turning rigid with sorrow, anger, and loss just as mine had but now I was just numb. I hesitated telling her about Gaelen, just in case They were listening. But they probably knew already so I told her a little bit about him.

"It seems you like this boy?"

"But he doesn't know I am human. I am not for sure he has figured it out, but I am certain that when I get back he will be angry that I stood him up for the Festivities. So whatever was there romantically is probably long dead by now."

I felt bad for leaving Gaelen dateless, but Ben and Maddie were right. I didn't want to see anymore things about how they celebrated Eclipse.

Talking to my mom, made me feel so happy and the lonely feeling that had permeated me had lighted its burden on me a little bit. Earlier, I was afraid of how I was going to have to go home, by walking across the plain again. Now I know what the plain was made of. An endless death march to an unknown point for Pion to pick me up to take me back to the colony was more than formidable.

But after talking to my mom I had to have courage. She ended out the call with wise words from the Civil Rights movement. I didn't miss as beat of my mom's famous style of drawing from the past lest it be destined to repeat itself.

She quoted MLK:

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.

And it was then a plan started to formulate in my head. A plan for a shift.