Arcadia Part One Section Seven
The Accident.
7.
For the rest of the day all I could think about was my conversation with Ren and his friends. It was a much-needed change. Before I knew it the bell had rung and the day was over. I had even completely forgotten to hurry and rush out of the school to avoid her.
"Hey Tess! I totally missed you at lunch. What happened to you? Where were you?"
She had startled me. She came out of nowhere and leaned against the lockers next to mine. I already felt exhausted. I had opened my mouth to say something but before I could someone interrupted.
"Hey Jill! Jillian Morgenthau!"
She quickly snatched around, "Yeah?"
"You left this on your desk. Could you be more of a scatter brain?" some girl teasingly called.
I didn't take care to notice. As far as I was concerned she was my much-needed distraction. I quietly shut my locker and ducked down again, disappearing into the crowd. When I rounded the corner I shot off in a sprint. I ran all the way to the Shield lockers and hurriedly punched in my student I.D. The chamber released and presented me my suit and mask. I ripped it out and quickly put it on. I placed my mask on and briskly walked to the check out desk. I impatiently waited in line. I didn't understand what the holdup was. All you had to do was punch in a four digit number. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her come around the corner. She stopped and started to look around frantically. I stood still. Hopefully, if I held my breath I'd be invisible. It seemed to work. The line inched forward and I quickly punched in my number. It registered and I was home free.
I dashed out of the school and ran as far as I could. I ran as far as my legs would take me and collapsed on a bench. My chest felt like it was about to break open and I could feel my heart slam against me. I didn't care. I had escaped my nightmare and my afternoon was getting better and better. Maybe I'd run into Ren and his friends again tomorrow.
"It's such a beautiful day."
I nearly jumped out of my skin. I didn't even realize that I wasn't alone. Heck, I didn't even know where I had run to. I made a quick scan around me and realized I ran down town and landed at a bus stop. Without my knowing my body had carried me to one of my favorite places. I used to come here all the time with my father and people watch. I used to pretend that my father and I were invisible and we had journeyed to an ancient city of secrets and the lost. The cold, ruined buildings and skyscrapers were once great temples that were the shinning pride of a nation that was chosen by the gods. The winding streets and dark alleys gave connection to things new and unknown. The natives didn't know just how powerful and wonderful they could be. It was a place where I belonged yet didn't. I could come here and get swept away for hours.
"It's so beautiful. It's such a shame that I didn't go to the garden."
I looked over and finally took notice to the rat next to me. It was older than me so I felt the need to correct my posture. It didn't take notice of me. It continued to gaze into the distance with the same posture as mine. I realized I hadn't said anything to any of its attempts at conversation nor did I want to. But I decided to indulge it. I was in a good mood. It couldn't hurt and besides it was speaking strangely. It could be interesting.
"The garden? What's that?" I questioned. I didn't realize just how curious I was until I found myself hanging on its every move, impatiently waiting.
It had closed its eyes and slowly, so slowly that it seemed it had been like that all along, a complacent smile crossed its face.
"The breeze, can't you hear it? The rustle of the leaves? Don't you want to feel it greet you with open arms?"
I looked around and saw nothing, just streets and buildings. I didn't understand and yet...I felt a painful pressure in my chest and my eyes began to burn. I swallowed and felt my mouth was dry and a dull lodge in my throat. I couldn't get a hold of myself. My mouth was moving before I even knew what I was going to say.
"What do you see? Please, you have to tell me." I didn't even recognize my own voice. It was weak, broken, and trembling.
The rat suddenly opened its eyes and rose, "A world so picturesque that it swells my heart."
"What!? What do you mean by that!?" I shrieked. I had to catch myself. I had no idea why I was becoming so hysterical. Tears were even pouring down my face. I had no control whatsoever. I looked around and quickly stopped. I was ashamed of my embarrassment. Then suddenly, a dull clicking noise ripped me from my shame. It was an all too familiar sound.
"What are you doing?" I whispered.
The rat didn't answer. It unlatched the last hook and relinquished its helmet. It was a shedding of skin. Like a dragon fly pulling its way out of the mud. I knew it was wrong, I knew I should have protested and stopped her but I couldn't. The words wouldn't come. She dropped her helmet and inhaled as if it were her first breath. She looked to be in her thirties and what a life she lived. It was all there, documented across her face as if they were mystical markings of wisdom earned. She was beautiful. The dull, harsh sound of the zipper followed and with the shrug of her shoulders her Shield collapse to the ground. It was as if I was watching a phoenix reborn. Her crimson hair hung loosely in her clip, clinging to her neck and face from sweat. She was a slender little thing and looked as if she would break with the slightest impact. She slipped her foot out from her boot and stepped onto the disgusting sidewalk, but even the garbage of humanity couldn't defile her. She freed her other foot and took a step forward.
My body reacted before I could. I didn't even realize t had stood until I felt my knees wobble under me. I thought I would collapse but my feet held me fast to the ground. I couldn't say anything. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't shake myself from the trance. The woman, I could tell had already taken effect to the plague. Her eyes became glazed over and her body began to heave violently as she wheezed. Still she continued to walk. My mind screamed for me to stop her, to pull her back from out of the street but I just couldn't move. It was like I had forgotten how. I watched as she walked with her head towards the sky as if she saw something no one else could. The way she stood it seemed as if she was completely oblivious to her own shallow breathing. Tears began to stream down her face and I thought she finally realized her pain but her face was completely at peace.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a hum-v came barreling around a corner with no intentions of stopping. It began to violently blast its horn but it wasn't enough to move her...to move me. I just couldn't...my mind was blank...my body trembled...I couldn't hear a thing. All I could do was stare. As if she had accepted her fate her eyes closed...the wheels screeched...and then...
For the rest of the day all I could think about was my conversation with Ren and his friends. It was a much-needed change. Before I knew it the bell had rung and the day was over. I had even completely forgotten to hurry and rush out of the school to avoid her.
"Hey Tess! I totally missed you at lunch. What happened to you? Where were you?"
She had startled me. She came out of nowhere and leaned against the lockers next to mine. I already felt exhausted. I had opened my mouth to say something but before I could someone interrupted.
"Hey Jill! Jillian Morgenthau!"
She quickly snatched around, "Yeah?"
"You left this on your desk. Could you be more of a scatter brain?" some girl teasingly called.
I didn't take care to notice. As far as I was concerned she was my much-needed distraction. I quietly shut my locker and ducked down again, disappearing into the crowd. When I rounded the corner I shot off in a sprint. I ran all the way to the Shield lockers and hurriedly punched in my student I.D. The chamber released and presented me my suit and mask. I ripped it out and quickly put it on. I placed my mask on and briskly walked to the check out desk. I impatiently waited in line. I didn't understand what the holdup was. All you had to do was punch in a four digit number. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her come around the corner. She stopped and started to look around frantically. I stood still. Hopefully, if I held my breath I'd be invisible. It seemed to work. The line inched forward and I quickly punched in my number. It registered and I was home free.
I dashed out of the school and ran as far as I could. I ran as far as my legs would take me and collapsed on a bench. My chest felt like it was about to break open and I could feel my heart slam against me. I didn't care. I had escaped my nightmare and my afternoon was getting better and better. Maybe I'd run into Ren and his friends again tomorrow.
"It's such a beautiful day."
I nearly jumped out of my skin. I didn't even realize that I wasn't alone. Heck, I didn't even know where I had run to. I made a quick scan around me and realized I ran down town and landed at a bus stop. Without my knowing my body had carried me to one of my favorite places. I used to come here all the time with my father and people watch. I used to pretend that my father and I were invisible and we had journeyed to an ancient city of secrets and the lost. The cold, ruined buildings and skyscrapers were once great temples that were the shinning pride of a nation that was chosen by the gods. The winding streets and dark alleys gave connection to things new and unknown. The natives didn't know just how powerful and wonderful they could be. It was a place where I belonged yet didn't. I could come here and get swept away for hours.
"It's so beautiful. It's such a shame that I didn't go to the garden."
I looked over and finally took notice to the rat next to me. It was older than me so I felt the need to correct my posture. It didn't take notice of me. It continued to gaze into the distance with the same posture as mine. I realized I hadn't said anything to any of its attempts at conversation nor did I want to. But I decided to indulge it. I was in a good mood. It couldn't hurt and besides it was speaking strangely. It could be interesting.
"The garden? What's that?" I questioned. I didn't realize just how curious I was until I found myself hanging on its every move, impatiently waiting.
It had closed its eyes and slowly, so slowly that it seemed it had been like that all along, a complacent smile crossed its face.
"The breeze, can't you hear it? The rustle of the leaves? Don't you want to feel it greet you with open arms?"
I looked around and saw nothing, just streets and buildings. I didn't understand and yet...I felt a painful pressure in my chest and my eyes began to burn. I swallowed and felt my mouth was dry and a dull lodge in my throat. I couldn't get a hold of myself. My mouth was moving before I even knew what I was going to say.
"What do you see? Please, you have to tell me." I didn't even recognize my own voice. It was weak, broken, and trembling.
The rat suddenly opened its eyes and rose, "A world so picturesque that it swells my heart."
"What!? What do you mean by that!?" I shrieked. I had to catch myself. I had no idea why I was becoming so hysterical. Tears were even pouring down my face. I had no control whatsoever. I looked around and quickly stopped. I was ashamed of my embarrassment. Then suddenly, a dull clicking noise ripped me from my shame. It was an all too familiar sound.
"What are you doing?" I whispered.
The rat didn't answer. It unlatched the last hook and relinquished its helmet. It was a shedding of skin. Like a dragon fly pulling its way out of the mud. I knew it was wrong, I knew I should have protested and stopped her but I couldn't. The words wouldn't come. She dropped her helmet and inhaled as if it were her first breath. She looked to be in her thirties and what a life she lived. It was all there, documented across her face as if they were mystical markings of wisdom earned. She was beautiful. The dull, harsh sound of the zipper followed and with the shrug of her shoulders her Shield collapse to the ground. It was as if I was watching a phoenix reborn. Her crimson hair hung loosely in her clip, clinging to her neck and face from sweat. She was a slender little thing and looked as if she would break with the slightest impact. She slipped her foot out from her boot and stepped onto the disgusting sidewalk, but even the garbage of humanity couldn't defile her. She freed her other foot and took a step forward.
My body reacted before I could. I didn't even realize t had stood until I felt my knees wobble under me. I thought I would collapse but my feet held me fast to the ground. I couldn't say anything. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't shake myself from the trance. The woman, I could tell had already taken effect to the plague. Her eyes became glazed over and her body began to heave violently as she wheezed. Still she continued to walk. My mind screamed for me to stop her, to pull her back from out of the street but I just couldn't move. It was like I had forgotten how. I watched as she walked with her head towards the sky as if she saw something no one else could. The way she stood it seemed as if she was completely oblivious to her own shallow breathing. Tears began to stream down her face and I thought she finally realized her pain but her face was completely at peace.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a hum-v came barreling around a corner with no intentions of stopping. It began to violently blast its horn but it wasn't enough to move her...to move me. I just couldn't...my mind was blank...my body trembled...I couldn't hear a thing. All I could do was stare. As if she had accepted her fate her eyes closed...the wheels screeched...and then...
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