Chapter 17
Itwas late afternoon when J called it a day, pronouncing this the last stopbefore we reached the city the following day. As soon as all the tents were up,J came to me. “Hey!”
“Hey!”I stood up from a squatting position. Just as I did, he planted a soft kiss onmy lips. My breath locked in my lungs for a moment.
“Wannasee something beautiful?” he asked.
Besideyou? “Yes,J, I’d like to.”
“Come,”he said, smiling, offering me his hand.
Itook his hand. He gently squeezed it once and it felt like the most naturalthing in the world. It felt wonderful.
Peter and Simon were at the camping grounds, the others were nearby.
“Bye,guys! We’ll be back in an hour or so!” shouted J.
“Whereare you off to?” asked Simon.
“Can’ttell you!” said J. Then, looking at me, he continued, “It’s a surprise!”
“Maybeshe already knows, did ya think about that?” Peter grinned.
Jlooked at me, serious now. “Do you know? Have you… seen it?”
Ishook my head, a big smile on my lips. I had no idea what he was talking about,but I thought it was amazing, the way he saw me: just like another Human, ableto be surprised.
Hesmiled back and said, “Good!” And he pushed on.
Afterseveral passes, I realized my sight was starting to get blurry—it was a Vision,wanting to present itself. J’s intentions were so determined that there wasonly one possible projection of the future. The Vision was pushing its way in.
AndI kept blocking it. I focused on the sounds of our feet, on the plants we werepassing, on J’s arm and shoulder, on the subtle movements of the muscles underhis skin.
Hestopped and turned to me. “Now, close your eyes! I will guide you.”
“Mmm…okay…” I said and did what he asked.
Thismade it harder for me to push the Vision away. There was nothing to distract mythoughts.
Excitement. Amazement. And—blue…
No! I don’t want to see it—Iwant to be surprised!
Inmy mind, I pushed away the blue that appeared in front of my eyes and focusedon black. Black room, black floors, black walls, black—undermy eyelids.
TheVision disappeared and I sighed in relief.
Jcontinued walking, slowly guiding me forward, unaware of my inner battle.
Withno visual input, I started focusing on different senses. I could hear the pineneedles cracking under my feet and the birds singing high above us in thebranches. And a sound. A new sound I couldn’t place. Itwas a very regular, deep, background noise, so calm and soothing that I couldalmost ignore it. But, of course, I didn’t. It was new. And I could not findany reference on my nanoprobes.
What is that?
And with the sound came—a scent. It was different, refreshing, and it came carriedby the wind.
I’dnever smelled anything like this before. I moved my head to follow it, openingmy nostrils to take all of it in.
Thedeep rolling sound was now getting louder. It never stopped and the rhythm neverchanged. I was getting even more curious, and my Vision started seeping through.
No! Black!
Andit was gone again.
Irealized we must have come out of the forest, because through my closed eyelids,more brightness shone through. Whatever was before me had that intriguing smellI was sensing before, and it was carried by the wind in a fine spray, like miniaturedrops of rain.
“Nowcan I open them?” I asked.
“Yes.Now,” he said, standing beside me, still holding my hand.
Iopened my eyes and saw something I had never seen in real life before.
Asfar as my eyes could reach, I saw deep blue water, with many white foamy linesparallel to the horizon.
“Oh,the Moons of Senthia! Is that… is that the ocean?” I turned to him, realizinghe wasn’t looking at the water but at me.
“That’sthe ocean,” he said with a huge smile plastered across his face. “I knew you’dlike it.”
Thiswas an amazing moment for me. For some indefinable reason, I felt like crying.Not because I was sad, but because the sight touched me so deeply that thisemotion needed to have some kind of physical release.
Itried hard to fight it, not letting it show. Senthiens would never cry at sucha majestic creation of nature.
Senthienswouldn’t cry at all.
Ilooked at J. He was watching me intently, his expression serious, his headtilted to one side.
“Whydo you think you didn’t get the flu?” he asked abruptly.
Ilooked at him, startled. “I don’t know. I guess I was lucky.”
“Luckhas nothing to do with it. And I think you know it, too.”
“Ido not understand what you mean, J.”
“Look,I don’t know what happened to you in your past to make you so… so closed up.But I would bet that whatever it is, it’s not present here on Earth.”
“Istill do not understand. What are you suggesting?” Automatically, I hid behindmy invisible but unmistakable Senthien wall.
“Justtell me—how do you think you evaded the flu?”
“Whyare you making such a big deal out of it? You didn’t get the flu either!”
“Yes,”he said, his voice deeper with a slight sense of victory behind it, “but I’m Human.” He stressed the last wordintently, looking at me. “I have an innate immunity against it. Humanity hashad it for millennia.”
Myeyes were wide open now, my heart racing, my throatclosed shut.
How does he know? How can he possiblyknow?
Inall of my years of disguise, no one had even come close to discovering my secret.
Jcame closer and took both of my hands in his. Warm orange sunlight drew the mostbeautiful shadows over his neck and shoulders. And for a moment, I forgot whatwe were talking about.
“Youreyes are green. Bright green. I’ve never seen anything like that. Your hair isthick and straight and dark gray. I’ve never seen anything like that, either.But you can cry. You can even smile when you want to.”
Hesmiled, trying to make me smile and confirm his statement.
Iremained serious, though. My whole body was geared to preserve the secret andtell no one—no one—aboutmy true origins.
“Tellme, Dora. How come you evaded the flu?”
Ilowered my gaze to my hands, then sat on the sand, pulled my knees up, andhugged my legs, looking at the place where the sky meets the ocean.
“Myfather… my
