Old school pictures were set aside for Dredge long before I heard of his ridiculous plan. Now with his request, a blanket I assembled from scraps of school uniforms decades ago came to mind. The patchwork blanket meant nothing to my family. Dredge would appreciate the golden threads of my merit badges and the bright green and blue colors we wore for so many years. The nostalgia might bring him the comfort of a simpler time in his last moments alone.
The willful young girl that once loved Dredge with all her heart sat quietly in the back of my mind. The betrayal from those days was still fresh in her mind, and she wanted me to tell Dredge to go to hell. No, you can't have Karine too.
The real world requires diplomacy and sacrifice. My life with Edgar was so fulfilling I put the past out of mind ages ago. As part of the working class, we were free to travel and make choices the original twenty families simply couldn't. My life was better because Dredge married another woman, and perhaps now, Karine's life would be better if she married Jason.
GOLD AND LACE
My grandmother has a fascination with gold. It's a soft metal that looks pretty when polished but holds no real-world application. The evening booklets were gilded with gold monogrammed M's and tiny gold moons. It was something those in her age group would appreciate.
She loves lace as much as I do. A quilt made from various lace scraps she collected over the years and four old books printed on real paper was given to me the night before. The volumes smelled of decay and old leather, but they felt beautiful in my hands.
The day ran past me in a blur of errands and pictures. My time was spent pretending to smile for strangers. I was only home to grab a quick steam, change my clothes, and fix my hair, but I wanted to hide under my new quilt with the old books and read. Maybe the progression towards their death would halt if everyone stopped what they were doing to find me, but there was no time allotted for my escape. Every minute was pre-scheduled.
Hess arrived late last night with a beautiful dark-haired, young woman by his side. It stunned everyone when Hess walked into the house with a guest. The two appeared coupled, but he introduced Nina as his traveling companion. I was doing my best to avoid my second father and his mystery woman. It was easy enough while everyone buzzed around the pair looking for first-hand news from the top of the space elevator.
My evening dress is an ugly pink sheath with bioluminescent sequins and a slightly fluffy pink caplet. To say I don't care for the dress is a wild understatement. It looks childish to me, even the shoes are covered in sequins, but my grandmother loves the outfit. So pink is what I will be wearing.
Five minutes was all that was left. Five minutes until I was to be downstairs and ready to board the transport taking us all to the ceremony. Sitting on the edge of my bed, I looked down at the animated spots of light cast by the sequins and beads encrusted on my shoes. It was all happening tonight, and there wasn't anything I could do to change things.
A knock on the door down the hall from mine caught my attention. I peeked into the hallway just in time to catch a glimpse of my grandmother walking down the hallway towards the stairs. Tripping over my sparkly feet, I grabbed the pink coat off my bed and followed after her into the calm night air.
Cars began arriving outside to take us to the gathering. I found myself shuffled into a car with two of my mother's old friends and Beryl. The women began discussing some new strain of algae that did something they all agreed was extraordinary. Beryl was hanging on their every word. I just nodded and smiled appropriately when the conversation warranted.
My head was dizzy, and my neck was hot. My breath caught low in my chest. The car stopped under the bright golden lights of the event center entrance. The back door opened, and the passengers emptied, taking their obnoxious perfume and high tone banter about the super algae with them.
A cold gust of air rushed into the cabin. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of the crisp night air. When I opened my eyes again, Jason was there. He leaned into the car with his hand out to greet me.
“Come with me, My Lady. The winter formal is this way,” he joked.
“Ugg, this fluffy pink horror is fricking awful looking, isn't it?”
“You look stunning and sparkly—a bioluminescence double punch.”
“I might throw up right here, but I don't think I have eaten anything today.”
“You look great in everything you wear. Take a deep breath and grab my hand. Let's walk in with the rest of your family, and then we'll get you a cold drink.”
Jason was wearing a dark formal suit complete with a gold antique wristwatch and cufflinks. He looked years older like a wealthy businessman here to buy or sell off the township. That feeling in the pit of my stomach started to roll and flutter.
On the back of his hand was a red welt left behind from our melted crayons the night before. The muscles in my face protested as they produced their first genuine smile of the day.
My cold fingers slid across his warm palm, and a wave of peace poured over me. He looked so tall and perfect leading me into the party behind a growing number of family and guests. Refreshments wouldn't be served until after a reading of poems and sharing family history by the hosts. My mouth was dry, and my head buzzed with panic.
Jason took me
