What hit me next was the total silence. No footsteps behind me, I was utterly alone. This is what I had begged for, to be allowed to go home. Now I was climbing a seemingly endless wall for the privilege of walking an entire day in the open sun. I began to panic, and second, guess my choices.
I remembered my father teaching me to ride my bike in the fresh evening air under the golden streetlights. Focus, he would say. Focus ahead and let your feet move the peddles at their speed. The thought of sitting in the shade with a snack, and my canteen helped me push towards the top.
Focus and move, I told myself.
Pulling myself over the wall was the hardest part so far. After scraping and smashing my hands, it was painful to pull my weight over the edge. Once I made it over, I rolled on my back and looked up at the sky. My leg muscles burned, and my gloved hands throbbed with each beat of my heart.
The dawn was rising, purple ribbons of light still hung over the old seabed. In the opposite direction, gold skies melted into the dark blue horizon hanging over the city. Even the sky was different between the two worlds. I took off my gloves and found some salty jerky and a cookie from my pack. There was a note taped to the bundle of jerky.
Stick to your path and live.
I wasn't sure who had supplied me with the timely advice, but I screamed obscenities into the night air with all the strength I had left in my lungs. I didn't want to leave the simple life Zeke's family offered me. I didn't want to live without Jason either. They each lived under a different sky and under a different set of rules.
Zeke was fighting to protect his clan while Jason was planning genocide. One direction was purple, and the other was gold. The sun seemed to hang in the heavens waiting for me to choose. I shook out my gloves and shoved the last bit of jerky in my mouth. I attached the canteen to my belt, secured my hood and gloves, and set my first walking timer of the day.
I yelled towards the sun. “Gold! I choose gold.” The sun rose, and blinding light rushed across the sky.
I walked into the unforgiving light, checked my compass, and headed towards the city. There were deep drops and jagged edges all along my route, just as Chip promised. My first alarm chimed as I was going to give up and look for shade. I found a tall rock formation that cast a heavy shadow on the ground and set myself down to rest. Half my water was gone, but I still had plenty of food.
The power light on my commerce bracelet had been lit for over an hour. I was hoping someone saw my signal. Exhausted and covered in sweat, I set my timer, four hours, nestled my body against the rock, and fell asleep.
When I woke, I could hear the far-off hum of a large engine. People were walking around. The rising heat made them look like blurry stick figures dancing on the sand. I gathered my gear and moved cautiously towards the group.
It wasn't until I saw Jason with his animated arms flailing in the distance that I let myself walk away from the protective shadows and into the open sun. I waved my arms at the group.
Soon after the blades of helicopters tossed rocks and sand in every direction, I knelt in the dirt and tried to protect myself from the wind. At some point, I think I passed out. Hess was the first person I saw. My father was right beside him. I looked around, but I didn't see Jason.
“Hess, is that really you?” I asked
“Yes, baby girl. We are here. Dad's here too.”
“Jason. Where is he? I saw him walking towards me.”
“No, Jason's not here. He's on his way back home. He will be at the house in a few hours. He's fine.” My father explained.
“But I just saw him standing with the others.”
“Sleep, Kar. We'll be home soon.” Hess pulled my gloves off and was inspecting the ring on my left hand.
“Where's Dredge, I need to talk to him right away. They gave me their water. Don't let anyone bomb the settlement.”
“What are you talking about, Kar?” Hess asked.
“Water. He gave me the coordinates. There is so much water I was swimming in it.”
“Who gave you water Kar?” My father asked.
“Noah gave me their water site. They are moving west and don't need it anymore.”
“I've heard about this type of religious brainwashing. Noah is a biblical figure. Noah and the floods? I think she may be delirious.” Hess explained.
I pulled myself up to my father's ear. “Daddy, I know about the meteor heading our way and the Eaton's help and all the lies they have told us about the Reds. I know where there is water. I need to talk to Dredge.” My father nodded in agreement and began typing a message to Dredge on his communicator.
“Your sister is marrying into the Eaton family and providing them an heir. Mrs. Eaton is friends with Dredge. They helped Beryl find you today.” My father explained.
“You know that's not a coincidence, Daddy.” I could feel the exhaustion and relief silence my mind.
I needed to sleep more than I had ever needed it before in my life. My father wore a grimaced look of worry on his face. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it.
“I'm okay. I'm not hurt. I'm just so tired.”
RE ENTRY
“You too, daddy? Would I be worthless or different somehow if I had been?”
“No, there is no misplaced
