“Take it easy,” I say trying to settle him by sitting him down again. “How do you know?”
“This guy – he’s a veteran in our cult – he knows all about the shipping. He saw the loading dock. He also told me that some people are put on a shortlist for shipment when they go to the Psych Centre.” Then he cups my chin with his hand and looks me in the eyes. “When I came to visit you someone left your chart. That’s when I saw a red shipment stamp on it.”
I’m speechless for a split second and just about to respond when we hear the sound of footsteps walking along the hallway and I realize I’ve left the filter room door open.
Sometimes fear is so real you can taste it. Your heart pumps so fast it feels like it could jump right out of your mouth. Junius flattens himself against the wall and pulls me in close against him – so close I can bury my face into the warm scent of his shirt and hear his heart beating overtime through the thin cotton.
The footsteps slow down outside the door and come to a sudden halt as if someone’s standing there wondering who could be around at this time. I draw in a deep breath and Junius puts his hand over my mouth as the door squeaks slowly open and someone steps inside. It’s so dark we can’t make out who it is, but I’m aware of Junius beginning to slide down the wall and I follow him until we’re huddled in a tiny dark corner behind the giant filter pump.
The person looks around in the dark for a few seconds then there’s a snapping sound and the bluish beam of a flashlight sweeps around the room. My whole body is frozen with terror. I know we shouldn’t be here sneaking around like this, but it’s the image I see in the glare of the flashlight that sends icy fingers down my back. The man’s face is like no other face I’ve seen. The skin is greyish and etched with lines sharper than the wrinkles on my water-soaked fingertip. Loose folds of skin hang above the squinty eyes and at the sides of the thin slash of a mouth. His hair is grey and wispy under a ragged cap. I look at Junius and see that his eyes are as wide as mine in the darkness. We hold our breath for as long as we can. Praying whoever this is – he’ll go away but just as it looks like he’s turning to go he seems to miss a step and trips over some loose tools. There’s a huge thud and he falls flat on his face. Silence. We’re almost choking for breath and then the moaning starts - a pitiful, whining sound like a wounded animal.
“We have to help him.” whispers Junius.
“Are you sure? He’s not one of us.” I say in a panic.
“Doesn’t matter. He’s hurt.” He takes my hand and pulls me up. “Let’s go.”
I trust Junius so much I’d follow him anywhere so we get up and creep towards the figure lying twisted on the floor. When we stand over him we see how small and frail he is – like a bag of bones, his head turned to the side. And he does the strangest thing. He tries to cover his face with his hands and whimpers – like he doesn’t want us to look at him.
“Are you hurt?” says Junius, reaching a hand down to him but he squirms and tries to push his face into the floor.
“He’s an old person,” I whisper. “Lynette told me about them.”
Junius squats down so he’s closer. “We won’t hurt you. We want to help you.” He reaches his hand out and the old man grasps it with his own dry, wrinkled claw. I grab his other arm that feels strangely dry and bony and we pull him upright. But no sooner do we have him on his own two feet, he grabs his flashlight and makes a dash for it. I’m stunned. I thought Lynette said old people moved slowly.
“Follow him,” says Junius and we dash out into the hallway to see him running along towards the back wall. He takes a sudden sharp turn right at the corner and we run to catch up but when we get there and take the same turn there’s no sign of him. We stand there panting.
“Where did he go?” I say, looking everywhere for a clue.
“He can’t have disappeared into thin air so there must be a hidden way out of here. Let’s look,” says Junius feeling his way along the wall.
I walk around testing the floor with my foot, tapping for hollow sounds. I find something – a place where the sound goes deeper. “Here,” I whisper. “There’s something under here.”
Junius tests it with his foot. “Underground – typical.”
I’m puzzled. He must know something I don’t. “There has to be a door somewhere here but I can’t see it.”
Junius stands there for a moment thinking when there’s a sudden burst of noise as the after-supper crowd starts to drift into the pool area. Swimming time’s started and we have to leave. Junius grabs my hand. “I need to get my robe. It’s best if we don’t leave together.”
I feel a loud thudding in my ears and realize it’s my heart. “What if they take me tonight?” I say, almost choking.
“Stay out – with other people – try not to be alone – I’m working on a way to get you out of here so meet me at the IDunaCult headquarters tomorrow morning.”
With that he’s gone and I’m left alone - missing him already. I head out of the darkness into the big open pool area. Tonight deep crimson lights illuminate the water and I could swear everyone’s swimming in a huge pool of blood. I shiver and head towards the door.
I need time to think through everything that’s happened tonight but first I have to check on Chale and see if he got back safely.
6
Chale lives in Beachside, the complex with the ocean theme. It’s all blue and white and gold – a little more tasteful than mine - though there are plenty of plastic seagulls, anchors and strings of seashells hanging everywhere. The recorded sounds of seabirds crying and waves crashing on shore plays from speakers planted in the fake sand dunes. There’s even a wave pool that’s popular with the school kids. They come every weekend with their teachers for a day spend dodging the electrically generated waves. Somehow I can’t remember any of that kid stuff. It’s way back somewhere in that fog of time past. I can’t even recall living in a dorm with other children or being cuddled by a carer. Maybe those are the memories they erase in the Psych Centre.
I’m feeling so spooked tonight I take the stairs instead of the elevator. It’s really quiet in the residential hallways. Everyone’s out having a good time. That’s what we all do until we get selected for shipment. But now I know the truth it feels like I can never enjoy myself again.
I shudder, turn the corner to Chale’s unit, and immediately hear voices. Flattening myself against the wall I peer around the corner. Chale’s door is open and Hogan and Sulia have their arms around each other as they leave. They head in the other direction, stopping for a moment to get into a mad clinch up and kiss each other so passionately it looks like Hogan’s sucking Sulia’s face off. Then she tosses back her raven hair, giggles and they turn the corner to the elevator.
I wait for the sound of doors swishing closed and then tiptoe out into the hall. Strange - Chale’s door is unlocked so I slip inside.
His room is deep blue with a beautiful mural of a beach on one wall. He painted it the year after becoming a Keener. It’s so detailed with striped umbrellas, bright beach towels and all kinds of sea creatures. There are even surfers that look like Yul and Jolyon and, as I look more closely, there’s a girl in a pink bikini with a blonde pixie cut that looks just like me. She’s strolling by the shore with a tall, dark-haired guy that looks just like Chale. My heart lurches and seems to stick in my throat. I look across to the bed and see Chale lying there eyes closed, his arm thrown back across the pillow and his hair fanned out like a black cloak.
Hogan and Sulia must have just brought him back. I wonder why he’s so out of it – if they drugged him or something. I lean in closer to see if he’s breathing or if there’s any sign of injury and – lightning fast - a hand reaches out, grabs my arm and pulls me down onto the bed. Before I know it I’m eye to eye with Chale and he’s laughing so hard his whole body’s shaking.
“Got you exactly where I want you now, Miss Paige,” he says propping himself up on one elbow and smiling down at me. “And I must say I like it.”
I put both hands on his chest and push him so hard he rolls over onto the floor, then I vault over his body and stand astride him. “Now who’s laughing, smartass.”
He’s still laughing. I can’t help noticing how warm his laughter is. “Just having a bit of fun,” he says, struggling to get up.
“I was worried about you,” I say, reaching out a hand to help him up. He takes it and immediately yanks me down onto the floor with him. We collapse into a writhing heap with me wrestling to get away and him laughing and holding on. Finally exhausted, I give up and lie back on the floor panting and contemplating the gull paintings on the ceiling. “Nice work,” I say, breathing hard.
“I’m glad you were thinking about me,” he says, mopping my sweaty forehead with a tissue. “Makes me feel a bit less lonely.”
I’ve never heard Chale talk like this before. He’s always Mr. Popular – girls hanging around him, fans adoring him, friends everywhere. “You’re the last person I thought of as lonely.”
“That’s all outside stuff,” he says looking right at me. “It’s inside here where there’s true loneliness.”
He touches his heart as he says it and I sit up and shake him by the shoulders. “That sounds like the corniest song lyric ever,” I say, waiting for the inevitable laugh but instead I’m shocked when a tear starts to trickle from the corner of his eyes. “Hey, cut that out,” I say. “You’re gonna make me believe you.”
His face starts to look desperate. “Paige – let’s go out somewhere. I need to get something off my mind – just have a good time or something.”
Now I’m getting scared. “What happened to you this afternoon, Chale? You have to tell me.”
“Not right now,” he says, wiping his arm across his eyes. “I don’t want to think about it – at least not tonight.”
“I can’t believe you’re getting all sentimental on me Chale. You’re the most enthusiastic Keener around.”
He pulls himself up. “Let’s go find the others.”
I get myself upright and straighten out my hair and shirt. “Are you gonna tell me what happened?”
“Maybe if I have enough AcaiBrew. You’ll just have to come along and find out.” He holds out a hand to me and I have no choice but to follow. It’s going to be a long night but it’s all part of unraveling this great big mess I’m living in and hopefully finding a way out of it.
The Bay Beach Club is one of the hottest clubs of the moment. That’s how things go here. Someone – I don’t know who – decides where all the action is and that club is just packed for the next little while until some other person decides it’s totally boring. Usually when clubs go out of favour they close up and a few days later reopen looking completely different – with new furniture, fixtures and food to go along with a brand new theme - ready to join in the popularity contest again. I’ve had friends who were decorators and that’s all they do – go from one club and restaurant to another, designing club interiors. Somehow there’s always plenty of money and supplies to do it though they never know where it comes from.
There’s a huge swimming pool in the centre of The Bay Beach Club and all around it are tiki huts with grass roofs, tables with striped umbrellas and candles inside seashells scattered all over. White lights decorate the trees making it one of the prettiest interiors I’ve ever seen.
It’s packed tonight as usual. Most people come here in swimsuits so I’m definitely overdressed in my jeans and shirt but Chale pulls me into the Beach Store and chooses a pink bikini with a little frill on the bottom half then presents it to me. “Just like the mural,” he says, eyes wide and pleading.
I look at him puzzled. “What’s come over you today? You’re acting so – so – sentimental.”
“Please – just wear it,” he says. “For me.”
There’s something that scares me about the way he’s gazing at me – something final – like it’s the last time we’ll be together. Which is quite possible. Someone could just snatch me up and take me away for shipment. So why not have the best time ever? I think and take the bikini. “OK – just for tonight,” I say and he immediately brightens up like a child getting a new toy he’s been begging for. I always forget Chale’s still a recent Keener. But he wasn’t acting like one earlier.
When I come out of the change room he’s already wearing these deep turquoise beach shorts. Something strange comes over me and I do a little twirl to show off the frill.
“You look beautiful,” he says. “Like you’re made of pink sugar.”
Chale does have a way with words. That’s what all the girls seem to like about him. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” I say and it’s true. He has one of those long, lean bodies and natural golden skin. We’re caught for a moment in this weird, long glance and I feel my heart pounding in my ears. The moment is interrupted suddenly by the sound of Yul’s voice yelling above the other partiers.
“Hey Chale – you jerk – we’ve been waiting for you.”
We spot him sitting poolside with Jolyon and the two girls. “C’mon,” says Chale. “Let’s join them.”
Borna, dressed in a polka dotted bikini is lounging beside Jolyon, ruffling his curls while Yul is basically wrapped around Edelia who’s stunning in a deep cherry bikini that matches her lips. When I walk up with Chale, Borna narrows her eyes as if she’s weighing me up. “You slipped away pretty quickly from the restaurant,” she says. “Now I know why.”
“I had to meet someone,” I say.
Chale tugs at my arm. “Who – who did you have to meet?”
“Just an old friend from the elementary school,” I say. “Haven’t talked to him for a while.”
“Not Junius?” says Chale with a panicky look in his eyes.
I nod.
“I thought that guy had joined the Crazy Cult,” says Yul.
“Stay away from those weirdoes,” says Yul. “They’re troublemakers.”
“He’s right, Paige,” says Chale, touching my shoulder and making me shiver. “Don’t get mixed up with them.”
I feel confused, unsure who to trust. “Hey – enough serious stuff,” I say, forcing a smile. “Let’s have some fun.”
A few AcaiBrews later we’re jumping into the pool in a human chain, then I’m sitting on Chale’s shoulders and we’re playing chicken fight with the others. When I fall headfirst into the water he scoops me up, puts his arm around my waist and sweeps me into the air. I find myself squealing with laughter and wishing I could always feel like this – wishing those nagging questions didn’t make me miserable all the time. I ask myself – what’s wrong with enjoying myself tonight or having fun forever? Then I remember the shipment stamp on my chart so I down the rest of my AcaiBrew and do my best party trick – walking on my hands along the poolside rail with my eyes closed. When I somersault off the other end into Chale’s arms I think how amazing he looks with his hair all wet and slick, the braid a shiny rope hanging down his back.
I’m sucking back another MojoCoconut and watching the lights twinkle when I realize I’ve forgotten Junius’s warning. I put the glass down and see that Chale’s bringing me another. Jolyon and Yul have left already with the girls to look for something to eat and the music is soft and low.
“Tonight’s been great,” he says, putting the glass down beside me. “I’ve never seen you have so much fun.”
“I can’t lie – it was pretty great,” I say, scooping the whipped cream from the drink and licking it from my finger.
“You always look kind of sad then next minute you do something totally crazy and unexpected,” he says. “That’s why I like you so much. You’re more real than anyone I’ve met – you don’t put on an act.”
“I guess that’s another way of looking at chronic depression,” I say.
“And you’ve got a sense of humour,” he says, clinking my glass. It’s kind of sarcastic but I like it.”
“By the way – your song – I mean Ray and Tania’s song – was amazing,” I say, wondering
why I’ve waited this long to tell him.
His face seems to close up. “I’m not sure I want to talk about that.”
“But you did it – you finished it like you always promised. They would’ve been proud of you.” I touch his arm and try to bring him back.
“I’ve been warned, Paige,” he says leaning close to me. “Hogan and Sulia told me. When you cause a big stir here you’re put on some list.”
“How do they know?” I ask. “I’ve never heard of anything like that.” I know I’m lying but I don’t want to alarm him.
“There’s a lot of secret stuff that goes on here behind the scenes. They just told me to keep my eyes open. You don’t think we’re all here in this place just to have fun. Do you?”
“I try not to think about it,” I say, trying hard to reassure him but it all sounds so hollow.
“You don’t fool me Paige,” he says, tracing the line of my cheek with one finger. “I know when you’re only telling half the truth. You spend every minute of the day wondering what’s on the other side of these walls.”
Suddenly for no reason I can identify, I feel very protective of him. “Whatever happens - I promise you, Chale, I’ll always look out for you.”
“That feels good to know,” he says. “And now I’m so tired I feel an overwhelming need to crash. I’ll walk you back to your place first.”
We cross the bridge that links Beachside to Tropikis Centre and soon we’re back with the fake parrots and palm trees again.
It’s time they overhauled this section,” he says, laughing at a parakeet that’s hanging upside down from its plastic perch. And when a rubber coconut bounces off a tree nearly knocking him on the head we both crack up. It’s then that I spot Junius heading from the elevator in our direction. He must’ve come by to visit me. I pull Chale behind a palm tree but I’m sure Junius spots me out of the corner of his eye. Whether he does or not he keeps on walking and I breathe a deep sigh of relief.
The Forever Ones (The Iduna Project) Page 4
