Pentimento: a dystopian Beauty and the Beast

by Jace, Cameron

  A few steps farther, Zoe summoned Iris again.

  "What now?" Iris puffed, and turned her head.

  "Mrs. Wormwood's wig isn't going to be glued to her head by the way," Zoe said, waving the tube with the glue in the air. "I switched it so you only pasted some gel on her wig."

  Iris narrowed her eyebrows. So her planned prank didn't work? Damn. But she couldn't be mad. Her friend had done this to save her from punishment. She did that a lot, and Iris loved her for that. Iris shook her head, flashing half a smile, and then turned around again and walked away.

  "You're welcome." Zoe shouted in the back.

  6

  To practice her secret hobby, Iris had to sneak her way out of school, jumping over the electrocuting security fence guarded by two robot guards. Iris needed help so she had to call Cody Ray, Colton's nerdy younger brother, and total opposite. She'd met him sneaking out of school a day after Eva's Call. Cody was a year younger than Colton, a wannabe hacker, and the curious type. Like Iris, he wasn't content with The Second. The two outcasts clicked and became friends instantly. Zoe had accused Iris of only becoming friends with Cody as a stepping stone to his brother. Iris thought the idea was ridiculous, even though she still dreamt about that look she shared with Colton. In fact, Colton's eyes were Iris's only savior from Eva's mouthed words in her nightmares. The Beasts might have ruled her world, but never her dreams.

  Cody was a 1st rate introvert. He was occasionally bullied--behind Colton's back of course. Colton, coming from a rich family, had never been the fighting type. He was good-looking, well-dressed, and too well-mannered to use his fists. No one was going to come near him anyways.

  “Cody,” Iris said firmly on the phone. She didn't want him to think she liked him. Nerdy boys fell in love like moths to a flame. Besides, she liked Colton. A lot.

  “What’s up, Beauty,” he yawned.

  “I told you not to call me Beauty,” she snapped. She wore her hood of her jacket up over her head and stood behind the tree near the fence. She had about two minutes before the robot guards could locate her. The robots were changing shifts, and she only had a two-minute gap until the newer ones showed up. Cody had told her about this incredible loophole in the system--it had boggled her mind the first time she heard about it; why would robots change shifts? It wasn't like they got tired like humans. “Why aren’t you in school, Cody?” she said.

  “Because I'm in bed,” he almost snored. “Sleeping my day away.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Iris whispered, her eyes darting around. “I am all about skipping school. But if you sleep your day away, what will you do all night by yourself?”

  “I love it when everyone else is asleep and I'm the only one awake. You know I'm not quite fond of people,” Cody said. “Could you leave me be now. I was dreaming there was no one left in the world but me and the Beasts, and I was fighting them.”

  Iris smiled. The dude was definitely different, and interesting.

  “I need your help, Cody. I have so little time,” she said. “Get me out of school. Can you hack the fence’s program, so I can climb it without frying like a stupid mosquito?”

  “I know the hack, but I could go to jail for this,” Cody’s voice pitched. He wasn’t going to sleep his day away anymore. “Why do you keep doing stuff like that?”

  “Stuff like what?” Iris said nonchalantly. “I'm just ditching school. Now hurry, you lazy beast. The robots should appear any second.”

  “Alright, alright,” Cody puffed. “You know why I'm helping you this time?”

  Iris could hear him working his magic on his computer already. “Because I’m irresistible,” she mocked him--and herself. “Now hurry. What’s taking you so long?”

  “No, dummy,” he joked. “Because you don’t care about being caught by the robot guards. If they catch you, you'll be punished, but it doesn’t concern you a bit. All you worry about is not being able to do what you want to do. I like that.”

  “I like that too, actually,” she considered, although she’d never analyzed it. She just did what she felt like doing, without worrying about what others thought of her.

  “Here you go, Beauty,” Cody said.

  Iris heard him press the enter button on his computer. The fence’s buzzing sound died. It was safe for her to climb up.

  “But that’s the last time I'll help you with this. If the Council finds out, me, and my family, will be toast.”

  “If you’re so keen about your family, why are you hacking the system in the first place?” Iris growled, climbing the fence.

  “I don’t know why I do it, Iris. I just do.”

  “But I know why you do it,” she thudded on the grass on the other side of the fence. “Because like me, you have questions. Only you don’t care about the Beasts. You care about our history before the Beasts. You want to know how humanity ended up ruled by some aliens we call the Beasts, which can’t even see. You want to know about what really happened to the The First United States."

  “I’m going to buzz it back now,” Cody said, neglecting her assumptions. She hated when he did that. Cody was the only one who shared her passion, but he was still conservative about it. It was like he had limits he wouldn't cross. And it was understandable, considering his family tree.

  Iris heard the buzz return as the guards appeared behind the fence. Although they couldn't harm her, they were going to report her to the police who'd be looking for her soon.

  “Thanks, Cody,” she said. “I'll hang up now. I’ve got some running to do.”

  “Wait,” Cody pleaded. “Where are you going?”

  “I thought you wanted to sleep your day away."

  “That was because it was going to be a boring day. You seem to have an adventure ahead,” he said. “I’m curious about the reason you’re escaping school. Where are you heading?”

  “You won’t like it."

  “Oh,” Cody said. Iris heard him shrug on the phone and the sound of him slumping in his chair. “To the Ruins?”

  “Yes.” There wasn’t the slightest hint of hesitation in her voice. “And don’t give me that crap about it being a forbidden place."

  "I won't, Beauty," he said. "I'm just curious. You told me you haven't been there for about three months. Why now?"

  "I guess I need something to distract me from thinking about Eva," she swallowed. "I believe the Ruins hold the answers to why the Beasts are doing this and who they are. I told you about it before. Remember?"

  “You mean the Pentimento?” Cody sighed. The words sounded scary on his lips.

  "Yes."

  "The possible answer to how the world came to be messed up like this,” he mumbled.

  “I have to run now. Do you want to come?”

  Cody didn't answer. Iris could hear him breathing heavily on the phone. Sometimes, she thought he was the kind of boy who loved to ask questions, but was afraid of knowing the answer.

  "Cody?" Iris stopped in her tracks. It was as if Cody suddenly disappeared, without hanging up. "Come on, Cody," she insisted. "Don't waste my time. I don't like reluctant people. Either you want to risk coming with me to learn who the Beasts really are, or not."

  "Is this Pentimento really the answer?" a voice asked in the phone. It was a calm voice, a bit shattered and worn out, but grounded. It was as if it belonged to someone strong and confident, but with a broken heart. It was Colton's voice.

  Iris's eyes widened and her throat went dry once she recognized it. Was this what she'd hoped for, that her interaction with Cody would lead her to meet Colton? But wait. He wanted to come with her to practice the Pentimento? Why would he want to do this?

  "Answer me," Colton demanded, then stopped for a moment. She heard him ask Cody what her name was. "Iris," he said. "Your name is Iris, right?"

  "Yes." she said, hating how weakened she sounded all of a sudden.

  "If I come with you to the Ruins, is it possible that I might learn what happened to Eva?" he said.

  "I don't promise a
nswers," she said. "But I'm sure it's a step closer to the truth."

  "Wait up," Colton said without hesitation. "I'm coming to meet you."

  7

  “The Ruins are behind the Great Wall,” Iris said to Colton, who was trying to catch up with her energetic walking. Iris preferred to have Colton behind her. She didn't want him to see it in her eyes how much she liked him. When he first arrived, he hadn't even remembered her. He hadn't remembered that most amazing moment of eye-locking before Eva's death. Iris thought it was natural. She was always kind of invisible to him, and who was she kidding? They had that moment right before his girlfriend received the Call to death. Nothing he would really want to remember.

  “What?” Colton stopped. Iris had to turn around and face him. His black hair dangled down over his forehead, as he lowered his head down to talk to her.

  “We don't really have the advantage to slow down," Iris said, taking a deep breath, and forgetting she was talking to Colton. “We shouldn't spend a lot of time in the Ruins, or the Slugs who live there could hurt us.”

  "Slugs?" he wondered.

  Of course, Iris thought. Colton was no different from the other citizens who'd never heard about the Ruins, or the outlaws who lived in it.

  “I don’t care about any slugs, whoever they are,” Colton followed.

  "Then why do you look so confused?" She noticed the sparkling in his eyes had faded. Colton was grieving Eva's departure, but he was too proud to show it.

  “You never told me the Ruins are behind the Great Wall. No one’s supposed to go there.” Colton remarked.

  “Nothing of what we're about to do is going to be legal. It's one of the drawbacks of hanging out with me.” Iris really wanted to make an impression, and she was filled with nerves about hanging out with him. But she wasn't going to change who she was for him. She wondered if it was even legal to have a crush on Colton while he was freshly mourning Eva.

  “I haven't really thought about it," Colton said, a shade of sadness veiling his voice. This was a lesser Colton than the one her eyes had stalked all year long. "But I guess if the Ruins hold the secrets you're going to show me, it has to be behind the Great Wall. You're aware that this wall protects The Second from whatever danger lies outside, right?"

  "It's also the only place that still has buildings made of brick, stone, and wood," Iris thought she'd pique his curiosity, "instead of this metallic world we live in."

  “There are no buildings built of brick and wood anymore,” Colton grimaced, lifting his head at the fortress of silver buildings behind them. She watched him take in her note, and see how dull the world around them looked. Shiny, but dull. "The Council has destroyed any of those ancient constructions built in The First United States."

  "As long as you're with me, let's forget about anything they told you in school." Iris rather bragged. “I know you're used to believing the Council. It's time to open your eyes and realize we're living in a fortress prison called The Second United States. The Ruins are outer limits, and forbidden because they are the only place that has evidence of The First." Iris stepped closer, trying her best not to be affected by his manly scent. "There are real plants in the Ruins."

  "That's impossible," Colton said. “The Earth’s soil doesn't produce plants, nor crops. Thanks to the Council, they invented ways to grow crops in houses with no soil needed."

  "You're still thinking of the Council." If she wasn't talking to Colton, she'd have pulled her hair and yelled. Funny how she couldn't tell someone she liked how stupid they were. "There are real buildings in the Ruins, and there are even real animals. I guess you'll have to see it yourself to believe it.”

  “Cody says you're smart," Colton rubbed his chin. She couldn't tell if Colton was impressed or annoyed with her. "Should I trust him?"

  "Forget about Cody," she took another confident stride closer to him. "I'm Iris. I'm here in front of you. You shouldn't rely on anyone else's judgement. Either you're courageous enough to cross the line, or you're not."

  "You're practically saying that crossing over to the Ruins, I might not come back." Colton said. A flick of admiration finally flashed in is eyes. Iris hoped she wasn't wrong about it. This was definitely admiration, right? And not because of my beauty, but because of me being just me.

  “You want to know what happened to Eva or not?" she challenged him. "I've crossed before. About ten times so far. Can you?”

  That flash of admiration sparkled again in his eyes. This time, he glanced at her from top to bottom. “How is it possible to even cross the Great Wall?” Colton said, looking over her shoulder at it. They were near enough to see the Great Wall in the distance; a construction disguised in some hologram technology, making it look like a sky in the distance, so it didn't hurt anyone’s eyes or make citizens feel imprisoned from afar. In fact, the Great Wall had been everywhere in The Second all along. Whenever you saw a far away mirage you couldn't reach, it was nothing but the Great Wall. A deception to the eyes. The Council had their robot androids securing the Great Wall a mile ahead of it. They blocked anyone from passing through; protecting it, and protecting citizens from it. It was illegal to cross over under any circumstances. The robots had license to kill. Citizens of The Second had been obedient in general, except for a group who claimed they were the new revolution. They were always hunted down, only tens of them left scattered and uncaught--yet--probably hiding in the Ruins.

  “All we have to do is cross the guards,” Iris smirked.

  "And how are we going to do that?"

  "We won't," Iris said. "There is a building at the corner of the street," she pointed at a bakery called the Barnum Bakery nearby. "The woman who owns it has a tunnel underneath that leads to the Ruins. Whenever you want to go there, you can use it. I'll introduce you."

  "And why would that woman expose her life to such danger?" Colton asked.

  "She is part of the revolution," Iris said.

  "There is a revolution?"

  "Of course there is," Iris sighed. Most people didn't know about it. "When society is full of nonsense like ours, when the government makes decisions people don't approve of and tells you that you have voted for those same decisions, sooner or later there will be a revolution."

  "And I assume you're part of it," Colton said.

  "Not at all." Iris laughed. "I'm just an ordinary girl who wants to know why she is subject to being taken by the Beasts. That's all. Once I know why and do something about it, I will sleep better at night. Maybe find a Prince Charming first, and then sleep better at night." She rolled her eyes. Part of it was at her attempt at flirting, and the other part, to cover up the fact that she actually was flirting with Colton.

  "I'd like to know what happened to Eva, so I can sleep better at night too," Colton mumbled, staring at some invisible nowhere.

  Iris squeezed his hand and shot him a sympathizing look. It was a true gesture. She might not have liked Eva, but she felt guilty about her being taken, after she had wished it herself. It was ironic that Colton and Iris were here together because of Eva.

  Iris squeezed his hand again, and they began walking toward the bakery. His hand felt warm and strong, and so did her heart. She hadn't told him yet about Eva's words.

  8

  “What the heck is that?” Colton squinted at the shady Ruins.

  Iris knew his infatuation with the tunnel and the Barnum Bakery hadn't withered yet, but the darkened Ruins beyond made his heart skip a beat. The sky above him was purplish, with a feeble sun trying to pass its orange hues through the thick layers of gray clouds. Hell, he doubted the sun was even there behind it. It was as if there was some kind of fire in the sky, one that had only been put out recently. All kinds of smoke swirled around them as they walked through the old and abandoned buildings. The Ruins smelled like ashes left in the rain.

  “Welcome to the Ruins,” Iris said. Her gaze was cautious and alert. She knew of the dangers lurking in every corner. She had never encountered a slug, a dangerous animal, or
even a revolutionist. But she’d heard them so many times. There was always this feeling that she was being watched in here. That’s why she preferred to go back before sunset, when the place dimmed from shades of gray to obscurely dark. “This is the world as it might have been before The Second. In your terms, this is probably The First.”

  “Do you really think this is the old world before the Beasts arrived?” Colton’s mouth was left agape. He couldn’t stop walking around and touching things, and taking pictures with his camera. Like Iris expected, whoever entered the Ruins was immediately entranced by the brick, stone, and wooden buildings.

  “What else would it be?” Iris pulled him toward the building she wanted to go to. A place where she could practice the Pentimento.

  “So the Beasts aren't the bad guys after all," Colton said. Iris shot him a worried look. "I mean, maybe the world was in Ruins and the Beasts saved us from it, like they always tell us in school. The Beasts designed a brand new place for us to live in, and we should be thankful.”

  "How could you say that?" Iris frowned.

  “It's the most plausible explanation," Colton said. "Look at this horrible place."

  A limping dog showed from behind a far wall. He looked thin and scruffy. Colton looked worried. She knew he'd never seen a real dog before. Dogs in The Second looked too good, with fair skin and hair. They didn't even drool, because they weren't real dogs. Only one of the Beasts’ many inventions. You could even buy a dog that didn't bark or poop, if you so wished.

  "It won't hurt you if you leave it be." Iris said.

  "You've been bragging about this place having real animals. But they're deformed and ill. Look at him. I wouldn’t want him in my world, and I should thank the Beasts for that. And you said you saw real plants? I bet they are as ugly as that." Colton pointed at a single green plant, barely making it out of the black soil covering the ground. It was full of fungus and weeds. "Is this the kind of plants you're talking about? And look at this soil. Would you eat something grown in here?" he sighed, staring at the darkened sky again. "What have our ancestors done to this place?"