the mirror. “Can you cut my hair?”
***
When Airy passed a group of girls on her way to class, one of them called out, “What are you, a witch?” The other girls looked fearful, moving off the walkway.
“What do you mean?” she asked, confused.
“What do you think I mean?” the girl answered pointing to the butterflies circling around Airy’s head, the bees that had landed on her hands and arms. A line of chirping tree frogs followed behind her.
Airy laughed. “They’ve been trying to tell me something but I’ve been too distracted to get their message. Can you understand them?”
The blonde girl gawked at her and then turned to her companions. “What did I tell you? She’s definitely a freak.” She rejoined her friends and then they all hurried away.
“I’m sorry, slow down,” she muttered as a butterfly landed on her nose. “You’re being poisoned? Is that what you’re trying to tell me? What can I do?”
11
Rain poured down, heavy storm clouds piling up, one on top of the other. Fehin wondered if this was a normal storm or had something to do with all the fear and anger the people carried. On Thule out-of-control emotions caused hurricanes. If it was the same here this place should be having torrential downpours and tornadoes on a daily basis.
He tried to respect what Gunnar had told him but he couldn’t stop the crowd of disturbing thoughts that assaulted him from nearly every person he passed. It was as though his filtering system didn’t work here. He felt like screaming half the time. He chuckled at the image of yelling nonstop to keep thoughts from coming into his mind and what might happen as a result. He’d probably be dragged off campus and stuck in prison or somewhere worse. He shook his head. There was no escaping it.
He had yet to get one of the devices that most listened to. He’d thought at first it was music but from what he overheard it sounded like cats being strangled. Sometimes he could hear a deep rhythmic boom in the background. Drums were ancient instruments, used in times of war to rally people. The steady sounds connected to man’s primal instincts. Was that why all the guys were teetering on the edge of self-restraint? He’d already seen two brawls begun over race differences that ended with no resolution. Nerves were like bows strung too tight. He decided he would have to borrow a disc from Brent to get the full gist of it. But the idea of even talking to the guy gave him a bad feeling. Brent reminded him of Wolf.
Fehin watched the sheet of silver pouring off the roof, his thoughts turning to Airy. He’d seen her in class this morning but hardly recognized her. She’d cut her hair, which now stood up in spiky tufts. Silver hoops hung from her ears, and her clothes—well, let’s just say they revealed a lot more than her others had, with low cut T-shirts and jeans that hugged her slender body. She’d also taken to wearing shoes with heels that made her wobble when she walked. And now her eyes were lined in the same way as her roommate.
He’d planned to talk with her after class but her appearance had scared him away. He couldn’t imagine what this girl and he had in common. But when he saw her again beneath the oak tree he changed his mind. He hurried across the courtyard. “Talking to trees again?” he asked, coming up beside her. The rain was lighter here, stopped by the wide boughs and leaves still clinging to the branches.
She started and then turned to face him, the green of her eyes even more dramatic with the dark lines she’d drawn around them. “They’re wise beings, Fehin. I asked about the poisons the butterflies and bees told me about. Pesticides are killing them. There aren’t many left. Why do people do this?” Her eyes filled with tears before she turned back to the tree.
“There’s a lot about this place I don’t get,” he said, responding to her question. “It’s so crowded everywhere and everyone’s so upset all the
***
When Airy passed a group of girls on her way to class, one of them called out, “What are you, a witch?” The other girls looked fearful, moving off the walkway.
“What do you mean?” she asked, confused.
“What do you think I mean?” the girl answered pointing to the butterflies circling around Airy’s head, the bees that had landed on her hands and arms. A line of chirping tree frogs followed behind her.
Airy laughed. “They’ve been trying to tell me something but I’ve been too distracted to get their message. Can you understand them?”
The blonde girl gawked at her and then turned to her companions. “What did I tell you? She’s definitely a freak.” She rejoined her friends and then they all hurried away.
“I’m sorry, slow down,” she muttered as a butterfly landed on her nose. “You’re being poisoned? Is that what you’re trying to tell me? What can I do?”
11
Rain poured down, heavy storm clouds piling up, one on top of the other. Fehin wondered if this was a normal storm or had something to do with all the fear and anger the people carried. On Thule out-of-control emotions caused hurricanes. If it was the same here this place should be having torrential downpours and tornadoes on a daily basis.
He tried to respect what Gunnar had told him but he couldn’t stop the crowd of disturbing thoughts that assaulted him from nearly every person he passed. It was as though his filtering system didn’t work here. He felt like screaming half the time. He chuckled at the image of yelling nonstop to keep thoughts from coming into his mind and what might happen as a result. He’d probably be dragged off campus and stuck in prison or somewhere worse. He shook his head. There was no escaping it.
He had yet to get one of the devices that most listened to. He’d thought at first it was music but from what he overheard it sounded like cats being strangled. Sometimes he could hear a deep rhythmic boom in the background. Drums were ancient instruments, used in times of war to rally people. The steady sounds connected to man’s primal instincts. Was that why all the guys were teetering on the edge of self-restraint? He’d already seen two brawls begun over race differences that ended with no resolution. Nerves were like bows strung too tight. He decided he would have to borrow a disc from Brent to get the full gist of it. But the idea of even talking to the guy gave him a bad feeling. Brent reminded him of Wolf.
Fehin watched the sheet of silver pouring off the roof, his thoughts turning to Airy. He’d seen her in class this morning but hardly recognized her. She’d cut her hair, which now stood up in spiky tufts. Silver hoops hung from her ears, and her clothes—well, let’s just say they revealed a lot more than her others had, with low cut T-shirts and jeans that hugged her slender body. She’d also taken to wearing shoes with heels that made her wobble when she walked. And now her eyes were lined in the same way as her roommate.
He’d planned to talk with her after class but her appearance had scared him away. He couldn’t imagine what this girl and he had in common. But when he saw her again beneath the oak tree he changed his mind. He hurried across the courtyard. “Talking to trees again?” he asked, coming up beside her. The rain was lighter here, stopped by the wide boughs and leaves still clinging to the branches.
She started and then turned to face him, the green of her eyes even more dramatic with the dark lines she’d drawn around them. “They’re wise beings, Fehin. I asked about the poisons the butterflies and bees told me about. Pesticides are killing them. There aren’t many left. Why do people do this?” Her eyes filled with tears before she turned back to the tree.
“There’s a lot about this place I don’t get,” he said, responding to her question. “It’s so crowded everywhere and everyone’s so upset all the
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