with you. I have others.”
Fan tucked the book to her side and a splash in the water caught her attention. She peered toward the riverbank just as a fish flew up and out of the stream. The glistening silver belly of the carp hovered and glinted in the sun a brief moment before plopping back into his freshwater home.
“Flying fish,” Ret said.
“Totally weird,” Fran replied, while thumbing the pages of the book.
Ret lifted a single brow in a familiar expression from another place, and for a split-second, the essence of Pete stared back at her. Pete could practically speak whole sentences with his eyebrows alone. She hadn’t felt the sucker punch in almost a day, and drew in a slow breath until the pain in her belly eased.
Pete. Was he still alive somewhere in that underground prison?
“So, am I being summoned?” Ret asked.
Fran squinted at this strange guy. How did he always seem to know?
“Yes.” She answered directly. “Are you ready to see my world?”
Chapter 12
RETTER
“Well. Let’s do this, then.” Ret stood and moved toward the trail, knowing she would follow. When he reached the steep ravine, he turned and offered a hand to Wolf, which she waved away. He shrugged and continued the climb, mindful of the crunching of sticks and rustling of leaves as she scrambled behind him. Having made this climb hundreds of times, Ret navigated the hill with ease. Although concerned about Wolf’s shakiness, his smile grew as he listened to her labored movement. She’d get it soon enough.
Once they reached flat ground, Ret slowed his pace and soon Wolf was walking by his side. Although he maintained a cool exterior, his mind raced with questions about the mysterious city of Impervious. He turned to Wolf.
“So tell me a little about this place you used to call home. What was it like living there?”
“Well.” The corners of her mouth curled into a devious smile. “Imagine multitudes upon multitudes of people swarming through the center of a city. Imagine a crowd so thick, so intense you have to fight your way in and out of a human current on a regular basis.” She motioned behind them. “Like the rapids that almost took me down.”
Her imagery was sending a claustrophobic ripple down Ret’s spine. “And the best way to navigate this river?” He asked, sticking with her metaphor.
Wolf shrugged. “You just kind of move with the flow.”
“Fair enough,” Ret agreed. “So, what do people do there, exactly?”
“Well, I spent a lot of time in the air system, of course. And that …” she closed her eyes and walked with her hands out in front of her. “Felt like a blind man with his eyes closed.”
Ret heaved a sigh and shook his head trying to get the gist of a tunnel, but Wolf had already moved on.
“In the Agora, you could choose from restaurants that serve every kind of food you could ever possibly imagine. My mouth used to water at the smells that came through the vents. But now, after being outside, that food seems so … plastic maybe?”
She went on to describe the way food trollies deliver meals, people speak on com devices, ride elevators, and allow moving walkways to move them when they didn’t feel like walking. She squirmed as she described the itch on her skin when the Graphies were near.
“Graphies?” He asked.
“Oh, sorry.” She rolled her eyes. “Roaming holographs.”
“You know prickliness comes from the electrical currents given off,” Ret said. “Now that would be something interesting to experience.”
“Sure, whatever,” Fran muttered. “Hey, look. We’re here already,” she added, while moving away from Ret. Must have hit a Wolf nerve, there.
They cut behind the village center to avoid the evening gathering and entered the back of the cottage, where they found Chan alone at the table. He waved them over.
“Doc and I were just putting together a map of the city.”
“Where is he?” Ret asked.
Chan waved his hand toward the
Fan tucked the book to her side and a splash in the water caught her attention. She peered toward the riverbank just as a fish flew up and out of the stream. The glistening silver belly of the carp hovered and glinted in the sun a brief moment before plopping back into his freshwater home.
“Flying fish,” Ret said.
“Totally weird,” Fran replied, while thumbing the pages of the book.
Ret lifted a single brow in a familiar expression from another place, and for a split-second, the essence of Pete stared back at her. Pete could practically speak whole sentences with his eyebrows alone. She hadn’t felt the sucker punch in almost a day, and drew in a slow breath until the pain in her belly eased.
Pete. Was he still alive somewhere in that underground prison?
“So, am I being summoned?” Ret asked.
Fran squinted at this strange guy. How did he always seem to know?
“Yes.” She answered directly. “Are you ready to see my world?”
Chapter 12
RETTER
“Well. Let’s do this, then.” Ret stood and moved toward the trail, knowing she would follow. When he reached the steep ravine, he turned and offered a hand to Wolf, which she waved away. He shrugged and continued the climb, mindful of the crunching of sticks and rustling of leaves as she scrambled behind him. Having made this climb hundreds of times, Ret navigated the hill with ease. Although concerned about Wolf’s shakiness, his smile grew as he listened to her labored movement. She’d get it soon enough.
Once they reached flat ground, Ret slowed his pace and soon Wolf was walking by his side. Although he maintained a cool exterior, his mind raced with questions about the mysterious city of Impervious. He turned to Wolf.
“So tell me a little about this place you used to call home. What was it like living there?”
“Well.” The corners of her mouth curled into a devious smile. “Imagine multitudes upon multitudes of people swarming through the center of a city. Imagine a crowd so thick, so intense you have to fight your way in and out of a human current on a regular basis.” She motioned behind them. “Like the rapids that almost took me down.”
Her imagery was sending a claustrophobic ripple down Ret’s spine. “And the best way to navigate this river?” He asked, sticking with her metaphor.
Wolf shrugged. “You just kind of move with the flow.”
“Fair enough,” Ret agreed. “So, what do people do there, exactly?”
“Well, I spent a lot of time in the air system, of course. And that …” she closed her eyes and walked with her hands out in front of her. “Felt like a blind man with his eyes closed.”
Ret heaved a sigh and shook his head trying to get the gist of a tunnel, but Wolf had already moved on.
“In the Agora, you could choose from restaurants that serve every kind of food you could ever possibly imagine. My mouth used to water at the smells that came through the vents. But now, after being outside, that food seems so … plastic maybe?”
She went on to describe the way food trollies deliver meals, people speak on com devices, ride elevators, and allow moving walkways to move them when they didn’t feel like walking. She squirmed as she described the itch on her skin when the Graphies were near.
“Graphies?” He asked.
“Oh, sorry.” She rolled her eyes. “Roaming holographs.”
“You know prickliness comes from the electrical currents given off,” Ret said. “Now that would be something interesting to experience.”
“Sure, whatever,” Fran muttered. “Hey, look. We’re here already,” she added, while moving away from Ret. Must have hit a Wolf nerve, there.
They cut behind the village center to avoid the evening gathering and entered the back of the cottage, where they found Chan alone at the table. He waved them over.
“Doc and I were just putting together a map of the city.”
“Where is he?” Ret asked.
Chan waved his hand toward the
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