The hovercraft ride was short. We only flew to the next town over. Unlike my town, it was on the surface. After getting out of the hovercraft, we hurried to a station in the town. With each step, dust flys up, making me want to cough. Once inside the limits of town, I see the hovercraft fly over, it's lights blinking in the night sky. I watch as it leaves, the blinking lights growing smaller and smaller as the distance increase.
"Miss Burks." I turn to look at Sebastian who is looking over his shoulder at me. "Please stay close, we need to hurry to make the ride to the capitol." Before I begin following him, he turns around and begins walking with a brisk movement of his arms and legs. I glance towards the skies once again, but the helicopter is gone. I turn away and quickly jog to catch back up.
"Why didn't we ride the hovercraft the whole time?" I keep my voice low in regards to the sleeping town around me.
"It is too far. The rest of the ride will be on a magnetic-levitation transportation system." He says and I tilt my head as I follow close behind him.
"Magnetic-levitation?" I ask and he peers over his shoulder.
"That's right." He says as he slows his pace and we now walk side-by-side. "I forget you are from one of the outer districts. A magnetic-levitation transportation is another advancement we made to something they had before the war. I believe they were called trains." He mutters as he shrugs and begins his quick pace again. "The other two ladies also had to get a flight out of your town."
"So, everyone didn't get to ride a hovercraft?" I ask as I try my best to catch up.
"No, you are the only town that was successfully able to build within a crater. No one wanted to build tunnels in fear that they would collapse on the town, so rather they use the hovercraft to get you out and take you to the nearest station. Since all areas have a station, we have just brought you to the closest." His arms sweep over the empty streets as he continues to walk.
"Oh." Is all I say as I look over the town. Lights illuminate the ground, they too have bits of colorful paper and flowers littering the ground. "Does everyone get a parade?"
"Well of course!" He exclaims, casting a big smile over his shoulder before walking.
"Where's mine?" To that he didn't speak. His quick pace seems to falter as his head cocks to the side. He stays quiet for a bit, and I can almost see the gears turning in his head. Wondering, 'how will I get out of this one?' . Though I know why I would never get one, it is still hurtful to see that it is true.
"Here we are!" He exclaims as he opens a door, motioning for me to go through first. Obeying, I step inside to a small, yet long building with lots and lots of windows. "Stay here." He swiftly moves to a small counter in the corner as he pulls out a black box.
As he speaks into the box, I look around to small buildings. Inside it is very empty looking, with benches lining the back wall and that simple counter that Sebastian stands. I walk over and look out the windows. There, a huge metal contraption with bright lights underneath, and it seems to be hovering on the ground like all the other ones. A magnetic train. I find myself unable to hide my amazement from seeing another advanced form of technology. I push my body closer into the window to peer at the bluish white lights. My face is so close to the window that my breath fogs the window. Behind me, I hear a slight chuckle.
"Miss. Burks, shall I assume that you are excited to ride?" Sebastian says as he walks up and stands behind me. I pull my head back to peer at his reflection and then I give a brief nod. "Wonderful, let's hurry and board up. We have a long ways to travel tonight." He opens the door and we walk through. We walk a few carts down, and stop at one that has a big burley man standing outside it. Sebastian flashes something to him and the man steps away nodding us on.
Inside, there is a large bar filled with trays of flaky looking bread, and weird cups filled with a think liquid. I look at it, offering a quick sniff. Smells sweet. Sebastian walks with me, pointing around the cart explaining different things, and the next two carts until we come to one with a two beds stacked on top of each other.
"I recommend getting some sleep." He says as he pull out his box. "We will not arrive until morning." With that, he gives me a brief smile and leaves the room. I plop down onto a bed and peer out the window. The platform of the transportation is finally starting to move as the conductors went forward. As I stare out at the night, I finally have time to let everything settle. I'm really leaving... I've really left... I'm on a train, off to the capitol for who knows how long? The thought makes me queasy as I pull my gaze from the window and lay on the bed. Though I've craved this silence to be in my thoughts for the past several days, I think I'd rather have Sebastian talking my ear off right now that be alone with these horrid ideas. My body shudders as I turn onto my side, and try my best to push the thoughts away and go to sleep.
Sebastian was not lying when he said it would be a long night if travel. Throughout the night, the craft had slowed down when passing through town, and though it never stopped, it still caused me to stir awake. After the 3rd or 4th time, I decided to stay awake.
Outside the window, the eeriness of night is beginning to crack as the sun rises. Even with the rather dim light, I can see that the dryness of the ground has grown more lush with grass and trees. The trees where fall off, like a wall, and it send an image of home to me, yet another thing that woke me up, dreams. There was one dream in particular that woke me up in a cold sweat. I remember being terrified and confused, but I don't recall the images, just my mother's shrill voice echoing the same words I hear all too often.
"Miss Burks, we are only a few minutes away from the capitol." Sebastian calls from outside the room and I pull the door back lazily. "We made perfect timing too! You will have enough time to get washed up before meeting the other girls at breakfast!" With that, he steps back to where his back is flat against the hall and motions me forward. Was this the end of the time to myself? At least for a little while. Not even after one foot is out of the room does he begin walking through the carts the same way from last night.
I follow behind him, looking through each passing window as much as I could. I just catch a look at a strange animal when we go into a large concrete tunnel. Ever now and then, a yellowish light shines, lighting the carts for only a fraction of a second before it is gone. It continues to do that even after we reach the final cart. A minute passes by and the craft slowly comes to a stop within the tunnel. Once it comes to a complete stop, the doors are opened and Sebastian turns back, giving me a single nod before walking down the steps and onto the platform. I follow his steps and look around the station. It is empty, completely empty, and unlike the last station, it is just a huge tunnel. I look back in the direction the train had came but only see a turn on the tunnel, so I am unable to look outside.
"Come now Miss Burks." Sebastian calls and I look over to him. He was already across the platform to a large concrete doorway. In that doorway, four huge men stood, all wearing the same pitch black suit. I lower my head as I walk towards then and right behind Sebastian. Immediately the four men disperse to have two in front and two in the back. "Do not worry. They do this to protect you."
Protect me? From what exactly? No one is here... I don't think it's for protecting, rather it's to make sure I don't escape.
We walk down a dimly lit hall for what seems like miles. We would turn down different halls, and I feel myself unsure of where we are. I look forward as the men maintain a stern face, not appearing to have any thoughts as they take us down yet another confusing direction. We turn, and turn, and turn until I feel dizzy. Then they stop.
I peer ahead to see a huge door, it stretches to the high ceiling, with a a woven braid of gold lining the outside of it. The intricate designs of curls and shapes are all golden and shines beautifully against the dark marble door. I watch as the two men in the front of the group talk to three men guarding the giant doors. After a few seconds, they all turn to the door. The one in the center walks off the the side where a big glass panel is. He says something, something I'm too far to hear, and it illuminates. A red light shines from it and covers his body, then shines a bright green. A low grind echoes out and I turn my attention back to the door.
A spiral of hold encompassing bright red knobs sinks into the marble and begins to slowly uncoils itself, wrapping around and blending in with the other golden ropes around it. The other two men step forward, grabbing the knobs and then turning them. They then pull the doors with great effort. They creak and groan as they slowly begin to open. Once open, the guards all nod to each to other as we pass through and I wish we hadn't went by so quickly.
We hardly moved before we had to stop. All the guards turn on their heels to face the big doors, as does Sebastian. As I turn to follow the direction of their gazes, the floor shudders and it feels like we are moving. My stomach lifts and I feel my body away with every jolt. The room comes to a stop and the two front guards knock on the doors in a strange way, and it reminds me of the unsynchronized pecking of a woodpecker. The doors begin to pull open and I find myself within a huge corridor, still made of concrete.
We begin another walk that feels like the one before, twisting and turning at odd angles until we arrive at a wall. They continue to walk and then turn into the wall. Wait what? How did they go into the wall? Puzzled, I follow and soon realize there is a small wall and tucked behind is a spiral staircase. It is an illusion to make people just passing by that nothing is there. Impressed, I look around, ignoring the fact that the guards are speaking to yet another set of guards at the bottom of the stairs.
"We are almost there." Sebastian says peering over at me. I nod, trying my best to keep my face neutral, and hoping he doesn't see the happiness in my eyes at the thought of finally being out of the dark and musty maze.
The staircase is narrow. So narrow only one person could go up or down it. We walk up in a single line. The only light we have are some of the same dim yellows lights that have been lighting our other so far. I feel my legs ache and I sigh, looking up only to see what feels like endless miles of stairs. To my surprise, a few more turns and I am standing on a plate form with a flat with a slick wall. A guard knocks on the wall, a different knock from before, but still lacking rhythm. The slick wall moves, blinding me slightly with the amount of light. The mass of people I am stuck in moves forward as do I.
Inside, a large room is in front of me. I gaze at a giant bed and looks to be either the same size or larger than my kitchen area. Close to me on the left is a large and fancy couch that was bigger than my own bed back home. Everything seems so delicate and expensive. I dare not step on the beautiful wooden floors in fear of tarnishing them with my dirty shoes.
"You, as well as all the others, have your own private rooms in the Palace des Rêves!" That makes sense now that everything is so crazy around here. It's a literal castle. Sebastian smiles at me as he begins to bore on about the types of furniture in the room. He is quick to remember his order of business before looking at me. "This is good bye, for now." He says as he takes a deep bow and turns to the hidden door in the wall. "Welcome home!" He sinks into the wall being followed by the guards and I am left in a huge room, alone.
Home? Though this is nice and huge. More than I have ever dreamed of, this is not my home. It never will be my home.
No sooner have I finished swearing that in my heart, a knock comes from the actual door of the room. I walk to it, taking a deep breath and bracing myself for the day ahead.
***
Thank you all once again for reading this chapter and I hope you enjoyed! Only two more chapters and we are at double digits!!! This has been so much fun to right and I cannot wait to continue this story. Thank you all so much for 1,000 reads! After the 10th chapter, I will not have anymore author's notes unless I have to announce something.
Thank you all again and I will see you next time!
Sincerely,
P&P