“Miss Deshion, what are you doing?” Mr. Sheplar called, his voice was taut.
Taking a dry gulp, I opened my eyes as another student jumped out and I felt the swaying of the tunnel make me wheeze as my stomach turned. I needed to move!
Bringing forth all my will power, I struggled to come out of the safe sitting position I had held but my leg slipped before I had even thought. It dangled in open air, I thought I might die as my lungs held and my mind frantically got me back up out of the hole.
Shaking, I held the ropes swayed beneath me and I looked down again to find the ground far below me and I could see a very blurry Alissa looking up worried. She seemed to be deciding if she should come get me. When she started over to Mr. Sheplar, my hand slipped from the rope sending my face into the swaying twine, it all went horribly black.
“QUIL!” The voice echoed in my brain for a long time until my thoughts slowly turned the cogs in my brain.
The soft swishing sound next to me came into focus and something cold on my head made me feel as if my father had put a cloth to my head like when I was sick. I was sick!
Wait, that felt wrong. But he was always here for me when I felt sick or had problems. Who else could it possibly…
“Miss Deshion?” The voice was soft and had a slur of an accent.
My head swayed and the weight atop it was annoying as my eyes filtered open, light blinded me. Blinking, I realized I was by a lamp and that I was in a very odd little room that had doors on either side and felt nearly as tiny as my own room in La’ket.
I was in La’ket!
It felt strange to still feel like my father should be near, yet the moment I met the school nurse’s face I wished I was home as my stomach turned lightly.
“Ah, good, you’re waking.” The petite pixie of a woman said nodding her auburn hair that was up in a beehive bun.
I sat up and felt like the world still swayed slightly as the nurse leaned over and put a hand to my arm to help steady me as I sat up.
“What happened?” I asked as all I could remember was some weird dream where I had become sick in Mr. Sheplar’s class, I felt happy that it was only a dream.
Mr. Sheplar says you fainted up in the rope tunnel, darling.” She said and nodded to me as she sat on the end of my cot.
Tilting my head, dread both slithered through my chest and blush rose on my cheeks at the thought it was all real!
“Oh dear, no need to worry. Mr. Sheplar said you looked just to have fainted from dehydration.” She said nodding.
For some reason I thought it was strange the nurse took the word of Mr. Sheplar instead of the other way around. Upon finding this out I still felt slightly numb as I held the cool cloth to my head and found out my nurse, Abigail, was a graduating student in training as she brought me a tray of lunch that she said two of my friends dropped off.
Good old Alissa, Zac and Keten.
Eating the light salad and bottle of apple juice eased my stomachs antics as I was left alone while Abigail checked to make sure it was okay I went to the rest of my classes.
I felt like an idiot as I replayed how I froze in the tunnel and how real of a threat and danger I felt just sitting in that dumb thing!
“You’re all good to leave and go to your last two classes.” She said and glanced at her watch, “Which start in only a few minutes!” She said and kindly but quickly took my plate and handed me my bag with a wish of no more fainting for the day.
Leaving the little room, I found myself walking out into a larger room with chairs and a counter at the wall with other doors lining the walls of the room with numbers beside them. It was like a tiny hospital or clinic I realized within the walls of the school, leave it to La’ket.
My mind quickly traveled back to the way my vision swayed as I went to class and even through English and math I screwed up on two of the questions. I felt even more drained then my already slightly hallucinating outlook on the world around me as my mind felt completely turned around.
Walking to my room after classes I felt so much weight of failure on my shoulders I did not want to cry I just wanted to go to bed, for a long time.
I considered why I could have felt that way and fainted, but as I realized that had been my last day to practice the ropes and trapeze. I felt overwhelmingly tired as I walked to my room with my head nearly falling from my shoulders.
I did not care who or who didn’t see me. The moment I got to my room and the door was closed behind me. I walked to my bed and fell into it with a suffocating sob as the springs whined. I only got three tears out before I was out cold with my shoes still on and my bag hanging off the bed’s edge.
Knocking took my mind like I had been pulled from an abyss.
“Huh?” I moaned as I pulled my scrunched face from the bed and felt as if my eyes were glued shut.
Unlike most awakenings the way I felt reminded me all too well of what I had earlier done as I put my head back to my pillow and considered hiding here forever.
Another knock sounded at the door and I shook my head as I squinted my eyes. I did not want to deal with Lucy or anyone else even if it was Alissa. I felt too out of spirits to even fake a smile or answer the door.
“You in there Equila?” The voice was old and kind but so unexpected.
I sat up as Harold spoke again, “If you’re in there child, speak.” He said with a slight chuckle.
Darting from my bed and throwing away my sheets that I had become entangled in I rushed to the door with my shoes still on and my bag swaying at my side.
Reaching for the door, it opened a sliver and I grabbed it and pulled the door inward to its distaste for my annoyance at times with magic knob less doors.
Harold nodded to me with his kind elderly smile as his brows knitted.
There ya are.” He said with a grin, he then motioned to me to follow him as he turned.
I felt slightly sleep dazed.
“But…” I glanced back to my room.
“Well, come on.” He said and motioned to me as he pushed a little janitors cart as if nothing mattered other than following him.
Already clothed with my bag at my side I pulled the door behind me closed and started after him. Though hobbling, he was nearly down the hall before I turned back.
Catching up by his side I felt slightly less stupid as that kind smile of Harold’s made me feel as if he was a grandfather who loved me whether or not I fainted in the rope tunnel at a height that was idiotically low.
Approaching the doors out of the girl’s wing I glanced to Harold. For once I was feeling as if I really did not care what the other girls thought of me. I was sure I was a fool to the whole school by now. What point was there in caring?
“Where are we going?” I asked Harold with a tilt of my head.
He motioned for me to go first through the door out of the girl’s wing and I felt a strange lump still hold in my gut as I walked out and waited for Harold to catch up before we turned the corner.
I opened my mouth to ask him again why he had come and gotten me when a voice echoed before me.
“Equila!” Keten said with a smile as he saw me and I him.
My mouth turned both in a smile to see him and a bewildered ease replaced my stupidity as he looked to me. He held a purple snap dragon in one hand.
“What is going on?” I asked him.
My mind wanted to linger on his face that seemed to clear my chest of the unwanted burdens it held.
He smiled at me and stepped closer,
“I sent Harold to get you. We are exploring today, remember?” He asked with a smile twirling the snap dragon in his grasp.
I looked to Harold and then Keten as he nodded to the janitor.
“Thank you for bringing her out.” He said kindly and Harold nodded putting his hand to his head as if he had a cap to salute with.
“I’m happy to oblige, now you two go, have some fun.” He said in a very grandfatherly way as he started off down the hall, though not before glancing
at the two of us with a wide smile.
“Thank you, Harold!” I called with a wisp of a laugh as he looked back and waved.
Smiling, I felt my mind swept from everything that bothered me as I turned back to Keten who was looking at me. I nearly blushed realizing he had been looking at me the whole time when he put a hand to the back of his head like he always did and then looked to the flower he was still twirling in his grasp.
“Oh, this is for you.” He said with a grin as he glanced to the floor and handed it to me.
I smiled and sniffed the small fragrant blossom.
“Thank you.” I said softly, realizing I had never before been given a flower as I held it as if made of gold and diamonds.
Keten smiled and motioned to it,
“I know it’s not a rose but I thought of you the moment I saw it in my Mage class.” He said and nodded at it. “We had to grow plants and my snapdragons turned purple and there is just something wild about it that made me think of you...” he trailed off and again he put a hand to his neck as he coughed out a chuckle.
“It’s lovely.” I said again, much softer than common as if I spoke louder it would break the flower.
His words caught up to me and my grin resurfaced as I looked up to him as he watched me, “Wild?” I asked tilting my head.
I had been called many things in my life but wild was a new one. I watched as Keten’s mouth worked to get words as a giggle held on my lips.
“I mean not bad wild, but like the wind through a meadow...” Keten looked to the floor as he spoke.
I felt my heart catch his words like balm that healed any thoughts from my mind of earlier this day, “I’m horrible at explaining it, aren’t I?” He asked and put a hand to his temple.
Smiling, I shook my head as I reached out and pulled down his hand to hold mine while the other held the snapdragon. This move froze him as he looked to my hand and then to me with a grin that showed his cheeks off in a lovely way and made his eyes gleam.
“Not at all, but I do enjoy watching you try and cover it up.” I said smiling.
Keten nodded and for a long moment we both stood there until my senses got the better of me and I was about to pull my hand away from his when his grip tightened kindly and I looked to his face as he nodded.
“Come on, let’s go explore before I say something to cover another of my thoughts again.” He said and started us into a jog.
Smiling, I followed him with a burning in my chest that felt rekindled just by his touch. Was it possible to rekindle a fire from touch?
Quil, you think too much, I scolded myself as we turned down numerous hallways, passed the clinic and started to the front of the building that I knew very little about.
Slowing, Keten’s smile softly faded and he glanced around. For a moment my chest tightened again but when no one was within sight his smile returned, though it was softer as he tilted his head.
“Wanna see a room full of fish?” He asked with a grin.
I nearly burst out in laughter as I nodded feverishly.
“Yes, please!” I said and he pulled me into a jog to a room three doors down.
“Are you ready?” He asked reaching for the knob.
I smiled and felt as if the day was anew with the moments we now shared.
“Of course.” I said with a confident nod.
He grinned at my reaction and squeezed my hand,
“Welcome to the aquarium.” He said, swinging the door inward as we walked.
My lips fell from each other and my gasp echoed as I came into a room that was filled with water yet it moved away from us as if we were surrounded by air as fish swam inches from my face. I could see within the room there was reefs and even a sunken half of a boat in the corner of the water filled room. I nearly held my breath before gasping once more and looking at Keten.
He was in his own bubble yet his hand connected us as I shook my head at him and even below us I noted we stood on moist sand.
“How?” I asked with a smile as I felt my lungs and mind working to comprehend it all while a school of fish darted past us.
Keten turned to me and motioned all around though our hands still connected our bubbles.
“This room is like Mr. Jacobsen’s water blobs, but on a larger scale. We are in air bubbles giving us the ability to walk among the fish and still survive the encounter via a Mage mark beside the door,” he said with a grin.
Watching a sea turtle which I had never seen before, it drifted by us as if we were the most boring thing in the world.
“This is incredible!” I said with a laugh as I looked around realizing the light in the room was from both the glowing coral and windows that shown a sunset of colors into the shifting water.
Keten smiled and laughed,
“I’m glad cheering you up is working so well,” he said and looked around at all the fish.
Until this moment I had not thought about my day but his words said something that made me turn to him tilting my head.
“How did you know about me…”
“Being upset?” Keten finished and the kind tone in his voice made me leave the idea of taking my hand from his as he smiled.
“Alissa told me and Zac about what happened at lunch and I knew it would have made me want to shove my head to the wall after all you’ve done to get back up and jump for the trapeze.” He said and for the first time I truly looked at Keten and wondered how we possibly could have sat by each other by accident on the first day.
Smiling softly, I squeezed his hand as he tilted his head to me. I wanted to get a picture so I took my hand from his and rummaged for my camera disconnecting our bubbles, he moved to stand close enough our bubbles collided into one.
“What happened, Quil?” Keten asked glancing at me with such deep emotion in his eyes.
Slowing my search as I looked around us my lips moved and my mind chunked away. Why had I? What had happened? But even now I still had no answer just what I felt.
“I… well… I got up in the tunnel and looking down I felt dizzy and I started shaking and my chest felt tight...” I shook my head, “When my arm slipped through and looking down as I fell to the ropes… I just felt like I was going to die and that’s when I blacked out.” I said honestly.
I had no idea why I was being so honest with Keten. I wanted this boy to like me and I was sure I sounded stupid to one of the only people I really cared about.
“Do you have a fear of heights?” Keten asked kindly.
I felt dumb founded as I turned to him as if I had been stabbed.
“Afraid of heights?” I questioned, nearly laughing as my mind was taken from the fact he knew about my fainting.
He looked to me, unfazed by my shock.
“Yes, afraid of heights. You do know it’s a real thing.” He said with a soft smile.
A group of silver fish darted past us reminding me where we stood having such a normal conversation.
Looking away from him and to the ground I held my bag open. I am a SkyJump and had grown up climbing to heights that would make even some SkyJump’s dizzy.
“No, there is no way.” I said shaking my head to him as I held my bag open.
Keten tilted his head and looked like a doctor trying to figure out my element.
“What?” I asked him with a soft glare as I pulled out my camera.
He looked to me as a shark passed by us. I jumped back and crashed into Keten nearly making us both fall over. Teetering, he held my arms firm and helped us both stabilize as I felt his chest rise and fall very close beside me.
Blushing, I stood back from him. I put a hand to my mouth as I laughed softly and soon he joined in as we stood in the underwater room.
“I’m sorry, Keten.” I said wiping away a tear and again feeling less weighed down.
He smiled at me with a soft gleam in his eyes.
“It’s alright. I guess I should have warned you about the creatures in here.” he said with a smile.
I nodded and we
both giggled lightly as I still marveled at the room as seaweed swayed in dotted clumps on the sandy floor.
After a moment, as the air quieted between us, I looked at the menagerie of life swimming by. I held my camera up and snapped a picture in a flash, sure my father would love to hear about the underwater room.
“That’s an old camera. Why don’t you have a glass phone to take pictures?” Keten asked kindly as he tilted his head.
Turning to him as the picture developed I lowered my prized item and took a soft breath as I gazed out. Still watching the school of fish that glinted, shimmering and swaying.
“My father doesn’t like technology.” I smiled and I saw Keten looked surprised.
“You don’t care he won’t let you have a glass like everyone else?” He asked, looking at me with an interest that felt warm and welcoming.
Shrugging, I took the picture from the camera as it developed and the black frame painstakingly slow started to materialize into color.
“I did for a time, but now...” I glanced up at the room I stood in and shrugged, “I just see the world differently without it. I don’t depend on it being there to keep me happy. I have found how to enjoy things most people pass by without awe or wonder.” I said, my words hanging in the bubble of air around us as if written on a page as I gazed out.
Keten smiled and put his hand in mine making me look to him with surprise,
“You’re definitely not a normal La’ket girl.” Keten said with a soft grin.
I tilted my head and felt worry weave in my heart as he lead me to the door and out of the room. He left my side to shut the door as I put my camera and photo in my bag. I looked to him with my mind racing.
“Is that a bad thing?” I asked tentatively as Keten turned back to me and took my hand again. I felt that simple gesture meant I wasn’t a complete loss.
Looking up to Keten his grin had widened,
“Not at all.”
Before I could even ask why he started us into a jog. The next room we came to opened into a walkway of paintings and walls filled with art as my jaw fell for the third time. I had seen some pretty amazing museums in the time I had traveled with my father, but the way the stair cases lead up nearly three floors in lovely zigzagging fashion to walls lined in paintings made me gawk.
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