“George! What on earth are you talking about!?” The beefy Australian scientist exclaimed.
“What on earth am I talking about? I’m telling you what on earth! Where do you think this goo came from? If you think I’m making this up I advise you to go up there yourself and find out. Listen, things have drastically changed just like I thought they would, but only much, much more than I predicted. The stars are closer, the ground looks radioactive-“
“We never said that the environment would stay the same after the apocalypse George,” the annoyed Australian interrupted. “What we said is that there would never be a change in ‘human consciousness’ because that sort of thing is outside the realm of science. It just isn’t logical.”
He walked up to George.
“Look, I’m glad you got to see that at least half of your hypothesis was correct, but now it’s time to throw in the towel. Focus on what you’re good at; space study.”
“You wouldn’t patronize me if you knew what I could do now,” George stated matter-of-factly.
“What!?” The scientist looked incredulous.
“Should I repeat myself or should I show you?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Look man, you serious nee-“
“You need to stand back!” George interrupted.
He closed his eyes and clinched his boney fists. The veins in his head were bulging and his jaw was locked. His friend Sally walked up to him and placed her pale hand on his shoulder.
“George please just let it go. You did good. You really did.”
“Hold on. J-just give me a minute.” He said through clenched teeth.
The scientists started gathering their things to leave. The Australian gave George a stern slap on the back.
“Well, maybe next time you can show me what you can do,” he said mockingly.
Suddenly, there was a great commotion in the town square right outside the lab. Everyone ran outside to see what was happening. There, coming towards them in the bay, was a fifteen foot tall woolly mammoth. Everybody frantically ran for cover, except for George who was smiling at his new creation. The Australian ran over to him in disbelief.
“Is this some kind of trick you conjured up? Huh? This must be some kind of illusion that you created.”
George was silent. The mammoth was still a ways off.
“Look, you seriously need to stop. Look at all these scared people. You’ve created chaos in the streets over a stupid trick!” The Austrian yelled.
The mammoth was picking up speed.
“H-how did you make it look so real? H-how can it move like that?” The Australian was beginning to back away.
The mammoth was only a few yards away and was charging at the beefy Australian. George looked at the man.
“You’d better run.”
George’s creation was charging toward the beefy Australian at full speed. The Australian was in shock and unable to move. He was watching a twenty ton mammoth run toward him like a bull. Once the beast reached the shore the Australian knew he was lunchmeat. The mammoth was kicking up so much beach sand that the grains created a giant cloud of dust which made it hard to see the mammoth. Suddenly, he was only feet away from the panicked Australian who had turned into a statue. He closed his eyes as the mammoth lifted its two front legs into the air and in an instant the Australian was gone. George was dumbfounded. He looked around to see if the mammoth was standing on him or had swallowed him whole, but there was no blood or any evidence of the Australian. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. The mammoth was also confused and was getting increasingly angry that his dinner had disappeared right before his eyes. George created a giant cage to house the mammoth so that it could be used for testing. He was still looking for the Australian when he heard a commotion going on back inside the lab. As he approached the lab door he heard a loud banging sound coming from inside the cabinet of the center lab table. He cautiously walked over to it, bent down and grabbed the silver handle. He tried to open it but realized it was locked. The key was hanging on a hook at the front of the room. As he went for the key the sounds from inside the desk grew louder and more distressed. George began to notice the sound of a man’s voice. Once he retrieved the key he unlocked the cabinet door and it immediately swung open. There, cramped in an upright fetal position, was the beefy Australian who was utterly perplexed at how he got there. George helped him out of his cramped hiding place.
“How in the world did you get inside there and lock the door by yourself?” George asked as baffled as the Australian.
“I seriously have no idea! At one moment I remember standing there watching the mammoth coming for me and the next minute I’m in here! I can’t…I don’t know how…I…I…”
“You don’t know? There’s got to be an explanation for this. Maybe you were so terrified that you ran here and don’t remember doing that,” George suggested.
“That still doesn’t explain how I got inside here when it was locked. It’s like I used my mind to teleport or something.”
That made George perk up. He remembered the sensations that he felt when he was running from the mammoth and how, out of his survival instincts, he managed to create the forest out of nowhere.
“Were you paralyzed with fear?” George asked the Australian.
“Look you’ve had your fun okay? Yes I admit I was afraid and you got me back, but that trick crossed the line. It could’ve killed me!”
“Just answer the question. I’m trying to figure something out,” George said.
The Australian was unenthused.
“Please?” George pleaded.
“Yes I was terrified! I nearly pissed my pants. I was literally paralyzed with fear.”
“And did you close your eyes?”
The Australian studied George with a puzzled look.
“Um. Yea I did. And when I opened them I was in this tiny desk.” He kicked the cabinet door with his massive foot.
George took a seat on the black stool at the neighboring table. He was in a trance contemplating something. His gaze was fixed at the floor and the Australian was watching him still confused.
“Oh my gosh,” George said softly.
“W-what?”
“What if…what if there is more to this transformation than I thought?”
“What transformation?” The Australian was still not getting it.
“Are you serious?” George asked in amazement. “I just made a gigantic woolly mammoth appear out of nowhere.”
“No…no way man. It was a trick I know it.”
“Really? Are there dozens of woolly mammoths just lying around in the underground waiting to be used in a prank? Common’ wake up,” George said.
“Then how…how…”
“The equinox. After the catastrophe everything changed. I’ve been trying to tell you guys for years that things were going to be different, but no one would hear it. When I went up to the surface and discovered my new power I just assumed that everyone would have the same ability, but now…now I’m not too sure.” George looked up at the Australian who was standing and rubbing his head in confusion.
“You mentioned teleporting.”
A few days later, George and the Australian were at the neuroscience testing facility in Texas one of the most advanced facilities in the underground. It was ten o’clock in the evening, but neither was tired. They wanted to know what was going on with their bodies. They booked a lab just a few hours earlier and were told to lock the facility once they were done. They were going to need all night to experiment.
Meanwhile, in Underground New Jersey a high school senior was getting ready for her prom. She had been waiting for this day ever since freshman year and finally it was here. This night was even more special to her because a guy who she secretly liked for three years finally asked her out. Prom night would be their first official date. She was incredibly nervous and yet excited to be seen with one of the most popular boys in school. Her friends tried to talk her out of being hi
s date, because they felt he was trying to use her. A part of her believed them. She wasn’t exactly the prettiest girl in school. In fact, she was alienated because of her homely appearance. She was a brunette and her hair was thick and frizzy. Her nose was a constant source of insecurity for her, because it had a large hump that made her side profile desperately unattractive. The proportions of her face were asymmetrical and her skin was dotted with pimples. She was twenty pounds overweight for her age and her stomach would spill over her jeans. She would spend her days daydreaming about how it would feel to be beautiful with perfect skin. She’d imagine herself as a shorter version of model Elle Changling only with dark hair instead of blonde that wouldn’t frizz. Her desperation to be attractive was fueled by her love for a boy name Isaiah Suri who was one of the most popular boys in school. He was so beyond her reach she never imagined he’d say two words to her, let alone ask her to be his date for prom, but he did. She was overjoyed when he befriended her a month earlier, but she never imagined him being her prom date. It was like a fairytale come to life for the eighteen-year-old and she would be the belle of the ball.
Her mother did her hair and makeup. It was a bitter sweet time in her life. This marked the two year death anniversary of her father who died in a construction accident while on the job. She had grieved for so long that she forgot what it was like to be excited about something. It had been two years since she felt sincere joy and because of Isaiah she felt like a person again. Her hair was tied tightly in a large bun at the top of her head with a shimmery head band that framed her face. Her mom was able to cover most of her blemishes from years of acne scarring and her eye shadow brought out the green in her sad eyes. She smiled at herself for the first time in years. The dress she wore was passed down by her mother who wore it to her prom. It had an asymmetrical sagging neckline with ruching and was emerald with tiny mirrored dots sprinkled throughout the material that gave it a shiny glow. She was radiant and happy.
Isaiah picked her up at seven p.m. sharp and with no time for pictures they sped away in his dad’s red 2085 Dodge Charger. When they got to the hotel grand ballroom the party was well underway. Her peers were dressed to the nines in shimmery gowns and sharp tuxes dancing to the electronic sounds of the decade’s best artists. She looked around at all the couples and was thankful to not be alone. She looked over at Isaiah who was looking around for a table.
“There’s one!” He yelled over the music while pointing to the table where the populars were sitting.
Isaiah grabbed her hand and they walked over to them.
“You guys know Cameron right?” Isaiah asked the uninterested group.
“Cameron? That’s your name? Oh. I thought it was Sarah,” said the rude blonde matter-of-factly.
“No it’s Cameron. Always has been.”
“Anyways, can we join you guys?” Isaiah asked.
They absentmindedly moved their things over so the two could sit. Everyone looked uncomfortable and immediately resolved to watching the dance floor for something interesting to talk about. When the silence got too intense, Cameron looked over at her date who was playing 3D racing on his paper thin LED pad.
“So, you having fun?”
“Oh um sure. I mean dancing isn’t really my thing, but it’s cool,” he said and looked back at his car game.
“Oh. Well I’ve been wondering since you asked me out…was I your first choice to be your date? I mean out of all these girls, why me?” She asked nervously.
“Because you’re not so high maintenance. It’s not easy to find a girl who won’t judge a guy on how many ErgoChills he can surprise her with or if he’ll pay her way to the 4D opera,” he said.
“Oh, I don’t like that place anyway. It gives me a headache. I don’t see what all the fuss is about some fat lady singing at me just inches away from my face. I hear it was better before the apocalypse when there were no credits and nothing was enhanced with 3D technology. You could walk on the sidewalk and look at an ad for feminine hygiene products without a tampon jumping out at you. You could watch the opera commence on stage without adding that extra dimension. I mean I’m sure those performers get tired of having to always wear clothes with that hideous polarized stitching. Nowadays everything seems to be jumping out at you. It’s as if they want you to be immersed in your surroundings 24-7. It’s exhausting,” Cameron rambled.
“You’re right about that.” Isaiah said half listening.
The couple sat for the whole time talking about their love hate relationship with the Underground. Cameron thought that she had finally found a guy who thought the same way she thought and who liked her for who she was. For the first time she felt like she could be herself. After a few hours the party started to fizzle.
“Everybody’s going to the Three Towers hotel for an after party. ‘Wanna go?” Isaiah asked Cameron.
“Well, I guess it’ll be fun.”
When they arrived at the high rise hotel there were students scattered all about the hallways drinking and acting like caged animals. Cameron and Isaiah had to walk over people just to get to the door to the suite. When they finally reached the room, there were more drunken teenagers. Isaiah’s drunk friend Adam greeted him with a shot of bourbon and a masculine pat on the shoulder.
“Muh’ man! Glad you coul- you cou- glad yur’ made it,” Adam slurred.
Isaiah took the shot and gestured to Cameron.
“Oh no I’m fine,” she said.
“Suit yourself,” Isaiah said and poured himself another.
“You shouldn’t drink too much Isaiah. If you’re caught-,”
“Don’t worry. This is my last one. Besides I want to remember this night,” Isaiah walked over to her and grabbed her hand. “Let’s get some piece and quite. Shall we?”
They found an empty room in the back of the suite and sat awkwardly on the bed. Then Isaiah leaned forward until his brown face was close to Cameron’s.
“I really like you,” he said.
“You do?” She asked slightly uncertain of his sincerity.
“Of course,” then he kissed her.
Cameron was in shock. This was her first kiss and she was sharing it with her biggest crush. They began kissing softly until they got more relaxed and comfortable with each other. Then Isaiah placed his hand on her shoulder and guided her downwards toward the bed. They were making out full on and Isaiah began to touch her in places that she had never been touched before. She became increasingly uncomfortable despite the fact that her dream was coming true. In the back of her mind Cameron wanted him to stop, because she knew she didn’t want to go all the way. He began to slide her dress strap down. This triggered her.
“I can’t do this,” she said and tried to sit up.
“Oh common’ I know you’ve been crushing on me since the ninth grade. Isn’t this what you want?” Isaiah was pulling her toward him.
“Not like this,” She stated still trying to rise. “Let go. I said I don’t want to do this!”
“Don’t be such a prude. You know you’ll never have another shot with a guy like me anyway. You might as well take what you can get.”
Cameron was stunned. She lifted her knee in between them and pried herself out of his grip. She quickly sat up and tried to get off the bed, but her gown was caught on her heel. Isaiah lunged at her and grabbed onto the back of her dress. She immediately threw back her fist and knocked him square in the eye. He winced. She ran toward the door. He charged at her and as she was opening the door grabbed a hold of her dress strap and yanked. The front of Cameron’s dress ripped until her bra was exposed to the entire room. When Isaiah finally let go she was half naked in front of a huge crowd of her peers. She tried to run out of the room, but everyone stood in her way laughing at her vulnerable state.
“Please! Just let me go!” She pleaded with tears welling up in her eyes.
They just continued laughing like drunken hyenas. Cameron was beyond humiliated. She felt like she was in a nightmare and would eventuall
y wake up, but the laughs and mockery kept pouring in on her like a monsoon. She covered her drenched face with her hands hoping to disappear from the world. Suddenly, the thunderous heckling started to fade away until the room was silent. She felt as though she were having an out of body experience and had exited the room for just a few seconds. Then the taunting started flooding in again like a sea of water shoving through a dam. She was spent. She dropped her hands from her face in surrender and the room fell into abrupt silence. She looked around in bewilderment. Why are they quiet all of a sudden?. The crowd had a collective look of utter astonishment on their faces. Their mouths dropped and their eyes were wide. She looked over toward the room where she and Isaiah had been and he was standing in the doorway just as astonished as the rest of the room. The girl who was rude to her earlier at the prom walked over to Cameron and was studying her face as if she were a science experiment. Then she began to poke at her cheeks. Cameron grabbed her wrist.
“What are you doing!? As if laughing at me wasn’t enough. Now you want to make me feel less than human!!?” She threw her arm away. “Just leave me alone.”
She walked toward the door and the crowd slowly parted.
“It was real!” The rude girl exclaimed in amazement.
Cameron stopped amidst the crowd and looked back at her. In a fit of rage she charged toward the skinny girl, but right before she could pound her face in, someone placed a hand held mirror right in between them. She was stupefied. The reflection wasn’t hers. She looked behind the mirror to see if it was some sort of trick, but it was real. She staggered backward with her hand over her mouth.
“Whose reflection is that?”
“It’s yours.” The girl said.
Lovers of Babel Page 3