The World We Once Knew

by Trahan, Leeaja

  Uneasily Dane began to eat. Quinta was further off than he had originally gauged and this bothered him immensely. Ultimately, for the day, Dane decided he would let this issue go until Quinta wanted to speak about it on her own terms. They really couldn't talk with constant interruptions. Today was about alleviating her worries, not reliving them.

  Before Quinta knew it, Addie had finished her meal in record time and she was now off to shower. Watching her silently, Quinta's chews slowed to a halt for a moment before she continued. Dane placed his fork on his empty plate before he smiled to himself. After a few moments, he noticed that Quinta hadn't eaten much and simply played with what little food she had. Pushing himself to his feet, Dane towered over where she was seated and held his hand out to her.

  Within two minutes the sound of Addie's wet feet slapped down hallway towards her bedroom. With a long sigh, Quinta didn't realize how much time had passed before Dane had approached her.

  “Done?” Dane asked.

  Quinta took one last bite of egg before she handed the plate over to him, “Oh yes. Tank yuh.” She whispered in response.

  Lending him a slight smile, she crossed her arms together and leaned back against the cushions. Stacking their dishes together, he wandered into the kitchen to rinse off the plates and set them aside to wash later. Staring out of the window across from her, it wasn't until Dane returned did she tilt her head back and look at him. Catching a glimpse of Quinta's melancholy mood, he waved her over to the front door. Getting up, her socked feet wandered in his direction only for her to follow suit to put on her shoes as well. There wasn't much for them to do there anymore and figured that they may as well get a move on to Leon's.

  Who cares if they woke that bastard up?

  Admittedly Dane had an increased surge of eagerness course through him now that they were so close. He simply wanted to get there as soon as possible and make Quinta happy. Even when he was younger, before he became ill, when Dane knew that his family planned fun events he couldn't get there fast enough and was usually the first one ready. All of this bubbled under the cool, calm, and patient appearance he'd been blessed with.

  Calling down the hall, he reminded the “princess” that this wasn't a beauty debut, “Addie don't take all day in there!” His energy was infectious.

  Addie was in the middle of pinning her hair up and putting on a t-shirt, “GIVE ME A MINUTE, SHIT!” She called after her brother.

  Dane glanced down at Quinta and began to slip on his combat boots, “I'll give you three guesses. What do you think it is?” He questioned in hopes to lift her mood.

  Quinta pressed her hands to her back, “Mm? What me supposed to guess? Me nah know what to tink.” She answered.

  Of course, she wouldn't know. Hell, if it wasn't for Addie he wouldn't guess either. Who the hell would expect to go somewhere forbidden, to do something prohibited?

  He gave her a nudge in the right direction, “You could guess new clothes. A nice dinner. A hot date? Those are a few ideas.” He said with a grin. “Does any of that sound good to you?” He added.

  Picking up her bag, Quinta ran her thumb along the strap on her shoulder and tilted her head slightly to the side, “Yuh speakin’ as doe yuh live back in better times. But let's see....” She replied.

  Tapping her finger against her arm and gave her shoulder a soft shrug. New clothes were in abundance if they came across the right place. Dates? Men never interested her before the plague took over.

  “If yuh can get me dinna dat doesn't include boiled vegetables and week old bread from da district, me would kiss yuh an everyone else dat 'elped.” She answered half sarcastically. Being diverted from her feelings, A half smiled appeared over Quinta's mouth while she looked up at him, “But me know yuh can't do dat. So, what's goin on?” She asked seriously.

  Dane couldn't stop the smile that grew on his features even if he tried. Her answer was refreshing. For a glimmering moment, the Quinta he knew came to light. Dane knew it'd be impossible to have anything other than bland vegetable stew day in and day out but for her offer he was willing to play with the possibilities.

  The thought of her lips buried itself in the back of his mind, “Well with that kind of reward I'll keep an eye out for a bird to kill on the next run.” He teased.

  There was an awkward twinge in Quinta's stomach when Dane spoke about a reward. Her kiss? Meaning he'd thought about kissing her before? Blowing out softly to herself, she squeezed her palms together and was quick to divert the subject. Figuring he couldn't ruin the surprise now, he instead asked her a simple question. He wanted to get to know her more.

  “Quinta what do you like to do the most?”

  Thankfully he moved on as well though now the thought of his lips on hers was now planted there. He did have pretty, full lips and he was definitely a good-looking guy. Sweet, laid back, in shape, sexy...what was she doing?

  Quinta glanced down at the floor with wide eyes and spoke in a voice that was a bit distant, “Me like to cook and read. Quiet tings like dat. Dere's not much more yuh can do.” She answered. Pulling a few twists of hair over her shoulder, Quinta's gaze slowly traveled up Dane's legs, abdomen, and chest before she finally landed on his face, “What about yuh?” She asked quietly.

  Dane waited to hear about her ritual with the sunrise which was a fact that he already knew. When Quinta mentioned a few other hobbies that he knew well of in the hospital he nodded his head. She was always that quiet type but then he noticed how she played with her hair, stood, and looked at him that way. This sparked a tremor deep inside of him. He became immersed in their chemistry and wanted to answer her question. The moment between them resembled normal societal interactions between a boy and a girl that had long been forgotten to him. Little did they know that Addie had finally put on her pants, rubbed her finger across her teeth, and hurried out of the bedroom to meet them.

  “I liked to pay sports. Really loved building with my hands.” Pausing, Dane stared into Quinta's eyes and decided to go in for the flirt, “And...” He started to say.

  Seeing that they were already at the door Addie couldn't help but grin, “Oh! Someone is excited! Just let me get my shoes on you guys!” She said happily.

  Dane glanced down and away from Quinta as he grinned at himself. At the same moment as Dane, Quinta's gaze dropped towards her feet in the same awkward shyness. She couldn't shake the feeling that Addie had just caught them in a taboo interaction. Though now she knew just a little more about him, she knew he could build from the internal job placement he was given. A man of his stature in sports made complete sense now that she thought about it.

  With a slight bite of his lip, Dane then leaned into her ear and shifted focus, “Well, just so you know. The last thing is not cooking, reading, sports, or building.” He whispered as he adjusted the bag on his shoulder.

  Quinta watched Addie hurriedly slip her sneakers on when her entire back tensed and his deep, husky voice tickled along her ear.

  It never felt like this before so why now?

  Dane opened the door for the girls. When his sister passed him by, he knocked her butt with his foot.

  Addie yelped before she whipped around, lifted her hand, and smacked him against his arm, “Stop that you damn fool!” She cursed with elation that exuded from her features.

  He shared a grin with Addie's annoyed look, “Hurry up you're so slow.” He stated.

  Quinta watched them at the end of the stairway all while Addie leaned into her brother and nudged him, “Did she figure it out or are we still in the green?” Addie questioned with her eyes locked onto Quinta's petite frame.

  Dane glanced over to Quinta with his brows raised before he leaned into his sister's side, “Green as the jolly green giant and that's pretty damn green.” He replied bluntly.

  Once they regrouped, the trio made their way across the district towards Leon's building. The siblings led the way slightly ahead of Quinta while she followed. The shops were already in the middle of their hus
tle. People passed by with dirtied, reusable bags which hung from the bike handlebars or held in hand. Passing by the church, Quinta had almost expected to turn right towards her building but instead they went left. The largest building in the sector loomed along the Northern wall which only caused Quinta to glance around. The civilians that passed through thinned out almost immediately and the ones who caught her attention zipped to and from in their motorized vehicles.

  Walking up the faded, burgundy walkway, Quinta squeezed the strap of her bag while she turned her attention to Dane and Addie. One of them had to have an answer by now. What confused her more was how after they'd entered the elaborate lobby, there was Leon to greet them. Shirtless.

  What the hell was going on?

  As soon as Leon saw them proceed up the pathway he met them halfway with a cheery and enthused mood. A bag was thrown over his bare shoulder. He was wearing shorts, shades, and a large, cheesy smile.

  Approaching the group of them, Leon closed in on Quinta and put his arm around her shoulders, “Aloha! Are you all ready to go?” He asked.

  Quinta's eyebrows tucked together because a man she only met twice in her life knew about this “big surprise” before her. Plus, he was touching her.

  With a brief glance towards the other two, Quinta then studied Leon's slate, blue eyes and nodded a bit, “Me guess?” She questioned herself.

  Leading her ahead towards the end of the lobby, Leon looked around before back down at Quinta, “Are you feeling any better? If not, leave it up to me!” He said.

  Addie glared at the back of Leon's head because he had the nerve to take majority of the credit for her idea. Which was promptly followed by her stepping forward and slapping the back of his head.

  Leon flinched slightly as he glared pointedly at her, “Ow! Really little girl?” He snapped.

  This only caused Addie to grin at him with her arms crossed while they passed through a set of double doors, “Then maybe you should get your head out of your ass and stop trying to take credit for something that we ALL planned!” She retorted.

  Leon then began to mutter under his breath to Addie all while nudging his head down in Quinta's direction. All he wanted to do was make himself favorable to Quinta. The reason was beyond obvious when one simply looked around the other individuals in the sector. A pretty face was far and in between. Addie mouthed “I don't care” with her hands all while Dane stared between Leon's arm on Quinta and back to his face. Quinta all the while watched Leon from the corner of her eye before she turned her head to face him again. In a snap moment, Leon grinned down at her as though to show that not a thing was wrong. This caused the siblings to pass a glance to one another simultaneously and raise a brow.

  Crossing through the building's entirety towards the back, literally not a soul lingered in the halls which only added a heavy sheet of silence over them. Quinta continued to glance up at Leon who held a smirk on his features. Approaching a set of glass double doors that led out towards the shorter Eastern wall, they exited onto a glass covered gazebo. Quinta eyed the rather lavish surroundings and considered where they lived with a pause.

  The sound of crashing, rolling waves echoed in the background on the other side of the wall that hid the ocean from view.

  Addie felt a bubbling sensation in the pit of her stomach while she was the first one to hurry down the steps towards the wall, “Come on you guys!” Addie called out to them while she waved her hand towards the wall.

  With Leon pulling away from Quinta the moment Addie began running ahead, this left Dane and Quinta alone for a moment. Dane's eyes were set on Quinta. He knew this was the moment when she'd catch on. Quinta glanced from left to right and knew that there was only one place left to go. Her chest tightened and her mouth fell open.

  She hadn't seen the water up close in so long and now that the rules forbade it she couldn't move, “What are we doin’? We can't be out dere. Come now...s-stop...” Her sentence trailed off while she looked to Leon and then Dane for the answer.

  Wetting his lips, Dane stepped closer, “Surprise. After what happened yesterday we thought you'd like something that was sure to lift your spirits. Leon pulled some strings for us and... well...”

  Giving Quinta a gentle smile and a light shrug, he held his hand out to her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. In all honesty, the sounds of the water hidden from view struck her very core. A deep yearning and need pulled her towards the very thing she grew up near all her life. A sense of normalcy. She hadn't realized that her eyes had begun to sting all the while Dane rattled on about why they did this. For her. They were worried about her. Hell...even Leon cared enough to help her.

  A nervous smile broke onto her features, the smell of the salted air was intense, and she was truly surprised. As Dane took a couple steps down towards the veranda, Quinta stared at Dane's hand and quickly took it into hers. Their fingers naturally interlocked which was the strength she needed to go on. There were so many memories of the water, good, bad, and horrible. Still the love she held for this life source overshadowed that all.

  Leading her down towards the door of the gate at the end of the veranda, Leon unlocked and opened it. Quinta held her breath only for the door to be pushed open and they were instantly greeted by a wave of blue green water as it crashed against the sand. Her breath was stolen. Where the sky met the water along the horizon was breathtaking. Quinta's features twisted into a pained smile all while tears began to roll down the sides of her cheek.

  Dane held his breath, “I know you've missed this.” He uttered in awe just loud enough for Quinta to hear.

  He too was shocked by the sight.

  She nodded at Dane's statement, “Yuh.” She whispered.

  The ocean seemed untouched compared to the desolate ruin on land. Other than the seaweed that scattered the immediate area, this was alike to paradise.

  Addie's figure poked around them and in an instant her eyes lit up, “Oooh!” She squealed.

  Squeezing around her brother, she was the first one to run down the sand towards the water with bag in hand. Leon was right behind her.

  Once in sight of the guards that walked along the wall, Leon raised his hand up to show that they'd arrived. Advancing halfway down the beach, he tossed his bag down and rummaged inside to double check he had everything he'd need. Rifle and pistol as just in case precautions. A few rationed snacks because what was the beach without lunch? A canteen of fresh water and a bright green, plastic pail with kid shovels. Perfect.

  Quinta's grip tightened against Dane's and she couldn't help but turn upwards towards him with a smile. Her bottom lip rolled in and she shook his hand a couple of times.

  Emotionally strained to hold back her feelings, she spoke, “Tank yuh...” She whispered.

  To see the way the water affected her, with a strange mix of emotion in her eyes, brought this inexplicable feeling to Dane. Their fingers fit to one another perfectly. Seeing these tears and genuine thanks brought solace and freedom of worry for her and him. Dane's answer to her was silent and he continued to stare at her even when she looked away. Slowly, his thumb traced the side of her palm.

  The scenery stole Quinta's attention once again, dotted with two people that proved their care for her. Addie dropped her bag halfway down to the sand, stomped through the damp sand, and threw water over her head. She then began to jump up and down in her own exhilaration before she turned towards the other three with her arms in the air.

  “YEAH! COME ON QUINTA!” She exclaimed.

  Addie was always the life of the party and she didn't fail here either. Encouraging them past the emotion and into the spirit of enjoying.

  Nodding her head, Quinta's hand dropped away from Dane. She began to pull off her boots and socks only to carry them. For the first time, in a long time, her bare foot met with sand. There was no sorrow, there was no death, there was just peace. Quinta was happy. She couldn't help but feel like the weight of the world was lifted from her shoulders in an instant.<
br />
  At least for now.

  Turning her head back to Dane, she waved him along gently, “Come on!”

  Pulling off his boots, Dane rolled his socks into his shoes and followed Quinta. The sand was cold beneath the hot grains that sat on top. He pulled his shirt over his head before he yanked his pants down to his boxers. For now, they'd have to do for swimming trunks.

  Leon was kneeling in the wet sand further down the way. He dug himself a deep trench and filled his pail and packed it down. This man was determined to build the greatest sand castle that had even been. He was no longer Leon the cop. Now he was Leon, the architect.

  Rushing down towards the shoreline, Quinta wore the biggest smile to date on her face. Stopping by Leon's things, Quinta dropped her bag and her boots. The shade from the wall caused a shiver to run down her spine but there was no way she would miss this. Glancing back over her shoulder she took note of the soldiers who silently looked on.

  Addie ran back to her and hugged into Quinta’s side, “Do you like it?!” She asked.

  Smiling up at the younger girl, Quinta wrapped an arm around her shoulder blades and nodded. Just as she was about to speak Dane's tall, unclothed stature entered her visual. His body was full, cut, and built. One could always tell but now to see him without clothes on for the first time in a relaxed state was...nice.

  Clenching her jaw, Quinta cleared her throat only to nod, “Yuh, me love it. Tank yuh so much.” She responded.

  Addie couldn't help but gush happily, “Of course Quinta. You're family! Now. Let's rock this shit!! WOOO!!!” She cheered.

  With a nod Quinta began to undo the buttons of her shirt. Pulling it open, it revealed a smooth black bra with lace trim and soft pink flowered embroidery. Addie's eyes were the first to widen since she was bent over to take off her pants. Quinta was very.... curvaceous and her breasts were quite the sight to see. They were bigger than hers and the bra did wonders to make them appear perkier.