Sleep

by Deborah Anne-Marie Palmer

  "Exactly! Sit down for a sec." he said pointing towards a space he had cleared for her. Although she was a bit confused, she obliged him. However, she did flinch when he grabbed her right hand. "I'm not going to hurt you, I swear. I just want to show you one last thing." She hesitated for a second before handing her arm to him. First he handed her his writing device. "Okay, I'm going to show you how to write your name. First, this is how you hold this." he said as he took her hand in his. "Now the 'L' is easy. You just make a corner, with the long side going down and the short side going this way." he explained as they made their first stroke.

  "The 'Y' is just three lines. Two go up like this, and the last one goes down. It's a bit different for lower cases, but let's just focus on this." he kept on telling her. "The 'S' is a bit tricky to explain, but what you do is roll it like this." he said in conclusion. "Want to try it by yourself?" he asked.

  Lys gave a short nod before shaking his hand off. "The 'L' is a corner." she whispered as she made a shaky 'L'. "The 'Y' is three lines." the 'Y' was steadier, however, the center line was a tad longer than it needed to be. "And you roll the 'S'." slowly she worked her way into making a recognizable 'S'. "How is it?"

  "That's really good! Trust me, I couldn't even read my first attempt at writing."

  "Will you teach me more?"

  "I don't know. I've got so much work, and aren't you busy with ... whatever it is you guys do all day?"

  "I don't have to go 'Mazing' everyday. And if I knew how to read, I could help you with your work."

  "Look, I've never taught anyone before. And between all this there won't be enough time to ..." he let the sentence sputter, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

  "Find your sister?" he closed his eyes and nodded. "I could help you, you know."

  "How?"

  "Well obviously, I can fly. And I can tell you from experience, that you get around faster when you're in the air than when you're walking."

  "And you're point is?"

  "Everyday, I can take you around on one of my platforms, and help you look for her. You can bring along some of your books and get some work done as we go around, and we can always start somewhere else. In exchange, you can show me how to make letter marking things once a week. It's that simple." Mason managed a smile that wasn't completely hopeless.

  "I really wish I had met you sooner." he said as he ruffled her head. "Sure, let's do it."

  "Sweet! When do we start?"

  "As soon as possible." he replied as he bemusedly wondered who had taught her that expression. The two were interrupted by Rosie, who needed the bathroom for herself. Once she was done, the two returned to the room, Mason continuing his work and Lys scuttling about trying to assist him. Her idea of assisting was moving around books she assumed he was done with, and providing him with a few throw pillows. He smiled at her antics. "So, are Friday's good for you?"

  "Is it Friday now?"

  "Nope."

  "Oh." she said disappointedly.

  He laughed a little as he responded. "It's Friday tomorrow. I know you're really excited, but I need some time to work out a lesson plan. If you want we can spend the whole day on your lessons. As for the searches, it's fine if we just search during the days that aren't Friday." This brightened her demeanor considerably. Lys did wind up going to the Town Center for the 'Ghost Maze' tournament. Unfortunately for her challengers, her excitement for her future lessons threw off her concentration a tad, trapping a considerable amount of them. Yet, not even when she and Raye were disqualified, the latter cursing up a storm over being banned from a game she created, could she be brought down from her bliss. All her life, she had never thought about reading before, but now that she had the chance to learn, it was all she could think about. She wasn't entirely sure what these lessons would entail, yet she was sure it would be amazing.

  ___

  Her first day of lessons started to grow a bit tedious after the first hour. However, she worked hard at copying the letters he taught her for the day, if only because it made it easier to put the tension with Rosie out of her mind. She also noticed that Mason seemed more at ease when he was teaching her, as if this small preoccupation helped him free his mind of his worries for a short time. Their first day of searching started out hopeful, as Lys abilities really helped them cover more ground than expected. Yet, when the hours passed with no results, the tension grew. Lys tried to ease the tension by starting a conversation. "Tell me about your sister."

  Mason shrugged. "What exactly do you want to know?"

  "I don't know. What is she like? How does she look? What does she do for fun?"

  "Well, she's a bit taller than me. Or she used to be. She has a scar on her face. Animal attack. She mostly kept her hair short. She's very focused. Does whatever it takes to survive. Never has time for distractions, like reading."

  "But didn't she teach you?"

  "Only a few words."

  "How long has it been since you last saw her?"

  "I would have to say, about three years."

  "Three years. Wow."

  "Yeah, it's a little hard to swallow."

  "Would you even recognize her?"

  "There's only one way to know." The conversation quieted down after this, as they turned their focus back on finding Polly. By the time the sun set, Mason was completely exhausted.

  ___

  Many weeks passed with this routine. Lys would spend her non-Fridays helping Mason search for his sister, while the siblings would spend their days at their occupation or gallivanting about the town respectively. Lys noticed that Mason didn't wake as easily on the days following her lessons. Apart from her welding apprenticeship, Mia was focused at finding a larger home. Every once in awhile she would go to the information center to inquire about that subject. Raye had taken to spending more than the evenings near the Town Center, in the hopes of developing abilities. A habit that soon many Classic youths took up. Ty had not made much advancement on the Tilda Soulbinder front, apart from speaking beyond a whisper, despite being exclusively partnered with her in 'Ghost Maze' tournaments. It seemed like it would be a quiet winter in their new home. However, that idea would be thrown out the window the day Raye delivered some 'exciting' news.

  "Hey, remember the Resistance Movement at the Outer Limits? Well, it seems like it's been making its way throughout Gentry. I heard they're going to have a rally near the Town Center tomorrow."

  "Thank you, Raye. Now we know ahead of time to avoid it."

  "Avoid it? I don't want to avoid it, Mi-Mi. It sounds interesting, I really think ..."

  "You have no business attending a rally for listless death-seekers."

  "Aren't you being a bit harsh? They're just trying to make a difference." Ty said in an attempt to defend his sister.

  "All I know, is that I have spent a large part of my life fighting to ensure you two wouldn't have to. I have faced starvation, food poisoning, not to mention dog attacks, for you. But if you insist on throwing away everything I've worked for to go into an unneeded conflict, then by all means go to that rally. But know that you'll have to find a new home." That put an end to that subject. Lys couldn't help but wonder, if the Resistance Movement had some kind of connection with Rosie's secret. She didn't keep this thought at the forefront of her mind for the rest of the day, focusing on finding Mason's sister. The day passed predictably until Mason suddenly grew alert. "Lys, over there!" he pointed toward a crowd of people.

  Lys focused until she saw the shape of a young woman with the same type of hair as her friend. "Are you sure?"

  "I swear I've seen that ratty old jacket before. Don't lose her." Lys got as close to the group of people as she could, never letting the girl out of her sights. As they got closer, she could feel Mason's excitement. When they were close enough she landed, and Mason took off towards the girl. He almost called to her, when she turned around. She had no scar on her face, and her eyes were the wrong color. Mason instantly sagged.

  "Let's just go home."r />
  "Don't you want to ask her if she knows Polly?"

  "You ask her. I'm done." He said as he turned back towards their quarters. When Lys tried to find the girl in question, she noticed that she had been swallowed up by the oncoming crowd. With a sigh she headed back too.

  Lys tried to lighten her mood by reminding herself that it would be Friday soon, and that always seemed to remedy Mason. As she began to drift to sleep, she hoped that they would have some kind of breakthrough on the oncoming day. Surprisingly, the day came sooner than she expected, as she awoke to Rosie gently shaking her awake slightly before dawn.

  "What's going on? Is there a fire? Is Ty moping about Tilda again?"

  "Uhm, remember that rally we're not allowed to attend?"

  "A little, yes."

  "We have to go there now."

  "Are we going to move away?"

  "I doubt it, but Mason's coming with us, so if it comes to that, I'm sure he'll find a place for us."

  "Mason's coming with us?"

  "He will once you tell him to. He trusts you more than me."

  "I'm sure that's not true."

  "Regardless, we need to get going. The longer we stay, the larger the chance of Mia preventing us from leaving. And we can't let that happen."

  Lys isn't sure what makes her jump to action. Perhaps it's the sense of urgency in her friend's voice, or the fact that she was involving her in something outside of Mia's supervision. Either way, she walked to Mason's 'Room', where he already was wiping the sleep out of his eyes.

  "What gives?"

  "Rosie says we need to go somewhere, and I think we should listen."

  "What happens if we just sleep in?"

  "I don't know, but I feel like this is not the day to answer that question."

  The boy gave her a tired look as he contemplated his choices, and finally sighed as he stretched himself.

  "So, where are we going?"

  Chapter 7

  Lys would be lying if she didn't admit she was worried about Mia's ultimatum. However, she had long decided to trust Rosie over her own instincts, even if she had gotten the cold shoulder lately. Besides, if she wasn't firm in her decision Mason would probably flake.

  "Look can't you just tell me what's going on? Isn't that your specialty?"

  "Not exactly, I feel this pull towards the places we need to be. But I hardly know for what reason."

  "Well it better be about something good. I'm not as opposed as Mia, but I'm not really interested in the surface anymore."

  "Not even a little?"

  "Yes ... why is that even a question?"

  Silence covered the trio as they continued their trek towards the Town Center. Thankfully, the murmuring of the approaching crowd filled up the awkwardness. "Looks like we're on the right track." Lys said a little too enthusiastically.

  "Ah, I was hoping we could get here before the crowd. It would have made things easier."

  "Easier?"

  "Well, luckily we have you so we can still make this work."

  "Make what work?!" Mason yelled exasperatedly.

  "You'll know soon enough."

  "What will I ...?! Is this about ...?" his annoyed stomping suddenly turned into brisk steps. Lys had to float slightly to keep up with him.

  "Do you want me to make space for you on my platform?"

  "I'm actually the least necessary for this engagement. You two go ahead, I'll catch up with you later." Rosie pointed in Mason's direction as she declined her friends offer. Lys was startled when she noticed that the boy was almost out of her sight.

  "Slow down! Why are you suddenly in such a hurry."

  "I can hear her. After all this time I can ...! I need to get there. Where did all these people come from?!"

  "Hey! Quit pushing!!" Some passerby yelled.

  "I need to get there! You're in my way!!!" Mason said unabashedly.

  "The hell I'm in your way!!! Back off!"

  "You ...!"

  "Mason, Stop! Sorry, so sorry! I'll deal with him." Lys intervened. The woman shook her head in annoyance, continuing on her way. "Why are you holding me back? This could be ..."

  "I know." She said confidently. "Which is why I think we'll get to the Power Core faster on my platform." Without a moment's notice, Lys expanded the force field beneath her legs to include Mason, and took to the air. He held on tightly as they left the crowd behind. A few telekinetics took their cue from them, and also began traveling by force field, however none caught up to Lys' panel. As they approached the Power Core, Mason began to point and scream in excitement. It was unnecessary, since it wasn't hard to see who they were meant to meet. There were about five people on the makeshift stage, no doubt being created by one of the individuals, but only one was looking towards them. A woman, about the same height as Mason, yet clearly older. Her eyes were a darker brown, but she had the same reddish/brownish hair. She had a few scars on the right side of her face, but the shape of it was unmistakable.

  "The hell have you been, Sh*thead?!" She said with a wicked grin as soon as they were in earshot. Mason just laughed as he bear-tackled the woman, who happily joined in. So, this was Polly Keid.

  ___

  As the siblings took their time catching up, Lys began to grow anxious. True, she was happy for her friend, yet she felt a bit out of place at this reunion. Fortunately, she wasn't the only one who felt this way, as one of the other people on the stage interrupted them.

  "Uh, Pol? We're about to get started so is this going to take any longer or ...?"

  "You know what, Watts? You take over today."

  "Me? But I'm not in charge! I can't ..."

  "Watts, I just found my brother after about 3 years of being separated from him. I've lost sleep thinking he was dead. I of all people, know how important the rally is. But at the end of the day, we've done them tons of times. You got this, kid."

  "I'm older than you!"

  "Keep telling yourself that." she said as she walked away, with her arm around her brother's shoulder. With that, Lys decided to find Rosie. Luckily, she was easy to find, most likely already expecting her to arrive.

  "Was it his sister?"

  "Yeah."

  "I thought so."

  "... Soooo, are you going to tell me what's going on?"

  "I'm not sure I should. I mean I want to but, I think it would be repetitive at this point. Let's go find Mia."

  "Why? Is she going to tell me your secret?"

  "No, but we need to tell her we're having company tonight. Wanna help me run errands?"

  "Sure. Are we going to tell her that Mason's sister is one of the leaders of the rebellion?"

  "Hmm, perhaps if she knew in advance it would lessen the awkwardness."

  Lys hoped she was right. It didn't take long for them to reach Mia. It was the first time Lys, had been to the welding workshop, so she was quite curious. However, Mia spotted them quickly and didn't give her the chance to explore.

  "Where'd you guys go? You missed breakfast."

  "We were with Mason." Rosie provided.

  "Mhmm."

  "We found his sister!" Lys added.

  "That's great." Mia said, genuinely surprised. The two young girls awkwardly shuffled their feet as they looked at each other. This slowly transformed Mia's surprise into foreboding. "Anything else you want to tell me?"

  "Welllll ..." Lys replied.

  "She seems nice." Rosie contributed.

  "And she looks a lot like Mason." Lys informed her.

  "True, very true. She also happens to be ...” Rosie seemed at a loss at what to say.

  "To be ...?" Mia tried to coax.

  "The leader …" Lys filled in for her friend.

  "….Are you going to elaborate or...?"

  "... Of the 'Haven' raids." Rosie finally blurted out.

  "... Anything else?" Mia asked stoically.

  Lys looked at her feet as she hurriedly whispered. "There's a huge chance she's joining us for dinner."

  ___


  Telling Mia in advance did not lessen the awkwardness. At the very least, Lys couldn't imagine dinner being any more awkward. Somehow, Mia had turned dinner into the most stressful experience of Lys' life. And she had free-fallen into the ocean. Mason seemed to be oblivious of the tension, shielded by a bubble of gratitude. Raye and Ty had never been this quiet, opting to slowly eat their food and observe their sister and guest. Rosie only felt a little less comfortable than she did being stalked by the clairvoyants. To an outsider, Mia appeared to be the picture of serenity, however each of her movements carried a weight of volatility to them. As for Polly herself, she overlooked her hosts with the eyes of a predator, sizing them up as opponents. Either she didn't find them impressive, or their threat level was just great enough to keep her in line. Regardless, she never eased her stance. Yet, she did initiate a conversation.

  "You can ask, you know."

  "What?" Was Raye's startled reply.

  "Everybody wants to know about the scar, so go ahead. Ask."

  "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to stare ..."

  "You have nothing to apologize for. It's one of my best features. Let's people know I won't go down easy."

  "... So how did you get it?" Ty finally ventured. Raye gave him a reproachful look, to which he only shrugged.

  "Okay, so I think I was about Mason's age, and he was a little bit older than them." She said as she pointed to the youngest girls. "I was actually a bit nervous because it hadn't been too long that I'd finally allowed him to leave my side. I thought he was bound to get attacked by some wild animal. I was so distracted, that I didn't even notice I had walked into some lynx's territory. Unluckily for me, the lynx did. It caught me unawares, but I soon gained the upper hand. It took about 15 minutes, but it was the longest minutes of my life. And although it left me some souvenirs, the lynx had to surrender its territory, and its life to me. I have its pelt to this day."

  "Woah!" Raye and Ty chorused together.

  "You can touch it if you want." Polly invited. Raye happily took her up on that invitation.

  "Was that your first kill?"