Sunset Rising

by S. M. McEachern

  “Oh, I have the dress for that hair,” a young woman said, taking me by the arm as soon as I walked in. I watched Summer being led away in the opposite direction by someone else.

  The woman picked up an emerald colored strapless dress that draped all the way to the floor. She motioned for me to get undressed. I did. Then she slipped the silky gown over my head. The top was too big for me, so she pinned it and then sewed it into place. I could tell the dress had been altered several times before.

  “Well I won’t need to hem it,” she laughed.

  I looked down and saw the hem of the dress sat above my ankles.

  “Hmmm,” she pondered. “With the right shoes…” She left me for a few moments and then came back with a sparkly pair of high heels. “They’re not too high – we don’t want you towering over all the men! But it will make the dress look like it’s been shortened deliberately to show off the shoes.”

  I strapped the shoes on my feet and tried to stand up. I had never worn shoes like these before. I had seen women in the movies wear them though, so I tried to walk like they did. Satisfied with my outfit, the woman told me to go to the hairdressing station next. I practiced walking in the high heels on my way there and almost broke my ankle.

  “Your hair is absolutely gorgeous!” the hairdresser gushed as she took the elastic out of my hair and let it fall down my back. “I’m tempted to leave it just the way is.” She pulled it this way and that. “A few curls just to frame your face I think.” She took a hot curling iron from a holder and set to work. “There. You’re going to have a lot of suitors tonight.” She sent me on my way to make-up.

  “Let’s see,” the make-up artist said thoughtfully, looking at my face. She picked up a pair of tweezers and began ripping individual hairs out of my eyebrows. It hurt. “Sorry,” she apologized. “Normally I’d do this with wax all at once, but it will leave red welts.”

  Next she applied my make-up. When she was done, I hardly recognized myself in the mirror.

  Dressed and painted, I was ready to go back to the dining room. I didn’t see Summer anywhere and I was relieved. I hoped she was on her way home. I waited with the group of girls gathered at the door and finally someone came and led us back to the dining room. None of the girls looked very excited to be there, although I could easily tell the newbies from the girls who had been here before. I wondered if the fear I was feeling in the pit of my stomach was written all over my face too. I held out hope that Leisel hadn’t changed her mind. That she still wanted my company.

  The dining room was just as we left it. The tables were cleared and the candles still flickering. A few girls were still in white uniform walking around with bottles of wine in each hand. They stopped and filled up glasses where requested. I looked around the room wondering if Leisel was still there. Maybe she would come and get me herself.

  But it wasn’t Leisel my eyes found. It was Summer. All dressed up in pink with an old man falling all over her. She looked absolutely terrified.

  Chapter Four

  “Now you, my dear, are worth the cost of buying a drink,” an old man said as he stumbled toward me.

  He looked old and had a big round tummy. His breath smelled like food and wine. He handed me a glass and I accepted, because I didn’t know what else to do. I was pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone I was waiting for Jack Kenner.

  “Haven’t seen you here before. Where’ve you been hiding? Down there in that Pit? No place for a beautiful woman,” he slurred.

  It took all of my will power not to scream when one of his flabby hands snaked out toward me and unsteadily pulled me closer him. I was taller so he leaned his head against my neck. I could feel his hot, putrid breath against me. He slid his head lower trying to grope my breasts with his cheek.

  “Wilson, old man. What are you doing?” a young man asked jovially as he walked up to us. I looked at him and wondered if he was Jack Kenner. He looked a lot like the man I had seen on television.

  “Jack, you little devil.” Wilson released his hold on me. “Don’t worry, you’ll be married soon enough, then you’ll know what I’m doing with this young lady.” Wilson tried to wink, but it looked like a blink instead.

  “Oh, I think this young lady is too much woman for you Wilson. You couldn’t kiss her if you stood on your tiptoes,” he laughed.

  “It’s not kissing I’m hoping to do tonight,” Wilson joked back, elbowing Jack in the side.

  “You have good taste old man, I’ll give you that. She’s the prettiest girl here,” Jack said. He finally looked in my direction and his eyes raked over me from top to bottom and back up. “In fact, I think I’ll take her off your hands.”

  “Wait a minute! I found her first Jack,” Wilson waved an unsteady finger at him.

  “Yeah, but I’m the guest of honor tonight so I get first pick,” he said apologetically.

  Wilson tried to straighten himself up, but he was still unsteady on his feet.

  “’Course you are Jack,” he slurred. “She’s all yours.”

  Wilson reached out and retrieved the glass of wine he had given me and stumbled away in search of another girl. Jack watched him go then stepped so close to me that we were only a few inches apart. In my high heels we were eye level with each. His head came toward mine and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I thought he was here to save me from all of this.

  “You’re Sunny O’Donnell?” he whispered in my ear.

  He stared at me with the most intense blue eyes I had ever seen. I had seen his face on television so many times over the past few months. He was the man who was about to marry the President’s daughter. He was the man who would one day be President himself. That made him a very important person. I felt so intimidated in his presence, but I managed to nod my head yes to his question.

  “Leisel asked me to come and find you. I’ll take you back to my apartment,” he said matter-of-factly.

  I was relieved. Leisel was going through with her plan after all. But I was still worried about Summer. I tried to discreetly look over Jack’s shoulder to see where she was. I didn’t want to leave her alone.

  “Unless you didn’t want to go back to my apartment?” he questioned. “Maybe there’s someone who caught your eye.”

  “Your fiancée said my friend could go home for the night, but I saw her here,” I boldly said. Would he think I was being out of line?

  “Oh I forgot. She told me to put in a request for… Spring is it?” he asked.

  “No. Her name is Summer,” I corrected him.

  “Yeah, Summer. Leisel told me to put her with old Forbes. He’s drunk and harmless. He’ll fall asleep at a table and she’ll be sent home. Until then, she can stay and enjoy the party.”

  I looked over at Summer. Wilson was competing for her now. By the look on her face, she wasn’t enjoying the party at all.

  “The President has already left and everyone is waiting for me to clear out,” he said as he extended his elbow out toward me. “Come on. No one can leave until the guest of honor does.”

  “Okay,” I said.

  What choice did I have? I wanted to catch Summer’s eye before I left, but Wilson was blocking her view of me. Jack was still holding his elbow out toward me and I wasn’t sure why. Finally he picked up my hand and wrapped it around his elbow. I was surprised he expected me to do that – to touch him. My shock must have registered on my face because he gave me a questioning look. I realized my mouth was hanging open, so I closed it. I could feel the tension of his muscles under my hand, caught where it was in the crook of his elbow. He stood up straighter as he walked across the room, steering me toward the main doors. He walked with the confident swagger of someone who knew they were the most important person in the room. I heard a few men shouting out good for you Jack! and she’s a looker! They all clapped when we exited through the door. I had never felt so humiliated in all my life.

  Jack remained silent as he escorted me to the elevator and pressed the button for up. The doors open
ed immediately and we stepped in. This elevator was carpeted and much more luxurious than the last elevator I was in. He pressed the button for the eighth floor and the doors shut. It seemed so small and claustrophobic in the elevator with him. I was very aware that my hand was still sitting in the crook of his arm. I wanted to drop my hold on him, but I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to or not. I turned my eyes to the floor. I didn’t want to provoke him in any way.

  The elevator doors opened again and we stepped out into an opulent hall. The floor was covered with a plush carpet, which I found it difficult to walk on in high heels. The walls were almost white in color except for one long wall that was painted deep red. A few large flowering plants were set against the red wall with a long mirror in between. The sight of myself in the mirror shocked me.

  “You’re really pretty,” he said when he noticed me looking at myself in the mirror. He didn’t say it like a compliment, more like a fact.

  I looked away from the unfamiliar sight of myself as Jack straightened his arm and pressed his hand against the small of my back urging me to keep walking. I was grateful not to have to hold his arm anymore. As we left the elevator lobby, a picture hanging on the wall came into view. My eyes were drawn to the bold strokes of red and yellow, sometimes blending together to make gold. The colors were set against a dark background, making them appear even bolder and more colorful. It was positively beautiful.

  “What is it?” I asked, staring at the painting.

  “It’s an abstract of a sunset,” he said.

  I examined the colors in the painting and picked up a lock of my own hair. Where the red and yellow mixed, I could see the resemblance to my own hair color. Reyes’ words came back to haunt me; Did you ever wonder how she knew what a sunset looked like? Was this the picture my mother saw? Was she here on this same floor, chosen by some drunken bourge to entertain him? The thought made me nauseous.

  “Was it something I said?” Jack asked when he saw the look on my face.

  “No,” I shook my head. “Not you. Something someone else said.”

  Jack looked around, confused. “Um, there’s no one else here.”

  “Sorry, I meant a different conversation.”

  “Well don’t let me interrupt,” he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

  I felt so stupid.

  There were four different hallways leading away from the elevator lobby and he turned right. We walked for quite a distance before he stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall and passed his hand over the scanner. I heard a click and he opened the door.

  “Oh Jack! You did it!” Leisel said gleefully. She threw her arms around him and hugged him close. I felt awkward and out of place standing here witnessing their intimacy.

  “You know I’d do anything for you darling,” he said.

  I turned my head away when I realized he was going to kiss her, but not before I saw the kiss. Something about the way he was holding her, about the way he kissed her didn’t seem right. They seemed almost stiff and polite with each other. But maybe that was just the way the bourge were with each other.

  “Look at you, Sunny!” Leisel turned her attention to me. “You are positively breathtaking! Isn’t she Jack?”

  “Not as breathtaking as you, my love,” he kissed her again. “I’m going to go read. You girls have a nice evening.” Jack headed toward another room and closed the door behind him.

  “He’s probably had too much wine. He’ll go and sleep it off,” Leisel dismissed him. I didn’t think he had been drinking wine, but maybe I was wrong. “I ordered us some food. I assumed you would be starving after working all night.”

  I was starving. My last meal had been over 24 hours ago.

  “Can I take off my shoes?” I asked timidly. I really didn’t think I could take another step in them.

  “Yes, of course. You poor thing, working in those all night, your feet must be killing you.”

  They were. I gladly slipped them off. The carpet felt thick and cushiony against my feet. I followed Leisel into the room. There was a large sofa and two smaller chairs grouped around a low table. The table had a few plates of food waiting for us and my mouth watered at the sight and smell. I prayed my stomach didn’t start making noises again. It was so quiet in here.

  Leisel picked up a small remote and pointed it in the direction of a television hanging on the wall. Soft music began to play. I didn’t see the television at first and I was surprised by it. No one in the Pit owned a television. They were only in the common rooms. But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Jack and Leisel were rich.

  “Please make yourself comfortable,” she said, waving me toward the sofa. She walked over to a small table and poured two drinks. “Blackberry wine – my favourite!” She sniffed the contents of one glass while handing me the other. “Why should the men get to have all the fun tonight? No one threw me a big party and I’m getting married too. Cheers!” she exclaimed and clinked my glass with her own. She took a sip so I did the same. I had never tasted wine before and it burned going down my throat. I almost choked.

  “Mmmm,” Leisel mumbled, savouring the flavour. “Blackberries grow best in the Dome. They respond well to our artificial light. There are other berries too, but blackberries grow big and juicy and make the best wine.”

  I nodded my head in agreement. I had no idea what to say. I just wanted to eat.

  “Oh, I’m being so rude. Please help yourself,” she said motioning to the food. She either read my mind or I was being obvious.

  There wasn’t a fork with the food so I assumed it was okay to pick it up with my fingers. I had never eaten food like this before. The only things on the plate I recognized were the vegetables because I’ve peeled so many working in the kitchen. I recognized the bread too. I chose an orange wedge of something and popped it in my mouth. It was delicious.

  “I wasn’t sure what you like to eat so I just ordered some things that paired well with the wine,” she explained.

  “Thank you. It’s delicious,” I said as graciously as I could. I wasn’t sure what she meant about pairing food with the wine. Food was food.

  I followed the orange wedge with a bite of bread and then picked up something that looked like meat. I didn’t like it as much. Leisel clinked my glass again and I took another sip of the wine. It didn’t burn as much this time. A warm relaxing sensation was coming over me. I set my glass down on the table to free my hands to eat.

  “Thanks for hanging out with me tonight. I know it’s not much of a party with just the two of us, but I really don’t have good friends to share my special day with. Isn’t that pathetic?”

  Tears were welling up in her eyes. She quickly brushed them away and reached for a decadent looking cake on a dessert plate.

  “Like you said before – you’re the President’s daughter. You’re a very important person and it’s difficult for the average person to get past that,” I said compassionately.

  “Do you really think that’s why no one wants to be my friend?” she sniffed.

  “I’m positive,” I reassured her. “You’re very kind and generous. I really appreciate that you let my friend Summer go home this evening.”

  I was surprised by my own sincerity. Where I come from, we hate the bourge. They’re a bunch of rich, domineering, self-centered people who treated us worse than livestock. Yet Leisel was being so very human right now.

  “You know the boys think they mean well. They think they’re doing you girls a favour by letting you into their little parties. But I think most of you don’t want to be there, do you?” she guessed.

  Most of the girls didn’t want to be there? Try none of the girls wanted to be there. I popped another piece of food in mouth to keep it busy. I was afraid of what I might say in answer to her question so I just shook my head no.

  “Sunny, we’re friends. I’ll never betray you. You can talk to me,” she said in a reassuring tone.

  Leisel picked up my glass and handed it back to me. She clink
ed it again with her own glass and we drank. I didn’t really want any more wine. It was making me sleepy. I set my glass back down and concentrated on the food.

  “Jack didn’t behave inappropriately with you, did he?” her question sounded more curious than suspicious.

  “No, not at all! In fact, he rescued me from an older man who was very drunk. He’s very kind,” I said.

  “And handsome! Don’t you think he’s just gorgeous? That sandy colored hair and those blue eyes! I mean, there aren’t many men in the Dome who look like that, and I am so lucky he chose me to marry him.”

  “Yes, he is very handsome. And you’re very beautiful. You make a nice couple,” I agreed.

  “Do you have a handsome someone in your life?” Leisel asked shyly.

  My thoughts turned to Reyes. He wasn’t handsome in the rich, clean-cut aristocratic way that Jack was. Reyes had the dark hair and black eyes of the average person who lived in the Pit, although his features were more chiselled than most boys his age. He was very tall and his muscles were well defined from working the past four years in the coalmine. Lots of girls were attracted to Reyes, but I was the one he wanted.

  “Yes, I do,” I smiled.

  “Well, what’s he like?” she asked, smiling.

  “He’s tall and handsome and strong. He works in the mines,” I bragged.

  I picked up more food and realized the plate I had been eating from was half empty and Leisel had only sampled a cake.

  “Are you going to marry him?” Leisel picked up my wine from the table and handed it to me. I took a sip.

  “One day,” I admitted. I knew Reyes would like that day to be sooner than I was planning though.

  “You don’t sound sure,” Leisel remarked.

  “It’s complicated,” I shrugged.

  I didn’t want to meet her gaze. My world was so different from hers. I needed to support my father until he met his fate in the Cull next year. Did Leisel really not understand life in the Pit?