Sunset Rising

by S. M. McEachern

  “I promise I won’t peek,” Jack reassured me, but I wasn’t convinced. “Hey, I’m taking a big risk here too. You know how many girls would love to see the Jack Kenner naked?” he said in mocked conceit. That made me smile. A week ago, that was probably true.

  “I can’t believe I’m going to do this. Turn around,” I instructed him.

  We both turned our backs on each other. I stripped as fast as I could before I changed my mind. I heard his clothes drop on the floor. An image of my hands on his naked chest came back to haunt me, and a feeling of excitement began to grow in the pit of my stomach. If I turned around right now I would see all of him and we would be only inches apart… A warm sensation spread through me at the thought and my chest tightened making it difficult to breath. I wanted to banish the thoughts from my mind. I didn’t want to think of Jack in that way.

  I dunked one of the towels into the water and start washing as fast as I could. The water was freezing and made me shiver, but at least now I could blame my heavy breathing on that. And I was grateful that the cold water was helping to douse the heat that seemed to be consuming me. I finished washing, then dunked the towel again and rinsed it. I stuck it out behind my back and passed it to him.

  “That was quick,” he commented. I heard the water splashing behind me then Jack sucked his breath in. “Oh my god it’s cold!”

  I dried off and got dressed again. I waited for him to finish and get dressed before I knelt down to wash my hair.

  “Not so bad,” Jack declared, but I could tell he was lying.

  He dunked his head in the water and ran the bar of soap through his hair and then rinsed. I was still working on my long hair. A lot of coal was coming out, darkening the water. I felt a little guilty considering the water had just been changed. Finished, I wrapped the towel around my head to hide my red hair until I could reapply the coal.

  “Ready?” he asked when I stood up. I nodded. We made our way back to the apartment.

  “Even though it was freezing, it feels good to be clean,” Jack said when we were back in the apartment.

  “I like the cold. It’s refreshing,” I said. Maybe I would have to have a bath every night if my body was going to continue to respond to Jack like that.

  I crossed the room and hung up the towels and took the hairbrush out of the drawer. I pulled it through my long tresses, working out the tangles. I would have to wait to reapply the coal when it was dry in the morning. I put the brush away when I was finished and turned around to find Jack flopped in a chair observing me.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Nothing,” he said quickly and looked away. But there was something about the way he was looking at me…

  “Did you peek?” I asked suspiciously.

  “Sunny,” Jack said, shaking his head in denial, but a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and his cheeks turned pink. “Of course I peeked. I’m a guy.”

  I picked up one of the towels and threw it at him. He caught it in mid-air, laughing.

  “Jerk,” I said, trying to look serious, but the whole thing was ridiculous. I knew I never should have trusted him.

  The lights went out and my eyes quickly adjusted. I watched Jack open his eyes as wide as he could and look around the room. I could tell he couldn’t see a thing.

  “I’ll take the chair tonight. You really need to get some sleep,” I said.

  “I’m comfortable right where I am,” he said, not moving.

  “It’s not fair that you have to have the chair every night,” I insisted.

  “How about tomorrow you take the chair. Okay?” he offered.

  I knew even if I did get him to go to the bed, he would only put me in it and take the chair once I was asleep.

  “Thank-you, Jack. Good night,” I said.

  “Good night,” he said and yawned.

  I turned and easily found my way to the bed. I slipped off my pants and crawled under the blanket, grateful to have a little time alone to think. Now that my initial shock at Reyes had worn off, I could think a little more clearly. If I was going to be honest with myself, I was more embarrassed to be told off by him in front of everyone than I was hurt by anything he had to say.

  I had known Reyes forever. We were in the same class in the sixth floor common room and often played together during lunch breaks. He had always been like a big brother to me. And then at the age of twelve, we finished school and joined the workforce like everyone else in the Pit. Almost a year went by before I noticed him again. He had gotten a lot taller and more muscular from his work in the mines. And he noticed me too. I had gotten taller and more mature. Our attraction grew quickly and within a few months of reconnecting, we swore a betrothal to each other.

  I tried to remember how I felt four years ago when we met again. I remember thinking how handsome he was, how tall and strong. A lot of other girls wanted him too, but it was me he picked and that made me feel special. I liked being out in public with him – socializing with our friends. But I couldn’t remember even one time that Reyes made me feel the way Jack did. Whenever Reyes had tried to make love to me, the only feelings he stirred up inside me were fear. If I was to be honest with myself, I hated the way his hands groped at me, pressuring me to do something I didn’t want to do. Yet with Jack… just thinking about him made me ache.

  Deep down inside, I knew the only reason I stayed with Reyes was because we both needed a partner in order to qualify for an apartment. It was the main reason everyone in the Pit eventually married. If I had not accidentally married Jack, then I would have married Reyes after the next Cull. Maybe in time I would have come to enjoy his touch, but I doubted it.

  It took a long time to fall asleep, but just before I did, I heard Jack softly snoring in the other room. He was my last thought.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Somewhere through my sleepy haze I heard the bong bongs calling me to wake up and go to work. I’d rather snuggle down into the bed and go back to sleep. I felt happy this morning and I think it was because I had a nice dream. I’d like to go back to that happy place and forget where I really was. Forget the chaos that had become my life. But I had to go to work. Reluctantly I rolled out of bed, put my pants on and went into the living room. Jack was still sitting in the chair looking exhausted.

  “I’d ask how you slept, but…” I let my voice trail off. He probably didn’t need me telling him he looked like hell.

  “I probably look worse than I feel. I managed to get quite a bit of sleep last night,” he said. I think he was lying.

  “You have to take the bed tonight,” I said firmly. If he allowed himself to get too tired, he would start making mistakes in his work and get himself beat up.

  Despite the dark circles under his eyes, he did look more handsome than usual this morning. I didn’t want to stare, but his eyes were closing and he seemed to be going back to sleep. Then I figured it out. He didn’t have the coal in his hair. It was back to its natural light sandy color. His facial hair was thicker too and it gave him a rugged look. I noticed the t-shirt he was wearing was dirty and torn from working in the mines, and where it was ripped, the skin on his hard muscled torso peeked out. He didn’t look anything like the Jack Kenner I first met upstairs in the Dome. He still had the darker skin of the average bourge. My mother told me they were darker because of the special lighting they had in the Dome. But any resemblance to looking bourge stopped there. He was more handsome if that was possible. I continued my inspection, my eyes following the curves of his muscular arms and back up to his face. I liked the way his dark eyelashes framed his blue eyes… blue eyes that were staring straight back at me. I almost jumped when I realized he caught me looking at him.

  “I was just thinking I need to do your hair,” I said quickly. He smirked as he closed his eyes again. “And you’ll need to get a razor soon. You’re beard is coming in blonde and using coal on it would look too obvious.”

  “How do I get a razor?” he asked sleepily.

  “We need
to make enough credits to buy one for you,” I said.

  “How long will that take?” he asked.

  “Probably longer than we have down here,” I said honestly.

  I went to the cupboard and retrieved the coal and rubbed it through the strands of his hair until it was all dark. He fell back to sleep, which I was grateful for. Maybe when he woke up he would think he was dreaming when he caught me checking him out. I decided let him sleep while I darkened my own hair and put my vest back on.

  “Jack - time to wake up,” I shook his shoulder gently.

  He woke up with a start at my touch. I remembered the first time I woke him he went for my throat. This time I stood behind him just in case. He took a few seconds to orient himself.

  “Did you see where I put my hat?” he asked groggily.

  I picked it up from the table and handed it to him. He got up and followed me out of the apartment.

  “I don’t suppose you have any caffeinated or energy drinks down here?” Jack asked me on the way to breakfast.

  “We have water and occasionally hot tea,” I replied.

  I wasn’t sure what an energy drink was. Maybe it was like the protein shake he had given me up in the Dome. I remembered it helped combat the effects of the wine.

  “Then I’ll pray for tea,” he said, rubbing his eyes.

  I saw the look of surprise on Jack’s face when I didn’t head down to the sixth level common room, but he didn’t question me. The only person down there to see now was Reyes and he had made it clear he didn’t want to see me anymore.

  We joined the cue to receive our rations. Jack asked for tea but got water. I spotted an empty table for two and headed toward it. I was happy not to have to share a table with anyone else. Jack sat down and scanned the room, stopping to look at someone in particular.

  “She looks familiar,” he said with a puzzled look on his face.

  I followed the direction of his gaze.

  “That’s Crystal. I work with her in laundry,” I said.

  She was sitting with two people I assumed were her parents. She cast a glance in our direction and I could tell she recognized me. Then she saw Jack. I was sure I saw a look of surprise on her face before she dropped her gaze.

  “How do you know her?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. She just seems really familiar,” Jack turned his attention to his breakfast. “Oh, stew again. What a surprise.” He took a mouthful and I could tell he was forcing it down. I opened my container and did the same.

  I was concerned about Crystal. If she just recognized Jack, we could be in a lot of trouble. I remembered Di didn’t seem to think she was trustworthy.

  “I’m sorry things didn’t work out so well with Reyes,” Jack offered. I wasn’t sure if he was just trying to make conversation or if he really cared.

  “I’ll get over it,” I said absentmindedly.

  “To be honest, I’m surprised at how well you’re taking it,” Jack said, raising an eyebrow at me.

  I watched Crystal get up and leave with her parents.

  “Are you done?” I asked trying to eyeball his container. It looked empty.

  “In a hurry?” he gave me a curious look.

  “I think I better get a head start on work today. The laundry room is backed up because of the lockdowns and I don’t want to have to work late again tonight,” I lied. What I really wanted to do was get to work early again and have a conversation with Crystal.

  “Guess I’ll get a head start on chiselling out some coal then,” he stood up and I followed. We walked down the hall together to the stairs. “Be careful,” he said and kissed the top of my head. It was the second time he had done that and I liked it. I hoped it was becoming a habit.

  I watched him until he was gone from sight and then scrambled up the stairs as quickly as I could. Traffic wasn’t too heavy yet, but it would be soon. It didn’t take me long to climb the two levels to the laundry room. As I hoped, Crystal was there waiting for Madi to unlock the doors.

  “Good morning,” I said cheerfully. She gave me a nervous smile and then turned to stare at the closed doors. “Supervisor Madi isn’t here yet?” I inquired.

  “No,” she said almost under her breath. She turned her attention back to the doors.

  “So how long have you been working in laundry?” I asked in an attempt to make conversation.

  “A couple of years,” she said.

  “Do you like it?” I asked.

  “It’s a job,” she shrugged.

  I noticed a deep bruise on her forearm peeking out just below her t-shirt sleeve. She saw where I was looking and tried to pull the shirt down over it. It reminded me of the bruises Reyes left on my arms when he grabbed me the other day.

  “That looks like it hurts,” I remarked.

  “Mind your own business,” she snapped. I wondered why she was so touchy about it.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry,” I apologized.

  Supervisor Madi came up behind us cutting off any more conversation. Crystal turned her back to me making it clear she was here to work not socialize.

  “Scan in,” Madi ordered as she unlocked the doors.

  Crystal got to the scanner first then almost ran to her workstation. I waved my hand over the scanner and went in search of the laundry carts. I took the first one and went to my usual station to start sorting the clothes.

  “Well you’re in bright and early again today,” Di greeted me with a smile. “Morning, Crystal,” she called over her shoulder. I heard Crystal mumble something in response. “Looks like you have things in hand today,” Di remarked when she saw my sorting job.

  “I could always use an expert opinion though,” I said, hoping she would check over my work.

  “Let’s see.” She rummaged through the clothes, a look of satisfaction on her face. “Not bad. I’d put this in with this pile though. And that should be hand washed.” She pulled a dark grey shirt out and placed it in another pile, and then put a dress off on its own. “Good job,” she complimented me. She left me to select a cart for herself.

  I gathered up one pile of clothes and took them to a machine. Lots of people were arriving to work now and it was getting busy already. I knew once the machines and irons were going full tilt, the room was going to become unbearably hot again. I added the detergent to the machine and pressed the button. I repeated my steps with the next two piles until my entire cart of clothes were in the washing machines. The only item of clothing left to do was the dress. Crystal did the hand washing and I was glad for an excuse to talk to her again.

  “Di told me this should be hand washed,” I said as I stood next to her.

  “Just put it there,” she motioned to the empty counter next to the sink.

  “Well, I was hoping you could show me how to wash it myself,” I suggested. It would allow me more time to talk with her.

  “That’s my job. You don’t need to know how to do it,” she protested.

  “I know. But if Supervisor Madi ever asked me to do it, then I sure would appreciate knowing how to do it properly,” I tried to persuade her.

  She gave me a sidelong glance, weighing her decision. She knew as well as I did that if I was ever assigned a job to do and did it poorly, Madi would beat me.

  “Just this once, so pay attention,” she said. “Feel the temperature of the water,” she instructed. I stuck my hand in the sink and the water was freezing cold. “Colors will run in warm, so it has to be cold. Then you use this kind of detergent,” she said as she pulled out a small bottle and poured a very little bit into the cold water. “Make a few suds like this. Then put the dress in the water and start squeezing it gently,” she illustrated.

  “Can I try?” I asked. She stood aside and let me wash the dress. Within seconds my hands were in pain from the freezing water. “How do you do this all day long?” I asked.

  “You get used to it,” she shrugged. “So I’ve never seen you in our common room before,” she blurted out. I was glad she was openin
g up a little.

  “I’m new on the fourth level. I just got married and my husband and I were assigned an apartment there,” I said somewhat truthfully.

  “Was that your husband with you this morning?” she asked, eyeing me to see my reaction.

  “Yes. Handsome, isn’t he?” I smiled. I was almost certain she knew something.

  “I didn’t notice,” she shrugged. I could tell by her expression she was closing me out again.

  “Di tells me you like to sing,” I said, hoping not to lose her interest now.

  “Like to sing? Di should mind her own business,” Crystal shot a sneering look over at Di. “The dress is done. Wring it out and hang it.” It was obvious our conversation was over.

  “What are you doing over here Jones?” Madi demanded, bearing down on us. I heard her say Jones and she was looking at me. Then I remembered I was Jones. Autumn Jones.

  “I asked Crystal to show me how to hand wash. I thought if I knew how then I could help out if she ever got too busy,” I explained.

  Madi kept coming at me, raised her hand, and struck me across the head. Stars appeared in my vision and for a moment, I thought I was going to pass out. But then the stars faded and I could see Madi’s angry face again.

  “You think you can run this place better than me?” she demanded.

  I shook my head no. Di had warned me about Madi, but I had no idea she was this quick to anger.

  “I knew I didn’t like you anymore than I like her,” Madi spat, thumbing toward Crystal. “Get back to your own station and do your own work unless I tell you otherwise! Do you hear me?” Madi screamed at me.

  “Yes ma’am,” I said humbly. Every fibre of my being wanted to lash back at her, but I knew it was a fight I couldn’t win. I dropped the dress back in the water and returned to my station.

  “Crystal you know better!” Madi was yelling at her now. I heard her strike Crystal and I cringed. “Do your own damn work!”

  I watched Madi go back to her desk and plop herself back into her chair. I felt awful about getting Crystal into trouble. Judging by the bruise on her arm, it looked like she had enough trouble lately.