by Douglas R.
Dancing in my mind
I am on my feet in my room and I am swept away in a tidal wave of magic, hope, beautiful sounds, love... like I accidentally stumbled upon a great treasure on a stranded island.
I wanna touch you, touch you
Turn me around
I wanna kiss your lips
And squeeze you in the arm
I wanna love you like you've never felt love before...
And the beats that come bashing in steal me away into a world where only feelings exist. An avalanche of joy, a hurricane of desire and a river of truth streaming out of my eyes in tears. I've never heard music before but I don't care. All I know now is that I'll never stop.
Holly has paused singing as she builds tempo and lets the most delicious sounds pop in my ears... all sorts of sounds, punctuating faster and faster and then there's this marvelous one that resembles a soldier recharging his Zapper behind me. In a beautiful climax it all explodes and Holly comes back to rule my world.
So won't you come around me
I miss the way
You reach up my head
And play with my hair
Baby, won't you come
And play with my hair
You know how I love it
When you touch me right there
Baby, I love it when you play with my hair
My head is swaying to the music. It breaks all walls and comes smashing into my heart. I want to dance and I want to keep feeling this way. For life. It's the most blissful feeling I've tasted. The music is so good, I feel it coming in my toes and in my crown. My whole body wants to go, go, go!
I cup my hands around my listening buds. Who cares how bizarrely I came to possess this iPod. None of that matters right now. It's all about the beat for me. And I'm holding on to it real tight with eyes shut and my teeth grit with pure pleasure.
This is so frigging good!
Holly disappears again and the beats are back to dance with me. The last thing she said was Play with my hair-hair-hair-hair-hair-hair-hair... that actually went on a lot as her voice kept rising into outer space, through the stars and into oblivion where she faded away and left me with the company of the music alone.
And the music keeps stirring up like a whirlpool inside my room. Everything wants to dance but they can't move. My bed, my closet my pillow, my clothes, the wall... they all want to float up into space and follow Holly. And I so badly want to follow her too.
Luckily, I can move. And I keep moving until I am on top of the world. Nothing matters. Nothing can stop me now. Everything I used to fear is far, far, below. So far they look so small. Nothing can own me anymore but the truth that Holly sings. And she comes back without warning to kidnap my senses again.
So won't you come around me
I miss the way
You reach up my head
And play with my hair
Baby, won't you come
And play with my hair
You know how I love it
When you touch me right there
Baby, I love it when you play with my hair
And like that wasn't magic enough, her voice turns into a girlish robot as she says:
I love it, I love it when you play with my hair...
I love it, I love it when you touch me right there...
And the song goes on like that, beats smashing and recharging Zappers streaming but the tempo seems to fall like the a spaceship slowing down in space. In time it all falls away like feathers, one instrument after the other hits home. The ocean waves crash in my ears one last time to say goodbye and the stars drop in my room again to say thank you for listening.
It's over before I know it. Over before I burst out crying and laughing and I fall back on my bed, breathing out and forgetting who I am.
No, I forgot what they told me I was.
Right now, I just am.
8
A girl leans next to a blue pickup patting the shoulder of her brother as Blake snakes through the parking lot of Rock City High.
Her smile is broad and as Blake sometimes joked, almost like the McDonald's clown they frequently saw at the mall.
"What's up, Blake?" says Matty.
Blake spreads his arms and Sherri hugs him first. Her blazing red hair falling behind her like a waterfall under her beanie.
"You always have to grab my sister first, huh?"
Sherri laughs and pulls out. Blake winks at Matty, "She's a lady."
Matty chuckles and moves in for a shoulder pump.
"So how was Hawaii?" says Blake.
"No, no, no, that's not the first question¸" says Sherri.
Matty rolls his head back, "Oh, not this again."
When Sherri starts stroking her hair it finally clicks in for Blake. "Oh! How are your flames?"
Sherri laughs. She punches Matty in the arm. "Quit acting like that. I work hard for this!" she points at her hair.
"I can't see why you should. They're already red. You're just making it more... red."
"Haha, like bloody red, right?"
"I think it's cool," says Blake.
"Dude," Matty glares back, "You're encouraging her!"
"See. That's why I like Blake."
"Alright, now how was Hawaii?"
Sherri's hands sink in the pockets of her jeans. Matty's gaze falls to the ground.
"What's up, guys?"
Matty looks up and his eyes look like they need to tell a story. "Can we talk about this later?"
"Okay... so are we going out now?" Blake points with his thumb to the road. They always skipped the first day of school to go out and have fun.
"Mom spoke to the principal about our skipping school thing. She's going to expect an attendance report this week," says Sherri.
The bells rings and a crowd of kids start to flow through the entrance of the main building.
"Our call," Matty strides ahead and they follow.
"Is Sammi around?" says Sherri, swinging her head around the campus like a radar.
"Yeah. Somewhere around this place."
"Great."
Mr. Avery's English class is the usual. If he has any smart questions he always picks his daughter, Charlie, all the time. She hates it but there's not much she can do about it. He's a proud dad. Blake conquers the back of the class with Sherri, Matty and a couple of other kids who are sleeping behind text books.
This year's Xtra-literature book of choice is The Hunger Games, based on the previous school year's votes. Apart from the normal books they follow in the syllabus, the class gets to choose one more for fun.
When the bell for recess chimes in the class empties into the hallways. Blake drags Sherri and Matty away from their lockers, takes them down a flight of stairs in the maintenance room and out a door that leads to a quiet spot behind the school.
Blake shuts the door behind them as they stand on a short staircase. Sherri leans against the brick wall and Matty is all hands in pockets.
"Okay guys, what's going on?" says Blake, crossing his arms, examining his two best friends. They exchange glances.
"You first," says Sherri.
"No way. Mine's worse," says Matty. "You start."
"Matty, what's up?"
"Okay, you wanna hear it?"
"I have to."
Sherri comes in, "Let's just spit it, Mat."
Matty takes a breath and turns to Blake. "Girlfriend drowned while swimming."
"And Tom dumped me," adds Sherri.
Blake's arms fall of his chest and hang loosely off their sockets. He stares back at Sherri and Matty. They stare back. It's no joke.
His face is flushed and he feels like he just lost ten pounds in a second. "Uh..."
Matty nods his head, his lips drawn back. Sherri waves her hands. "You don't need to say anything. We already get it. Worst summer ever, wasn't it?"
Blake feels the rocks on his chest and the air crushing his throat. He was expecting bad news. Their dad was already undergoing rehab for drug addiction.
Perhaps he had a relapse. But not this.
"Can we sit down?"
"Yeah," Matty gets into position.
"Sure," Sherri sandwiches Blake in the middle.
"You guys never said anything."
Matty lets out a sad laugh. He doesn't look at anything but the iron bars that support the railings of the stairs. "Like I'd say, hola mate, my girl just drowned?"
"Or I'd post about my break up on Facebook?"
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay," says Matty. "It's better to be back here."
Blake turns around to Sherri, "And how are you holding up?"
"He was a jerk. I'm okay. It's my brother who's screwed up."
"I'm not screwed up."
"He saw Jane die and he blames himself for letting her go off on her own."
"Sherri, stop it."
Blake is spinning his head between the two of them. Before Sherri opens her mouth he has a hand over it.
"Cool it, guys."
"I don't want to talk about Jane. Just want to forget it."
"Hawaii sucked."
"Sure did."
Blake sighs. "Guess we can leave it at that for now. Hawaii sucked."
His two friends look down and then they gaze out at the hedge surrounding the campus, almost like they're looking for something in the open to talk about. Blake can't stand this so he wraps his arms around their necks and pulls them in.
"You guys are gonna be fine. Why don't you come for the party at Charlie's place tonight?"
"Her dad will be there," says Matty.
"No, her dad is going on a date."
Sherri's brows jump, "With who?"
Blake chuckles, "Maths teacher."
"Melanie?"
"You seriously need to catch up with Rock City. So you coming?"
"I am. Matty?"
"Cool. Your DJing, right?"
"Just a little gig."
"Awesome," says Sherri. "Now it's your turn to tell us what super exciting thing happened to you that we don't know yet?"
"Um..." Blake searches and he knows there isn't anything more exciting or weird than last night. He decides to give it to them straight. "Last night I met a girl in a dream and she stole my iPod."
Matty instantly punches him in the arm, "Get real, man!"
Sherri chuckles and does the same. "Come on. Tell us what really happened."
Blake smiles, "I met a girl in my dream, guys. And she stole my iPod. Now everybody shit bricks."
9
I gasp deeply for a well-deserved breath as I hold onto the metallic structures around me. I look down and see the old man holding on to a steel bar, his beard and robe are pushed back with the wind as the hovercraft accelerates through the atmosphere. The engine screams.
"Get us out of here!" he roars.
I lean back against the metal. Strings of some metallic fiber are meshed with my clothes and my mind instantly registers a name: It's Kronite.
A moment later I realize I have no memory of how I got here in this hovercraft or who I am. My own name seems to escape every time I try hard to think.
"Help me!" the old man pleads again. As I focus on his features I notice he is an Elder. And his name is Artemis. My mind is selectively blocked. I am only allowed access to certain parts of my memory that are important.
By some impulse, I know that there are only three things that make sense to me. Three instructions that I've met with time and time again. My lips move as I say each of them quietly to myself, as if I am programmed:
1. I have temporary selective amnesia. Focus on the subjects present now.
2. I instinctively already know my powers. Use them for the urgent cause.
3. Meet Rhiannon after completing the mission. My memory will then be restored.
Now I know my job: to save the Elder. I steady my footing and reach down but it's not enough to grab his hand. If I don't think of something quickly, I'll lose him. And I probably won't get my memory back.
I step down what seems to be a hole, like in a well leading out of the speeding hovercraft. The canopy of trees way below appears like a carpet.
I am close enough to pull him up. I stretch my hand again and he looks into my eyes. "We have to get off this ship!"
His words are muffled by the scream of the engine and the harsh wind. He can barely breathe.
"What?"
He opens his mouth to repeat and everything around me explodes with a sharp thunder clap. I am thrown at the wind. Glimpses of fire flash around me as I swirl through the shower of metal.
By instinct, I pull my arms above me and I orb. The shards bounce off my force field with giddy sparks and I now have a clear view of the sky: the hovercraft is a mass of smoke, pluming through the clouds and tail-spinning away.
I twist in my orb and look down. Artemis is unconscious, sprawled in free fall, his robe spreading in the wind. The remains of the ship burn away in the atmosphere like chunks of fire littering the sky.
I fork my arms in his direction and fly down as fast as I can. The smoke from the burning scraps swirls up at me and I steer away, accelerating through the air.
I know I can't lose him. For some reason I do not understand yet, this man is important. And I must keep diving. I spear through the burning material and I can see him right within good reach. His eyes are shut. His robes blowing up. A few patches appear where the fire must have contacted him. But he's okay.
I reach out and find his arm.
Gotcha!
As soon as I get my other arm around him I hear a cry. A couple feet below me a little boy is about to break at the sight of the pointed trees down below. When my heart sinks for him I already know I can't let him go.
I look at Artemis. He is unconscious. He won't panic if I go for the boy and catch him later.
I dive once more, leaving the Elder falling above me and pursue to save this boy's life. His arms reach out to me and there is a light behind his eyes when he sees me.
"Don't worry," I whisper to myself. "I can save you. I will save you."
The trees zoom in closer and I realize I have little time left to pull this off. The boy sees my worry and glances down before returning his gaze to me.
Please don't cry!
His lips wobble and I can't bear to see this happen. I bite down hard on my own teeth, willing my orb to speed me up as I stretch and stretch and stretch...
His raised hands finally clasp with mine. Finally! I pull the boy into my orb where he is safe. The trees are a few heartbeats away when I look up to get Artemis.
But all I meet is a flash of purple engulfing his body. I cover my eyes for a second because it's too bright. When the purple is gone a soldier in white floats above the Elder's body, rising upwards with Jet-boots and a Zapper in his hand.
No!
His job is done.
In panic my orb flickers out and we fall. We are swallowed into the trees and before I can muster the strength to orb again, the boy's screams are all I hear as we come down hard, and into darkness.
10
On impact my world changes. My face meets a gauze of wire, much like an iron fence. It spreads beneath me into a floor. Through the wires I see a large power fan. Its wings are slowing down. I pick myself off the ground and stand.
I've never been here before. It's a huge tower that travels up until the walls look like they're coming together. The walls flaunt my reflection, the Kronite now flowing out of the fabric of my clothes and retreating into my belt. My hair flies up from the last strokes of the power fan. My dad boasted of my beauty.
But that was a long time ago.
A metallic click sounds from the walls and a door opens. A man I know steps into the room. His long black hair is tugged back behind his ears.
Rhiannon.
"Myla," he calls. The name is familiar. It must be mine because he's looking straight at me.
"You are supposed to return my memory?"
"Yes," he nods. "Come here."
I begin to approa
ch him but stop dead when another man with golden hair steps in. He's shorter than Rhiannon and he's holding some device in his hand... a Nanotop.
"Who's he?"
"Cinder," he says coldly, his eyes reading something on his device. "Fix her."
On cue Rhiannon comes to me and pulls out a syringe. "Stretch your arm."
I do as he says. He wraps a band around my arm and gives me the shot. I close my eyes. A barrier that was placed inside my mind falls apart. A rush of memories and thoughts escape... almost as if I can see them in front of me. My home underwater, the Oracle, my training sessions with Rhiannon, Pandor, the Elders, Doris... everything stolen comes back to me.
"Rhiannon!"
He smiles at me. "Welcome back."
Cinder steps forward.
"How did I do?"
"How did you do?" He repeats my question, expecting me to know the answer to that already. And in truth, I can guess correctly to that. "Awful. That's how you did!"
He fixes his eyes on mine and then returns to his Nanotop. I don't know what he's looking at but my best hunch is it's a video of my performance. "You let Artemis die when you could have easily saved him. For a little boy!"
"Who says he didn't deserve saving?"
"Versus an Elder? He is just another scrap of metal from the hovercraft," Cinder blares.
My mouth gaps with shock. I almost cringe my face because I'm so disgusted with his words.
"That's stupid. Who knows? That boy could be the next Lebra!" I attack.
"Or... when the enemy knows how sentimental you are, they will pull in holographic kids to steer away your attention from the real problem."
Rhiannon joins the argument, more to cool things down for me. "Myla, if you're ever confronted with a similar scenario, your job is to save whoever is more important or higher in command and then, if possible, you can rescue anyone else. For instance, if the Tower is burning and you're in a room where everybody is unconscious. Do you save Thea or Cinder?"
A smile spreads across my face. "Thea definitely."
"Good," Rhiannon grins.
"This is not a joke," Cinder snarls.
"I just want Myla to understand the concept in the most relevant way."