Page 42 of Leveling

Chapter 27

The driveto the coast was down a mountain on a winding, narrow road. Beckett enjoyed the vibration through his arms to his shoulders. He leaned into an S-curve, feeling powerful, in control for the first time in months. The air was warm and the breeze cooling, then, of course, brake lights ahead and traffic stretching for miles. Drivers honking and revving. He pulled to the side and put sunscreen all over his face and scalp and his tattooed arms. Then he entered the queue of vehicles heading down the mountain to the coast, opposite the long lines of vehicles heading up the mountain to the highlands. He sighed. Traffic was such a pain in the ass.

Too many people, everywhere people. He shook his head, even interminable traffic was more relaxing than living on the Outpost. This made sense. You jockeyed for a better place in line. Passed slow cars, slowed down, played a game. He was good at this and navigating it made him forget for a few minutes. Probably because he hadn’t seen the water yet. Out of sight out of mind.

Why hadn’t she ever mentioned she was separated from her family?

He thought through their conversations. She always said they were coming back that they were meeting her soon. It had all been so vague. Why hadn’t he noticed?

The traffic was the worst he had ever seen, or had he forgotten? He was at a standstill so he pulled out his phone and searched the internet for the documentary—it was calledLast of the Water People.

Fuck.

Seeing the movie poster made one thing feel very, very real—Beckett had believed he understood what was going on, but what he knew was minuscule. He knew nothing. He had sat on an Outpost telling Waterfolk that his knowledge would save them, but he was simply a know-nothing, pompous ass.

Under the movie poster was a review, “I watched this documentary in my fourth grade class, it was very interesting. I don’t understand why they don’t want to come to the settlements, but I hope they will.”

Fourth graders understood more about Anna Barlow than he did.

Traffic began creeping forward and he descended bit by bit into the coastal city of Heighton Port.

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