Page 74 of In Between Darkness
He licks his lips and places his fingers between them, and a high-pitched whistle escapes his mouth. A smile spreads across his face as he looks into the distance. I bet I know who he’s calling. I place my hand over my eyebrows to shield my eyes from the sun and watch as an elion soars over to us. My guess is that’s Harlo.
“Later!” he says as he floats effortlessly towards the creature and jumps onto its back. I hear him click, and they swoop down towards the bedding shed. A laugh erupts from my mouth. Wow, it never gets old.
I hear footsteps down below, trudging in the mossy grass, and see a person walking towards me. He looks so small from up here. I squint my eyes and use my hand to shield the sun. He is much clearer now.
“Yo, Asha.”
My eyes fall on a very rough-looking Elijah, who is standing below the platform and staring up at me.
“Hi, Elijah. Are you okay?” I ask, concerned at the lack of colour in his face.
“Yeah, I’ll live. Sorry I’m late.” He scratches the back of his neck. “Do you know what I’m doing?” He laughs a little, probably feeling embarrassed.
I know that look. I think someone’s a little hungover.
“Ermm. I’m not sure. Ask Jaxon, he knows,” I say, pointing over at Jaxon, who is now riding Harlo over to us with a bag full of fresh hay.
Elijah nods his head, his hazel locks bouncing with his movement, and squints his eyes at him.
“Ahh, you must be Elijah. Easy job for you,” he says, pointing back towards the shed. “Can you bag up the fresh hay in the shed, ready for me and Harlo to collect it?”
Elijah looks over at the shed and nods his head.
“Yeah, mate, of course.”
He jogs a little, but not too fast, over to the shed and begins his duties. Jaxon dresses the platform we had just undressed, with Harlo staying airborne next to him. I’d better get on with the rest of the platforms. I float over to the far end, figuring it makes more sense to start at one end and work my way over.
Doing as Jaxon showed me, I start by loosening the net from the platform’s edge. I find myself watching over my shoulder now that Jaxon is gone, knowing an elion could appear at any moment. The thought makes me shudder, a reminder to keep my mask up. I push the thought to the back of my mind because fear is ammunition here. Bunching the first bag with a groan and heaving it over my shoulder, I attempt to wade over to the zip line. Woah, Jaxon really wasn’t exaggerating. This bag weighs a ton. My Influenced shoes are gasping for air. With a struggle, I make it to the rope and clumsily sling the bag off my shoulder. With a whoosh, it slides down, shrinking into the distance. I dust my hands together, removing the excess hay stuck to my sweaty palms.
I’m on the third platform now, and this sun is relentless. My skin is slick and shiny with sweat. I have to grip the net tighter, fearing it slipping straight out of my grasp. My knuckles arewhite as I heave it over my shoulder. I stop for a moment. The hairs on my neck stand up, and I get a strange tingling feeling. I feel heavier now, my limbs like lead. The shoes fight me as I rise higher towards the rope. I know they will thank me when I finish. I struggle to catch my breath, but feel a huge sense of relief when the weight of the bag is distributed to the rope. It bounces as the ton of hay slides en route to become animal food. I swear I can hear the goats take a moment from chewing to celebrate in the distance.
“Ashaaaaaa.”
My head snaps towards the source of the noise.
“Who goes there?” I whisper-shout, turning in the other direction. Maybe I am just imagining it. I didn’t get much sleep last night, or maybe this heat is finally getting to me. I part my lips and swell the remaining saliva around in my mouth. This sure is thirsty work. I fight the desire to abandon my duties, hang my shoes up, and run back to the dining hall to rehydrate with a cool drink of water.
“You okay?” Jaxon calls out from behind me, still upon Harlo. I pull myself together and wipe the sheen of sweat from my brow.
“I swear these podiums are taunting me,” I reply, not entirely joking. I float down towards the fifth platform, revelling in the slight breeze cooling me on my descent.
“It’s hard work, I know. If you need to take a break, just sit down for a minute or two.” He looks at me with understanding before Harlo takes him to the neighbouring podium. He is somehow still wearing his leather jacket, which shines as he rides under the sun’s rays. I suppose it must get pretty windy with the force at which Harlo flies.
A grunt escapes my mouth, and my arms ache as I clip the last bag to the tired rope and give it a small, not quite yet defeated push, not that it needs it. The bag shoots down like abullet, and I wait for the sound of the bag hitting the floor with a bang. I smile knowing that I am not on bedding duty again until next month, although my back and arms will probably still be sore. I massage out the crook in my neck and relish the refreshing breeze that blows my hair. The faint smell of my strawberry shampoo wafts around as Harlo and Jaxon fly past me to reload on hay. I attempt to tame the curls by running my fingers through them, but I am a dishevelled mess.
The trainers thank me as I hang them back onto the hook of the podium. My feet breathe a sigh of relief as they are welcomed by fresh air. I watch the Influenced shoes loosen and morph back into their original size. Amazing.
My ankles groan as I squeeze my feet back into my tight boots. I cannot wait to get back to my dorm room and take a long, cool shower. Jaxon and Elijah are a few meters away, making their way towards the exit of the taming quadrant. They turn their bodies to face me and beckon me to hurry up. I throw them a smile and push myself to a jog to catch up with them. The blades of grass are long and threaten to trip me up. Although I would like a chance to lie down on the soft, pillowy meadow for a minute or two, I watch my step and pick my feet up above it as I jog.
“Ashaaaaa”
I freeze as the hair on my neck stands up again. So, I wasn’t imagining it. But there is no one there. Someone must be playing a trick on me or something. The guys are somehow further into the distance now. In unison, they look back, puzzled at my sudden stop. Is this an initiation prank or something?
“Ashaaaaa”
The same voice beckons me again, making me jump for the third time. I look around. The landscape is empty and quiet; the only movement is the grass swaying elegantly. The wind shifts and the breeze fights me; someone wants my attention, and nowthey’ve got it. Maybe it’s a Starkind thing; maybe we can speak to animals as well? It could be the farm animals pleading with me for their escape. It makes sense, single out the one full of empathy and regret and guilt them into their release.
My attention draws back to the guys who are still staring at me, confused. I take a moment and make up an excuse I think the boys will believe. “You boys go ahead. I left my earrings on the hook of the podium.”
