Page 52 of Orange Lake
HISCAT
Brynn
The sights, smell and noise bombarded me all at once. I looked back, saw Roo standing firmly. I looked behind him, the stone wall from where we came from is still real.
But looking ahead, it’s like I stepped into a different futuristic world! I carefully place another step forward. The ground looked solid. Another step. Yes, it’s solid. What if I stepped and the world falls apart -
I heard Coone growled. “Cut it out, you are embarrassing me!”
Then he dragged me forward hurriedly into a vast place, the sky is colored pink. I screamed a little but then try to see as much as possible.
What is this place?
There are moving cars, albeit alien, that can transport manasties floating in the sky. Some kind of a train, crossing. My neck is permanently looking up. Rows and rows of buildings with glasses lined up the sides. It felt almost like I’m in the center of a busy New York street. But all the cabs and vehicles are floating in mid-air. There are some who are peddling wares, robots walking down the aisle.
There was a cute thing that walked like a robotic animal, almost like a cat. I tried not to step on it. Coone was dragging me somewhere but there are so many things to see.
Manasties of every color and shapes from what I can see. Red, Purple, Silver, White, Green, so many colors everything is almost a blur.
The place is so lively. It’s a real market and there are more people here. Why are they hiding? Are we underground? Do all of these people belong to Crix? Though from what I can tell, he is a cast away of some sort. If the place is so barren up on the land, the inhabitants are probably here. Or are they hiding from something?
“Ouch,” I cried and I lost Coone’s hand on me. There were so many manasties. I looked up and saw three young manasties and an older man they were assisting. “Sorry,” I said and tried to pass them so I can catch up with Coone.
But then, someone screamed. The old man took my arm and said. “Don’t go there. One of the hiscats appeared.”
“A what -“
Then he was dragging me away. He looked frail but his grip on me is strong. More screaming. I can’t see on top of everyone’s head. Where are Roo and Coone? Where is the old man taking me?
“Hurry. Hurry,” one of the young ones urged.
“I saw five of them,” another said.
“There were ten!”
“Hush,” the old man said. “We must take shelter.”
Up ahead, more people were going to a massive building. There are more noises, cars honking, a sound that is similar to an emergency siren. We’re not running but it almost felt like running. Maybe it’s a good thing I’m with some young manasties though they’re more like grade schoolers, the same height as me. They are taking the same steps as me.
I can see some steel doors coming down and now people are pushing to get inside the buildings. So definitely, we need to be inside that tall imposing building made of white bluish glass.
I took the hand of the young manasty nearest to me and ran with them. I don’t want to lose them in case there’s a stampede. The old man, upon seeing that I’m not going away, carried the smallest of the lot and took the hand of the other as we ran.
We made it and a few seconds later, the steel door landed with a thud, I heard a locking mechanism. I looked back. The gate was opaque then something flashed and now it’s transparent. We can see some of the manasties still outside trying to get inside this building. More screaming from the ones gathered outside but we can’t help.
Something must have happened because they started running further away. I am near the opening and can track their movement with my eyes. They went to other buildings and I breathed a sigh of relief. I try to scan the streets and it’s deserted. I hope Roo and even Coone are safe. I wonder what hiscats are.
Just then, Roo jumped out of nowhere, followed by Coone. They are outside of my building. Both were looking straight at me. Coone sighed dramatically, told something to Roo but I could not hear it. Someone screamed from the back and I found myself standing very near the door.
Coone and Roo looked back. One lean and tall, the other with beefy muscle. Coone had the hood of his jacket up, hiding the fact he is not a manasty and his tail ends differently than a manasty.
Something exploded from somewhere. It was from one of the food stands. In the chaos, they must have left in a hurry. Let’s hope no more fire and explosion happen. It looked contained. Roo and Coone seemed to be looking down at something that has the manasties at my back scared to death.
Maybe poisonous snakes or rats?
“That’s commander Roo!” somebody exclaimed at my back. More sighs of relief.
“We are safe.”
