Shen and Kira entered Dr. Stout's classroom together. Fin and Morra were already there, heads down writing notes. Dr. Stout was upfront going over a proof the class had done for homework the night before.
The room was small; two windows took up the majority of the wall parallel to the door. As with the rest of the building, white was the color that took over most of the room. Four desks were all that were in the room apart from the lectern Dr. Stout used to hold books and notes.
Dr. Stout looked over their shoulder while still writing. “Kira, Shen please sit. I'm just beginning, you haven’t missed much.” They were one of the younger staff members that Kira had seen. They had short, shaggy, black hair and a thin mustache. They tended to remove their lab coat whenever they got the chance. Kira had overheard some of the other teachers call Dr. Stout “Unprofessional.” Kira and Shen took their seats after thanking Dr. Stout.
Fin looked up from their notebook with a big smile. “Shen! Looking good! I heard you were sick?”
Morra gave Shen a sheepish wave. “Hi Shen.”
“Kira. Shen. Please be sure to be on time for tomorrow's lesson. I can cover for a small infringement but repetition will get the Director's attention.” Dr. Stout said while pointing a whiteboard marker at them.
Kira felt their face grow red with embarrassment. They couldn’t remember the last time they were late to a class. Searching the back of their memory they were pretty sure they never had been before. “Sorry Dr. Stout, it won't happen again.” Kira blurted out.
“No worries Kira, I know you’re good for it.” Dr. Stout shifted their attention towards Shen. He paused for a moment looking at them. “I’m happy to see you back on your feet Shen, welcome back. I’d give you tutoring on your missed classes but Kira has taken it upon themself to make a copy of all the notes and offer to do it for me.”
Another wave of red flushed over Kira’s face as they put their forehead on their desk in hopes to hide it from everyone. Dr. Stout didn’t miss a beat after the short conversation, returning straight to the lesson. Kira only caught the first few minutes of it before Shen leaned over and whispered.
“You really did all that?” Shen asked.
Kira squeaked out a “Yeah.” They reached into the small cubby built into the desk and grabbed a few pieces of paper. Written on them was a copy of all of the last three days' lessons. They handed them over to Shen who took them gently. They looked over them with their mouth wide open and eyes large.
“You really did this all for me?” Shen asked.
“Well, yeah? You are my best friend. I’m sure you would have done the same thing if I were the one that got sick.” Kira said.
Shen stammered for a moment then put the papers down and looked at Kira. A smile crept across their face. “Of course I would.”
Kira felt uncontrollably happy seeing Shen smile like that. It didn’t happen very often.
The rest of the class period was nothing out of the ordinary. Dr. Stout finished going over the homework then lectured about the day's topic, that being Scalar Fields and Line Integrals. It was hard for Kira to stay focused however. After the initial happiness that came from seeing Shen smile they immediately remembered how strange they were acting down at the fountain. What could be so important that Shen wants to meet directly after class? And why out by the edge of the woods? The questions stuck in the back of Kira’s mind for the rest of the day.
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After classes concluded for the day Kira and the other students were given a few hours of free time before dinner and study groups. Kira left the learning center and started straight towards the swings on the edge of the recreational yard. Somewhere between leaving the last period class Shen disappeared. Kira looked in the area briefly for them before deciding that Shen had probably just went straight to the meeting point.
Fin and Morra tried to get Kira to join them in the common room to play cards but Kira had to excuse themself. They made up a small lie about going to find Shen to see if they wanted to join too. Kira hated lying but felt like this one could slip as it wasn’t entirely false. I’ll even ask Shen when I see them. Even if it is only for my own piece of mind.
Most of the students in years under Kira went straight to the play equipment after classes. They always had so much energy after classes. Kira wondered why that was but then remembered that they were the same way when they were that age. Even Shen and Morra would play on the metal bars and swings like the rest of them back then. Nowadays all the kids in Kiras age group and the ones above were always too busy with school work to spend too much time away from it. The occasional couple indoor board and card games where all they could find time for.
There were probably around twenty or so children playing in the area by the time Kira walked into the yard. Dr. Ainsley and Dr. Ghilstrup looked to be the adults on observation duty today. A line had formed in front of Dr. Ainsley. The children loved the paper animals they folded for them. Kira thought Dr. Ainsley enjoyed making them more than the kids enjoyed receiving them. They always had such a big smile on their face when the kids asked for them.
Feeling the need to use the adults' preoccupation as a distraction, Kira crossed the yard. They stayed close to the tree line the whole way until they were directly across from the swings. Shen wasn’t there yet.
Kira waited for a few minutes just watching the yard in front of them. It was interesting to see how everyone used their free time. The youngest class typically just used this time to play. Some of the slightly older kids tended to small gardens while most of the oldest kids studied under trees or near the teachers under the building overhang.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
With no Shen in sight Kira decided to visit their favorite flower bed. It was still roughly where Shen wanted to meet so they didn’t feel to bad about doing so. One of the year six students with their blue uniforms was in the flower bed, a watering can in hand. They didn’t seem to notice Kira approaching, their attention was solely on a patch of red flowers.
“How are the cardinals doing today Tahee?” Kira asked while stepping into the garden.
Tahee had a look of total concentration on their face, eyebrows furrowed, lip bit, a stray strand of their long blond hair hanging down between their eyes. “Cardinals are fine.” Tahee spat out quickly. “Why Iris die?”
Kira moved in closer to see what Tahee was so concentrated on. They were right. The red cardinals looked to be in great shape but the blue Irises were wilting. “Oh no. Were they watered yesterday?” Kira asked with concern.
“Yes. Did it myself. Still die. Why?” Tahee asked, then looked up at Kira. Their blue eyes glistened and they sniffled.
Kira took them into a hug and spoke softly. “It’s alright, I’m sure they just didn’t get enough light. There’s nothing you could do about that.” They bent down to their knees to be level with Tahee and cupped their cheeks. “Why don’t you go tell Dr. Ghilstrup. I’m sure they can help you plant some new ones if you ask.”
“Okay.” Tahee squeaked out, visibly holding back tears. They ran off towards the two doctors on observation duty, watering can splashing the whole way.
Kira sighed, brushed off their hands then stood. They looked out towards the forest and caught the smallest glimpse of white and maroon dash in. Those were the colors of Kira's class. That must be Shen. Kira checked to see what the teachers were doing. Dr. Ainsley was still folding animals out of paper and Dr. Ghilstrup was walking away with Tahee. There wasn’t a better time to go than now. Kira stepped into the woods in the direction they saw Shen go.
It was dark in the woods. Only a few steps in and you could barely see the ground. Breaks in the canopy above made beacons of light every ten to fifteen feet, small checkpoints to keep yourself from getting lost.
The grass in the forest was far more sparse than in the recreation yard. Patches of dirt covered most of the ground with small shrubby bushes popping up every few feet or so.
Kira walked through the woods in the direction they though Shen went. After a few minutes of walking normally they hatched an idea. They began to stalk as quietly as possible in order to scare Shen when they found them. It was going to be hilarious.
Kira began to hear leaves rustle somewhere in front of them. It was difficult to make out exactly where the noise was coming from, but after a few snapped twigs they were able to dial it in. A little closer and they could hear a muffled voice. Then a second muffled voice. Whoever this was it was not Shen. At least not Shen alone.
Kira crept up closer to the voices until they could see them through trees. It was Fin and Morra. They were walking deeper into the woods and holding hands. Kira was just about to break from their cover when suddenly Fin placed their mouth on Morras. What?
Kira had a flash of memory to when instructor James taught all the students what to do in the event that someone was drowning at the pool while an adult wasn’t around. Morra didn’t look like they were drowning, they were both completely dry. Maybe they were practicing? It didn’t look like that either. Fin pulled away and a moment later Morra did it to Fin.
Kira stayed there, face bent around a tree watching in confusion as the two of them kept doing it over and over again. Kira had never heard or seen whatever they were doing, it was completely alien to them but also fascinating. They began thinking of ways that they could ask Morra or Fin about it without giving away that they followed them.
A pair of hands suddenly landed on Kira's mouth and shoulder. Kira gasped and tried to pull away but the hands just spun them around in response. Panic fled as Shen put a finger up to their mouth in a sign of silence. Kira nodded and Shen removed the hand over their mouth.
“C’mon, we can’t talk here.” Shen whispered.
“Do you see what they’re doing!?” Kira whisper yelled.
“Yeah, I know. They’ve been doing it for a while now.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“Didn’t see the need to”
“Didn’t see the need… What in Pandora even is that!?”
“It’s called kissing. Now c'mon! I need to talk to you.”
Kira stopped and looked at Shen. “Kissing? Okay hold on, what is going on? Why have you been acting so weird since you came back?”
Shen stopped, then moved extremely close to Kira. Their noses were practically touching. Kira felt a wave of red cover their face. They looked Shen in the eyes, briefly breaking eye contact to look at their lips. Are they going to do that to me? Panic began to fill their mind and they brought their hands up to push Shen away.
Shen seemed to see the panic rise in Kira and stepped back. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be so rough. I just know this is a place where they can still see us. Follow me.” Shen reached out their hand for Kira to take. Kira looked at it for a moment before apprehensively taking it.
Shen dragged them away from where Fin and Morra were slowly at first. Eventually it seemed they decided they were far enough away that they could make some noise, the pace quickened.
Kira wasn’t certain where Shen was taking them until they saw a glimpse of the water collection and purification building that was about a quarter mile behind the recreation yard. Here Shen slowed until they found a spot looking over the building with a toppled over tree.
“Here. Stay behind this tree and crouch down.”
Kira listened and did as told. “Why here?” They asked after getting settled.
Shen peered over the fallen tree towards the building before returning to a crouched position next to Kira. “I know this is a spot that they can’t hear or see.”
“That who can’t hear or see?” Kira asked. They were getting extremely worried for Shen and even a little scared.
“Pandora’s Answer of course. The teachers, the staff, custodians, all of them.” Shen was frantic in his response.
“I don’t understand. Why don’t you want them to see or hear us?”
Shen reached into their pocket and pulled out a small device and began to fiddle with it. “It’s not what you think Kira. They aren’t here to help us…” They let the silence hang there as Shen finished whatever they were doing with the device.
A small screen turned on and displayed a picture of something Kira had never seen before. Strange moving metal boxes were passing through a gate surrounded by people in uniforms with all sorts of tools and equipment. One of the larger metal boxes had windows that Kira could see through. Carriages similar to the ones in the nursery lined the inside.
Kira pulled away and looked up at Shen, confusion written all over their face. “Wha… I don’t understand. What is this?” Kira asked with a shaky voice.
Shen looked up at Kira and spoke the two words that would change Kira’s life forever. “The Outside.”