“I can’t believe you paid for that without melting in front of Alex, Lori,” I teased as we walked out of the restaurant, Shelly’s pre-packaged meal in hand. Lori had assured me that they were just as good as the food we ordered, and I didn’t have any reason to doubt her, so I grabbed one for my sister.
“Dude, I’m not that much of a wreck, give me some credit,” she responded, trying to sound offended. “He’s my crush, sure, but I was just surprised that he worked here. I’m normally fine around him. Usually.”
I noticed Alex walking our way from inside the restaurant. “Well, speak of the devil. Want to talk to him?”
“‘Want’ and ‘will’ are different things,” Lori said, already fidgeting slightly. She was right, though, she was mostly fine. I’d seen people act worse around their crushes before. At least Lori wasn’t humiliating herself.
He walked out, and it hit me just how scary he might appear to others. He was taller than me by a couple inches and looked as solid as a rock. His black hair was cut into a military cut style, making his stern face look more serious. Of course, none of those took away from his handsome face, square jaw, or chiseled cheekbones. It wasn’t hard to see why Lori, or any of the ladies in the restaurant, had the hots for the guy.
“Hey, Alex,” I greeted, sticking my hand out to him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lori jolt her gaze toward me. She could have taped a huge neon sign to her forehead detailing the gruesome ways she wanted to kill me. “Nice to meet you. Thanks for the service in there. I’m Ethan Harper. I just moved her today, and Lori was showing me around.”
His eyes narrowed with suspicion, but he took my hand. It was stupid of me not to be ready, but I wasn’t expecting his handshake to be so firm. Given his muscles and demeanor, I should have prepared myself for that one. It took me a moment to recover enough to return his handshake with a solid one of my own. I did my best to match his impressive strength.
“Glad to have you on board here,” he said, his voice deep and matching his appearance. “What can you do?”
“Pardon?” I asked, not sure specifically what he meant.
He sighed with obvious frustration. “Your Anomaly. Your ability to fight. Your ability to lead. Anything to keep people safe. What can you do?”
“I’m not sure yet,” I told him, already knowing my answer was far from satisfactory. “I broke a TV without touching it a week ago. Does that count as something I can do?”
“The world knows about us now with its first impression was a street of Vancouver being attacked and a building destroyed,” he began, his expression hardening, and I knew I had inadvertently stepped on a landmine. “This isn’t just a place to hang out now. These people are in danger, and they’re in danger from both sides. They’ll be hunted and recruited by McLeod. They will be killed if they don’t comply.
“And if you think normal people are going to just leave this be, thinking it’s only a few bad apples, you’re horribly mistaken. Maybe in twenty years, if we aren’t all gone, there will be some acceptance, but not right now. They do not care. They do not care about us, they do not care about one of our own sacrificing himself to save lives, they just do not care. What needs to be understood is that this is not playtime, it’s time for all of us to stand up and answer a crucial question: are we going to risk our lives for people that want us gone just because it’s the right thing to do?”
“Okay, back it up a bit. What is your deal with me?” I asked, taking a step closer to him. “Why are you making it sound like this is somehow my fault?”
Alex took a step closer and bent his neck down ever so slightly to look me in the eyes. “There’s only an issue with you depending on how you spend your time here. You broke a TV without touching it, right? Learn to use it. Learn to protect people. Too many of the people here aren’t grasping the scenario they’re in, and it’ll take strong people to keep them safe. Enjoy your time here, by all means, but when push comes to shove, I hope you make the right choice.”
He walked past me, pushing me with his shoulder as he did so. I watched him walk off down the hall and couldn’t decide whether I was angry or not. Alex jumped down my throat without much of a provocation, yet I found myself mostly agreeing with what he said. If I was going to live here and take advantage of everything, I’d need to pay it back to everyone here, even if that meant risking my life for them. He just didn’t have to come at me like that.
“Isn’t he just so cool?” Lori asked, dreamily looking at his back as he continued to walk away from us.
“If you call him chewing out your friend cool, then sure,” I mumbled.
“It wasn’t like that!” Lori insisted. “He just wants to protect people. He’s a good guy, but he takes that role of protector very seriously. His Anomaly is focused heavily on combat. He’s so…intense about what he thinks his job is.”
“I want to see what he can do,” I said to no one in particular.
“Oh, you should.” Lori had a dreamy look in her eyes. “He’s so awesome.”
“Moving on now.” I shook my head. If Alex thought it was his duty to protect people and wanted to enforce that belief, I wanted to see how his power worked. “He trains right? He has to work out, if nothing else. I want to see his Anomaly in action.”
Lori seemed to come out of her infatuated state for a few moments. “He probably does. Mrs. Carmichael told me that since the attacks in Vancouver and Seattle, we’ve started having a few friendly sparring sessions, so it’s a safe bet he’d take advantage of those. She only told me that people have started, though, not the names of anyone who’s sparring, so I can’t be entirely sure that he will be there.”
“Still, it sounds like a safe guess, right?” I asked, trying to be optimistic about the whole thing. I needed to ask Mrs. Carmichael if there was a schedule for who was using the training rooms, or better yet, if there was a way to sign up to use one. “I have nothing better to do. Want to go see if he’s down there?”
Excitement flashed in Lori’s eyes and she stood a little bit straighter before catching herself. She cleared her throat and tried her best to be nonchalant about the whole thing. “Sure, that sounds like fun, I guess. Follow me.”
I listened to her and after going back through the beautiful lobby, we were back in the maze of hallways. This time, however, we went a different way and we got to the shops. Instead of the repeated apartment doors, these looked like the small and cozy shops you would find on an old town’s main street. Most of them even had awnings, despite the fact that they were all inside and underground. I loved the contrast they created against the rest of the sleek and new look of the other areas of Luna.
“We’ll have a few minutes to kill, so let me swing into this craft shop and pick something up for my mom,” Lori said, stopping in front of a shop that was painted a light blue color. “You’re more than welcome to come in if you want. The shop owner is nice.”
She opened the door to the shop and was met with a gentle entry chime. The front window was filled with all sorts of fabrics, tapestries, and what I guessed were sewing machines. Shelly and I had never done anything with fabrics before, so I had no real interest in the goods inside, but it looked like a nice place to be.
“Do you ever get anything for yourself here, or is it just for your mom?” I asked Lori, trying to avoid hitting anything in the small walkways. All sorts of different colors surrounded me, and they weren’t all fabrics. There were puzzles, paints, clothes, and old-looking knickknacks everywhere. It was more like a cross between a crafts store and an antique shop, so I took great care not to break anything.
“I sometimes try to make my own stuff, but I’m not very good,” Lori mumbled sheepishly. “My mom is better at it. She’s making a yarn doll right now.”
“You should practice more and make things that mean something to you,” I told her, not wanting to see a potential interest fade away because she wasn’t good at it yet. “It’s good to have something to escape with.”
“And what’s that for you?” Lori asked, looking through different colors of yarn.
“I’m not sure. I’d sometimes volunteer for charities around Christmas time, but I don’t think that’s really a hobby.” I thought back to some of the cold winters I’d spent helping with toy drives. They were crowded and kids didn’t always have the best concept of personal space, which put me on edge. More importantly, they made me feel like I was doing something good in the world, and that helped outweigh my nervousness.
“Practice what you preach,” Lori said, not in a nasty or confrontational way. “Find a hobby here. We have plenty of things to do in the building itself and lots of nature on the property. Let’s not just have our talk in the food court be just that. Let’s actually make something happen. Anyway, I think I got what I needed, so let me pay for this and we’ll get going.”
I followed Lori to the register and thought about what she told me. I’d never really thought about picking up any hobbies before. I’d come home from school, do homework, and watch TV with my sister. I didn’t have too many skills that I could proudly display. The best thing I could really do was cook a decent meal when needed, and I wasn’t going to pursue cooking enough to make it a true hobby. That did get me thinking about baking, though. After all, who didn’t like sweets?
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Will that be all today, honey?” The kind voice of the old lady at the cash register brought me back from my thoughts. “Oh, lots of colors today. Is your mother making something especially colorful this time?”
“She’s making a yarn doll of someone,” Lori replied, digging some money out of her wallet. “All I know is she wants the wings to be woven from a bunch of different colored yarns, so I just picked out the few that I thought looked the nicest. She says all the colors represent different things to her, and you always have the best selection of colors, Ms. Anne.”
“What a good daughter you are!” Ms. Anne cooed, giving Lori a brief hug over the counter. Poor Lori had to strain on her toes to make the hug work. “Don’t tell anyone, but this one will be on me today.”
“Ms. Anne, my mother would never allow such a thing,” Lori said.
“Nonsense. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. She’s been a great customer for ages now. She’s earned a bit of a freebie. Now you and your boyfriend run along and get this back to your mother, you hear?” Miss Anne looked behind Lori and smiled right me. I was embarrassed about being called her boyfriend. Lori seemed nice, and she was cute, but I didn’t see her that way. Good thing my small friend came to the rescue.
“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend,” she said casually. “He just joined Luna and I was showing him around a bit. He was my first assignment. He can be a little lost sometimes, but he’s a good guy.”
“Ah, well, everyone still needs a good friend in this world,” Ms. Anne said, sounding slightly disappointed. “Anyhow, you two get along now. Enjoy your time here, young man!”
“I’ll try to!” I yelled back to her, following Lori out of the shop. “I’m sure I’ll be back soon!”
“She can be a bit of a talker, but she’s a nice lady,” Lori told me as she checked to make sure she had all the yarn. “I’ll take this to my mom later. It’s not on the way and I’m sure we’re both tired of walking back and forth through here.”
“I’m just too dumb to figure out this maze. This spot’s cozy, though.” I took another look around and examined some other places. I was impressed with how much they managed to fit in a decently narrow passage. “I’ll have to come back here and check everything out once I get a better grip on everything.”
Lori nodded and took off down the hall again. I followed, but kept my eyes on the shops around me, trying to see if there were any that appealed to me. There were a few coffee shops that had the pleasant smell of pastries coming out of them. I didn’t drink coffee, but pastries? Those were something else. A good apple or cherry turnover was a personal weakness of mine. It was hard to go wrong with baked goods. There was even a small inn, something which seemed strange in a place where people lived year-round.
We walked on for a few dozen feet before reaching a large elevator. Knowing that the halls didn’t continue this way helped give the shops a feeling of isolation, something that I appreciated. It reminded me of walking back in Shamrock.
“Most of the facilities aren’t being heavily used yet, so I think Alex will be on the floor beneath us,” Lori said, pressing the button to head down. “If he’s not, we can always just let the elevator bring us down another floor. Don’t worry, these floors aren’t quite as hellish to deal with. Much more straightforward.”
“That’s all I need,” I said, stepping into the elevator as soon as its doors opened. “Please, feel free to get me out of here any time. I’ve had enough of those apartment doors for a while. I’m already dreading trying to find my way back home.”
“Leave it to me to get you back. This place was a nightmare for me when I first started, and they’ve only expanded on it since. That’s part of the reason why everything is so maze-like. Just weird additions. Granted, it could be worse.” Lori shrugged and hit the button for the floor beneath us. The elevator made a brief descent down before opening its doors back up.
Well, the new floor was certainly less of a maze. To replace that, it was almost unbearably dull. I felt like I walked into a crappy high school in a movie about an unpopular kid. You know, the kind of movie where everything has to be drab to set up visual storytelling. The walls, floor, and ceiling were made of steel, making them a very boring sight. Dim lighting ran across the ceilings, giving just enough light to see, but not enough to heavily reflect and be a nuisance to anyone who may be walking.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Lori said. Sniffling, she ran a finger under her eye, wiping away an imaginary tear. “It’s the most stimulating thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on. Every time I come back down here, I’m fascinated by every new scratch on the wall and scuff on the floor.”
“Really the life of the party down here.” My voice echoed off the walls and I cringed at hearing it back. “Am I always that nasally?”
“Only when insulting the walls,” Lori said. She stepped out and looked to the right, waving for me to follow her. “The person who built them had an Anomaly that let his creations feel emotions. Maybe they’re trying to make you sound worse for you being sarcastic.”
I nearly stopped in my tracks. “Wait, what? No way, that can’t be real. They’re walls, they can’t have feelings. Can they?”
Lori smiled and shrugged. “Who knows? Strange people have walked these floors in the past, and I am the girl who can sense feelings. Perhaps these walls contain some secrets. Or maybe they’re just boring walls and I’m messing with you.”
Wary, I followed in silence, not wanting to test what she said. No. No way, they couldn’t actually feel things. They were just walls made of steel, and no matter who built them, they couldn’t have any properties like that, right? I spent most of the short walk trying to convince myself that I wasn’t going to lose my damn mind, occasionally throwing looks at the featureless steel surrounding me.
I was so deep in thinking about that ridiculousness that I nearly slammed into Lori when she stopped in front of a door that had a green light next to it. Given our height and weight difference, that would have likely been a messy spill. Carefully stepping around her, I went to see what she was looking at.
“Yep, this paper says Alex is registered to use it until someone else wants it, which I don’t think will be an issue.” Lori ran her finger over to the right and let out a small gasp when she saw the name. She quickly covered it up when I tried to get a look for myself. “No, this one should be a good one, even if it’s just sparring. I want this to stay a surprise. The green light means that people can still enter, and spectators are always welcome.”
She kept the paper covered while urging me inside the door. Conceding that she wasn’t going to let me see the other name, I sighed and slid the door open. It was heavy and seemed reinforced from both sides, which made me a little worried about being in there. Something that reinforced was meant to stay standing after a hefty punch, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be between that punch and this steel door. I heard the door lock with a thud and Lori was standing right behind me.
“This is a spectating area. It’s also heavily reinforced, so you’re safe here, but let’s go upstairs.” Lori pointed toward a staircase in the corner of the room. “Much better view from up there, and if this looks as good as it does on paper, I’ll want some good seats. And maybe some popcorn. Shame they don’t have a vendor down here. They’d make a killing.”
We made our way up the stairs, Lori taking them two at a time, something that impressed me given her short stride. She really was eager to see her crush in action. Part of me was a bit angry at how he talked to me earlier, but another part of me wanted him to win so Lori could be happy. It was nice to see her be able to let loose a little bit and not have to hide secrets or deal with the loss of a loved one.
Lori was already sitting in one of the empty seats, patting the one next to her so I could join her. I slowly sank into the cushy seat and was startled by how its softness contrasted the overall dullness and sharpness of the training room. I noticed that the spectator booth was tilted just slightly forward, perhaps in a way to make it easier to see what was going on below. I wondered just how many people would even come to see someone train with their Anomaly, since sparring was a new thing that was allowed.
“Approaching first, from Baltimore, Maryland, Alexander Snow!” a female voice boomed throughout the training room. It was slightly different sounding owing to the loudness, but I recognized it as Lizzy’s voice. “And his opponent, from Victoria, Texas, my best friend ever, Rosie Foles! I love you! Kick his ass, Rosie!”
I looked down through the protective glass that shielded the spectator area from anything that might go wrong, and sure enough, Rosie stood smiling and waving around the room, thankfully not wearing a swimsuit anymore. She didn’t seem to be looking at either one of us, so I wasn’t sure she could see through the glass from her position.
“So, if you two don’t accidentally kill each other, this’ll be a single match,” Lizzy said, with both Alex and Rosie nodding their heads in understanding. “Aaaaaand begin!”
Neither one of them moved at all. For a second, I thought that they didn’t hear Lizzy give the okay to begin, but then Rosie took something out of her back pocket. With the distance, it was difficult to tell what it was exactly. From where I sat, the thing looked like a silver potato that fit neatly in the palm of her hand. I was about to ask Lori what that was about, but Rosie tapped it with her fingers a couple times, and it turned into a silver trumpet. That just raised more questions than it answered.
A door that I must have missed when walking up the stairs burst open, startling me, and Lizzy came walking in. Her hair and makeup were still perfectly undisturbed, and luckily for me, she wasn’t in her swimsuit either. Instead, she wore a blood-red mermaid dress that hugged her body very tightly. It looked nice, yes, but it really wasn’t much better than her swimsuit. I turned my attention back to the sparring session and tried to focus on that, but fear gripped me when I heard the clack-clack of Lizzy’s high heels on the ground, getting closer to the two of us.
“Hi guys! I didn’t know you two were coming by.” Lizzy plopped her butt down in the empty seat next to mine. “This sparring stuff is awesome, I’m so glad they started it. These two could tear the house down if they got serious.” She leaned forward and looked over to Lori, who was having trouble making eye contact. “Hey there, been a bit, short stuff.”
“N-nice to see you too, Lizzy,” Lori mumbled, reaching her hand out in front of me. “Glad to be b-back home.”
“That’s the most you’ve ever said to me at one time!” Lizzy nearly threw herself over me to meet Lori’s hand. I leaned my head back, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath, feeling the stress of being crowded. “Looks like Ethan here doesn’t like being sandwiched between two beautiful ladies, does he? Well, that’s a shame, because I haven’t had a chance to talk to Lori in forever.”
I was going to protest, but when Lori broke out laughing, I saw what Lizzy was trying to do. It was clear that Lori at least knew a few people on a small level, yet she only had a relationship with a guy who wasn’t with us anymore. She didn’t have many other deep relationships with her peers, so this was probably Lizzy’s way of breaking the ice. At least that once, I could take the loss and suck it up.
“This is so mean to him,” Lori managed between giggles.
“Oh, he’ll live. This’ll make a good story for him to tell later. Now come give me a hug!”
Lizzy wrapped her arms around Lori’s small shoulders and held her in an embrace a few inches away from me. Lizzy looked at me out of the corner of her eye and smirked. Their hug seemed to last forever before Lizzy finally pulled away, adjusting a loose strand of hair that came free. Through a huge grin, Lori mouthed an apology to me.
“You should come with Rosie and I to the pool one day,” Lizzy said to Lori. “We would love to have you on our girls’ day. Oh, crap, I forgot about those two down there. We’ll make those plans later, ‘kay? Let’s just chill out and enjoy the show.”