CHARACTER AESTHETICS

Kelrina - After

Chapter 13 | After

It's the little girl's voice that moves my feet.

"Baba, look at him!" she'd said, eyes brimming with innocent curiosity, a finger pointed at a copse of trees where Alex had hurried off to. They sat on a checkered picnic blanket, the father and his daughter, a collection of toys scattered around them like chess pieces.

"Shhh! Don't point at people." Her father had tickled her stomach, eliciting fits of giggles.

I take off, leaping over a set of steps on the terrace and maneuvering my way through a trio of old women sipping tea, a couple laughing at some joke and a vendor sizzling mishkaki on a hot grill.

Under the canopy of trees, the air feels as though it's carrying the last traces of a rainy night. I run faster, drifting away from marks of civilization. My breaths are warm against the chilly air. Fallen twigs crunch beneath my feet. Sunlight dapples the grass in seams of gold. In the distance, a bird sings to a frog's accompaniment and together, they create a harmonious duet.

"Alex?" I call out.

I spring over a root encrusted in moss. I pause to catch my breath and scan the trees. My EyeCOMM selects one of the species and a block of texts appear over my vision.

Acacia xanthophloea, commonly known as fever tree, is native to Eastern and Southern Africa. It is characterized by a smooth bark tinged yellowish-green with bipinnately compound leaves. It has brown pods containing elliptical seeds and yellow flowers, shaped like sun flares, cluster around the stems. The leaves and branches provide nourishment for  elephants and giraffes, the pods a favorite for monkeys. Bees and butterflies feed on the flowers and birds build their nests on the stems. To humans, the fever tree is a source of timber, medicine, shade and shelter.  

I deactivate my EyeCOMM and resume my run. The park gets quieter as I head deeper into its heart. My breaths sound loud in my ears, my footfalls a rhythm of crunch crunch crunch. Sinuous branches shiver under the wind's cold touch, draping the grass in dark shadows.

"Alex, where are you?" 

There is no response. The trees rustle, distorting the canorous duet into a cacophony of noise, like a grand orchestra out of sync. I look around me, searching for a sign of blond hair and brown jacket.

"Alex!"

The only answer I receive is my own echoed voice, laced with the undercurrent of unease. All around me, the trees have become giant sentinels, menacing and imperious, with tangled branches for claws and grooved hollows for eyes. A feeling of helplessness clenches my chest.

I am lost and alone.

In the clutches of terror, I lose my grip on sensibility. I feel the ground lurch underneath me, morphing into smooth granite floor. The trees fade to glass structures and the wind shifts to a discordant murmur. I'm walking along a long concourse flocked with travelers from all over the world. I activate my EyeCOMM, switch to the calls log on the hologram display and click on Alex's name.

"The number you have dialed has been switched off. Please try again later."

I sink down onto a bench, driving out a stroke of nausea with the snap of my eyes. Thoughts juggle in my mind in an attempt to justify the situation. He overslept and ran a little late. He's stuck in a traffic jam. His twin brothers forced him to pull a prank on me. But why is his EyeCOMM turned off? Is it because of a terrible network? 

An intercom dings softly. A flight departure announcement follows. I open my eyes and take a swig from my water bottle. I pace back and forth. I stand up, stare at the holo-screens displaying available flights and their respective terminals.

An hour goes by. I feel trapped and anxious. I want to do something. I have to do something. 

But then my ears perk up at the sound of a quick scuffle and a series of high-pitched squeaks. It's Alex. I can hear him shouting at the monkey. I shake my head, feel strength returning to my feet. I break free from the reigns of a past memory and run into the arms of a present that is as ever changing as the slices of colors from a sparkling gem.

The forest doesn't seem so scary anymore. I am not lost. Neither am I alone. The park is blossoming with life. My EyeCOMM can help me find my way back to the Fountain of Heroes. 

First, I have to find Alex.

I dash towards the source of noise, sidestepping a pond furnished with water lilies and slipping between stones mottled with lichens. I see them now; Alex is still chasing after the monkey, his hair a wild mane of gold, his face flushed with sweat. The monkey crawls ahead of him, a black chain hanging from its mouth.

"Alex!" I yell.

He throws a string of expletives at the monkey, ones that would leave rappers cackling with pride and sailors tipping their hats in acknowledgment. I hasten to catch up with him. As I gain speed, I stretch out an arm, feel the tips of my fingers brush his jacket. He comes to a sudden stop. I bump into his back, lose my footing and let out a yelp.

The world titters on its edges. One moment I was rushing to catch up with Alex and the next my whole body is thrown all over him. I'm on the ground, my chest sprawled on his back, my forehead resting on his shoulder blade. Somehow, my hands have found their way around his shoulders.

I smell a waft of fresh soap and sweetgrass. Heat leaches off his jacket and spreads to my shirt. A shiver runs through me. In the cave of his warmth, the sensation feels real and delightfully thrilling. 

Alarmed, I move away from him and sit up. Alex sits up too, crossing his legs and breathing heavy. He studies my face, fingers twitching between the grass blades. I realize I'm staring back though I'm not sure I want to know what he's thinking. 

The silence is snagged by a piercing screech. Alex blinks, grey eyes squinted as though he's waking up from a spell. He stares up at the monkey standing on a tree branch. I follow his gaze. The little thief screams in fright and scurries up the tree, hiding behind broad leaves. Below it, the black chain drops to the floor and a familiar pendant catches my eye.

And then the universe explodes in a shimmer of blue.

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Thank you to anyone who took the time to vote and/or comment on the previous chapter. You rock so here's another update for you <3  I'll try to get the next one up soon! Be prepared for some action ;)  So, a bored me + no work = character aesthetics/ mood board thingy. I've also been thinking about fleshing out the blurb. I feel like it's a bit vague because it doesn't capture the world of Scepter. What do you guys think?