New Zion

“Have a good day, Aria. See ya tomorrow,” Cole said, standing up and stretching. Aria didn’t acknowledge him. He seemed unfazed by it, and had continued to bid her farewell and greet her in the mornings for the past two weeks. Cole walked off, and Skyla walked over.

“Hey Aria. Wanna walk home together today?” she asked.

“Sure, let’s go,” Aria responded. She stood up, gathered her books, and they began the walk home.

“Cole, you gotta give me a ride sometime!” a girl was saying as they walked out the front door. Aria looked over and saw a group of people around Cole, who was leaning against his bike with his helmet in his hands.

“Sorry, but I have to be picking up my sister, and I don’t have room for three,” Cole responded.

“Aw c’mon, she could wait,” the girl persisted. Peter, Simon, Callum and a few other students were standing there as well.

“She could, but I really don’t want to think about what would happen to me if I didn’t pick her up on time,” Cole said with a shiver.

“Is she that scary?” another student poked.

“Naw, but our mother can be,” Cole responded.

“C’mon guys, let him go,” A blond female Berg Leute said. The students backed up. Aria saw Cole’s lips move as he looked at the girl. He then addressed the rest of the group. “I gotta get going. See you tomorrow,” Cole waved farewell as he put on his helmet. Starting up his bike, he began heading towards the bridge that crossed the lake surrounding the school. Looking over, he saw that Aria was looking at him, and he waved. She half-raised her hand instinctively before she stopped herself.

“So, how’s it going with Cole?” Skyla asked from beside Aria.

“W-what?” Aria stuttered. Skyla decided to push her further.

“Well, I’ve noticed that you’re in your third week of ignoring him. One week is playing hard to get, two weeks is over-playing the game, and three is just impolite,” Skyla said this with an almost motherly tone.

“I just don’t know what to do,” Aria responded. They fell silent as they stepped onto the bridge, passing numerous other students.

“Hey, I need to stop at the grocery store, mind coming along?” Skyla asked.

“I don’t know… I’ve still got homework to do from that day I missed…” Aria began.

“Please!” Skyla pleaded, clasping her hands and making a puppy dog face, which didn’t match her tail and ears. Aria sighed.

“Fine, I suppose I can grace you with my presence for a while longer,” Aria said, her nose up in the air, looking down at Skyla. She instantly regretted doing so. Somebody had forgotten to take a shower, and the smell felt like a hammer to her nose.

“Thank you, your highness!” Skyla gave a small curtsy, laughing.

“So, since its tomorrow, who are you planning to have as your partner?” Aria blinked in surprise.

“Partner? For what?” Skyla laughed.

“Don’t you ever pay attention in class? Or are you too busy staring straight forward…” Skyla began.

“I must have been home that day. What is this partner for?” Skyla smiled, and for some reason, this smile was rather unsettling.

“Well, Mr. Hunter wants us to perform a social experiment. In fact, the experiment probably started as soon as he finished explaining it. Guys and Girls need to pair up and act as a couple. He wants us to log our species heritage, then everything that we did, and rate what we did in our own personal log books. You need to have multiple ways to rate different things. How well the other person was dressed, how nice they were, or whatever else you want to use to rate it.

“There are also some students who will get a card, which shows that they do not have a partner; these people are supposed to try to steal someone else’s partner, and hand off the card. Of course, you have to log who took your partner from you, or took you if that’s the case, as soon as it happens, but the person who’s being ‘taken’ is to leave on their own free will. I think he was also curious as to how people will pair up… The class already voted though,” Aria hung her head.

“Who came up with this?” Skyla laughed.

“The Minister of Populace. Apparently the Federal Government is attempting to find out how the interspecies relationships are doing in this city, and wants to know how our different cultures are merging. I guess it makes sense though, since we have the most diverse populace,” Aria shook her head.

“So, how is it going to be decided?” Skyla laughed again.

“You’ll just have to wait and see, Aria. That’s whatcha get for missing school,” a mischievous smile spread across her face.

“Aw, come on Skyla. Is it bad, or weird?” Skyla looked up to the sky. After a bit, she spoke up.

“No, it’s not. You don’t have to worry about it being bad or weird. Just treat it as a surprise,” Skyla smiled.

“Fine, I’ll take your word for it. Anyways, what are you picking up at the grocers?” Aria asked, changing the subject.

“Just gotta pick up the essentials for dinner tonight. Hey, do you wanna come over? We’d love to have you,” Aria thought for a moment.

“I don’t think that’ll work. I don’t remember what it was, but something important was happening over at my place soon, so my sister will want me there to help prepare,” Aria finally responded.

“Aw, that’s too bad. Oh well, some other time, then,” Skyla said in a more sad tone. “So, why have you been ignoring Cole?” Aria blinked.

“Well, I accidentally whispered something, and he heard it,” Skyla raised an eyebrow.

“So you’re ignoring him because he has good hearing?” Aria shook her head.

“No. It was what he said in response that’s bothering me,” Skyla sighed.

“So, I can’t exactly help out if I don’t know what was said,” Aria’s ears dropped.

“Well, he said that he was the son of the head of the mafia, and that the mafia fights gangs, and I’d asked him if he’d hurt people, and he said yes. I then asked if I should be afraid of him in a very quiet voice, and he responded that he’d let me decide that for myself,” Skyla tilted her head.

“So you’re upset because he wanted you to decide something that changes depending on the person? If anything, you should be happy that he didn’t say that you should or shouldn’t,” Aria shook her head again.

“The look that he gave me after that. I’ve never seen that look before. It looked like he was in so much pain, but he still smiled. The smile made it hurt,” Aria looked down at her feet. Skyla remained silent. Aria spoke up after a time.

“So, since you have been bugging me about what guy I like, I’m gonna bug you. Who do you have your eyes on?” Aria changed the subject again.

“Well… there is this one guy…” Skyla began.

“Oh?” Aria smiled.

“And he is in our class…” Skyla trailed off. “Oh no,” Skyla ran towards a circle of people. Aria sniffed the air. The metallic scent of blood drifted through the air. She quickly bounded after Skyla. They made it to the ring of people. Pushing their way to the front, they stopped at the edge. A female terra was on the ground, her crimson blood having covered the cement around her. She had cuts all over her body, and her clothes were badly ripped. Human and Berg Leute police officers were keeping people back, while a lone Terra officer was holding a sobbing older female Terra.

“Please stay back. Do not contaminate the crime scene please,” they repeated. Soon a van arrived and a number of other men got out with toolboxes. They pushed their way through the crowd and began their grisly job.

“Could I have your attention please!” a voice commanded from behind the circle. Aria looked up to see a man in a suit standing on top of a box. He smelled like a human. “I am Detective McAslan. If anybody saw what happened, please follow my associates to the police station so that you can give an official statement,” Aria looked over at Skyla.

“Hey, let’s get out of here,” Skyla nodded. After they’d made their way down the street, Skyla spoke up.

“That was the daughter of the lady that owned the grocery store I go to,” Aria looked up at Skyla.

“So you knew her?” Skyla nodded.

“She had graduated last year and had gone to university. She wasn’t even supposed to be here,” Aria looked back down. “You and your parents can come over to my place for dinner tonight. After all, you won’t have the food for it,” Skyla nodded.

Aria sighed after the door was closed. She’d given Skyla and her family leftovers for dinner, and they’d just left.

“If only Claire were here. Then they could have gotten a proper meal,” Aria said aloud as she walked back to her room. Claire had managed to get a job at a family restaurant. When Aria had gotten home a piece of paper had been left stuck to the fridge.

I put together some food for you, it’s in the fridge. All you gotta do is heat it up. I’m going to be home late again, it’d read. That meal she’d given to Skyla. Aria made it to her room and changed into her lounging clothes. She sighed, opened her books, and began doing her homework.

“Need some help, Aria?” Aria watched as an image of herself appeared, looking up to see Claire, smiling.

“Yeah, how do I do this?” Young Aria pointed to an equation in her workbook.

“Well, it works like this…” Young Claire took her through the steps.

“Thanks!” Young Aria’s voice seemed to echo, and everything faded to black. She then saw herself again, but this time it was her mother and her tending the garden. Aria was pointing at a plumeria flower.

“Mommy, why hasn’t this flower opened up yet?” Young Aria asked, looking up at her mother.

“Well, some flowers take longer than others to grow and show their true colors, and some flowers need a little more help from the rain and sunshine to grow,” Aria looked back down at the little bud. “People are just like flowers, Aria. All of them have a unique beauty. But, some take longer to grow than others. In order for them to grow, they have to go through hard times, rain, and they will have easy times, sunshine. However, if the flower gets too much of either, it will die. Remember that, ok?” Young Aria nodded her head.

“Ok mommy, I will,” she responded, and the image faded. Aria then appeared outside a large stone building. Her legs moved on their own, taking her closer to the main doors. Her heart filled with dread. She could hear sobbing, and without even looking up she knew who it was. She began walking down the center aisle, between the long benches that were on either side. Her legs seemed to have a life of their own.

“That poor girl,” she heard one woman say.

“Her parents had it coming, I say,” one man whispered.

“Herald!” the woman next to him whispered sharply.

“I am simply saying that this would not have happened if they hadn’t gotten married! He was Lupus, she was Vulpine. Of course the Lupus Family was going to put a hit out on them!” the man hissed back.

“That doesn’t make it right!” she whispered to him.

“Of course not! I’m not saying that it does, but it’s not like we can actually do anything about it. The Lupus are the most powerful and influential clan in existence, and we just have to deal with that. If they say bow, we bow. If they say that no head members of any of the clans are allowed to marry, then that’s how it is. We follow their rules, or we pay for it,” the man said resignedly.

Aria kept walking forward in the direction of the sobbing. She stopped at the final row of pews. There, on her knees, young Aria was crying. Claire was there, holding her. Claire didn’t seem to even have any emotions. Her face was simply blank. Young Aria didn’t even seem to notice that Claire was there. The scene faded away again, and this time, Aria simply floated in a vast, silent darkness. Then, present Claire appeared before her, shattering the silence.

“It’s your fault, you know. If you hadn’t been born, this wouldn’t have happened! Your mom and dad would still be alive. It’s your entire fault!” she yelled.

“No, no! It wasn’t my fault!” Aria cried back.

“Yes, it really is. Did you know that they still loved you until the end? How does it feel to kill the only people in this world that love you?” Claire persisted. Then, a bunch of children and adults appeared around Aria and began chanting.

“You killed them! Your fault!” Aria tried to pull down her ears, shut them out, but no matter what she tried to do, their voices continually echoed in her mind…

“Aria? Hey, Aria!” Aria opened her eyes. Claire was standing next to her, looking down at her. “Did you at least get something to eat?” Aria blinked, but didn’t say anything. She started shaking. “Hey, are you ok?” Aria shook her head, covering her eyes with her hands as Claire quickly embraced her, rocking her until she fell back asleep.

©2017