The Unthinkable

Charly’s POV

It’s been a long time since I felt happy with my life and the people I spend it with. My last certain memory of a calm and carefree life is when I was 6. We would go to school as any sky person would, and I would spend my time looking down at the world beneath me. The real world.

Flashback

‘What are you doing down here Charles?’ My teacher Mildred stood formally behind me. I knew she was probably dressed in a clean, fitted white dress with her old grey hair in a tight bun that sat on her neck perfectly. It was the same every day and has been since my first day. I can smell the horrible floral scent that she considers perfume, and I can already imagine her plastered makeup that was drawn neatly on her features.

‘Why don’t you ever play with the other children?’ She sits next to me on the metal chair and looks down at me. Still, I don’t look at her.

‘Why can’t we go to see them?’ I ask her questioningly. The brown waters that lie beneath have always been something that interests me. I want to see the children on land and sea. I want to visit their schools and show them all of my toys.

‘Hasn’t your mother explained what happened to the world?’

Yes. Yes, she has. We ruined the land beneath us with our inventions and now there is nothing left but a disease that kills rapidly and a slowly rising sea level that will rid us of all land. She says it is too risky to go down to the land and that every person down there is not right. They are half insane people who created plastic to kill us all. So they are bad people.

I just nod. Mother’s words never scared me nor did they make me think any differently.

School is so fixed upon teaching us law, English, math, science and occasionally PE. The rest is unnecessary for us to know. I have asked Mildred multiple times for other subjects to learn but she still refuses always making up the excuse that my mother wouldn’t be happy about it.

‘Why do you sit here everyday Charles?’

‘I don’t like the other children.’

She is silent. I did answer rather quickly. I turn to see her face and she is looking down at the waters. A tear trickles down her face and she whispers something to me.

‘I was the same’

Mildred was the oldest teacher in the sky lands. We were such a small community but I would definitely say she was my favourite. We watch the world together and I fix my eyes upon the small white splashes that glide across the murky waves. I focus on the white streak and soon I can make out the boat below. It is probably the main reason I enjoy sitting alone. I can see things that according to what I know, isn’t possible. I can make out the sea villages and towns, sometimes I can make out people. It is the main reason I know my mother lies. These people don’t look insane at all but rather sad, hopeful, and some adventurous.

‘Here. Charly, have this.’ She places a small box on the bench and walks away without another word.

The box was made from an old wood that I don’t see often since wood is extremely valuable. There are small engravings on the side and I run my finger over them. Names. There was John, Lisa, Amber, Dean, Billie, Olive, Matt and Mildred. They were written in a black fluid that had also pierced the wood slightly. It smelt like rusted metal or maybe it was burnt ashes? When I opened it I smiled in delight.

A feather from a bird, A map of the world in 3948, seeds of a now none existing flower, soil that looks soft and not grainy like the artificial kind in our artificial gardens and finally the photograph of a flower meadow and a river with white fancy writing in the corner saying Keukenhof Gardens.

Then the bell blares out and my classmates rush inside. The only reason I peered away from my new gift was the call of my voice from behind...

---

‘Charly!?’

I lazily adjust to the light and relief greets me, numbing the pain in my head slightly at the sight of her face. Lilie sits before me stroking back some of the hair from my head with one hand whilst the other hand is held tightly in mine.

‘Lils?’

I am embraced in a warm bear hug and I laugh in happiness.

Yes. Happiness.

Lilies POV - Sometime after Charly wakes

'We have to get moving soon. When will he be able to walk?' Ryo asks as he packs supplies back into his makeshift bags.

I stay by Charly, cradling his head on my lap as he lies down trying to recover.

'You know he can hear you? He is awake'

Ryo just shrugs turning away and walking over to the river with his small wooden cup. He doesn't like the hold-up and I do see his point. We should get moving as soon as we can but nothing is ever easy.

I look down at Charly and stroke his soft hair through my fingertips as I listen deeply to his breathing. Though he isn't telling me, I know his head is spinning with worries and memories. Pain dwindles behind his confused eyes as he stares up into the forest leaves and I can feel him shiver or flinch when the wind brushes leaves or birds rush away. He is on edge in a place I cannot see nor help him in. He is a lone fighter and I am just emotional support on the side behind glass walls.

Ryo turns back to me and gives me the 'we need to go' look so I nodded not wanting to frustrate him any more.

'Charly, we need to get moving now. Can you walk?'

His eyes stay tranced off of mine still staring into the leaves above. It was as if he couldn't hear me at all, but he did. His hand grips around my arm stopping me from moving his head and I gasp slightly in shock.

'Charly, let go. It's okay, it's me Lils'

His breathing gets heavier. I try to push away but his grip doesn't falter. The pain behind his eyes weaves its way forward slowly making his normally brown eyes look tinted red. It was like a dark cloud of soot had covered the space between us as I don't know what was wrong with him and I doubt he knew what he was doing either.

'Charly' I tried to sound firm and strong but obviously that never works in these situations. It was wobbly and weak.

'I can't.' He almost sobs. His eyes drift to mine and I see the strain in his face. 'I can't let you go there'

'What do you mean?'

Ryo, IF YOU DON'T TURN UP ANY TIME NOW I WILL HAVE NO ARM! I am screaming inside at the amount of pressure Charly is putting on my arm and I swear he is only adding more and more pressure by the second. There is something seriously wrong with him and he looks in no state to let go of me and just switch back into the loving Charly I know.

'They won't let you get away. You have no choice. I have no choice' He is talking through gritted teeth now and as he emphasises words his grip grows tighter. And tighter. I feel the bone in my arm slowly break and that's when I cry out in pain. It was like the crunching of gravel on hard stone and it happened all too slowly.

'Stop it Charly you aren't thinking straight! LET GO!'

I scream out for mercy but none is offered or given. Well...not by Charly. My arm falls limp as a final crack is heard but just then rushing footsteps come from behind and my arm is set free.

'Lilie! I am so sorry!'

Ryo takes me in his arms and I sob in his shirt as I feel gushes of blood pour from my bruised arm. He goes on about how he went to check the area before we went and how something didn't seem right from the start. He feels extremely guilty for the whole matter but none of it was his fault at all.

'This looks like a nasty break and I have no medical supplies on me at all. Damn it!'

He examines my arm, wrapping it in a fabric sling that he made from an extra t-shirt. I take this time to look at the once again unconscious Charly who, Ryo must have knocked out again in an attempt to save me. They had ruined him. Whatever they had done was a trick to help them kill me and it went against his choices completely. He was being controlled, but how?

'You want to take him with us don't you?' Ryo sighs as he hands me a light bag to carry on my unbroken arm.

I am silent. I just stare at the boy that I care about so much as he sleeps peacefully once again. Another one of the scientist's tricks and I fell for it. The innocently kind part of me knows that everyone deserves a chance but the strict survival part of me knows he is a threat and not the familiar Charly we know.

So I pick the side that makes the most sense in my mind. I kiss Charly's forehead and sit him up against a tree. I rip a small piece of fabric from my t-shirt and wrap it in his hand just so, if he doesn't remember anything, he knows I was there with him.

I turn to Ryo who sends me a sympathetic smile but he nods in agreement. Our next stop: The mountains. And this time we will have no distractions or stop-offs.

---

I won't be updating for a while since I am on holiday. Sorry for leaving the book untouched for a couple of weeks, I should be back soon! Have a great Summer Holiday everyone!