In the Shadows of the Islet Hills

Chapter 1 - Zara

"Lehefran - The true yellow. Those who see this colour see otherworldly things..."

~ Commentaries on the Sutras

Zara stirred from sleep, woken by the dull swell of a full bladder. The alarm clock on her nightstand ticked into her ear, almost drowning out the soft throb of her heartbeat. She sighed and winced. The time was three in the morning.

She sat up with a yawn, rubbed her eyes, dug into the matted tangle of her hair to scratch at some itch. The faint glow of moonlight filtering through softly stirring curtains exposed little beyond the outlines of things in the warm and dark room she shared with her sister. Her sister's bed was empty.

Glancing around as she threw aside her blanket and got up, her sights found the figure of her twin sister-her back to Zara-beyond the sheer curtains and window doors to the balcony. Her silhouette on that balcony was as shadowy and still as anything within the room. Zara's brow furrowed. She watched her sister for a moment that felt longer than it should have before closing the distance. Silently, she padded across the plush carpet, each step gentle and deliberate, the thick, woven strands caressing the soles of her feet. A coolness washed over her face with the rush of a sudden breeze. It carried with it the faint scent of distant rain.

She inhaled deep, then called out "Maya," softly.

Maya did not respond. She did not even flinch. Zara's face twisted further into a frown.

"What're you doing out there? Can't sleep?" she asked.

Maya's head bobbed in a nod, but no words followed that response.

Zara's legs crossed involuntarily and she cursed at her bladder's sudden, impetuous threat to give out before hobbling off to the toilet.

She returned before too long and went to stand next to her sister on that balcony overlooking the lower town of Elmoéban. Gems of light scattered down the slope of the hill and across the dark, uneven canvas of the world in a sombre magnificence. Somewhere out in the night, a songstress crooned.

Maya remained silent, her gaze fixed upon the colder, more distant twinkles of luminescence above. The feeble moonlight cast her features in monochrome shades, even with her standing directly beneath it. Zara noted the pensive expression across her sister's face-her face, only more chiselled and collected. She thought it suited someone older than fifteen. Sometimes it was easy to forget that they were the same age. Maya had always been the more introspective of the two, her mind often occupied with thoughts and musings beyond Zara's comprehension. Maya could be a girl one moment and a sage of the healing huts or an astrologer the next.

But despite these differences, Zara felt a deep connection to her sister, a bond that transcended words.

She repeated her question and felt like a child for doing so.

Her sister was silent for a moment, and then she answered, "Dreams keep me up," in a manner that was somehow both crystal clear but hushed and remote. She continued, "Visions of places I've never been, things I've never seen. But always the same places, the same things. Like glimpses into another world."

Zara's brows furrowed yet again. "Strange dreams," she said.

"Disorienting ones," Maya murmured and turned to face Zara, her lips quirked in a rueful smile.

Zara reached out and placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, "You... wana talk about it more?"

Maya looked straight into her eyes-the golden sparkle of her own stark even in the play of shadows and flat hues-and for an instant it pierced... or she pierced it, as a pebble piercing the still surface of a deep lake plummets to depths unfathomable. For an instant, her eyes held something beyond imagining. And then, just as instantly, they were again her sister's eyes. Amber eyes, like her own. Maya did not answer her question.

"I'm here for you, May," Zara said softly, her heart suddenly pounding, "Whatever it is, we'll face it together."

Again, the rueful smile. And then she returned her gaze to the stars. They stood together in silence for a long time, the weight of things unspoken palpable in the air. Zara felt an urge to hug her. To tell her again and again that all would be well. The idea of sounding naive in the process discouraged her. That and a superstitious reverence for whatever thoughts and meditations were possibly swimming through the gulfs of her sister's mind. She instead leaned against the railing of the balcony, her sights drifting out over the expanse of Elmoéban below. The far-off singing stopped. The cheers that followed were louder than the songstress had been.

Looking out over the lower town and a shapeless world beyond at that moment, Zara couldn't help but be uncertain. Would all truly be well just because she believed it would?

"Maya," Zara spoke, breaking the silence, "Do you ever wonder what the future holds for us?"

More for assurance than out of curiosity.

"All the time," she replied, her voice soft but resolute. "But I continue to learn that dwelling too long on the unknown only leads to ambivalence and fear. We can't control what lies ahead, Zara, but we can control how we choose to face it."

Zara tensed and nodded. Maya was right and she felt weak for not being as insightful as she was in that regard. How could she protect her sister if she was a weak, anxious mess? Her hands clenched the railing so hard that she could feel her blood pumping through them. She became aware of herself, took a deep breath and stood up straight, relaxing her fingers.

"We'll face whatever comes our way, together," Zara said, her voice filled with conviction.

Maya smiled, a glimmer of understanding passing between them. "Together," she echoed, her voice a whispered promise.

"Gonna be a big day in a few hours?" Zara said.

Maya nodded, her smile still there. "Right. We might even like it."

Zara put an arm across her sister's shoulders. And it felt right.

Come morning, their first day at Deer River Technical High School would begin. What challenges would they face at Deer River Tech? Would they be able to fit in? And what about their studies-would they be able to keep up with the rigorous curriculum? Deer River Tech was supposed to be one of the finest institutions of learning in the country.

The town slumbered beneath the blanket of night. Even the late-night revellers appeared to finally be spent. The weight of these questions, and more, hung heavy, contrasting the tranquillity of the moment. But it was not the uncertainty or nervousness Zara felt at that moment. The idea of stepping into the unknown now filled her with a wild excitement. She was suddenly reminded of a thoughtless escapade she pursued a few years before and her mouth drew into a broad grin. What would come would come. The sun would rise and there would be music in the world again.