SYMBOLS

CHAPTER 9

Tayna could taste the thick gray smoke in her mouth as she awoke. She opened her eyes, but all she found was blackness and even after raising her hand to what she knew was about eye level, she still couldn't see anything.

"Lani?" she called, hopeful that her friend might be within hearing distance. But only the echo of her trembling voice and the rumble of the unit's engines came back to haunt her. Tayna was frightened of being left alone and even more frightened of the dark.

Slowly she stood and then doubled over again, as her body folded, gripped with agonizing pain. She wailed for help, but no one responded as she slowly felt her way along the perimeter wall.

The smoke was choking her. She couldn't see it, but with every breath she could taste it and smell it in her nostrils. Her face was wet with a mixture of salty tears and sweat, while she fought against her teary gulps, muffling them with her hand. Then she stumbled. Something was in the way of her feet. She bent down to feel what she'd bumped into and cautiously placed her fingers on something soft. Unsure what she had touched, Tayna recoiled, wiping her hands on the tattered ends of her dress. She stretched out her fingers and carefully moved her hand forward through the darkness, until she again found the object. It was soft and damp and her fingers easily slid along the long strands that lay spread out over the floor.

"Lani. Oh Lani, please wake up," she cried, as her fingers bunched up handfuls of Kylani's long hair. But there was no reply.

Tayna felt around Kylani's body until she located her face, then placing her fingers near Kylani's mouth, she felt the reassuring warm breaths that told her Kylani was still alive.

The air was warm. Kylani's body was warm. The walls were hot. It was hard to breathe, and there was smoke, but no flames to brighten the darkness.

"Lani, I'm scared," Tayna said, as she shut her eyes and opened her mouth in sobs of terror. Her body intermittently shook with her tears. Tayna clutched her arms across her chest and painfully lay down on the floor beside Kylani's body. She closed her eyes. It was easier to imagine she was somewhere else with her eyes closed.

Finally, she reached out and took hold of Kylani's floppy hand. She pulled Kylani's limp arm across her body, and turned on her side.

Somewhere below the floor she could hear a loud whirring noise that made everything vibrate. Her mouth was dry from inhaling the smoke and she coughed a little. The air was getting hotter, burning her nostrils, rasping her throat and making the sweat pour from her body until, mercifully, the increasing heat washed over the little girl and led her back into unconsciousness. While outside, amid the vastness of space, the intense flames of the Anawin sun began to engulf the exterior of the disposal unit.

***

Tayna was still mentally there in the blackness when she hacked violently and coughed up some smoke from her lungs.

"Hello there. Don't be frightened."

The child registered the sound of a male voice, as she blinked a few times and opened her eyes.

Everything had been dark. Now it was bright and she struggled to see through the bright light that flooded her vision. Her eyes stung. Every noise pounded in her ears and her nose picked up a strange smell. Slowly the light softened and her pupils began to adjust. She started to see shapes and colors, but the images were still hazy. Then in a single instant, she saw unfamiliar faces and strange uniforms.

Tayna was bolt upright in seconds and jumped off the biobed. With her arms flailing, she forced everything out of her way. First, she upturned the Doctor's neatly organized instrument tray. Then she darted around in circles, moving as fast as her legs would take her. Finally she spotted a hiding place and scrambled under the desk in the Doctor's Office. Pressing her back against the furthermost wall, she buried her face in her knees. She wailed loud and long, stopping only to let out an ear-piercing scream when she felt someone touch her leg.