Interminable

Day #2

"That's enough looking in the mirror" Amythest said covering back the small mirror in the shop.

"I love it! Oh my I feel some kind of weird thrill" I "said twirling my hair, touching it, doing anything to make myself believe it's real. I actually changed my hair the way I wanted. I felt a rush through my body, my mouth ached from smiling too much in the mirror. I was dying of suffocation then suddenly found oxygen...that is how I felt. I couldn't take my eyes off the mirror and Amythest was just standing there slightly smiling with the girl who did my hair.

"Let's go" Amythest then said as she opened the door and left.

"Thank you" I said beaming to the girl following Amythest.

"Wait, we didn't pay" I called after Amythest.

"Yeah, it doesn't usually work that way here" she said as we started walking.

"Here not everyone has money, because you know everything is for those down there. Therefore, people trade"

"Trade?"

"Yeah like you traded your hair? It was almost knee length now it is by your ear. Hair is very expensive, especially when it's good. People usually trade, it is very rare to find someone with money. Usually if someone actually has money the reason is either that person stole the money from below or they were never below"

"Are you saying some people never left this place?"

"Were you thinking that all these people are banned?" she said chuckling "There are indeed a lot of stuff you need to know... about both cities" Amythest continued.

"Well, another question...what's with the mirrors? the shop had only one, which was covered, and I couldn't find any mirrors at home either. You also didn't let me look in it for long... I only glimpsed my new reflection" I said as we descended the metro stairs.

"That, I can't tell you here" and that was our conversation for the day.

When we got home I was greeted by the now familiar apathetic look and cigarette smoke "Good, nice hair" she said. Good? What's good? I cut my hair and dyed it...I completely changed how I look. I didn't ask her how are you? I stood there puzzled not sure of what to say "You'll get used to her soon" Zenon said laughing. "You look great by the way," he continued with a wink. I smiled and we got in. Amythest went straight to her room and locked the door. Renée, noticing and apparently deciding that she didn't want to be part of this now awkward situation, also went to her room leaving a trail of smoke behind her. Just Zenon and I now.

"I'll go check on Amythest" he said.

Well this is boring. It's not that late yet...I could still go out and I know how to get back here. Now I finally fit somewhere and not just by my looks. New clothes and new hair...new me...I like the new me more. It won't be dangerous for me to walk alone here, everyone will think I've been here for as long as Amythest or Zenon. No one would notice.

With that on mind, I opened the door and left.

There was still a beam of light shining through the fog showing it was not night yet. I kept walking, I passed the metro station and continued walking till I reached a bridge we crossed today on the way to the shop. Then it struck me, could it be where Amythest's brother died?

Maybe that's why we used the metro on the way back...she didn't want to walk back here again.

I stood in the middle of the bridge to look around me. It wasn't exactly a beautiful place to look at but I was free to just stop and look around me...to think and wonder about things. Without restrictions.

I looked at my clothes again, now a mid-thigh blue jeans skirt instead of my plain black dress and a pastel purple blouse. Everything went so fast. I only came here two days ago but look at me now...I look completely different. Everything is still going so fast but for the first time I like how I am.

I felt the sky getting darker, there are not many people walking as there were earlier. The eye commercials now have fewer people to follow and I was one of them...

I can feel my temperature rising and my heartbeat accelerating. I needed to go back. I can feel all the eyes on me now. Stupid. Stupid idea. Stupid person. Yeah this is boring let's go out minutes before dark. Yeah no one will notice you...well except for some queer eye commercial, which will follow your every step.

I tripped and had a little gravity test. It's still working...and now I can't get up. Shit ugh. I feel coldness all around me now. My breathing is shallow. My limbs are numb, and the fog is getting thicker. Something pulled me up and dragged me.

"What were you thinking? Are you mad?" Renée yelled as she walked at full speed with me dragged behind her. I can barely keep up with her and I never thought I'd ever say this but I was glad to see her. We reached the alley where the shop she took me to yesterday and got in.

Candles only lighted the place. It was, however, brighter than the shuttle's corridor.

"What's this place?" I said "We need to get back"

"Oh really? We do? Well thanks to you, we'll be sleeping here tonight. We can't get back unless you want our place figured out. It's called a safe house for a reason you know" she said.

"Well no one asked you to follow me" I said.

"You can still leave I'm not locking you in here, but good luck finding your way...alive"

"And for the record, I wasn't following you" she continued.

"Why were you out after dark then?" I asked.

"I guess it's none of your business."

After a moment of silence, she talked again. "That was stupid you know... going out now. After what just happened in the train" she started "You do know, you won't be safe now. You have to hide for a while."

"I know what you're trying to do" she started lighting a cigarette.

"You think that now that you changed your look, you can just go wandering around the city...but they know." She stopped to exhale another cloud of smoke "the eyes... they're always watching. Anyway, that's none of your concern at the moment... just don't draw any more attention to your existence. Goodnight" she said before walking out of the candle lit room and disappearing behind a corner.