Waiting for War

kally

the time for level six is only a few days away and kassie still won't talk to me. it's fine that she won't. or i tell myself it's fine. but i know for a fact none of us can do anything without knowing information only she can find out. i've seen her. we tend to pass each other and we are room mates. she still hasn't told her mother about me. she looks sad and thoughtful. i find her at the library most times. i'm there to find out what i can but it's never enough. she sits among the same books i do. we want to know more about the past. the one thing these books are missing. the last twenty years. it's odd. finally i come to the conclusion i'll have to stealthily ask one of the teachers. my best bet is the teacher that helps with transformations.

"ma'am," i stop by after class one day.

"what is your ability?" i ask. she smiles at me. happy to have some attention from a student.

"translator," she confesses. she is clearing each of the computers on the desks. restoring everything to a pristine state.

"ma'am what do you think of the creatures?" she pauses at this question and looks at me.

"what do you mean?" she insists.

i take a deep breath.

"you seem to have a lot of wisdom in your area of teaching which leads me to believe you've been at this a long time," i press.

"yes, more than 30 odd years. why do you ask?" she stops what she's doing to look at me.

"could you talk to the creatures before the war?" i continue. my heart pounds in my chest. she looks taken a back.

"not very many of them would talk to alasians. they believed we were evil. soem though thought otherwise," she shrugs.

"before the war they didn't like us?" why have i rarely heard this.

"in the few years leading up to the war they insisted we were the ones that would destroy alasia altogether, so they kept themselves away. some of the younger ones seemed like they could be reasoned with. but this was all before the war of course. now they won't talk to anyone of us," she shakes her head sadly. i clench my fists.

"they're brutal murderers now," i press. i'm hoping she says something. clears soemthing up.

"which always felt odd to me. they always seemed more of a peace making bunch. except the canneries. they were waiting for an excuse," she shivers. "the war wasn't the first time that alasians discussed battling the creatures. but since they never showed any inclination of killing us im sure it didn't seem right. but then they attacked the children and everything is history," she looks sad.

"why are you asking me about this?" she asks suddenly.

my heart stops. oh no. i need an excuse.

"i've been trying to dig into our history as alasians and there is so little about the creatures from recent years,"

"ah yes, tends to happen when they refuse to speak to us. but you know this is not light conversation. there must be something in particular you seek in our history," she pries.

"i only want peace," i state and then feign getting a message on my watch. i look down. "well, must be off," and then after thanking her for her time i race back down the hallway. away from this feeling of dread pumping through my veins.