Exhale

Chapter 15 - Fashionistas

We traveled on patted dirt, which was close to the established roads of the city. Still, we remained out of view from the public, staying behind the lights that formed a wall around High Libentina. We didn't want to gather any unwanted attention while in full gear—after all, how could we explain our 'lower class' dress? Scooting on the balls of our feet, we hustled through the white-painted bushes, following Ben as we eyed the urban life. The city people were going about their daily lives—doing whatsoever common-folk would do. Well, common-folk within the high reaches of Libentina, where everything was progressive and better than Lower and Middle Libentina combined. Although we were in the outskirts, we could still hear and see the buzz of their magnificent life.

The structures were made of glass, which blurred the lines between the outside and inside world. All around, there were televised broadcasts on the going-ons and up-comings for the city and propaganda against the other, smaller parts of the country. The denizens, who were pre-occupied with the technology around them, chatted idly on curved objects, which were connected to the lobe of their ears like a long, fancy earring. The people were scattered abundantly on the streets, in the buildings, and in the sky. There were a few small-passenger cars driving along, flying in tunnels just directly above the streets. All in all, they appeared to have no worries except for whatever was happening in their city, as though nothing else mattered outside their tight-knitted society.

They walked about in their pastel, patterned attire—a sharp contrast to the typical monochrome appeal of Lower Libentina. With their loopy and long and bold haircuts and pointed shoes that lifted them, stretching them to the skies, their looks was perfected to look terrifyingly unique. Then, there was the fact that all of them—if not many of them—were shaped more voluptuously or larger than us, yet their bodies remained perky and their stances remained high. It was as though we had stumbled on alien territory; or, at the very least, a circus display.

"Fashion in High Libentina is pretty weird, isn't it?" Esmae commented. "I'm so glad I go to school in Middle Libentina—I would hate following these trends. It costs a fortune to follow each new one. I should know, since I know some crazy people at school who follow each and every one of them 'cause it makes them look more 'rich' or something."

Scoffing, I asked, "So for the sake of fashion, you'd prefer to be cannon fodder?"

She retracted her statement. "Okay, you've got a point...maybe not."

"How do they walk in those shoes?" Dani asked, pointing at a woman's eleven-inch.

"One first learns how to walk on stilts," I said.

She, believing me, let out a sound of disbelief. I didn't retract my statement.

We continued along our path but based on the excitement to the right of us, we hadn't made much progress. Keeping my voice hushed, I asked, "How much farther?"

Ben turned. "Less than a mile—we're close. We're about to reach the discarded ruins of High Libentina. Once you can hear the waves crashing against the shore, you'll know we're there."

"We're going to another beach house?"

He looked forward. "Not exactly. It's just an isolated house I discovered a few months back."

"And you think it'll have what we're looking for?"

"I know it'll have what we're looking for."

"And why do you say that?"

He smiled back. "I have my sources."

I was about to retort until something unexpected happened. Surrounding me, I could smell saltiness and somehow, the air grew damp. And then, I heard it.