ASUNDER (I) : tmr newt

06: I'm Flying

The higher from the ground we get, the less rules there are. The higher we become, the freer we are.

"You know, we are getting a little too far from the ground," he teases.

None of that matters. "What, you've never climbed the Walls, maze boy?"

"I mean, shanks have tried, but get any higher than this and the vines get thin, and they snap." He tells me. "And I would hate to see your pretty-shuck face hit the ground."

"My pretty shuck face can handle itself, thank you," I laugh. For a second I wonder if I come across as too harsh, but from his approaching face, maybe only a meter below me, I can see his smile.

"That's why you ran straight into a Griever." He smiles. His teeth are white, and seem to sparkle even in the low lighting. Something about him makes me circle in closer.

I shake my head. "It wasn't straight. It was around a corner."

He rolls his eyes, before looking back at me. We are finally at the same height, and he stares me down. There isn't much distance between us, especially since he was climbing almost directly beneath me.

From this close, I can see him. Really see him. Beneath the dirt that is on his cheeks and the sweat on his forehead. Underneath it all, the jokes and the laughter and the eye-rolling, there is kindness. It seeps out the cracks in his skin, which almost looks soft to the touch.

Mostly, I can see it in his smile. His friendliness, and his caring. Maybe he is hiding it from the world, or maybe I would just need to know what I am looking for to actually see it, but I have managed to find it.

"Did you end up finding something you want to do?" He asks me. "I mean, other than me. Job wise."

I roll my eyes, ignoring his comment. He seems to ignore it too. I look out over the Glade, staring at the grass. "I want to run."

He shakes his head at me, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. "You know, you had better not be serious."

"I think I am," I tell him. "I know you have to wait a month and all, but I would do it."

It takes him a few seconds of staring at me, to find what he is looking for. First he looks in my eyes, then down at my whole face. His mouth opens and closes no less than three times before he manages to find the words.

"It's dangerous," Minho tells me, "but if you want, I will recommend you in a month."

I look him back with equal strength. He seems restrained, like there is nothing he wants more than to not recommend me. As if that maze is a place I do not belong. I can see it through the crack, the space where he cares but doesn't like to show it.

I nod, before offering him my hand. My feet slip on the wall, and I grab a hold of him by his shirt to stop myself from falling to the Glade below.

"Maybe you should hold on," He laughs.

"Since when are you playing things safe?" I ask.

"Since yesterday at 6:45." He tells me. "Someone dared me to drink Fry's stew, and I did. I don't recommend it. Changed my life. "

A sliver of a laugh burst from me, more air than actual heart or soul. That is so very specific, I can only shake my head and look away.

"Yeah?" I ask.

He bites his lip, trying to suppress the grin that covers his face. "Yeah."

I look off into the Glade. Boys move about, closer and closer to the Homestead. It's beginning to get darker, and the sun is beginning to set completely. The sky is filled with various shades of pink and orange, shaping and carving a beautiful masterpiece before me. It's a miracle that the first sunset I ever see is one this amazing.

This is it. The adventure I have been looking for is here. Finally, I've found it only ten meters above the ground.

"It's so pretty," I manage out.

"Yeah it shucking is." His voice is more night air than actual sound, and I look over to him.

He isn't even looking at the sunset. His eyes find mine. My blush is embarrassing.

"We should get down before the walls actually start moving." Minho tells me. "Because if we are this high up and they go, we are falling. And, Greenie, the Sloppers would not do a good job of cleaning you off the ground below. Believe me, I've seen it before."

I nod, letting my hands wrap around the vine on my waist. This may be over, but the adventure is only beginning.

~~~~~~~

Minho is so crazy sweet, and Dawn is like the sky. Always changing, always beautiful. Full of calm and chaos. A paradox if you will.

Soar through the sky until Wednesday.