The Air Out Of [Wattys2018 shortlist]

25

JESS CAN'T REALLY SAY THAT SHE APPROVES OF ASPYN'S PLAN. It's obvious that she doesn't oppose it as much as she's expected to, however, Aspyn, in her palm held the fate of five human beings she hardly knew.

So in any circumstance, should Aspyn have to choose between the Covians and the Earthlings, she would no doubt save herself, the Covians. It was simply basic instinct. True statement: Jess did not agree with it. Period. There were no commas, dashes, no what if's or buts, or even a sub-clause. It was a statement, with no space for objections or loopholes.

When Jett had barrelled through the door hoping to reunite with Aspyn and make a more probable clause of attack, she knew better. He wanted the focal point of the Avinians on the lavines, and not on Aspyn or Brea. It was correct logic but twisted in every manner.

The lavines couldn't be killed until the anklet was broken, or for Jess, the necklace, so distracting them with lavines while the Covians destroyed Avine made sense. But moving with targets on your back is nearly impossible to avoid, and eventually, Avine would get his hands on the anklet.

Jess knew Scar was thinking the same thing. As soon as their eyes connected, she could feel the heat from his eyes sear through her mind. Right now, they, as a group of five had established a simple form of communication because the system they found themselves helping was one they couldn't trust.

"We can only be trapped if the necklace is destroyed, so if we're ever stuck in a vivacious scenario, let Jess bring us out," Louis said, only a few days before when the discussion had popped up.

Jess scoffed loudly, "If the Covians knew we could bail, they would never have trusted us, I put my money on the fact that Jett has a switch that can block us." She could literally imagine the button's smooth texture, "When the necklace is destroyed, the button cannot be pushed to let us out, but while the necklace is still intact, it can go both sides."

"We were able to get out once." Ellie stated, "When Jess was trapped in Avinian territory."

"Brea suggested it, it must've been Jett approved."

Scar mouths to Jess, let's test if the button is true. She could understand is logic, the rare opportunity when Jett isn't at his office to flip the switch or is in plain view and can't ask anyone to do so. Subtly, she nods at Leo to begin their planned phrase. The lavine's may have been naive by Covian standards, but if they started out as such, it wouldn't last long.

Jett and Aspyn were discussing some of Aspyn's newly discovered ideas while the others sat around. Brea took the seat next to Jess to her surprise as she watched Leo approach the duo at the front.

"Hey. Jett, Aspyn." He addressed moving himself in between the two. Aspyn looked slightly irritated at the mild interruption but cocked her head in an angle that communicated that she was listening to what he had to say. She had to be the most dedicated granddaughter in existence. "I was thinking. While you guys are still planning, I think I'd like to visit my parents at earth." Lie.

"Are you requesting for permission to leave?" Jett asked.

"No, I'm aware that Jess' necklace can bring me back, I just thought I'd inform you of where we- I am going. I'm not looking for a break, more like solitude, one we could not achieve the last time."

Jett and Aspyn shared a look that screamed shit, they're about to find out. If such a switch did exist, Jess needed to get to it, flip it, and bring everyone back. Saving a colony was one thing. It was always good to feel appreciated, but this had gone too far. She didn't want attention for a possible death sentence.

Originally, they thought Covia was a win-win, but it took her too long to realize she didn't belong, no matter how hard she tried. She wasn't a Covian, nor one by chance, and it had come to the point where each of the five admitted so.