Human

|| twelve ||

It wasn't long until I lost track of time. The moon had arrived, sitting high in the sky like an aberrant, guiding light. I hadn't stopped for meals—though they were announced throughout the ship—and when I finally caught sight of the night sky, the evening meal echoed in the hall.

Rather than follow the instructions, I avoided the eating area, ignored my rumbling stomach, and found myself in an empty room lined with books on many shelves. There were tables in the middle, with thin lamps on top of each of them. There weren't computers here, or anything digital. There was only paper, and I could smell it.

I touched them, all of them, vaguely remembering when Mama would gather the youngest children in the Colony and read to them from the one book she had: The Bible. It was old, just like these books, and smelled just the same. That's when I'd first met Kenna, listening to those stories. She absorbed every word and believed every bit of it. I did, too, for a while, but by the time Shawn joined our group, I'd grown out of it, and wanted to do other things.

Like, fight, argue. I wanted to wield a knife, like the real Jake Warren. I wanted a solid hook, so when a guard came in my face, I'd show them who's boss. Obviously, it wouldn't have been me, but I wanted to feel like it.

"Hm." Grabbing one book, I dropped down on one of the many navy seats. I opened it, stared at the letters I never understood, and shut it with a grunt. What the fuck was I doing? Looking around at the walls, I reminded myself I couldn't read. Rather than placed the book where I got it from, I tossed it on a table beside me.

That book was a reminder that as a human, I was hindered and below those within this galaxy. One notch settled over the idea of leaving and adopting Astorian ways.

"Excuse me."

A female's voice made me jump in my seat. I gripped the sides of it and scanned the room until my eyes settled on an Astorian woman leaning against one of the farther bookshelves. She held a book in her hands, hiding parts of her face with its open pages. "Are you human?"

I snorted, giving her a look that said are you fucking serious? But it hit me right after, maybe I wasn't allowed in here. It was empty. Was it hers?

"Sorry," I apologized and stood. I meant to leave, but the second I came off the seat, she crossed the space of the open room and grabbed my arm. I looked at her, at her yellow eyes and slim face. She was cute, but her red hair clashed against her dark, blue skin. I didn't like it, and my honesty showed as I pressed my lips in a thin line. "You're grabbing me, because...?"

"You're human," she said.

No shit. "Yeah," I nodded.

"And you're... here." She looked around at the books. "Do you read?"

I smiled weakly—or, annoyed—and looked up at the ceiling in disbelief. Was she rubbing it in my face? Everyone knew humans couldn't read. At least not the young ones.

Her slender hand brushed my cheek and I flinched, stepping away from her. There was a grin on her face, and her yellow eyes had a spark that wasn't there before. "I can teach you to read," she said.

Bullshit. "Who are you?" I crossed my arms in front of me.

"I'm Leoshani." Why is she walking towards me like that? "Friends call me Ani."

She backed me into the seat and with her nearly my height, her lips weren't too far from mine. I chuckled, shook my head, and knew immediately where this would probably go. She lifted her hand to touch my face again and I grabbed it, gently, returning it to her side. "Sorry, babe." I moved her by her shoulders, putting her a foot away from me. "As much as I'd love to read, I think I've got a girl who can teach me."