Earthen Series Part One**Follow Aija, Zuri and Ze, as they are plunged into the dark world of aliens who are working to destroy the human race and take over the Earth; as they are faced with difficult decisions regarding love, feelings, abilities, t...
"This is faster," Kuna explained. "Also cars attract unnecessary attention, especially in the smaller towns. We take it only if it's absolutely unavoidable."
"How long is this going to take?"
"Why?"
"I have school tomorrow."
Kuna thought about it, before saying, "Maybe you can be back by then. If it goes well, you'll be back sooner."
Aija was angered at that. Of all days Etrie had called her on a school night.
"Don't worry," Kuna told her, noticing her discomfort. "You'll make it to school."
They reached Enger town in thirty minutes. They would have taken over seven hours by car or Terra Turbo, according to Kuna. Of course, Aija had no idea. She had never traveled out of Innermost before by the trains.
They emerged from the station into the open land. Aija immediately noticed the difference. The air was harsh, and it pricked her lungs as she breathed it in. The breeze was sharp, blowing strands of her long hair wildly into her face. She tied it up in a bun, glad that she always kept a hair tie readily available, as she followed the three Ytai into unknown territory. She regretted wearing shorts. But, she hadn't anticipated it to be cold.
Maya glared at her, "See the difference between Innermost and the outer towns, you little privileged human? You, humans, did this to this beautiful planet."
"Maya," Etrie's voice was stern.
Maya glared at her again before turning around. Kuna took his place beside Aija, trying to ease her hurt.
Aija felt terrible, and the air stinging through her chest didn't help either. She had never imagined it was this bad. Then again, she had to be honest with herself – she hadn't given much thought to life outside Innermost. She had lived a comfortable life at Innermost, not wanting for anything; she had all she needed, wanted, and more. She had assumed all parts and all towns were the same.
She shivered as the strong breeze blew; it was cold. Innermost always had the same pleasant temperature maintained. Kuna removed his jacket and put it on her. She half-smiled at him in thanks and slid her arms into the sleeves. She felt guilty; guilty that she had had such a good life.
They walked through narrow streets, quarter the size of the roads at Innermost, crowded with small houses and other buildings, and Aija couldn't help but compare it with the Capital where the buildings and homes were luxuriously and had abundant greenery. She was also aware of the blatant lack of drones and Secures. There were at least four drones, and two Secures per street at Innermost.
Kuna glanced at her every now and then, very much aware of the thoughts running through her mind. But he kept quiet, letting her process them herself.
"Alright," Etrie said, stopping in front of a big building – not big at all compared to Innermost standards but, here it was. "The girl works here. Her shift ends at three a.m."
Aija looked up at the building. It was old, and the paint was literally peeling off. The worn-out board was barely visible in the poor lighting – it read, Food Packaging Inc.
"All the food you eat," Etrie spoke, seeing her interest, "they are packed here."
Someone was working late at night to pack the food she ate every day. People were working late at night for it, and she had always eaten it without much thought towards it. And, the people who packed her food lived in such terrible conditions.
Why had she lived in such a bubble? Everyone at Innermost lived in a bubble if she thought about it. It included her family.
Maya scoffed. "She doesn't care."
"Maya," Etrie reprimanded. "This is my last warning." He told Kuna, "Maya and I will wait near the girl's house. You two follow her from here. You know what to do."
Kuna nodded and led Aija to the opposite building. They watched as the other two walked away.
"She hates me," Aija whispered, looking at the two Ytai, before following Kuna inside the empty building. He had opened the DigiLock using a small handheld device. The inside was filled with different glassware. A screen was on displaying a flyer – Wholesale Price, it read.
Kuna looked at her, stayed quiet for a moment before saying, "Who cares? Etrie and I like you."
Aija smiled, looking at the now empty roads.
✽✽✽
Character Reference from Index
Quinn - Ot/Chr 3.r
Etrie - Ot/Chr 3.a
Kuna - Ot/Chr 3.b
Maya - Ot/Chr 3.c
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
