Otherworld: Station One. - 2. Winter 2

It didn’t take long for us to reach the field again. Hand in hand, we had walked the ten minutes there, but along the way we had seen many things that would make a psych patient turn comatose.

The cars had stopped. In fact, everything mechanical had stopped. But the people hadn’t, at least not their heads. Every time we passed someone, whether they were in a car or on the footpath, their bodies were motionless, but their heads would follow us wherever we moved.

It was unsettling.

Mel had given up trying to talk to me after several failed attempts. We both had just gotten frustrated with each other and yet despite that, Mel gripped my hand tight enough to turn my mocha skin, white.

I had never given much thought to how many different shades of white there are but this mist was strange, it was like watching an artist blend as many different white paints together in a lazy swirl and then watch it take on a life of its own that I now sliced through with determination.

We stopped at the fence that led into the football field. Mel glanced at me, her eyes soft and curious. She pushed the gate open and pulled me through it with her. Every step we took the feeling of being mired in a swamp grew, and I imagined we looked like ghosts moving across the invisible ground

This is ridiculous I thought, everything is getting thicker as we get closer.

Somewhere along the way, I felt Mel’s hand slip out of mine and I tried to call her name, blindly waving my arms in the air trying to snatch a hold of her shirt.

But I was alone.

Cautiously I continued to step forward with my hands outstretched. With every shuffle forward, the ringing intensified to the point where I focused on nothing else. My fingers eventually slid across something cold, hard and round I gripped it tighter and pulled my body towards it.

It was the smaller, waist high fence that surrounded the field and I leant against it, struggling to hold onto any oxygen. It was as if my lungs were the point between A and B and oxygen was just passing through.

I wanted to pass out, to sleep off the day, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to wake up at all. My eye’s started to close and I didn’t try to stop them. I couldn’t stop the ringing and I wanted to scream.

Something soft brushed against my hand. I tried to look up but couldn’t. I couldn’t even lift my head and I felt a tear slide down my cheek. The soft thing brushed against my hand again, and when it touched my chin I realized it was a hand. It lifted my head for me and I tried to focus my sight. Mel was staring down at me with a worried expression.

When I smiled up at her she seemed to sigh with relief and pulled at me, mouthing something and pointing towards the center of the field, a grin on her face and a light in her eyes. I allowed myself to be dragged along and as we ducked under the fence and ran towards the middle, I could feel wind, rushing at me, blowing me backwards.

Then it changed, pushing me every single way, left then right then back the other way again. swirling like a hurricane and just as strong

And I screamed, I let it go and wailed out in pain, it wasn’t ringing anymore it was just a shrill piercing noise that cut to my very core. My ears started to feel warm and I lifted my free hand and touched something wet.

Blood, fresh and pulsing red ran down my neck with every thud of my heart. “MEL!” I tried to scream but she kept pulling me. Then she disappeared, the mist far too thick. Everything was white. I couldn’t even see my arms and I tripped forward landing on my chest.

I closed my eyes and started cry. “Help...” I whispered, the words being forced out of my mouth by the whipping wind.

Then it was black.

***

An ocean, water, sand…

I could hear waves, and I smiled.

“You’re awake...” It wasn’t a question, but a moment of pure relief. I opened my eyes and was blinded by the blue sky above. I was on my back, my body being warmed by the sun’s rays and the sand underneath me sticking to my back.

I realized then that I wasn’t wearing a shirt, and I was wet, my short hair dripping the sea water into my eyes and running in small rivulets down my cheeks.

“C’mon, get up.” Mel was somewhere behind me, her voice was carrying over the sound of the waves.

I pushed myself up into a sitting position and turned to glance over my shoulder. She was there, in a white tank top and a pair of blue board shorts, looking confused but happy at the same time.

Brushing off the sand on my own pair of board shorts I stood up and peered around at the landscape. Everything was so beautiful, dunes of golden sand, crystal blue water and just behind me, where I could hear Mel still telling me to come to her, were a series of palm tree’s and lush grass.

“Eli!” she shouted at me. I’m pretty sure that after what we had just gone through I had earned the right to take a sec to myself.

“Yeah, I’m coming!” I yelled back. I turned and made my way over to where she was sitting underneath the largest palm tree on black and gold-checkered blanket.

Sitting down next to her I leant back on my elbows, and then silence. I was content to just sit there for a few hours but Mel had other ideas.

“You aren’t wondering…”

“What the fuck’s going on..? Sure am.” I said with my eyes shut. I heard her sigh and relished the full use of my ears. “I’m just enjoying the benefits of sound for a few minutes.”

“I can’t stand this. can we please talk about it.”

“Why?” I said “It’s not like we can do anything about it..”

“You don’t know that!” she cried out, I opened my eyes and saw her leaning over me, her eyes flashing with an anger I wasn’t used to. “Why are you acting so weird Eli, are you even in there!” she jabbed at my temple roughly.

“Ow, yes stop that!” I grabbed her finger and we glared at each other for a moment. Who was I kidding? I’d always give in to her. “Fine, what do you want to do?”

She smiled brilliantly. If I was going to be nice I’d say it was brighter than the sun. But she’s notthat pretty. “Good…” she paused and her smile melted away like ice-cream in heat. “I don’t know.. where are we?”

I glanced around again and shrugged. “I dunno...” I murmured. “What happened to you?”

“You mean before?” I nodded. “Well I don’t remember much... I lost you at the gate and wandered around, then I got to the middle of the field and it was clear, there was no mist anywhere.”

“So you just left me?” I teased smirking up at her. She didn’t smile back.

“I came back for you asshole. I probably shouldn’t have if you’re going to be ungrateful,” she said. “I just don’t understand what’s going on, where are we?”

“Who knows..? I just remember passing out. I didn’t make it to the middle of the field and my ears…” I lifted a hand and touched them, they were dry, no blood.

I had no idea what to do, and to be perfectly honest, I was happy to stay here. But I knew Mel wouldn’t stay here without some sort of explanation.

“Wanna go for a swim?” I offered simply. She looked like she might slap me. I personally thought it might chill her out. “It could be nice…” I said. “Well I’m going to swim.” I said finally.

I stood and charged out to the water kicking up clouds of sand and getting the grains underneath my toenails. “Eli wait!” Mel called after me but I ignored it. “Fine, I’m coming.”

I hit the waves and struggled as I tried to lift my legs in the water. I heard Mel launch herself with the ensuing splash. I took another step and swore as the ground fell away.

“Fuck!” I flung out an arm and stopped Mel from charging past me. “It drops off here.” I said pointing downwards.

Like a cliché film scene, we both leaned over precariously and peered down into the inky water. “Race to the bottom?” I joked. Mel looked at me apathetically.

“Are you completely ignorant, I’m pretty sure we have better things to do tha–“ She didn’t finish as she dived into the water and I followed in seconds.

The moment my head broke the surface I hit hard brown dirt.

***

“Holy crap.” I moaned rubbing the top of my head. I was sitting in the middle of the football field, my eyes stuck in a squint while I tried to calm my pounding heart.

“This is too freaking weird!” Mel yelled. I almost laughed when the sound of a passing truck bleeped out her following curses.

“At least it’s back to normal now…” I said trying to settle her. She grunted and started to pace. “And… we’re dry.”

She finally looked at me, and I could see a little grin trying to break free from its confinement. “Can we just go back to school?” She asked.

I rubbed my eyes, feigning disbelief. “Are you kidding, you want to go back to school now?” I stood up gingerly and unruffled my clothes. “I just want to go home and have a smoke.”

“I think I need to go back to school.” Mel said. She didn’t even wait for me as she started towards the school. I pulled out a cigarette and my lighter and jogged to catch up with her. I took a drag, held it in, then exhaled savoring the taste.

“Much better.” I breathed out with the smoke. Mel sneered and waved it out of her face. “Now, all I need to do is tick off home and I’m set.” I grinned

“There’s not even a single trace of mist, don’t you find that weird?” Mel said. Apparently she missed the part where I didn’t want to talk about it.

“No.”

“And the cars are working, people are moving, it’s like nothing happened.”

“Then why are you making something out of nothing.”

“Because it wasn’t nothing” she hissed.

My street came up and I stopped on the corner. “Alright, I’m going home, I’ll see you tomorrow?” Mel didn’t really say anything, she just waved a hand and continued on, muttering to herself.

I don’t know why it didn’t bother me as much as her. If I sat down and thought it through I would probably realize how fucked up that morning had been. But I didn’t want to think about that. Maybe I could forget.. about the sun, the water, the mist… and the mannequin people. Somewhere in me, I knew I would never forget.

Amidst my trail of swirling thoughts, I stopped as something white fell from the sky. It was a feather the length of my forearm. It was soft and incredibly light, even for a feather. I liked feathers, simply put I collected them and I stashed this one in my pocket.

My house loomed out at me when I turned the last corner. At the end of a small street, it was the only two-story house. Made out of weatherboards painted ivory with green fringes, it was a pleasant looking house surrounded by smaller, more modern units.

As I came up to the door I fumbled in the folds of my black jacket and fished out my green custom cut key. The door was about three people wide and opened with an incredibly bone chilling creak.

I was greeted at the door by four miss-matching cats. There was probably a fifth around here somewhere.

My mum had a penchant for picking up stray cats, even ones that had owners she would refuse to call them and as such domesticated them to our home, then where were they going to go? Out on the street? Humph, they’d probably just be run over within ten minutes.

“C’mon you little pests.” I cooed, you could say anything to an animal as long as you used soothing tones I learnt.

They all followed at my heel and sure enough, as I dumped my bag in the lounge room I was met with a new one. A small grey kitten with wide blue eyes, it watched me with its head to one side.

“Hello…” I whispered crouching down, the other four cats all moved back I frowned at them, “now is that any way to act towards our guest?” I said.

The kitten cautiously stepped forward and stretched its neck towards me. With a single finger I scratched just under its chin and it purred in content.

“Let’s see… do you have a name?” I wondered aloud.

“It’s Samantha,” came my Mum’s voice. “I found her just wandering around out in the backyard.” I stood up and stretched. “How come you’re home?”

I filtered through around about thirty excuses, “I have a free and then my teachers aren’t here,” Sometimes the simplest ones were better.

“Hm,” she smiled knowingly and sauntered into the kitchen, yeah, sauntered. My Mum… she can be… different, to other mothers.

She was pale to an almost translucent white, with thick bushy dark brown hair, so I had no idea where my bronze skin and black hair had come from. I had never met my father and to be totally honest, it could be anyone.

“Well I’m cooking dinner in the slow cooker...” she called over the steaming of our kettle.

I groaned, that usually meant there was something like stew, or slow cooked meat. I hated stuff like that. I’m more of a curry and rice person… Maybe I’m half-Indian…

“I heard that Eli,” she said, I could hear the smile in her voice.

“I’m going to my room.” I replied. Picking up my bag, I trudged back to the front door and shouldered it open. Samantha had followed me and leapt up onto my bed without hassle. I smiled down at her. She was our only grey kitten. One of them was a tortoise shell, two were these white fluffy things, and the last was black.

But Samantha, or Sammy as I decided to call her was different, she was curious but quiet, and calm. Perfect for me.

I dumped by bag next her and she started sniffing around it, I shrugged off my jacket and pants then lifted off my t-shirt. I rather liked the feeling of the cold on my body, the chill made those goosebumps all along my skin flare up and tickle as I ran my fingers over them.

I kicked aside the clothes on the floor of my room and picked up shirt after shirt, taking a whiff and judging which were clean and which weren’t. I eventually settled on my white t-shirt with an old cassette recorder motif and a pair of brown cargo pants and sat down next to Sammy, she stretched herself then leapt into my lap curling into a ball.

I grinned and flung myself backwards landing on something that crinkled. Frowning, I stuck my hand underneath my back and struck something that felt like a letter I pulled it out and saw that it was a folded piece of paper.

I unfolded it and the sound of paper made Sammy perk up her head, she batted at it playfully and I laughed picking her up with one hand, her paws still trying to swipe the paper. I turned my eyes to the paper and my smile fell.

The mist will claim you, and only I can help.