Chaos (cont.)

Her words confused her, she could see, but Marissa still managed to retort, “I – I don’t care about the rumors; I want you to leave Altus!” “Get out,” Naomi responded curtly, “Before someone witnesses your vulgar violence.” Marissa looked as if she would throttle her. Before she could act on any impulses, however, the core of their discourse appeared in the doorway.
“Marissa,” he said upon his entrance, and the address both pained and relieved Naomi. “The cousins have been searching for you; you are grossly late for your appointment with Sister Naria. I had to entertain her in your stead, though she left wounded by your absence as was I in work. Do you have any plausible explanation for this one?” The Queen had not even the grace to look ashamed. “I’ll give you a plausible explanation when you give me one for this,” she answered, pointing aggressively to Naomi. He spared her no more than a glance. This is good, she thought, this is strength. “’This’ happens to be a guest of our Royal Haven,” he replied coolly, “and your dearest friend from five years prior, I believe. Is she then the reason for your actions, or rather, your lack thereof this morning?” “Is she the reason for your actions?” the Queen answered back contemptuously.
Naomi bit back a smile at the severity of his icy look. “I came to drag you back from this absurdity and to remind you of your duties as Queen.” She didn’t even blink. “I am terribly sorry, Altus,” she said coldly, “I shouldn’t have involved myself in your affairs.” Scoffing, he replied wearily, “No, you should’ve paid more attention to yours.”
He held his arm out to her. After a moment of clear indecision, the Queen threw her chin to the air but accepted his offer. Altus then bowed to Naomi. “I apologize for this disruption, miss. I hope the rest of your stay will make up for it.” That was all the recognition she received before he left with Marissa. Naomi stared, collecting her own strength before wrenching her gaze away. Her appetite now quite gone, she put away the remains of her meal and lay back down on her bed.

The world was empty. With thoughts swirling in her mind, with the world swirling around her...who was she? No...why was she? She took a long trembling step forward into the blackness. Thin robes flowed, snapping, around her, but she felt no wind as she strode forward. She felt nothing. She approached the threshold to the abyss, and thought suddenly of laughter. It was such a different red, such a different warmth, than the blood and hell of the abyss. Laughter echoed, dead, in the emptiness, but the silence echoed louder.
Then a voice slithered through the unfeeling wind, piercing her heart and soul. “Fiona,” it whispered, “Fiona, my love…” And somehow she knew it willed her into that yawning chasm, stretching forever beneath her feet. She could not resist. Her foot took a step through air, and then she was falling, falling, falling…
She opened her eyes. Taking a calm breath, Fiona shook her gaze away from the glass wall and uncrossed her legs. Standing up, she looked around to see Arabus beside her, staring out at the city. “I apologize for interrupting your meditation, my love,” he said quietly, “But there seems to be a misunderstanding.” Fiona reached tentatively out to his arm, afraid of his presence yet soothed by it.
“Look at me, Arabus.”
For a moment she thought he wouldn’t. Then she smiled as his harsh eyes turned towards her. She held on tighter and said, “What misunderstanding?”
He backed away from her, ripping himself out of her hands, and she fought to keep the emptiness from her face. “Our agreement about the water user,” he said curtly. Steeling herself, Fiona followed him. “I haven’t forgotten,” she said, “I’m preparing myself before I go.”
His eyes bore through her lie.
“Leave,” he said, he hissed. She grabbed his arm. Pain started to creep up her fingers but she ignored it. “I won’t.”
“My love…”
She shook her head, clenching her hands as he inflamed her arm. “Arabus.”
He stared, his eyes showing nothing but black forever. Slowly, however, gradually and gradually, those fathomless black pits slightly softened. A golden warmth tugged her lips into a gentle smile as he transformed back to her human, her love. His dark eyes seemed to sparkle. “Fiona,” he whispered, “Fiona.” “Don’t leave me,” she said back to him. “No,” he said, just breathed, “Fiona. Fiona…” He gave her a soft kiss, his body now radiating laughter’s warmth, and she held on to him as their kisses deepened and they entangled with an addictive fire.
This was love, she thought as they lay together in the shadows of night, the city lights sparkling just beyond their darkness…yes, she thought, this was love…such a different red, such a different warmth, then the blood and hell of the abyss.

Her hair-tie swirled lazily in the air as she controlled the currents around it. Selene lay below on her feathery bed of gray, the world outside her light golden room a still and murky dawn. Her hair splayed out on the foot of her bed and her single circlet gleamed as she moved the hair-tie. She looked outside her glass wall and sighed. Still gray. Abandoning her hair-tie, she let it drop as she scrambled off her bed. In her large gray shirt and dark gray sweats she left her room, her hair still fluffy from sleep. Selene shuffled down the slumbering hall to her floor’s elevator, looking sneakily around as she wasn’t technically allowed out of her room before complete sunrise. The elevator arrived silently and she rushed in, pushing the button for the third floor. She sat down and watched the numbers decrease from twenty, idly humming to herself.
Fifteen.
The kitchens should be open by now.
Eleven.
She could get a sweet potato, just a little sweet potato.
Eight.
Maybe she could also sneak outside for a little bit…get some fresh air.
Five.
No, that would be unwise; it was almost sunrise.
Four –
But then they stopped.
The fourth floor.
Not three.
Four.
She knew what that meant, and she shot up off the floor in panic. After a split second’s indecision as the elevator doors slowly slid open, condemning her to her fate, Selene hid herself as well as she could in the corner by the doors. I will simply rush out as soon as those doors open and whoever it is will not even recognize me…
The doors opened and Selene sprinted out of her corner as she planned, knocking into some broad shoulder –
But that wasn’t right. That can’t be right. Skidding to a halt, she looked around in shock at the guy staring at her in mirroring surprise. “You-you are a boy,” was all she could splutter out at him. He looked even more astonished by her words and said nothing. Her curiosity of this boy completely overwhelmed her desire to run away. Selene approached him with wide eyes. “You…are a boy, correct?” she asked hesitantly. She had never seen one before.
He wore dark, pressed sleeves of a black, buttoned shirt, and his long, straight pants were black as well. His eyes were a curious shade of red and his rolled up sleeves revealed very pale skin painted with some black design. He was obviously from the underground – she had never seen one of them either.
He looked slightly affronted by her question and answered with a curt, “Yes.” Excited, Selene fought the urge to examine his hands. “I have never seen a boy before,” she confided breathlessly, smiling with this new development. “Oh, this is so odd! I have always wanted to meet a boy. My older sisters have talked of boys but I did not imagine that you would look so different from us. I wish we could talk, but neither of us should be here, and – I am sorry, but how – why are you here?” “Wait,” he said, his thick eyebrows furrowed, “You’ve never seen a boy? Not even a picture?”
The way he talked threw her off. “Correct,” she answered him, surprised, “And we do not depict humans, male or female, in our art.” “Oh yeah, I forgot,” he said, almost to himself. Looking at her with a small smile, he added, “You guys have a really weird culture.”
Selene looked at him confusedly. “I am a girl,” she said.
He looked at her for a moment, then burst out laughing. Seeing him trying to smother his laughter, her confusion deepened. “What is so funny?” she asked, feeling a little insulted. “Nothing,” he said, still chuckling, “Just – “ His smile dropped from his face as fast as her hair-tie from the air. She could see panic in his eyes. Immediately she knew why as voices, regular ones like hers mixed with deep rumbling ones like his, floated down the otherwise empty hallway. The boy turned around in a flash and punched the elevator button. Selene shook her head and spun to face the wall behind her. She placed her hand on it and in seconds it was sliding open to reveal a hidden staircase. The boy’s jaw dropped but she frantically gestured him inside, and he quickly rushed in with her as the door slid back to a close. The voices instantly ceased and they were enveloped in a calm silence. The boy sagged against the wall and said, “Thanks.” Selene also leaned against the adjacent wall and just gave him a wan smile. After a minute of wary silence, the boy responded with a sudden look of confusion. He turned to her and said, “But why are you so keen to hide yourself? Aren’t you one of them?” She could see him eyeing her outfit and fuzzed hair. Selene straightened herself and stared boldly up at his face. “I am Mother Selene,” she said proudly, “I am a gray sage. I have acquired my first silver,” Selene held up her right arm, showing him the lone circlet around her wrist, “And I will attend my first Meeting in three months, two weeks, and three days. Yes, I am ‘one of them,’ and it is clear that you are the one more ‘keen’ to hide yourself from us.” He stared at her for a moment, seemingly stunned, then said, “So your age should be about eleven years right?”
Selene huffed. “I have thirteen years,” she admitted reluctantly. Most gray sages did attain their first silver at eleven years, but Selene’s teachers had loved to torture her. The boy actually laughed and Selene gaped, saying, “There is no need to be so rude!” “I’m sorry, it’s just – you don’t look anything like the other gray sages I’ve seen.” Selene avoided his odd amber eyes and walked up to the wall facing the sunrise, hurrying to hide her sudden blush. “We are not meant to be seen before sunrise,” she said swiftly.
The underground boy didn’t respond, but walked, mesmerized, to the glowing glass walls around the staircase. “Is this the first time you have seen a sunrise?” Selene asked. “Yeah,” he breathed, fogging the glass. “It’s…like nothing I’ve ever seen before.” She watched his amazement with a small smile. “I feel the same way in regards to you,” she said. The mist on the glass wall betrayed his quiet laughter. “No, you don’t,” he replied. Her eyes slightly narrowed, she said, “I believe I would better know the nature of my own feelings.”
He spared her a half-glance. “I’m saying you don’t know the nature of my feelings.” Selene mulled over his response, looking back at the shining, gold, rays and puffed pink clouds of her home. “I guess not,” she said quietly. They stood together in silence, watching the brilliant sun paint color to the new day. Once the blue skies cleared of sunrise’s breathtaking colors, however, Selene turned to the boy. “So why are you here? Not only are you a boy but you are also of the underground.” He crossed his arms, but his eyes betrayed a sort of amusement.
“Do you want me to leave?” “No!” Selene cried, grabbing his arm. He looked distinctly uncomfortable by this sudden act, and quickly shook her off. “You-you can’t just go and grab a guy like that!” he said, blushing. She wasn’t very sure what she had done wrong. “Yes, I will remember that,” she nevertheless agreed confusedly. Worried, she hesitantly asked, “You-you will not leave me, will you?” He seemed to give her a quick searching look and after a moment’s tense silence, he finally answered, “No.” A bubbly happiness filled her, and Selene again had to resist the urge to reach for his hand. Instead, she swiftly said, “Then please follow me. We must descend to the third floor.” He looked at her confusedly and remained where he was. “What? Why?” he said. Selene smiled, and put her hand over her stomach. “We are going to the kitchens. I am hungry.” He stood still, looking stunned, then eventually let out a soft laugh. Wordlessly, he went ahead of her down the stairs and Selene followed him, smiling as his black shadow lit up before her with the day’s golden glow.