{"id":887,"date":"2022-08-23T00:38:14","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T00:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=887"},"modified":"2023-11-16T21:35:10","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T21:35:10","slug":"tarps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=887","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"_3d-flip-book  fb3d-fullscreen-mode full-size\" data-id=\"1342\" data-mode=\"fullscreen\" data-title=\"false\" data-template=\"short-white-book-view\" data-lightbox=\"dark-shadow\" data-urlparam=\"fb3d-page\" data-page-n=\"0\" data-pdf=\"\" data-tax=\"null\" data-thumbnail=\"\" data-cols=\"3\" data-book-template=\"default\"><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA = window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA || [];window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA.push('eyJwb3N0cyI6eyIxMzQyIjp7IklEIjoxMzQyLCJ0aXRsZSI6IiIsInR5cGUiOiJwZGYiLCJyZWFkeV9mdW5jdGlvbiI6IiIsImJvb2tfc3R5bGUiOiJmbGF0IiwiYm9va190ZW1wbGF0ZSI6Im5vbmUiLCJvdXRsaW5lIjpbXSwiZGF0YSI6eyJwb3N0X0lEIjoiMTM0MyIsImd1aWQiOiJodHRwOlwvXC9ibGFja2JveC5ibGFja1wvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyM1wvMTFcL0ZyYWlzZXItVGFycHMtQ2hhcHRlci0xLnBkZiIsInBkZl9wYWdlcyI6IjIzIiwicGFnZXNfY3VzdG9taXphdGlvbiI6Im5vbmUifSwidGh1bWJuYWlsIjp7ImRhdGEiOnsicG9zdF9JRCI6IjAifSwidHlwZSI6ImF1dG8ifSwicHJvcHMiOnsiYmFja2dyb3VuZENvbG9yIjoiYXV0byIsImJhY2tncm91bmRJbWFnZSI6ImF1dG8iLCJiYWNrZ3JvdW5kU3R5bGUiOiJhdXRvIiwiaGlnaGxpZ2h0TGlua3MiOiJhdXRvIiwibGlnaHRpbmciOiJhdXRvIiwiY2FjaGVkUGFnZXMiOiJhdXRvIiwicmVuZGVySW5hY3RpdmVQYWdlcyI6ImF1dG8iLCJyZW5kZXJJbmFjdGl2ZVBhZ2VzT25Nb2JpbGUiOiJhdXRvIiwicmVuZGVyV2hpbGVGbGlwcGluZyI6ImF1dG8iLCJwcmVsb2FkUGFnZXMiOiJhdXRvIiwiYXV0b1BsYXlEdXJhdGlvbiI6ImF1dG8iLCJydGwiOiJhdXRvIiwiaW50ZXJhY3RpdmVDb3JuZXJzIjoiYXV0byIsIm1heERlcHRoIjoiYXV0byIsInNoZWV0Ijp7InN0YXJ0VmVsb2NpdHkiOiJhdXRvIiwid2F2ZSI6ImF1dG8iLCJzaGFwZSI6ImF1dG8iLCJ3aWR0aFRleGVscyI6ImF1dG8iLCJjb2xvciI6ImF1dG8iLCJzaWRlIjoiYXV0byIsImNvcm5lckRldmlhdGlvbiI6ImF1dG8iLCJmbGV4aWJpbGl0eSI6ImF1dG8iLCJmbGV4aWJsZUNvcm5lciI6ImF1dG8iLCJiZW5kaW5nIjoiYXV0byIsImhlaWdodFRleGVscyI6ImF1dG8ifSwiY292ZXIiOnsid2F2ZSI6ImF1dG8iLCJjb2xvciI6ImF1dG8iLCJzaWRlIjoiYXV0byIsImJpbmRlclRleHR1cmUiOiJhdXRvIiwiZGVwdGgiOiJhdXRvIiwicGFkZGluZyI6ImF1dG8iLCJzdGFydFZlbG9jaXR5IjoiYXV0byIsImZsZXhpYmlsaXR5IjoiYXV0byIsImZsZXhpYmxlQ29ybmVyIjoiYXV0byIsImJlbmRpbmciOiJhdXRvIiwid2lkdGhUZXhlbHMiOiJhdXRvIiwiaGVpZ2h0VGV4ZWxzIjoiYXV0byIsIm1hc3MiOiJhdXRvIiwic2hhcGUiOiJhdXRvIn0sInBhZ2UiOnsid2F2ZSI6ImF1dG8iLCJjb2xvciI6ImF1dG8iLCJzaWRlIjoiYXV0byIsImRlcHRoIjoiYXV0byIsInN0YXJ0VmVsb2NpdHkiOiJhdXRvIiwiZmxleGliaWxpdHkiOiJhdXRvIiwiZmxleGlibGVDb3JuZXIiOiJhdXRvIiwiYmVuZGluZyI6ImF1dG8iLCJ3aWR0aFRleGVscyI6ImF1dG8iLCJoZWlnaHRUZXhlbHMiOiJhdXRvIiwibWFzcyI6ImF1dG8iLCJzaGFwZSI6ImF1dG8ifSwiaGVpZ2h0IjoiYXV0byIsIndpZHRoIjoiYXV0byIsImdyYXZpdHkiOiJhdXRvIiwicGFnZXNGb3JQcmVkaWN0aW5nIjoiYXV0byJ9LCJjb250cm9sUHJvcHMiOnsiYWN0aW9ucyI6eyJjbWRUb2MiOnsiZW5hYmxlZCI6ImF1dG8iLCJlbmFibGVkSW5OYXJyb3ciOiJhdXRvIiwiYWN0aXZlIjoiYXV0byIsImRlZmF1bHRUYWIiOiJhdXRvIn0sImNtZEF1dG9QbGF5Ijp7ImVuYWJsZWQiOiJhdXRvIiwiZW5hYmxlZEluTmFycm93IjoiYXV0byIsImFjdGl2ZSI6ImF1dG8ifSwiY21kU2F2ZSI6eyJlbmFibGVkIjoiYXV0byIsImVuYWJsZWRJbk5hcnJvdyI6ImF1dG8ifSwiY21kUHJpbnQiOnsiZW5hYmxlZCI6ImF1dG8iLCJlbmFibGVkSW5OYXJyb3ciOiJhdXRvIn0sImNtZFNpbmdsZVBhZ2UiOnsiZW5hYmxlZCI6ImF1dG8iLCJlbmFibGVkSW5OYXJyb3ciOiJhdXRvIiwiYWN0aXZlIjoiYXV0byIsImFjdGl2ZUZvck1vYmlsZSI6ImF1dG8ifSwid2lkVG9vbGJhciI6eyJlbmFibGVkIjoiYXV0byIsImVuYWJsZWRJbk5hcnJvdyI6ImF1dG8ifX19LCJhdXRvVGh1bWJuYWlsIjoiaHR0cDpcL1wvYmxhY2tib3guYmxhY2tcL3dwLWNvbnRlbnRcL3VwbG9hZHNcLzNkLWZsaXAtYm9va1wvYXV0by10aHVtYm5haWxzXC8xMzQyLnBuZyIsInBvc3RfbmFtZSI6IjEzNDIiLCJwb3N0X3R5cGUiOiIzZC1mbGlwLWJvb2sifX0sInBhZ2VzIjpbXSwiZmlyc3RQYWdlcyI6W119');window.FB3D_CLIENT_LOCALE && window.FB3D_CLIENT_LOCALE.render();<\/script>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tarps<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chapter One, Summer 2037<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The walk was scenic, gentle, and tiring. Myles was heaving breaths though all he\u2019d been doing was walking. Color noticed. \u201cWould you like to rest?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019re those breathing techniques you were talking about? I think I could use some right now.\u201d Myles said through his heaving chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, right. Yes, the breathing techniques are to get you used to the elevation. You can\u2019t do it well while we\u2019re walking, so let\u2019s find somewhere to sit down.\u201d Both looked for a place to sit and spied a copse of short trees shaded from the sun and floored with grass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles flopped to the ground while Color smoothly slid her legs into a cross-legged position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAlright, let\u2019s begin with this: have you ever meditated before? Or\u2026 what\u2019s your history with meditation?\u201d Color asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNone whatsoever. I ain\u2019t no hippie,\u201d Myles said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color laughed. \u201cWell, sit in a comfortable cross-legged position and put your hands on your lap. Whatever\u2019s comfortable for you. Make sure your back is straight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOkay\u2026\u201d <em>Weird.<\/em> \u201cCross-legged\u2026 hands\u2026 back straight. Now what? I feel like you\u2019re messing with me. Dammit, is this what wearing a corset is like?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color laughed again. \u201cWhat\u2019s a corset?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s this underwear under old-century dresses that women wore. You\u2019ve never heard of them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNope,\u201d She said. \u201cMaybe this is what a corset feels like. Was it elastic?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cElastic? No, it was just cloth and you tied up the back I\u2019m pretty sure. It took a couple people to get it on one person. Anyway, I want to breathe again, so let\u2019s get started. I\u2019m in position, now what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color straightened. \u201cOkay. This isn\u2019t \u2018hippie\u2019 like you were saying. Since you\u2019ve never meditated before, this may be strange to you. Ready?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAll set, chief.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOkay. Close your eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles closed them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNow, just breathe through your nose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEasy enough,\u201d Myles mumbled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t talk, it\u2019ll break your concentration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYessir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles took several deep, concentrated breaths through his nose and didn\u2019t feel any different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just before he was about to make another smart comment, Color spoke, \u201cNow, focus on your body. Focus on either your hands or your feet, whichever is colder right now. Focus on the temperature.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles chose his hands. They seemed to feel cold at the moment and he relaxed them further, falling face-side up in his lap. This was relaxing. Several breaths passed and his hands still felt cold, but Myles was surprised to find he could sense the blood coursing through them. <em>Weirrrrd!<\/em> Is this what meditation does to someone?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cKeep focusing on your hands, trying to heat them up just by thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles took another breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNow we\u2019ll do the actual breathing. That was an exercise to get you in touch with your body and in tune with breathing.\u201d Color explained. She went on to instruct him on a deep-breathing technique she called Wim Hof\u2019s Method. They both took 35 fast deep breaths and then exhaled completely and held the breath for fifteen seconds. Though he felt he held it for a while, Myles had to inhale much sooner than Color who continued holding for another full minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd again,\u201d Color said before beginning the rhythm again. Another 35 and fifteen-second hold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles thought he reached forty seconds or so on that second hold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And again. 35 breaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Myles held his breath, this one felt different. He had almost passed out, but now he could feel the blood in his system and how much warmer it felt, though the air was still chilly. He focused on his heartbeat which felt like a diesel engine, pumping fresh, strong blood. He focused on slowing it down, calming himself, and using the air in his system. He didn\u2019t need to try keeping his eyes closed now; they were relaxed shut, the darkness behind his eyes was now something he welcomed. It increased the focus and understanding of what was happening in his body. It felt sudden, but he had the need to breathe. He didn\u2019t know how long he\u2019d held his breath, but that was fine. He forced the urge to breathe back and stuck out for another ten seconds before inhaling and holding for fifteen seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He opened his eyes; that felt weird but helpful. Color was across from him, seated motionless, still holding her breath. A few seconds later, she inhaled and held, opening her eyes. She smiled and nodded at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles felt relaxed, energized, and not as light-headed. \u201cNice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFeels good, huh?\u201d Color said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah. Keep walking?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYup. I\u2019ll teach you a couple others, but we don\u2019t have to do them yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles listened as Color talked about the breathing techniques and eventually trailed off once there was nothing more to say about how thin the air was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo,\u201d Myles said after a silence. \u201cNow what? We just keep walking?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, I guess so. We have several days before we reach Stablefield, so in the meantime I guess we will just walk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no faster way?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe could take a boat, but they\u2019re all run by Cavaliers and we\u2019d get captured.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo land vehicles?\u201d Myles was desperate; He didn\u2019t want to walk and already felt sore from the couple of miles they\u2019d trekked already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNope, unless by some miracle we find a horse. Lots of bigger animals that couldn\u2019t adapt fast enough died when the sky rose. So it\u2019s really just little animals like birds and rabbits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy legs are killing me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHave you seen the Ledge yet? The side of the land where it drops off into the ocean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles shook his head. \u201cHow far is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not sure, but it\u2019s that way,\u201d She pointed to their right. \u201cMaybe twenty minutes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, I mean, what else are we up to?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They changed course and began walking through the woods. The feel was similar to the woods behind Bushkill Avenue, with the spacing and greenery, the sunlight and grass. After about fifteen minutes, the trees ahead seemed to stop and everything after that was sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles slowed to a stop. \u201cOh, jeepers. Laughers and weepers, help me. I don\u2019t know if I\u2019m ready for this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color looked at him. \u201cC\u2019mon, it\u2019s cool!\u201d She grabbed his hand and he followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color was laughing as they approached the Ledge. Myles began breathing harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They slowed to a brisk walk a few minutes later and stopped about ten feet from the Ledge. Color let go of Myles\u2019s hand and walked closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cColor\u2026\u201d Myles said with concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t look at me, look at the sky.\u201d And she opened her arms to the expanse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ground dropped off of a cliff with nothing but horizon after it. Myles put his hands and knees under him, crawled to the ledge, and looked down. Far below, almost a mile down, there was dark water. And out over the horizon there was nothing but ocean. He felt like he was being pulled over the Ledge by some invisible force. \u201cFucking hell, man.\u201d He looked up. Bits of land floated on the horizon, all mostly at the same height: a hovering archipelago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A huge rock at least the size of Bushkill Avenue meandered slowly by. It was dark stone and browned dirt, mossy from the humidity and constant drenching from the clouds, and topped with a few trees; a real floating island. There were two tiny streams of water falling off of two ledges and turning into mist. The large rock roamed about like a ship in harbor, passing by Myles\u2019s and Color\u2019s own island. That was when it fully struck him that he, himself, was on a floating rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhoa,\u201d Myles finally said. If only he could fly right now! He\u2019d jump off of this rock and zip around to all the islands and explore. Even if it was just for an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He noted the small streams from the floating rock. \u201cWhere\u2019s the water coming from? Wouldn\u2019t all the water just fall off?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRain water, dew, and cloudwater. There are just so many ways for water to get onto the rocks that there\u2019s really never any shortage.\u201d Color said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo even though we\u2019re quickly running out of water, we\u2019ll probably find more somewhere?\u201d Myles said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, yeah. Water is one of our least worries, we just need to find somewhere that it pools, like that tarp.\u201d Color said as she returned next to Myles who was glad she wasn\u2019t so close to the edge now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They both put their eyes on the scenery and drank it in with a sigh, \u201cWow.\u201d It didn\u2019t make them feel smaller, on the contrary, Myles felt like he was part of something bigger, but it would be incomplete without him and Color. It felt strange pairing her with him; he\u2019d only known her for a day, but he felt again that he\u2019d known her for much longer. That same weird feeling he\u2019d had in the dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHead back now?\u201d He said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah.\u201d They took in another gaze before turning and walking back to the path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles wanted to ask a question, but he didn\u2019t know what. He wanted to know more about her, and not just so he could trust her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cI saw you in one of my dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color paused. \u201cYou saw me in a dream?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah. You were with this guy, he had blond hair, a long green jacket\u2026 kinda looked like a boy, but definitely was a man. Do you know him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo. You saw me in a dream?\u201d She asked again. \u201cWhat was I doing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNothing, just\u2026 standing there. You looked just like you do right now. Always happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, that\u2019s me,\u201d She said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDo you ever fake your happiness?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUmm\u2026\u201d She truly wasn\u2019t sure. \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat makes you think you do, and what makes you think you don\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWell,\u201d She started. \u201cHonestly, the only thing at this point that\u2019s keeping me happy right now is you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles started chuckling. \u201cFuuuuck, you\u2019re real sad then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color chuckled lightly as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd what reasons should you be sad? You said you were running from people that wanted to kill you\u2026 what else? You\u2019re alone, so I assume,\u201d His prophesying automatically finished his sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, shit. Color.\u201d All the information slapped him in the face. \u201cYou lost everything, didn\u2019t you? Your friends, your Aunt, village, safety, hope\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHey! No probing into my mind!\u201d She said,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>sLAP<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>right in the face. \u201cOw, I didn\u2019t probe into your sparkly little mind! How would you like me to slap <em>you<\/em>?\u201d That slap hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf you didn\u2019t go poking around in my mind, how did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI told you, I didn\u2019t. The prophesying did it all on its own; I don\u2019t know how to control it completely yet.\u201d Myles said. \u201cIt goes on and off, especially now that I\u2019ve been up here. All I know is what you were thinking in that minute. It was a lot and it was\u2026 not that specific.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color sighed, \u201cMy village was raided by the Cavaliers and I was the only fraiser to escape. Only person to escape at that. They killed everyone else and they chased me for a while in their boat, but I think I outdistanced them and they gave up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles let that thought settle for a few seconds. \u201cI really am the first person you\u2019ve been able to talk to since then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color nodded, seeming much sadder now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDamn,\u201d His eyes wandered around the forest. \u201cAren\u2019t we just\u2026 we\u2019re really a lost couple of idiots, you and me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The conversation stopped there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Without wanting to, Myles perceived the contents of her backpack. There was more than one cassette in there! He already knew Van Halen was in there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou have cassettes?\u201d He asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color grabbed her backpack. \u201cYeah, five of \u2018em.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWanna listen to one?\u201d He asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI would, but we don\u2019t have anything to play them with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"scrivcmt:\/\/FB17744C-DF21-4CA0-B322-E7E116DB93A9\">\u201cI have a walkman.\u201d Myles said, sliding his backpack off. He unzipped it and pulled out the equipment.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cReally?\u201d She said,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles grinned, feeling more useful now that he could do something for her. He popped out the tape (Uppercut Mix) and offered the empty walkman to Color. She unzipped her own backpack and pulled out three tapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe can listen to an album or Marie\u2019s Mix.\u201d She held them up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s Marie\u2019s Mix?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA bunch of songs from 2019 that my Aunt Marie made me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo way, let me see that,\u201d He said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She handed him the tape. He held it, fascinated. Music from the future. \u201cThis is from 2019?\u201d That was nineteen years in the future!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c2019,\u201d Color confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2026 don\u2019t know how I feel about this. This is like\u2026 this is crazy. It\u2019s music that doesn\u2019t exist yet. Some of these artists are still kids. From where I\u2019m from at least.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShould we play it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDefinitely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles held the walkman, Color put the tape in, Myles clicked it shut, plugged in the headphones and hit play. The battery was dead in this one too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDammit, I think the mirror killed the batteries in everything I brought.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI could just sing them?\u201d Color said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles shrugged. It would keep the awkward dialog away for a while. \u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAlright, I\u2019ll sing it out of order because this song has been stuck in my head. It\u2019s called <em>Racecar <\/em>by a guy named <em>Aries<\/em>.\u201d She cleared her throat and hummed a little bit. Then:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>She said I hate my. day job; I don\u2019tfeelit,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I need racecar. top down, matchmy ceiling,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I don\u2019t have none. have none. Dollar-billies inmy bag,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Run. bag, run. fuck your feelings, I detach them,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles grabbed his water again and took a drink. The music wasn\u2019t what he was used to, but who cared? This was literally music from the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Pilot, I\u2019ve gone too high, parachute, this is my first<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>If we land in quicksand tell him too, I might die<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Body-bagged, prolly glad, hada price, onmy head,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Took her hand, in July, couple miles, fallagain<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Hate my! day job! I don\u2019tfeelit,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I need racecar.. top down, matchmy ceiling<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I don\u2019t have none, have none, dollar. billies in my bag<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Run- bag, run, fuck your feelings, I detach them<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles looked over at her. All he could see was her scalp since she was focused on singing. She was cute, yes, but she was fucking annoying. Bright ball of sunshine who could throw knives and was all touchy-feely. She clearly liked being right about things. Whatever, he could live with that. The good outweighed the bad at this point. He had to admit, her company was better than none and, who knows?, maybe she\u2019d teach him a thing or two if he swallowed his pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He realized she had finished the song and was looking at him from her moist, glassy eyes. \u201cWhat\u2019re you thinking? You\u2019re boring a couple of holes right into my head with those eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah.\u201d He was pretty deep in thought and broke his eyes off her. \u201cUh,&nbsp; nothing. Just thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHm, what\u2019re you thinking about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>About how annoying you are. Can\u2019t we just walk and not talk?<\/em> \u201cJust stuff. I dunno.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She reminded him of that one girl from Bridge to Terabithia. What was her name? Leslie? And the kid\u2019s name was Jess which was also a girl name. He liked that book; he often wondered how he\u2019d meet the girl of his dreams and maybe not lose her to some crazy accident. He glanced to and from Color.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But their situation was similar, he would mentally admit. Color was like Leslie because she was all energy and wacky language and ideas, and Myles was like Jess because he was practical and\u2026 colder. Good at being alone. Color always needed someone, but Myles would be fine with or without her. This thought comforted him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHave you heard the term \u2018kindred spirits\u2019?\u201d Myles asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, but I could guess what it means.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Okay, know-it-all<\/em>. \u201cI didn\u2019t know you at all aside from seeing just a quick picture of you in a dream, but I feel like I trust and connect with you much faster than a stranger. I think it\u2019s because we\u2019re kindred spirits. I first\u2026\u201d He stopped himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWait, finish the thought. \u2018I first&#8230;\u2019 what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWell, I was just going to say I first heard it from Anne of Green Gables. It\u2019s just stupid. It was an audiobook I used to listen to before going to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhy is it stupid? What\u2019s <em>Anne of Green Gables<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWell, it\u2019s about this ginger orphan girl who just gets the shit-end of the stick all her life. It\u2019s like a little girl\u2019s book, that\u2019s why its stupid. But that\u2019s where I first heard it; she called her best friend and people she connected with well \u2018kindred spirits\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s cool! Any book can be cool to listen to or read, no matter how old you are. If you\u2019re reading at all, that\u2019s great!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhoa, wait,\u201d Something occurred to Myles. \u201cCan you read?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, mostly,\u201d She said, her eyes looking down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re not very good at it?\u201d Myles guessed. He wasn\u2019t reprimanding her either, it was okay that she couldn\u2019t read well yet. It was out of character for him to not be berating the kid who couldn\u2019t read. If there was a kid in Winton Middle who everyone knew couldn\u2019t read, Myles would probably make fun of him or her. Marshall wouldn\u2019t, but he would get mad at the people who did. Why did he have to be such a gentleman all the time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s weird, usually I\u2019d make fun of someone who couldn\u2019t read. But I can\u2019t really. It\u2019s like I don\u2019t want to make fun of you and it makes me sound like such a pussy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s a pussy? Like a girl?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUh,\u201d Myles hand-picked his next words. \u201cIt\u2019s ah\u2026a wimp.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIs it a bad word?\u201d Color rolled her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYup. Like how shit just means poop, \u2018pussy\u2019 just means wimp.\u201d Myles said and then quickly muttered, \u201cAnd vagina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat? And it means what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She narrowed her eyes. \u201cOkay, so it makes you sound like a pussy just by being kind to someone? So did Hannah from my village; she was like a twin sister to me, in all the bad ways though. I never understood it. Why does being nice make you a pussy wimp?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles\u2019s mouth twitched. <em>Pussy wimp<\/em>. \u201cI don\u2019t know\u2026 I guess it has something to do with you putting yourself below someone else\u2019s level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLike, being humble?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHumble, that\u2019s the word. If you\u2019re humble, you just are put down a lot. You can\u2019t live, you gotta elbow your way to the top.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGo on,\u201d Color said, her facial expressions clearly in disagreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know, it\u2019s like nice people never ruled the world.\u201d Myles wasn\u2019t putting this into the words he wanted, but he blundered along anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIs that what you want to do, rule the world?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, not the whole world. You gotta be strong just to protect yourself.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo putting other people down beneath you is protection?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOkay, I know that\u2019s not what you mean, I admit I\u2019m being a little bit of a Devil\u2019s Advocate right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFucking-A right you are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHey, calm down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He looked at her. \u201cI need you to know that telling someone who is even remotely close to \u2018not calm\u2019 to \u2018calm down\u2019 has never calmed them down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She nodded humbly. \u201cPoint taken. Sorry.\u201d She didn\u2019t sound sorry, she sounded annoyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThanks. Okay, what I mean is\u2026 yeah, obviously when you put it like that, you can\u2019t be mean to other people and say you\u2019re protecting yourself. But like\u2026 sometimes that\u2019s just what you do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhy is it something you just do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou know, just to be funny and shit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNot convinced?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWell, I mean, we are from completely different cultures, backgrounds, and entire fucking planets,\u201d Myles said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTrue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Oh, fantastic<\/em>, Myles thought,<em> I pissed her off. She\u2019s answering in single words. Eh, whatever.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They walked in silence, the tension humming between them like a note fading from a guitar string. Myles pretended he didn\u2019t care; if it were a boy he were walking with, there probably wouldn\u2019t be any fighting and if there were, they\u2019d get over it. With a girl it was different. Why did they have to hold these grudges? Why couldn\u2019t they just duke it out and humble themselves a bit?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of cold-shouldering her, his fraise kicked in suddenly. &nbsp;Her favorite flower is Dragon\u2019s Head and it\u2019s up on the right. \u201cHmm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d Color asked, partially forgetting the tension and becoming slightly nosy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStay here.\u201d She stopped as he walked ahead. Behind a tree, almost underneath some ferns, were several Dragon\u2019s Head flowers. \u201cWhat the fuck am I doing?\u201d He muttered as he picked three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat is it? What\u2019d you find?\u201d Color began walking toward him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He kept his eyes on the flowers as he rose and walked toward her. \u201cDragon\u2019s Head?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her face lit up like the Sun returning from behind a cloud. \u201cDragon\u2019s Head!\u201d She accepted them. \u201cLook at them, they\u2019re so healthy. How did you know\u2026? Oh, was it your fraise?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah,\u201d He said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She smelled them and smiled. \u201cWanna smell?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He leaned forward to smell and she shoved them into his face, laughing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles flinched and jumped backward, \u201cHey!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter,\u201d She said, still chuckling. \u201cDon\u2019t like flowers?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNot ones that I inhale,\u201d He said, smiling in spite of himself. \u201cFun fact about me, I don\u2019t like getting pranked or have stunts pulled on me like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cKilljoy,\u201d She said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAsshat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSmoothbrain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cJew.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBastard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c&#8230;fuck\u2026wad\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c\u2018Bitchslap.\u2019\u201d She quoted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShiiiit, that\u2019s the strongest word I\u2019ve heard you say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI win.\u201d She raised her hand. \u201cThat was something I heard our village elders say once and I still don\u2019t know what it means. Where should I put these?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUp your glitter-lined asshole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWait, I know.\u201d She said and as she whittled the flower down to a shorter length, she said, \u201c\u2018Glitter-lined asshole\u2019?\u201d Then she threw away two of them and kept the shortened one. She placed it daintily behind her ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAdorable,\u201d Myles said, not with complete irony, \u201cYeah, \u2018glitter-lined ass\u2019 because you\u2019re such a ball of daylight and probably shit ribbon or something.\u201d Then he remembered she\u2019d literally killed full-grown human men before. \u201cWith a touch of flamethrower or minigun in there.\u201d He glanced at the spear on her back and then the knives on her shins. \u201cI dunno, I just met you, who am I to judge?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s keep walking,\u201d She suggested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Eesh, I went too far again?<\/em> His jokes were flopping. The Astronomy Club would be reeling laughing. Tough crowd right now; he hoped she didn\u2019t get the wrong impression of him. He just sometimes wanted to say jerky, suspect things without being an actual jerk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Conversation resumed as they walked, but it wasn\u2019t as deep. Myles learned she\u2019d saved one of the village\u2019s fraisers by killing a midnight thief who had snatched the toddler from his crib. He also learned she\u2019d been close with her Aunt Marie and the village elder named Music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color learned that Myles was a loner though he had friends. He had a good childhood and was far outside of his element here. He had zero outdoors experience which was fascinating to her; what was living indoors like and having running water? She\u2019d heard stories, but here was real-world experience right from the horse\u2019s mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Much walking and several pauses to catch their breath and perform some breathing exercises, the sun began setting. Myles tried to use his fraise at will and find somewhere in the vicinity that they could sleep, but his fraise was still underdeveloped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ll just find a tree with tall roots. Those are the best to sleep under because they\u2019re like a natural windblock. There\u2019s one other trick to keeping warm which I think would be smartest,\u201d She said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh yeah? Let\u2019s hear it, I\u2019m down to try anything because I do not want to freeze here. I need my sleep.\u201d Myles said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou sure?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBig spoon or little spoon?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He had no idea what this meant so he said nothing and stood around looking confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019d sleep together, either side-by-side or one of us would wrap around the other. Preferably not the second one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUh\u2026\u201d He put his hands on his hips. \u201cI\u2026 uh. Yeah, I\u2019m not that touchy-feely of a guy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSide-by-side? Otherwise, you probably won\u2019t sleep at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMmmmmmm\u2026\u201d He tapped his leg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not that intimate, trust me. Me and Mason and Hannah used to sleep like this, but we were in sleeping bags and it was just a pile of us once we woke up. You forget the closeness after feeling just how cold it is and focus on being warm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He sighed, \u201cAlright, fuck it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSince we\u2019re still pretty warm from the walk, we should probably just lay down now. It\u2019ll warm up the ground and be a good setting for the rest of the night.\u201d Color said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re sure I won\u2019t freeze to death in these wet clothes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019re you wearing? I\u2019m waterproof aside from my pants and hair.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUh, a shirt, a snow coat, some jeans, and skechers.\u201d Myles said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019re \u2018skechers\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShoes. Tennis shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh. Are your feet cold?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, my socks feel wet. Probably sweat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTake them off and let them dry,\u201d Color advised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat about my feet?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey won\u2019t freeze, but it\u2019ll be worse if you keep the socks and shoes on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He took them off. \u201cGreat, now where do my feet go?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color shrugged. \u201cAlternate them between your legs. I always had pretty warm feet. But now I just sleep in all my clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen was the last time you changed clothes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color shrugged. \u201cA few weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFuckin\u2019<em> nasty<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s life on the road.\u201d She defended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLucky it isn\u2019t hot out. You probably smell terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWell, I\u2019ve <em>bathed<\/em> since then. I just haven\u2019t changed clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBathed? Where? And how?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn ponds and streams and stuff.\u201d She didn\u2019t seem eager to continue the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat if the Cavaliers literally caught you with your pants down?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI would have killed them,\u201d she said with seriousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHmmm.\u201d Myles thought it was funny that she had to do all that in the wilderness. Then again, maybe it wasn\u2019t so strange to her because she lived in a village. Maybe it was just weird talking about it with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo you came here through a mirror?\u201d Color said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles was rubbing his bare feet together to warm them. \u201cYeah, me and the Astronomers, but I don\u2019t know where they are. They made it through, I\u2019m sure of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color closed her eyes again. \u201cWe\u2019ll probably find them in Stablefield.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou officially want to help me? I mean, you\u2019re kind of deep into this already anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI do. I\u2019m invested, you could say.\u201d Her eyes sparkled again, but this time with some form of joy Myles couldn\u2019t determine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles wasn\u2019t used to people being nice to him without knowing him. He did not expect Color to want to help him at all. They settled into the ground and the Sage was surprised to find he was comfortable with his coat and being alongside a girl he hardly knew. A girl who had found enough love in her heart to enjoy the company of, and decide to help out a kid who was pretty much dead weight to her. She was a survivor and Myles\u2026 needed her help and she was more than willing to help him for nothing in return.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles rose partly from his seated position and looked down at Color.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNature calling?\u201d Color asked with a slight smile before she was shocked speechless as Myles, all on his own, gave her a hug. His eyes felt watery and his heart was light. Thank you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat may quite likely be the nicest thing anyone has offered to do for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She hugged him back without a word. She seemed to understand better than he did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He laid back down and she locked her arm in his. They lay hip to hip and he could slowly feel her body heat covering the left side of his body. She didn\u2019t try to hold his hand which made him think she didn\u2019t see this as a romantic moment, so Myles didn\u2019t treat it as such either. They just needed each others\u2019 warmth for practical purposes. Still, Myles felt his crotch warm up faster than the rest of his body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The last words they exchanged that night were,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles: \u201cFirst thing tomorrow, we\u2019re finding blankets so we don\u2019t have to do this again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color: \u201cM\u2019kay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"scrivcmt:\/\/E4342497-7D75-4BEA-A715-A0C941D2506D\">When he awoke, he was alone. The dead walkman and tape were still here, but Color was gone.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His head popped off the ground, \u201cColor? Color!\u201d He scrambled to his feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He almost blacked out, <em>ohhh shit<\/em>, and squatted down to let his heart catch up with the movement. This altitude was a bitch and he was thirsty. He grabbed his water bottle nearby and took a long drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhere\u2019d you go, Color?\u201d He noticed her backpack was still here so she was planning on returning, wherever she went. There was her water bottle too and he was just noticing the name on the side. \u201cHydroflask.\u201d He grabbed it as well. His hunger had doubled overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color appeared close by holding her spear and two rabbits swinging by their feet like unconscious beanbags from her other hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMorning, female,\u201d He muttered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGreetings, male,\u201d She said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They both took a long drink from their water bottles. Myles noted the rabbits again. \u201cFind any \u2018<em>grab<\/em>\u2019?\u201d He was hesitant to watch a couple of animals cook again and then eat them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, but I wasn\u2019t looking either; took me longer than usual to catch these. Finding <em>grab<\/em> should come naturally to you eventually once you get your fraise all up to speed, but I can teach you how to look in the meantime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, about that, how long does that take usually?\u201d Myles asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo let the fraise develop? I have no idea\u2026 Maybe a few days or weeks? I grew up with mine, so I\u2019m not sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMaybe one of these days I\u2019ll wake up, and boom, I\u2019m a prophet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color shrugged. \u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They cooked and ate another rabbit. After another post-meal drink of water, Color said, \u201cFrench walk?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat is it with you and walking?\u201d Myles said, using his sore legs to rise. He had to admit that yesterday\u2019s after-dinner walk felt nice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a few minutes of walking, the forest broke off and brought them through an abandoned neighborhood. Their walk slowed as they took in the sight: most of the houses were nearly covered in vegetation now. The driveways and street were recognizable, but mostly covered with cracks filled in with grass like little mohawks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles whistled slowly, \u201cLook at this.\u201d An apocalyptic neighborhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBuildings are usually some of the first stuff to go. It\u2019s because a lot of them aren\u2019t made of rock or soil I think.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cReally,\u201d Myles didn\u2019t hear her because he was wondering: \u201cCan we explore them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat would be against the rules.\u201d Color grinned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAlright, alright,\u201d Myles dismissed her and walked quickly to one of the houses. The front door was broken in and both fraisers let themselves in. \u201cThink we\u2019ll find anything cool?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBlankets, hopefully,\u201d Color said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGood point. Maybe then we won\u2019t have to sleep like we did last night. How did you manage before me?\u201d Myles said quietly. He didn\u2019t know why, but it felt smarter to not make too much noise in the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d do the breathing exercises first,\u201d Color\u2019s volume matched his. \u201cThere\u2019s one that heats your body up really well if you do it correctly. Then I\u2019d curl up really tight and put my arms inside the belly of my jacket. It kept the heat well enough for me to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of the rooms and walls were filled with vegetation and the entire house\u2019s air was humid and sticky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll warn you, blankets are usually moldy and gross in places like this. But it\u2019s still worth looking. The only way there would be any usable ones is if it were in something airtight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey get moldy from time?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFrom the humidity, time, and animals live in them or chew them up. Most blankets are made by hand nowadays.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDid you sleep with a blanket when you lived in your village?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color nodded. \u201cWe had a loom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s a loom?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt makes fabric.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAh, then blankets were probably simpler than something like a shirt or pants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color nodded again, \u201cYou catch on quick.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cProphet.\u201d He put his thumb to his chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She chuckled. There were no blankets in this house. \u201cEven a tarp would work,\u201d Color said as they left. \u201cTarps are still good if they\u2019ve been folded.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles imagined tarps. His dad had two that he used to need for a couple of woodworking projects outside, but now that they were done, he just folded them and put them on a low shelf. Now involuntarily he pictured more, but he\u2019d never seen these tarps before. It was like his mind was being tickled to see something else. Like when someone is describing a scene you have never seen before and your imagination creates it on its own, but this was like watching a movie after you\u2019ve read the book. All of the facts lined up and at the same time you put a face to those previously faceless characters. Articulating the feeling was impossible; it was easier to just realize and say: \u201cOh, there\u2019s some in the garage that way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color looked down the street where he pointed. \u201cYou found some? With your prophesying? Is that how it works?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not sure, but I\u2019m going to go with it.\u201d He started a slow, excited jog toward the open garage he sensed the tarps in. Both fraisers walked in and several rats evacuated.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<em>Fuck<\/em>in\u2019 hell, man,\u201d Myles said as he jumped away from the vermin.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color laughed at his reaction and asked: \u201cWhere\u2019d you see them?\u201d&nbsp; There were shelves piled with material, old tools, several cans of paint, and assorted cloth and items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t really see them,\u201d he said. \u201cI just think they\u2019re in here. Kind of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They started poking around the material. Myles kept thinking about the tarp hoping it would reveal itself. He stopped and thought hard, hoping he could somehow force his fraise into action. \u201cC\u2019mon\u2026\u201d It didn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMyles, I found them,\u201d Color said. \u201cLook at that!\u201d She picked them up, amazed and giddy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles gazed at the tarps. He\u2019d found them with his mind, just like he\u2019d found the mirror and known what to do with it. \u201cIt really worked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is incredible, Myles. You found them with your prophecy! Congratulations!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah,\u201d he said. \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDoes it tire you out?\u201d She asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNah, I didn\u2019t feel anything. That jog over here did though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWant to explore any more of these houses?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNah, I feel like we\u2019ve seen it all already. Let\u2019s just keep walking.\u201d Myles took off his Jansport and grabbed one of the tarps, blue on one side and green on the other, folded it up, and put it inside. Then he put the pack on his back. Color took a good look at hers and tossed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhy\u2019d you do that?\u201d Myles asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat one\u2019s big enough and I\u2019d rather not carry it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhere will you sleep?\u201d He said, not following.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, I forgot you don\u2019t like sleeping together.\u201d She picked the tarp up again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOkay, let me try to understand you: You really like sleeping with other people. It\u2019s almost creepy, you know that? You really like getting intimate with people, why is that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color shrugged, \u201cI\u2019ve never seen it as strange.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou ever get taught what sex is?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat seemed like an unsure \u2018yeah\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, I mean like, \u2018yeah, our village was pretty open about it and we talked about sex quite a bit. Not with the really little kids, but the adults wanted us to be educated.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Holy shit, what?<\/em> \u201cWhat the actual fuck? Seriously, what was your village like? I sensed a lot of things from you when we met, maybe prophecy, maybe not, but being some kind of like\u2026 rape victim or got-beat-by-my-dad&#8230; wasn\u2019t one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNothing like that,\u201d She said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t like to ever think of it like that. It\u2019s probably that difference in culture again or something because sleeping together like what we did wasn\u2019t so out-of-the-ordinary. It still isn\u2019t for me, it\u2019s just how we would sleep on the road. And then sex is a whole other level of connection that\u2019s pretty private.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cJeepers,\u201d Myles said. \u201cWell, sleeping with someone like that is, to me, pretty touchy and close.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBut you\u2019re okay with hugging?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHugging is way different,\u201d Myles said. How could she compare sleeping together with hugging?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHmmm,\u201d She said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor real, what was it like in your village? Where did you sleep when you lived in the village and why did you leave?\u201d Myles said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color took a deep breath, thinking. \u201cWell,\u201d she started, \u201cWhen I was really young, we all slept in one longhouse. Do you know what a longhouse is?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s pretend I forgot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She chuckled, \u201cIt\u2019s a giant, long hut, all one big room aside from the very end where there\u2019s a room for changing and stuff, but everyone sleeps together. It kept everyone safe, close, and fewer people were afraid with the big community. It also made us\u2026 more connected and empathic. That was how they described it at least.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s \u2018empathic\u2019 mean again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLike\u2026 you can feel what another person is feeling. It makes it harder to get mad at them because you see from their view.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh,\u201d Myles said. \u201cContinue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen I was about ten, the village elders decided to make houses for each family as an experiment because several new people we\u2019d taken in were wanting to bring some of our village back to what used to be \u2018modern day\u2019 living. Back before the Rise. There was a lot of disagreement, but eventually they said \u2018yeah, we\u2019ll try it out with just a few houses first,\u2019 and pretty soon everyone liked the idea of their own house. Our village had grown and we all felt pretty safe. We didn\u2019t have any walls around the huts, but since we lived close to the Ledge, it was like we were protected from one whole side. And we were in the middle of a forest like this.\u201d Color sighed and her breath shook as it left her mouth. \u201cAnd everyone was all very happy\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She\u2019s about to cry. Myles thought. No, he didn\u2019t think it, he knew. \u201cI\u2019m\u2026 um\u2026\u201d What can I say? What can I do? Uhhh&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She choked and put her face in the pocket of her elbow. She choked several more times before a fully fledged sob came from her mouth. They stopped walking, still surrounded by houses, and sat down on a curb. Color covered her face with her hands, only the white hair visible now. Myles sat next to her and for some reason his heart was hurting watching her, like when Langley started crying in the clearing all those years ago. She cried viciously with drool, tears, and snot falling from her face.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>She hasn\u2019t spoken to anyone about this yet, despite the weeks that have passed since then; she hasn\u2019t befriended anyone in that time.<\/em> Myles felt these facts arrive in his brain; part of it felt like the fraise at work, but he put most of these facts together on his own. He looked at her shaking body, listening to her cry. How to console her? What could he say? Was there something he was supposed to say? Or maybe words weren\u2019t what she needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He put an arm around her shoulder and sighed to let her know he was listening. She spit the saliva dangling from her mouth and wiped her nose, before putting her head on his chest and putting both arms around him. She cried and cried as Myles let the gestures of connection say what was needed. Maybe\u2026 maybe sometimes letting someone use an emotional outlet for a while was the answer, not words. Maybe they just need someone to be there and listen. So the simple, but weighty, burden of knowing was shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The crying steadied for a few minutes and then slowed. Myles didn\u2019t know how long they\u2019d sat there on that curb, a long time or not long enough, but it felt like the perfect amount of time. Color didn\u2019t let go when she finally stopped. She stayed with her head on his chest, her hair just under his chin.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe were raided by Cavaliers,\u201d She said. He could feel her chin trembling against his ribs. \u201cThey came in a big stone boat. They found us because they were using a prophet to find other fraisers. I would have killed him, but he was too protected. They got all the fraisers and killed everyone else. Eventually they gave up the chase and I wandered the forest, living off the land and finding shelter wherever I could. I\u2019d seen the barn a few days ago, but didn\u2019t use it. I was staying in the area, wandering around and saw that it was getting rainy, so I ran and ran until I found that barn&#8230;and I met you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles didn\u2019t think he should say anything. The whole situation felt magical. He rubbed her shoulder to let her know he heard her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI knew I\u2019d get to this point eventually. The point where I just cry and let it all out, all the stuff that happened to me. I didn\u2019t have anyone to share it with aside from God.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles felt more sorry for her than anyone. More than Langley when he moved from Ohio and cried in the clearing behind their house, more than Blink who had a messed up dad (and a dick of an older brother), more than Pretty who was the man of the house before he could ride a bike, more than Mariah who wasn\u2019t even allowed to watch TV! More than\u2026 more than himself, even.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d Myles said eventually, swallowing hard. He was feeling choked up himself. To get his mind off of thinking too much, he began to rock her. Back and forth. He could feel her start to smile and she rocked back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c\u2018A heart of gold is also a heavy heart,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He snickered, \u201cComplimenting yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her crying was interrupted by a quick laugh. \u201cMaybe. I don\u2019t know why I said that.\u201d She straightened back to a seated position. \u201cMy face is so gross. I think I may have gotten a lot on your shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles looked down at the wet spot on the left side of his shirt and jacket. \u201cThat\u2019s okay.\u201d He was shocked to find that he meant it. \u201cIt\u2019s okay, really.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She took a sharp breath and wiped her face with her sleeves. She sniffed and looked at him with her mouth open like she was about to speak. Then she closed it, looking to and from him, then opened her mouth again. Then closed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d Myles said again. \u201cI\u2019m\u2026 glad I could help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She sniffed once more and breathed out of her mouth, nodding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They both stood up and started walking without a word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They walked in silence for a while, only stopping once to refill their water bottles in a crystal-clear stream of water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Somewhere along the way, Color stopped walking. Myles took a few more steps before stopping and turned around, knowing she was about to speak. She said, \u201cLet\u2019s go to the Ledge. There\u2019s one pretty close by.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOkay,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They turned off the path again and in a few minutes they could see the trees abruptly stop a few hundred feet ahead. The light was beautiful, a wafting gold tint everywhere. They made it to the Ledge and stopped, looking out into the expanse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles heard his breath whoosh from his lungs as he sat down, eyes riveted to the view. Clouds gracefully rolled around at different heights, small and large rocks, far and near, hovered perfectly still, gently existing in the thin air. The sun was setting, poking rays through any holes in the clouds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s really cool,\u201d Myles said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They watched the expanse for a while. Myles still felt that there were some things he didn\u2019t like about Color, but at the same time he realized that was how he felt about all of his friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHead back?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYup.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They walked and began talking again about what they\u2019d do if they could time-travel. It was an excellent conversation that held their attention away from the situation. Myles said he\u2019d become a professional singer and just use popular songs from the future. Color said she\u2019d see what her kids would be like. Darkness fell and they found a spot to sleep. They laid out their tarps and stood over them for a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color turned to Myles, \u201cG\u2019night,\u201d and hugged him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wrapped in tarp, exhausted and warmed by walking, they fell asleep in minutes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tarps Chapter One, Summer 2037 The walk was scenic, gentle, and tiring. Myles was heaving breaths though all he\u2019d been doing was walking. Color noticed. \u201cWould you like to rest?\u201d \u201cWhat\u2019re those breathing techniques you were talking about? I think I could use some right now.\u201d Myles said through his heaving chest. \u201cOh, right. Yes, &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=887\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fraiser"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=887"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1344,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/887\/revisions\/1344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}