{"id":889,"date":"2022-08-23T00:39:38","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T00:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=889"},"modified":"2023-11-18T05:29:26","modified_gmt":"2023-11-18T05:29:26","slug":"jewel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=889","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"_3d-flip-book  fb3d-fullscreen-mode full-size\" data-id=\"1345\" 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('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');window.FB3D_CLIENT_LOCALE && window.FB3D_CLIENT_LOCALE.render();<\/script>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jewel<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chapter Two, Summer 2037<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The girl woke up wrapped in Marshall\u2019s blanket next to a campfire later that evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow\u2019re you feeling?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She slowly grabbed her side and looked at her arm. Marshall had cleaned and bandaged it with some of his unused clothes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNot good,\u201d she said with a wince.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou broke a few of your ribs,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cI could feel them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She sat up, adjusted the blanket, and scooted closer to the fire. \u201cWhere did you put my knives?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou broke those too,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cI don\u2019t know who you are, but I\u2019m going to wait to give you any weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYet you saved me.\u201d She said, focused on sitting gingerly so she wouldn\u2019t hurt herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She rolled her arms around gently and said, \u201cMy name is Jewel; you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMarshall Baker,\u201d he said. \u201cJay, Eee, Double-you, Eee, Ell?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall nodded without a word and gave her the chance to ask another question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She asked: \u201cWhy are you wearing the blindfold?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBecause my eyes were gouged out by the cavaliers and now I wear it so I don\u2019t gross other people out and so my mind has a sort of reason for not being able to see. A placebo I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d Jewel asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA \u2018placebo\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s like a fake something. Like if you take a pill for say\u2026 indigestion. It might have no effect on you for real, but your mind thinks it does, so it takes the pain away anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh,\u201d Jewel said. \u201cWhat is \u2018indigestion\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA stomach-ache.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve never heard it called that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDo you know what those things I killed were?\u201d Marshall had been dying to ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBarrygangs,\u201d she said immediately. \u201cYou haven\u2019t seen one before, I take it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s a barrygang?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was a pause. One that told Marshall he should already know this information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFraiserbanes. They hunt kids like you and me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAre they human? I can\u2019t actually see them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re monsters. Just like\u2026 caywards and novis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall felt a thrill shudder through him. \u201c\u2018Novis\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s what me and my friends escaped from just a month or so ago. Two of \u2018em.\u201d Marshall sat up. \u201cHave you encountered one?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve heard about them. Supposedly the scariest fraiserbanes and best at killing, but there aren\u2019t any on the Hook. Where\u2019d you see these, Marshall?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall held up a hand and frowned, \u201cWhat\u2019s \u2018the Hook\u2019? And where are we? My friends and I traveled through a mirror to escape the novis. Do you know about mirrors?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel shook her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall shrugged. \u201cThought I\u2019d just check.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAre you sure you can\u2019t see? How\u2019d you know I shook my head?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSound. That\u2019s how I killed those barrygangs too. I can hear and smell so well that it\u2019s like I can see. I don\u2019t know what you look like, but I can sense all of your movements and even your heartbeat. I don\u2019t\u2026 hear it so much as just paying attention to what\u2019s making sound and letting my mind put the rest together. And I\u2019m super flexible and quick now. Is that because of the fraise?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel was looking at him strangely, \u201cWhat? Yes, it\u2019s the fraise. You\u2019re a hush, obviously, and you came from a mirror. What part of the world did you come from?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPennsylvania,\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIs that a state? From before the Rise?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe \u2018Rise\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe world rose, Marshall. I don\u2019t know where you came from, but the rock we\u2019re on is thousands of feet in the air above a never-ending ocean. Have you come across any cliffs as you traveled?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah,\u201d was all Marshall hoarsely said as he took all this in. \u201cThat\u2019s why I was having trouble breathing when I came in a few weeks ago, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the year 2037 right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall let that fact sink in, though it didn\u2019t sink so much as latch to his mind like a sore. He tried his best to pretend that didn\u2019t shock him, but the length of silence he allowed to pass blew his cover. \u201cSo I traveled through time too, is what you\u2019re saying?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, I guess so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall put his hands on his face and pondered that. Myles warned them that the place they were going to was cold. And it could be bizarre. Heck, they\u2019d run from an underworldly beast\u2026 why shouldn\u2019t the world they land on be years in the future and floating? He had crashed through a mirror and landed years in the future which meant his parents were dead, and his friends? Did they make it? What about that dream around the campfire? Or was this a different world where the fraise existed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMarshall?\u201d said Jewel a few feet from his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShit!\u201d Marshall started, \u201cI didn\u2019t hear you at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAre you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes, yeah I\u2019m okay. That\u2019s just\u2026 a lot to swallow. Does none of this surprise you? I\u2019m a time-travelling kid from a different universe who now has superpowers enough to see without eyes\u2026 and don\u2019t forget I also just saved you from bloodthirsty monsters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSome people have a lot of crazy things happen in their lives. I\u2019m heading to the city of Stablefield, about twelve hours of travel that way, or a day and a half,\u201d she pointed in a direction. \u201cSince the huge rocks float, there isn\u2019t north or south or anything if that\u2019s what you\u2019re thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat would make sense,\u201d he said, taking a deep breath. \u201cYou\u2019re pretty beat up though. Sure you should be traveling?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf I can talk, I can walk,\u201d Jewel put her head back down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStablefield, huh? What\u2019s there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPeople. It\u2019s the biggest city on the Hook and it has a lot of boats if you want to travel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI thought you said we were way above the ocean? How are there boats?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re floating rocks, not seaborne boats.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFloating boats?\u201d Marshall asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel nodded, trying to snuggle the blanket closer to her for warmth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhy do the cavs want to kill us? Is it just for the fraise?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes,\u201d Jewel said. \u201cIt slows your aging and puts you on a days- or week-long high which will make you feel like a kid again. I\u2019ve seen a lot of fraisers die or be captured.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFuck,\u201d Marshall breathed, \u201cI\u2019m sorry to hear that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been saved a lot too. By the strangest people, not the least of which was a blind katana-wielding kid from back in time.\u201d She laughed slightly, but he could smell the tears of pain that hadn&#8217;t quite left her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall sat facing away from her so it didn&#8217;t seem like he was watching. He could sense her pain, where the cracked bones were rubbing against each other like the planks in a wood floor. She wasn\u2019t complaining about any of her wounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWeird question, but do you want one of these swords? Hopefully the longest one because I like the other two.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel\u2019s eyes opened and she glanced over. \u201cWhere did you find those? You must have found them recently if you are still carrying all of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFound them the other day,\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGlad you did. You took out five barrygangs pretty easily.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf I weren\u2019t so quick and flexible, I probably wouldn\u2019t have.\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf you weren\u2019t a hush? Yeah, unless you were a hanger and just flew away. Barrygangs are sneaky and simply outnumber single fraisers or steal kids that can\u2019t defend themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWait, fraisers can fly?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cJust the hangers.\u201d Jewel yawned and winced as she felt her ribs again; filling her lungs like that hurt. \u201cThanks for bandaging me. I\u2019m just thirsty and exhausted, Marshall.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re safe, don\u2019t worry. You can drink this and go to sleep.\u201d Marshall offered his water bottle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel took her arms out from under the blanket and downed all of the remaining water. \u201cThanks.\u201d She screwed the cap back on and placed it next to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t mention it,\u201d Marshall said as she fell asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall propped himself against a tree and dozed as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He didn\u2019t stir, but felt his consciousness rise back. Marshall had heard some words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Dropping to the frost on the glass was a map pointed to my secret hiding place,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He heard her look at him to see if he moved; he continued his steady breathing. The action came naturally as he was quite comfortable and warm in his ninja garb. She heaved breaths quickly, like one who is nervous.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She resumed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I led you to the tree with the split in its bark on the way into my family\u2019s yarrrd.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>In, that, tree, you saw I, brought the dog, back to liiife<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I watched you from the branches as you stared from the ground with a look I couldn\u2019t understand,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>So I said \u2018Leave me alone,\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u2018If your only words are ugly ones,\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And you just smi-i-i-iiiled,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And said come and show me how it\u2019s done.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though he could see nothing, Marshall heard these words as Jewel sang. He didn\u2019t move, letting her continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Dug up your old bird. and held her to your chest, as the breath went back into her lungs,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>She blinked and flapped her wings, she sang a familiar song,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8230;before she took to the air and cut a path into the woods,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Then I cried, cuz all my life I had known,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>That something was off,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>But you just shrugged, and said \u2018It ain\u2019t just youuuuuu,\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall thought she was done, but she continued and he realized she was just allowing time for some imaginary solo instrument to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Slippin\u2019 on the pavement where we ran from the ghost that you saw behind the cellar door,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>That\u2019s the way you showed me that I wasn\u2019t quite alone, that you\u2019d also touched the dead before.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He heard her teeth chattering against themselves. Marshall wondered if she was cold or actually afraid. She wasn\u2019t scared enough to run. \u2018If I can talk, I can walk,\u2019 were her words, so clearly it wasn\u2019t him she was nervous about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>We were tight knit boys,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Brothers in more than name,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You would kill for me,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And knew that I&#8217;d do the same.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And it cut me sharp,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Hearing you&#8217;d gone away,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>But everything goes away,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Yeah everything goes away.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>But I&#8217;m going to be here until I&#8217;m nothing,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>But bones in the ground.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And I was there, when you grew restless,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Left in the dead of night.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And I was there, when three months later,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You were standing in the door all beat and tired,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And I stepped aside.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Everything goes away,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Yeah everything goes away,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>But I&#8217;m gonna be here until I&#8217;m nothing,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>But bones in the ground,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>So quiet down.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another long pause, but this time Jewel was humming whatever instrument was supposed to be playing. Marshall felt two tears slipping out of his nose; this was the first music he\u2019d heard since his captivity, and Jewel did have a half-decent voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>We were opposites at birth<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I was steady as a hammer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>No one worried &#8217;cause they knew just where I&#8217;d be<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And they said you were the crooked kind<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And that you&#8217;d never have no worth<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>But you were always gold to me<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And back when we were kids<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>We swore we knew the future<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And our words would take us half way &#8217;round the world<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>But I never left this town<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And you never saw New York<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And we ain&#8217;t ever cross the sea<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>But I am fine with where I am now<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This home is home, and all that I need<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>But for you, this place is shame<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>But you can blame me when there&#8217;s no one left to blame<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Oh I don&#8217;t mind<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall decided it was time to wake up, but he had to consider how. A start would be easy and he could pull it off, but a sigh would take less energy and seem more natural. Jewel hadn\u2019t ever seen him wake up before. It was nice having this bandana so she couldn\u2019t tell if he was awake, only by his mannerisms. He decided he\u2019d try to start awake by just jerking his head a couple of times and then rolling the cricks out of his neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMarshall, wake up,\u201d Jewel shook his shoulder before he could make a move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShit!\u201d he slapped her hand, his other hand reaching for a sword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She gave a small yelp and backed up, \u201cWhoa, bad dream?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUh, sorry, no.\u201d He rolled the cricks out of his neck according to plan. Sleeping against a tree wasn\u2019t the best way to spend a night.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWere you awake?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d he stood and straightened his weapons on his waist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel considered him, like she smelled the lie hanging out to dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d He asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDo you have nightmares?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah,\u201d Marshall said automatically, but then realized the abruptness of the question. \u201cI mean, I have. More in the past. Some recently, about novis.\u201d <em>But most recently, those sensations of killing Anda and the Cavs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI have them every night. Singing helps me fall back asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow long have you had nightmares?\u201d Marshall asked as he started gathering all of the supplies to start walking again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA few years,\u201d Jewel said. \u201cThey went away mostly when I was with Ripley, but he has been gone for a while now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou seen some shit?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHave you seen some shit?\u201d Marshall repeated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, like messed up things? Yes; I\u2019ve been told I\u2019ve seen a lot for my age.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo that is probably what you dream about, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhich way is that city?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel pointed. \u201cI think it\u2019s that way. It\u2019s tricky when the sun isn\u2019t in the same place each day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGotcha. And who\u2019s Ripley?\u201d Marshall started walking with her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy best friend. I wonder where he is sometimes.\u201d Jewel answered as if this were a wise thing to say. \u201cHe\u2019s a wight. A few hundred years old.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHundreds of years old?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s what happens to wights. It\u2019s just about impossible to kill them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat is a \u2018wight\u2019? I feel like I come from a super boring childhood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDo you know what a \u2018grey\u2019 is?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA grey\u2026 oh, Ripley explained it to me once. I know what they are, but I can\u2019t describe it well. It\u2019s like a person who has such a bond with nature that they don\u2019t need food or shelter and tend to wander forests and such. Ripley said that greys also can learn the nature of\u2026 well, nature, and then return to their original living with a changed mind. Sometimes rich people will do it because there really isn\u2019t anything to gain from money. That\u2019s how Ripley described it at least. In short, it\u2019s someone who has made a great connection with nature and doesn\u2019t need food or shelter because they can get all of their nutrients and safety from nature. Does that make sense at all?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall could sense she was making a hopeful face. \u201cSo\u2026 a vegan?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel threw her head back and laughed two quick laughs before wincing in pain. \u201cOw, ow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m surprised you know what a vegan is,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cI didn\u2019t know what that was until a few months ago. And I asked what a wight is, not a grey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA wight is a grey that doesn\u2019t die. Most greys just pass away like the rest of the humans. Wights keep living, but their skin and organs and all of that can\u2019t keep up and it all falls off of them. Then they\u2019re left with just their skeletons which are held together with their soul. It\u2019s really when the soul decides it\u2019s time to go on that the skeleton will fall to the ground. Ripley pretty much said he couldn\u2019t find peace until he wiped out a lot of bad guys. He\u2019s still working on his list and that\u2019s why he left me behind; he didn\u2019t want me to be put into more danger. I was helping him for a while on a few different planets, but eventually we parted. He dropped me off here where he knew I could thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMm,\u201d Was all Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI know your story for the most part. You came from back in time when it was peaceful. So all of this is very new to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah; always thought it would be cool to have a couple of swords. And I\u2019m dressed in this ninja gear with the split-toed shoes and everything. By the way, what color is my clothing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBlack. Kind of gray in some areas. There are a few stains of something, but it looks like they may have been washed out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCool. It felt black in the sunlight. I knew it had to at least be a dark color.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nothing was said for a few moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a dragon on my jacket,\u201d Jewel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLike\u2026 one landed on you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel chuckled. \u201cNo, it\u2019s a round patch sewed onto the back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCan I feel it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah.\u201d Jewel stopped and turned her back to him. \u201cIt\u2019s yellow and black on a red background. So the patch is mostly red.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall felt. The patch was a little smaller than a dinner plate. It was sewed onto the middle of the denim jacket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhy did you choose this jacket? It must be hard to move around.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI like the feel. And this jacket is big enough on me that it does offer enough movement and warmth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Walking with Jewel made Marshall feel good. He found a new community, possibly a new Astronomer, all by himself. \u201cJust wait \u2018till you meet the rest of the Astronomers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWho are the Astronomers?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the club I\u2019m in. All of the Astronomers are the others who jumped into the mirror with me.\u201d After he said it, he realized\u2026 \u201cI don\u2019t even know if they\u2019re alive. Myles said we would be safe, but honestly I don\u2019t know what happened to them. They could have landed in different universes or other planets with floating rocks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd maybe not,\u201d Jewel said, adjusting the sword on her back. \u201cFrom what I know about mirror travel, the destination is usually nearby if you get separated. They wouldn\u2019t have landed on a different planet; they would have landed somewhere else on the Hook in all reality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow do you know about mirrors?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRipley knew how to travel mirrors. He taught me a lot about jumping.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat do you mean, \u2018jumping\u2019?\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s what you did. Jumping through time and space from one world or planet to another. You took a big jump in time, though. Your guide must have had little experience with mirror-jumping, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah. And by \u2018yeah\u2019 I mean he\u2019d never heard of it before. Think of the most standard, unknowing person you know. That was all of us. Who the hell jumps through mirrors to escape monsters?\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel stayed quiet for a while and then asked, \u201cDid you like my singing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIs that what that was?\u201d He couldn\u2019t sense it, but he just knew she was smiling at him right now. \u201cI may have heard a bit. Part of you must have been happy to have someone listening, right?\u201d Marshall wanted the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes. Did you like it?\u201d She asked again, this time with a slightly impatient tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf I had eyes, I would roll them,\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel laughed aloud once and grabbed her side with the broken ribs, \u201cOww,\u201d And eventually said: \u201cThat was hilarious, but it just hurts so much to laugh. Why would you roll them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah I\u2019m a comedy genius. I just hate loaded questions like that. My english teacher taught me about those kinds of fallacies; no matter how I answer that, I\u2019ll either be a liar or come across as too honest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo the answer is \u2018no\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHmm, well thanks for being honest. Ripley liked my singing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall could only think about his own friends now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat will you do now that you\u2019re so far ahead in time?\u201d Jewel asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCan\u2019t we just jump back?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel shook her head. \u201cWhen you jump, you can only jump forward in time. Jumping backward in time would cause atoms to crush into one another because they\u2019re inhabiting two spaces at the same time and there would be a huge explosion if it worked, but it hasn\u2019t worked. Instead, you\u2019re always pushed forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo\u2026 I won\u2019t be able to see my family again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWell, you could jump back to where you came from and see how they are thirty years later?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fuck me, Marshall thought. What happened? \u201cIt\u2019s like I don\u2019t exist anywhere. It\u2019s like I was just born into a new life. I got nothing here. I got no history, no friends around.\u201d His nose started crying again as his voice began to break. \u201cI really have nothing? I don\u2019t have anythi-?\u201d A choke cut off that last word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel kept walking alongside him as he walked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCan- Can we stop?\u201d His voice was choppy and distant from sorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah,\u201d Jewel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall took a couple minutes of deep breaths and then shook himself. \u201cThanks.\u201d Then he changed the subject: \u201cIs Ripley around?\u201d Marshall mostly wondered if he was dead, but didn\u2019t ask. \u201cIs he in Stablefield?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, he\u2019s not here anymore on this planet, but he\u2019s definitely alive.\u201d&nbsp;They began walking again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo he\u2019s in space?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDifferent universe, I imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall\u2019s forehead wrinkled. \u201cHow do you figure that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe told me a little about how all this works, about how there are different universes and multiple variations of ourselves. Not infinite, mind you; he was specific on that front,\u201d Jewel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, infinite variations. There are infinite universes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel seemed hesitant. \u201cThat wasn\u2019t how he really described it; how much do you know about it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, just that it\u2019s been a theory of science for a while. I don\u2019t know much about it at all.\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That ended the conversation. The smells and sounds were fresh and bright; Marshall thought he\u2019d never have noticed just how nice everything smelled and sounded if he weren\u2019t blind. Then he remembered just how much he\u2019d lost now that he <em>was<\/em> blind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEven though you\u2019re blind and I can\u2019t see your eyes, you seem far off,\u201d Jewel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah,\u201d Marshall said robotically. \u201cUh, I was just thinking about that very thing: Not having eyes. It\u2019s hard not to think about it sometimes, but even though I\u2019m pretty used to it, the feeling is still weird.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHm,\u201d Jewel said. \u201cYou said you were looking for your friends?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, I saw them in a dream not too long ago. They said they were in Stablefield, so hopefully they\u2019ll be there. Hell, maybe they found me already with their prophesying powers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOne of them is a prophet?\u201d Jewel said quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTwo of \u2018em are I think. Mariah and Myles.\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTwo prophets!\u201d Jewel said and reached slowly for her side. \u201cWow, even talking that fast hurts me. Ugh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAre they rare? You\u2019re the first fraiser I\u2019ve met who isn\u2019t a prophet.\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s wild. Prophets are the rarest, then there\u2019s a pretty even distribution of the other three: Minders, then hangers, then hushes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo we\u2019re the most basic fraisers huh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow does it all work up here?\u201d Marshall asked. \u201cAre you always running for your life? Or are there towns and stuff?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI used to live in a village and then the Cavaliers pillaged it and burned it down. They took most of the fraisers, but not me, my older brother, or a couple others. I\u2019d lived there all my life and I was seven years old when that happened. Then Mikey and I were captured and the other fraisers saved themselves which I don\u2019t blame them for; they only would have been captured as well. Fortunately, Mikey and I were tied up with ropes at the Cavaliers\u2019 underground base and we slipped out of them since we were both hushes. The Cavs found out we were loose before we escaped, so he shoved me into a dark room and drew them away. I wouldn\u2019t have escaped if it weren\u2019t for the wight they had locked up that I let loose. Then he and I escaped, but not before they killed Mikey. Mikey was my older brother, by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel took a deep breath here and continued, \u201cI loved and still love him; he saved me many times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall wanted to ask questions, but he let her continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThen I joined a different town and they didn\u2019t know how to hunt at all, so I helped teach them and they adopted me. Then so many of them left to Stablefield that we figured we\u2019d all split up and go different ways. I traveled with a few other fraisers and villagers for a while and we just lived off the land. There were these huge packs of animals we\u2019d never seen before. They were like cows, but didn&#8217;t give milk and gave a lot more meat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThen we were attacked and a lot of us escaped, but we were scattered and I lived in the woods for a while. It was lonely, but eventually I decided to look for another village and I found one, but I didn\u2019t like it. There were only fraisers older than me and they were cocky and we weren\u2019t good friends. So one day I just left and I still don\u2019t think they\u2019ve missed me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI went to Stablefield, but on the way I ran into a group of fraiserbanes that I only knew by description: the barrygangs. I used to have two knives, but I lost one in the village I left and the second one I lost in one of the barrygang\u2019s heads. They\u2019d all been chasing me for a few days and I was tired which was when they hurt me.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo I climbed a tree and you saved me. Of course, if I had a sword I could have finished them easily.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall nodded sarcastically, \u201cUh huh, definitely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel huffed a laugh, \u201cYou did save me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFirst time I\u2019d ever saved someone.\u201d Marshall said before suddenly thinking of his dad. Saving his son on Bushkill Avenue from a couple of interdimensional monsters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two walked for several hours, Marshall telling her about the Astronomy Club and Jewel telling him about what life on the floating planet is like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An hour before sunset, Marshall and Jewel found a lot of trailer homes, most of them overturned. The lot was the size of a tennis court and the trailers were mostly overturned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA bullet trailer!\u201d Marshall said, walking toward a silver, round one.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel followed and asked, \u201cIs it called a bullet trailer because it\u2019s shaped like a bullet?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah,\u201d Marshall jumped onto its side and it partially rolled under his weight. \u201cThis is sick.\u201d He opened the trailer\u2019s door like he was entering a submarine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The inside smelled like a frat house of raccoons had thrown a three-day party two years ago and left on the last night.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWell, I don\u2019t think anything died in here. We could air it out, I\u2019m thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe could also try a different trailer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll leave this one open. Your turn to pick.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI had my eye on the Denali over there.\u201d Jewel pointed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both fraisers approached the upright trailer and stepped in. This one had broken windows and smelled like a wetter forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis one isn\u2019t bad,\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To their left was the main room: A conglomeration of the kitchen, living room, and dining area. Directly to Marshall\u2019s right was the bathroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHere we are, honey!\u201d Marshall threw his arms open. \u201cOur very own house. And it\u2019s all ours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel laughed and said, \u201cWell, I still hate the carpet. It simply doesn\u2019t match the wallpaper, but I know the colors are something you never had an opinion on anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall almost laughed as he peeked past the bathroom and into the master bedroom where he sensed a large bed. \u201cI don\u2019t trust that mattress one bit. Probably rotted to hell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll probably sleep on the roof anyway. I don\u2019t like staying in enclosed spaces like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAre there any blankets we could use here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMost blankets from before the Rise are either threadbare or eaten to pieces. But maybe if some were kept in a cabinet, they may have been preserved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor someone who was raised in an apocalyptic age, you have a pretty good vocabulary,\u201d Marshall noted, opening and feeling around for blankets. All of these cabinets were empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel was opening and shutting cabinets and closets as well. \u201cOoh, turmeric. And cloves and cayenne. Well, I haven\u2019t just been on this planet. And Ripley was my teacher. I learned hundreds of new words by traveling with him for years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou found spices?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYup. Find anything in those?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall opened one more and felt cloth. Folded, stiff, and flat, but it was cloth. \u201cI think I got something.\u201d He pulled out a stack of old towels. \u201cTadaa.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He sensed Jewel\u2019s face brighten. \u201cThat\u2019s a find,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a quick search around the rest of the interior, the fraisers stepped out of the trailer. The air outside felt fresh after being inside. They walked on the cracked concrete to the side with the ladder to the top of the trailer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall paused. \u201cLet\u2019s check the underside.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUnderneath the trailer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel stood with her back to the trailer and bent at the waist, putting her head near her ankles. Her gaze looked underneath the trailer. \u201cIt\u2019s all overgrown,\u201d she reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, I mean the storage area. The one you can open like a trunk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA trunk is part of a car, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, it\u2019s the storage part on the back. With trailers like these, they\u2019re usually on the side. He walked to the left side of the trailer and felt around for a handle. \u201cWe gotta look for some kind of metal handle. Most of them are stainless steel, so they shouldn\u2019t be rusty. Do you see anything like that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, near the front on the side the door was on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They found the hatch and opened it. There was nothing inside. They found another hatch on the very front of the trailer, but that one was also empty.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWell, shit,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cWe could try the rest of \u2018em.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After frisking the rest of the trailers for about fifteen minutes, they only found a few sets of XXL clothing in a different trailer. Marshall took out the largest shirt he could find and put it over his head. Then he filled the shirt with the rest of the clothes and towels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh\u2026 shit. Never shoulda eaten all those Big Macs.\u201d He started walking from side to side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel was smiling; he could tell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSay missy, know any good toilets around here? I think I need to shit the living daylight out of my asshole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel laughed aloud, unable to answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, shit, I could eat a whole other fat person right now, but I think I\u2019m ready to hibernate. Gotta burn off all this flab. Never should have worn stripes going side-to-side. Fuck, it\u2019s this <em>shirt<\/em> that makes me look fat, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel was still laughing too hard to answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall kept a straight face, though he wanted to laugh with her. \u201cMy fat ass hasn\u2019t moved over three miles per hour since high-school. If the building around me starts burning and an exit is more than\u2026 ten feet away? I\u2019m fucked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That comment made Jewel collapse to the ground laughing and Marshall started laughing with her. She finally clawed enough air into her lungs to say, \u201cYour shirt says \u2018Pink Strong\u2019 with some little pink loop on it. I don\u2019t know what that means, but it\u2019s even funnier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall pieced the puzzle together. \u201cSome fat lady survived breast cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One second passed before both fraisers started laughing again.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall snorted. \u201cThis is a <em>ladies<\/em> shirt? She\u2019s like <em>nine<\/em> of me; she was breast cancer <em>waiting<\/em> to happen.\u201d The towels were starting to fall out and he had to cup his arms to keep the shirt filled. It looked like he was hauling around his stomach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall cleared his throat and put on a higher-pitched voice: \u201cCancer can\u2019t beat me, but a car idling forward could beat me in a footrace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t get that joke, but I bet it\u2019s a good one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s always fun to make fun of fat people,\u201d Marshall said, pulling out the towels and letting the other clothes fall to the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEspecially when only the top part of you is fat and there are just two skinny legs sticking out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHey, I\u2019m not that skinny,\u201d Marshall defended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re a kid; of course your legs are going to look skinny compared to the XXL women\u2019s shirt you\u2019re wearing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFair.\u201d Marshall took off the shirt. \u201cShould we set up camp on that trailer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The fraisers climbed the camper and kicked the collection of leaves in the nooks of the roof before they laid down the towels, setting some aside to sleep under.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll be right back,\u201d Jewel said, slipping down the ladder and backflipping off the second-to-last rung. She ran into the forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Takin\u2019 a piss<\/em>, Marshall thought. He hadn\u2019t peed all day which probably just meant he was dehydrated. He sure was hungry and may have to eat water for dinner anyway. From his backpack, he pulled the water bottle out and took a drink.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a couple of minutes Jewel returned and joined Marshall on the roof. \u201cThanks for traveling with me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThanks\u2026likewise,\u201d <a href=\"scrivcmt:\/\/3F19C1E1-45DA-422B-9F39-7946B59F4D11\">Marshall said.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jewel Chapter Two, Summer 2037 The girl woke up wrapped in Marshall\u2019s blanket next to a campfire later that evening. \u201cHow\u2019re you feeling?\u201d he asked. She slowly grabbed her side and looked at her arm. Marshall had cleaned and bandaged it with some of his unused clothes. \u201cNot good,\u201d she said with a wince. \u201cYou &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=889\" 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-889","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\/889","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=889"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/889\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1347,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/889\/revisions\/1347"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}