Colors Page 4

  As I made my way to the cafe, I started to notice the feel of my surroundings change. I was entering a downtown part of the city. I could tell.

  The air became hazy from all the smoke, and as I passed the people around me, I took in the colors of their clouds. All of them were muddy grey colors; every single one was the same hue as the smog filling the air.

  I nervously walked into the cafe, and to my relief found him sitting at one of the tables. I waved but he didn’t look in my direction. He had his hood up, and his stare was fixed on the wood grain of the table in front of him. I walked over, sure that it was him by the pale color of his exposed hands.

  “Hey,” I tried to catch his gaze, but he didn’t look up, only dipped his head a little. “This is an…interesting place to meet…” I sat down and caught a glimpse of his pitch-black curls popping out from underneath his hood.

  “I usually come here to hang out,” he muttered, keeping his gaze firmly planted in front of him.

  I smiled a little to myself; I had forgotten how silky his accent was. I timidly reached out my hand, trying to get him to look at me. I cupped his cheek with it, but immediately pulled back when I felt a searing heat beneath my hand. I looked at him in horror, but he remained silent.

  “What would you like? A coffee? Maybe tea?” The tone of his voice was casual, conversational even, making me worry even more.

  “Um…I think I’ll have tea.” I tried to go along with his casual tone; maybe I had imagined it? I held out my hand again as if taking his own. He smiled stretching out his, but just as he tried to grab it, I pushed up his chin so that he was looking at me.

  I was horrified at what I saw; his face was bloody and coated in dirt, it looked like he had been hit several times. His right eye was surrounded by a horrid purple hue. His expression was mixed, as I stumbled backward out of my chair. I fell to the floor, too shocked to speak.

  He let out a light humorless laugh, clearly trying to cover up what had really happened. “You’re so clumsy, Tethys.” He walked over to me, still chuckling convincingly. He held out his hand, which I reluctantly took.

  After I was back on my feet, he leaned in as if pushing the hair out of my face and whispered. “I didn’t want you to worry. I’ll explain outside.”

  I grabbed his arm, trying to look as calm as possible while made very aware of all the stares on us. I tucked my hand in the crook of his elbow and took care to maintain my normal expression. If there were any Standards in here, and they thought that he had hurt me, he could be sentenced for life. Hurting someone in your same rank was unacceptable and just as bad as murder in the society’s eyes. As soon as the door shut behind us, I immediately turned to him.

  “What happened?” I hissed, keeping my voice quiet, but the anger leaked through. This was way too much like my brother, and I was hating every second of it. “Standards don’t fight, whoever did this to you could be put in jail.”

  He didn’t answer for a long time, grimacing. “Walk.” It wasn’t a suggestion; it was a command. He started moving quickly down the street, but not fast enough that it looked suspicious. My grip on his arm was probably the only reason that I hadn’t tripped yet.

  “Where are we going?” I shivered a little from the cold of the streets. I clutched onto his arm tighter as we walked past a very bad looking group of people. I didn’t know his name, I hardly knew anything about him, but I trusted him. Well, trust was a strong word. I was following him because if I wasn’t with him, someone might try and rob me.

  I saw a few people that were clearly Standards, but most of them looked like Outsiders, I shuddered at the thought and pulled myself closer to him. He didn’t seem to notice my uneasiness, and if he did, he didn’t say anything. We took a sudden turn that made me trip over myself a little, but thankfully I narrowly avoided falling once more. We were walking down a narrow alleyway, making me even more nervous. I started thinking of horrible scenarios in my head and was about to kick him and run when he opened a door hidden in one of the walls. This was crazy, he wouldn’t tell me his name, and I was about to be locked in some wall room with him. He finally spoke.

  “The people here are not the best lot,” he mumbled looking up and down the alley. “I wasn’t sure who could be listening…come, it’s warm in there. Small but warm.” He walked into the room without another word, and after hearing a loud scream, I quickly followed him. The room was smaller than I had expected, and at the corner was a fireplace, crackling as the logs withered away. There was a dusty scrap of fabric on the floor, maybe imitating a rug, but that was it. He moved to shut the door behind me as I heard another scream from somewhere. He seemed almost pleased with himself as he sat on the rug across from me.

  “It’s not the luxury an Opulent has, but it’s warm.” He gave a satisfied smile but grimaced in pain a second later at the movement.

  “Do you…live here?” I looked around at the shabby room around me, it looked like it might collapse at any second.

  “What? Of course not!” He looked like that was a ridiculous thought. “I’m a Standard, Tethys. And I do have standards.” He winked a little at the pun, while I winced. Now was not the time for joking.

  “So…how did you…you know?” I gestured to his face and all of the cuts and bruises.

  “As much as I like this place, as I said earlier, the people here can get a little…violent.” He sighed with the air any Standard would, melting away any remaining doubt I had. “I was unprepared.”

  “How’d you find this place?” I studied the makeshift fireplace and grime coating the walls.

  “Knocked into the right wall, I guess.” He shrugged casually. “Sorry for not notifying you earlier, I just didn’t want my attacker to recognize me.”

  “Understandable.” I inspected the bruises lining his pale skin. “I don’t see why anyone would choose to hang out around here.”

  He shrugged again, a look of amusement spreading across his face. “I take it you don’t like it here?” I nodded, distracted by how bad the cuts looked.

  “We should get those cleaned up,” I shuddered. “They might be infected.”

  He gave me a grim nod, looking like he was having a silent debate with himself. “Have you always been a Standard?”

  “Of course I have,” the very thought seemed silly. “Unless I got moved down from Opulent that doesn’t seem like something that can happen.”

  “It’s just…you seem like someone who would be an Opulent.” He leaned against one of the walls, clearly in pain.

  “Not sure what that is supposed to mean.” I looked down, feeling defensive. I jumped a little as a third scream cut through the air. “Could we go somewhere else?”

  He laughed a little, wincing. “They get really bad at night, and it’s already starting to get dark. Though with all the smoke and haze, I don’t think it ever really gets light here.” He mused to himself. “We might be attacked if we leave now.”

  “Is that why you were walking so fast?” I blinked, moving closer to him and farther away from the door.

  “You do not want to be caught out at night.” A look of trauma played across his face. “That’s when the Assassins come out.”

  I practically dove away from the door this time. “The…the what’s?”

  “Nasty gangs of people, only looking for trouble.” He looked down, something on his face I didn’t quite understand. “They hunt for weak Outsiders, or Standards who don’t know what they’re doing. You do not want to cross their paths.”

  I nodded, feeling beyond terrified. “Let’s…let’s s-stay inside, o-okay?” I stumbled over my words quickly tucking myself beside him. Silence passed between us, mostly out of fear for being heard. Only a few more screams for help echoed through the night, but that was enough for me.

  “What’s your name?” I felt after all that he had discovered about me, I at least deserved to know who he was.

  He looked hesitant, which still confused me. “Asher.” He muttered after a while. I smiled
, feeling like I had finally gotten somewhere.

  “Asher, huh?” I smiled. “Asher.”

  He gave me a weak smile, “I already know yours.” Then with the same wonder in his eyes as before, he said it again. “Tethys.”

  “So…do you have any family?” I asked, leaning against the wall behind me. His presence beside me was comforting. He had figured out how to work these streets, and as a Standard, I respected that. I knew very few people who would even go near a place like this.

  His expression was hard to read as per usual. He bit his lip, looking slightly pained. “Not anymore.”

  “I’m sorry…” I gently set my hand on his shoulder, making him flinch. People rarely died of anything but old age in Lieu, but it had happened. The Sentinels used to put out reports of missing people taken by Outsiders and later found dead. The thought made me think of my mother; I hoped she was okay.

  Chapter Nine

  When I woke up, the settings surrounding me were strange. I wasn’t in my room; why was this place so empty? Why is there a man staring at me over there? As soon as I recognized Asher, I remembered everything. I was in a room the size of a broom closet, laying on a dusty scrap of fabric.

  “How’d you sleep?” He asked rather cheerfully.

  “Ok, considering our circumstances,” I mumbled, looking around. “How’d you sleep?”

  He just shrugged, “The screams kept me up.” With how casually he said it I would’ve thought he was complaining about the dog keeping him up. “Now come on, we don’t have much time.”

  “Time for what?” I blinked, standing up with him.

  “To get you home, of course.” He looked at me as if it was obvious. “You do want to go home, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, but…never mind,” I mumbled, following after him. I slipped my hand into the crook of his elbow and let him lead me back out of the alley. I was eager to get out of there as soon as possible, but I knew that if we walked fast it would look suspicious. As he led me out of the broken-down city, a huge screen appeared on the building in front of us. A projection of one of the Officials, not Mr. Lieu himself.

  “Attention all citizens of Lieu ranked big and small. We have a tragic announcement to make.” He paused, looking genuinely sorry. “As you all know there have been Outcasts living among us, staining our society’s records. We have begun calling these scoundrels Insiders. They are mistakes and extremely dangerous. If you or a loved one has had an encounter with one of these monsters, therapy will be provided. Please, for the safety of you and your neighbors, if you see any suspicious activity from someone you know, turn them in immediately. We will check if they have a song and go from there.

  “These wretches have been stirring up the Outsiders, taking their perfectly content, happy lives, and turning them against us. For the betterment of our future, keep your eyes open, and be ready. They might come knocking on your door to take your daughters, your sons, your siblings, your loved ones. Stay safe and remember just how we got to this point. The danger these threats cause is a result of breaking the rules that have kept this wonderful nation stable and prospering for years. Let us recite the rules that so many soldiers, including our dear Henri, fought for to keep us safe.

  Never consult with an Outsider

  Never break curfew

  Never steal from someone above your rank or someone that shares it

  Never harm someone from the same rank or higher

  Insiders are extremely dangerous mistakes

  Always keep your eyes open for the brand

  Never, under any circumstances, deny a Sentinel or Official

  The government always knows what’s best for you

  Never associate yourself with someone in the lower ranks

  Sentinels have every right to ask and search to prove your innocence

  All Insiders will be killed on sight

  “I understand that rule eleven is new, but I assure you that it would not have been added if not vital to the survival of this nation. Have a safe and secure rest of your day everyone.”

  The screen vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and I smiled. The Officials always knew how to make things better. I realized that Asher was clenching his fist, and gave it a reassuring pat.

  “See? No need to worry anymore.” He just gave me a weak nod and started walking again. I struggled to keep up with his brisk pace and eventually had to call for him to stop so I could catch my breath.

  He remained silent and still until I began walking again. He slowed his pace but didn’t speak a word. I knew him well enough at this point to at least understand that he would not go completely silent if it was not for a very good reason. I couldn’t help looking around, worried that someone might be following us. He led me out of the small town, and into the part of the city that I had walked my whole life.

  I finally plucked up the courage to speak, “Thank you…for not letting me…you know…die.”

  He let out a dark chuckle. “You’re welcome. I trust that you know the way from here?”

  “I do, but…aren’t you coming with me?” Despite my best efforts, my eyes wandered to the black cloud above his head.

  “I figured that after everything…” he shook his head. “Never mind, would you like me to come?”

  My gaze fell to the floor and I felt my face reddening, “I…I wouldn’t mind it.” I found Asher’s eyes studying mine as I looked back up at him. He almost looked…sad? I blinked in shock but decided against mentioning it. “Would you want to…it’s silly really, but there’s this field that I always used to go to, I mean of course you don’t have to if you don’t want to–”

  “I’d love to.” He gave me a warm smile, calming my nerves. “Where is this field of yours?”

  “Oh, it's not far!” I felt giddy with excitement and began leading him through the city. He seemed a little on edge, which I found strange considering where we just came from.

  As we turned the corner, an Official stopped us. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes; Officials never left the shelter of their Opulent neighborhoods, and few Standards ever had the pleasure of actually meeting them.

  “Hello, ma’am.” The Official held out his hand, giving me a smile that was almost too perfect.

  “Hello, sir.” I shook it, looking around and realizing that Asher was no longer beside me. I wondered how long he had been gone, considering the Official’s calm expression.

  “You shouldn’t be wandering the city alone, ma’am. With all of the riots and the Insiders on the loose, you never know who could be one of them.” He said it all with a quiet and suspicious tone. “I know this will seem quite silly, ma’am, but I am afraid I am going to have to ask you to state your name, rank, and sing your song.”

  I nodded; this was just an Official, trying to keep safe. “Tethys Victoria Cliffblazer, Standard, sir.” I took a deep breath and began singing the chorus of my song. I almost giggled as I realized it, our song. I sang my song just about a million times in my life, for teachers, Sentinels, my parents, it was nothing new, except now it felt different. As I sang the words that were impossible to forget, all I could think of was Asher’s face, and how he had sounded singing it with me. It was almost a magical feeling; I was sure I was glowing. Wait. Asher! Where on earth had he gone?

  “Thank you, ma’am. You may go on your way, but please.” His expression went from a humorless smile to a very serious look. “Stay within the borders and follow the rules. These days they are the only things that will keep you safe.”

  “What borders?” I blinked in confusion.

  “The ones dividing the ranks, of course.” He said this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I understand that before you had some freedom to go into the Outsider neighborhoods but trust me. We would not have done this if it were not completely necessary. No Standard is to leave their sections, the same goes for the Outsiders.” He gave me a very fake smile but remembering that this was all for the best, comforted me. “It is to keep you safe,�
�� he laughed, but it held no real humor. “We can’t have those miscreants running rampant, now can we?”

  “I guess not.” I looked down, feeling slightly reassured. Those parts of town were terrifying, dangerous, and run down anyway.

  “You have a good rest of your day, ma’am.” He dipped his head and continued on his way.

  As I made my way to my apartment, I met several other Officials, all asking the same things. It was like they were loitering around, trying to catch any Outsider who wasn’t supposed to be there.

  I reached to unlock my door but found it already opened. Completely terrified, I opened the door, raising my hand as if I could defend myself. Seeing no one, I continued forward. The door to my bedroom was cracked open, and the light was spilling out from underneath. Ready for almost anything, I kicked open the door. Inside, I found Asher standing in the middle of my room. I let out a breath of relief and sat down on the bed.

  “Where did you go?” I asked, kind of offended. “You just left me!”

  “I continued to your apartment; I figured the Official had something personal that you wouldn’t want me to hear.” He shrugged, looking down.

  “The Official hadn’t even seen us yet!” I sighed, trying to understand. “Why are there so many of them just waiting around?”

  “Searching for Insiders.” He mumbled, something that might have been sorrow in his tone.

  “You don’t honestly feel bad for them, do you?” I questioned, trying to catch his eye.

  “I mean, it’s not their fault that the Chanteuses messed up.” He gave me a small shrug. “I don’t see why it’s so bad, anyway.”

  “Asher, they are mistakes. Malfunctions in our society’s perfectly structured walls.” I sighed. “They’re unstable and dangerous.”

  “You don’t know that.” He mumbled, letting out a deep sigh.

  “I don’t know for sure, but Mr. Lieu told us that they are, so they must be.” I crossed my arms defensively.