I.T.

The Midnight Revel

Aukai's Cafe. I found him sitting on the roof with his legs hanging down over a gutter. When he noticed my presence he turned to look at me. I smiled and his brown eager eyes glinted in the light of the neon sign of the cafe. I stepped over a tile and made my way towards him. 'Hey.' I sat down next to him and glanced up at the stars. 

'Well, thanks for coming.' I laughed and rolled my eyes.

'So why did you want me at 2 o'clock in the morning?'

'Well I want to show you something of course.'

Inigo jumped up and scrambled up the roof and went over to the other side. I followed curious, wondering where we were going to go.'Want a cookie?' His wild eyes smiling with a mischievous glint. 'But I thought...' Inigo stopped me by putting a finger to my lips. 'Don't think just eat cookies.'

'The cafe isn't open though.'

'Ahh but that's where you're wrong my friend, oh so wrong.'

He jumped onto a thin window ledge of the flat above the cafe and Inigo swung down gracefully to the top of the door where he jumped down. Grinning, he beckoned to me and I did the same as he had. We strolled through the door and sure enough there was Aukai looking bright and happy as usual. 'Ahhh so another one of your midnight revels young Inigo, but this time with a girl.' Aukai beamed at me and said,'Good morning Polaris. How is your sister.' I replied with a smile.

'Yep I'll have the same as usual and for Polaris well, I think she'll have a chocolate chip cookie and an Oreo shake.' Aukai nodded, added it up and handed over the purchases. I put my money out to pay but Inigo pushed my hand away.'My trip, my treat.' 

Sitting down with my favourite snack- which Inigo somehow knew-I had never felt  more awake and more belonging.

Soon we had finished and were out the door back into the darkness. The closest moon gleamed and I winked back. The look of it reminded me of one of my favourite songs. It had come out before Dad had disappeared and it reminded me of how we had been better as a family and more close. The lines that were running through my mind went like,'I wanna be among the moons and stars...Higher than the trees and other things. Where I can be alone and free. Alone and free at last.' 

'A penny for your thoughts.' I shook off the memory and dropped my head.'Ok, then let's move we don't want to you to be late home.'

We took many paths and many roofs. The whole city seemed to be at our command. We passed a cat and it hissed but this didn't alert anyone. At last we came to an old, run down building.

'Ladies first.' 

I entered the building and then the smell hit me. It was like burning tarmac mixed with rotting flesh and putrid apples. 'Oops sorry that was me.' I glared at Inigo and he backed away slowly.

'I didn't know you were gonna fire daggers at me, okay? It was a joke. This building used to be a bunch of labs before some lunatic blew it up. Now we have Centre Nova.'

'No one ever told me there was a place before Nova.'

'Yeah. Well, they don't want everyone to know about their mistakes. Come on this way.'

Inigo lead me up to the top of the place. There was a small space where someone had placed a sofa and a small TV. 'This isn't all of it though.' He walked over to a curtain where he pulled a cord and behind him was displayed a high-tech set of computers.

'Wow.'

'Yeah, cool right?'

'More than cool. Where did you get this stuff?'

'My Dad. He said get your own place and I'll give you the stuff.'

'So you live here?'

'No.'

Inigo hung his head and walked over to the black leather sofa which was obviously new. 'I can't tell you everything but I can tell you this.  I now have to live all over the place. I'm not tied down to anywhere. I just like to live alone. It's exciting and different. I'm free.' The song kept repeating itself in my head. 'Well, let me show you what I've been working on.' 

For a while Inigo showed me his research and papers. It was fun but also getting late- no wait,early. Soon the sun was coming out and the simulation clouds were kicking in. 'Ummm... I think I had better go.'

Inigo was so intent on his work he bearly noticed that I had gone. Along the way I picked up some flowers for Mum. It was the least I could do really. Some areas were still dark and it appeared to be quite hot for a day in the dome. Usually it stays the same temperature all the time. Maybe they were doing an experiment on the crops. 

People were starting to move around and they blinked at me in a half asleep, half awake surprised state. I decided to keep my head low so no one would spot me that I knew or who knew Mum.

I went round the back of my house and pulled myself onto the wall separating the next door house and ours. I clambered up the gutter and onto the roof. I was quite high up and the sun was making a lot of light so that anyone who was walking below me on the street would be able to see where I was.

I dashed to my window and jumped through. The bed was as I had left it. I slid in and tried to sleep. But with no luck. As soon as I had got in a knock came from the door. 'Go away Oliviana. I don't need you and your demands at this time in the morning.'

'Well, I'm sorry,'she said in a very sarcastic tone,'but we have to go to Centre Nova and you need to get up.'

I gave the door a hard stare. 'Don't do the stare it won't work on me through the door,'Oliviana reminded me with a mocking tone. 

'Ahhhh go away Oliviana.'

I rolled out of bed and landed with a THUD on the floor. With a groan I got up and made my way to the door. I was already dressed so I was good to go. Blinking through the want of sleep and bed I put my hand on the doorknob. Carelessly taped to it was a note. I ripped it off and gulped. On it was written,'I know.'