Starsong

Part IV - Burn

They agree not to speak of it, too shaken by the events to understand what had happened anyway.

"Besides, who's going to believe us? We're a couple of 15-year-olds, we don't have a single scratch on us and all we've got to show is a burnt-out husk of a plane that could be ten years old for all anyone knows. Well, that and some burnt clothing," Tam says.

"We're going to have to explain to the clients what happened, though," Allioni frowns. "But what exactly did happen?"

"I don't know," Tam admits. "I don't think a normal engine malfunction could cause this. For a moment, when I pried open the engine panel, it almost looked like..." he trails off, then shakes his head. "It was probably my imagination. Anyway, we'd better go tell the clients what happened."

And so, the next morning, the four of them head into town together, even though initially, Allioni had argued that Tam and Chia stay home and rest. However Tam had argued back that neither Allioni nor Kaya knew how the clients looked like, and none of them were comfortable leaving Chia alone after what had happened – even if she had insisted that she was fine.

"Might as well get some shopping done anyway," Tam had sighed.

Though, in truth, standing in the town square with bags of shopping in his hands, he's really just glad that there's still some semblance of normality in their lives and that the world hadn't gone crazy overnight after the events of the day before.

Still, Tam can't shake the feeling that something is going to go wrong. Though what could be worse than a plane exploding is beyond him.

Unconsciously, he rubs at his right arm where his burns had been for a brief moment. The skin itches, still a little raw like it had suddenly been regrown – though he isn't sure if it's just his imagination.

Beside him, Kaya fidgets as the two of them wait for Allioni and Chia. He raises an eyebrow. "Something bothering you?"

She hesitates. Then, "What were you going to say? About the plane's engine... you stopped short. You were going to say it looked like something."

"Oh, that. It was probably my imagination," he waves it off.

"That's not answering my question."

"It's just – I don't want to come off as overly paranoid or anything, but... it looked like it had been rigged."

Kaya's brow furrows. "Rigged?"

"Yeah. Rigged to... you know."

Explode.

Her frown deepens, and she opens her mouth, about to say something before she's interrupted by Chia and Allioni bounding up to them.

"No luck?" Tam asks, and they shake their heads.

"Nope," Chia says. "It's like they vanished. Gone. Disappeared. Poof." She makes a tiny explosion sign with her hands to drive home the point.

"Maybe they went somewhere? Sightseeing or something?" Allioni suggests. "Considering they aren't from around here – though I don't know if there are any attractions to see in a town like this."

"Maybe," Tam says. "For now, let's just head back – I left a message at the hostel they're staying in earlier, so it's not like there's anything else for us to do anyway."

"Right – let's go, then."

And yet, as they leave the town square behind them and begin the kilometer-long walk back home, that feeling still lingers – instinct, perhaps, something Tam doesn't trust, but it's insistent enough that he can no longer deny its existence.