Soul Ties

Chapter 10: Holy Galaxies

Barlow steers the ship while I look out the window at everything below. I can see the forest that has surrounded us before, which looks larger than I'd ever thought it was. Even the island we were on looks big. I hadn't really traveled through anything but the beginning of the forest to where the field was, so I had no idea the island stretched out so far. Let alone the forest itself.

I can see the trees stretching wider and wider the higher we go. Finally, what I'm really searching for comes into view just as Barlow shifts the ship. The shore. I lean forward in my chair, scanning the sand quickly so I won't miss anything. I can't see at first, and that makes me start to panic.

I crane my neck more, pushing my body a little out the seat to get a better view. And that's when I see them. They look so small that it's hard to tell if it's actually them, but there was no one else on the beach so I have to assume the best. I try to squint to bring them into focus, though it's no use. I push myself closer just as my chest is about to touch the lever in front of me.

"Here," I hear Barlow say. He pushes a large button above his head and the window in front me changes. I look at the image and let out a little weep of happiness mixed with grief. There on the window was Seren and my mother standing on the shore, but they were bigger. They appeared as if I was right in front of them. I can see my mother's tears running down her face, and Seren waving at us.

"Is this real?" I ask in disbelief.

Barlow nods, pulling the silver stick back. "I magnified the image so you could see them clearly."

"Thank you," I say, overwhelmed with gratitude. I know this isn't his first trip, so he must've had to deal with this a hundred times. He must've known how impossible this all felt, especially leaving the ones we loved the most. Before, I had been jealous of Barlow, but now, I felt sort of sorry for him.

He watched countless Lunoid's get their hearts broken every day on these trips, and he just had to sit there witnessing it. Even though it wasn't his grief, I'm sure it still hurt to watch. Especially knowing that one day his own heart would be broken, just like ours had.

I look out at my mother who was now hugging Seren, her shoulders shaking from her sobs. My eyes burn with the threat of my own ready to come out. I didn't want to cry anymore. And watching Seren on the window, it seemed like she didn't want to either. Her jaw looks set and her eyes stare out at us. It was like she was looking right at me.

I reach out my fingertips for her, but Seren's eyes turn away as she rubs my mothers back to comfort her. I drop my hand to my side. See you soon, Seren. I had to remember that this wasn't a goodbye nor would it ever be. I had to stop treating it like it was.

"Okay," I accept. Barlow presses the button again and the image on the window disappears, only showing us the tiny people we'd seen before. I didn't want to look anymore. Instead, I keep my attention on the water we're flying over. If I wasn't in this ship, I would've never known how clear our oceans were.

Beneath us was the underwater cities and caves we lived in. I could see hundreds of small Lunoid's swimming through the clear water. I could even see the fish traveling in groups, dodging others as they moved onward.

The children were playing in the oversize coral reefs. I watch as their tiny shadows swim quickly through one reef and straight into another. It reminds me of the moments Seren and I had hidden there to get out of class.

I smile at the thought. That had seemed like so long ago. Sadly, we weren't kids anymore, and soon neither would the ones playing. Was it the time difference on our planet that made everything go by so quickly? Or was it the fact that we never sat down and actually appreciated the moments when we had them?