Unforeseen¹

Chapter 3- Lost but free

Waking up was hard.

Sleep was awfully tempting. Mostly, it was peaceful, and away from the problems life could randomly throw. Many troubles were simple, and everyone faced them at some point in their lives: bills, jobs, grades, friends, family, existential crises.

J, however, could only wish her problems would be so easy one day. She sighed, repositioning herself and recalling the glorious dream of escaping the lab. Somewhere in her groggy mind, she decided she would get up in five minutes when the door to her cell opened with Doctor Terries and his personal guards in tow. All ready for another day of torment.

She shivered at a sudden gust of air and felt movement on her stomach, then a gasp, and she was being shaken by a barrage of earsplitting exclamations.

"J! J! Wake up. We did it! We've got out!" Theo yelled, hopping on her stomach, unable to contain his excitement.

She bolted up, and Theo fell to the ground with a yelp. Her head swam and pounded a little, but it felt clear for the first time in a long time. Her mouth hung open, and she blinked slowly as she took in her surroundings.

They appeared to be under a large, weathered concrete bridge. The state of it wasn't very appealing; its concrete pillars were cracked, and its metal was rusting over; the bridge's original purpose was long since abandoned, and Mother Nature was taking over with tree roots and weeds.

She moved her gaze to the sky. It was overcast with a conflict of the open blue being submerged by clouds of white and grey. The sun was hidden, though J could still feel its presence with the slight beams that escaped the grasp of the overcast and lit them up with yellows and oranges.

Below, the cold, untamed river cut through the land like a knife, eroding anything that dared move into its path. The plant life beside the water was overgrown and, like the bridge, was trying to squeeze into every possible space. Trees around the river were few and scattered, lonely yet standing proud, with little competition for the sun. The yawning wind made their leaves shiver and paint the grassy ground, marking Autumn's arrival.

To most, the sight was mediocre at best, but to J, it was wonderful. For this was the first time she was seeing the world for what it was, not imagining it or staring at drawings in colourless books.

"This isn't a dream?" She whispered, though she knew the answer — her dreams could never be so... real.

"Not a dream!" Theo laughed, rolling in mud, causing it to clump into his fur. Not that either of them cared.

She gripped the grass, which was muddy and waterlogged. When she burrowed her hands into it, it infected them with its muck, which she stared in fascination. Real mud, real grass, real sky, real trees.

"It's real," she murmured. "I can't- I can't believe it."

She trembled, pulling Theo from his rolling and close to his chest. The muck rubbed into her dripping clothing, but she only grinned.

"I told you we could do it."

"Yes, you did," J murmured, squeezing him closer. "It's - just look up! That's the sky! The proper, actual sky! It's actually up there! Big and- and blue, and- and there!"

"And the wind. Have you ever felt anything so refreshing?" he asked, resting his head on her arm and closing his eyes.

"I don't think I have."

She found herself gazing up at the sky again. It was so very far away, and she felt so small. She wasn't used to that; in the lab, it was just walls, floors, and ceilings. Until today, her world was extremely small. Now, it was infinite, and she had no idea what to do with herself. Should she run around? Should she sit back and bask in it? Or should she cry in disbelief and panic?