Children's Games: A Story of Modern Consequence

Chapter 12

~Emilia~

They called it an elevator, except it looked nothing like an elevator. It was once the platform part of a scissor-lift but had been fashioned to clip on to the two thick steel rails that ran from the bottom of Fimiston, right up its wall to the surface. It was apparently much more efficient than using the tunnel to the station, but costed a little extra as it was only meant to be used for the construction workers and their materials.

Without the enclosed roof that was custom for a real elevator, it grew windier and windier as they ascended. Emilia's hair flicked annoyingly in the cool morning breeze, despite her hair being tightly wound in a braid behind her head. Wispy fly-aways waved her face, threatening to get in her eyes and mouth. She decided that at least it was sunny, the orb of fire beating down on them with no remorse, a surprising refreshing contrast from their ice-box of a house.

The elevator suggested that it could hold a maximum of ten people, but Emilia doubted that ten people could even fit on the small platform. It hardly fit her, Ivan, and Petyr. Cedric and Joshua, she mentally corrected her thoughts. She couldn't afford to make another like she had the previous day. Cedric still wore the scowl, refusing to look at her.

Joshua, however, stood opposite her leaning on the yellow rails. His eyes travelled from her fingers fidgeting with her hair down to her black combat boots. Emilia didn't feel uncomfortable exactly, just confronted in a way that wasn't necessary for Joshua, still half a stranger. She had planned to continue overthinking about her time spent with Dominik, and how gentle and sweet he had become when no one was around. But the way Joshu was blatantly staring at her was distracting. It made her strangely aware of her looks and how disorganised she must look with her hair blowing around wildly.

He had his arms crossed and was talking to Ivan about their tasks above ground, though Emilia couldn't focus on any of their words. It irked her that he had little social awareness for staring so openly without uttering a word, and she wanted to challenge him by staring back. Defeated, she broke eye contact and peered instead at the city that was Fimiston, slowly retreating below them as they travelled upwards at a snail's pace.

Emilia realised that she enjoyed Fimiston better from this view. The chaos of the busy streets wasn't noticeable from their 300m height from the floor, and she noticed the few landmarks that she had already visited in the past two days.

The council tower with the square in front of it looked magnificent at the centre of the city. More stairs, bridges, and catwalks than she could count connected every building in site every two or three storeys. Down below, she saw the top of the pharmacy and house, sitting still along it's dusty street right at the bottom of the pit. She also saw the Meat Strip above them, closer to the top but just as dirty.

She also saw the entrances to the modern apartments that were built into the cliff faces with steel and concrete, and wondered if they could be as grand as their price demanded. The large arched doorways were crowded with people trying to exit and get their chores done for the day so that they could retire back to their air-conditioned homes before it grew too hot. Emilia found herself hoping the same thing as the elevator crept along slowly, creaking and whining as it went. Luckily it wasn't as hot as the day she arrived, but still too hot to be considered a comfortable day.

When they reached the surface, Cedric shoved a neatly packaged paper bag into Joshua's hands, who gave it to the guy in the hard hat waiting for them. He wasn't afraid to hide his smile as he accepted Joshua's apologies at keeping them up and shook his hand as he clutched the payment with the other desperately. His voice was deeper than she thought, and it sounded polite and formal which contradicted his boyish looks and his immature mannerisms. Then they were on their way, heading past the town welcome sign that read; Welcome to Kalgoorlie | New Fimiston