Worlds Apart

Seven

"Dammit!" Solomon pulled away, covering his mouth.
I scurried away backward, spitting away his rotten blood. He looked angry, and I knew if I stayed here, I'd never come out.
"You bitch," he lunged for me.
I dodged him, but only just. I flew across the lawn and ignored how he called for my name. The sun started to burn more than ever, but I didn't care. I came close to the fence that separated our territory from the human world, and with both arms, I pushed myself over it. My dress made an awful tearing sound as I fell on the opposite side of the large fence. I picked myself up and pulled away, but the thick fabric had been caught on it. I tugged as Solomon's heavy steps approached me. The more he called out to me, the more desperately angry he sounded, and the more desperate I was to flee. I kicked off the fence with all the strength I had left and cried out as the abrupt force of my dress tore from the wood. My body plummeted to the ground, crushing my arm in an uncomfortable position that I couldn't worry about now. I only saw Solomon's face for a moment before I turned around and darted for the forest, letting my heels fall off as my speed increased. I had nowhere else to go, but anywhere was better than here. I ran until my breath gave out and I fell to the floor. I heaved ugly gasps and cries as I held my arms close to my chest. I cried until I thought my heart would just give out from how weak I felt everywhere. Nowhere would be safe for me. Not in a world where Solomon existed and I was alive. I calmed myself, wiping away my tears and pulling my legs up to my chest. The forest was beautiful in the summer, with birds chirping and the sun peeking through the levees. Watching leaves fall from trees was better than tears falling down my face. From a distance, I could hear a horn that was loud and abrupt, snapping me out of my trance. I stood quickly, following the direction of the sound. The grass felt soft under my bruised feet as I walked near an abundance of loud noises. From under all the trees, the sun could not reach me, and I felt hidden and safe. The noise was louder until finally the forest stopped, and beyond it was structure. There were tall buildings that stood on the side of wide streets; they allowed loud and fast advanced carriages to speed by. They looked very different from the methods we used for transportation. They looked dangerous. Almost calling to me to test its boundaries. There was no life where I would be free. I would never be safe. I pushed the bushes aside and crossed the path that led to the road. I watched how fast they passed by and how easy it would be. How easy it would be to disappear and never be owned or told what was best for me. Passing machines blew horns at me as I neared the road slowly. One second of pain for an eternity of freedom. 
"Anastasia?"
I whipped around to my right, but it wasn't my mother or Solomon, like I expected. It was Rylie. She stared at me with wide eyes and worried brows. I just watched her as she dropped all the things in her hands and pulled me away from the road, holding my shoulders firmly.
"What happened to you? Are you okay?" she asked, but I wasn't paying attention. I just blinked emptily at her as she grabbed my arm before collecting her belongings.
"Come to my car," she said. "You're burnt to a crisp; how long have you been outside?"
She didn't wait for me to answer; she tugged on my arm until we approached her parked vehicle. She opened the door for me, and I stared for a moment. It looked very advanced compared to our royal carriage. She guided me like I was a child until she shut the door and entered through the driver's side. Once inside, she turned it on, making me jump from the loud noise and sudden breeze of air coming from the vents.
"Hey, it's okay. I just turned the car on." She took her hands off the wheel, holding them up in the air. She turned a dial that made air come from vents and closed in on me.
"Anastasia, what happened to you? I saw you on the side of the road. What were you doing? Please talk to me." Rylie said, and her brown eyes looked a lot more orange in the sunlight when I looked into them.
"I"—what was I doing? I had no answer to her question.
"Jesus, your arms. Where are your shoes? What happened to your dress? Did someone do this to you?" She asked again, and her tone changed from condescending to angry, but I didn't know who it was towards.
"I had to leave," I said. "I can't stay there. I can't go back."
She didn't wait for me to elaborate. She reached over me and pulled a leather strap over my body, clicking it into a buckle. The car jerked backward, and I looked out the window as we slowly moved out of a gravel lot and onto the main road. I looked down; my face felt hot, but I couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or because I was sunburnt.
"Where are we going?" I asked, trying not to look up at her.
She turned the air back up, letting it blow her already wild hair. "My house."
I nodded, continuing my look outside the window. I tried to take everything in while she drove incredibly fast. Every building had glowing letters and signs; people wore all sorts of revealing clothing and held the same rectangle device Rylie had when she asked for my number. I watched closely as other vehicles flew down the roads, but none of them crashed because of the lights that hung above the streets. Rylie must have noticed me staring because she let out a small laugh as we passed a store with large, illuminating letters on the front.
"Where did you say you were from?" she asked.
I blinked. "Far away."
She nodded. "Are you Amish or something?"
"Um, yes." I lied, and technically, I wasn't wrong.
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "This isn't bothering you, then, is it? I thought you weren't allowed to use technology or anything."
I shook my head. "No, I love it."
She smiled at that. We turned into a neighborhood with small homes that all looked identical. All of them were painted cream with a red roof and trim; the only difference was the vehicles in front of them. Rylie pulled into the driveway of one, turning the engine off and unbuckling her belt. I did the same after watching her, and I opened the door as she did. It was a lot heavier than I expected, pushing me back into my seat. I shoved it and hopped out, gently closing the door behind me. Rylie pointed to it and said, "You didn't close it all the way."
"Oh," I said and pushed it inward.
She laughed and said, "No, you have to open and close it again."
Of course, I did. I did as she said, slamming it shut and following after her to the front door. She fiddled with her long rainbow keychain until finally unlocking the door.
"Probably bigger than the little wooden houses you guys have, huh?" she said jokingly.
The first floor was about as big as my room, but I didn't tell her that. I walked inside, taking in the foreign smell of artificial food and the old structure. The walls were ivory, and the living room was very small. It consisted of one long brown couch with a wooden coffee table and a table that held a large black rectangle on it. Beyond the living room was the kitchen, which had a two-person bar and all the usual appliances. Though I didn't recognize the ones with many buttons, Rylie led me toward the stairs that were to our left; they were carpeted and slightly stained. We were met with three doors in all directions, but she took me to the one on the right and opened the door. It was a small bedroom, only having a bed, dresser, nightstand, and another rectangle standing on top of a table.
"You can wear my clothes for now; they won't fit though," she said, turning to her dresser and rummaging through the drawers.
I waited patiently, observing the dimly lit room. She turned back to me with a big black shirt that had men with long hair on it.
"Luckily, we both like black. I have shorts or sweatpants; you might have to tie them."
I nodded and took the shirt. I held it up to my nose when she turned away. It smelled like how I imagined human men to smell, but better. She handed me a pair of black shorts, and I examined them.
"Pants?"
She took them back and said, "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, I forgot. I don't have any skirts."
I held my hands out and said, "It's okay, I don't mind."
She looked surprised. "Are you sure? Is that not against something for you?"
I shook my head and said, "Thank you."
She stood awkwardly for a moment until it was too quiet. "The loo is right here."
She walked back into the minuscule hallway, opening the middle door. It was a bathroom. I walked in and stared at the appliances; they were similar to ours but also different. Rylie started to close the door before I grabbed it. "I don't know how to turn it on."
"Oh, right," she said awkwardly.
The silence was almost unbearable as she leaned over the tub and turned the dial, causing water to rush from the nozzle.
"Do you like baths or showers?"
"Baths," I said, placing my things on the counter and pulling my dress down.
Rylie pulled her arms over her face and said, "Wait!"
I stopped. It was normal for women to undress around another; at least it used to be, I thought. Rylie covered her eyes and said, "Let me walk out first."
I held my dress up to my chest as she walked out of the bathroom. I didn't want to be alone, not today at least.
"Rylie," I said, "can you stay?"
She turned back slowly. "Why?"
I fiddled with the lace of my ripped dress and said, "I don't want to be alone."
She closed the door behind her quickly and sat on the toilet, turning away from me. From the mirror, I could see her face looked more red than mine. I turned the water off when the tub was full, stepping inside and letting my body sink into the comfort of the warm water. It was uncomfortably silent, but I was used to it. However, Riley looked like she might explode at any given moment. She pulled at the ripped strings on her jeans and tapped her foot. I didn't want her to be uncomfortable, but most of all, I didn't want her to stay against her will.
"You don't have to stay if this is unbearable for you," I said, pulling my knees to my chest.
Rylie took a deep breath, leaning back against the toilet so her back wasn't to me anymore, but she wasn't facing me either. "It's fine; I'm just not used to this."
I turned my head to her and asked, "Used to what?"
"Having someone over here. Or rather, sitting in the bathroom while they bathe," she half laughed, shifting uncomfortably.
"Oh, for my family, it's normal," I replied.
She was quiet for a moment until she turned to me, fully. She only looked at me and said, "What happened to you?"