Clone Earth: MELVIN

Chapter Forty One: ARI

Per Russ' suggestion Ari occupied the seat behind him on the machine. Allowing Robie some time to cool off on his own ride. They parked the two-seater machine outside the main gates of the campus. Amidst all the new sights, sounds, and experiences, Ari felt that the majestic grounds were lost on her. She simply accepted that everything was remarkable, but her ability to marvel was tapped out. Following Russ across the dry walkway that led to a building constructed of earth-toned materials, she found herself standing before a structure. Its intricate designs, their significance lost on her, were carefully crafted in each building they had passed.

Climbing the stone steps to the massive wooden doors, polished to a shine, they seemed to beckon her forward with an air of mystery and promise. Despite her lack of understanding of architecture, Ari couldn't deny that they should provoke an unmistakable feeling of importance and prestige. She searched for that feeling inside her, only to come up exhausted. Numbly, she followed Russ, while Robie fell into step beside her.

"So this is your friend?" She asked. He smirked, rolled his eyes but eventually nodded, yes. "Everybody knows my brother." She said, keeping her gaze forward but tightening her hold on her personal duffel.

"I'm so sorry-" Robie started again but Ari cut him off.

"Actually that's a familiar feeling." She felt the corners of her mouth threaten to smile, "It's a feeling I've missed."

"I don't know what you went through before coming here, but nothing you've experienced since being here is normal for Melvin. I promise it's not a bad place."

Nothing I have gone through since leaving Meckam has been normal. She thought. It won't be normal until I give this back to Farris, after that- "it's almost over." She muttered.

He replied with silence. Ari's boots squeaked across the stone tile, the pattern purposefully looking random. They walked beneath the grand staircase through another pillared archway into a hall twice the size of anything she'd grown up with. At the end, where a second hall connected, the numb feeling vanished the moment she saw his face.

The sound of his voice as he called her name melted something inside her that Russ' magic didn't; she dropped her duffel, which crashed loudly on the ground, and she ran. "Trevon!" The two siblings collided in the middle, and only then did she accept the reality.

"Trevon?" Her voice cracked as she said his name, and something else broke. Water seeped from her eyes, which made her tighten her grip, burying her face deeper into his shoulder.

"Where have you been?" He tried to pull away to look at her, but Ari shook her head, more tears streaming down her face.

"I don't know. I'm so tired. What is wrong with me, I can't stop." She pulled away to angrily wipe the tears from her cheek. "What's wrong with me? I haven't cried this whole time."

Trevon's hands gripped her shoulders, and he leaned down to look her in the eyes. "I've been crying this whole time. But it's worth it because you're safe." His eyes glistened with tears as well, but he looked good, healthy, and happy. Ari returned his smile, until she glanced past him.

The distinctive blue and gray uniforms, tailored to fit snugly, emphasized her command posture, adding to the aura of authority she exuded. The shoulder patch, signifying her authority across the galaxy, featured a prominent emblem depicting a stylized galaxy with stars twinkling against a deep blue backdrop. Meticulously embroidered in silver and gold thread, the patch added a touch of elegance and prestige to the uniform, a sight that Ari never tired of seeing her guardian adorned in.

The woman's dusty blue eyes pierced with an imposing stare, complemented by her striking red hair and light tan complexion devoid of freckles. Beside her, dressed similarly, stood her Uncle Clint.