The Parables

Eila - Precinct Six

Eila - Precinct Six

My eyes snap open. I gasp for air. My body quivers like a leaf and beads of perspiration adorn my brow like a jewelled headdress. My eyes search around me in a blind panic as I struggle to acclimate to my situation. The nightmare I'd had has thrown me into a distorted void where nothing seems as it should. Everything is strange and unfamiliar and everything is edged with an eerie chill that sends a shiver down my spine. I cannot seem to remember anything, apart from the fact that I'd done something wrong. Something very wrong.

My first thought is of Emmii. Mayor Hewitt did not seem to notice the difference in our clothes so Emmii escaped easily with Mama. Fortunately for us, being twins means we look exactly alike. If we were just sisters, we'd never be able to pull it off. Everyone now thinks I'm her so I have to act like her. That is easier said than done. Especially when she's...different.

Sighing, I bring my knees to my chest, hugging them in the bitter coldness of the car. Winter is catching up with us, even if it is still summer. But I guess in The Commune they have some sort of 'season control' technology that keeps it a specific season for as long as they want. Back in the Precincts, we survive with what we have.

The car I'm in is still travelling down a dusty old track blanketed with potholes, stones and yellowing leaves. Up ahead, the view has been of the countryside for at least twelve hours. All I can see are olive hills, grassy plains and lots and lots of trees. Oak trees, sycamore trees, poplars and cedar trees. Some march along the sides of the paths, bowing down to us when a strong gale thrusts them forward. Others are in the distance, standing strongly on the hills like soldiers protecting battlements.

Sighing, I close my eyes and lean my head against the wall of the car. As much of a snooze I've had, the weariness is starting to succumb once more, trying to drown me in a deep, dreamless sleep. The bitterness of the air acts as a drug, gradually easing me into complete nothingness. However, I somehow can't drift off into my utopian world of dreams where everything is perfect. Opening my eyes, I gaze wistfully at the window. My mind is somehow automatically counting the trees that fly past, taking in their species too.

"Oak tree nine, poplar thirteen, oak tree ten, cedar tree eight," I murmur quietly to myself.

The fatigue promptly flees as soon as I begin to count the trees. It draws out the energy within me that now makes me feel more awake than ever. Although, the sound of my stomach grumbling crashes down on me like a lightning bolt, quickly yet unwanted all the same. Hunger replaces the drowsy feeling as if I've swallowed something sharp and it's digging into all areas of my stomach like small swords piercing the enemy. However, I did not intend on my stomach becoming the enemy of the war between my energy levels and my hunger levels.

"Are you okay?" I glance up and my eyes catch sight of the rearview mirror. In its reflection are the eyes of the sentry, looking at me questionably yet somewhat caringly.

"Oh...yeah, I'm fine," I say hastily.

The sentry's eyes vanish from the mirror as they focus back on the track ahead. There's no point for rearview mirrors in cars when they're driving through the Precincts. Scarcely any cars actually pass through the village, hence why there is only one way of getting in and out of the Precinct. There's no need for two separate tracks when there is no chance of passing by a car. It's only in The Commune where cars are actually bought and used on proper roads made out of sturdy and strong materials. Nobody can afford them anywhere else. Well, maybe the Mayors can but I'm no relative of a Mayor so I wouldn't have a clue.

Sitting up straight, I lean my head against the headrest behind me. My neck is aching from the pressure I've put on it leaning against the wall of the car. So, to give it a rest, I'm having to quit counting trees and just gaze directly ahead at the view from the windscreen. Which, in one way, is fairly convenient as in the near distance appears the train station where we're heading. It isn't long before the car pulls up beside the train station and I'm forced to abandon it for another method of transportation. Taking the train to The Commune is just another step closer to The Parables.