Undefined - The Zephyr Book 1 ? (completed)(#Wattys2016)

Chapter 27 - Syianne

Author's Note: I know I keep thanking everyone for reading, but I can't help it -- thank you so much for enjoying my book! Please don't forget to vote and.... well, this chapter features a song I wrote called "Underground" that my friend actually composed music to. I'll try to somehow attach a recording here later on.... anyway, that's enough babbling out of me, let's go back to the story, shall we?

27 - Syianne

I sweep Cello's dark hair into a pile on the bathroom floor. "Let's eat something!" Fellin calls to me from the kitchenette. He places two mugs of water on the table. We decided, for tonight at least, not to mention the word Zribble, and to drink water in mugs and pretend that it's tea.

I bend down and brush Cello's hairs onto an old hologram paper and throw it into the bin.

"Have you ever tried the orange kind?" he says while rummaging through the boxes on our counter, he's quite at home here and for the most part I like having him around. It was a relief to talk about everything with someone. Telling our story and all its details allowed us to make sense of it. We aren't any wiser about what is happening to us, but at least we have a clear picture of what has already happened.

"I think it's supposed to be orange flavour." I say, sitting at the table.

He opens the box and pops a ball into his mouth, crunching it loudly, "fruity," he says with a shrug and then drinks the entire mug of water. "With an aftertaste of eww."

I laugh, despite the fact that I feel a little bit irked. "Don't you think it's strange?"

"Yeah, I can't figure out why we can't at least drink tea!"

"No, not that," I stare at my palms, "this whole thing with Risa Medrick."

Fellin rubs his smooth boyish chin, "Yeah, I guess. Had it been Risa Medrick without the black Jewel — it would have simply been awesome for Cello. But things as they are, and happening so fast —"

I point enthusiastically at Fellin, half rising from my seat, he couldn't have phrased it better. "Exactly!"

"But then," Fellin drops his gaze and cradles his mug with both his hands, "I think everything here feels so strange."

His mood sinks into me as well, and I lower my eyes to stare at the table. "At first it was just a very long dream," I say quietly, "but now I'm becoming accustomed to it and I feel" — I pause. What do I feel? I don't know the right words to describe it. "I've lost something."

"Our childhood?" Fellin ventures, "I miss my little sister. She's such a crybaby. I'll never see her grow up."

"I miss my dad." I whisper. Today, despite the knowledge that I wouldn't be able to get through, I tried to call but the line was always busy. I didn't have the time to feel anything or even to think about anyone. And now that I do, it hurts almost too much to bear. My old life, so organised, protected and warm, has dissipated into meaningless nothingness. My very existence in that old life is only a brief, sad memory.

At least, I still have Artus.

Fellin bangs both his fists on the table, "enough of that!" He forces a remarkable amount of cheerfulness onto his face and jumps out of his chair, clumsily stumbling across the room and turning on the radio. "Let's listen to some music."

The first piano notes of a popular song flutter out of the speakers. I pause, trying to recognise it. I know it very well —I've heard it at least a hundred times.

And I'm deep down,

Deep, deep down,