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Twenty-Four : Hatch

A bleach-white metropolis sits like a bullseye in the centre of a target, its jumble of buildings ringed by farmlands. A whole city, right on the other side of the Trifecta, and the people of Lovethorn have no idea. 

"Is that...?" Corin begins to ask, but trails off, the implications too much to bear for either of us. The city seems tiny - far away, yet close enough to make out the distinction between the splash of colour of fruit orchards, turning to the bareness of freshly tilled soil awaiting its next crop, suddenly becoming swaying acres of wheat, which end abruptly to become miles and miles of sustainable forest. Little white cubes dot throughout the Rings - the homes of people who tend to the day-to-day upkeep of each field. It is eerily familiar.

"How could it be?" I reply, in shock. My hands shake where they grip the abrasively rough tree trunk, thin enough to wrap my arms around up here at the top. I daren't look down, so I keep my focus on the city in the distance.

We stare in silence for what feels like an eternity. A crisp breeze tickles my ears, whipping damp hair around my face. The weak sun is warm on my skin. It feels lovely, and I almost close my eyes and allow myself to forget where I am and why. Corin swallows loudly. I glance at him, clutching the same branch beside me, swaying ever so slightly in the wind.

"How long were you on the train?"

I lower my gaze, careful to keep my sightline on my scuffed boots, avoiding how freaking far away the ground below is. "I have no idea. I fell asleep."

"Benna, this is huge. We need to know - is it your home?"

I sigh loudly, almost aggressively. So what if it is? It changes nothing. Except that we are travelling back towards it. Towards my father and Dr. Frenchwood.

"Can you see any similarities? Differences?" He prompts. When I don't immediately reply, he makes a throaty, frustrated noise. "Use your brain and think for once, will you? You do have a brain in there, don't you?!"

What. The. Hell. I am frozen. Corin stomps down a few branches, tree shaking with the sudden movement. My mouth opens and closes, wordless, and I feel my eyes welling with hot tears. No! Why do tears have to betray me now? I don't want Corin to know that he's upset me. I cling tighter as the treetop wobbles, and sniff loudly, blinking rapidly. Willing the tears to disperse. Why can't Dr. Frenchwood do something useful and study a cure to emotions? Sometimes I feel as though I am made of porcelain, and I hate it. I wish I could wipe my feelings away as efficiently as I can wipe my expressions.

"Shit," I hear from beneath me. The tree sways again as Corin's dark head reappears. His hand, complete with bitten off fingernails, lands on the branch next to my face. He hauls himself up, frowning at me. His pale eyes crinkle in concern. "Don't cry. I'm sorry, it's just..." he huffs. Sighs. Licks his lips. "I don't mean to take it out on you, but I'm slightly panicking that we are going in the wrong direction. If that's your city, what if the instructions from the spider were a trick? To lure us back?" That hadn't even occurred to me. Suddenly, I feel woozy.

"There's no snow," I manage to mutter, between deep, steadying breaths. I just want to get off this tree and plant my feet on solid ground.

"No snow?"

"When I left, there was a decent amount of snow. It snows almost every day in winter. That city has no snow."

Corin breaks into a grin to rival the warmth of the sunshine.

"There she is, there's Benna's brain!" He reaches out, as though to ruffle my hair affectionately, but once more, changes his mind, retracting his hand as though burned by something invisible.