City of Ember-my way

Meet Tara

It seems that Doon's dad is the makeshift leader of the Emberites. Him, Mrs Murdo and some well known and trusted adults among the Emberites have all joined together to act as a council considering the Mayor died. Committed suicide. Some of his other councillors also went alongside him. The stress and pressure of trying to keep everyone in order and well fed and hydrated was becoming increasingly challenging every minute. It's gotten to the point where practically everyone is ill. Including Doon and Poppy. She's so close to deaths fingertips. But there's no way to retrieve her. Lina is loosing everyone. The only adult relative she had left, her best friend and now, her sister is weakening, her boyfriend is trying to remain strong for the sake of Lina, Poppy and for fetching food for the really ill. It's not helping him and Lina can't do anything about it. As much as she really needs him to stop pushing his body, he's too stubborn to listen to the love of his life.

"Doon please! I'm begging you!" Lina's crying again. She clutches Lina in her arms and curses Doon but being as desperate and angry as she is, she's loosing her breath and feels faint. Doon goes to hold her and sit down with her in his lap.

"Lina, shush. It'll be alright. I'll get Poppy food. I'll save her for you. You don't need me. You're strong - you're not ill. And all these other people who are healthy can be saved too. So I will. I'll die having done something good for our people." He rubs his hands up and down Lina's arms. She needs comforting. He loves her too much to see how hurt she is but he has to do what he is doing. Physically draining his body for the pure chance at his people having a life above Ember. Lina looks up into his eyes and gives in. There's nothing she can do to retrieve him from his stupor. She reaches up to his head and pulls his lips close to hers. The kiss is delicate and almost cautious. It reminds her of their first kiss and it saddens Lina even more to think that at some point, she won't have his lips to kiss. And she starts to cry again so Doon wipes her tears away and lays her to rest quickly so that he can get away from her. He's about to be sick. Again.

Okay Tara - you got this. I have to got this. I need to talk to them. Maybe not the girl. She's too broken to enquire about me. But he might be more open to talking to me. If he stops being ill. He'll be alright. Hey, that's a good idea Tara. Heal him. Yes - you've experimented with your ability in the time you've been banished. Okay then. He's strong anyway, perhaps the least affected among the affected. Let's go then.

"Hello there." It's her. Doon can see that it must be that girl from the trees he and Lina saw. Taken aback at first, he jumps backward thinking he probably won't throw up again. He's too far from the safety of his people to get to them quickly. He'll just have to die by her hand then.

"I've seen you before. What do you want, who are you?" He splutters out. He considers grabbing a rock or something to hit her with but then he notices her eyes and is caught off guard. They're the most unusual eyes anyone could ever see. They're both light blue but the left one has a large fleck of yellow and the right one has a thin purple layer surrounding the black as night pupil. Each colour symbolises a different quality in her - the yellow is for seeing the past. The purple is for the future and the size of the patch of colour in each eyes represents how developed those qualities are in her. And they grow everyday.

"My name's Tara and I'm here to help your people." She tries to look sincere but she has never been able to show emotion through her face. It proves a challenge to show him she means well. But he doesn't notice how difficult her facial expression looks. He's angered by her statement.

"You're here to help! You could have showed up sooner Tara! Damn you! We're all dead and dying and now you decide to show yourself! And why me? My dads the leader, go talk to him you idiot!" Tara's taken back by this. She had assumed that Doon would be the most accepting towards her and perhaps he'd let her join them. That he'd trust her and vouch for her and then they'd love her. They'd trust her. But now she sees how unreasonable the fantasy is. And she's blown her chance.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd accept me before now. I can see the future so I won't leave. I help your people. There's a long journey up ahead and some of you make it. Believe me. The radiation did it to me. That's why I'm all alone. My people think I'm different so I got thrown out of our town. I can take you to them to learn about the world or I could help." She knows the answer. It's in his eyes but yes too stubborn I admit it. He's curious about her though. "You see my eyes." He looks at them and its as if all the pain in his body fades out. His illness is muted. "I have powers because of the radiation. I can do things, I can see things. Past and future. I knew you were coming and I'm here now so trust me in helping most of you healthier ones live." Doon does. And he takes her to his dad. The council ask her about many things. The war which caused where they are, the town she came from. Almost everything she could do was revealed with examples. Doon managed to get Poppy immunised from the radiation via Tara but Lina wasn't convinced. Somehow, through all the good she did that day, Lina couldn't be certain this was the truth. She couldn't be trusted. Because the way Tara stated why they were all ill and then silenced at feeling and then seeing Lina made Lina think Tara was hiding something. Why was she really kicked out of her town? Also, Tara says Lina's immune to radiation already. So is Mrs Murdo. They're special Tara says. They're like her. But how they are and the others aren't is plainly bewildering. But who cares. The Emberites get to meet Tara and learn to trust her. And that's what she really wanted.