Bliss

27 - Sky

"Look at this," Zayn mutters, running his hand over the arm where the line crossed through. The line is also partially a scab--the tool was apparently sharp, injecting the ink straight into his skin. He glares at it, now, ever so often. I think it's to make me feel bad, but honestly, it isn't working. Not at all. There are much worse things to worry about.

Like the fact that I am the farthest from home that I've ever been.

It is hard to walk, but I was forced to resolve to it after the wheelchair was slowing us down. I can tell Zayn is sick of me. And as for Louis and Liam, I don't think they want me here either, for whatever reason.

We trekked sand and grass for a long time, on the outskirts of the town, and it feels dangerous. My feet and legs ache, both the bones and the muscles, and I keep running out of breath despite walking the slowest out of the four of us. I hold the apparent weapon Liam gave me, and it feels evil. They tell me it can kill people. In my care, it probably would.

"Here we are," Zayn says, pulling down the sleeve over his arm. In the dark, I can barely make out the shed at the end of the beach. It isn't the same beach that Ingrid and I are so used to going to. It's different, littered in rocks and seaweed, reeking of something more than fish--gasoline, and food, but not canned food.

I remember my orders not to speak, so I resit talking.

We approach the shed, and I lean against its wall for support as Zayn knocks on the door. Liam adjusts the duffle bag over his shoulder and the weapon in his hand. Louis glances at me momentarily, nervously, before looking away.

Even the wood of the shed smells like the sea, like the spray of the waves.

The door opens. "Zayn. Is that you?"

Zayn nods. "And Louis, and Liam."

"Is Harry here?" The man is standing inside. I crane to try and see him but he is cloaked in darkness. There is no light inside the shed.

"No."

"Good. Everything's set up."

Zayn gestures for the boys to follow them. Liam holds the door open for everyone, including me. He walks in last, checking the landscape before closing the door behind him.

Inside, the shed smells of mold. The smell of gasoline is also more potent here. It makes me want to gag.

It's hard to make out the boys. The man is somewhere in the room as well. I can hear his voice, and it is gruff and deep. "The boat's all ready. It has just enough fuel to get you to Old Zealand."

"And the radar?"
"All signals are disabled. No one will able to track you unless they fly overhead with a thermal camera." A deep, throaty laugh. "Relax, Zayn. I'm not the one in charge. And you're not either. Harry's gon' get it, big time, but you . . . they'll let you three off the hook. Or four. Are we missing someone?" A pause. "I swear, Oceania changes people. Never thought Niall would be one to get a sex-change operation, but--"

"That's Sky," Louis says, half laughing. "Niall, uh, changed plans."

The man pats one of them on the back, and the sound is hard. It sounds like it hurt. "Alright, get rolling. Keep in mind I need to set up, too."

"Thank you, Paul. For all of your support."

Another deep laugh. "You're welcome. Stay safe. If anything happens, I'll hold them off."

Louis grabs my arm--I can tell its his hand because it's the smallest, and because his grasp isn't all that hard--and he guides me out another door, a back door. Instantly, a spray of water rushes up and hits our feet. It's a dock, for boats. For trade. Or maybe not quite for trade. There is only one boat, and it's all the way at the end.

The dock is creaky as we walk, and the water underneath gets deeper the further we go.

Once we reach it, in the dim light of the moon--it is bright, and full in the sky--I can make out the words "SEAHORSE" on the boat's side. It is yellow and stained where it floats over the water. It's also large, with a door that probably leads into a room somewhere inside. I've never seen one in person, only in textbooks, and even there they looked old, ancient, and nothing that would exist in our time. The only way to get in so take a long step. Zayn, of course, jumps first. Then, Louis. Liam stands behind me as Louis helps me get on, and it isn't as scary as I thought it would be. Once Liam is on as well, he closes the door, and the gap in the railing is filled.

The boat rocks back and forth gently.

Louis guides me through the door. We climb down a ladder, with great difficulty on my part, until we see four cots and what looks like a giant plastic box.

"He even stocked us with food," Louis says, stepping towards it. He smiles and opens it. My eyes widen.

A bag of something called chips, and four more of pretzels, all large. Cans of something called soda. Water bottles.

"Is this for real?" I ask, breaking the no speaking rule for the last time. Suddenly, the boat jerks forward. We're moving.

"Yes, from now on, it'll all be real," Louis says. "Trust me."

And for the first time, I feel like I am really leaving.