Race to the end

RaceTTEnd 4

Everyone sat staring at us. Embri smirked at me, her eyes glittering. I was wrong; only one other person didn’t have green or brown eyes. Emrbi had black eyes.  They grinned at me. I scowled back at their depths. I knew that she would be happy about this.

“Yes we have experienced feelings” A murmur rushed around the room when I mentioned it again. It was almost as though they couldn’t believe it. I myself found it hard to believe. I stood up from my chair and walked down the table. “We will deal with this issue…” I said watching all the people staring at me with wide eyes “… the same way we dealt with the flu epidemic” Hands rose around me.

“If we are dealing with it like the flu epidemic, does that mean that it is as dangerous as the virus?” Tamu asked curiously. Whispers turned into silence as everyone waited for me to respond. I cleared my throat, a small smile spreading over my face.

“It is in no way as bad as the flu epidemic, I just think that it should be dealt with quickly and severely, which as you all remember is exactly how we dealt with the flu” Heads nodded around me at my simple logic. Tamu looked perplexed but nodded his head as well. Snippets of whispers flew around the room.

“…that’s why she’s the leader”

“…she’s right”

“…she’ll get us through”

“…what a load of kilk!”

I started at the whispered swear word and my eyes travelled back up the table. They finally rested on Embri who was glowering at me. I stood my ground and faced her, a small hush and fell about the room.

“Embri” She met my eyes “You have something to add?” I asked clasping my hands behind my back. She smiled at me and the rest of the table. Surprisingly, she stood up and began to walk around the room. I followed her with my eyes. She stopped behind Mardi. I saw Mardi’s eyes widen. Was it just me that was unnerved by her smile?

“Tami, is under the influence of these feelings” She exclaimed her voice hard with finality. Gasps spread across the room, and murmurs began again. Eyes swivelled to me and back again when I caught their eyes. “She is not in her right mind to be in charge, she is ill” The murmurs stopped suddenly, all eyes turned to me. I was stood where I had been when she started and my face was blank. I now looked around the table.

“Rasha?” I asked quietly. She nodded near the end of the table. “Are these feelings, in the same class as an illness?” She looked at me for a while and then shook her head. I nodded to her, and then turned to Embri. “She is head of Biology and she says that it will not incapacitate me to have these feelings, therefore it will not. Unless Embri” She turned back to me having turned away “You think that you know more than she does?” Her eyes burned into mine and she scowled.

“Of course not” She replied curtly. She sat down then crossing her arms and staring out into nowhere. I returned to my seat as well and clasped my hands on the table. I scanned the table, they were all looking from me to Embri. I made a snap decision then.

“Rasha” I announced, her eyes found mine “We need to do an experiment” Her eyes widened and her lips parted slightly, but she nodded. I looked around the table “Mardi, Tamu, Rafy, Wabi and Fino, you will partake in a little experiment” Murmurs again filled the room. “I have noticed, looking around this room, the signs of feelings” Gasps filled the room and people looked frantically between each other “Each and every one of us has shown signs, even Embri” Their heads swivelled to her who glowered at me. I sighed; there was still a battle to be won there. “The people I have named will, after this meeting, go with Rasha to conduct the experiment” I crossed my arms over my chest and bowed muttering “ Aeternum Sumus“ Everyone else followed suit and then silently drifted out.

Only Embri and Ribo remained.

We sat in silence for a while. Emrbi fuming her arms still crossed tightly over her chest. Ribo, his face vacant and amused at the same time, his body slouched in the chair. I stared at Ribo. His eyes soon flickered to me. I felt my cheeks warm and I spiralled into confusion. What was that? How did my face catch on fire? It felt weird, unnatural… Maybe… no this was feelings. They were right, we were overcome with them. I leant my head back against the chair. Embri snorted. I looked at her, my eyes tired.

“They follow you no matter what” She stated malice in her tone. I just stared at her. “They don’t listen to anyone else” She paused her arms uncrossing. She leant over the table towards me. Her face inches from mine. I started watching her smile grow wide. “But not. For. Long!” She laughed. Laughed, emotion, feeling, she could not escape it either. I smiled sweetly.

“I doubt it, Embri” She still laughed.

“Very soon, no one will follow you, they will follow me!” And with that she stood up turning away from the table and heading out the door. I watched her go. So did Ribo. I looked over at him and felt the fire in my face again. I stood up seconds after Embri had left and turned to Ribo.

“I have to go” He stood then and came towards me. I stepped back slightly, but he closed the distance between us swiftly. I watched him with wide eyes as he picked up a piece of my blonde-blue hair. He twisted it in his fingers. His eyes locked onto mine and I thought I’d never be able to stop looking at him. He let go of my hair and placed his hand on my cheek.

“Why is your face red?” He asked quietly. I shook my head, for some reason words wouldn’t form. He caught my eyes again and moved closer to me. Both of his hands cupped my face. His hands were cold against the fire in my cheeks. His face came closer to mind. Closer, closer. I noses were almost touching. And that’s when it hit me, feelings this was feelings. I pulled away quickly, nearly tumbling over and bringing Ribo with me. He stared at me confused for a second. His face registered shock and confusion, but there was something else there. In his eyes, a glow. I turned away, standing up quickly and turning towards him. He was there again, right in front of me. I stepped back again. He followed. My cheeks burned. His eyes glowed.

I turned away from him and felt a hand on my shoulder. I pulled my shoulder forward shaking it off. Without turning I spoke to him

“I have to go” I left then, leaving him in the hub. I returned to the Hubbard and went into my house. I lay on my bed and looked out at the green sun. The shadows from the clouds fell around us.

It appeared that these feelings would be more troublesome than I thought.