Paradise Among Metal

Chapter 17

Cora flew past fruit trees ripe with fruit, whooping. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw people watching her in surprise, but she didn't care. She rejoiced anyways.

When she reached the bottom of the slope, Cora sprang forward and did a cartwheel for the first time since elementary school, which she could now remember. Her memories were just flowing back.

After completing the cartwheel, Cora laughed, still in disbelief.

She did it.

She was in Paradise.

Cora wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans and gasped.

She had color.

Her jeans were a dark indigo, soaked in sweat from her sprint down the hill. Her skin was a warm shade of beige, and when she clenched her hand, the cuticles of her fingernails turned pink.

Cora saw a pond nearby, hidden in a small grove of fruit trees. It seemed to be reflective, so she went over to check herself out.

Sure enough, Cora had full color now. Her tank top was light pink, and her face flushed with red as a result of her run. Her hair still remained the same shade of black, though, but Cora expected it to remain the same. The steel-gray shade of her eyes also stayed the same, standing out from her half-Japanese, half-white features. Some kids used to tease her for them, calling her Moon-Eyes. Cora didn't care, to be honest. She liked her eyes.

Cora became aware of the burn at the back of her throat. She craved water.

"Is the pond safe to drink from?" She wondered aloud. A pleasant, clear voice answered.

"Of course. You cannot get sick here. Unless you want to, but that is very few."

Cora whipped around. A pink ball of light hovered at around her eye level. She squinted at it.

"Did you say that?"

"Yes. Welcome back to Paradise, Cora Satomi Abbey. Paradise congratulates you and your friends for being the first people from Metal to make it back."

Cora felt too thirsty to give a lengthy reply. "Thanks."

She laid down on her stomach and began to suck water from the pond. It felt nice and cool in her mouth, and when she swallowed it, the burning in her throat ceased. She kept drinking it, ignoring the ball of light.

A glass of ice appeared in the grass next to her.

"I think this would make drinking a bit easier," the ball of light said, jabbing itself towards it. Cora picked the glass up and filled it in the pond, thanking the ball of light once again.

"Do you have any questions? Surely you must have several."

"You're right, I do." Cora took a sip of water. "First off, what are you? Are you the authority here?"

"We are called Persephonites. We are both the authorities and public servants here. We do serve a larger authority, though, but he rarely shows himself. We are here to serve everyone and rule fairly. Any other questions?"

Cora remembered thinking of her mother on the path to Paradise, thinking she'd be waiting for her here, before she got all of her life memories back. Cora only had memories of her time alive. She remembered none of the time she spent in Paradise before being condemned to Metal.

"Yeah, like I said, I have several. I know my mother was still alive when I died. Is she still alive? And why can't I remember my time here before being sent to Metal?"

"Your mother, Megumi "Meg" Abbey, is still alive. Would you like to view her in the land of the living?"

Cora frowned at the Persephonite. It seemed computer-like, but not quite, and it bothered her. However, she was in Paradise. She couldn't complain.