Makeshift

Chapter 4

I wake up with my face still inches from the wall and am surprised I was able to fall asleep. The first image that comes to mind in Linden. I try to forget about it. I try to remind myself he is gone. But I still see his face in the corner of my eye, and I can’t help but look over just to be sure he isn’t standing right there. I run my hand through my hair, which is tangled, but I don’t pay much attention to the knots. I roll over and stand up at the end of the bed. It’s very early, the sun hasn’t even raised yet. But Ryker is not there. I am surprised, seeing as how he must be used to sleeping in as long as he wants to.

I think about how Ryker could see the transparent too, and again I wonder what’s so frightening about it. I wonder if he even knows. Then I remember that Linden saw them too. He looked at them, not the air they were supposed to appear as. Linden saw them. Just like Ryker and I. What if we are the only three who can see them? Or were. Now there are only two. And just two is frightening the government to large extents. I don’t think they could have handled three.

Ryker walks in and looks surprised to see me up, “It’s only four a.m.” I shrug as if it’s nothing, which it isn’t. There are no affordable clocks or watches, so I usually ignore time. Until I have to go inside when the sun sets. Dahlia said once to me that time is an illusion made up by the government. I walked away after she said that, wondering if she really was crazy. My eyes fall back on Ryker, who leans against the wall with his hands in his jeans. I wonder how he got jeans. He was wearing his officer pants last I saw. He must have traded something- no it’s too early for that. He stole them. He also wears a plain black t-shirt that makes his eyes a lot darker and bluer. I like it.

“Okay so once the sun comes up in about an hour, we’re going to head out to Friis estate and see if they will take you in.” I shudder at the word estate with distaste for it. I never liked the people who live in estates. They have more money than they need, and they spend it on space they don’t need. It doesn’t make sense to me. Money can have better purposes. “Put these on,” he throws something silk at me and I almost hiss in disgust. I will not dress like a prissy girl and I can’t imagine why he wants me to.

“No way. There is no way I’m wearing that thing,” I say, quite angry at him, for what, I don’t have a great reason.

“They’re more likely to say yes if you look presentable,” he says it calmly and after saying it looks at me and sees my sneer. He fumbles to correct his mistake, “That is, by government standards, it’s not that you don’t look presentable now-“he stops and looks at me to see what my reaction is. But all I do is pick up the silk clothing and sneer at it this time, instead of him. “Fine,” I mumble, “You go outside while I change.”

“No. You need protection.”

“Then protect from the outside.” I don’t know why he’s so obsessed about protecting me. Maybe because he thinks what I do, that we are the only two that see the transparent. He pauses for a moment but does not go outside. He opens the doorway and stands in it, facing away from me. At least he’s facing away. I sigh and except the fact I’m not going to be able to make him go all the way outside and close the door behind him. I hate to admit it, but it feels good having someone protecting me. I’ve spent my whole life protecting myself and Linden from my father, I’ve never noticed how much I miss being protected myself.

I look at the silk and observe it. It is a light teal, long dress. It is bad enough Ryker is making me dress in silk, but a dress? I shudder and realize I have never worn a dress before. I just always loathed the girls that did. It takes me a minute to understand the mechanics of this flimsy fabric. I throw the dress over me and am not sure if I have it on backwards or not, but decide it doesn’t matter. I walk into the doorway with Ryker and shiver, the sleeves are barely even here on this dress, and it is freezing. I look at Ryker for a second before I realize he is looking at me. Heat rushes to my face and I hope he doesn’t notice. This dress makes me feel like I’m wearing practically nothing, and it makes it worse when Ryker looks up and down and me. I choke some words of disdain out, “I can’t believe you made me wear this.” He finally looks away from me and smirks at another house, “I can’t believe you put it on.” He’s still smirking while he looks back over at me. “You look presentable,” he says as he looks into my eyes.