Generation Gem

The Coal Jailhouse

It was surprisingly hassle free making it through the Pearl Eds streets undetected. Every time I got the feeling that someone was checking me out because they thought I looked familiar, figuring out where they had seen my face before, I kept my head down. Considering the wanted posters were all over the place, walking these roads was a breeze. Nobody really took any notice of us.

I made sure to constantly keep Miles in my sight. He was a fast mover and I didn't want to lose him, he seemed to be the key that would allow me to find my way to The Coal Jailhouse.

The Rubies world had been bright and vivid. The Diamonds Generation creepy and haunting. The Emeralds magic and charming. But walking through Pearl Eds was nothing but beige and boring. I had spent eighteen years in this world and had only seen my school and the tiny tents that were our solitary homes. But taking in this world now, I realised there had never been all that much to see in the first place.

I passed vast grey school buildings and the occasional shop for supplies. Every where I looked, people were wearing beige. There were no trees or anything pretty to look at. Just buildings and never ending streets.

After about an hours walk, I saw hundreds of tents in rows appear, making me shudder. Seeing these solemn white tents reminded of a time when I was lonely. It took me back to a place where I had never met Mel or Popkins, or even Drew and Maisie. I deliberately kept the thought of Jamie out of my head. Thinking of him, of what we had shared last night, was too much pain to for me to handle right now. The only way I could deal with Jamie was to convince myself he didn't exist. Otherwise I would never make it.

Another hour passed before eventually, I saw Miles disappear into his tent. I gave it a few minutes and made sure to check all around me before following him in. His tent was exactly the same as mine had been, the same as every Pearl Eds student called their home. A bed and a chest of drawers to house any belongings and that was it. Each row of tents had their own communal bathroom area which you were only allowed to enter one at a time so as not to interact with anyone. Everything in this generation had been done with the mind to keep students apart from each other at all times.

Miles was huddled awkwardly at the top of his bed, his large frame nearly taking over it all. I sat timidly at the foot, looking at the floor.

"Nobody saw you come in, right?"

"No. It was all clear."

He nodded.

"Good. There is a train in about half hour. The track is only a five minute walk away if we cut through a forbidden route that I'm technically not supposed to know about. So we jump on the Pearl Express, then we will be in what I call the wasteland. Authorities live around these empty parts and I have no doubt it will be hard to get through. I have no idea how long it will take us to get to The Coal Jailhouse from there, I have only ever made it as far as the train journey. But that's where you having a wand comes in handy."

I gave a small grunt to show I was listening, and partly to show that I didn't really care. I just wanted to find Popkins and bring him home, safe.

Miles shifted on the bed, I could tell he had been looking at me ever since I walked in, but I refused to acknowledge him.

"Have you ever been on The Pearl Express, Cassie?"

I shook my head, still looking at the floor.

"Ah, it's great fun. It's half commuter train, half cargo. We will have to climb on at the cargo end. If we just hold on to one of the ladders through the outskirts of this part of the world, then we can go and sit up on the roof for the rest of the journey. The train doesn't go too fast. Gets a bit chilly up there but it's quite fun actually."