Starbound

12 - Waters of the Past

Zach

'Why spaceships mummy?'

'Why not?'

'But why not go into space?'

'Oh Zachary, I lost that chance years ago.'

'I wanna go to space mummy.' She laughed, causing me to giggle, even if I didn't know what she was laughing about.

'Come here,' She got up from her desk and walked to where I was sitting amongst my toys. She picked me up and supported me on her hip as she walked back to her desk. Her desk was a maze of papers and pens, as always.

'What are you making?'

'A spaceship.'

'For us?'

'No Zachary, but I wish it was,' She said with a sigh, 'It's for Angela.'

'Oh,' I pick up a piece of paper from the bottom of the stack. A half done design of a starship  was drawn in faint pencil, 'What is this?'

'Oh, that is just a sketch, nothing major. Now, be quiet, I need to work.'

I nodded, not uttering another word as I watched, mesmerised, at the way she dragged the pencil across the paper, measured perfect lines and typed long equations onto her old calculator.

...

All I could taste was water. Not even good pure water, but over-chlorinated pool water. I felt pressure on my chest, it seemed to wake my brain up. I coughed up water, struggling for air. I felt it trying to go back down my throat, trying to drown me again.

I roll onto my stomach, without gravity, the water stopped making its way down my throat. I cough it out until there is no more water left. I try to breath normally but I couldn't. There was something on my face, not letting air reach my nose. I try again, but I can't get a breath in. I feel my thoughts slowing down, feeling unconsciousness once again.

In one last desperate attempt, I reach up, getting ready to claw at whatever was stopping me from breathing. My fingers hit something hard, but before I can try pry it off, it's ripped off my face by some stranger's hands. I'm finally able to breath properly. The acidity of pool chlorine is the only thing I can smell, even taste, but at least I can breath.

I open my eyes to see a crowd of people, all huddled over me. I don't want them there, the attention they are giving me was more then I've ever had - except for when I was declared a Pair.

'Get away from him, give him some space to breath,' an older voice says. The Pairs scatter as the head diver came into view. Someone else walks behind her, carrying a long piece of fabric that is held by two long wooden poles.

'Who is this boy's Pair?' Everyone is quiet for a moment, looking around for my Pair.

A quiet voice answers 'Me, I-I am.'

'What is your name?'

'Charlotte Desquita.'

'And the boy's name?'

'Zach Os- sorry, Zachary Oscove.' The woman is quiet for a second, contemplating my name probably.

'Miss Desquita, you are to assist Dr Bryce Evyan in carrying the stretcher. You will follow him to infirmary. You do whatever Dr Evyan says. If you disobey his orders, even with good intrentions, you and your Pair will face punishment, understood?' A nod, 'Good. Now get going.'

'Firstly Miss,' says Dr Evyan, 'I need to you get all the other students out of here.'

The woman stares at him, the only noise for a few seconds was my own raspy breath. After a few moments the woman sighs, shoulders slumping as she just says 'Fine.'

The students all file out, followed by the woman. Charlotte stands there, face pale and barely moving. The doctor is digging around in a medicine bag at his waist. He pulls out a long syringe filled with liquid, and is halfway to putting it in my arm when Charlotte blurts out, 'What is that for? He is conscious and breathing.'

The doctor shakes his head, as if he's tired of dealing with ignorant children, 'I need him sedated.'

'Why?'

'Because of chlorine poisoning, the process of removing the poison is too painful for a conscious mind,' before Charlotte could say anything else, he's already leaning forward, the jab in my arm is painful, worse than usual.

My eyelids become heavy, my muscles relaxing. I think Charlotte says something else but I can't hear her. I feel myself being lifted up and the the surface underneath me bouncing around.

Are we in an earthquake?

But it isn't long before everything is black once again.