INKWELL

Chapter Ten

September 11, 2081

I used the last bit of strength I had to pull myself up to a flat surface on the wall of our semi circle world, a rope tied around my waist, and secured high up in the wall. Safety was important because a drop from this height could kill a person. Only few people ventured here because apart from the stress of climbing up the rope to this height, they also didn't want to risk falling from it.

There were a few times we spotted flying animals, there were only a few of them but they flew at an amazing speed. Luckily for us, on the rare times they appeared, they stayed high in the sky and rarely ever came close to us. However, no one wanted to risk getting hit by one or picked up and eaten.

We were still settled close to one of the walls of Inkwell and though it was very high, there were flat surfaces on the way up. It was like a mountain and there were footholds for a person to use to get up. The surface I sat on was not up to the middle of the whole wall, it jutted out a few inches away from the wall.

There were a few ropes fixed deep in the wall for anyone to use to climb but I'd only noticed a few people climbing it. I was among the few people who used the ropes. Sometimes I came here to look around at our new home and remember all that had happened on earth.

We were in a new world, a new history had been made but I didn't want to forget our old one. I didn't want to forget about earth and all the memories that had been formed there. I had already started writing down things in a book and I was going to share my idea of having a history book with Angela later. The future should at least know about our history.

"Ivy?"

I looked up and raised a brow when I saw Caleb staring at me. He seemed to have just come up too but apart from the sweat on his body, he didn't seem as exhausted as I was.

"What are you doing here?" I asked and took a deep gulp of air after. Clearly, I had not yet caught my breath from climbing.

"I come here sometimes. It's a sort of exercise for me."

I could see his muscle as his shirt clung to his built frame. Even though I had refused to date Caleb, a lot of girls were batting their eyes in his direction. He was attractive so that was no surprise.

He took a seat next to where I lay on the ground. "So...what are you doing here?"

"This is my special spot. I come here at times to relax and just think."

"I wonder why I've never seen you." He glanced at me before turning to look at the sky above us. "You still think of earth?"

I nodded but realised he wasn't looking at me so I said, "Yes. All the time."

He sighed and leaned back on his elbows. "I think of earth too. It's hard to forget it. I lost a lot of friends there. Half of my football team died... After the ink came, life just changed."

I thought back to that, remembering how my own life changed too. So many things has happened. Ivy of eight years ago was completely different from the Ivy of now. I had lost a lot of things, and gained a lot of things.

We talked for a while, exchanging stories and memories of our time on earth, and I was reminded of how nice Caleb was. I hadn't taken time to really get to know him. Apart from the first few conversations on the ship and when we landed, I only saw him and had casual conversation with him. However, I was glad about this talk and it was relieving just talking and sharing things with someone. Something I hadn't had time to do since our arrival.

At some point, he laid down beside me and I put my head on his shoulder. We sat silently, watching the sky.

"You know, Inkwell somehow represents our life."

I shifted my head slightly to look at him. "How?"

"A part of it is dark and the other is full of light. It's as if it's showing how our past was bleak but now we are saved, we are in the light. In the reverse, it is showing that we are saved in the light and our future is..."

I frowned. "Bleak?"

He chuckled, the vibrations running through my body. "Not bleak, just uncertain..."

I looked towards the darkened part of Inkwell. An unknown part. It was like dark clouds had gathered together with no single speck of light. I hoped uncertain didn't mean bleak.

"But you know what they say," he playfully bumped me with his shoulder, "There is always light at the end of the tunnel." He stood up and held out a hand to me. "We should get going or someone would wonder where we are."

I held his hand and he pulled me up swiftly. I didn't expected to feel dizzy as he pulled me up and I almost fell back, but he held my shoulders.
"Are you alright?"

I nodded, feeling more dizzy as I did, and looked up at him. Like chains, his eyes trapped me. I couldn't stop gazing into them. It was like the intensity in which he was looking at me had pulled real chains over my body. It was just like in the movies, and just like in the movies, someone interrupted us, breaking the connection of our stare. A man came to the top of where we were standing, huffing and puffing.

We pulled apart and turned to him while he tried to catch his breath. When he finally seemed a bit calmer, he looked up and then made the mistake of looking over the edge. His face twisted as if he was going to be sick.

"What's it?" Caleb asked, frustration underlying his voice, voicing my own frustration.

I didn't know exactly why I was frustrated, whether it was because the man had interrupted a moment or because he was taking his time to say whatever he wanted to say. I was not ready to dissect the reason for my frustration so I shook the thought out of my mind and glared at the man.

When the man looked up at our angry eyes, he seemed to gain composure. "It's Mrs. Angela. She fainted."

I rushed to one of the ropes and slid down quickly. The gloves on my hand protected me from the harsh burning I would have felt if I had used my bare hands. Caleb slid down on his rope too, and got to the bottom before I did. Together, we ran towards the house.

When we got to her room, we met Angela laying on a bed, waving the doctor away.

Caleb rushed to her. "What happened, mum?"

"It's nothing serious. I just felt a little weak."

I moved closer, noting the eye bags under her eyes. "You need to rest."

She smiled at me. "I'll try."

I held her hands, hoping she would feel better. Angela Cassey was a good woman, she was like a third mother to me—my first being my biological mum and my second being Mrs. Abimbola. I hoped she would get better.

We needed her.

I needed her.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Another cute moment with Caleb, what do you think? But it was interrupted. 😢

I wonder why they are frustrated though. 😂

What do you think is happening to Angela Cassey? Would she be fine or is this another battle Ivy and the rest of the world would have to fight?

If you liked this chapter, remember to
•vote, 🌟
•comment and 💬
•share. ⏩

©Jesutofunmi Fekoya2019