Gentia

Chapter 3

Adelice and Aaron continued to walk down the hallway in silence for about another 30 minutes. Adelice had eventually wandered ahead to get away from him. She figured you didn’t need anyone to lead you down a never ending hallway. Aaron didn’t say anything about it. She did notice him get out an iPod, though she didn’t remember him taking it out of his pocket. He was currently humming something and tapping beats against the opposite wall. Well, at least he’s out of my hair. Now I can think.

Adelice started to walk. Her clothes had dried, but they left a chill in her body. A long while back, she had taken her shoes off and just held them in her right hand. She had gotten annoyed at the squish squish noise they made. She didn’t know what to make of the situation. Most of all, she was worried for Xavier and her parents. She didn’t ask Aaron any questions about them because she knew, as usual with all of his people, the answer would be stupid and not an answer at all.

They just kept walking and walking. She felt so exhausted from the previous night. What she really needed right now was some sleep, or a good book. Then she noticed it was completely silent except for the pitter patter of her feet. She stopped and turned around. Aaron was no where to be found. She turned around again and saw him. But the weirdest thing was, the hallway had changed. Aaron was standing a few feet ahead, smiling his stupid smile that she had gotten acquainted to by now.

“How did you get there?!” She said in a low voice. She turned around again and saw that even behind her the hallway had changed as well. The hallway was now completely white. She could see the ceiling now, which was also white. She couldn’t tell where the light was coming from. It was so bright. Adelice did a series of turns back and forth, and movements of her head, up and down, side to side.

“You look like an idiot.” Aaron laughed.

“Now is not the time to joke, Aaron!”

“Okay! Okay. Come on, it’s just up ahead, Ada.”

Adelice inwardly groaned at life. She walked over to Aaron’s side.

“So, how d’you like the walk?”

“My opinion can’t be expressed in words.” Aaron laughed hard. She noticed he had a dimple in his left cheek. She looked ahead and saw that the hallway split in two.

“OH THANK GOD!” She ran up to the intersection like a little girl who had been promised a pony. She turned around with a smile and asked in a hurried voice, ”Which way do we go?” Aaron let out a short laugh and said, “I don’t know.” The excitement drained out of her.

“Wait, what?”

“I don’t know, so you choose.”

“WHAT is that supposed to mean? How are we supposed to go to my brother if you don’t even know which way to go?!”

“Trust m-”

“TRUST YOU! How can I do that after all you have done to me? You need to stop messing with me and tell me which way to go. Now.”

“So demanding. By the way I noticed you didn’t say anything about the sudden change in hallway. Why was that?”

“I didn’t ask because all you would say is ‘Patience, young grasshopper.’,” She imitated a stereotypical old wise man who had a beard, ”And stop trying to change the subject!”

“Wow. You know me so well already. I’m truly touched.  Just pick a hallway and it will be the right way. You have seen so much weirdness already, why not see some more?” She considered his point. It was true; so far she wasn’t dead.  She reluctantly turned around and looked at the two paths.