Tandem

chapter 8

Tymon

i can see it. the edge. i can see the edge. i can see the fence lining it. humming with electricity. at least ten feet tall. i can see the door where i will be thrown through. i can see my family, in my mind, continuing life without me. i can see my peers slowly forgetting me, days after i had perished. I can see a new child assigned to my family before they realize I'm missing. All my records erased. Basically, I myself will be erased. i can see it all. and i can see the clouds. wait, clouds?

my stomach drops. I've already been thrown off the edge. i realize im falling. i start to panic and jerk around in the air. I'm zipping through the air, gaining speed, and getting closer and closer to the ground. i try to think of what to do. "spread out and try to slow down." i say to myself. and thats what i do. i spread out my arms and legs and my jacket and try to create a parachute. it slows me down a little but I'm too fast.

This is because of me. Because of my own foolishness. I shouldn't have thought about the choice. I shouldn't have been able to think about that. But that's how I've always been. Ever since I can remember I've been different. I've been able to control my dreams and thoughts. The drugs I was administered as a young child did not work on me. They're supposed to remove emotion and self awareness. Curiosity and wonder. But I stayed Immune to the treatments. I stayed me.

When I was little I had made a friend named Ran. An odd name for our society. He was far older than me, and he was the same as me. He had free will. And a free mind. He told me of things I never imagined. About earth, the drugs, and the truth about tandem. I met him one day as I was walking home from church. He was sitting on a bench in a dark alleyway, scribbling on a paper. He was drawing. I asked him what he was drawing. "Home," he told me. What I saw on his paper was a beautiful field full of trees and bushes. and people running and dancing. "That's earth." I told him. He was a bit taken aback by this remark, but we became friends afterwards, discussing all sorts of things. Mostly earth and tandem. And their truths.

Being as young as I was, I believed everything he said. He was also the one who helped me train for the future. We wrestled and hunted together. Of course, not real hunting. We hunted each other with stun guns. And everyday I went to see him after church. He taught me how to set up a camp, and how to fish and hung. He taught me all these new and strange things. And I'm grateful for it now.

But there was something always odd about him. He had darker skin than I, and darker hair too. And I never saw him out in public, only by the loading docks. When I confronted him about this, he said it was best for him to remain hidden.

Then one day when I was about 11 or 12 years old, I went to meet up with him on Orkut, the second day of the week we have as recreation, and he wasn't at the loading docks. All of his supplies were there. His pack, food, suit... Everything. All wrapped up in a little bundle. it looked like he was prepared to leave. But there also was there was a small red pool of blood, and a note. The note was blank, but I held onto it regardless. I haven't seen him since.

Refocusing on life now, can see the ground clearly. It's later in in the day and I can't see any place to land. And I'm going too fast. i cant make it. I won't be able to slow down enough to land, and I don't see any trees or platforms to land on. i close my eyes and count. 1, 2, 3, 4... i open my eyes. I'm less than 400 feet now. 5, 6, 7, 8... Waiting for impact. "Goodbye," I think to myself quickly. I straighten in the air, my body vertical feet first, and cross my arms across my chest. I've barely reached eight when i hit the water.