I woke up as the curtains sieved the morning rays. I blinked a few times and covered my eyes and saw my nails. I sat straight up. My nails were short. Very very short in the matter of fact due to my bad habit of biting them when no one is looking. But how did they all grew so long in just one night? I remember they were still those short, dried, and chipped nails yesterday. I stared and slowly rubbed them. They're real. What was I thinking? How can nails be fake? Yes, I know we got the LaPri machine, the spherical object with a small entrance for fingers and a hole on top just to see the process. Mother had bought for me last year but I never used them nor touched them. They produce those red lasers and started cutting off chips of your fingers as you put them on the entrance hole. After the process, it started using a hot molten substance-in which I forgot the name and carved them to make the fake nails. The thought of it accidentally cut my finger through and burning the skin off them is just terrifying.
They are actually beautiful. A light shade of pink, glimmering as I moved them. I looked at my girls and saw Hera was already awake while the others are still sound asleep. I rubbed my eyes as I looked at the blue sky. Judging by the position of the sun, it's still around 8 or 9 right now. I stood up and walked a good 2 steps before stopping. My foot dangling above the first lily pillar. I felt light. Not lightheaded. But the light in terms of mass. And moreover, I felt full of energy. I put my foot down and stretched. Not like usual, I have no pain or uncomfortable zone. I looked at the sky again, on the flying bird as my eyes followed the direction of its flight. This time with focus. And I saw every single detail of the bird. What color it is... how big it is... even the color of its eyes.
What causes these changes? I did a mental re-step of the last few days. The Radiation Shield is still on, so it can't be it. The fish I cooked last night? The girls have no changes. Or is it... the glowing water? High chance it is. 500 ml could do such a change. I took out my canteen and read digital measurement. 1.5L. I pressed my bracelet and the digital mirror appeared. Slowly, I pressed the button behind my ears. My eyes shifted to green and my hair to white. I sighed and pressed the button again.
I placed the canteen on my marble bed before spreading my arms and let the wide sleeves float with the winds. It's so perfect. As if it was made for me...
My eyes stared at the canteen. If I drink all those 1.5 L, will it cure my eyes and hair? Slowly but surely, I brought it close. Just as the tip of the cylindrical white canteen touched my lips, I heard a thump. I quickly slid the canteen inside my bracelet. Luckily, brother upgraded it to store objects no matter how big or small.
I turned around and saw my girls growling, snarling, barking at a little boy covered in a cloak. Dirty, tired, scared. All those expressions just blended together in his minuscule face. I smiled and signaled him to go closer. The girls saw my action and retreated. The boy stopped by the edge of the lake. Unable to find a way to cross. He looked at the lilies and then me and the lilies and me. I smiled again and walked towards him. I can feel the wind blowing my hair and dress, feel the tingling sensation of the pollen thick air. I stopped in front of him. The boy looked up to my eyes.
"Halbe..." he whispered. Help.
How and when did I learn this language? I just shrugged it off and decided to talk to him.
"Pi lam. Hik dos dewaq halbe kon?" I am shocked. Very shocked. I was just saying "Of course, how can I help you?" but how does my tongue just twist the words like this?!
The boy smiled and took off his hood. "Trishma" he said. Thank you.
I smiled. Half because of his bright smile, half because whatever blabber I just said just now is actually their language. On his forehead, I saw scales, loads of them. Just like what a snake would have. I gasped. He's a BarBar. Is this what he needed help with?
He walked closer and pointed at his hair. When the north wind blew again, chunks of his hair went together with the wind.
"Mosf kin poper mushpi kin rof sgi. Heyt tyo mushpi kin gid halbe het dieses." he said as his eyes watered. All my people kicked me out for this. They thought kicking me out can help cure the disease. I patted him slowly, not wanting to pull off more of his hair.
"Ont'd worie." I smiled. Don't worry.
I sighed as I stared at my bracelet. It had turned invisible after I didn't touch it for a while.
I must not let him found out about this water source or else every single BarBars is going to hunt me down for this small canteen since the rest of the glowing water must have been drunk up by the thirsty sands.
I gave him one last smile and turned towards the lake. Making sure he couldn't see my actions, I pulled out the canteen and put a drop on the pond. I quickly slid it back in as the boy walked to my side. Not knowing how to act, I decided to do some random movements like what I believe a "witch" in those ancient times will do.
Coincidentally, the lake glowed. He gasped and held my long sleeves. I patted his back as I tried hiding the feeling of awe in me. This is definitely not what I planned.
The boy took out a bowl out of his cloak and stared at me for permission. I nodded. He gladly dipped it in the water and slowly took a sip. All a sudden, his partly bald head grew thick hairs. He touched them and giggled. BarBars are not that bad after all.
"Birg home." I said. Bring home.
He nodded vigorously.
"Tok olyn oen silp" I instructed him. Take only one sip.
He nodded. "Trishma!"
He ran out the oasis and to what I thought his home.
How great it is to know the way back home...
YOU ARE READING
HOPE
Science Fiction-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- "Saevi Amaeri, do you know what you've gotten into?" Mother asked as she stood up and stared at me. "Yes, mother. It's a risk I'm willing to take for the Main Lands. For the ICI." -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_...
