An Inch Of Infinity (Short Version)

CHAPTER 46~Survivors

   There are stairs and we climb them to the top. Two rights, and then a left. We pass others stumbling to find who ever found the survivors. Kadek is soon running beside us. Unlike I expected, he seems perfectly fine, not out of breath, or even excited, just determined. We get to a room. There is a small window near the top. Hold a second, there wasn't a window, there was a hole cut purposely into the wall. Clumped in a corner towards the back of the room, is a group of people. They all have skin and hair like Kadeks, to some extent. A group of explorers with strings are there threatening to tie them up if they don't give us answers. I try to push through the crowd, but I can't. I'm looking for a way around when Kadek tells me to bend over, facing the survivors, away from him. Confused I do. He runs and jumps on my back, then jumps over the majority of the crowd from my back. I fell forward surprised but not injured. I can hear arguing towards the front. I climb a crate near the back. Kadek pushes to the group just as I reach the top of the crate.

"Kadek?" says a girl in the front of the group held in the corner.

"Kadek!" says another. Soon they all are talking, asking how he is alive and what are we doing here and what is he doing here and other random seeming things. People start to relax when Kadek gets so happy. He doesn't answer their questions, just asks them one of his own.

"Where is Areif?" he asks them,his voice sounding more like a plea then a question. The girl in the front shakes her head. Now that things all calmed down, I count them.. Exactly a dozen more survivors. 7 girls 5 boys. So one more girl survived than boys if you include Kadek. Speaking of Kadek, he's hugging them all. Happy tears running down his cheeks.

"Kadek!" I yell. He looks my way. I beken for him to come closer. He beckons me. I shrug, and push my way through the crowd by putting my hands together in front of me, extending my arms, and walking through, halfway pushing aside people. Soon I'm next to Kadek. His smile is taking up his whole face. He might be stuck that way.

"Do you think they trust us?" I whisper. The girl in front answers for him

"I've done stranger things, so trusting you, shouldn't be too bad." I see the light of her voice translator glowing as she talks. I wonder how she got it on. I notice the others have them on to. Some are awkwardly rubbing their necks and ears to get used to the new weight.

Her voice is like honey, or maybe even frosting. Either way, she has a voice that makes me want to follow her every command. She is also very pretty, gorgeous even. She is different from the others. Her skin is lighter than Kadek and the other survivors, but still darker than mine. Her hair is black, like the others, but is darker seeming, and is loosely wrapped around her head,it looks like a wig! She has golden earrings with a design of a flower in the middle that shines in the low light of the moon coming from outside. She has a silk dress that seems to be made to look beautiful, with one strap made of what looks like a black net. From the way it shines, I can tell it's woven out of silk. How much silk does this girl have? She has a bracelet of identical wooden beads on her left wrist, and she has what looks like wooden sandals with straps made of dry reeds.

I probably wouldn't have stopped staring, but she looked at me, and I looked away embarrassed. Kadek is talking to them all rapidly, and even with the translator on, I can't understand him. I try my very best, but all I can get out is that he missed them. We all followed our strings back to the exit.

The wind must have closed the door. I opened it by following my string to it. In the low light of our flashlights, the dull handle had blended into the dark wood. Before we even left, I had a strange feeling that we were forgetting something.everyone was at the exit, so that wasn't it. Then it hit me.

"Kadek, ask them where the food is!" I say. The same girl from before answered again.

"We can hear and understand you, if you insist we wear these horrid devices, at least have the guts to talk to us directly!" she huffed. Her voice went from frosting, to knives and daggers. Her now threatening voice forced me to step back.

"I'm sorry, I keep forgetting. Do you think you could lead us to where the food is that you lived off of?" I ask politely.

"Who says we have food? Not to mention, who says we would share that information with the likes of you?" she says smartly. I sigh.

"I know you didn't get off to a good start, but we are going to need supplies. The sooner we have supplies, the sooner we can leave. If you wish, you can stay, but we are leaving for the major island. Australia. Kadek already decided to stay here, and you can too. If not, you may leave with us. It's your choice, but we have to stay through the winter, and do some maintenance on our boats, not to mention we are trying to build a new village for those who decide to remain. We need all the help we could get." I say. She opens her mouth to speak, but it's one of the other survivors who spoke up.

"You don't speak for all of us Kiki, just yourself, as always. This way, we built a camp next to the supplies." he said. His voice was low and gruff. Kiki looked insulted and then smoothed her hair, took a deep breath and ignored us. Oh brother I think to myself.

The survivor who spoke up motioned for us to follow him. He walked towards the town hall. We followed him into the old building. Without a match, he lit a small candle and walked purposefully down a corridor.