Back To Terra

Chapter 1- Nice to... meet you

We were lying on the only green patch of grass on this entire tract. We come here often, maybe if we're bored, or after big events, if someone needs to talk or if one of us is in a fight with our parents, that's where we go. The Fix.

That's what we call it anyway, I don't know if anyone else knows it's here besides us six. In Tract 5, between Raider Forest and Mount Vega, under the Oak Tree in the middle of the field. It's too far into Lyra for anyone to come across, no one travels this far in-land.

Everyone else stays near the ocean borders because that's where our ancestors believed we should go in case one day the Terras came back for us ,so they built every single house near (if not right inside) the ocean.

This was over 100 years ago, so personally I believe they're dead. All of them. Not to be such a pessimist but that's what we all believe- this group that I'm in. It's actually one of the many reasons we all became friends. Our negativity and doubt of ever surviving on this planet is probably how we all met;

-

It was a misty day, like most in Tract 2, the air surrounding us... drowning us in one big cloud of blindness. You couldn't even get past the fog to your own hand if you placed it in front of your face. All that you could ever see on a misty day was white air. It smelt of the ocean salt and smoke, factory smoke.

We were instructed to stay indoors during weather like this but we never really listened. Considering the weather was like this most of the time, the whole community decided we weren't really going to follow this rule anymore... only took us 100 years.

After a while, around sunset, the fog had started to clear to a point where you could see other people standing around you. We were all called to the Community Centre's Grand Hall in Tract 1 to discuss the Annual Plan on how to meet at the emergency assembly point: in an "orderly" manner, line up and board the... vehicle when our "rescuers" come.

My parents and I always had fights about going to these meetings, I've always thought of them as pointless because, well, we've sort of been here a long time and nothing's changed. The plan is always the same but my parents still force me to go, they still have faith in the matter.

"Angela! Where are you going?" my mother argued, "You know we are not just going to let you leave."
"I just wanted to go for a walk. I promise I'll be back in time for the meeting mom." I was actually telling the truth this time, I was tired of fighting with her, constantly going back and forth in a battle I was not going to win.

That day I went around the block and back, pondering all the small pointless things in life, looking at the houses, the people, and the way they act. The houses were large, tall buildings, painted either blue or gray. They looked like the pictures of "businesses" that the school had showed us in text books about Terra after the... destruction and the chaos.

I just got back from the walk when my parents had finished getting ready. "Come on Ang, we're going to miss Mayor Downing's speech." I walked in and put my coat on the wooden table in the dining room... We don't actually ever use that table, after we get our food from the Local Service Delivery we all just disperse to our own retreat, so why do we even have this table?

I made my way to the bathroom in the passage just in time for my dad to stop me, he grabbed my arm, "I would've kept on walking, I mean why would you come back for this, hey Ang?" he whispered to me before walking away and chuckling to himself.

My dad was a bit of a delusional man but he was sane enough for us to keep him. I giggled, why did I come back? I mean there's a whole world out there that we're not supposed to see... I don't know why, no one does really, but I could've been discovering out there. I washed my face, discarded the outrageous thought from my mind and headed for the door.

We drove there. Normally we'd walk, it's only a 30 minute walk. I followed my parents around like a sheep, only because I was taught to stay close to them since I was young and can't seem to get rid of the habit. Even when I'm walking alone, I feel like I'm walking without a purpose, like I don't know where I'm really going.

A few minutes later we arrived at the Community Centre's Grand Hall, a tall white building with three wide columns on each side of the double door entrance. I would say this is one of the most well preserved buildings on this entire planet, and it's probably because it's the most important.

We walked inside, me hiding behind my parents like a 5 year old meeting family friends for the first time, trying to avoid eye contact. We all found our places in the Grand Hall waiting to be greeted by the Mayor, Mayor Downing.

He stood tall with his broad shoulders behind him, his tanned skin and his distinctively, white hair. One might even call his features handsome. He was definitely over the age of 50 and he always had a focused look on his face like he was on some sort of on-going mission.

"Good evening all..." The Mayor had started his speech but I really couldn't care less so I phased out, looking around the room at all the different faces, some new, some old and familiar. I happen to come across a young, new face in the crowd, standing in the back.

He was different... Not only because he was staring so blatantly at me but he had a devilish look, not moving a muscle in his position. Brunette hair, straight as an arrow with soft green-brown eyes. He was wearing a blue sweatshirt and jeans. I would say he's about my age, around 17. You couldn't miss that smile, a smile like that... Almost an enchanting look that you cou-

My train of thought had been lost when people started standing and exiting, making their way to the door. I realized how obvious it was that I too, had been staring at that guy, but who was he? I turned my focus to my mom who looked like she was waiting for me to snap out of my own world. I got up making space for my row to exit and quickly glanced back to see if the mystery guy was still there, but he was gone.

"Come on Ang, I won't make you and your father stay for the after tea... I'll only ever make that mistake once." she mumbled to herself.
"NO!" I pretty much screamed in a desperation.
"What?"
"Oh no, you see I'm just feeling slightly parched so maybe tea isn't all that bad of an idea today?" I tried to sound convincing but not being such a great liar didn't help my case.
"Alright then, tea it is!" She quickly replied as if I was going to change my mind. I was just surprised that she believed me but I had to stay, to find him.

On the way out I had been in such a hurry to rush out of that stuffy hall that I didn't even stop to think where I was going and walked face first into someone's bony shoulder.
"Hey! Watch whe-"
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry. Are you alright?" It was him, the mystery guy, apologizing to me.
"Oh hey, no I'm sorry that was entirely my fault." He must think I'm such an idiot... He looked up and took a moment to smile before he replied, "Well hi, no need to apologize. The name's Blake Nicholls, nice to meet you."