The Habit of Crystals (Open Novella Contest)

Twelve

After making mistake after mistake, Jade decided that there was nothing holding her back from making even more dumb choices.

Her body shook from the compulsion that had been placed upon her. Losing control over herself scared her more than she thought it would, and why wouldn't it? There had been no way to free herself from Ophinvi's ability. The thought hadn't even crossed her mind. There had been no indication that her will was not her own, that she lacked any freedom in the first place. It was not until it was dropped that the cold reality of it all crashed down on her.

And it wasn't until both Krisoala were out of the hospital that Jade even thought to move.

Pratt was saying something, though not to her. The other people in the vicinity were confused, some excited for whatever reason. They didn't know the truth behind any of this, Jade realized. Pratt knew, but no one would have understood their conversation without knowing ASL.

Jade didn't wait to see how Pratt handled that crowd, nor did she check to see if anyone looked like they understood what just happened. Instead, she raced out the doors, out into the parking lot, chasing after the Krisoala. She could still see them up ahead, Ophinvi reflecting sunlight into a myriad of colors. On a better day, Jade would marvel at how beautiful Ophinvi was, how the opal skin made her glisten with glorious hues.

But Jade could throw an opal in the air on a sunny day some other time.

Her footsteps pounding on the pavement probably announced her presence, but neither Krisoala turned to inspect. Rather, they ignored her altogether.

So rude.

But a good thing for Jade, in the end. This was what she needed. Secrecy, underestimation. Both would help wonders.

As Ophinvi and Runokvo stepped onto the platform leading into the ship, Jade slowed her approach. She could sprint on in after them, and then what? Get kicked out, physically or otherwise? The idea of simply thinking to herself "oh okay, I'll leave" and not noticing the compulsion until her feet were planted on the ground and the ship was in the air scared her more than the pain of being shoved out of the ship directly.

Hiding behind a truck, two rows away from where the massive ship had parked--and it was so much bigger in person. It looked to be longer than a bus and had an ovular shape, no sharp angles anywhere she could see. Two wings on either side were the flattest part of it, but they didn't end in a triangular point. The curved, favoring the back of the wing but not sharpening much.

That was when Jade noticed something odd, though she couldn't understand what. Everything just felt slightly off. Looking up, she gasped.

They looked like a swarm, small little jets flying in all sorts of directions with no order or purpose that she could see. They didn't leave behind the red smoke that the first ones she saw had, at least not as much. Or maybe the air was so polluted with it by now that it only looked like there was less now than before.

What are they doing?

Focused as she was, she almost missed the grounded ship shut its door. With a jolt, she remembered her reason for being out here. Get on that aircraft, and then wing it, pun intended.

Maybe she didn't need to understand what the smaller crafts were doing.

It was a good day to wear sneakers, because Jade couldn't remember the last time she did this much running.

She left the truck, pushing herself faster than ever to get on that ship before it could escape her reach. She needed this. Had to make it. Even if she didn't have a plan for after that, the mere fact of watching it leave and being left behind meant she had no more chances to help, to fix this. Maybe there wasn't much more she could do, but stopping and accepting that took away even the slightest possibility that a chance still existed.

It was incredibly arrogant to assume she could sway this one way or the other, but she had never been much of a team player.

One unnecessary leap later, and Jade was on board.