expire

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

“What?”

Tine opened her perfect oval mouth but no sound escaped.

Once again, my mind was a-whirl with about a zillion questions, and it felt as though, despite the fact I had been sunken into this 'Comfort Chair' for the past 10 minutes, none of my queries had been answered yet. It was as if I had just arrived, and this conversation was just going in circles. We were covering what I already knew. It was so frustrating.

“Ivy, I'm sure you'll come to terms with all this sooner or later...I mean, it was kind of obvious what happened to you...” Solstice laid a gentle hand on my shoulder, and I frowned at it. Once again, the allure of the nails had attracted me, sparkling in the corner of my eye. I shook my head; a vain attempt to clear it's blurry contents.

“No...I know that I’m...y'know...” I widened my eyes at Solstice, unable to speak the taboo word 'dead'. “But, my family? I'll never be able to see them again? Ever?”

Like, ever?

Tine's voice suddenly re-materialised. “No, of course you'll see them, but a conversation, perhaps, may prove rather...difficult. Speaking to the dead, for humans, could buy them a whole heap of therapists and goodness knows how many psychiatrists. It would probably mess up their whole life too, speaking to a dead family member when they're supposed to be gone forever...”

From the vague, far away look in Tine's eyes, I could see that her mind and body were in two completely different places.

“But I'll be able to see them again,”

“Yeah...” Her eyes continued to stare unseeingly.

Earth to Tine....

She shook her head, swishing sweet-scented hair as she did so, squeezing her eyes tight shut as if trying to block out the light. But, knowing now that this kind of thing was probably quite common here in, umm.....Vierra, I was sure I'd become accustomed to it fairly quickly. It still made me wonder though; what went on in everyone's head's?

“Sorry...tuned out there.....anyway, time is ticking! We must get you settled into your sector!” And with that, Tine stood up, her long fingers clutching a bunch of papers, her whole body suddenly restless. I widened my eyes, taking in her new approach.

“B-but...I have so many other ques...”

“Solstice can answer them! I'm sure you'll figure it all out in time...So, onwards!”

Her voice, once gentle as the wind, was now as sharp as needles.

She leaned over the shiny white desk and snatched away my 'iced tea' mug, the remnants of the sweet white liquid sloshing like waves on an ocean. After dispensing both mine and Solstice's beverages down a small hole in the floor behind her, Tine slipped out from behind her insanely organized workspace and glided over to the wall behind us, to where I presumed was the door (which had since disappeared from when I had first stumbled through it). She stretched out her slender fingertips and tapped the invisible button that accompanied the door.

I was confused. What had caused her sudden change in attitude? I shot Solstice a questioning look, but she just pulled a face that said 'tell you later' , before pulling herself up out of the Comfort seat. I followed suit.

Tine then glanced over her shoulder at Solstice and I, both of us now standing, me just glad to have escaped the 'Comfort Seat', and announced:

“It's time to meet your sector, Ivy. I hope you'll find them very friendly. We're all welcoming here in Vierra. I'm sure you'll find Kerran to be very homely,”

There was something about her voice that was animated somehow, as if it wasn't her who was speaking. 

The door slid open, the lobby reappearing. She swivelled her thick-haired head back to the scene before her.

“Follow me.”

And with that she was off, and I had to jog to keep up with her quick-paced walk. People stared at Tine, jerking out of her way, like the red sea parting, - and from this I figured she must be someone of high authority – which made me, also, feel important. Although all those blank, empty eyes boring into mine wasn't exactly what you would call nice; in fact, it just plain creeped me out.

Tine left a trailing path of perfumed air behind her, so it was easy to follow her through the crowds populating the polished lobby. I raced along behind her, still feeling incredibly under-dressed, what with my hospital gown still clinging to me, it's taut fabric stretching dangerously with every step. If it ripped, I would die of embarrassment – if it was even possible to die again once you were already dead...

Didn't Solstice say I would have new clothes by now?

Tine then reached an elevator, and she stopped abruptly in front of it, waiting impatiently for it's occupants to get out. Her usually silent feet struck the floor in a series of little taps. Several curious heads turned round to find the source of the sudden disruption of silence, but Tine just stared ahead and ignored the confused glances. That did make me wonder about the quiet – was it always like this?

Then the wall caught my attention; little blue lights gleamed beside the lift doors , each one flashing in order as the elevator made it's way downwards.

20....14....13....9...6....3...2...1...

Then the doors opened, and a small gathering of people gushed out all at the same time, a low babble of chatter pursuing them as they made their way across the lobby. But as soon as they spotted Tine, who was looking at them as a teacher would a rebellious pupil, their already quiet gossip softened to an even lower volume, their feet softly but swiftly shuffling out of the elevator, empty eyes cast downwards. My mood, although only a moment ago fuelled with the feel of importance, now transitioned into feeling bad, almost guilty, and even more questions started bubbling up in my brain;

Who was Tine – and why were these people so scared of her?