Introspection

Chapter Ten

Despite her concerns, Harper was able to drift asleep, letting her mind rest for the entirety of the car ride. The nap seemed to last only seconds before she felt Kelsey ruthlessly tapping a finger against her arm.

"We're here," she whispered, and Harper opened her eyes groggily.

Peering out the window to see they'd barely gotten any closer to the City, she initially thought her little sister had spoken too soon. It wasn't until the car was shifted into park that she glanced through the windshield, past Lydia in the driver's seat. She was surprised to see that Kelsey was right, and they hadn't left the town at all, only driven further into it.

The town square was an event space of sorts, but no one bothered to block it off unless it was reserved. When it wasn't being rented, teenagers used it as a hangout space during the summer. There were rows of benches, lined for an audience to fill, all facing what Harper remembered to be a gazebo. Upon further inspection, she saw the gazebo was no longer there, replaced with what looked to be a stage from her viewpoint.

Kelsey quickly unbuckled her seat belt, standing from her car-seat to get a better look around, before Lydia opened her door. Harper followed suit, stepping onto the pavement, and wrapped her jacket tightly around her frame. The wind was brutal, and she instantly regretted, not bringing a winter coat. The sun had fallen behind thick clouds, and she could only hope it would return to fend off the cold.

Still standing between two parked cars, she squinted to take it in from afar. Harper was right in her earlier statement, the gazebo was gone, but she quickly realized her misunderstanding of its replacement. What looked to be a stage from her previous, limited view was actually the bottom of a platform, the hanging platform.

Harper didn't have time to think before the emotions manifested physically, coursing through her nervous system with vicious speed. She doubled over instantly, gagging up what little breakfast she had before they came. After her stomach contents were emptied, Harper continued to dry heave, hunched over as every muscle in her body convulsed. Her throat felt coated in acid rain, and she imagined drops of anger and hatred being expelled from her body with every contraction.

It felt like hours before she was finally able to stop, gasping for fresh air in the claustrophobic space. Harper noticed the faint shadow of a figure approaching her, and she quickly shifted from all-fours to propping her back against the car door. She rubbed her stained palms together, removing the soot and stubble that lingered from the ground.

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, fully expecting to see her mother's face of disappointment and horror, but it was Kyle. Harper felt a fleeting sense of relief, which was quickly overpowered by worry. Flicking her eyes around frantically, she saw the back of Lydia's blouse and Kelsey's curl's bouncing alongside her. Harper's absence didn't seem to affect them, which was good; she feared she wouldn't be able to hold her tongue around her mother until cooling off. They were a decent distance from the car, having stopped to converse with a stern-looking man. Even though Lydia was not particularly short, he towered over her, having to tilt his head down noticeably to speak with her. His attire made it clear that He was an officer, blending in well with the various other Government employees. However, his uniform was black, which stood in stark contrast to most officers' typical light grey.

After ensuring Lydia was distracted, and no one else was within earshot, Harper felt safe to talk,

"Why are you everywhere?"

He opened his mouth in mock disbelief, "I think I could ask you the same question."

She wanted to come back with something witty but found herself at a loss. Instead, she just looked at him. Her eyes were glossy, with tears on her waterline courtesy of the puking. She felt the heat rise in her face upon imagining the state of her appearance but made no effort to conceal it. Every bone in her body ached with fatigue, and she wondered if the medication's fight against emotions was internally draining her.