Antumbra - A Lost Cause

In the Mud - Chapter Six

"Look at the size of it!" Said Arva in disbelief. Her, Travis, and Elia looked in awe of Silva's new above ground swimming pool. It was at least four feet deep, and could easily hold up to eight people if they crammed themselves in. It was practically the size of her bedroom. Arva had never actually seen a pool, but she knew what they were, and her expectations were more than met. Silva himself waded on the far side, arms over the edge with a self-satisfied smirk smeared across his face.

"Come on in!" He offered. Arva and the others quickly climbed in. None of them owned bathing suits, so Arva and Elia just wore shorts and tank tops, while Travis wore long shorts and a t-shirt. Even though they'd all reassured him, the boy was self-conscious about his skin and often wore as much clothing as he could to cover it. Silva, by contrast, had no shame in his Hybrid nature. Arva had only gotten to know him recently, but she went to school with the boy who'd been nicknamed "Slimer" by the other children. She remembered he had large three-digited hands and feet, and as a child his eyes were especially oversized. Combined with his pale green complexion, diminutive size, and lack of hair, he'd earned many teasing monikers like "Froggy," "Slug" and "Slimer" even though he wasn't actually slimey. As he had grown up, and for as long as she had personally known him, he wasn't quite so odd, and his skin was now a bit darker and even in its complexion. One by one they all piled in, splashing about and having fun, the cool water a perfect reprieve from the summer heat.

"How'd your parents afford this?" Travis inquired, swimming around the middle. He could almost make it into a full breast stroke as he swam from end to end.

"Dad got a promotion at the bank," said Silva. "Which was great, because before the big P-U, they were talking about layoffs."

"They've been talking about layoffs everywhere," Elia said, trying to sink herself deeper while keeping her face above the water, "my dad said they might cut the factory force in half." Arva had only recently learned what a 'layoff' was, and only because Silva's father was one of the lucky Hybrids who got to work in the city. Of course, he worked in the back of the bank, at a desk, away from the public, but it was clearly a well-paying job if their current diversion was anything to go by.

"Didn't your dad get laid off, Trav?" Silva asked with the woefully unaware lack of tact he'd become known for.

"Yeah," admitted Travis, suddenly less excited. He stopped swimming, just sort of floated, facing away from the rest of them.

"You're an asshole," Elia said, splashing Silva in the face.

"I mean, he's got another job already," Travis shrugged. "It's just... smaller. Things may be a bit tighter for a bit is all. But it's after an Umbra so construction's bound to pick up." Travis tried to sound optimistic, but nobody was quick to offer words of encouragement. Arva remembered her own struggles, and how hard it was to get work. The slums were far from the land of opportunity. Unless you built dome houses, or worked the food trucks, you had to find work in the city or in construction on the outskirts. Farming was becoming a viable career, but that was far away from where they lived. The outskirts were where most people's parents worked, so to be laid off meant things weren't going well.

"Well," began Arva, trying to think of something more positive, "maybe he could get a job in the city? I mean, there's lots of rebuilding going on there."

"Yeah!" Silva chimed in, hoping to atone, "I mean, if my ugly-as-fuck dad can show his face there, yours should have no problem." The group enjoyed a quick laugh at the remark, and soon the impending worries of adult life were set aside for the moment. After a long walk in the city in the heat, it was perfect weather for a pool party, and Arva tried to enjoy it while she could. She'd thought about bringing Hannah over, but since she would've been the only little kid there Arva had instead assured her sister she was going to do homework at Elia's. Hannah had failed to realize that two people who'd already finished school wouldn't have any homework, but it was a classic excuse the child had always taken at face value.