Above

Chapter 2.

"As the lukewarm hands of the gods

Came down and gently picked my adrenaline pearls

They placed them in their mouths

And rinsed all of the fear out

Nourished them with their saliva

Now I'm all rejuvenated and rested."

-Björk: Moon

           The orange car sped through the mess of traffic again. I was incapable of speaking or asking questions, both because of the whipping wind and the fascinating landscape. We were being driven away from the crowded streets and kiosks and hanging rugs. Beyond the buildings, I caught glimpses of mountains rising above rolling plains.

            As we got farther from my bedroom, I could not remember why it was strange for it to be here, in this city. If it was here, it was here; there was nothing to wonder about.

            The two girls smiled brightly at me.

            "That is Felicity." One of them pointed right, at a wide stretch of sand. It was crowded with people who seemed, at this distance, the size of ants; but I could make out their every detail, as if I were standing on the beach myself. Their movements were robotic and repetitive. A small child darted to the water, back to his mother, and repeated. An ice cream vendor continually opened and closed his freezer, repeating every three seconds.

            "Are they real people?" I wondered aloud.

            The smile of the girl next to me did not waver. "Of course they are." She laughed.

            I looked again, and the crowd's movements were erratic and random, as human movements should be.

            In my mind, I named the girls: Euphoria and Felicity, after the places we’d visited. Felicity was tall, long-legged, as graceful and lithe as a deer. Euphoria was shorter, with wild, dark hair and larger features. Their beauty was very real.

            The road curved, or maybe the beach came closer, but suddenly we were at the waterside.

            "Don't you like it?" Felicity asked eagerly. She jumped from the car into shallow water and spun, arms outstretched. I did the same.

            How could I have thought this a dream? Now, with soft water lapping at my ankles and light wind in my hair, I knew how wrong I had been.

            Euphoria, upon jumping out of the car, stumbled. Felicity was at her side immediately. Euphoria noticed me watching, and she snarled.

            That was the only way I could describe the animal-like anger and terror displayed on her face.

            Felicity, kneeling at her sister's side, shouted thinly, "She's fine."

            I did not wish to see Euphoria's anger again, so I turned my back on them and began wading farther.

            There should have been noises: voices and splashes and laughter, but there was only the careful lapping of water against my shins. Just as I noticed this, I noticed the lack of people at all. The beach was empty.

            My eyes darted to one side, and suddenly, the people were back.

            How had I not noticed them? They were everywhere, and they were loud.

            A laughing toddler stomped carelessly towards me. I took a step to avoid her, but I looked again, and she had gone. Her laughter lingered in my ears for a few seconds longer.