The Color of Knowledge

Chapter Eight (pt. 2)

"No problem, miss," he said, rising to open the door. "But I have to warn you. He hasn't been in the greatest of moods since your last visit."

The doors to the wing opened and closed after Ivy stepped through. She spotted Alex lying in bed. He looked to be just as depressed as the very first time she had visited.

"Alex, I know your secret," said Ivy as she neared the bed. "I know you're in some sort of trouble, I just don't know why. Why else would they keep you locked up in here? It also explains why your parents haven't visited you."

"How do you know that? Have you talked to them?" Alex's voice was high. He awaited her answer in the same way a baby waited to be fed.

"They say they aren't allowed to visit."

"I thought they didn't want to visit me," Alex whispered into his lap. "That bastard."

"I know more than you think," said Ivy as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Alex looked up with fire in his eyes. "You don't know anything, Ivy. You should just leave. Go find someone else to invest your time in."

"I know you're probably just as disillusioned about this society as I am, having seen the air creatures consume our deceased. I know ⎯ "

"What? Air creatures are dangerous?" Alex interrupted. The fire behind his eyes burned with less intensity. "You mean ground creatures, right?"

Ivy's eyebrows knit together. "I thought you knew."

"There are dead people from The Society on Earth?" Alex straightened himself up in bed.

"How could you not know?" said Ivy, her voice rising. "You went down in the pod, right?"

"Right."

"You fell off the pod, right?"

"Right."

"You saw the pile of dead people dressed in the forbidden colors, right?"

"Wrong."

Ivy hesitated before saying anything else. Her voice cracked as she spoke. "Please don't tell anyone I told you. Don't tell anyone about anything. Please."

Alex started to glance around the room as though trying to spot a gnat that would not stop flying in front of his face. It was something Ivy had seen him do once before.

"What are you doing?"

"I should have stopped you from saying anything. I'm so sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"You need to go."

It took Ivy a while to move. She couldn't comprehend what had just happened. After a moment and without a final word, she left. She had never felt so lost in her entire life. It was as if there was no one she could talk to or, more importantly, trust. As she walked out of the room through the sliding doors, her heart grew heavier when she saw who stood on the other side.

"Hello, Ivy. Have a nice visit, did we? Please come with me."

Ivy's voice shook with a mixture of terror and confusion as she spoke. "Actually, I can't. My dad is expecting me." She tried to walk by President Khamar, but he held out his arm to block her passage.

"I'm sure Terri here can send a message telling him you will be late. Right, Terri?" President Khamar looked over at Terri, who seemed to be frozen in time.

Terri stumbled for words before answering. "Right, sir. Do not worry, young miss, he will get the message. I'll make sure of it."

"This way," said President Khamar.

Ivy followed him out of the hospital and over to where the government buildings were. She went along behind her President, taking note of the way he walked: heel to toe in an exaggerated fashion. It was as though he had springs in his shoes. Not once did he glance behind to make sure she was following.

"Where are we going?" Ivy asked. Nothing made sense anymore. What would the President of The Society want with her?

Ignoring Ivy's question, President Khamar led her to his home, which lay at the end of the row of government buildings. He fixed his tie and collar of his black suit the whole way. Ivy's eyes widened as she walked in. Because it looked the same as any other home in The Society, she was astonished to see that it was much larger than the interior of any house she had ever been in.