Star Children

Chapter 3

"Esther? Hey, can you hear me? Rise to the morning, sleepyhead."

She had heard people entering and leaving the room for what felt like hours, but it all seemed so distant from where she swam in the darkness. Her body had formed with the mattress, unable and unwanting to move. Yet she could not ignore the pain that continued to waver, nor could her hunger and the growing warmth of lying in bed for too long. Now the voice of the blonde woman penetrated her daze and she fluttered her eyes open.

"There you are." Even through the blur of daylight, the woman was older, in her late teens or early twenties at least, and very pretty. Her hair draped over her shoulders, hanging from her ears as she hunched over the bed. 

The girl tried to sit up but stopped as the pain in her legs and head sprang into life. "Where..." she tried to speak but couldn't bring the rest of the question to her lips before her breath gave out.

"You're safe, young one." she said. "Keep still, you must be in terrible pain." The woman moved away from the bed towards the table at the side of the room. "I have food for you. It may not be what you are used to, but it will help." 

"What did you call me?" the girl asked weakly.

The woman looked confused. "What do you - oh, pardon me," she looked away, visibly embarrassed. "You mean the name Esther? I am so used to giving others their names, I had already picked one for you. If you prefer something different, I completely understand." She sounded nervous, almost panicked.

There was something off about this name. It did not feel familiar to her, but no other name had come to her. "No, that one is fine, I suppose."

The woman smiled excitedly. "My name is Alula." She stood from her chair and bowed forward. "I humbly welcome you to our home and our Collective."

Esther did not know how to respond, so she nodded her head and mumbled a thank you. Alula raised herself back up, her face beaming. "The others will be delighted to meet you. We did not expect to find another Drifter so soon, but your arrival has been waited upon with heavy burden. But for now, is there anything I can get for you while you rest? I have some books in the study if you'd like."

"Just some water if you have any," she wanted to sleep more, but her throat was still very dry.

"Oh, of course, apologies. I should have prepared you some beforehand. Please excuse me." Alula stood and left through the door, closing it behind her. 

Esther sat in a thick silence. Although her head was still clouded, she tried to relax and recall what had happened. She remembered waking up in the field, but anything before that was a solid blur. The further she tried to focus her memory, the stronger the pain in her head grew until finally she was forced to give up. 

As she slumped back onto the pillow, the door creaked partially open. At first, no one walked through, leaving a stillness that hung for too long. Esther noticed this and froze. After a few moments, a head poked from the crack in the door and a wrinkly hand draped over the edge. He was an old man, much older than Alula, with a bulging and unshaven chin. His skin sagged and his eyes were empty. "Hello."

"Hi," Esther tensed up as she greeted him.

"I'm not supposed to be in here," the man said. His speech was slurred and blocky as if each word took an effort to escape his mouth.

"Is Alula there?"

"No, she left. She says I-I'm not supposed to be in here."

"Why not?" she asked, hoping this did not sound to him like an invitation.

There was no answer, but the man instead smacked his lips in empty thought. "You wanna see my tinker trucks?"

Before Esther had a chance to ask what he meant, she heard Alula calling from outside the room. "Janus! What did I tell you?" The man's head quickly disappeared, and she could hear him mumbling apologies as his voice drifted away. There were some shuffled footsteps and a disgruntled sigh before the door opened once again. Alula walked in with a cup of water cradled in both of her hands, smiling as she did before, but with a slight strain in her eyes. "Here is your water. Sorry again for being so unprepared."