MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

E L E V E N

I was sad. Today was my birthday. March 6. The day my mother died having me, supposedly. My father would not talk about her, so I don't really know what she looked like. Then, on my birthday nine years ago, not counting the ride to Pandora, my father died. Stupid money. Stupid thief.

I ran off before Jake could catch me, or before Tsu'tey could stop me. I just went off. Once I was far enough away, I began to walk. I was just walking, thinking about my childhood. I remembered when I first met Jake.

We were so young. Four or five, we met in preschool. It was nice. I remember in fifth grade, Jake sprayed a teacher with silly string. That was before our backyards were dug up, and factories overtook our quiet home town. It became sad.

That's when we joined the Marines. I became a botanist, for that was my degree from university, and helped in the Vietnamese jungles we visited. Then Jake lost his legs, and I spent a lot of time with him in the hospital.

Finally, after that, I went back to my thriving lab. Everything was good for a while. Then, it all went black. The lab exploded, and in saving a touring mother and her child, I lost my sight.

A sad price for two lives in an overpopulated, grey, dead world.

A fateful price. It cost me my source of income and my job. It cost me my livelihood. Then, Jake took me in. We helped each other.

Not long after, Tommy died. We were both drafted into the Avatar Project. Then, we were shot into space.

I don't regret it. This is an amazing place. The fauna makes me smile every time I see an unfamiliar plant or species. Tsu'tey is bent on getting me to know them all. I'm trying, believe me, but it's kinda hard. Unlike Jake, my glass isn't empty...

I trip and roll down a hill. I'm not even surprised. I lift myself up, cursing, and stop. In front of me is a man-made building. I know what it is from the pictures Grace showed me the first day. The School.

A shudder goes down my spine. Against my own wishes, I step towards it. My whole body is wracked with harsh shakes as I enter. It makes me drop to the floor. Skulls, human and Na'vi, litter the floor, among other bones. Books and pencils and papers, all Na'vi sized, are scattered. It's scary.

I see something that catches my eye. A camera in the corner. I grab it and pull out the memory card. Grabbing a clear tablet, I pray to Eywa it works. It does, to my surprise.

I plug the card in and open the file. Then, I press play on the end footage. The time stamp says it was from four years ago, at seven forty three in the morning.

I get lost in the video.

"Alright students," Grace says. "Today we'll be learning larger words. You see those books that have all the words, yeah? Those are Dictionaries. Each of you say it. Tsu'tey, you first."

"Dic-tion-aray"

"Almost son! Try again, go ahead!"

"Diction-array."

"Alright, alright, one last part. You got this."

"Dictionary? Dictionary!"

"Yes! Everyone else, we'll try. Neytiri, you ne-"

Gunshots. The camera panned over Quaritch in a RDA suit I can't remember the name of, and a few other junkies behind him. I saw Weanflee, a guy named Staton, and someone we called Beetle. I'd learned their faces in my avatar form the second morning.

I saw the prettiest young Na'vi step up in front of a younger girls whom resembled her. It must have been Neytiri, the younger, the looks were uncanny. The older must have been the Sylwanin Grace had mentioned once before.