The Alligatum

Elevation Day

I woke up exhilarated for the day to begin. It wasn't just the bashes and the gatherings that got me excited, but the celebration in itself. I loved Elevation Day. It was my favorite holiday of the year. The council hangs up elegant streamers and plays music in our home, The Liberi Alligatum to celebrate the special occasion. They even have streamers in our washrooms like the balneums, in-allis, and labrums. Today was no different. I woke up to the sight of the other Liberi Alligatums eagerly picking up their dresses and suits and grabbed the ironed dress and shoes hanging over the bed end. I didn't look at it though, I wanted to surprise myself. The metal bridge felt cold on my bare feet and I squirmed. In all the excitement, I forgot my slippers.

"Imogene!" I said, running over to her bed.

"Hey Willow!" she replied as she turned to face me. Looking at the dress hanging over her bed, I knew she would look stunning.

"Ready?" I grinned, deviously, even though we were doing nothing wrong. She nodded. "3...2...1!" We zipped open the plastic bags holding our gowns and gawked in awe at them. Her's was a fabulous sleeveless bright blue dress completed with an attached black belt. The feather-like fabric blew slightly with the wind of someone walking by. Her shiny silver shoes glistened in the morning light. I looked to her face, expecting to see her stare at the dress. She was staring at a dress, just not hers. I turned to mine. The burgundy off-the-shoulder fabric and head to foot-long dress complete with a pair of black flats were gorgeous.

Gathering with the other girls our age, we headed to the girl's balneum to wash-up and take showers before the big day. We brushed our hair and did our makeup and it was finally time to put our dresses on and suits on. The others quickly got dressed and came out of the stall to admire their and the other girls' gowns in the mirror. But I, however, was having some trouble zipping it up. This damn zipper. While everyone else was conversing outside, I was still struggling to unhinge the zipper from a loose string of fabric.

"Imogene?" Coming out of the baleum to ask Imogene for help, I felt a warm hand on my back and the dress seemed to tighten against my chest. I turned to see Nathan. A brown-haired boy with bright green eyes and a glistening smile. "Thank you," I said gratefully.

"Of course," he said. "Your dress is beautiful by the way." I smiled, looking at his tuxedo with gold snaps on the cuffs.

"You too," I responded.

"Nathan," the boy said, extending his hand.

"Willow," I responded, returning the greeting. He nodded and gave a bit of a wave. Heading back to my friends, where they fawned over the dress and its velvety fabric, I looked back at Nathan. He just smiled and walked back into The Liberi Alligatum.

–∞–

After all the eagerness of preparation was gone, the event started. We had all been told to go up to the cubile part of The Liberi Alligatum. The cubile part was where we slept and rested at night, but we spend the mornings in the cubile on Elevation Day so that the council can surprise us. The kids occupying the beds on the outer parts of the cubile, though, were moved to the back with a friend. There are no barriers between the cubile, balneums, in-allis, labreums, and The Liberi Alligatum, to make sure everyone is safe.

"Please exit the cubile in your numeric order," a warm voice came over the loudspeaker. Imogene and I tittered with delight. The first kids to go down were the eldest in The Liberi Alligatum: the 18-years. They were the year above us. Next was us: the 17-years. Then the 16-years, 15, 14, and so on. The little children go last, to teach them patience.

The 18-year-olds descended us in the glass elevator, smiles pasted to their faces fro their last Elevation. Tonight, instead of moving up beds, they'd be moving up Alligatums. Tomorrow morning they'd wake up in the Cresco Alligatum: where all the 19-55-year-olds live.

Ding ding ding! The elevator was here. I and the other 17-years in my section shuffled in. There were about 10 of us in each section, with 5 sections each year. That meant all 1500 Libre Alligatums would be celebrating Elevation Day. In a moment, we were at the lowest level, walking past the littlest of the Libre, the 3-years.

Last year, we found the celebration easily by going towards the commotion of the 17-years. Yet, this year there was no commotion to go towards. There was only silence made by the 18-years taking in every part of their last Elevation in the Libre Alligatum. We still found it quite easily, since there was a clear red carpet leading to the party.

As we stepped onto the light red carpet, a few of the girl's heels abruptly stopped clicking on the wood floors between beds. That's when we saw it. It was the same every year, yet special every time. The blue and gray streamers hung from hooks in the skylight roof above us. The white buffet table was covered with delicacies varying from cupcakes to barbecue. The quiet, but upbeat music sang through the room. Colored lights lit up the room as a stained glass window does in the morning sun. Everything was perfect. Our years started towards the bustle of the now growing crowd around the buffet table, Imogene included.

I walked around for a little bit, chatting with some of the 18-years who we wouldn't see for another year. I caught up with Imogene who was dancing with one of the 17-years. Logan, I think was his name.

Soon, the skylight roof no longer gave light, other than the crescent move lingering above us. Now, the colored lights reflected off the walls painting rainbows about the room. A soft song came on, letting us know it was almost time for the 18-year ceremony.

"Fancy seeing you again," I heard a smooth, deep voice from behind me.

"Hello again," I responded as I turned to see the boy who fixed my zipper.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, his hand extended once again.

Why not? I thought to myself. "Sure!" I took his hand. He wrapped his fingers around mine and led us through the crowd. My hands folded nicely around his neck, as did his on my waist as we shifted back and forth, slowly swaying in circles. The song ended and the screen above the buffet turned on. We all sat down and waited for the ceremony to begin. Each year, there was a ceremony for the 18-years. It showed their mandated picture from when they first arrived: 3-years. We all smiled at the infants grinning at us from the screen: little kids eager to be in the Libre Alligatum for the first time.

There was just one more part to Elevation Day: the elevation. Each level of beds, separated only by a narrow gate-metal bridge, represented a year. We all went up to our sections, took our pillow, books, and clothes, and ascended to the next floor. First was the 3-years. Once they got up to their new accommodation, the next year gave them one piece of advice. You could hear a 4th year telling a 3 year to 'remember to not throw soap bars in the labrums.'

After a while, a 16 year reached my bed. She was pretty with her long blonde hair and peach-colored dress. "We don't stand out. We stand together," I told her.

"We stand with the crowd. We stand with each other," she answered. That was the Allegatum's motto. I gave her a little smile and bustled with the rest of my section to the elevator. Imogene and I found each other's hands while we climbed. Each of us had a new assigned bed. We just had to look for the names on them. Imogene found hers right away in the section next to our old beds. But I couldn't find mine. When I finally found it, I realized Imogene was on the opposite side of the level as me. I waved to her, just as a little see you later, but it seemed she was already talking and making friends with the girl next to her. After my short moment of envy, I decided I should do the same. Looking to the bed next to mine and reading the silver plate on the frame, I grinned. The plate read "Nathaniel Rhodes" in big black letters.

–∞–