Lilac's eyes (chapter six)

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Chapter 6

Aryan City delights

Although Aryan are not fond of tourists, at night there is paid entry to all museums, art galleries and tourist spots. It is after dark that you see all of the beauty of the towering city. You can marvel at the tallest of buildings, glued to the city's skyline, wander round the worlds first concentration camp, gas chamber and many more. There is even a great chocolate shop on the bridge across Baltic sea. New Aryan city is a never ending expanse of flashing lights and straight motorways.

It is advised that you leave New Aryan city before morning, as the guards can be unfriendly towards foreigners.

The ursine urban travel guide

I woke to the eyes staring at me, after painting I had simply flopped onto my mattress and slept solidly for what I now knew to have been around twenty hours hibernation. I traced the black outlines of the differently coloured eyes with my finger with only slight amounts of recognition on how they got there. Sunlight blared from outside, through my still wide open windows.

I left the house, strolling towards an undetermined point. I would probably have met Matt that day, if I were still talking to him. Instead I wandered meaninglessly down the forest path. Each flower, each reminder of my home seemed to sour me. It wasn't that I didn't love my home land, but I didn't have a patriotic bone in my body; plus I always liked skyscrapers and flashing lights- a more Aryan city trait. Birds chirped, flowers bloomed, it was hard to believe it was winter. The air seemed to have a warm feel, sunglass rather than woolly hat weather.

I stopped dead, realising where I was. Of all places. I had wandered absent mindedly, my feet taking me on many unbeaten paths, yet somehow I had managed to navigate through the thick forests and end up on the edge of a field. The tree crouched, looming over me, leaves intact despite the calender. I sighed to myself, automatically striding towards its trunk. I lay down, its leaves a protective umbrella around me, clearing my mind of all bad thoughts, Matt, Aryans. I spent ages, just sitting there, glancing across the fields as their colour was, once again blooming- for no apparent reason summer had come early. Wildlife, unlike that which I had seen since the previous summer was packed tightly into the field, every blade of grass was rustled by a rabbit, or pushed aside by a prancing deer. Suddenly I remembered why I used to come here, before Lilac, it still hurt to think of her name, I used to walk down every Sunday, book in hand, read by this tree, alone. It was nice, a happier time. For one second I thought that maybe, just maybe I could return to that. A figure emerged from the long flowers.

I couldn't breathe. I didn't move. I attempted to say something, anything, but it came out as a gasp. She stood, face pale, eyes just as beautiful as the last time I saw her. I watched as she opened her mouth, then shut it again abruptly. Her fingers clenched into fists, eyes widening in, was it pain on her features?

“I'm so sorry.” She spoke at last, brushing a black strand of hair from her blushing cheek. “I know you don't want to talk to me.”

“How did you know I was here?” I didn't know I was going to be here so how could she? It was all I could do not to say the three words that I had never told her.

“I didn't.” She smiled, but her eyes were fighting back tears. She stepped closer, kneeling just below me on the soft grass. “I just... I don't even know why I'm here. I got in my car and I was driving and then I realised I had crossed the border to ursine territory and well... here I am.” She laughed bitterly, tears now streaming down her face. I joined in laughing, the coincidence striking me hard.

“So, why didn't you just drive back in the opposite direction?” My words came out harsher than I'd expected. Another tear streaked down her cheek.

“Because I didn't want to. I can't take this, I can't keep doing what's right for my family and my society. I told my friends about you and they were disgusted. They don't get it, and now I realise that they will never get it, and that maybe I should try and do what is right for me, for once.” She covered her eyes with her palms, sighing deeply.

My face crumpled. What had she said? Something in her last sentence just didn't click with me. Maybe it was because I was so sure that this whole thing was a dream, or maybe it was because I had spent so long convincing myself that everything she had just said was not true. “Huh.” No words felt appropriate as a response to that. My mind thought fast over the running commentary that was shooting through my brain at a hundred miles per hour. I leaned closer to her. For the first time with her I felt like I was in control. A smile flicked on her lips as I brushed an escaping tear from her cheek. She let her hands drop to her sides, revealing her sparkling eyes, eyes that could not be described as any type of stone, they were so deep, so unique. I stared into them for what felt like hours, trying to read what she was really thinking, but as always it was impossible. I just had to go with my gut. The sun broke through the clouds as I kissed her.