I sighed heavily as I trudged down the pavement after school the next day. I absolutely despised walking home alone, and since Anastasia and Matthias had an after school program today, that was exactly what I was having to do. Not to mention that it was extremely hot, and I was sweating in places that the members of the Inside would be horrified to know that their princess was sweating in.
I dragged my backpack across the pavement. I heaved my backpack onto my shoulder once I reached the familiar fork in the road. There were three ways you could go. Straight ahead was the path to the Inside. On the left was the path to the Outside. And on the right was the path to the Inbetween.
I kicked at a rock that sat on the sidewalk, doing my best to stall as much as I could. I didn't want to go home. The fight that I had with my parents last night wasn't as bad as some we've had, and that wasn't the first time I've threatened to leave. But I've never meant it as much as I did then, and I've never brought up my father's theiving ways. I'm afraid I might have crossed the line. Plus, what was I thinking to tell them about my plans of leaving? That could ruin for not only me, but Anastasia and Matthias, too. Yeah, I've told them that before, but my parents are by no means stupid. Maybe they noticed that I really meant it, too.
I turned my head from side to side as I tried to decide what to do. Should I take a little walk, or should I just go home and face what my parents were going to say? That's when an idea popped into my head. A very dangerous idea. My gaze landed on the gravelly path to the Inbetween. I had always been forbidden to go there. My parents should have known that would only make me all the more curious.
Before I knew it, I was walking down the path to the Inbetween. The decision to do that completely changed my life. I know it sounds cliche, but it's true. A lot of cliches are true, actually. If you really think about it, life in itself is a cliche. But enough of that philisophical crap.
The path to the Inbetween seemed normal enough until I got just a few feet away from the entrance. That's when the smell hit me. I can honestly say that it was the worst smell that has ever entered my nostrils. And the only way I can describe it is that it smelled like sickness and death. Kind of like what a hospital might smell like if they didn't use so much antiseptic.
I pinched my nose between my thumb and my index finger to keep myself from gagging. I probably should have turned around then, but I kept walking. I must have been feeling extra adventurous that day.
I stopped once I reached the entrance. It was a large cement wall with just a small opening to walk through. I tilted my head back to see a weather beaten sign that hung at the very top. Enscribed in black block letters-'The Inbetween' Underneath it the words 'Enter if you dare' were spray painted in bright red.
I guess I dared because I kept walking. My head almost grazed the top of the opening as I walked through. That's saying a lot considering I'm not the tallest person in the world.
The scene that played out before me was enough to make my stomach drop. There were rows and rows of makeshift shacks, each of them looking like they might cave in at any moment. A few young, dirty, and barefoot children kicked at a half deflated ball. Girls who couldn't have been much older than me carried sickly looking babies on their hips. Older women leaned over tubs of water, vigorously scrubbing at musty clothes. Men, young and old, lugged around big barrels of something. I'm not sure what it was. Others hammered away at different things, sweat making their skin glisten in the sunlight.
Then my eyes fell upon the most disturbing sight I'd ever seen. Their was a little structure that was open on all four sides, but had a ceiling. Inside of it were bodies stacked on top each other. Men, women, children. My stomach twisted and I thought I might be sick. That had to have been what was causing the horrible stench. What happened to them? Why were so many dying?
I was just about to turn around and get the heck out of there when I almost ran straight into another person. A small shriek escaped my mouth and I froze into place. I was face to face with the greenest eyes I'd ever seen in my life. I swallowed hard and blinked a few times as I realized they belonged to a boy who was also carrying one of those large barrels. Before I could say anything the boy had dropped the barrel, and grabbed my wrist.
I didn't have time to protest before he started running towards the other side of the Inbetween, dragging me along behind him. I stumbled along, too dazed to try and pull away from him. I didn't know what to think, really. Who was he? Where was he taking me? And what was he planning to do once he got me there?
We passed through even more rows of shacks until he pulled me into an old building. One half of it was completely gone. It looked like it had burnt.
Once we got inside he let go of my wrist, both of us panting from all the running. I frantically glanced around the room, mentally making an escape route just in cast this boy's intentions weren't good.
"What are you doing here? Don't you know how dangerous it is for a girl like you to be in the Inbetween?" He hissed, still doubled over with his hands on his knees.
A girl like me? Oh, nevermind, I get it. It was obvious that I was an Insider. My blonde hair, blue eyes, and white attire gave that away fairly easily.
I gulped and clutched the strap of my backpack tighter. "I-I was just curious. I didn't know how bad it was," I replied, my lip quivering with fear, "You aren't going to hurt me, are you?"
The boy shot up quickly at my question. "No! I'm not going to hurt you. I wouldn't have went to all the trouble to bring you here if I wanted to hurt you. I would have just done it out there. Trust me, none of those people would've cared. And if they did they would be too scared to help."
Even though his words weren't overly comforting, considering he just made me even more scared of this place, something about his disposition made me trust him. My tensed shoulders relaxed just the tiniest bit, and my body slumped against the dusty wall behind me.
The boy, whose name I still hadn't asked, slowly rose up to a standing position once his breathing calmed down. He was frail, but very handsome. Wait, I couldn't think that about an Inbetweener. Then I internally smacked myself for thinking I couldn't think that because that sounded just like something my father would say. And he was the last person I wanted to sound like. I wasn't a judgemental person like him, nor would I let myself be.
"What happened to all those people? The ones who died?" I asked, finally finding my voice after awkwardly staring at the boy. Although, in those few seconds of silence and staring I got a better look at him. His eyes were too beautiful to call them just green. No, that wasn't enough. They were emerald. Definitley emerald. Quite captivating, like they would be easy to get lost in. He had tan skin, something I wasn't used to seeing. Everyone in the Inside was pretty pale, including me. A mass of chocolate curls sat atop his head, framing his strong jawline perfectly. And when he noticed that I was staring, he gave me an amused smile that showed teeth that were much to straight and white for an Inbetween boy. Not that I'd seen many Inbetween boys in my life.
He shifted his position and sighed heavily. "People drop like flies around here. Disease spreads fast, and no one has the money or resources to get to a doctor. I guess it's just a matter of time before all of us catch something."
"Oh." Oh? Was that really all I could think of to say? I just heard one of the most depressing comments and my response is, "Oh." Real smart, Nyx.
"Who are you?" I blurted out and then tried to cover it up with, "I mean, what's your name? How old are you?"
He smirked at my pathetic social skills, and held out his hand. "I'm Ander. I'm seventeen years old. How about you?"
I glanced at his hand for a second before I realized he meant for me to shake it. I reached out and took it in mine. "I'm-" I started, but he interrupted me with a look of shock on his face, his mouth hanging open just a little.
"Wait! Are you Nyx Fein? The princess of the Inside?" He looked baffled, and still held tight to my hand.
I swallowed hard and knitted my eyebrows together. "How do you know that? I thought only the Inside would know who I am," I replied, quite baffled myself. No one had ever recognized me before.
Ander's face flushed red and he dropped my hand. Folding his arms across his chest, his gaze fell to the ground. "I'm a little bit of a history buff. I was always interested in the history of the factions. I'm a nerd, I know."
I smiled and shook my head. I never thought Inbetweeners would even be slightly interested in the higher factions. They should hate us, really. "Not at all. I think it's really cool that you're so interested. I actually like history a lot, too."
Ander lifted his head, and his eyes lit up. "Are you serious? Tell me more about yourself then."
So I did. For the next two hours we sat on the dusty floorboards of that half-burnt building, sitting indian style across from each other, leaning in like two gossiping fourteen year old girls. And by the end of those two hours I knew more about Ander than most people I had known my whole life, except for Anastasia and Matthias, of course. He had lived in the Inbetween his entire life. His mother died while having his little sister, Nova. He said a lot of women don't make it through child birth here in the Inbetween. It was a miracle that his sister lived. He helped his father take care of her until his father went out one night and never came back. Ander was only twelve years old, alone, with a two year old child that he had to take care of. A friend of his father helped him get a job of hauling the food,that a higher government than even the Inside rationed out to them once the Inside quit sending food, from the dock where the boats deliver it to a stock building where they store the foods. His pay was an extra portion of food that he shared with Nova. So, that's what he did everyday since he was twelve to now.
After he told me his story, I told him mine. I told him everything about how the Inside isn't what everyone thinks it is. I told him about how my father is a greedy, conniving person who shouldn't be trusted. I left out the part about him being a murderer because I found that a little too drasric. I told him about how I hoped to get away from the Inside one day. I told him about how I was so desperate that I had even considered transferring to the Outside at one point. And that is a drastic decision. By the end of it, I think Ander hated the Inside just as much as I did.
Soon realization set in that it was starting to get dark, and I needed to get home before my father sent someone out to look for me.
"I should really get going," I told Ander. A look of disappointment flooded his face.
I grabbed my backpack off the ground and hoisted it onto my shoulder. Pushing myself off up the ground, Ander did the same. I brushed the dirt off my school uniform and hoped that my parents wouldn't notice. I needed to come up with an excuse for that.
"I'll walk you to the entrance. You think it's dangerous during the day? It's ten times worse at night," Ander said, and I followed him as we headed back towards the open side of the building.
As soon as we stepped outside the stench hit me again. I wrinkled my nose and tried not to look in the direction of the bodies.
Ander must have noticed the gloomy look of my face because he quickly put his hand on my back and steered me the other way.
"How do you stand this smell?" I asked as I did my best to breathe out of my mouth.
Ander shrugged and I caught his eyes glance back at the bodies. No doubt his mother had once been there. "I guess you just get used to it. I don't even really notice it anymore."
I shuddered and quickened my steps. "I don't think I could ever get used to that."
"Just be glad you don't have to."
I can't imagine having to see that everyday. To live in this place must be horrific. I just knew I would have nightmares of it that night.
As we neared the entrance that I had come in before I noticed a little girl standing off to the side of the entrance. She couldn't have been more than six or seven years old. She had long brown hair that was matted with dirt and wore a dirty nightgown. She was frail and her skin had a grey tint to it. Her eyes sunk in, and her cheekbones jutted out. As we got closer to her she raised her eyes and looked up at me, and I realized that they were the exact shade of emerald as Ander's.
Ander stopped walking and stepped in front of me. He knelt in front of the girl, and I watched in admiration as he took her hands in his.
"What are you doing out here, Nova? You know you're supposed to stay at home when I'm out." Oh, so it was his sister. No wonder they had the same amazing eyes.
He handled her so well. Most people would have lost their temper, but Ander stayed calm. I know I had just known him for a few hours, but I knew he was special when I seen him with his sister. There was just something about him.
Nova smiled guiltily, and rocked back and forth on her heels. "I know, but I got bored," she said, leaning her face close to Ander's and giggling.
He chuckled and ruffled her hair. Turning his head towards me he introduced us. "Nova, this is my new friend, Nyx. Nyx this is my sister, Nova."
I smiled and waved at the little girl. She grinned and waved back enthusiastically. It truly humbled me that she could be so happy in the situation she was in.
Ander stood up and patted Nova on the head. "You better go back home now, okay. I'll be home in a few minutes, and I'll read you the story like I promised last night."
Nova smiled and nodded her head vigorously. She hugged Ander's legs tightly, and when she ran over to me I was a little taken back as she wrapped her skinny arms around my legs. She rested her chin on my stomach and looked up at me.
"You're pretty," she said as she looked up at me. I know it was coming from a seven year old, but it still made me feel so good. No one had ever really called me that before. All the girls from the Inside looked a lot alike, so no one really stood out. Especially me.
I smiled down at the little girl. "So are you." And it wasn't a lie. When you looked through the dirt and the matted hair, there was a beautiful little girl just waiting to be shown.
Nova giggled and scampered off into the rows of shacks, obviously happy with my reply. I laughed a little at the childish actions. None of the Inside kids were as sweet as her.
I looked over at Ander who stood with a smile on his face, watching his sister until he couldn't see her anymore.
"C'mon. I'll walk you down the path," he said, and placed his hand on my back again.
I felt guilty as I walked away from the Inbetween. How could anyone let people live this way? The Inbetween was a prime example of how truly horrible the Inside really was. If the Inside was the great faction it represented itself to be, the Inbetween wouldn't even exist. It wasn't just that we didn't send food anymore. If the Inside was truly charitable and loving, then we would take these people in. We would give them homes, and treat them like people. Not like animals, because right now they were practically living like animals. It wasn't jst my father, either. Everyone in the Inside should be doing something about this. I should be doing something about this.
We passed through the opening in the wall, and Ander ducked down so he wouldn't hit his head. The gravel crunched underneath my feet, and I knew it had to hurt Ander's bare feet stepping on those rocks. He didn't say anything, though.
"You take good care of your sister. I can tell that you really love her," I said, looking over at him.
Ander shrugged and met my gaze. "She's all I've got, you know? I wouldn't know what to do without her."
"It's a good thing she has you. I'm sure there's lots of kids in there that don't have anybody."
"More than you can imagine."
Once we reached the end of the path I turned to Ander who shoved his hands in his pockets. I didn't want to leave, and something about the way he was acting made me think he didn't want me to leave, either.
"Thanks for watching out for me today. I had a great time talking to you."
Ander smiled, flashing his teeth. "Me too. I just wish you could have stayed longer."
A wave of guilt flooded me again as we stood in silence. I could tell he wasn't sure what to do as he fidgeted around. So, I decided to do something I don't usually do. I hugged him. I've never been a very affectionate person, but it seemed like the right thing to do.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and after a minute of hesitation he wrapped his around my waist. My chin rested on his shoulder, and I was glad he couldn't see the smile that spread across my face.
After pulling away we said our goodbyes and I began to turn the corner off of the path. But then I heard my name, and I turned around quickly. Once again, I almost collided with Ander, but this time I was met with a friendly smile instead of wide eyes.
He handed me a piece of paper. Where he got it from, I'm not sure. I guess it came out of his pants pocket. That would make sense. Duh, Nyx.
"Now I'm going to go back for real this time," he said, giving me an adorable half smile. For a little way he walked backwards, waving at me with a goofy grin on his face. Finally, he turned around, and I watched him until I he faded into the foggy air of the Inbetween.
I smiled to myself and looked down at the piece of paper. On it was written- 'I had fun with you today, and I'd like to see you again. If you want, meet me outside of the wall tomorrow. P.S. I think you're pretty, too.'
I couldn't contain the sudden giddyness I felt after reading that. Since I was alone, I allowed myself to let out a girly squeal. One that I probably would have made fun of if it had came from anyone else.
Once I composed myself I stuck the note into the opening in the zipper of my backpack and started back home.
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