Beyond My Stars

Market

            “Is that you?!”

            Beth looked so happy the moment she saw me come through the door. It had been a while since we had been together, and she had been obviously worried.

            “Yes, it is.” I said, the attendant threw her arms around my shoulders.

            Beth looked into my eyes like I was a long-lost sister. “We all thought you were dead! I’m so happy to see you! After I saw Hansel leave the infirmary I thought the worst.”

            I smiled. “I think the Kajians expected me to die too, but I’m not going anywhere. I have to make sure everyone is safe.”

            Both girls looked at me like I was crazy, but it was Maddie that spoke. “They are called what?”

            After explaining everything that had happened, the girls looked purely amazed. I was surprised they didn’t know all of this by now. They had been here while I was unconscious, and I still knew more than them.

            “Who was that ali-…Kajian with you? He wouldn’t let anyone besides me and Hansel near you while you were sick, he even selected a specific doc- healer to tend to you. It was like he knew you or something.” Beth said as she gestured for me to sit down.

            I went to, but something told me not to. It was like an itch on the back of my neck, but it wouldn’t go away. “I have to go. I’ll be back in a little bit. When I get back, I’ll explain everything, I promise.”

            Both stared after me as I rushed out the front door. I was following pure instinct, not even knowing where I was heading. After descending a flight of stairs, I quickly went to the fence that surrounded the complex and grabbed it. That’s when I felt like I could breathe again. I took a deep inhale, filling my lungs and slowly let it out.

            “Something is wrong with me…I don’t feel right.” I whispered before inhaling deeply again.

            That’s when I noticed a little girl with bright orange eyes staring at me. The girl had slight tattoo markings on her arms, legs, neck and forehead. Her gaze was pure curiosity.    

            I held up my hand, palm facing the girl. Trying to show her that I wasn’t going to harm her. “Hi there, what are you doing all the way over here?”

            The girl smiled. “I can understand you!”

            I got down on my knees to be as close to the fence as I could. “Can you tell me about yourself?”

            The little one smiled. “I’m Arrett Yana Algro. I’ve been waiting to talk to a human, but my father has forbidden me to even get near the complex. Most of the humans are afraid of us too.”

            “Well, I’m here now, is there something you wanted to talk about, sweetie?” I asked as the girl got closer.

            Yana nodded. “I recognize you now! I saw you with uncle Reye earlier. Other uncle Reye was arguing with my mother just a little bit ago.”

            I looked away. I didn’t remember seeing a female Kajian. “Is that so? Did you hear what they were arguing about?”

            Just before Yana answered, a figure stepped out of the darkness. They were dressed in what seemed to be a uniform of some kind as he glared sternly at me.

            “You need to go back to your father, Arrett Yana.” As soon as the girl was out of sight he turned to me. “I advise you to not speak with a Chiefs daughter again, human.”

            I stood to glare at him through the metal. My fingers wrapped around the chain as my teal eyes tore into the Kajian. “If you say so, Kajian.”

            When he left I sized up the thing stopping me from figuring out what happened to everyone. It was just a simple fence to my amazement, and with a sigh I started climbing.

            After clearing the fence, I started for the bright lights to the north. It only took a few minutes of walking to be in the Kajian city Kit called Circle City, and it was beautiful. It looked like a festival was going on, but the decorations looked permanent. The whole place had a lively feel as I moved around a corner to see stalls lining the street. Kajians selling all sorts of things, and buyers going from shop to shop.

            All around they stared at me. I knew I was going to stick out. Just not this much. One older lady with pink eyes and a black robe pulled me over to her stall.

            “These are the best fruits in all of Luso, my monet.” Her eyes glowed in the darkness around us.

            I shook my head, moving around her to keep walking. Everyone was trying to get attention to their business, and I struggled to regain my thoughts. I went to the side of a building with a sigh. This was too sudden, and thought about going back to the complex. Then something caught my attention. A stall at the very end of the street. It seemed to call to me.

            Without another thought I started towards it. I could hear slight whispers, like someone was trying to tell me something. I walked up the counter and began looking for something, but I didn’t know I was looking for.

            My hand hovered over a stone. It was bright grey with glowing blue veins that seemed to shimmer and move. My eyes seemed stuck on it, and without realizing it I went to pick it up.

            “Wait, human!”

            I glanced up to see a middle-aged man with bright silver eyes staring at me like I was about to do something bad.    

            I pulled my hand back and lowered my head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…I’ll just leave.”

            “No, I want to talk to you.” He said as he got closer.

            “What is it you wanted to talk about?” I asked, staring into his silver eyes that reminded me of Kit.

            The man looked down at the stone I was about to pick up. “Why choose this stone over the others?”

            I shrugged. “I don’t really know. This might seem crazy, but I thought it was talking to me a moment ago.”

            His eyes widened. Obviously, that was not the answer he expected, but it intrigued him. Slowly he grabbed the stone and glanced up to me.

            “What is your name, monet?”

            “It’s Milady Fairchild. I was on one of the planes.” I said looking away, not sure if I was supposed to tell Kajians that or not.

            He smiled. “I know you are…a human. Your eyes do not glow, and no Kajians have freckles like you.”

            I smiled back at his friendliness. “Sorry, I am not used to this.”

            “That’s understandable, monet. If you don’t mind me asking, where did you get that ring?” He asked as he gestured down to my hand.

            “Oh.” I looked down, nervously fiddling with it. “When I was taken into the white room a Kajian gave it to me so I could understand your language.”

            He nodded again as he smiled to himself, like everything made sense. “I want you to hold this stone in your hand and tell me what happens, monet.”

            I was now nervous about the rock, but I let him place it in my hand.

            A shock was sent through my arm and to my heart. I clutched at my chest with my free hand, I couldn’t let go of the stone. A painful cry escaped my lips as I watched my vision turn white. I felt arms wrap around me as the white started shifting and breaking to show an image.

            It was Kit…no. It was someone who looked almost identical to Kit. He was sitting next to what looked like a lake as he stared out over it. He seemed so lost, I wanted to ask what he was thinking about and why he was so sad. Then I watched him shift uncomfortably in the grass before stopping.

            He suddenly turned his head and looked straight at me. I sucked in a deep breath when he reached out to me.

            “Who’s there?”

            Then like an earthquake I was brought back to the market and staring at the man from before. He looked at me like I was a treasure. He helped me stand from the chair he had set me down on.

            “What the hell did that thing do to me?” I let the stone fall from my hand.

            He didn’t say anything, as I freaked. I rushed out of his stall and ran as fast as I could back to the complex.

            When I got back to the apartment Beth and Maddie were already asleep, and I quickly did the same. As I laid in bed all I could think about was the way that stone had made me feel. Like I was a ghost and could see anything I wanted. I realized that feeling was going to haunt me forever as I slowly drifted off to sleep. The entire night I couldn’t stay asleep, tossing and turning until morning.