As we drive, I stare out the window, not saying a word. The buildings get larger and larger as we approach. I look at each and every one of them closely. Downtown, all the towers have lights that move and create different patterns and pictures. It’s so mesmerizing that every so often I feel the car slow so Sailor can safely take a glance at them too.
There aren’t many other cars on the road. Most of the houses have their vehicles parked on their driveways, collecting frost on the windshield. Each patch creates a different, beautiful pattern.
When Sailor stops the car, I see that he's parked us in a small lot which seems to be next to a trail. It’s empty and dark except for a few lamps lighting up a path. Trees start blocking the view of most of the buildings. I look over at him.
“So,” I start. “What is this place?”
“It’s better to just show you,” Both of us get out of the car. I begin to amble over to a paved pathway that lives under the branches of palm trees. It looks almost like a long hallway. I glance behind me and see Sailor jogging to catch up with me. “We have to go through here.” He tells me, pointing to the walkway.
We don’t take time to admire the flowers and leaves hanging over us. There’s very little time we have to stop and see every tiny detail. Maybe one day we'll have the time. The last hour has passed too fast. The freedom feels nice, but I’m on edge. I’m sure that Ty also disabled the tracking devices planted under our skin, however there’s a chance that someone could have been sent after us. I have no clue as to what occurred after we left, but I’m anxious to find out what exactly happened.
Once we get to the end of the path, Sailor puts his arm in front of me.
“I have taken us to what I have been told is arguably the most beautiful spot in the city. Black Rock Point.”
“Never heard of it.”
“Well,” He looks to his left. “Now you have.” I push past him and look where he did. I see an ocean. I’ve never gotten a chance to see the waters before. The facility is placed in a massive cave-like structure that’s surrounded by forests. There are large areas there that bring in light, but at no point is there a spot to see this. From what I can tell, the water is transparent. It must be beautiful to swim in.
The entire beach is black sand. Seaweed is scattered everywhere. The moons shine so bright that far off in the distance I can see what looks like a mountain.
“We live close to another city?” I wrinkle my eyebrows. “I had no idea.”
“That’s not a mountain.”
“What is it then?” I inquire.
“A wave.” I try to keep my composure. Why doesn't it make him nervous?
“Shouldn’t we get to high ground?” He hushes me.
“Come here.” He gestures for me to follow him to a log that sits right in front of where the high tide is coming in. I cautiously sit down and stare at the wave. It’s moving in quickly. Even if we wanted to run, there wouldn’t be enough time. “Do you ever wonder why that thing that looks like a screen comes over the city at certain times during the day?”
“No,” I tell him. “I’ve never really thought about it.”
“Well,” He rests his arms on his knees and looks into the distance. “I did.”
“Do you want to explain to me why we’re not running right now?”
“There’s something out there that detects the water height rapidly growing, and when it senses that, a shield comes over the city. The wave goes straight over it and continues onto the next city.” He pauses. “That’s why all the farms are underground and ships can only take off during certain times. The shield only prevents water from flooding the city.” I look at him.
“I guess I never noticed the water. Never looked long enough to see it.”
“Once it gets to the part of the shield we can see, the water is pretty much invisible,” He sighs. “I wish we were able to see it.”
“You brought me all the way out here to freak me out and then give me a science lesson?”
“I don’t think it’s really a science lesson.” I shrug.
“It’s nice. I guess.” I smirk. Both of us go silent, and watch as the wave gets closer and closer. The water on the beach quickly recedes. I don’t know how far back it travels. The sand and sky melt into one color. As it gets closer to us, there’s sudden shocking noise, and the shield quickly starts rising hundreds of feet into the air. I look back to see where it travels to. The shield ends at the highest point on the island. The tip of the mountain where our facility is.
I didn’t bother to look back when we left, but now I notice that from almost any spot in the city, our home is visible. No one would notice a crowd of people sitting on a roof from this distance, but it makes me feel self-conscious. All the nights I sat out there wishing that I could go beyond the gates and explore feel strange now.
Sailor taps my shoulder, and I look back at the beach, and in an instant, I see the tsunami hit the shield. Instinctively I put my arms up and cover my face. After a few seconds he moves my arms down and has me look out to sea. It’s something I’ve never witnessed before. I can see all the fish and sea weed flowing perfectly over the city. It does disappear once it reaches the top, but it’s still a spectacular sight. I stand up and start to go to the spot the shield rose from.
I can see myself in the reflection of the water. I decide to touch the shield. As my finger touches it, water trickles down my hand and to my elbow. My sleeve becomes drenched, but I don’t care.
“How long does this last?” I ask, looking at him.
“I don’t know. Maybe an hour or two.” He smiles. “I’ve heard during the day they do shows. That’s why there’s a ton of logs out here.” I look around and realize that there’s more scattered around the area. All I can do is wonder what they do in the shows. I know that he won’t have an answer for me, though. I start to walk back to where we were sitting, and notice a mother and daughter sitting together. They’re close to us, and I didn’t even realize it until now. There was a breeze and the sounds of the waves covered up their voices, but now they’re perfectly clear.
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