《Swimming Pools》


 Chapter 1 - THE POOL

    Chapter 1 - THE POOL


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    The sun was high, and Ada could feel the marble deck burning the soles of her feet.


    Every couple of seconds, she would lean back from where she sat, the small of her back almost grazing the marble floor, trying to spare everything but her heels from the scalding heat.


    There were other options, cool and dark corners of the backyard she could tuck herself into to escape the glare of the sun, but she doubted they would bring her any sort of relief.


    The air was dead, thick, like cotton shoved into her ears, mouth and nose. It was hard to breathe, and lines blurred together, washed away by oversaturated blues and whites. Everything felt too much and yet too little at the same time, stuck in limbo, like a string pulled too tight, refusing to snap.


    Nothing felt real to her.


    Except for the pool.


    The same pool that had just been filled up with cool and clear water, dead still, unmoving and glinting, like smooth glass. It was right there, close enough that she could just stretch out her leg and let her toes dip in. Just her toes, for a little bit, to know what it would feel like. Maybe make some ripples. To make something, anything, happen in this dead heat of a day before something else did snap.


    It was that thought that pushed Ada forward, scooting closer and closer to the water. The back of her leg grazed the hard edge, bent at the knee, foot suspended over the still surface. Like a liquid mirror it reflected her image, the clear outline of a much too childish face, equal parts scared and excited. She hardened it, like her resolve, and brought her foot down to meet the one that belonged to her reflection.


    There was a sound, a whoosh from the glass doors sliding open behind her.


    "Ada," a voice called out to her, deep and tinged with surprise.


    With a jolt, Ada pulled back her feet, tucked them close, arms wrapped around her knees. She didn''t turn around, nor did she answer the call, not trusting herself to speak while adrenaline, or something close to it, still buzzed hot beneath her skin.


    She heard a sigh, and a moment later Dr. Kizua was at her side, his tall body a looming presence, casting a shadow over her smaller, curled up frame.


    "I thought I made myself clear about you not touching the water, Ada."


    There was no anger in his voice (there never was), just the same old cool and detached tone.


    "I didn''t touch it," she retorted, words muffled by the heated skin of her arm.


    It wasn''t a lie, not really. But, somehow, it still ended up sounding like one.


    The man hummed low and long in his throat, and Ada had to try especially hard not to be offended by words that weren''t even being said. She wouldn''t fall for that trap again.


    A sound caught her ears, the familiar flick of flint hitting steel. A second later, the smell of smoke and nicotine reached her, staining the insides of her nose.


    "Why are you sitting outside?" the doctor asked in between exhales. "This heat isn''t good for you."


    Biting down on the urge to retort with something she''d regret later, Ada finally looked up, squinting at the man''s face through the cloud of smoke.


    "You filled up the pool," she said.


    A pause, as the doctor took another slow draw of his cigarette. "...Your point?"


    "So, there are guests coming."


    "Indeed."


    "Are you and the guests going to use it?"


    A snort, sharp and dry. "Obviously not."


    Ada pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes, trying desperately not to scream out her next words. "I don''t understand. Why fill up a pool if no one''s going to use it?"


    Dr. Kizua froze in place for a long second or two, cigarette halted mid-air, inches from his lips.


    At first Ada thought she''d asked something she wasn''t supposed to, that the doctor would give her one of his stern looks or simply change the subject. But his eyes were not on her at all when he finally decided to answer her.


    "Because, Ada," he began, smoke escaping through his mouth and nose, like some sort of wise dragon, "an empty pool is nothing more than a hole in the ground. Having a hole in an otherwise beautiful house raises questions, and those questions raise even more questions. A filled-up pool does not."Stolen novel; please report.


    "People expect it to be filled, but they don''t care so much if or how it''s being used. That''s inconsequential. What matters to them is the possession, the aesthetic, not the function. Do you understand?"


    "Yes," the word came out of her mouth without any thought, like some sort of conditioned reflex. As soon as her brain caught up with the question though, she frowned at her feet and shook her head. "No, not really."


    "It''s alright," the doctor assured, the almost gentle tone at odds with the rasp in his voice, "you will, one day."


    "Why won''t you let me use it though?" she asked, casting the doctor a tired glance, "If it doesn''t matter, either way."


    "Because it''s too deep and you can''t swim. You''d sink to the bottom and drown. And so would I, for that matter."


    Ada squinted at the man''s reflection in the pool, his words repeating in her head like a broken record. She wasn''t sure why they bothered her, exactly. They were a simple statement of fact, the kind she was used to hearing from the doctor. But the somber tone was completely off, and the contrast was hurting her brain.


    So, instead of the obvious "why can''t you find someone to teach me then?", something very different came out her lips.


    "Are we still talking about pools?" she blurted out, frowning at their reflections.


    There was silence for a moment, and when Ada looked up to see if Dr. Kizua had even heard her question, she caught him staring back with an odd look in his eyes, cigarette limp and forgotten between his fingers.


    Time seemed to stop. Ada was frozen to the spot, pinned down by the doctor''s eyes. They were wide, almost surprised, but Ada couldn''t read anything else in them, nothing familiar anyway.


    "Professor Kizua?" she managed to ask, and she hated how small and thin her voice sounded.


    The name seemed to snap the doctor out of whatever thought had taken over his mind. And just like that, the old serious and clinical face settled back in, like it had never gone away in the first place.


    In one fluid movement, the doctor dropped the cigarette and put it out with the heel of his black oxford shoes. Without a word or a glance, he turned around and walked back to the house. Ada, still stuck staring at the same spot where the man had just stood, heard the glass doors open behind her and was sure that meant the end of their conversation for the day.


    But then a car honked just outside the house, near the front gates, startling them both. The doctor''s footsetps stopped, glass doors still open.


    "I suspect the General has brought his daughter with him today," Dr. Kizua said, almost like an afterthought, his voice distant. "Kassia, I believe her name was. I trust you''ll both be on your best behaviour."


    "Yes, professor," Ada replied instinctively. Another reflex.


    There were no footsteps, but she didn''t need that to know the doctor was still standing by the glass doors. She could feel his stare drilling into the back of her head, trying to dissect her brain with his eyes alone.


    Sometimes she wondered if the doctor could actually see into her head. It often felt that way, like her own thoughts were just ink etched into the paper that was her whole skin, in a language that only the professor understood. Because he himself had created it.


    It was a stupid thought, and one that she definitely didn''t want the doctor to know of. But she was spared from anymore of her ridiculous theories when something new reached her ears.


    Other voices.


    They came through the open doors, but from the other side of the house. Ada was only able to catch a few words and the doctor''s name being called by a deep, rumbling voice, before the glass doors were closed shut behind her, cutting the voices off.


    Ada knew she shouldn''t. But she did it anyway.


    She looked. Turning around, hand flat on the scorching hot marble beneath her, she looked through the glass walls.


    There he was. The General.


    He walked into the room with a singular purpose, steps as broad as his shoulders, a big hand raised to greet the doctor''s in a firm but short handshake. He spoke first, his words rushed and deliberate where the doctor''s were slow and careful.


    Even though the doctor was a head taller than him, the General had a way of swallowing up and overwhelm everyone around him with his presence alone. It didn''t help that he was always in uniform, gun barely concealed beneath all those medals and stars.


    It made Ada anxious every time he and his body guards stepped into that house, even though he''d shown nothing but respect for the doctor in all the times he''d visited.


    Dr. Kizua, who had his back to her, was still in the middle of exchanging pleasantries with the man when those small, beady eyes shifted towards her, meeting her gaze straight on.


    Ada froze, unable to look away even as her brain screamed at her to do just that. The doctor seemed to notice their little standoff, glancing at her over his shoulder before leaning in to whisper something to the other man, careful to hide his lips behind his hand as he did so. The General nodded and let himself be guided down the stairs, to the professor''s underground lab.


    As soon as both their figures disappeared down the stairs, Ada relaxed, letting out the breath she''d been holding.


    She hated the way people, not just the General, were looking at her these past couple of days. Had she done something? Something good? Something bad? Or maybe just strange? She couldn''t remember any particular moment.


    They looked at her like they saw something she couldn''t.


    It reminded her of that one time she got a nasty scar on her face. The professor wouldn''t let her see any of it for herself, wouldn''t tell her what it was or what it looked like, and wouldn''t even let her touch it under the dressing.


    It wasn''t like she felt any different either, the skin around the scarring too numb to bother her. But though there weren''t any mirrors in the house (Dr. Kizua had made sure of that), she could tell something was wrong, just by the way the doctor''s friends or the occasional discrete house keeper would look at her.


    This felt just like that. Only this time, the scar covered her entire body, and not even the pool could reflect it back at her.


    A scar only others could see.


    But where had she got it from? Or any of her other scars, for that matter?


    "Why won''t anyone tell me anything?" she muttered into the crook of her arm, staring past the pool''s surface, gaze lost somewhere at the bottom.


    That was a mistake.


    If she had payed any attention to her reflection, or not let herself get buried under the weight of her own thoughts, then maybe she would''ve seen or even sensed the pair of hands coming up from behind her.

 Chapter 2 - THE GATE

    Chapter 2 - THE GATE


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    A pair of hands, warm and damp with sweat, covered her eyes.


    Immediately, every muscle in Ada''s body tensed up. The entire world seemed to vanish, leaving only the intruder and herself, surrounded by pitch darkness.


    Time had slowed down to a crawl, but not her thoughts. It was like her mind and body had disconnected. Her own hands felt detached from her. They seemed to move through space at a snail''s pace as they lashed out and reached back, ready to strike or grip her attacker.


    "Guess who?" a soft voice sang out, hot breath blown into her ear.


    And just like that, a switch flicked back on inside Ada''s brain.


    Time resumed, but her hands remained frozen mid air. A sick feeling, heavy and scorching hot, dropped low on her stomach like coals as she came back to her surroundings. Her mind, which had been so clear and sharp a second ago, now felt sluggish and disoriented, struggling to make sense of the situation.


    The hands over her eyes adjusted their position, and so did the body behind her, tensing up and squirming against her back. Ada could sense the impatience and the silent pressure there, and that was enough to kick-start her brain.


    "... Kassia?" Ada stammered, hesitant.


    There was a click of a tongue right next to her ear. A second later, the hands were gone, and she had to blink several times to readjust to the bright sunlight.


    "Ada, that was just mean!" the voice whined.


    The person slid right next to her, bare knees knocking against hers. When Ada turned her head to face them, she was met with a young woman that looked about her age and size, maybe a bit older, with ebony skin, a shade darker than hers, long braided hair and deep dark eyes looking right back at her with pouty lips.


    "I really thought you forgot my name for a second there," she confessed in a joking manner, leaning in to poke her side.


    Ada wasn''t expecting that sort of touch, and instinctively flinched away from it. Kassia just snorted at her reaction and turned her attention to the pool. Without getting up, she kicked off her sandals, scooted all the way to the edge and dropped both feet in the water. Some of it splashed against the marble deck and Ada had to move her feet away so they wouldn''t get wet.


    Unconcerned with Ada''s distress, Kassia threw her head back and shut her eyes, sighing and moaning in contentment.


    "It feels so nice." The older teen opened her eyes to glance at her, shooting her a wink. "Just what the doctor ordered, right?"


    Realizing she was staring, Ada blinked the stupor away and opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out.


    She had no idea what to think about this person and their weirdly intimate behaviour, much less what to say to them, so she bit her lip and looked down at her hands instead. She opened and closed them a few times, trying to push away the disturbing thought that those hands had been less than a second away from grabbing another person''s neck.


    She was starting to feel sick again.


    "Wanna dive in?"


    Startled by the sudden question, Ada whipped her head around to look at the other girl, only to drop it once more when she was met with Kassia''s piercing gaze.


    "No," she stammered after a while, scratching the back of her hand, "We better not. Professor said we shouldn''t."


    "Aw, come on, Dr. Kizua and my dad are downstairs, doing," Kassia stopped to make a face, throwing up a dismissive hand, "whatever."


    The frown on the older girl''s face shifted seemesly into an almost predatory grin as she leaned back, scooting closer till their shoulders bumped together.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "He won''t know," she whispered, putting a finger to her lips and winking, "We''ll be quiet."


    The knot in Ada''s stomach tightened. Leaning away, just enough to no longer feel Kassia''s breath on her skin, she drew her legs in and wrapped her arms around them, tucking half of her face into the tight space between her chest and knees.


    "He''ll know," she insisted in a muffled voice, trying to resist the urge to look behind her just to make sure the doctor wasn''t standing there at the door somehow.


    "Fine," Kassia sighed in frustration, all levity dropping from her voice, "I was just thinking it''d feel nice."


    The girl glared at the pool water, using her arm to wipe the beads of sweat off her brow, "It''s too damn hot today."


    Ada bit her lip and rubbed her arm up and down, an odd sense of anxious guilt weighing down on her.


    "Do you want to go inside?" she offered, voice wavering and thinning out at the end. "There are some board games we could-"


    "No. I don''t want to be stuffed inside all day either."


    "Oh. Okay..." Ada swallowed, nails sinking deeper into her skin.


    From the corner of her eye, she saw Kassia fish a phone out of her back pocket and start scrolling through what looked like text messages, though the harsh sunlight made it hard to make the words out. Still, Ada, remembering all the times Dr. Kizua had warned her about being nosey, looked away and tried to ignore the girl next to her.


    It should''ve been easy. After all, she was pretty used to sitting long hours with the doctor without trading a single word. This shouldn''t be any different.


    Except it kind of was.


    There were just so many questions swirling around in her head. Why did Kassia act like they''d seen each other before? Apart from some vague mentions of her and a photo or two, Ada couldn''t remember ever having any interactions with the General''s daughter.


    And more than that, why did Kassia act so... intimate with her? Or was it normal behaviour between people her age? Maybe she was the one being weird here and overthinking things?


    "Finally!"


    This time, Ada nearly jumped at the sudden outburst. She turned her head, but Kassia had already sprung up and was putting her sandals back on. Before Ada could so much as utter a word, the other girl had already walked off, going around the pool before heading towards the backyard gate.


    Ada blinked a couple of times in a dazed stupor, before also stumbling to her feet.


    "Wait!" she called out, trying to stay clear from the edge of the pool as she followed Kassia, "where are you going?"


    "Trying to find a way out, obviously," Kassia huffed out in reply, eyes wandering up the gate, seizing it up.


    For a moment, Ada was speechless. She could only watch on, frozen on the spot, as the older girl gripped the bars, analyzing the lock for a couple of seconds before moving on to the stone wall surrounding the backyard.


    "Hey," Kassia called out, making Ada jump in surprise, "can you, like, help me out here?"


    "But... we..." Ada stammered, furiously scratching her arms while her eyes darted from the girl to the glass doors, "I can''t go outside. Professor Kizua said-"


    "I don''t care what Dr. Kizua said you can or can''t do!" Kassia snapped, turning around to fully face her, "You can stay here if you want. Tell them you lost sight of me and I managed to slip out or something, they''ll believe you."


    Ada bit her lip and looked down at the dry grass, unable to bear the brunt of the heated glare burrowing into her.


    "But I''m leaving this place, one way or another." There was a pause, before Kassia continued, in a much softer, almost sad tone, "I''m just asking for a little help here from my friend."


    Ada''s breath hitched.


    Friend.


    She''d never been called that word before. She wasn''t even sure what it meant, really. Not in a practical sense.


    Dr. Kizua wasn''t a "friend". He was only ever the Professor to her. Nothing more, nothing less.


    The help, only there to serve a function and leave, without ever sparing her a word. Same with the visitors, just people who came and went. Not really there for her.


    They didn''t care. They had no reason to. She was just something to them. Another ornament of this house. Something to look at or look after.


    She was just there.


    And yet Kassia had called her a friend. Like it was the most natural thing to do. And Ada didn''t know how to deal with that. How to even begin to respond when her whole body seemed to have broken down into a hot, jumbled mess by that one, simple word.


    Kassia, though, seemed to interpret her shocked silence as something else. Crossing her arms, she sighed and clicked her tongue.


    "Whatever."


    She then turned her back to Ada and made a motion to head back to the pool.


    "Wait," Ada mumbled in a hoarse voice, before trying again, louder this time, "Wait!"


    Kassia stopped right at the edge of the grass and slowly turned around, a blank, near unreadable expression on her face. Her arms were still crossed, and her hips cocked to the side, as if expecting something more.


    Taking in a deep breath, Ada clenched her hands into fists at her sides and looked up, facing the other girl, her friend, straight on.


    "How can I help?"


    Kassia only blinked in response.


    Then, slowly, as the older girl lowered her arms, a smirk began to pull at her lips, stretching across her entire face.

 Chapter 3 - THE WALL

    Chapter 3 - THE WALL


    <hr>


    "Okay, now, stand here. Put your hands together like...  yes, just like that! On the count of three you lift me up, okay?"


    Ada looked down at Kassia''s sandal-clad foot, pressed against her interlocked hands. Then she looked up at the very top of the stone fence, which suddenly seemed ten times higher than she remembered.


    Swallowing down the queasiness churning in her stomach, she took a deep breath, pressed her lips tight and nodded, not trusting her voice at that moment.


    "Good." Kassia nodded back, not a trace of fear or doubt in her focused gaze and wide smile. "Okay, ready?"


    The grip on Ada''s shoulders tightened, the increased pressure making her breath hitch. But she shook it off, steeling herself, and focused all her attention on keeping her stance wide and feet firmly planted on the ground, adjusting her hands one last time to make sure could support Kassia''s full weight.


    There was something oddly comforting about that position, like she''d done it a million times, and she found herself getting more relaxed despite the earlier panic, her breathing evening out to an almost sleep-like rhythm.


    "One... two... three!"


    As soon as she felt Kassia''s entire body weight shift to her hands, Ada buckled down and then, gathering up all her strength, lifted her hands up in one swift motion, flinging the older girl upwards and towards the stone fence.


    The idea was for Kassia to get just high enough to grab onto the top of the wall, and then pull herself the rest of the way up.


    But to Ada''s absolute horror, she witnessed the girl''s body flying right over the entire wall, disappearing into the other side with a single garbled cry.


    "Holy shit!"


    There was a loud thump and Ada''s heart stopped.


    "Kassia!" she screamed, forgetting all about the doctor and the General for a second, "Kassia?"


    There was no response.


    Legs shaking, Ada ran over to the gate and gripped the bars, trying to get a glimpse of the other side of the wall. But no matter how hard she pressed her face against it, the gate made it near impossible to find the right angle. She couldn''t see anything past the entrance.


    "I''m sorry," she choked out, lips trembling, "I''m so sorry. Please, say something. Are you okay, Kassia? Kassia!"


    Then something slammed up against the gate from the other side.


    "Boo!" someone shouted right into her face.


    Ada let out a yelp and recoiled, letting go of the metal bars as if they had just burned her. In her haste to get away, she tripped and fell back onto the paved ground.


    When she looked up, Kassia was there on the other side, bent over and holding her stomach, whole body shaking with raucous laughter.


    "Sorry," the older girl managed to say between bursts of choked laughter and gasps for air, "I just couldn''t help myself. You should''ve seen your face!"


    Heat crawled up Ada''s neck and simmered beneath the skin on her cheeks. It condensed into a tight knot in her throat and a sting behind her eyes, but she gritted her teeth and pushed it all down before standing up. Rubbing the tender skin on her lower back, she stormed over to the gate and the girl.


    "Consider it payback for throwing me over the wall like that." Kassia smirked, gripping the metal bars and leaning in, tilting her head to peer up at her with half-lidded eyes.


    The words made Ada freeze and come to a halt right in front of the gate. In a slow, almost hesitant motion, her own eyes slid down to Kassia''s hands, traveling down her arms, then all the way to her knees, noticing all the small patches of scraped or bruised skin along the way.


    Just like that, the hot ball of anger that had been swelling inside her chest, ready to explode, fizzled out, leaving only a small but tight knot of worry and guilt behind.


    "I''m sorry," Ada whispered, looking down at her feet with a pained expression.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Hey," Kassia called out, trying to get her attention with a more lively tone. "Come on, I was just messing with you."


    Getting no response, the older girl leaned in closer and changed her tone, voice low and soothing as she whispered, "It''s okay, Ada, I''m fine. See?"


    Ada looked up just in time to see Kassia giving a short but lively twirl, right before stopping and flashing her a wink. The sheer silliness of that action got an unintentional giggle out of Ada, which only made Kassia''s smile bloom into a full-blown grin.


    "That''s better," the older girl chirped. Grabbing the bars again, she wiggled her fingers and nodded towards the wall, a glint of excitement in her eyes. "Now it''s your turn."


    The smile on Ada''s face dropped like a rock.


    She stepped back again, arms wrapped tight around her stomach. Her lips parted and closed shut a couple of times, eyes jumping back and forth between the glass doors near the pool and the girl on the other side of the gate.


    "But I," she stammered, averting her gaze, nails sinking deep into the skin on her arms, "I told you I can''t."


    "Fine, whatever!" Kassia snapped, slamming her hands against the metal bars, making Ada flinch and step back.


    The older girl made a move to leave, but pivoted and stepped up to the gate one more time, her narrowed, accusing eyes burning a hole through Ada''s skin.


    "You know what?" she spat, voice actually breaking for a split second, "I thought you were cool. I don''t know what''s gotten into you, but I don''t like this scaredy-cat version of you. If you wanna blow me off, then fine, you can stay here and rot in the heat, for all I care!"


    And then she left. She just straight up spun around, stormed off and disappeared behind the wall.


    Ada was left there, stunned into silence, frozen in place and trying to process what had just happened. The whole world fell quiet and she was alone once more, nothing to keep her company but the suffocating summer heat, the dead garden and the still pool.


    Lost in a dazed stupor, she blinked several times. Slowly, with one unsure step at a time, she turned around and started dragging her feet back to the pool. The moment her toes touched the marble deck, she stopped. For a full minute, she just stood there, eyes staring unblinkingly at the unmoving reflection of that much-too childish face on the pool''s surface.


    Then her gaze paned up, sweeping across the empty house behind the glass doors, before zeroing in on the staircase that led all the way down to the lab.


    Her dark eyes narrowed.


    She clenched her jaw tight and balled her hands into fists at her sides. Her breaths grew fast and ragged. And then they stopped all together.


    In one swift movement, Ada spun around on her heels and bolted straight across the garden, flying past everything, like a bullet through the air. Right before she reached the wall, and without ever losing her momentum, she jumped.


    And just like Kassia, she didn''t just reach the top of the wall, she flew right over it, legs tucked tight, bare feet inches from skimming the very edge of the stone fence.


    For that one split second in time where she was in the air, Ada''s heart soared and her skin buzzed with pure adrenaline, a million miles above everything and anyone. The horizon was right there, just within her reach.


    And then gravity kicked in.


    The sinking feeling in her stomach triggered something in her brain. As soon as the balls of her feet touched the ground she tucked her head to the side and dropped into a forward roll over her right shoulder, the momentum she got from it enough for her to jump right back to her feet.


    She stood there, knees bent, heart racing, beating against her chest like a drum, refusing to slow down. And it wasn''t just her heart, every part of her body was alive and humming, hands shaking and muscles twitching, as if screaming at her to do something else. To keep going, to keep running.


    But towards what?


    "Hoy shit..."


    Ada whipped her body around. Stance wide, she raised both fists to her chin, ready to strike, only for all of her to freeze and then ease-up when she came face to face with a familiar wide-eyed girl.


    "Kassia...?" Ada heard herself whisper, as if saying it too loud would make the sight before her vanish, like a mirage.


    "What the hell was that!" the girl in question yelled, gesturing widely with her arms.


    Her wide eyes jumped back and forth between Ada and the top of the wall, mouth hanging open with a dazed sort of shock, as if also not sure that what she was seeing was, in fact, real.


    "How did you-?"


    "You waited for me," Ada interjected in a soft tone, not a question but a statement, laced with its own sense of pleasant shock.


    She walked up to the older girl, the faint, tilted smile on her lips growing wider with each step she took.


    Kassia turned to face her, and just like that, her surprised expression shifted to a confident grin, a hand coming down to rest on her coked hip.


    "Of course I waited," she scoffed, rolling her eyes, as if the mere idea of someone doubting her were ridiculous. "I knew you''d come around eventually."


    As soon as Ada was within arm''s reach, Kassia grasped her hand. This time Ada barely flinched at the touch, letting the older girl tighten her grip and pull her close, raising their interlocked fingers to eye-level.


    "And that''s what friends do, right?" Kassia smiled softly, tilting her head to peer up at her, eyes overflowing with a warmth that seeped into Ada''s skin. "They never leave the other behind. They wait for each other."


    And even though Ada had no idea what friends did or didn''t do, that statement rang true regardless, like the lost verse of an old tune. She felt the truth of it in her very core, so she breathed out a soft, wistful "yeah."


    Something heavy and delicate hanged in the silence that fell between them, in the unbreakable hold they had on each other as they locked eyes. Kassia was the first to break it, lowering their joined hands and coughing into her free one while averting her gaze.


    "Ah, yes, good... Great," she stammered, scratching the bridge of her nose. "Glad we''re on the same page here."


    With a slight tug of her hand, Kassia started to pull Ada along the wall. "Now, let''s go, before they realise we''ve gone missing. Gabriel is waiting for us."

 Chapter 4 - THE CAR

    Chapter 4 - THE CAR


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    There were certain things Ada had previously known about the house and the property surrounding it. Bits and pieces of information that she''d managed to pull out of the doctor through sheer willful insistence.


    So she was already aware, for example, that Dr. Kizua''s house stood alone, nestled at the very top of a hill. But she also knew that there were other houses further down the road. Only houses, nothing else. When she''d asked if other people lived in them, the doctor had remained silent, refusing to budge.


    Why the doctor had decided to draw the line at that one, seemingly innocuous detail, Ada had no idea.


    Regardless, she had always suspected that the answer to that question was no.


    It made the most sense. After all, visits were few and far between, and they always came to the house by car. Gardners and other cleaning staff arrived late and left early, or didn''t come at all for days on end. And she''d never found any evidence that pointed to the existence of other people nearby.


    So the suspicion had always been there. But actually getting to confirm this with her very own eyes, was a different experience altogether.


    There really was nothing.


    The streets were desolate, not even the vague silhouette of someone moving behind the glass walls and windows of any of these two-story houses. Not the splash of someone diving into the pool that each one of them seemed to have in their backyards. Not the rumbling sound of lawnmowers trimming the vast gardens. No talking, no laughter or yelling. No barks, cries or chirps from pets or other animals. Nothing.


    The houses were empty.


    The only sounds that filled this ghost town were the girl''s own hurried footsteps and heavy breathing as they scurried along, Kassia still pulling Ada along by the hand, despite the sweat building up between their clasped palms.


    Every now and then they would stop. Kassia would pull her under the shade of a tree or push her up against a wall, whispering at her to stay low, narrowed eyes trained on what looked like a surveillance camera. They''d both wait with bated breaths for it to gradually swivel to another angle, before dashing across the street or turning a corner.


    Ada wondered if the cameras were even real. Why would there be surveillance in an empty neighbourhood? And why were all these houses empty in the first place?


    These questions gnawed at her. Even more than the suffocating heat, they wore her down, the anxious knot in her stomach growing tighter and heavier the further down the hill they went.


    "Where is he?" Kassia hissed after they turned yet another corner, only to be greeted by more nothing. "He said he''d be close."


    Ada bit her lip, looking down at their clasped hands. She was just about to open her mouth to voice her concerns, when she suddenly felt herself being yanked forward.


    "There he is!"


    Kassia dragged her all the way to the start of what looked like a beaten track. A big, black SUV was parked right there on the side of the path, hidden under the shade of an acacia tree.


    All of Ada''s muscles tensed up.


    Immediately, she took a step back, trying to pull Kassia with her. But the older girl had already let go of her hand, rushing towards the car. Before Ada could stop her or cry out for her, the dark tinted windows of the SUV rolled down and someone popped their head out. A young man, with dark brown skin, strong features and a stylised, short, curly afro.


    "Fuck, finally!" he yelled out the car window, his gestures wide and aggressive as he glared at an approaching Kassia. "What took you so long, fart face!"


    The older girl didn''t seemed fazed at all by the boy''s hostile behaviour. Getting on her tiptoes, she stepped right up to the window, pulled him by the neck and kissed him square on the cheek with an audible smack of her lips.


    "Thanks for waiting, love," she cooed, batting her eyelashes.


    It was clear, by her tone alone and the barely contained laughter, that the older girl was mocking him. But somehow, that intimate gesture still made something hot and bitter coil up tight at the bottom of Ada''s stomach, her grip tightening on the hem of her damp shirt.


    "Ew, get your fucking germs off me!" the boy groaned, slapping away Kassia''s hands while whipping his cheek. "I almost drove off, you know. This car isn''t exactly what you would call inconspicuous."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Whatever. You would never drive off without me."


    "Pfft, wanna test me?" the boy scoffed, pierced lips pulling up into a smirk while both hands gripped the steering wheel, "I could still drive off."


    The car''s engine roared to life. It revved up a few times, the front of the jeep jerking forward on the beaten track, almost like a warning.


    Kassia''s own smug smile dropped like a rock.


    "Don''t you dare, you bastard!" she shouted, taking a step back only to aim a high, hard and very loud kick to the driver-side door with the heels of her sandals. "Open this goddam door or I''ll personally make sure to put a dent on it."


    "Wow, wow, hey!" The boy fumbled in his haste to turn off the engine, hands shooting out of the window to grab the girl''s ankle and push her foot away. "Okay, fine, just stop!"


    Kassia stumbled for a bit, but did back off, lowering her leg. The frown on her face, however, did not subside. Crossing her arms, she coked one hip to the side and raised an eyebrow at the boy, as if expecting something.


    The boy groaned, sinking into his seat and brushing a hand down his face, before shooting her a side-glance.


    "Common," he said, nodding his head towards the spot beside him, a much softer smile tugging at his lips. "Get your lovely buttocks on this seat, then."


    Just like that, Kassia''s cold glare shifted back to the smug smile she had on earlier, only somehow even more pleased this time.


    "Thank you," she chirped up at him with a short curtsy, before sauntering over to the passenger side.


    It was seeing the older girl open the door and hop into the SUV that jolted Ada back into action. The sudden fear of being left behind outweighed any reservations she had about the boy, and it pushed her forward. Stepping out of the shade, she rushed towards the car.


    "Testy today, huh?" she heard the guy taunt Kassia, before those eyes suddenly whipped over to her. In a split second, the grin on his lips vanished, leaving nothing behind but a blank, taut expression. "Who the fuck is that?"


    The sheer intensity of that gaze made Ada freeze on the stop, just mere steps away from the front end of the car. On pure instinct, she held her breath, arms wrapped tight around her midriff.


    "Don''t worry," Kassia was quick to interject, the relaxed smile on her face clashing with their tense standoff. "That''s my friend, Ada."


    The girl in question perked up at the mention of her name, but stayed put, unsure of what to do. She thought about waving her hand as a greeting, but the boy''s unrelenting scowl made her think twice.


    Noticing this, Kassia pressed on, leaning in to grip the boy''s shoulder while bringing a finger to her lips, winking at him in a knowing way, "You can trust her, she''s cool. Honest."


    It was an odd gesture, its meaning lost on Ada. It didn''t seem to work too well on the guy either. He did look away from her, but only to turn that steely gaze on Kassia instead.


    After a beat or two, with the boy refusing to budge an inch, Kassia''s smile fell from her lips altogether. Glaring back just as intensely, she opened the door on her side and made a threatening gesture to hop off the seat and out of the car.


    "I''m not leaving without her," she said, both her voice and gaze as unyielding as stone.


    Another tense couple of seconds ticked by between Kassia and the boy.


    Then, finally, the guy sighed and looked away.


    "Fine," he groaned.


    Ada nearly jumped when those dark eyes landed back on her. But all he did was beckon her over, jerking his thumb towards the back seat with an almost bored expression.


    "Jump in, new kid," he shouted, voice growing taut as he added, "before anyone spots our asses."


    Kassia beamed at Ada, also motioning at her to hop on.


    Ada relaxed and stepped forward reflexively at Kassia''s gesture, but then stopped. Wringing her hands, she threw one last look behind her.


    She could still kind of see it from here. Dr. Kizua''s house, nestled on the side of the hill, near the very top, overlooking everything. It looked so small from where she stood. Just another house.


    Harmless. Insignificant even.


    For a brief second, Ada marvelled at the fact that she was actually here, on this side, able to look at the house that she''d spent every waking day of her life in, from this much of a distance.


    "Come on, Ada!"


    Kassia''s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.


    With one last nervous glance over her shoulder, Ada turned back to the beaten path and rushed towards the side of the car. The door to the back seat had already swung open, so she just hauled herself up and plopped onto the cushioned black seat. She watched, amazed, as the door swung shut on its own.


    She heard a giggle. When she turned her eyes forward, Kassia was looking at her, chin resting on the arm she''d draped over the back of her own seat, a knowing grin on those plump lips.


    "Ada, this is Gabriel," she introduced, jabbing her finger into the boy''s cheek, who just slapped it away with an annoyed click of his tongue. Unfazed, Kassia then motioned back at her. "Gabriel, this is Ada."


    Right then, Ada made the mistake of looking up at the rear-view mirror. She caught Gabriel''s hardened eyes, cold and sharp, like a knife sinking into her flesh, and had to immediately look away, her wide eyes falling to her lap.


    "There, now you know each other." Kassia smacked Gabriel''s leg, getting a yelp out of the boy. "Stop glaring at her."


    "Whatever," he scoffed, though he did look away, cursing under his breath as he fastened his seatbelt and motioned for the two girls to do the same. "This is the last time I give you a ride, but-face."


    Kassia relaxed into her seat with a satisfied smile. Propping her feet up on the SUV''s dashboard, she glanced back at Ada, shooting her a cheeky wink before loudly replying. "That''s what you always say."


    "Yeah, well, this time I mean it."


    "Sure you do."


    Gabriel frowned and clicked his tongue, slapping her feet off the dashboard and quickly dusting the dirt off with a mumbled, "can''t keep anything clean with you around," before finally starting the car.


    With one last rev of the engine, they were off. Making a sharp U-turn, Gabriel drove them down the beaten path, his movements careful but confident. The car remained eerily quiet and steady as they made their way down, then slowly through a broken fence and onto the main road outside the house complex, where they eventually picked up speed.


    Ada twisted her body to look through the rear window, watching as the hill and Dr. Kizua''s house faded back into the horizon.

 Chapter 5 - THE ROAD

    Chapter 5 - THE ROAD


    <hr>


    The first couple of minutes on the road were oddly quiet and tense.


    The hill had long sunk into the horizon behind them, leaving them surrounded by nothing but arid, empty planes as far as the eye could see. It was only after they passed the first village, and other cars began to join them on the highway, that Gabriel and Kassia broke the silence.


    They were having a heated argument about what music to listen to on the radio, or something along those lines. Ada wasn''t paying that much attention, to be honest. She couldn''t stop staring out the window, her wide eyes drinking in as much as she could from the scenery whizzing past their car.


    The banana plantations, the Humbe cattle roaming the fields, the tall dry grass and the thick baobab trees. The small brick houses and the huge number of people she''d see, off and on the road, more than Ada had ever seen in her whole life, and all of them so different from the pristine, uniform-clad men and women that would visit the Professor.


    Ada couldn''t get enough of it.


    So it took a while for her to realise that the car had gone eerily silent again. When she did turn her gaze back to the front seat, she unconsciously met Gabriel''s dark, hooded eyes, staring at her through the rear-view mirror, and almost jumped in her seat.


    "So, who is she, anyway?" the boy asked Kassia, nodding his head towards Ada.


    "Ada is Dr. Kizua''s..." the older girl trailed off with a frown. Twisting around in her seat, she threw the other girl an uncertain, almost confused look, "adoptive daughter, right?"


    The question threw Ada off. She had no idea how to answer it, so, in her panic, she just reflexively nodded.


    "Wait, what? That man has a kid?" Gabriel sputtered, voice cracking. His eyebrows shot up and his jaw dropped, trying desperately to keep his eyes on the road even as they kept stealing glances at the girl in the back seat. "I mean, no offence, but... that must suck."


    With the speed of a snake strike, Kassia jabbed her elbow into the boy''s side. "Gill!" she hissed at him through greeted teeth.


    "What?" the boy snapped back, shooting the older girl a glare even as he tried to squirm away from her, rubbing his side. "I''m just being honest here! Like you weren''t thinking it too."


    "It does suck sometimes..." Ada said, her tone soft, barely above a whisper.


    The other two froze, turning their full attention on her.


    There was shock in their wide eyes, which confused Ada, until she realised a second later that this was the first time she''d spoken since she''d gotten in the car. She hadn''t meant to throw herself into the spotlight like that. The words had just come out of her mouth, unbidden.


    Swallowing around the lump in her throat, she looked down at her lap and thought about what to say. Memories of Dr. Kizua drifted into her thoughts, these unconnected but interchangeable bits and pieces of the constant blur that were her days, his cold, clinical eyes staring down at her in almost everyone of them.


    Ada shivered and frowned, nails sinking into the skin of her arm, "Some days are better than others," she said, her voice low and strained.


    For a brief stretch of time, there was only this tense and thick silence between the three. Kassia and Gabriel traded meaningful glances, both of them wearing this taut, uncomfortable, almost sad expression on their faces.


    In the end, it was Gabriel''s rough voice that broke through the awkward silence.


    "Well," he snorted, his tone dry, "isn''t that fucking relatable."


    Ada blinked and looked up at the boy''s face through the rear view mirror, scrunching up her face at his response. Kassia, who must''ve noticed her confusion, was quick to address her.


    "You know my dad, right?" she asked with a strained half-smile, waiting for Ada to nod before continuing. "Well, Gabriel''s father is a Lieutenant General, and his mother used to be a doctor on the frontlines." She shrugged, smile growing even more bitter. "We''re both army brats, and our parents aren''t exactly the easiest people to deal with, so we kind of know how you feel."


    Gabriel glanced at Ada through the mirror, his expression pensive.


    "I heard Dr. Kizua has been doing some research or whatever for the military," he said, his dark eyes going back to Kassia. "That''s why your dad is always visiting him, right?"


    "Who knows what the hell my dad does with him all day," Kassia snapped, clicking her tongue and turning back around to glare at the road ahead.


    "Says it''s ''top secret''," she mocked, emphasising the words with air quotes. Lips pressed tight, the older girl sunk back into the seat and propped her feet up on the dash board, mumbling "I couldn''t care less about his stupid projects," through greeted teeth.


    Both Ada and Gabriel blinked at Kassia''s tensed figure, unsure of what to say after that outburst. After a swift change of lanes on the highway, Gabriel raised a slow, careful hand and picked up the older girl''s legs by the heels, letting them slide back down and off his dashboard.


    "Anyway," he drawled in a lighter tone, "What I was trying to say is, if Dr. Kizua is involved with the military, then that kind of makes Ada over here an honorary army brat."


    Kassia instantly perked up at that, her sour expression shifting to a beaming smile. "Oh, yeah, you''re right. Army brats unite!"


    Twisting her body around, she raised a fist towards Ada. The younger girl blinked, eyes jumping between the offered hand and Kassia''s grin, before realising that the older girl was expecting her to do the same. Copying her movements, Ada also raised her fist, and Kassia immediately bumped it, only to break down into a fit of giggles that had the younger girl unable to resist a laugh of her own.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "Welcome to the club, kiddo," Gabriel announced with a chuckle, face breaking into a toothy smile. "Group therapy sessions are on Wednesdays."


    Again, Kassia jabbed the boy''s side. But this time, she put almost no force behind it, and the smiles never left either of the teen''s faces as they spent the next couple of seconds mock-wrestling, a smirking Gabriel swatting away Kassia''s attacks while trying to keep his eyes on the road.


    Ada giggled at the pure silliness of it, her laughter spurring them on.


    Even this was new to her. She never knew cheeks could hurt from smiling so much, or that her sides could ache from laughing so hard. She never knew someone could feel this warm and relaxed and light. It was like a huge weight she didn''t even know she''d been carrying around was lifted off her shoulders.


    She could breathe again. And it was the best feeling in the world.


    As the other two bantered back and forth, Ada glanced at her window just in time to catch a glimpse of dark blue between the slopes and trees.


    The laughter died in her mouth and her smile dropped. Instinctively, she threw herself against the door, palms pressed flat against the window, nose inches from the glass as her wide eyes took in that new blue horizon.


    "What is that?" she asked in a breathless voice.


    There was a beat or two of complete silence. Through the gap between the passenger door and the front seat, Ada caught Kassia squinting at the passing scenery, eyes flitting about before eventually settling on something.


    "... You mean the sea?"


    Ada turned back to the window, eyes growing even wider and lips parting in sheer amazement as she gazed upon that line where the sky met water. She drank up as much as she could before it disappeared once more behind the rest of the landscape.


    "Have you..." Kassia hesitated, a dazed look in her eyes as she blinked at Ada through the gap, "have you never seen the sea before?"


    Noticing the odd tone in the girl''s voice, Ada turned back to face the front window. She caught an equally confused looking Gabriel throwing furtive glances between them.


    "I, hum," Ada stammered, realising very quickly by the other''s reactions that she''d done something abnormal. "I''ve never stepped outside the house... until today," she replied, eyes dropping to her fidgeting hands.


    There was a beat of silence, and then Gabriel burst out laughing.


    But his snickering died just as abruptly once he caught Kassia''s pointed stare. Frowning, he glanced back at Ada, who was still refusing to meet their eyes, lips pressed into a thin line, knuckles going white from gripping her legs too tight.


    "Wait, for real?"


    Nobody said anything, but the serious expression on both the girl''s faces seemed to be enough of an answer for Gabriel.


    "... Holy shit," the boy cursed in a breathless exhale, dazed eyes staring off into the road ahead.


    The car fell silent once more. But this one felt heavier than the last one, weighed down by Ada''s confession, the implications of her words just now settling on the back of their minds.


    As the silence stretched and grew, so did the sinking feeling in Ada''s stomach and the buzzing in her mind. She didn''t want to think about anything anymore, so she fixed her eyes on the road ahead.


    They were approaching an exit on the highway, but Gabriel didn''t slow down, signalling instead to the other cars that he was going to take the left lane to keep himself on the main road.


    It was at that exact moment, right before Gabriel started to steer the SUV to the left, that Kassia flung herself towards the driver-side of the car, gripped the wheel between Gabriel''s hands and stirred sharply to the right.


    The sudden turn jolted Ada to the side. Her head banged against the window, the side of her body pressed flush against the door, seatbelt digging into her neck.


    "What the fuck!"


    Gabriel immediately tried to take back control of the stirring wheel and steer the car back to the left. But by that time, it was too late. They were already at the exit, and all he could do at that point was quickly press down on the breaks to make the curve and keep the car from crashing into the cement barrier or going off the road completely.


    Every car surrounding them blared their horns and rolled their windows down to throw obscenities at them. But Gabriel ignored all of them in favor of tearing Kassia''s hands off the wheel and shoving her back against the passenger-side door.


    "Are you insane!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, knuckles going pale from how tightly he was gripping the steering wheel.


    In the back seat, Ada groaned and cradled her throbbing head, breathing hard and heavy through her mouth. She could hear her own blood pumping in her ears.


    Kassia had slowly straightened herself up, hands clutching the back of her head, where it had also hit the window after being shoved into it. When she spoke, her voice was oddly calm and clear.


    "We''re going to show Ada the beach."


    "What!" Gabriel snapped, torn between glaring a hole through the older girl and keeping his eyes on the almost serpentined-like road ahead. "No. No fucking way. I picked you up to go to the market. I have important shit to do there. We had a fucking deal goddammit!"


    "And we''re still going there," she interjected in the same calm, but firm voice, her round, brown eyes staring into Gabriel''s hooded ones.


    The young man remained quiet, all of him tensed up, movements stiff as he tapped away on the GPS, looking for the shortest way back to the highway. But his breathing had evened out, nostrils no longer flared up and veins no longer prominent on the sides of his forehead.


    "Think of this as just a short detour," Kassia pressed on in a lighter tone, never taking her eyes off the boy, "Plus, it''s a good excuse to avoid the main road."


    "No."


    Without warning, Kassia slammed her hands on the dashboard, making both the boy and Ada jump.


    "The poor girl has never seen the sea before, Gabriel!" she yelled at him, gesturing widely at the younger girl in the back seat. "The fucking sea! Can you even imagine what that''d be like? If you couldn''t even have that one escape from your shitty life!"


    Not for the first time that day, Ada felt this odd sense of disconnect, an off-kilter reaction to the realisation that the words she was hearing might not mean what they mean. That, somehow, Kassia was not talking about just the beach anymore. And that both she and Gabriel knew that.


    For a long minute, the young man just sat there, gripping the wheel and glaring at the cars ahead. Even without looking directly at each other, it still felt like a staring contest, with both Kassia and the Gabirel refusing to back down.


    Bitting her lip, Ada''s eyes darted between the two, feeling like she had to say something, but not knowing how to begin or if her words would even have any weight in the decision. The anxiety only grew when she noticed there was a roundabout up ahead, cutting whatever time they had left even shorter.


    Then, without ever changing his expression or saying a word, Gabriel turned off the GPS. With smooth, swift movements, he entered the roundabout and took the exit with the sign that showed the symbol for waves.


    "Fifteen minutes," he said after a second or two, his voice curt and rough. "Tops."


    "Thirty minutes," Kassia shot back in the same tone.


    Gabriel clicked his tongue, left eye twitching.


    "Fine! But I''m holding you to that," he barked out, pointing a ringed finger at her. "Half an hour and we''re out of there."


    "Deal." Kassia quickly nodded, the smallest hint of a smile breaking through her serious expression.


    "And don''t you dare pull that fucking stunt ever again!"


    Another nod, slower this time, and more serious.


    Sighing, the boy turned his sour look to the road ahead, grumbling to himself, "why do I keep letting myself get dragged into your shit."


    Ignoring him, Kassia turned around to face the girl in the back seat, her earlier serious expression vanishing under the sheer brightness of a beaming smile. Confronted with such an excited grin, Ada just blinked back, still too stunned to throw anything more than an odd, tilted, half-smile at the other girl.


    "You''re going to love the beach, Ada."

 Chapter 6 - THE SHALLOWS

    Chapter 6 - THE SHALLOWS


    <hr>


    There was salt in the air, staining the insides of her nose, tickling the back of her throat and dissolving on the tip of her tongue. There were other tastes and smells underneath it too, but she couldn''t quite tell what they were supposed to be, only that they felt nice and inviting in an oddly familiar way.


    The short gusts and gentle breezes brought sounds with them as well, the cries of seagulls hovering above them and the rumbling of waves crashing down on the shoreline. They sounded distant though, almost muffled, from where she stood.


    The sand beneath her feet was hot and dry. She wriggled her toes, digging her heels in deeper to feel its rough warmth hugging her skin.


    "Ada?"


    Her eyes fluttered open. Kassia was right there in front of her, bent at the waist, brushing her braids aside to peer up at her with a warm, soft smile.


    "Come on," the older girl whispered, voice struggling to break through the wind''s whistling. She took hold of Ada''s hands and gave them a gentle tug. "Let''s get your feet wet."


    A dazed Ada let herself be pulled towards the water, completely transfixed by the way the sunlight caressed and kissed the other girl''s dark skin. It was only when a wave came rolling in, soaking the sand and the bottom of her feet, that she flinched and stepped back.


    "It''s okay, I''m here" Kassia was quick to reassure her, never losing that soft smile even as she tightened her hold on her, "It''ll feel nice, I promise."


    Taking in a deep breath, Ada bit her lip and nodded. With grited teeth, she stepped forward and steeled herself, keeping a strong grip on the other girl''s hand, just in case.


    Another wave rushed towards them, washing over their feet and lapping at their calves. She had expected it to feel sharp and cold, like steel, but it didn''t. At all. It was tepid, even warmer than the breeze caressing her skin.


    They went further, step by step, until they were both standing knee deep in the water. The waves started strong and towering up ahead, but lost most of their momentum by the time they reached their legs. It was easy enough to settle into their almost lulling rhythm and forget about them entirely.


    The almost tranquil water around them also made it easier to see what hid beneath the surface, like the small fishes and bits of algae brushing past her legs, the minuscule crabs scurrying about before disappearing under the seabed, or the pebbles digging into the soles of her feet.


    Ada was so entranced by all of the life teeming underneath, that she didn''t notice Kassia''s hand slipping free from her grip.


    By the time she looked up, it was too late. The older girl had already splashed a handful of water on her face.


    "Kassia!" Ada gasped, stumbling back.


    The older girl just laughed, skipping away from her with a cheeky grin.


    "Sorry, Ada," Kassia teased with an dramatic shrug, smirking at the younger girl from what she clearly thought was a safe distance, "but you can''t go to the beach and not get splashed at least once. It''s basically tradition."


    Unable to help the slight pout tugging at her lips, Ada used the sleeve of her now damp shirt to dry her eyes. She was still staring down at the passing waves when her frown shifted to a sly grin.


    "Well, then..."


    Without any warning, Ada threw herself into a mad dash towards Kassia. Eyes widening in sudden realisation, the older girl immediately tried to make a run for it, but by the time she turned around, Ada was already within throwing range, and managed to splash Kassia''s back with a wall of lukewarm water.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The next couple of minutes were a mess of splashing, shrieking and laughter, as the two girls engaged in a short but spirited water-fight, giggling like children as they ran up and down the shallows.


    Suddenly, a long whistle broke through the noise.


    Both girls froze in place and looked up, only to find Gabriel waving at them from his spot next to the parked SUV.


    "You have fifteen minutes left!" he yelled over at them, making a tapping motion on his wrist watch.


    "Yes, sir," Kassia yelled back with a mock salute, rolling her eyes when the boy flipped his middle finger at her and went back to checking his phone.


    "Sorry, Ada," she said in a low tone, looking downcast as she turned back to face her, "I wish we had more time. Thirty minutes is not nearly enough to enjoy the beach."


    Seeing the dejected look on her friend''s face, Ada frowned and stepped closer, fingers brushing the back of the other girl''s hand.


    "It''s okay," Ada said in a soft tone, smiling when Kassia accepted the touch and fitted their hands together. "This." She nodded towards everything, the sand, the cliffs, the sky, the water. "This is more than I ever thought I''d get to see and feel."


    A tentative smile bloomed on Kassia''s face, before being quickly replaced with a bright glint in her wide, brown eyes. "Hey, how about we get some souvenirs for you then?"


    Frowning, Ada blinked and tilted her head, letting that foreign word roll off her tongue. "Souvenirs?"


    "Yeah, something to remind you of your super awesome day at the beach with us. Like..." Kassia gave a sweeping look at their surroundings before suddenly dropping to snatch something from the seabed.


    "Shells!" she cried out with barely contained glee, presenting her finding to Ada like a proud child. It was a small, smooth, white shell. "We can look for them in the shallows. Whoever gets the prettiest or strangest one wins! What do you say?"


    Ada giggled and nodded, letting herself get infected by Kassia''s child-like enthusiasm.


    "Great!" Kassia beamed. "This is our starting point. You''ll look for them that way, till you reach those rocks, and I''ll do the same, but this way. Once we''re finished, we''ll run back towards this spot and show each other what we found. Sound okay?"


    Another eager nod from the younger girl, her eyes already straying, trying to spot more shells nearby.


    "There are rules though. You don''t know how to swim, right, Ada?"


    Surprised at the question, Ada turned back to lock eyes with a worried looking Kassia.


    ''Because it''s too deep and you can''t swim.''


    Ada frowned. Then, slowly, shook her head. "No."


    "It''s okay," the older girl shrugged, throwing her a much more comforting smile, "I''m in a swimming team, and both Gabriel and I were kind of forced to have CPR classes, so it should be fine." The smile faded, lips pressed into a tight line. "But, just to be safe, stay in the shallows, alright, Ada?"


    There was something grave and intense about the way Kassia stared into her and tightened her grip around her fingers. So, Ada made sure to mirror that same degree of seriousness when she nodded back at the girl.


    When the game finally started, Ada followed Kassia''s advice and made sure to not stray, keeping the water well below her knees.


    It wasn''t like there was much need to go deeper anyway. The shallows were covered in pebbles and shells. Most of them were broken though, just bits and shards and jagged ends, and even those that remained in one piece were either the size of her thumb or just as pale as the one Kassia had shown her, and not nearly interesting enough to keep.


    Much too soon, she found herself just a couple of feet away from the rocks on her side of the beach, still empty handed. Frustrated, Ada was on the verge of just giving up and going back to help Kassia with her own hunt, when she heard something.


    A voice.


    It was too deep to belong to Kassia. A male voice. But it wasn''t Gabriel''s either.


    It came from the sea.


    And it was calling out for help.


    Ada''s heart skipped a beat. Whipping her head around, she cast her gaze out into the horizon, beyond the waves.


    There was nothing.


    But the voice kept calling. No, not calling. They were screaming.


    Heart racing, Ada found herself leaping towards the waves until the water was lapping at her waist, soaking through her shorts and shirt. But that didn''t matter, because she heard the voice again, much louder this time. And then she saw it. Squinting between the large, darker waves, she spotted something.


    Smoke. Flames flaring up into the sky. And metal wings.


    It was a plane, burning up, torn in half and sinking fast.


    There was someone inside it. They were screaming in pain, probably trapped, and desperately calling out for help.


    They were calling out for her name.


    That''s when the whole world came crashing down.

 Chapter 7 - THE DEPTHS

    Chapter 7 - THE DEPTHS


    <hr>


    Suddenly, there were other screams.


    Dozens, hundreds of people crying out in pain, barking out orders, calling out for her.


    There were things whistling through the air with sharp bangs, ripping through the smoke filled air. And there were even heavier ones crashing down on the sand and rumbling and making the whole world go silent for a split second, before exploding and erupting into even more painful noise.


    Ada doubled over with a choked out gasp and pressed her hands over her ears. But that didn''t stop the sounds from sinking into her skull, splitting it in half.


    Forcing her eyes open, she frantically searched the blurry shallows and the sand dunes behind her, but Kassia and Gabriel were nowhere to be found. There was no one there, and the beach... the beach was the same, but... different, somehow.


    Darker. Reder.


    The sounds faded, but one stood out, growing louder and louder until it was the only thing she could hear.


    The voice. The person, that pilot, whoever they were, was still in danger. They needed help. She had to help them.


    Ada started pushing through the waves, deeper and deeper into the sea, towards the burning, floating wreckage of the plane. The water was now washing over her shoulders, slapping against her neck and chin.


    She took another step and felt ... nothing. There was nothing beneath her, just void, a sudden drop where there should''ve been more sand.


    Ada sunk. In that split second where her head went under, submerged in the bitting cold of the depths, she heard another, much more familiar voice.


    ''It''s too deep and you can''t swim, Ada. You''ll sink to the bottom and drown.''


    Split-second flashes of images went off in her head, one after the other, too fast to register.


    With a jolt, Ada tried to pull herself back to higher ground, flailing her arms. But she couldn''t see or feel anything expect for the water pressing in on her from all sides, and she was already sinking too deep to reach back.


    It was right at the moment, when panic kicked in and bubbles of air escaped past her parted lips, that Ada felt something grip the back of her shirt and yank her back.


    Her calves hit the hard edge of something. A second later there was sand and rocks beneath her feet once more. With one strong kick, her head broke through the surface.


    For a while, all she could do was gasp for air, nose burning as she spit out mouthfuls of water.


    There was a muffled voice close to her ear. Someone was calling her name.


    "Ada? Ada! Are you okay?"


    There was a strong grip under her arms, keeping her head above the water and dragging her back, fighting against the waves'' strong pull. The voice grunted and panted, puffs of breath blown into her ear.


    "You''re way too fucking heavy, Ada. You gotta help me out here! Come on!"


    The last words snapped Ada out of her stupor. Planting her feet on the seabed beneath her, she took in a deep breath, straightened up and began pushing herself through the water, dunking her head beneath each wave. It didn''t take long to reach safer ground, the water well below her chest, but the person beside her kept going, arms pulling her along until they reached the shallows.


    Coughing and whipping the water and sand from her eyes, Ada blinked up at the person panting next to her, not surprised when she found Kassia.


    Kassia. Kassia, her friend. Not... whoever''s voice still lingered in her head, so similar yet different.


    A hand, warm and damp, gripped her shoulder.


    "Are you..." Kassia paused to bend over and take in a couple more breaths. Ada could feel and see the twitching muscles in her arms and the tremble in her fingers. "Are you okay?"


    Ada swallowed. There was so much salt in her mouth, but her nose and throat were no longer burning, and her breathing had evened out. Her hands were still trembling, adrenaline buzzing hot underneath her skin, but other than a dull throbbing in her head, she felt ... fine.


    "Ada?"


    "Yes, I''m ... I''m okay."


    "Good," Kassia sighed in relief, only to lash out the very next second, raising her voice, "What the hell were you doing, Ada! I told to stay in the shallows, didn''t I?" She wavered for a second, voice breaking and mouth twisting under the weight of what looked like a horrifying realisation, "You... you could''ve drowned."


    "Hey!"


    They both whipped their heads towards the voice. It was Gabriel, standing right at the edge of the water, looking worried and hesitant.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "You two okay?" he questioned, eyes flickering back and forth between them before settling on the older girl.


    Kassia took in a deep breath before nodding, giving Gabriel a shaky thumbs up. Her lips twitched, trying to mould themselves into a confident smile to assure the boy, but it didn''t hold up, trembling and crumbling down like a sand castle.


    It hurt. Seeing the older try and fail to smile hurt more than Ada had expected. It was like a knife had sunk itself deep into her chest.


    "I''m..." she started with a stutter.


    Kassia turned to face her, but Ada, unable to hold her gaze, caved and dropped her head.


    Bitting her lip, she tried again. "I''m sorry. I... it''s just ... I heard someone..."


    "...What?"


    Clutching her arm, Ada swallowed again, digging her nails into her skin to stop the weird numbness that was spreading across her whole body, creeping up her neck and latching onto her head.


    "I heard someone ... in the waves. Calling out for help. There was a..."


    Like a switch, something flicked Ada''s brain. Eyes widening, she whipped her head up and started a frantic search across the horizon, between the tall waves.


    "There was a plane!"


    "What?" Kassia raised an eyebrow, but turned to look as well. She frowned, clearly unable to find anything. "What plane?"


    Ada squinted, but no matter how hard she looked, she couldn''t find anything either.


    There was nothing there.


    "There was a wreckage right there... I..." she sputtered, frowning when she tried to recall what she had seen and a sharp pain shot through her skull instead.


    Gritting her teeth, she tried to grasp at the images lingering in the back of her head, but they were fading, fluttering away to somewhere dark and beyond her reach.


    "They were ... calling for help."


    "Ada, I don''t see anything... and I didn''t hear anything either."


    "But I..."


    "Maybe it was a boat or something?" Kassia offered with shrug, scrunching up her nose, though there was still a hint of worry hidden underneath her tone. "Sometimes you can see oil tankers and stuff like that passing by..."


    The older girl paused, locking eyes with the younger girl. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips, one that slowly grew into a tentative grin as she stepped closer to rub her hands all over Ada''s bare scalp.


    "Or maybe all that heat and sunlight on your bald head is finally getting to you," Kassia joked.


    Ada tensed up at the touch, but then slowly relaxed into it. Letting go of all those blurry images in her mind, she let out a deep sigh, shoulders sagging with the motion. The pain in her head began to fade and the world seemed to settle into place.


    "Yeah... Maybe you''re right. I''m sorry."


    "It''s fine. What matters is that you''re alright. Come on." Kassia tugged at their clasped hands, pulling her all the way up to the drier patches of sand.


    Bending over, she picked up something roundish and hard that had been laying alone on the ground.


    "Look what I found just for you," the older girl said in a lighter tone, smiling as she showed it off.


    It was a shell, but nothing like the ones Ada had seen so far. This one was big, with a cone-like shape and a high spire. It wasn''t all white either, but bursting with color, painted in soft shades of orange, pink and gold. It was beautiful.


    "It''s a conch," Kassia explained in an increasingly excited tone, letting Ada trace a finger over it. "They''re pretty rare, haven''t seen one like this since I was a kid. Here listen to it, like this."


    She brought the open part of the conch up to Ada''s ear. The younger girl flinched back at first at the cold, foreign touch, but seeing Kassia''s encouraging smile, she forced herself to relax and lean into the shell.


    The sounds around Ada grew muffled, most of them fading so far into the background that she stopped noticing them altogether. There was only this soft whistling and rumbling that sounded a lot like the waves crashing down on the beach, but quieter. There was something else underneath it though... a soft, almost metallic sort of whirring, like a fan, or maybe a buzzing... something familiar but kind of cold and ... unsettling.


    Was it really coming from the conch? Or somewhere else?


    "Do you hear it?" Kassia whispered, as if not wanting to ruin the experience by being too loud. But the giddiness still seeped through, raising the pitch of her voice.


    Ada did her best to shake off the uneasy feeling and threw the other a gentle smile, lowering the shell from her ear to nod. "Yeah, I think I hear it."


    "Pretty cool, huh?" Kassia grinned, fingers running through the ridges and slopes of the colourful conch in an almost reverent way. "They say it''s the sound of the ocean, which is kind of bullshit, actually. It''s probably just the wind and, like, our heartbeat and stuff."


    She snorted, brushing her braids aside, though the smile never faded from her lips. "But it''s nice to just pretend sometimes," she paused, words petering out as her eyes glazed over in this far-off look, like she was recalling something.


    Whatever it was the older girl was remembering, it seemed like a nice memory. So, Ada stood still and quiet, more than glad to just let her own eyes roam across the girl''s face, free to take notice of all the soft curves and tiny blemishes that she could commit to her own memory without being caught. The moment was short-lived though, Kassia finally snapping out of her reverie, to blink up at Ada with a wide-eyed, almost lost look.


    "Sorry, hum..." The older girl coughed into her hand before pushing the conch into Ada''s chest. "You should have it. It''s your souvenir. My gift to you." She looked away then, rubbing the side of her neck and cheeks.


    Ada carefully accepted the conch and smiled softly at the girl. "Thank you, Kassia."


    Scratching her nose, Kassia shrugged in a dismissive way, though a shy smile still tugged at the corner of her lips. "Don''t mention it."


    "Hey!" Gabriel''s rough voice broke through the nice silence that had settled between them. He leaned back against the front of the SUV with an annoyed look, tapping a finger on his wrist watch. "Your time is up."


    Kassia huffed, but didn''t reply straight away. Instead, she glanced at the younger girl to make sure she was watching before showing her the most dramatic eye-rolling possible.


    "We know, party pooper," she said in a mocking tone, low enough so Gabriel wouldn''t hear it.


    The childish response had Ada stifling a snort, which only made Kassia''s cheeky smile grown even wider. They did eventually make their way up to the car, though, Ada following behind the older girl, but at a much slower pace, careful not to drop or break the seashell in her hands.


    "Come on, hurry up, girls." Gabriel grumbled, snapping his fingers at the two as they took their time towelling off and brushing off the sand from their feet. "I want to get to the market before it rains."


    "What?" Kassia scoffed, raising an eyebrow at the taller boy. "It''s not going to rain. The weather station said it was going to be sunny all day."


    Gabriel clicked his tongue and gave her a pointed look, pressing his thumb on the fingerprint screen of his car key to open the doors.


    "Yeah, well, I trust my eyes," he said, voice dropping to an oddly somber tone as he stepped up to the driver''s side, an arm slung over the door as he stared off into the horizon. "And it''s not looking pretty out there."


    Noticing the boy''s worried tone, Ada looked up as well. She squinted against the strong rush of wind, eyes zeroing in on the towering waves and the menacing grey clouds far off in the distance.


    "There''s a storm coming."

 Chapter 8 - THE MARKET

    Chapter 8 - THE MARKET


    <hr>


    A couple of minutes before they reached the town where the market was being held, an anxious looking Kassia had turned towards Ada to warn her that the place would be crowded.


    Of course, Ada would be lying if she said she didn''t share the older girl''s apprehension. After all, this would be her first experience with large crowds.


    Still, she couldn''t help the familiar twinge of bitterness in the back of her throat, sparked by Kassia''s comment. It was the same one she''d feel whenever the Professor would cut short any of her more ambitious endeavours with a dispassionate, calm reminder of her own limitations.


    The comparison, even if unintentional, between her new friend and the man she left behind, was enough to hit Ada with a wave of guilt. Kassia wasn''t the Professor. There was no condescension behind the older girl''s words, only worry and care.


    Still, for once, Ada wished she could prove everyone''s worries wrong.


    And not completely validate them by freezing like some frightened animal the second she stepped into the market.


    Turned out, being there, surrounded by a turbulent sea of people, was nothing like staring at them through a car window. She felt exposed, skin crawling at the mere thought that there was nothing there, no barrier between her and all these strangers, nothing to stop any of them from just reaching out and touching her or harm her if they wanted.


    And touching seemed inevitable. All these people were crowded together around endless rows of market goods, barely any space left for them to move about, forcing everyone to brush past each other, to push or squeeze through just to get somewhere.


    It was so loud too. A cacophony of voices constantly shouting at or over each other, of music blasting from portable radios or speakers, human chatter mingled with barks, squeals and clucking from a variety of animals being sold or just roaming about.


    And the smells! There were so many of them, thick layers of scents from food and other products, sweet, spicy and pungent, all mixed up in the already suffocating humid heat. They flooded Ada''s senses, hitting her all at once. Trying to process them only made her feel dizzy, stomach churning up at the queasiness that had already settled there.


    It was all too much.


    She felt sick. She could barely hear her own thoughts.


    Why was she here? She wasn''t even supposed to be here. Maybe she should just go back, it''s not too late. Just run back and-


    "Ada?"


    Her eyes flew open (when had she closed them?).


    Immediately, her gaze dropped to the hand holding her by the arm. Then back up again, locking with Kassia''s own worried brown eyes.


    "Hey, are you alright?" the older girl asked, leaning in close so she didn''t have to raise her voice to be heard over the background noise. "I know this is a lot for you. It''s okay if you need a minute."


    Long, slender fingers slid up, past Ada''s elbow and up to her forearm, rubbing soothing circles over her skin. "We''ll stick with the less crowded stalls, if you want."


    There wasn''t really a question there, but Ada recognised one all the same in the other''s soft, intent gaze, so she took in a deep breath and gave a curt, slow nod. The queasiness was still there, sitting hot and heavy on her stomach, but seeing the other''s relieved smile made it tolerable somehow.


    She could do this, right? If not for Kassia, then for herself, at least.


    "Don''t buy too much junk," Gabriel chimed in, his loud, rough voice making Ada tense back up again. "I''m not bringing the car here."


    Soft smile wilting like a flower in a desert, Kassia shot the boy a charged, irritated look.


    "Fine," she said, rolling her eyes at him.


    Keeping her hand on Ada, the older girl straightened her posture, took a deep breath and let out a long exhale through her mouth, as if composing herself. Only then did she turn to address the boy, a smile on her lips and a lilt in her words.


    "Wanna check out the artesanal stalls with us then, Gill?"


    "Yeah, abou that..." the boy trailed off, eyes wondering off to something that had just caught his attention.


    Kassia frowned and followed his gaze, Ada doing the same.


    A couple feet ahead, between two of the less crowded stalls at the very edge of the market, was a small group of men, standing close together.


    The group was an odd mishmash. They wore loose, simple clothes, though some of them had forgone a shirt altogether in the intense heat, a sheen of sweat over their skin, while others preferred to simmer under heavy, dark jackets. Most of their faces were obscured, eyes hidden under baseball hats or sunglasses, but it was still easy enough to tell that most of them were young, some even close to Gabriel''s age, while others were clearly adult men.


    Despite the few oddities, at a first glance, they seemed to blend in quite well amongst the people in the market. They looked normal enough to Ada, at least.


    Except for the fact that the entire group was looking straight at the three of them.


    A shiver ran up her spine, leaving a trail of prickles and goosebumps behind on her skin.


    There was definitely something off about the way those men were staring at them, something that set off alarm bells in the back of Ada''s head. She was about to ask the other two who those men were, when Kassia''s grip suddenly tightened around her arm.


    "Seriously, Gabriel?" the older girl snapped, the high pitch at the end causing her voice to crack.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The sudden outburst earned the three more than a couple of odd looks from the people around them.


    "Don''t give me that," Gabriel hissed back, lowering his own voice and leaning in, as if trying to keep the words from escaping their tight circle. "You''re the one who decided to waste time frolicking in the beach. You know I don''t come here just to shop around for trinkets. I have more-"


    "More important stuff to do?" Kassia cut in with a snarl, making no effort at all to keep her voice low, despite Gabriel''s attempts. "Yeah, I heard you the first time! You''re such an ass, I swear you-"


    The words died abruptly in her mouth.


    Kassia''s nails sunk into the flesh of Ada''s arm. The younger girl had to press her lips tight to keep any pained sound from escaping past them. Instead, she blinked and looked up at the older girl''s face, only to freeze at the look of pure horror and shock she found there.


    Holding her breath, Ada followed the girl''s line of sight, just in time to catch Gabriel''s hand adjust something behind him, at waist-level, hastily pulling the hem of his shirt down to cover it.


    "Gabriel..." Kassia whispered, voice strained and weak, as if struggling to get any sound out of her throat. "What is that?"


    The boy''s dark eyes had been darting around, wide and restless, across each curious face in the crowd. But when they shifted towards the older girl, they narrowed and hardened. His expression turned flat, betraying nothing but a stone-cold resolve, something close to a dare in them.


    "Is that..." Kassia stammered, voice shaking, barely above a whisper, wide eyes glued to boy''s waist. "Is that a gun-"


    Gabriel lunged. In one fell swoop, he grabbed a fistful of Kassia''s tank top and yanked her up to his eye-level, nose stopping just inches from hers. On instinct, the older girl''s hand shot up, sinking her fingers into the tight grip on her tank top to try and pry it off, the movement forcing her to let go of the other girl''s arm.


    The second that hand left her, Ada had this sudden, violent urge to lash out. To grab Gabriel''s face and tear it away from Kassia. To push his body down and slam his skull on the sharp edge of a rock on the ground.


    But the horrifying, vivid, bloody image that accompanied that impulse was enough to steel her hand, which fell mid motion, left to twitch uselessly beside her.


    "What I do with my free time is none of your business, Kass," Gabriel said, tone low and cool, despite the clear strain behind his voice and in the bulging veins on his neck. "We have a deal, don''t we? You don''t ask questions, and neither do I. It''s best we keep it that way, for both our sakes."


    He smiled then, a tight pull at the corner of his lips that never reached his heated eyes. "Right?"


    For a tense stretch of time, all Kassia did was glare at the boy, nostrils flared, lips trembling and chest heaving with every deep, shallow breath. But then, slowly, as the anger faded from her eyes, her grip on the boy''s hands loosened, shoulders sagging as her breathing evened out.


    "Right," she whispered back, dull eyes dropping to the floor.


    Gabriel searched her face for a couple of seconds, before relaxing his posture and letting her go.


    "We meet here in two hours," was all he said, as he tapped away at the screen of his wrist watch. "I''ll ping you when I''m finished."


    Before Kassia could even open her mouth to reply, Gabriel had already turned his back to them.


    He strode over to the group of men, who greeted him with toothy grins and rough handshakes, some clapping him on the back and whistling. The boy smiled back in kind, his entire posture and expression changing to mimic theirs so perfectly that it gave Ada a feeling of whiplash.


    The oldest one in the group slung an arm over the boy''s shoulders and leaned in to whisper something in his ear, to which Gabriel shrugged, eyes darting back over to Kassia and Ada one last time, before letting himself be dragged off into the shadows of an alleyway.


    For a long, suffocating stretch of time, all the two girls did was stand there in silence, skin sizzling under the scorching sun. Ada couldn''t tell how much time had passed exactly, only that it was enough that even the most curious of gazes in the crowd had already grown bored and turned to more interesting sights and conversations.


    But with each second spent gazing into those shadows beyond the market, the thoughts and questions kept building up and boiling in Ada''s head, pressure growing beneath the skin, urging her to do or say something.


    "Come on," Kassia murmured at last, soft enough that Ada would''ve missed it, if weren''t for the sudden touch on her elbow, tugging her close. "Let''s go."


    "Wait, Kassia," she called out.


    When she received no answer expect for an even harder tug towards the bustling crowd, Ada frowned and pressed her heels down on the ground to stop the girl from taking another step.


    "You''re upset," she pointed out. She watched as her friend''s shoulders tensed up, the older girl''s back still turned to her, refusing to turn around to meet her head on.


    That only spurred Ada on. She didn''t want to see Kassia in such a state of distress, but the pressure inside her was growing and threatening to explode. So, she bit the inside of her cheek, took a deep breath and pressed on.


    "Why were you so angry with Gabriel back then?" she asked, words growing rushed with each passing second of silence from the other girl. "What was he hiding behind him? Who where those men? What ''important stuff'' does Gabriel have to-"


    "I don''t know!" Kassia snarled, turning around to face her.


    Ada flinched back, wide eyes taking in the girl''s features, all twisted up in seething rage. The glare the older girl threw her was more burning than the scorching sun, and it effectively pinned Ada down. Her whole body curled into itself, trying to look smaller, trembling hands tucked close to her chest.


    As suddenly as it came, the rage on Kassia''s face vanished, replaced by utter shock. She was left to stand there, panting and trembling from the exertion, expression growing troubled.


    "I''m sorry. I mean..." The older girl stopped to press her lips tight and swallow down a lump, gaze dropping to the ground between them.


    "Look, it doesn''t matter." She gave a long, suffering sigh, mouth twisted in a pained, almost begging look. "Trust me, it''s better if we don''t know."


    Ignorance is bliss, Ada.


    "What?" Ada stuttered, eyes darting across the people around them. "Who...?"


    A light frown settled on Kassia''s brow. "What''s wrong?"


    "I..." Ada''s fingers rose to brush against her right ear, still tingling from the whispered words she thought she''d heard, a sharp, familiar pain sinking into in her temples.


    Noticing Kassia was still staring at her with a worried expression, Ada dropped the hand and averted her gaze.


    "Nothing. It was nothing," she said, glaring at the ground.


    The words came out with a bit more force then Ada had intended. So, she coughed and wrung her hands, risking a glance at the older girl before trying again in a much softer tone.


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t meant to make you angry, I just..." She trailed off, not knowing what else to say.


    For a while, Kassia just stared at her with a blank, tired look. Then she sighed, and it was like the action alone had brushed off the weight off her shoulders, because her whole posture and expression grew lighter.


    "Look, forget that stupid jerk," she said, making a face and throwing a rude, dismissive gesture towards the alley where Gabriel and the other men had disappeared. "This is officially a girl''s day out now, alright?"


    Kassia smiled, not as bright as her usual toothy grins, but pretty close, and just as soft and warm. With slower, gentle movements, she stepped forward and offered Ada a hand, tilting and nodding her head in the direction of the furthermost stalls.


    "Come on, there''s some neat stuff I want to show you," the older girl chirped, before stopping herself. "If you want, I mean," she added with an awkward shrug, chewing on her lower lip.


    Ada blinked slowly at the offered hand. Like a magnet pulled towards steel, her eyes wondered off to that dark, empty alley. She let them linger on those lifeless shadows for a second or two, before turning her gaze back to Kassia.


    Mirroring her friend''s earlier warm, inviting smile, Ada took the hand, letting their fingers interlace.


    "Okay." She nodded at Kassia. "Let''s go have fun."

 Chapter 9 - THE DUST

    Chapter 9 - THE DUST


    <hr>


    It was a long, arduous way through the crowd.


    Kassia walked ahead of Ada, pulling her by the hand towards their goal with lazer focus, pushing through people like the sturdy bow of a boat ripping through the waves.


    The artisan stalls were on the opposite end of the market. They were the smallest in the area, but also the most eye-catching, with colourful tents and decorations that matched the objects they were selling. The rows were wider and cleaner there as well, specially when compared to the ones in the centre of the market, where food and animals were sold.


    And Kassia was right, there were a lot fewer people there. Sure, they both still had to negotiate their way through tight groups and engrossed customers gathered around the more popular stalls, but it was a lot more manageable and not nearly as claustrophobic as it was anywhere else in the market.


    But more than that, the energy there was different. There was still chatter and music, sure, but it was soft enough that Ada could parse the sounds out and hear herself think.


    There weren''t a lot of men there either, mostly older looking women running their respective stalls, all wide smiles and belly laughs at their customers and neighbours. And there were a lot more children there as well, running around and in between stalls, laughing and screeching whenever one of the older women''s flip flops got too close to grazing their backs or legs.


    Some of these kids were also really small.


    That''s why, not even a minute after they''d made their way there, Ada, who had her eyes focused on Kassia''s back, trying not to lose the girl in the crowd, felt something crash straight into her legs.


    Ada managed to keep her balance, but the small boy wasn''t so lucky. He fell to the ground so hard it raised a cloud of dust around his body. He looked dazed, staring wide-eyed at the sky even as Ada picked him up in one fell swoop, setting him back on his feet.


    "I''m so sorry," the teenage girl said with a wince, kneeling down to dust the dirt off the boy''s shirt and shorts. Noticing the child had no bruises or cuts, she relaxed and tried giving him a warm smile. "There, all better."


    Then the little kid erupted into tears.


    His loud, high-pitched cries ripped through every other noise around them, getting the attention of everyone on that side of the market.


    "Oh, no, I''m so sorry! Please, don''t cry. Look, it''s okay, I, hum..." Ada stumbled over her words, eyes wide and hands fluttering over the child, unsure of where to put them or what to do to calm him down.


    "Ada?"


    Her head shot up, eyes locking with the confused stare of her friend.


    Flustered, Ada gave the older girl her best pleading look, motioning at the crying boy.


    Kassia only smiled in return, looking like she was stifling a laugh.


    But before any of them could say or do anything, a dozen kids swarmed Ada. The younger teen was only able to glimpse an older kid grabbing the crying boy''s hand and pulling him away, before her whole attention was highjacked by small hands tugging and pulling at her.


    Even as she got up, attempting to get her upper body out of reach, the children wouldn''t relent. The taller ones jumped to try and bring her down again, hands eager to touch her bald head, while the shorter ones patted her lower back, stomach and waist, yelling strange words she didn''t understand to monopolize her attention.


    "Hey!" A much bigger hand grabbed Ada''s wrist and pulled her back, pushing some of the kids back with the other hand. "Back off, you snotty little brats."


    A dazed Ada glanced over her shoulder, a wave of relief washing over her when she recognised the pissed-off expression of the older girl. But the relief was immediately replaced by a hot flash of shock and a embarrassing squeak when Kassia pressed herself flush against Ada''s back and thrusted her hands into the pockets of her  shorts.


    "Look. This girl. No money," the older girl said, tone snappy as she pulled out the empty insides of Ada''s pockets.


    "Over there, see?"


    She pointed at the next row of stalls and both the children and Ada followed her line of sight to two older-looking white women examining a dark, wooden statue.


    "Nice English couple there," Kassia said. In a seamless transition, she then switched to a different language, similar to the one the kids were using, words flowing from her tongue with an odd, more open and pleasant rise and fall.


    The children seemed to understand her perfectly. A couple of them grinned before storming off towards said couple, leaving a trail of giggles in their wake. Some hesitated or lingered behind, narrowed eyes flitting across Kassia''s face, others still throwing curious glances at Ada, one of the smaller ones even attempting to hold her hand again.


    Kassia shooed the rest of them away with a couple firmer, more snappish words in that other language, before switching back, tone lower but equally irritated. "Yeah, that''s right. Go bother the rich tourists. Damn brats."


    She sighed then, breath ghosting over the tips of Ada''s ears, making the skin there heat up. Then, without any warning, the same hands that had been in her pockets jumped to her shoulders. With a tight grip, Kassia spun her body around to face her straight on.


    "Come on, Ada, you gotta be more careful in a place like this. You''re like fresh meat in a den of lions. You have to be vigilant and not trust anyone, okay?"If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "But... they''re just kids."


    "The kids are even worse! Don''t let those little angelic faces fool you. They''ll rob you blind in a second if you let them. I''ve seen them do it."


    The younger teen gave a slow blink, unsure of how seriously she was supposed to take those warnings. Kassia''s increasingly ridiculous tone and over-dramatic expressions seemed to indicate the older girl was at least half-joking. But something didn''t sit right.


    "What do they want money for?" Ada asked.


    It was the other girl''s turn to slowly blink at her. It took a while for her to answer, almost as if the question had never occurred to her.


    After a while, the girl eventually let go of her shoulders and shrugged, averting her gaze.


    "Well, food, clothes and toys. You know... stuff."


    "Why don''t we just give it to them, then? You and your dad have a lot of it, right?"


    "I..." Kassia bit her lip. She cast a tired glance at their surroundings and let out a deep sigh, before turning back to her. "It''s not that simple."


    Nothing in this life is ever that simple, I''m afraid.


    Ada flinched, pressing a hand against her temple. Fortunately, Kassia didn''t seem to have noticed, having moved to sling an arm over her shoulders and gently push her forward into a slow walk down the row of stalls.


    "Look, I get it," she said, voice low and close, words clearly meant just for them. "I really do. I''d like to help these people out too."


    Kassia''s eyes drifted off to the stalls and the people around them, then further beyond, to the town, it''s roads and buildings. This close, it was hard to miss the way Kassia''s lips twitched, stuck half way between a smile and a frown, warring emotions battling for space in her round, brown eyes.


    "My mom... she came from a place like this, you know."


    Ada''s eyes widened and her breath hitched. There was something about the other girl''s revelation that made her heart beat faster. The way she''d said it... it felt like she''d just shared a secret, and Ada couldn''t help the warm flutter in her chest at the thought that the older girl had trusted her with it.


    The moment carried a meaningful weight that she didn''t want to ruin. So, even though she had a lot of questions, Ada kept her mouth shut, leaving Kassia to set her own pace.


    But the moment was sadly short lived. Those faint traces of wistful remembrance on the older girl''s face were swiped under the rug, like dust that wasn''t meant to settle. What replaced it was that torn, tired expression from before.


    "But feelings aren''t enough," Kassia said, glaring at the ground ahead. "You can''t just throw money at the problem and expect it to go away."


    She dropped her hand from Ada''s shoulders then, putting enough distance between them to be able to look at her in the eye as she talked.


    "First, showing that you have that much money to spare is dangerous in a place like this." A finger came up to dig into the middle of Ada''s flat chest. "It makes you a target. And it makes the people you give the money to a target as well. It might seem like it helps in the short run, but, trust me, it only ends up causing more trouble than if you did nothing. Specially now, when there''s threat of a war and tensions are high."


    Ada perked up at the word ''war'', eyebrows shooting up in alarm, a question dangling from the tip of her tongue. But Kassia was looking straight ahead again and pressed on.


    "What people need is actual change, opportunities and peace. We can''t give them that, because we don''t have power over those things. And the sad truth is, those who do just don''t care enough."


    Something deep, heavy and empty settled at the bottom of Ada''s stomach. Frowning, she stopped in the middle of that row of stalls. Kassia noticed a second later, stopping as well to face her.


    "Then, what?" Ada asked, hands balled into fists at her sides, narrowed eyes trained on the ground. "We just ... ignore it? Do nothing?"


    Kassia sighed again, also averting her eyes as she gripped her forearm, arm pressed tight against her side in an awkward stance.


    "We can''t do anything, Ada. Nothing that actually matters anyway. Worrying or stressing over it doesn''t help anyone either. It just eats at you, until you have nothing to give but anger and spite."


    The older girl had to pause there, rendered breathless by the sudden force behind her last words. When she gathered herself, both her voice and gaze had wavered into something weak and uncertain.


    "So... yeah, it''s hard. But I guess sometimes you just have to..." Kassia shrugged, biting her lip. "Let it go, you know?"


    Are you really ready to let go, Ada?


    The same sharp pain, but the young teen stood still, paralysed by this sinking feeling threatening to swallow her whole. As she sunk her nails into the palms of her hands, she realised that the pain helped. That it was the only thing keeping her from going under and drowning.


    "Come on."


    A hand gripped her wrist, making Ada jump. When she looked up, Kassia was right there, peering up at her, head tilted just so as she threw her a small, soft smile, in a way that was growing distressingly familiar and comforting.


    "This is supposed to be our girl''s day out." With gentle prodding fingers, the older girl slowly got her to loosen up her fists, hand unfurling until they could be held tightly in hers. "Let''s leave the depressing conversations for another day, alright?"


    For a couple of seconds, Ada didn''t answer, part of her wanting to be stubborn, to hold onto that heat, buzzing and thrumming underneath her skin. But the longer she looked into Kassia''s pleading eyes, the more that feeling cooled down, until it was nothing but a faded whisper, too weak to be worth the fight.


    Slowly, she nodded, lips pressed tight in petty defeat.


    "Come one, turn that frown upside down!"


    Without any warning, Kassia grabbed her cheeks, fingers pressing into the corners of her lips to tug them upwards into a much too wide smile.


    The older girl made a face, feigning disgust in an over-the-top expression. "Or you know what, maybe not. You gotta look tough and less naive. Give me your best ''I will beat your ass'' look."


    Ada chuckled, despite herself, the sound leaving her throat unbidden. Weak against Kassia''s eager, excited expression, she went along with it. It was surprisingly easy to steel her face into a glare, even as a giggle threatened to spill out of her lips.


    "That''s it! Oooh, dangerous Ada, I like it. Now no one is gonna want to mess with you."


    Even Kassia was unable to keep a straight face after that. They broke down into laughter, holding onto each other until their sides stopped hurting long enough to stand up straight again.


    The giggles were still coming, like light aftershocks, when they resumed walking, Kassia guiding her closer to the stalls so they could start perusing through the artisan''s work.


    "What was that language you were speaking back there with the kids?" Ada asked the other girl as soon as she felt she wasn''t going to break down into another fit of giggles.


    "Oh, that was Ovimbundu. Learned it from my mom. Almost everyone in this town speaks it. Want me to teach you a few words?"


    Ada smiled, taking in the older girl''s excited grin. "Sure."


    She tried her best to focus on Kassia''s explanations and translations, even as other voices whispered in the back of her mind.


    You can leave it all behind.


    Let it become echoes and dust.


    Ignore it, until you can''t anymore.