James_1_Bates

Some time in the not-so distant future, humanity achieves the latest step in its evolution: T.E.R.R.A., a man-made world to create a space for business, commerce, art, and culture. Sao, a man with nothing left to see in the real world, spends almost all his days in T.E.R.R.A. where he gets caught up with his fantasy, until reality comes to bring him back.
During his time he meets Hannah, a girl who captures his eye due to the petal birthmark on her neck. She is a native, a child of T.E.R.R.A., but only the humans know the difference. To her, they both live equally. To him, she takes him further from home.
The time comes when her life is in danger, but when her life could lead to a fate far worse than death for Sao, can he separate the fake from the real.

T.E.R.R.A

It is late-December; Akuma, Yuda, Hannah, and a barrel of fish gather around a make-shift fireplace – Yuda built it, but no-one knows how; the trees outside are untouched, Sao and Akuma never brought back wood, there wasn't a spare barrel lying around, but the neighbour's house looks slightly smaller than before, or that could just be the plateau of snow making everything look smaller in comparison. They all frown staring into the ever-shrinking blaze, the warmth only reaching to tips of their knees. Sao looks the glummest; perched on the bed, hands clutching his hair, sporadically scouting the room for something. The others are none the wiser to the approaching deadline ahead of them.


'Sao, what is wrong? You look oh so stressed,' comments Hannah, rotating her shoulders to face Sao.


'I can't believe I forgot…' Sao responds, slowly muting himself.


Akuma leans back onto his arms, his head flopping over his back to face Sao upside down, 'Hey, what did you forget?'


Neither respond, neither no how to, 'Christmas' means nothing to them. The two of them turn and look at Yuda, scratching their heads, wishing for some enlightenment. Yuda startled, by the two faces appearing so close, drops his cooking fish into the fire, burning it beyond appetising. Looking longingly down at his charcoal friend, Yuda sighs and stands, takes a step towards the barrel, takes out two fish, 'I don't care if I'm eating too much, you two can miss out on fish today; and no, I don't know what he's on about.'


Hannah and Akuma spin back to Sao; he exhales slowly then closes his eyes for a moment. When he opens them, he puts on a broad smile and sits with the rest of the group around the fire, 'It's a religious thing, don't worry.'


'Fine,' Akuma reaches out his left arm towards the fireplace; an equally small spurt of flames follows a tiny spark from his palm.


Hannah looks on in disappointment, 'Is that all?'


Hannah turns away from Akuma, legs crossed, arms crossed, pouting. With a sigh, Akuma continues to light the fire with all he can muster. A few minutes pass before the fire stabilises on the wood; Akuma exhausted, collapses: conscious but grounded, 'I'm not a walking lighter, you know. I'm not asking for special treatment, but a bit of respect would be nice.'


A chuckle forces its way out of Yuda, 'Well, you're right about the lighter part.'


In unison, a burst of laughter vents; bringing a piece of the Christmas Sao wants. It was laughter for the most part; the noise coming from Hannah was peculiar: a compound of a pig's squeal and a cow's moo – hardly a conventional laugh – inciting suspicion in Akuma, 'Hmm, Sao, I don't remember bringing a pig back from the market.'


Yuda wisely halts his laughter as a fish soars through the air at tremulous speeds; launched from the basket it was carried in. Almost in slow motion, everyone's eyes follow the 'missile from the sea's' trajectory, everyone except Akuma, who is a little too proud of his joke; it strikes him in the temple with a thud, pushing his smile downwards, sparking a riot in the house. Akuma and Hannah's inner fires rose, while the real one did not; the two wanted to conclude their last fight. Sao notices and refuses the possibility of a repeat: 'Instead of each other, you two will take out this frustration on Yuda.'


'Cough, WHAT!' Yuda exclaims, 'What did I do?'. Sao grabs all three by their collars and throws them into the snow.


'The loser doesn't get tomorrow's rations. You lot decide the rules, there are two crisp fish waiting to get eating in here. Yuda, I can trust you not to injure them or allow them to injure themselves?'


'I guess. I don't want to do this to be honest and I also don't want you eating my fi-'


'Ok then, you can start, but don't take too long; dinner will be ready soon.'


Chapter V