"I can't get angry at you"
"What why?"
"I Don't know." Ok, maybe I didn't figure it out, but it was a start. "I should do, sending those rather private pictures out... in fact even taking them in the first place! But I don't know... You just don't make me feel Angry... which might have been the weirdest compliment I've even given someone."
She smiled. That beautiful smile. Reminding me that there's innocence behind those eyes, A single bright light lost in the dark unforgiving streets. "hmm, I can live with that..." she yawned
Five times. The contestant ascended and slipped back down the ramp, each time more strenuous than the next. There was no way I thought. Something was going to get her. However determination fought through proving me wrong. Eventually she made it avoiding all the miscellaneous items being hurled down.
"What's Elras?" I asked.
"hmm..?"
"Elras, when you barged into the bathroom you said 'Thought you went the way of elras'".
"Oh, Elcras. c'mon you must have heard of him"
"Nope"
"Seriously?! How can you have not heard of him!"
"Who is he then?"
"Ex High councillor for the Scrapos people, y'know the little blue guys... about fifty years back there was Summit here on Earth in New Kuala Lumpar, just about all of the High councillors for the Sijengee races attended, including little Elcras. Anyway he was staying in a hotel, the now infamous Jarima Galos Hotel. Completely disappeared without a trace from his room!"
"Really?"
"Oh yeah, the media went insane! A complete mystery for about a week, Sijengee officials blaming it on Rygie terrorists of course. But in the end it turned out that he accidently flushed himself down the toilet."
"Oh wow, really?!"
"Yeah... it's a pretty famous story. Sparked all sorts of initiatives to integrate all general appliances for all races and their abilities... or disabilities. It was a bit of an embracement for humanity to lose a foreign High councillor to the sewers. Don't see why though, it was the little guys fault for even trying. But everyone began to speculate, racial rights and equality activists grabbing at every opportunity, calling Humans ignorant and careless for even letting this happen. All kinds of evidence of ignorance and discrimination suddenly being pulled out of thin air. Someone out there wanted really Humans out of the Sijengee. But it was all discredited as hysteric speculation. "
There was a short silence for a moment filled in by the TV.
"Did he make it?"
"who?"
"Elcras"
"Good god no! Got jammed in the plumbing. Drowned I believe... Honestly how can you have not heard of him?!"
A new round, a new game this time this time two contestants trying to knock each other off pillars with giant cotton bud like things. I had to admit, as bad as the program was... very easy to watch. Very easy to criticise. Very easy to misunderstand the hidden comfort it brought. Light entertainment. Just enough. Somewhat nostalgic. But why was it nostalgic for me? Why couldn't I remember?
"I'm an amnesiac" I told her
"what?"
"An Amnesiac. Can't remember a thing before this morn... afternoon... that's why I was running about in my boxers. Got chased out of the hut I was sleeping in. Mind blank... And I still can't remember..."
"Really?! You can't remember anything?"
"Well I can remember how to walk and talk and all the other basics like two plus two... never did understand how that works"
"ummm... four"
"no... amnesia! I mean... how come your memories fade but not your education?"
"I don't know... luck?"
The TV blared on with contestants beating up other contestants with massive cotton buds.
"That's was the first time I saw my reflection... the mirror in your bathroom. That's why I was so long"
"Ah... ok... suppose it also explains why your acting like an idiot... man that must suck."
"Yeah it is a bit of a bother"
"is there anything I can do to help?"
"um... I think you already have... you've just sent out a picture of my face... and backside out to your 'friends'. And they themselves probably sending the pictures onto their friends. Maybe someone out there will recognise one of the images and... find me."
She giggled "oh yea... but.. well... I don't really think you're from around here are you... I mean, you’re far to pussy to be from around here... no offence"
"y'know that's a pretty redundant phrase. But maybe you’re right. Nothing here seams at all familiar."
We both returned to the TV, letting its fill the air with the sound of cotton bud wars.
"Maybe you’re from the city" Klari proposed.
"City...? wait, you mean the scarily tall towers in the haze?"
"well... yeah... Guangzhou."
"Guangzhou?"
"Yeah the City.. well I suppose you could say this is Guangzhou aswell, but.. well it's more of a mass slum for us Azies... Oh actually you should go to the police!"
"Why?!"
Well, if you're from the city, you'll be tagged. All Azikai lucky enough to get into the city get processed and tagged. It'll have your address on it... Don't bother looking for it though, it's probably under your skin. Its electronic, only the authorities can read it."
"Seriously? Why would they tag us?!"
"Don't look so worried! It's a privilege. Your one of the few Azikai with freedom! You get to wander about the world outside this slum... well"
"Well what..."
"uh... still an amnesiac?"
"Uh.. yeah!"
"great... guess I have to run though the basics then... Now I don't know how you got tagged, but its most likely you managed to get a job outside of the slums and earn good ole Chinese citizenship. Now the police would have tagged you, and put you on probation, making sure you're not going to run off with the Pirates. Unfortunately that's what we're known for. Refugees turning against their so called saviours. But in the eyes of the law, your clean... if you really are tagged that is."
"wow... I... uh... you really trapped here?"
She didn't reply for a while... just sat in silence, trying to find the right words. "I try not to think about it."
"oh... I see... sorry."
All was silent for a while as we both returned to staring at the TV. Klari soon muttered. "Don't leave... please? at least not just yet..."
"Klari, I... I need to find out.. I need to get home."
"Please... just a little longer. I.. I like you... come-on, there's no rush is there?"
"I like you too Klari... but what if there's someone already out there waiting for me..."
"Right now, your stranger, friend of Klari. There's no one out there... just me. Just for an hour or two... please?"
"I can't say no to you can I..."
She quickly kissed me "No.. you can't"
I knew I had to leave, I had to find my identity, but I couldn't. I couldn't leave Klari, not after what she told me. How long has she been stuck here. How many times has she looked out at the land beyond the slums and wondered what it's like out there. Has she spent her whole life trapped in here? But then... how'd she get the phone, and the TV? This place just doesn't make any sense. But the TV was on. I was in good company. I decided to silence the irritating voices in my head and relax. Besides I had to repay Klari for the clothes, and maybe keeping her company for a bit was the payment she was looking for.
"Can I use your bathroom again?"
"you've just been!"
"Look I didn’t really get a chance with you barging in.”
“You where ages! How did you not get a chance?”
“well.. I need to go again!" I slowly got up and headed towards the bathroom "see just like a married couple!"
"married couple..? More like Old married couple with your bladder, or... whatever! Oh fetch a couple of beers from the fridge while you're up, I'm sure my dad won't mind... I hope."
So I stayed for an hour or two, just watching crappy TV and drinking beer with Klari. It was nice. I know that's a pretty soft word, but that's the point. It was just, really nice. Klari remained cheeky and devious, constantly trying to trick me, but I suppose I liked that... if anything it kept me alert. Strange to think that at the time, she was the only person in the world that I knew. Then again... there was Bachi.
It was coming up to half five. And Klari was fast asleep. I didn't want to leave her, but... well to be honest I really shouldn't have stayed. I shouldn't have played her game, shouldn't have gotten involved. I still don't know why I kissed her. A second ago I was in love. Now I was thinking this? Shouldn't have kissed her?! My mind as changeable and erratic as the weather. Mind divided, voices at war 'What am I doing? what the hell am I going to do? I can't just leave! or can I? I'm sure she would understand. I need to get home! but what about her. She's all alone, She needs you!'
I got up, gently lifting Klari off me and laying her down on the sofa, making sure she didn't wake. I managed to scavenge a large pin from the floor, to act as another button for the trousers. I really didn't want to leave, but... I suppose I had to. The door was locked, and I wasn't too sure where Klari put the keys. So I left by the open window, closing it behind me to keep out the evening air slowly decreasing in temperature.
On the roof, my mind cried for me to return to her, but also for the police station. I had to get the tag checked. The voices still kept on whining. "Shut up!" I ended up whispering to myself. But it didn't work. The thoughts still clogged up my mind.
It was peaceful on the roof top, unusually quiet. But in my mind was a motorway of rushing thoughts. "What am I doing here? How did I get here? What do I do? What do I do Now? Why me? How'd I get in this situation? What did I do? How do I get out? You're going to get yourself killed! No one will find you! You're lost! No one will help you! Everyone's hostile! They will kill you! Lost! Scared! Alone! ALONE FOREVER!" What was going on? What the hell brought on this wave of negativity? I've never felt like that before. Never that bad. It was like another switch in my mind. A sudden shock of needless despair. And there it was. A clap of thunder.
The tremors in the ground brought no chaos. Life remain silent atop the roofs. No sounds of surprise or panic. No one but myself to gaze in awe at the beautiful dark ominous shadings in the sky slowly rolling across the great blue dome above. The grey beast opening its jaws to eat the sky whole. Clouds like mountains made of steam. Now there's something familiar. More familiar words. The wind began to pickup with the electrical disturbance in the air. Then I thought. Why are these rooftops empty? Azikai are climbers at heart and would probably like mucking about on rooftops like this. Plus with our somewhat rebellious nature it wouldn't matter if we were allowed to or not. Where were they all. The streets aswell, so quiet... That storm. There's something not right about it.
At first I thought I might get a free shower. But it didn't feel right. The clouds where abnormally artistic. Like a dreary post apocalypse painted sky. It almost looked like it would hurt. The sun was still shining to the left of the storm. However, fairly close to its border. Soon to be blocked out. The storm was many miles away but the world beneath the clouds was black. Not grey and dismal, but actually pitch black. The lightning... well... All of a sudden it hammered down in the distant blackness just about three times every second. Constant flashing. Constant lighting ticking the ground below. Every second! That's just not possible! I knew the sound was coming, and couldn't begin to imagine how loud it would be. The sun dimmed as the edge of the storm block out its light. An eerie shade fell upon the land. There was another disturbance in the air. A kind of displacement. A mass pulse wave. A wave of sound. The sound of endless thunder ripping through the air. A thousand bolts at once. A force tearing through the buildings, rapidly approaching. I couldn't Run, there was no way I could out run that. It travelled miles within a split second. It was only a few houses away before my vision faded, and my body went limp. I blacked out.
As my senses faded, the last thing I remembered was falling. Silently blasted off the edge of the house. My dark fading vision taking in the last blurred sight of bricks and dust being swept from under my feet.