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“Enough, Salic!” Nif’s voice boomed across the open space. “Give him one of your coats.”
Others jeered when Salic made a show of slowly unbuttoning his smelly coat. I looked helplessly towards Nif but he wasn’t looking at me. I turned to the other guy and he’s not frowning anymore. He has a bland face on. I think I should be worried. He figured something out but he’s not sharing it with the class. Or he and Nif figured out I’m not who I said I was and now they want to kill me. Kill me with -
The jeering worsened when Salic, the almost-toothless guy- threw his coat on top of my head.
I will not faint. I will not faint. I will not faint.
Fuck, it smelled like someone killed a dead animal in here. Even the hiscat hissed a little but was drowned by howls of laughter coming from the peanut gallery.
They intend to kill me with Salic’s coat!
That or face Ist’s brother.
Trying not to breathe, I gingerly wear the coat. It goes just below my knees and baggy enough to cover the bundle in front of me.
I don’t know who but someone pushed the top coat top so now it envelopes my entire head. I wanted to gag but when I realized that my hands are now covered with the coat, I breathe through my mouth.
“Here,” Nif took both of my hands with his one hand then with the other placed two heavy crates. Without waiting for me to balance everything, he pushed me into one of the moving cable cars. This one has a seat. I placed my load on the floor to free my hands. I turned and they shoved more crates my way. I think they are boxing me in with these crates! I moved them along so that they will fit.
Just then, something must have happened because all of the noises stopped. Nif also stopped giving me crates to load.
Like a scared cat, I felt someone or something banging on the door. Then the loudspeaker came on. “Open this fucking door youqhudril! Open up!”
Someone sighed. “It’s that bitch again.” I heard some movement but no one was giving me crates and boxes to load. There was still a small gap where I could exit this tram.
“Open the door, Salic!” Nif’s voice boomed louder than whoever is shouting over the speaker.
“I’m trying boss! It’s jammed!” Salic shouted. There are more noises I can hear like activity resumed.
“Open this fucking door. Open this fucking door or I’ll kill you all!” The voice kept repeating itself like a broken record.
When I felt the tram moved, I tried to squeezed myself out. Then I stopped. Frozen.
Blocking my line of vision, is Scarface. I inhaled sharply. He has a stoic face on. I saw him nod at me, before I lost sight of him. Then the open wilderness exploded right before my eyes. I felt before I turned the suns beaming at my back.
The tram is still moving slowly. Like a slow moving picture, I saw the rise of trees above the horizon. Orange and brown trees that felt like autumn. The glass in front of me fogged a little as I breathe into it. Then it will clear as the suns beamed on the glass.
I realized we are almost on top of a mountain. There are higher places capped with white snow on the left side. But right in front of me is a picturesque landscape. On the slope down I can see more trees. Beyond that is a pale orange fog. It opens wide from this mountain so I can tell that it’s more likely a sea or even an ocean. To the right are some structures and buildings but they are too small to see. Like a peak-a-boo, I see them as the empty trams coming from the opposite direction passed by.
I promised myself I won’t look down. I’m scared of heights, who isn’t?
Apparently, those who build these things love heights! Same on Earth. I looked down but promptly looked up unless I suffer from vertigo. There’s a deep ravine and I barely saw the top of the trees!
All of a sudden, like a roller coaster, the tram speed up. Good thing the glass is sturdy otherwise the force would have sent me outside and I will plunge to my death!
My cheeks and right side of my body is plastered against the glass and crate. I’m sure to have bruises. I felt my nose is bleeding. Damn it! I could not even scream!
My insides wanted to rebel but I held on and prayed for this roller coaster side to end. This is a tram that is not designed for tourist. Why did they place me here? I think this is for transporting goods. Not humans. Or maybe they consider me a ‘good’.
It felt like ages before the tram finally slowed down. I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t even bend my knees and I just barfed into the glass or wherever. At the same time, like in a nightmare, I saw a blue furred manasty that reminded me of Axad. I saw the exact moment his eyes rounded, his mouth rounded as if he’s ready to shout. Did he recognize me? Was he trying to find me? Was Zirc here?
I was trying hard to breathe at the same time not to breathe in my barf because breathing it in causes me to vomit again.
I don’t know how to stop this thing because a few seconds later, the tram speed up again! I tried to focus on the glass and not the outside that felt like looking into a kaleidoscope. I know I’m starting to lose consciousness. Or maybe a panic attack. I breathe through my mouth. I barely noticed when the hiscat popped its head and bumped his head along my sternum. I was past caring.
Is this my end? Can I not see Zirc, Coone and Roqs one last time?
My heart aches not seeing them again. Especially Zirc.
