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Nodding my agreement, she leads me into the eatery she just vacated, weaving us expertly through the crowds to a small table at the back.
“Sorry about before,” I say now composed. “It’s just that I was shocked to see a familiar face. I wasn’t expecting it.”
“I’mgladyou ran into me.” She responds winking.
I laugh for the second time in as many days, and I find my soul slightly less hollow.
“When did you arrive?” She asks.
“Yesterday.”
“Ah, that’s why you’re feeling overwhelmed. The Between is very different to Evolirium. It takes a while to adjust to the faster no-nonsense pace.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.” I sigh.
“It’s really not that bad. I mean, sure, you need to love grey…” she winks again, and I stifle another laugh. “But everything is within walking distance. Train stations are dotted throughout the mid-realm grid so it’s easy to get around. Once you get used to it, you’ll learn to appreciate the succinctness of the realm,” she concludes.
A waitress interrupts our reunion and sets down a pitcher ofbright amber liquid and two glasses. I look at Miriam. “Freshly squeezed strawberry and mango juice,” she says.
My stomach growls in response. How fortunate that I ran into her today. Was it pure coincidence? I silently thank the Fates.
“Thank you, Miriam.” I say, my mouth twisting into a small smile.
“I need to get back to work now but I have a great idea.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m going to escort you to the Festival of Gratitude this weekend. What do you say?”
I can’t accept quickly enough and nod my response.
******
Miriam arrives at my apartment the morning of the Festival of Gratitude. She looks happy and vibrant. A direct contrast to the last time I saw her on Evolirium.
“So, what is this festival all about anyway?”
“Isn’t it obvious … gratitude,” she laughs.
“Ah, right, ‘course, it is,” I say sarcastically.
“You’ll see. Come on, we don’t want to be late and miss the opening.”
Miriam hooks her arm through mine and pulls me out the door in a mad rush. It leaves me wondering what kind of opening a gratitude festival warrants.
We walk the short distance from my apartment to the end of the city grid, where the mid-realm above ground light-rail station is located. Within minutes, the passenger train has arrived, and we commence our journey to the outskirts. The farming lands are dedicated to fulfilling food supplies to the gods and I’m excited to see something other than the grey of mid-realm.
During the trip, I work up the courage to speak to Miriam about past events. “I know this might be prying, and I’m sorry ifI am, but I would really like to know what happened to you on Evolirium.”
Miriam takes a deep breath and exhales before starting her story … “I was happy and popular on Evolirium, and I was on track to top all my classes before Propensity Selection. The lecturers favoured me, and everyone knew I was set to lead future assignments, both reconnaissance and missions. I was leaning toward Time or Earth Propensities—both genuinely interested me for different reasons. Choosing a Propensity seemed to be my biggest issue. Well, so I thought.”
She stops her story momentarily, as the train click clacks over the elemental power station.
“Please go on, Miriam,” I say as the journey resumes its smooth passage.
“During an advanced workshop for gifted students, I was selected to conjure a chain and bind a fellow student. It was a high-level chant. I could hear sneering behind me, but I brushed it off because I knew I could do it. I stepped up to the front of the class alongside the designated student and began. The chains appeared, weaving around the student’s wrists and ankles as instructed. But instead of stopping there, they continued to rattle and clank, entwining the student head to toe. The chaos created a class uproar with outbursts of hysterical laughter. The lecturer had to step in to stop the chant and release the chains, because the student was having trouble breathing. She was so angry. She pledged to have her revenge and silenced the class with her verbal animosity. You should have heard the venom in her voice. It was frightening.”
The train stops at the farming lands station. People are clamouring to disembark, interrupting Miriam’s narration. I am, literally, sitting on the edge of my seat straining to hear her story over the noise. The suspense is killing me.
