APOV 2
If anyone ever tells you it's impossible to detatch yourself from your surroundings, don't believe them.
I could feel the wind slashing my face, pieces of hair flitting across my eyes. I moved at a quick speed, my hoverboard's lifters spinning, releasing a consistent whirr. There was nothing out here but the sun, the trees, and the sky, swirling together to make one big mural of lush colors. I let myself close my eyes, adjusting my feet, and sighed in contentment.
Hoverboarding had been my passion, a way to disconnect from the world, to free myself from any troublesome worries. It felt so free, to soar above the land, to feel the currents of air brush past your clothing. It was almost a useful form of transportation, especially when you lived in Uglyville.
Being sixteen, people now might have wondered why I wasn't a Pretty, stunning to look at. But I had never gotten the operation, having discovered the real truth behind it.
A horrible truth, something that was already detroying the city's regulated system.
It had all started a few weeks ago, before my sixteenth birthday, the time where I was scheduled to be changed. I had been spending my time out by the greenbelt, practicing with my new hoverboard, grateful to have finally bought one that could travel long distances into the wild. I had been flying around, zipping past trees, testing out it's speed limits, when I had seen a flash of color from the corner of my eyes. Spinning around, I had watched as a certain spot in the foliage changed shape, a ripple among the leaves. I had squinted, confused, finally realizing that it was sneak suit, camouflaging in the bush.
It had moved at a sleek speed, smooth movements, creating a nearly invisible appearence.
I had thought about staying put, aware that it wasn't any of my business, but curiosity had won in the end.
Staying low to the ground, I had followed the stranger across the ground, remaining as quiet as possible. I could never understand why they hadn't heard me, being as precise as they were. I had felt out of place, clumsy.
But what I ended up discovering hit me way off balance.
It was a boy, around my age, meeting with an Ugly. He had handed him a small pouch, whispers floating in the breeze. It was just a leather satchel, no bigger then my fist, laced with some kind of foreign material, resembling string. That's when I had leaned forward a few inches, eager to get a better look... and went sprawling head over heals into the swishing air.
Barely managing a cry, the crash bracelets had kicked in, sending sparks on fiery hot pain into my shoulders. I had shuddered, and slowly realized that I had an audience.
The boys were laughing, sounds of pleasure, moving towards me with a gradual speed. They hadn't seemed frightened, threatened, just casually cruel.
"Um, hey." I had managed a weak smile, contacting my hoverboard with a tug of the wrists. It soon came flying from the bushes, zipping under my waiting feet.
"Nice fall." The Ugly boy chuckled, his dark, uneven eyes glittering in the warm sun. "You okay?"
"Yeah." I nodded, descending. "Just a little trip up."
"We saw." The first boy, a Pretty, by the looks of it, had grinned, reaching into his ragged pocket. He had an oval face, shiny, light brown hair, and piercing green eyes, as stunning as usual. Yet there was a strange vibe that radiated from his skin... A knowingness. "So, are you here for the cure as well? A distributor, I suppose."
I had frowned, utterly confused. "Excuse me? The... what?"
"The cure. You know, for the pretty-mindness?"
I had slowly registered that that was the cause for their secrecy, the camouflage.
"Um, yeah, I guess." I had shrugged, eyeing the pouch with a serious caution. It was obviously something drastically important, big enough to have forced the boys to come all this way. "What does it do, again?"
Giving me a strange look, the Pretty murmured, "From The New Smoke." I had waited for more, but he appeared satisfied, expecting me to finally comprehend.
"Ah, yes, the... pretty-mindness." I had tested the strange word out in my mouth, frowning. "I'm supposed to... get it. The cure."
He had nodded, motionning for me to stick out my hand. Carefully opening the sack, he had shook the contents into my palm, stuffing it back into his tattered pocket.
I had stared at my hand.
A dozen or so pills sat on the skin.
"If you want more," The Pretty pointed ahead, a luminous clearing sheltering the distance. "Meet us there, a week from now."
Then, as if never having existed, the boy had vanished in a blink, his sneak suit blending in the towering darkness, his board looming in the air.
A shudder awoke my thoughts from their drifting haze, a ripple in the strong current that had been pushing me along the track. The metal was soon coming to an end, designed to travel through the unexpected mountain before me, a strange Rusty custom, unfathomable.
Though as peculiar as it may, the tunnel still rested before me, approaching at a quick speed.
Sighing, I pulled my hoverboard to a gentle halt, scanning the surrounding wilderness. The mountain stretched on for a few miles, linking with others, raising the terrain in an unpassable climb.
I was aware of the river to my side, churning water that lurched it swirling waves, threatening to devour anyone who would dare pass. It would be difficult to carry my board, especially without a hint of steel, but I guessed that there wasn't much choice. If I wanted to make it to the other side, I was forced to travel alongside the rapids.