leishe
Dream Country
I.
The apartment was empty when she returned, all cluttered and damp like she had left it. The front door was hanging slightly open for no obvious reason, and when she touched the black handlebar, a cold draft started blowing, making the girl shiver and huddle further into her thin white jacket. Sakura pushed the door open, and found that her mother had been home. Her black, pointed shoes were there in the corner, and the limp, stretchy brown handbag that the woman always carried with her hung sagging from the hat rack.
"…m-mom?"
Her voice echoed off the bare walls, and the door shut eerily, with a hollow thump. Sakura brushed her hair out of her eyes and walked to the kitchen counter, which was made of cold marble. On top of it stood a small black telephone, and the receiver hanging from it, misplaced. But her mother never misplaced things. Not ever. She was, as some people said, a messy control freak, if ever there was one. Puzzled, the girl took hold of the piece of black plastic, and punched a few buttons to see why her mother had left in such a hurry.
Three numbers flashed onto the small screen on top of the device. Sakura's eyes widened when she saw them.
'000'
It was the emergency number, used only during severe disasters, such as fires and break-ins, and also, upon discovery of grave crimes, such as murder, robbery, and so on. Other, smaller and more insignificant incidents were reported to '111', which handled petty accidents, like intruders, adultery, sewer monsters, and things like that.
Worriedly, Sakura put down the receiver. She glanced around tentatively to see if whatever her mother had reported had caused any damage, or, more importantly, was still inside the apartment. The girl shivered again when she remembered the huge alligator-like creature that had appeared from inside the refrigerator. The sharp, clear sound of two gunshots ringing in the air could still play and replay in her head, never missing a beat.
Bang. Bang.
Creak.
The door opened, and she turned halfway to face it. Suddenly, daylight flooded her pale-skinned face.Her pupils dilated as she realized that there wasn't supposed to be daylight at this time. It was evening. The strong, blinding flashlights were all that occupied her line of sight, and she heard voices. Gruff and commanding, and soft and familiar. It was too much all at once.
"There she is. Men!"
"She-she—yes. She is the one. That brat."
"Bring out the van and haul her in."
Dazed, Sakura tried to register. She looked away from the lights, and found her mother's face. It was a face unlike one she had ever seen before, now twisted with repulsion and disgust aimed towards her, the dearly-loved daughter. And she was with the police who were armed to the eyeballs and glaring at Sakura as if she were some criminal. What had happened?
"0981. Identity confirmed."
"Haruno Sakura." The chief of police barked, "You are under arrest!" Seven guns clicked all at once.
0981. It was her citizen number and the only way that the rest of the city knew she existed. She blinked and gasped, as a rough hand flew to her white, weak throat, trying to crush her windpipe, and succeeding so far. She coughed and sputtered and tried to fight back. Kicking wildly, she bit down on the officer's thick, tough hand until it bled, red gushing from the bite. She screamed, thrashing, lashing out at everyone in the room, and charging for the door. Men blocked her path, and her mother, too.
"Get her!" shrieked the woman, spidery hands latching onto Sakura's hair, "Quick!" Her mother's touch was no longer warm and caring. It was sharp and prickly and unwelcome, and it hurt.
"Aaaahhhh!" The girl delivered a swift kick to the groin and sprung at the blocking policemen, who dodged, and grabbed her arms. They held her firmly and shoved the barrels of their guns at her pretty little head. Sakura's mother was still reeling from the blow, but the chief was done sucking his wounds and walked up grimly to the young woman, his mouth set in a serious line.
"0981, you are under arrest for touching your mother's deadly weapon." His voice was ice cold, matter-of-fact, and his eyes narrowed to slits.
"W-what?"
"You heard me, wench. To the factory with you, where all you stinkin' delinquents go. Into the incinerator and out as dog food. Keeps the mutts healthy, if you know what I mean."
Self defense! Something screamed at her, Self-defense! What was wrong with this city! Killing people for saving their own lives! Is this what mankind had stooped down to? The officer smirked at Sakura's horrified expression. He rolled his tongue around in his mouth and spat on the ground near her feet.
"Scared?" His tone was mocking. "You should be, little scum. After what you've done. Serves you right. Heh. Serves you right." He motioned to the men. "Take her away. Now." They obeyed, and dragged the girl along the dirt, pushing her face into the ground. She could feel the filth rubbing into her skin, and the scratches that tiny grains of sand caused.
The policemen walked her to the black van where they put criminals on their way to the prison. Carefully, one man took both of her arms and clamped them with metal, punching some buttons onto the side so that it locked properly. They did the same to her feet, and to her neck to keep her from breathing normally, so that her body would be weakened. At last, a syringe filled with green liquid was injected down the back of her neck, and Sakura's eyes rolled up into her head, as she lay motionless in the seat.
The policemen smirked at her, grinning at one another in silent congratulations for a job well done. They left her with the van doors bolted, so that there was no way she could escape. Besides, meat was fresher when kept inside an airtight container.
II.
Two sleeping, dreaming, traveling souls hung in a temporary phase of unconsciousness, eyes closed and chests rising and falling in rhythmic patterns. One was already tired, grateful for the rest that sleep brought, but the other one was restless and reluctant, fighting against the calming serenity while his body slumbered. He would awake soon enough, and find what he was looking for. Maybe. Both of them had to wait, because the sleep mist wouldn't release them until the third soul arrived.
But then they wouldn't have to wait very long. The third soul was already on her way. Maybe.
III.
Beep. Click. Sssssggghhhh…
The handcuffs hissed, sliding open, as if someone had punched in the right code. No one except the drugged prisoner was inside the van, and everything was deathly silent. For no known reason, the handcuffs unlocked, and the doors unbolted. The girl woke up, surprised.
"djfnv…?" she murmured, putting her hand to her head and rocking back and forth, until the stabbing pain inside subsided. It felt like a thousand years whenever she blinked, and every second was creation. The van throttled, and the young girl lost her balance and stumbled onto the floor.
"Ow!"
The van doors opened.
Her large eyes widened even more in utter disbelief. Sakura didn't know what was happening, or what was supposed to happen. But something certainly was happening. The next few minutes were a blur, as she clambered wearily out of the police vehicle, and into the mechanical darkness. No one noticed her, even if it was technically impossible, since her mother and the conversing policemen were only a few feet away.
My feet are lead, she thought, as she walked out of the apartment compound, shivering as each freezing whiff of air traveled her way. Sakura had rarely been out in the open at night, since it was widely known that Mother changed drastically when the sun disappeared into the other side of the world. The night was blind and cruel, and living things and mechanical dangerous things lurked in the black corners of their world of concrete grey.
The muted green lights of the train station appeared in the distance, and wearily, her legs followed. Her body was already tired, and her breathing ragged. The cold wind was chewing at the back of her neck, on the sides of her arms, and at her legs. Teeth chattered miserably, and Sakura choked down a sob.
What had happened? What had happened? What had happened?
"Card."
The monotonous mumble of the station robot rang in Sakura's ears, as she fumbled around for the flat piece of plastic that was somewhere inside her pocket. Finding it after a few moments, she slid it onto the counter where it was sucked inside a slot, to appear at the other side.
"0981." Said the robot, and the metal bar at the entrance lifted, permitting the girl to pass the checkpoint. Once she crossed, Sakura took her card from the next slot, walking then to where the snake-train's platform was. Solemnly, she looked up at the harsh fluorescent lights that hung from the ceiling. Glancing around, she realized that she was the only one who was standing there. The whole platform—the whole station—was empty.
"Train 050. Last round." The robot's voice came over the PA system, and the ground began to shake. She tilted her head towards the black abyss that was the tunnel, and anticipated the creaky arrival of the snake train. It came, as expected, thundering to a stop. The doors opened in a cloud of cool air. Sakura stepped on. The doors closed.
She sighed and sat down, choosing a place far from the door, and near the window. The train began to move, and she, along with it. Soon, it carried her far, climbing to the tips of the city and barely touching the tall, looming shadows of the business district skyscrapers. Her skin was cool against the smudged glass, as Sakura leaned her forehead against it.
"…mother…" she murmured. The snake train did not stop. The lights inside eventually dimmed down to a comfortable glow as the vehicle approached the last stop. At the back of her mind, the girl knew that she would have to step off in a few minutes, to face the police, the people, and her mother.
But not yet. Sakura closed her eyes, and tried to picture what it would be like if life were not this way…not old and grey and damp and frightening, the way the city was. She thought of color, of skies, of the first rays of dawn. She thought about living. About strange, interesting, and different.
Sakura fell asleep and the snake train did not stop.
IV.
There was a time before the ancient sun
And swinging wheels of heaven had learned
to run
More certainly than dreams; for dreams
themselves
Had bodies then, and filled the world with elves.
The starveling lusts whose walk is now confined
To darkness and cellarage of the mind
And shudderings and despairs and shapes of sin
Then walked at large, and were not cooped
within.
Thought cast a shadow: brutes could speak:
and men
Get children on a star. For spirit then
Kneaded a fluid world and dreamed it new
Each moment. Nothing yet was false or true.
-JRR Tolkien, The Lays of Beleriand