Chapter 5, Disappearances and Arrivals
The Kinetics? What was that? Skye looked around, waiting for answers. Nobody paid him any attention.
"What are Kinetics?" He asked Selena. She shrugged. She did not know. He was surprised, because she seemed to know everything about the world.
Everyone was getting back on the train. Skye didn't go with them. He didn't feel safe on the train.
"I don't really want to well…go on the train anymore," He muttered to Selena. He was looking at the burning train. He didn't want that to happen.
"You want to walk?" she asked him. He nodded slowly.
"Alright." The other train was backing up slowly, then turning and making a wide ark around the other train. Skye started to walk after it. He watched it speed ahead, into the distance. A few others from his train were walking too.
All of a sudden, some greyhounds dashed out from the gloom. They were shiny, sleek and well-groomed. They did not look like the train drivers.
Seven of them bounded over to the wrecked train and checked things out. Two others headed over to the walking ones, like Skye and Selena.
"Are you survivors of this train wreck?" One asked them.
Selena shook her head. "No. We got off the other train. We were nervous on it."
"Did you witness this train attack?"
"No," Selena said, "Our train just came across it. But this looks recent, because the blood is still shining, and if it wasn't shining, it would be dry, and old."
"We are not worried about when it happened," the greyhound-police said, "We know it happened only two hours and five minutes ago. A messenger raven was sent to us. Are there any survivors that you know of?"
Skye jumped in. "Yes! I saw about fifteen animals walking away from it. And I think that some people lying over by that train are still alive too, but barely."
"They are being cared for," Said the greyhound. "Do you have any idea what attacked this train?"
"Yes," Selena said, "They said Kinetics. What are Kinetics?"
The greyhound stiffened and shadows covered his eyes. "Our brothers…" He muttered to himself. "They are the police forces from our twin," he said.
"What do you mean?" Skye begged. Our twin? Skye had no twin…who was 'our?' and police forces? Weren't the greyhounds the police forces?
"Are they greyhounds like you?" Skye asked him.
He shook his head. "No, they're not. I must go now. Walk as far away and as fast as you can. Do not linger, for the Kinetics may still be watching us." He glanced nervously at the nearby bushes. "It was wise you did not take the train. The Kinetics do not want us to take any forms of transportation. I am sure their bombs will not reach two little travelers."
He turned and pranced away. Skye stared at him in shock. Who would bomb this peaceful world? And he still did not know what Kinetics were.
Selena stopped beside him. "That cop was nice, but he did not make it clear what Kinetics are." She lashed her tail. "I need to find out. I want to know everything about Eris!"
"Eris?"
"This world! It's called Eris! Like the big one we're next to is called Earth! Don't you know?"
He shook his head. "No. Selena, you can't know everything about the world. I mean, that's mentally impossible."
"I know a lot though!" She snarled. "My mom takes time away from work to teach me geography and stuff about the cities. I know all the place routes and train routes, and all the cities in order! I know both hemispheres and halves of the world by heart! Plus I've memorized the routes and paths the deer take up north and down south!"
"And that's good!" He cried, "It's good you know so much and are smart and care! But you can't know everything!"
She flew to her feet and spit in the air. "I must know everything! And I already do! Ask me something!"
"Is there any metal on the north cap?" He whispered.
"No!" She said, "Of course not! It is all forest up there!"
Something stirred inside Skye, and he shook his head slowly. "You are wrong." He muttered, "There is metal up there." He did not know how he knew these things. It was as if there was someone inside his head, telling him there WAS metal on the north cap.
Selena lashed her tail. "I do know everything! How would you even know anything? You need to believe me, because I know I am right."
Skye felt his tail curl up. "I…"
"Ok then, fine!" She screamed, then ran off into the darkness. "I'm going back to Snowtown!"
Skye turned the other direction and walked away slowly, because he didn't even want to see her again. She was just a stuck up know-it-all who wanted to push him around. He wasn't going to let her do that. She could brood and become as smart as she wanted, just he wouldn't be there to hear about it.
XXX
Skye
walked for a long time that night, but then he broke away from the
other stragglers and survivors and scrambled into the bushes. He got
secure underneath them, so he curled up and waited for sleep. It did
not come, but hunger did. Skye looked around, then began to scrape at
the ground, remembering how to dig up carrots. When he saw the ferny,
leafy stuff that had carrots for roots, he deg harder until he had
pulled the carrots out. He ate them quickly, trying to wolf it down.
He fell asleep then, and did not wake until the middle of the next day. He stood and stretched, then looked around. Last night, when it was dark, he had barely been able to see anything. Now though, when he looked around, he saw a little black dot behind him, where the wrecked train was, and ahead he could see some tiny buildings silhouetted against the sky.
As he emerged from the bushes, he heard a rumble, and turned his head to see a train trundling foreword. The greyhounds lashed ahead, bounding, with their tongues hanging from their frothing mouths. Skye watched the traincars go by, packed with animals. This train had to be the one that had left three hours after his.
Skye walked on behind it, as it disappeared in front of him. He walked slowly, savoring the cool breeze and warm air. He couldn't see anyone anywhere around him, except a few fast walking animals would pass him with a hello then disappear. Skye concluded that this route was a popular transportation path.
The faraway city came more into focus as Skye traveled nearer. Soon it was very close.
Right before the buildings started, Skye stopped when he met a huge crowd of animals. In front of them stood a very pretty swan perched delicately on a dais. She was singing in a high, clear, beautiful voice.
"How beautiful are the feet of them, that tread the path of despair. How beautiful are the feet…"
Skye listened for a while, but soon lost interest and walked on, into the city. It was a medium sized city, and the animals milled about, at work or whatnot.
Skye wished he could know the name of this city, so he padded up to someone and tapped them gently on the shoulder with his tail.
"Excuse me?" He asked.
"Don't interrupt," Grunted a voice in answer.
Skye walked away, and tried another animal, this one was a leopard.
"Excuse me?"
She
looked at him. "Hmm?"
"I'm a traveler, and I'd like to
know the name of this city, please."
"Burleyville." The leopard turned away and continued with whatever she was doing.
"Thank you." Skye padded off.
He came around two buildings and saw two cheetahs sitting next to each other, tails twined. Both were giggling. The female reached up with a soft paw and batted the male's face gently. "Oh Robin, you're such a little funny one." The male grinned. "Of course I am, Mellissa." Saying this, he snuggled up closer to her and wrapped his neck around hers.
Skye watched them blandly. The male looked at him and stared hard as he walked across the pavement. Skye gave him a glare. He did not want to be stared at.
The city was like any other. Skye joined in at a workhouse and earned some money, so he went and bought his way over to the big area that sold Micemorsel, and he bought some steamed carrots, which he ate lustily.
Then he padded off toward some thick, green looking bushes and curled up, hoping sleep. It came soon, and Skye slumbered for a long while.
Suddenly, while he was in the middle of a huge dream, somebody prodded him. Skye's eyes flew open and he looked around in shock. He saw an orange spotted face just a few feet from his. "Hi," The voice said, "I've been looking for you."
Skye screamed.