Chapter Three - Lisbeth

What on earth are sizes in clothes? I run my fingertips along the leathery seats and nibble my lower lip. Am I supposed to be a size in clothes? Was it a bad thing not to have one?

I look out of the window at the rolling landscape. Anything was better than the boat ride just hours beforehand. I am already missing Arianna and Lakista and everyone on Sencuba Bay. My heart aches painfully and my stomach tightens with sickness. This is going to be a long journey, according to the driver, who I cannot remember the name of. The gentle movements and droning sounds of the car lulls me to sleep eventually. When I awaken, the landscape is different. Less sand and cactus and more… rain and concrete.

“Have a good sleep?” The man asks lightly and gazes up at the small mirror to look back at me.

“It was sufficient. Thank you.” I sit straight and rub my stiff neck and shoulders. Note to self: Falling asleep in cars is a bad idea.

“Good news. We are about twenty minutes away from Uryburg. Do you need the toilet? There’s a service station coming up if you’d like to have a break.”

“No thank you. I think I can wait.” I offer a kind smile but inside – I feel uneasy with anxiety. My home was long gone. Not knowing what awaits me in the city is a big and scary feeling. “Sorry, I seem to have forgotten your name.”

“My name is Gabriel.” He smiles. I can’t see is smile fully, but his eyes light up and wrinkle. “You’re scared, aren’t you?”

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. This is a big thing, you know ?” I slip my thumb between the seat belt and my stomach. Feeling its protective grip around my waist, knowing it was there to keep me safe is nice. Gabriel sighs and nods as we slow to a stop at a set of lights that are on red. “It’s the big things in life that create the biggest change. That’s what my parents used to tell me. Fear of the unknown is in the belly of every human. Just know it’s completely normal.”

I nod in agreement and draw in a big breath to steady my nerves. Many cars sit on the road, blending in with the tall buildings. Rain patters on the car roof and I notice now how the reflections of the city lights shimmer on the road. The dismal, dark gloom of the city is very different to the sun I am used to. But it is beautiful in its own way. Like humans, I guess. So diverse and uniquely brilliant in their own ways. It’d be wrong to dislike the rain simply because it is different.

“What’s he like?” I ask and watch the people hurry about their days on the sidewalks.

“Davon?” Gabriel pulls away slowly in unison with the line of waiting cars. “He’s a good guy. He’s… he’s just lonely. Painfully lonely.”

“I think I understand.” I nod in agreement. “sometimes your life just lacks something. You can have all the money in the world but if you don’t have meaningful relationships and friendships then there’s a part of you that will always be empty.” That’s something I’ve learnt from books…

“You’re certainly right there.”

“What’s going on?” I ask and stare out the window where a group of people in dark blue uniform with reflective bands stood around something smoldering. Bright white tape encircled them.

Gabriel glances to the right to study the scene before coming to a conclusion. “That’s a crime scene. That may be what was holding up Davon earlier.”

I don’t know if I can reply to that. I sink back into the seat. Back at Sencuba Bay, crimes were never met with such force. Back at home there was no blue uniform. No bright white tape.

“ I think Davon has sorted out some clothes for you. Not that there’s anything wrong with what you have on but…” I notice his eyes flick downward, presumably to my breasts.

“Right. Not appropriate for City life?”

“Yeah, sorry. Although it’s a beautiful dress. It’s not particularly weather appropriate. Although it’s fairly warm here, the rain can be rather icy.”

I smile. “I’ll be sure to thank him when I see him.”

“Well, it won’t be long now, this is his road.” Gabriel slows the car. We crawl past huge buildings – Homes. Bigger than I had seen in my entire life. I gawp in amazement.

“This is us…” Gabriel says softly and pulls into a driveway framed by neatly trimmed bushes. The road under us pops and crunches and we roll down the driveway, finally allowing the large house to come into view. If I needed an indication at how rich he was – this was it. The white angular building is lit up with subtle orange lights, and big windows shimmer and reflect the dark sky above us. I’m so taken aback by this that I don’t realize the car has come to a stop. I reach for the door handle, but Gabriel gets there first, opening the door for me. “My lady…”

I step out into the rain and inhale. The rain crashes down on my face like tiny shards of ice and my dress becomes heavy and wet by the time we reach the door. The door opens and a hand extends toward me from within a hue of light.