Impact

“You want us to believe that the very force of nature possessed you?“, Sarah asks Ingrid in disbelief. “And that she proceeded to talk with you while you were unconscious?”, She adds another question before Ingrid can answer her first one.

“I figured you wouldn’t believe me.”, Ingrid mutters as she stares at the table we are sitting at in The Great Grub!

My gaze rests on the younger teen. It does seem absurd. But before I met Ingrid I would have thought magic at all is ridiculous.

“I’m not sure if I believe you.”, I say lifting the silence between us. “But it might be plausible.”, I add.

Ingrid lifts her head and meets my gaze with a small smile.

“Hey!”, A bellowing voice yells from beyond the temporary barrier set up for the gate. Ingrid perks up at the sound of the voice. Does she know the person it belongs to? She stands up from her chair and runs towards the barrier.

“Alton!”, Ingrid says increasing her pace towards the voice.

“Who’s Alton?”, Sarah asks as we both stand up and follow our excited friend.

“I’m not sure.”, I answer Sarah with a shrug.

Ingrid hops over the hurdle finally reaching and hugging a man so large it made Ted almost look prepubescent.

“Finally!”, The tank sized man says as Ingrid wraps around him in a hug.

“I’m so glad you’re alive!”, The teen yells with tears of joy flowing down her face. If the man was trying to hide his happiness, he is definitely failing. He grabs Ingrid and lifts her off of her feet in a bear hug.

“This is Alton.”, Ingrid explains as the massive man lowers her to her feet. “I’m not surprised you survived.”, She continues as she lightly punches his ribs in a joking manner. I am shocked at just how much energy the former coma patient suddenly has now.

“I’m glad you’re alive…”, Alton’s voice is slow and measured as if he is about to flood New Yuma with tears if he does not stop them. “I’ve been looking for a month now.”, He finishes as a single tear falls.

“It’s been three months actually.”, I meekly interject. The man’s eyes go wide as his gaze lands on me. I try to make myself look smaller and also attempt to use Sarah’s body as a wall between us. His gaze alone feels like it could drop me dead.

“Damn it!”, He exclaims before resting a barrel of an arm on Ingrid’s shoulders. Visibly weighing the girl down. “At least I found you now.”, He says with a chuckle.

A stifling pause drags between us until Ingrid points at me.

“This is Kelly!”, She says. She then points at Sarah and adds, “This is Sarah.”

Alton looks over Sarah and I for a moment in silence while removing his mighty arm from Ingrid’s shoulders. I fidget from discomfort while Sarah appears bored with her hand resting on her hip.

“I’m surprised you survived Ingrid. These people don’t seem that strong.”, Alton finally speaks without moving his eyes off me specifically.

“They don’t have to be strong.”, Ingrid retorts. “Without Kelly I would’ve died at least once.”, She continues.

“You’re calling me weak?”, Sarah steps up to Alton and rests a hand on her sword handle. “I’ve survived with only a bird as a companion for years now.”, Her lyrical voice still bearing no emotion even as she seems to be gloating.

“If you and I are dogs.”, Ingrid says seeming to try to stop the situation from escalating into a fight. Dogs? What is she talking about? “Alton is a bear.”, She finishes.

A stillness fills the air. The only sound from the hot wind blowing dirt about the wastes.

“Fine.”, Sarah breaks the silence as she moves her hand away from her weapon and takes a step back. I breath a sigh of relief that the situation seems to have resolved.

“What is this about dogs?”, I ask as my eyes lock onto Ingrid’s face.

“Ah!”, The teen yelps as she puts both hands over her mouth. Apparently I am not supposed to know. Which makes me more curious. And if they are dogs, what would that make the people of New Yuma in this metaphor?

“What is that?”, Sarah’s alluring voice brings me back to the world. She is pointing at a strange object in Alton’s hand. He presses a button on the device before a small bird appears from it.

“A device to let the colony know we’re still alive.”, He explains nonchalantly as the bird flies away. It feels like he is explaining this as if we are mentally deficient rather than if the device or what he just said is strange. “I didn’t want to activate it until I found Ingrid.”, The man adds with a sigh.

“So they thought we were dead for three months!?”, Ingrid interjects with both annoyance and dread filling her voice.

“Look on the bright side.”, Alton replies with a toothy grin, “They know we’re alive now.” I finally understand why Ingrid had such a stick up her butt before we lived together. This man is way too laid back about important things.

“I like him.”, Sarah lets out an empty chuckle. Of course she does, she is the same way just without his expressiveness or emotion.

“Since we have time.”, Ingrid tepidly says as she meekly puts her hands together and looks down at them. “Maybe we can show you around?”, She asks as she turns to her large, actually…

“What is your relation exactly?”, I ask bluntly. “You don’t look related but you seem quite close.”, I add. Ingrid has a shocked look on her face as she looks at me. A contrast to Alton’s rather disinterested expression and Sarah’s chortle.

“He’s technically my boss.”, Ingrid quietly answers.

“What do you mean technically?”, Alton bellows in annoyance as he turns to my love. “Just because you’re the Admiral’s kid?”, He inquires. Admiral?

“I’m sorry.”, I interject. “Admiral?”, I vocalize my concern instead of bottle it up for once. Alton looks at Ingrid with a surprised smile before looking back at me.

“I shouldn’t be surprised she kept things to herself.”, He says with a sigh. I am unsure if it is from relief or annoyance. Perhaps both? “We’re from a massive colony ship that moves about.”, He begins. “I am Captain Alton if you wanna be formal about it.”, He chuckles. “I’m in charge of the Scout Division.”, He continues, “But the one in charge of our entire operation is the Admiral.”

“So Ingrid is some kind of royalty?”, Sarah asks.

“No way!”, Alton says with a hardy laugh. “While the family might be asked first if they want the position it’s usually given to the most experienced in the field.”, He explains further. The captain wraps an arm around Ingrid’s much smaller frame and drags her closer to him as he adds, “Probably why this one here wanted to become a scout.”

Ingrid truly has been so guarded with me. I did not know any of this. Not that I have ever told her about my parents… I suppose this is fair then.

“Why so glum?”, Ingrid asks as she gives me a refreshing smile.

“It’s nothing.”, I say with a fake smile of my own. I should not even bother with that. I know she can see right through it.

“You are aware your friends here can’t exactly come with us, right?”, Alton intrudes upon our moment. But before Ingrid or I can say anything Sarah cuts in.

“Well it was nice meeting you Alton.”, The woman says as she begins to walk away. “Maybe we’ll see each other again sometime Ingrid.”, She says as she gives an apathetic wave to us. “I know Cal will love that.”, She adds before exiting our earshot.

Ingrid and I look at each other as we are burdened by a building silence thanks to Sarah’s seeming callousness. I do not want Ingrid to go. But I know she has to. But does she really?

“I don’t want to leave!”, Ingrid yells breaking the weighty silence. Both Alton and I are taken aback by her outburst.

“I don’t want you to!”, I yell back as I embrace her. Maybe just maybe she can stay.

The world falls silent as we hug. I hate the sun but in this moment nothing bothers me. Her embrace is truly comforting. It makes me feel cared for and protected. That I can deal with anything because Ingrid will be there for me.

“We both know that’s not possible.”, Alton bluntly states. Shattering my blissful thoughts and scattering them into the wind. I begin to feel the sun’s unbearable heat once again.

Wordlessly I look up at Ingrid’s face. I know he is correct, but I do not want him to be. And I know she does not either. I wipe a tear off of my first love’s cheek.

“I know you’re sad. But you should really try to hide it better.”, I say with tear filled eyes trying to lighten the mood. I need to be strong for her. I need to be…

“I’m sorry Kelly.”, Ingrid says to me.

“I’ll leave you two alone.”, Alton interjects quickly before he steps into New Yuma proper.

The two of us embrace without a word for what feels like both an eternity and a mere second.

“I know where we need to go.”, I say to Ingrid with a smile. She merely raises a brow before I take her hand and walk into New Yuma with renewed vigor.

-- -- --

I hate the sun. I hate the mornings. But with Ingrid at my side they do not seem so bad. I suppose the sight before us helped as well. The sun bathes the growing crops in its light. Drawing attention to the contrast between the bright plants and the mellow hard dirt.

We just look at the scenery before us with an arm wrapped around each other. We know this is going to end soon. We probably always knew it was…

“There you are!”, Chief Benterro’s voice breaks our illusory world. He walks up to the two of us with the building known as Alton at his side.

“Thank you for helping me around.”, Alton says as he bows his head.

“No problem.”, Benterro responds with a smile and a hand up to let Alton to let him know to stop. “I’m just doing my job as security.”, He finishes before waving goodbye to us.

“A dirt sail is here to take us back.”, Alton says before a silence can weigh on us again.

“I’m sorry.”, Ingrid says once again. Is that all she can say? An apology is not necessary. She has to go back. Even if…

Ingrid’s lips lock with mine. Returning me to this bittersweet reality.