Secret Aversion

Chapter 8

*Ari's POV*

        Lola was the second most talkative maid in the mansion—Elvira being first. Her long, red curls and keen green eyes reminded me of Merida from the movie ‘Brave’. It was strange making the comparison since we no longer had contemporary lives where watching Disney and Pixar was normal. 

          Elvira had taken my place in the kitchen so I could meet the remaining maids upstairs. I was allowed to go as long as I had maid work to do, so Elvira had shoved a mop and bucket into my hands and showed me the way. Don’t look at any of the Agents if they walk by. They get suspicious. It was difficult to follow her advice since being aware of something usually drew my attention towards it.

          Maids couldn’t take the elevators, so we climbed up the dizzying spiralling staircase. Yesterday, Elvira had revealed her secret talent while we chatted about our hobbies: she was great with technology and a total computer geek. She warned us about the surveillance cameras around the mansion.

          “Here, kid.” On the third floor, Lola made a sharp turn and entered what look like a tiny room with a glass wall on one side. No more than ten people tightly huddled together could fit inside. A plain white door separated the two walls at the end. “There are no cameras here. Elvira said we can treat this place like a hidden treasure room, something off the mansion map.”

          “There’s a map of the mansion?” I wondered.

          “Maybe. I mean, all buildings should have a floor map,” Lola said, batting a tight red curl from her face. “This room has an awesome view, though, but it doesn’t hide the fact I miss home. I’d kill to see my family again and get out of this stupid maid outfit.”

        She pressed her palms to the glass of the window and stared ahead at the vast land beyond. I hadn’t realize how high up we were until I caught sight of the mansion wall and the farmland extending from my view.

        “Apparently it’s called the Golden Wall,” Lola said. I assumed she was referring to the humongous wall that divided the mansion and luxurious homes from the Platform pit-caves. She traced a circle around the small cluster before the wall, complete with asphalt roads, houses, and Agents roaming like little ants among the driveways and vehicles. “That’s the Golden Zone. It’s where all the NOs and agents live. NOs have the more prestigious homes closer to the mansion, and agents of less importance are closer to the wall.”

          They all lived there? No wonder they worked for the Donegans. All the agents and officials were simply bribed into submission and blinded by the wealth and lavish comforts offered to them.

          To our left was a cylindrical turret that bulged out of the mansion. I suspected the door in this room was a secret passageway into the turret, but as curious as I was to investigate, we didn’t know what awaited us behind the door. I pressed my nose against the window to look below, to see if there was an entrance to the turret from outside.

          “I assume you’re from Platform B?” Lola said, watching me struggle as I tried to peak through the glass. “You’re a cute kid, Ari. Curious, in fact. I don’t know why Emerson brought you here, since you're an average figure. It can't be anything good.”

          “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I said dryly, and she smiled. “What Platform are you from? I'm eighteen, so there's no way you're old enough to call me a ‘kid’.”

          “Platform C,” she replied. “Same with Elvira.” I never expected Elvira to be older than eighteen, seeing how lighthearted and spirited she was. In a way, she reminded me of Crimson, but more mature.

          Once I finally got a full view of the ground right below the window, I saw a small commotion at the foot of the turret. It was hard to distinguish who the group of agents were, but they were huddled close enough to seem furtive. There were roughly six NR and NE agents.

          “Lola, are they supposed to be there?” I asked.

        She followed my gaze and frowned. “Now that you say it, there were a bunch of uncanny agents that grouped up several times before in that exact spot. Some would gather near the garage window, and you can see them from the kitchen.”  

        A bad feeling swirled in my gut, but I couldn’t make blind connections without confirming my intuition. However, the vibe this group sent me wasn’t a dangerous one. I had a hunch that Arian was down there, too, part of a “group” that might or might not be an ordinary gathering.

        “You know, kid, I’m just as eager to know things as you are,” Lola said, squinting at the bright, sunlit sky outside. “But the Project is no joke, and Emerson’s no i***t, although he’s an imbecile.”

        “You seem to know much more than I do,” I said, stepping back from the window. “The Project was unheard of in Brilliant Cove when I moved there. It was too confidential.”

        “Let’s just say I know someone who is a part of the Project." Her eyes fell to the ground. I had never seen such wistful eyes before. “He used to be my trainer for karate when I was younger. He and I are boxing partners now…were.” Karate? Boxing? Damn, what a robust woman.

        “He must be very important to you,” I said, giving her a sympathetic look. 

        “Of course he is, he’s my brother. I don’t know where he is now, but I just pray for his safety." She added, "I personally think agents risk their lives to be here. Only few have the courage to dethrone the Donegans.”

        “Emerson’s still not satisfied.” Compliance wasn’t enough for him. “Wasn’t he complaining about Platform A? Is something happening with the younger kids?” I remembered Crimson mention it last week; it felt ages ago.

        “I don’t know exactly, but you shouldn’t worry too much,” Lola said, placing a hand on my back to assure me out. “We shouldn’t be in here for long.”

        Despite getting to know the other maids in the mansion, I still wasn’t satisfied. I hadn’t gotten the opportunity to meet the infamous Jemma, the quietest maid. The circle of agents at the turret gave me a bothersome feeling. It didn’t leave me when Apsara and I walked back to our cells that evening.

        It had been raining often these past few days, leaving the ground and Platform premises wet and muddy as the humidity hung in the air like thick fog. I entered our tunnel first, and Apsara followed after. A dull plunk captured our attention and Apsara stepped back from the entryway.

        “What…?” she murmured. She rubbed the tip of her toe against the muddy water and managed to swish it aside. A metallic surface about two inches wide peeked from underneath. It was a metal bar ingrained into the ground before the entrance of the cave.

          “Extravagant structure,” I commented. Apsara grinned scornfully and craned her neck to gaze at the top of the cave. “I wonder how much the Donegans spent to build these prison cells.” A lot, I bet. It was money gone to waste.

          Later that night, sleep betrayed me as I contemplated whether to text Arian or not. The battery on my phone would last for a few more hours, but I didn’t know what to say to him. Should I ask him about his personal enmity with Emerson? Should I ask him about the turret and agents? Should I simply tell him I wanted to see him again?

          Before we crossed the border into Nightingale, I knew nothing but one side of Arian—the only side I thought he had. He used to hate me. It was such a peculiar hate, with no practical reason behind it, but it was intense to the point I grew closer to him. He never used to talk to me, warned me to keep my distance, and criticized my weaknesses.

        At school, it was hard to consider him as a real student. He barely sat through his classes, leaving empty-handed and entering with no purpose. The teachers accepted his behaviour, which puzzled me at first. Most students knew him, but were too frightened to acknowledge him. 

          Outside of school, he had an amazing family he had never bothered to interact with or notice. Arian was the most independent, cold-hearted person I had ever met before I realized he cared. He cared a lot. His sly personality made it so he was swift about it. His words were rash, but his actions were gentle. Arian wasn’t all rock. He wasn’t all dark. He was like the silent night, holding us under his gaze while we slept and were too busy to notice his protection and realize. But I did. When I realized it, I had fallen…

          And still, I had trouble exactly knowing why. Although I knew. God, Arian. He was such a confusing person.

          A buzz vibrated in my hand and the screen of my phone glowed softly in the night. My eyes darted towards the incoming call. The caller id read ‘Satanic Lover’, and my heart jumped. I was too shocked with fluttering anxiety that I couldn’t answer. On the last ring, I picked up.

          “Hello?” said a voice. I immediately recognized it, which I hadn’t heard in days. “Ari, are you there?” A slight uneasiness filled his voice when words failed to leave my mouth. “Who are you?” His voice became cold. “Where’s ticket #543?”

          “Did you just call me a ticket?” I finally spoke, puckering an eyebrow.

          Dead silence stretched across the line, and was broken by a deep growl. “i***t. Stop scaring me like that.” Before I asked what had happened, he explained. “I thought your phone was confiscated and you were sent to the dungeons.”

          “Dungeons?” I said. “You mean, there are dungeons in addition to the prison we’re already in?”

          “Yes, there are,” he replied. “So don’t screw up.” His way of motivating me was actually rather effective. He didn’t sugar-coat anything or apple polish to comfort and bring about a good impression. “Also, don’t talk so loudly. An agent guarding your row might hear you.”

          “Okay,” I said, lowering my voice. More silence swallowed the time we had, and although I wanted to desperately use it, I was awkwardly hesitant. “Um, so, is everything okay?”

          “No,” he answered. So blunt. “Emerson is getting on my last nerve, but with him around, I couldn’t meet you or the others.” I heard shuffling on the other end and his sigh. “Everything’s not okay. I need a break.”

          “Can we talk?” I asked.

          “We already are.”

          “In person,” I corrected. “And you probably have to end the call soon.”

          “There is something I need to show you, too. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he notified. A smile tugged on my lips. “By the way, I called to let you know that you’ll be working on the field tomorrow.”

          “What, why?”

          “I don’t know the full details but Emerson’s running a secret drill that requires unwanted guests to leave the mansion.”

          “That’s…incredible. Maybe I can stay there and quit the maid job.” If I’m allowed. 

          “I don’t want you working on that shitty land,” Arian opposed. “Nobody deserves to be there. Why the hell are you excited?”

          “Because I want to see everyone,” I said. “I want to see how they’ve been doing, and feel the pain I’m supposed to suffer with them. I know it’s crazy to want that, but it’s unfair. Being a maid is no fun when I’m useless to my family and friends. Being a maid is t*****e when I have to make Emerson breakfast every morning.”

          “You have to cook for that scoundrel?” 

          “That’s what—”

          “I still don’t want you sacrificing your position by going back on the fields,” he said. In my mind, I could still picture that day in the mansion when Arian took my hands and looked at the blisters and scratches graved into my palms. He had worn such a perturbed expression.

          “You remember Apsara? She gets groped by him sometimes,” I reasoned, not sure where I planned to go with this. “Emerson invades our personal space. He touched me, too.” That last bit wasn’t true. He never laid a finger on me—although there were close calls—but I wanted to see how Arian would react.

          There was no reaction.

          “Um, Arian?” I said quietly, pulling the blanket to my chin. I started to regret what I’d said.

          Then he hung up. What? I repeated his name again, but the beeping signalled he had ended the call. What? I switched off my phone and turned on my side, tucking my hands under the pillow.

          It was a mistake. I didn’t expect him to completely shut me down, but he couldn’t possibly be angry at me…right? i***t. I really was an i***t. Or he probably didn’t care, or figured I was joking.

          That’s right. Arian would never believe that, and he would never do anything stupid if he did. Besides, he had other duties and matters to worry about. I didn’t want to take up any of his time, or worse, move him into a position that endangered his life.