The Sands Chapter 2

Chapter 2

-Where Things Become Distant-

The sun hung low in the sky casting long shadows across the city streets. People thronged through the walkways, many of them returning to their neatly manicured apartments and their neatly manicured families. A gentle breeze tugged at his limbs, like it always did. The city was equipped to always provide a constant gentle breeze of fresh air. There were systems within the city that absorbed and purified any air that readed them. Carefully extracting all the nasty pollutants that destroyed the world below centuries ago. Above them the magnetic propulsion of the skyway hummed. Transporting its human cargo throughout the city. Their shoes clicked on the manufactured stone beneath their feet. It was all the rage these days, supposed to give the city a sort of ancient paradise feel. Around them towers soared, piercing the heavens, like metal stakes through the heart of a god. The City was primarily vertical, the only way to accommodate a whole population of a limited amount of space. Though the city wasn’t all metal and synthetic stone. He looked up into the neighbouring tower spotting the green of the natural layer. These floors of grass and trees provided residents with a spot of nature whenever the need struck them. From this angle though he only caught glimpses of the trees. Seeing mostly the UV lights attached to the underside of the floor that hung above. 
Frytir let out a hollow laugh as they walked through the pristinely kept streets. He walked with a pair of school friends that he had made mainly on the insistence of his mother.
She had said something along the lines of, “it’ll be good for your future career,” or “They come from influential households.” Somewhere deep down, but not all that deep down, Frytir felt like if left to his own devices they probably wouldn’t have become friends. Not to say they were bad people, it's just, Frytir couldn’t see himself doing anything without the prodding of his mother. His friends on the other hand, they all read the right books and played the right sports, to an exceptional degree at that. Frytir on the other hand, well Frytir wasn’t really sure what he liked. He knew what he was supposed to like, he was constantly being told what he was supposed to like. He just wasn’t sure if he actually liked liking what he was supposed to like.
“Frytir, earth to Frytir.” A voice penetrated his inner monologue. 
“Huh, what’s that?” Frytir made an effort to once again become aware of his surroundings. 
“You really are a space cadet” Frytir’s friend Lux playfully pushed him, though it resulted in more of her movement than his.
“We were talking about the upcoming maths assessment tomorrow, are you ready?” Said Rik, the second of his friends.
“I’ve been ready for weeks,” Frytir said, a little confused by the question, why wouldn’t he be ready?
“Good then you can come over and help me prepare.” Rik said.
“Can’t today” Frytir tried his best to sound apologetic, “I’ve got Mandarin today.”
“Why do you need to learn Mandarin? Nobody speaks Mandarin, it’s literally a dead language. Like English or French.”
“Frytir always has something going on.” said Lux. Frytir shrugged, it wasn’t his idea though he didn’t want them to know that. 
“Well fine then I’ll just fail.” Rik said, promptly forgetting his prior concerns.
“Sorry” said Frytir meekly.
“Like I said, no worries, it’s not that important.” Although Rik said he would simply admit failure Frytir knew he would still somehow manage to pull of the highest grade in their class, like always. The group reached the crossroads where Frytir always parted ways with the pair. 
“Well I’ll talk to you guys later I guess.” Frytir said.
“If you get bored of your extra class you're welcome to come over.” said Rik, already walking away. 
“Bye Frytir, see you tomorrow, good luck!” Lux waved manically. 
“Thanks, I'll try.”  Frytir said half heartedly.

Frytir sat at the wooden desk in his room, its intricate grain stained a deep woody red. Mindlessly, for the most part, translating a series of sentences from one language to another. As he had a thousand times before and he imagined he would probably do a thousand times more. Frytir rested his head in his hands, he ran them through his thick ash brown hair, sighing deeply. 
 They hate you, you know He thought to himself.
 No they don’t.
 They do, you know they do, who could blame them really.
Frytir knuckles turned white as he gripped the edge of his desk.
 I mean, why would they like you, you’re always studying, you never see them outside of school.
 They probably have busy schedules as well, mother says they’re from influential families.
 You don’t even know what they do in their free time, you’re just the weird kid they put up with at school.
 I don’t know, maybe.
 You know it’s true, stop being stupid.
“Frytir are you done with your translations yet?” Frytir’s mother called from the living room.
“Just about!” Frytir said back.
“What could possibly be taking you so long?” His mother barged into the room.
“I’m going as fast as I can, you gave me five pages.” said Frytir.
“Excuse me?” His mother’s tone turned bitter.
“Sorry mother, I’ll do better.” Frytir stared intently at his desk.
“That’s better,” his mother peered over his shoulder and the scribblings. “You confused your symbols right there.” She pointed at one symbol in a wall of text. His mother had an uncanny knack for finding mistakes. He had suspected for a while that she must have had some implants done that helped her spot any imperfection.
“Sorry mother,” he said, trying to write over the mistake.
“You know the rules, any mistakes and you have to do it again.” She pulled a new booklet from the desk.
“Right,” sighed Frytir.
“When you’re finished I’ll get the housekeeper to order you something.” She said, leaving the room.
“Thank you Mother,” Frytir said.

Frytir left his room having tediously completed his translations for a second time. His mother was in the hall, putting on her shoes.
“Are you finished?” She asked
“Yes all finished” Frytir said.
“No mistakes?”
“None”
“Good I’ll check it later, there’s an emergency at the office.” The sun had long since set, but Frytir had discovered when he was a child that any time was an appropriate time for an office emergency.
“Ask the maid to order you something.” His mother stepped out into the hallway outside their apartment. The door closed itself behind her.
Frytir ducked his head into the kitchen after his mother had left, it was a room he seldom had any reason to be in. “Sari, could you please order me some food?” Frytir asked. 
“Yes of course,” said Sari “are you sure you wouldn’t rather that I make you something sir?” She stood at the sink washing the pots and pans used to make his parents' no doubt extravagant meal earlier. Frytir had once asked why they had a maid at all when most places (that he knew of anyway) were fully automated. Machines cooked and cleaned, there was no need for human labour at all. This had been back when Frytir had still bothered to ask questions. His mother had promptly shot into a lecture about providing jobs for the less fortunate. “Those poor people in the undercity.” He stopped asking questions shortly after that, the less lecturers the better.
“No it is alright Sari really you do enough just order me something please. It can be whatever I don’t really care,” said Frytir as he walked into the living room. It was a bleached, sterile, germaphobe dream. All the furniture was a white faux leather. Besides the furniture the walls, tables and assorted complementary knick knacks were all stark white. Accented only by one wall consisting entirely of floor to ceiling windows. As well as a second wall consumed completely by a television, currently playing the latest match for the tenth time that day. His father sat draped over the sofa staring vacantly at the flashing images before him. “Do you mind if I put on something else?” Frytir asked him. His father seemed to reinhabit his body if only barley.
 “Oh, yeah sure,” he said dismissively before resuming his vacant expression. Frytir changed the channel to a nature documentary. The history of different biomes that had existed in the pre-sands era. He was pretty sure he had seen this one before, but he didn’t mind. He loved to imagine a world before the sands, all the animals, the vast expanses of trees. In his mind he could feel the early morning dew that peppered the grass beneath his feet. The air was filled with sounds of insects and birds. Trees soared towards the sun. Instead of needing to be trimmed to maintain an appropriate distance from the UV lights. The air was fresh, the wind gently brushed against his skin. Without the need for artificial fans and decontamination mechanisms. Frytir liked to imagine himself an ancient explorer, navigating forests and mountains and oceans. With no after school translations.
“Frytir…” his fathers voice broke into his reverie.
“Do you know where Siv went?” His father asked. 
“Mom?” said Frytir. “She had an emergency at the office.” His father seemed to relax at that, if his body could go any more limp. He reached into his pocket and stiffened. 
“Do you know where my medicine went?” Frytir could hear the panic seeping into his fathers voice.
“Did you check your other pocket?” Frytir said with the confidence of someone very practised in this exact conversation. His fathers hand shot into the other pocket and the man sighed, removing the bottle and popping one of its contents into his mouth. The vacant expression that had occupied his fathers face when Frytir entered returned with renewed vigour.
 That’s your future.
 Never, I won’t let it.
 What, you think you’re stronger than your father? You’ll end up beaten by life just like him. Frytir stared at the middle aged balding man and felt a twang of sympathy. Wondering what he had been like before he started taking his medicine. Whatever complicated medical name his doctor had slapped on the bottle this time. The worst part was he did kind of look like Frytir, lying there in his own little world. Take away the swollen stomach, Frytir was terribly conscious of how skinny he was. Give his dad a full head of short black curly hair. They could have passed for brothers. It was way too easy to picture himself in that spot one day.
“Master Frytir,” Sari said meekly, coming up behind him. “Your food has arrived, should I bring it in here?”
“Yes please Sari,” said Frytir.
It was a collection of sushi. Frytir found himself wondering if the fish was actually real and if so where it had come from. Either way, it tasted good and Frytir ate it in silence. His father  staring, not quite at the television. When he was finished eating, Sari removed the plate. Frytir finished his documentary and went to bed. All without another word.

Fytir sat with Lux on a set of steps outside a side door of their school. Frytir pried open the vacuum sealed package that contained his lunch from the school canteen. The thin plastic tore with a screech. The faint smell of manufactured food wafted into his nostrils. 
“You work too much,” said Lux.
“What, am I supposed to say no to her?” Frytir said.
“Well yeah,” said Lux. “Be tactical about it, sure. Don’t just tell her to go fuck herself, but say you two need to talk and tell her you need some time to yourself. Even if it’s just a night or two a week. I’m sure she would understand.”
“I don’t think that will end well,” Frytir said.
“It’s time to say no to your mother for once in your life!” Lux said. If anyone else had said these words to Frytir he would have been incredibly offended, not that he would have done anything about that offence. Coming from Lux though they sounded like words of genuine concern. Although he did at times believe that his friendships were nothing but a farce. He had a special inclination towards Lux, whether the feeling was reciprocated he had no idea. Regardless he was far too much of a coward to find out. “I’ll try, It’s just, when it comes to stuff like this, I’m not as brave as you.”
“Please you’re not as brave as me in anything” she giggled. “But seriously, I’m not that brave either.”
“That’s bullshit, you're the most courageous person I know,” said Frytir.
“Not really, I’m terrified most of the time.” Her giggle turned to a nervous laugh. “I just do things despite being terrified.” The two fell into an awkward silence for a handful of long breaths. “You know my parents want me to join the security forces,” she said at last.
“You never told me that,” said Frytir.
“I’ve never told anyone that,” Lux said “They're all high ranking officials in the security force and they want me to join them.”
“Well, you could work local security, patrol the streets. Not much would change really.”
Lux shook her head, “Local security is a dead end job the highest you could go would be municipality level. They’re all at the intercity level. They’d never let me stay that low down.”
This was the first Frytir had ever heard about Lux’s family; it felt good to know that he wasn’t the only one struggling to meet family expectations. “So what do they want you to do?” asked Frytir.
“They want me to join the off city force. To go out into the sands.”
“So you’d be leaving?”
“It’s more than that!” Lux met his gaze now, it was directed, intense. “People die out there Frytir! There’s scrappers and pirates!”
“You ever thought about telling them no?” They both laughed at that, but there was no joy in it.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” said Lux.
“They could get pissed,” said Frytir.
“Yeah, but it’s not like they stop being our parents.”
“If we do nothing then nothing will change.” They lapsed into silence again.
“I’ll talk to my mum if you talk to your family.” Frytir broke the silence this time.
“Deal!” Lux said, smiling warmly. Tassels of loose bleach blonde curls framing her slender face. The signal came to end their appointed food consumption period. The pair stood and returned to class together.

Frytir wished he could say he went home that night and told his Mother that he needed time for himself. That he had faced his fears, had an adult conversation with her and gotten what he had wanted, but he didn’t, not for a long time anyway. It had been on his mind obviously. Obsessively so actually. Each night he would go home, sit in front of his books, and berate himself for being too much of a coward to talk to his own mother. Then he would wake up, go to school. Diligently participate in his studies. All the while telling himself it was going to be the day. That today was the day. There wasn’t one dramatic breaking point. It was just a look. A look he was uncomfortably used to if he was being honest with himself. On their walk home when Lux asked if he wanted to do something after school, like she often did. He had told her that he had extra lessons after school, like he always did. Frytir saw the disappointment on her face, she had said it wasn’t a problem, like she always did. Frytir was tired of seeing that look of faint disappointment. He decided then today was the day he talked with his mother.
So this is where Frytir found himself, standing opposite his mother. Watching her face contort as she processed this previously unseen circumstance. His father sat in his spot, the man’s vacancy broken by his son's comment. On his father’s face Frytir could see mirrored back at him his own feelings of fear and maybe, just maybe, a twinge of pride.
“So, you think I work you too hard?” His mothers voice was slow, measured. “You want time to be a teenager?”
“Siv let’s be calm here, he just wants-” his dad began to way in.
“Shut up Tra!” His mother’s head snapped to his father. Like a spider suddenly aware of the prey caught in its web. Or something from an old horror movie. “Take your pills and go back to whatever dead landscapes you have in your head!” She returned her gaze to Frytir. Her voice took on a sickly sweet tone like pure syrupy artificial sweetener. “You know I only make you do all that to help you right? To ensure that you have a better life than me and your father did?”
“I know you think you’re helping me.” Frytir said. “And I do appreciate everything you do for me. I just want… I want  time to spend with my friends, or get a job, or just relax. I want to interact with the world outside of school and my bedroom!”
“Relax!” The sweetness in her voice was gone, turning to something a little more banshee like. “You sound like your father!” The windows rattled with fear at the piercing screech of her voice. Frytir looked at his father wondering if he was going to say anything to that insult but Frytir’s father had given up trying to insert himself into the conversation.
“I’m sorry I said anything.” Frytir physically shrank before her glare despite having surpassed her in size long ago.
“If you want to go interact with the world you’re welcome to leave!” His mother screamed. “As long as you live under my roof you will do as I say!” Something snapped inside Frytir then, he wasn’t about to just go back into his room like nothing happened.
 “Fine!” He yelled back at his mother. “I’ll leave, you’ll never have to see me again!”
“Ha you wouldn’t make it one second out there! You’ll be back here crying about how right I was before you know it!”
“Fuck you, you insufferable bitch!”
Frytir stormed out of the room before that particular insult could sink in. Trying to get as much distance from his family’s home as he could.

The streets were as manicured as they had been on his way home that afternoon. Still, they seemed, less safe. Shadows grasped at his heels, trying to pull him to the dark corners. The hum of the breeze, once a background drone, now was deafening. He didn’t know where to go, he just walked. 
 You really fucked up this time.
 I was standing up for myself.
 Yeah, shouldn’t have done that, when has that ever worked for you before?
 Should I have just done nothing?
 Well, yeah. The sun was beginning to go down framing the collection of high rises in a halo of light. Did you think about where you were going to sleep?
 I, well I can, I didn’t think that far ahead.
 Such a loser.
 I could stay with Lux, or Rik.
 Please your mother didn’t even want you, what makes you think that a couple friends that don’t even like you would let you stay with them.
 They were always asking if I could hang out for them when I had time.
 That probably didn’t include crashing on their couches.
 WelI I don’t have any other ideas.  In his field of vision a chat box popped up as he thought about messaging his friends.
Frytir- “So, I did it.” He formed the message to Lux, before deleting it. Then reforming it again. He stared at the texts for a few long seconds before mustering the courage to send it. The message was quickly marked as read, three dots appearing below his message.
Lux- “Frytir! You did what? You don’t mean that you told your mother you needed a break?”
Frytir- “I might have used the words “fuck you” and “insufferable bitch”.
Lux- “Hahaha, did she explode? Wish I was there to see it.”
Frytir- “Basically yeah,” He took a deep breath before thinking the question. The text flashing to life before his eyes as he did. Frytir- “Sooo, what  are you doing now, I got to spend a bit of time away from the house.”
Lux- “Sure! I’ll meet you at the diner in 30!” Diner,  he didn’t remember ever going to a diner. Let alone with Lux, and often enough for it to be “The diner.”
Frytir- “What diner?”
Lux- “Oh right you haven’t been there, I’ll send you the location.”
Frytir- “Thanks Lux, see you there.”

Frytir walked into the replica pre-sands era diner, with its booths and window to the kitchen. They even had real people come and take your order. Even Frytir who never had any occasion to visit such a place knew that pre-sands themed establishments were all the rage these days. There were pre-sands diners, bars, and barbershops. He knew it was just a fad but still, he quite liked it. Things seemed more human back then. People were more connected to each other. Lux sat in a booth along the far wall, sitting on an overstuffed seat, upholstered in squeaky red faux leather. The waiters and waitresses moved between the booths. Typically ordering was done through internal link. All he had to do was scroll through the menu in his mind and decide what he wanted. Then it would be delivered to his seat either through an opening in the table or via drone. Having to order from an actual living person was simultaneously exciting and nerve wracking. 
“Frytir!” Lux said overenthusiastically, when she saw him sitting at his table.. “I was starting to think you didn’t actually exist outside school. Like we parted at that intersection and you just dissolved into nothingness.” Frytir laughed a little uncomfortably. Did people actually think that he didn’t exist outside school?
 Of course not, it was just a joke.
 Was it really though?
“Good evening, could I get you anything to start? Will we be needing menus tonight?” One of the waiting staff had approached their table. Her smile seemed a little forced.
 It’s late, she's probably counting the minutes until the end of her shift,’ Frytir thought.
“I’ll have a coffee please, sugar no cream.” Lux said smoothly.
“I’ll, um, I’ll just have some water… thank you.” Frytir said, less smoothly. “It’s good to finally hang out after school hours.” Frytir said after their waiter had left.
“Yeah, tell me about it! You finally told your mom to shove it then. Guess I’ll have to have a talk with my parents, make us even.” She smiled a little apprehensively.
“You don’t need to force yourself.” 
“No, you held up your end now it’s my turn. Besides, it’s not like I don’t want to tell them.”  She fell silent for a few long seconds. “So was your mom upset?” Lux asked, changing topics.
“You can’t even imagine.”
“Definitely not, I always thought if your mom showed any emotion her face would crack.” Frytir laughed again, a little more comfortably this time. He was starting to warm to this whole “just chatting” thing. But, all good things must come to an end. He had called Lux here for a reason besides hanging out.
 She’s going to say no.
 She’s my friend, she'll help.
 Go ahead and ask, but she’ll say no.
“I uh, I do have a small favour to ask you, sorry.” Frytir stammered. It was at that point that the waitress decided to bring their drinks. Frytir shrunk at the interruption.
“Thank you!” said Lux chipperly.
“Yeah, thanks,” Frytir echoed.
“What, so you didn’t call me after dark just so we could check out this cool diner?” She said a little sarcastically, taking a sip of her coffee.
“Yeah I guess it’s not all that surprising.”
“Well go on then, ask away.”
“You see, I kind of need a place to stay tonight.”
“Frytir are you asking to stay in a girls room, alone with her? How scandalous!” Lux giggled.
“It’s not like that really! It’s just that I didn’t really know who to ask!” Her giggle turned to full blown laughter then
 “Wow that’s cute,” she took another sip of her coffee. “Don’t worry I understand, it shouldn’t be much of a problem. I'm sure my parents will let you stay if we explain the situation.”
“What, really?” It seemed too easy.
“Yeah no worries my brother is off serving his city and all that, so there’s a free room.”
“Oh, yeah of course.” 
Lux laughed again, almost squirting coffee out her nose. “Fuck that hurt, you didn’t actually think they let you sleep in my room did you?”
“No, of course not!”
“Good, cause my dad really would murder you, and he’d probably get away with it.”
Frytir chuckled nervously. “Right, that, that would not be good.”
They fell silent for a little longer than was comfortable. “I’m sure your mom will have calmed down by tomorrow. She’s still your mom after all.”
“Yeah, you're right,” Frytir said. Still he couldn’t help thinking that calming down didn’t really sound like something his mother had ever done. “I appreciate you giving me a place to stay tonight though.”
“Yeah, no worries, let me just ask to make sure.” Her eyes took on a glassy quality as she messaged her parents.
Frytir took a sip of his water nervously watching Lux’s eyes almost unnoticeably dart back and forth as she navigated her internal messaging system.
“Alright let’s go,” Lux said, standing abruptly. 
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.” Lux tapped her wrist to the little metallic spot on the table transferring the credit for their drinks. This place may have been retro but there are some things you just couldn’t change. Nobody in their right mind carried physical currency on them anymore. Exiting the diner the pair walked down the neon lit streets to Lux’s house.

It was all surprisingly easy. He did have to answer a lot of questions from Lux’s parents, especially her dad. Still they had no problem with him taking the empty room. He didn’t sleep very well in the strange bed, worrying about the impending conversation with his mother. He never really slept all that well though so it was to be expected. The following morning they went to school, sat through class, chatting at lunch, it was overall an extremely normal day. Aside from the fact that Frytir was wearing a uniform that had once belonged to Lux’s brother and was significantly too large for him. There were a few times where he almost fell in the hallway, tripping over his own pants. Still, almost a regular school day, until it came to an end that is.
“I’ll make sure to wash the uniform and get it back to you.” Frytir said on the walk down the well trodden path from school.
“Take your time, nobody’s using it.” said Lux.
“I can’t believe you actually told your mom no! Must have been a sight.” Rik said, sweeping both Frytir and Lux up under each arm.
“You should have seen him last night, like a scared little puppy.” Lux giggled.
“She didn’t really show much emotion at all really.” Said Frytir.
“That’s how you know she’s really mad.” Rik said, nodding his head knowingly.
“Really?” Frytir said doubtfully.
“Yep definitely,” said Rik definitively.
The group came to the point they were to part. “Well I better go face her,” said Frytir.
“Like I said, she’ll calm down,” said Lux.
“Yeah hopefully,” Frytir said.
“Hey, if not, you can stay in my brother's room again.”
“You can hit me up too,” said Rik, “I don’t know about my parents letting you crash, but we can hang out if you have nowhere to go.”
“Thanks guys,” said Frytir
“Good luck,” said Lux, giving Frytir a hug.
The walk only took a few minutes or at least he was sure the walk had only taken a few minutes in the past. Today it felt like hours. Eventually, an indiscernible amount of time later. Frytir found himself standing in front of the building where he had spent most of his life.
 I can’t do it.
 Wow, you really are a coward.
 If I go back in there she’s just going to kick me out again.
 Can’t even stand up to your mother.
 Why would I put myself through that?
 You’re pathetic.
 I don’t have to go back.
 Where are you going to go?
 I’m not going back.
 Are you going to go tell Lux you were too much of a coward to even talk to your mother? Frytir kept walking, he’d made his decision. He wasn’t going back there. He couldn’t go back to his friends without trying to talk to his mother either. They’ll think you’re just as pathetic as I do.
Instead Frytir walked, and walked. While he walked he sunk deeper and deeper into the swamp of self hate that was his mind. Time had long since stopped making sense. He might have been walking for minutes, or he might have been walking for hours. Frytir eventually found himself sitting in the same spot at the same diner that he had met Lux at the night before. This time Frytir ordered himself a coffee, he didn’t really want to sleep tonight. 
Frytir watched the patrons go about their business. It was starting to grow late. The sun was still in the sky, though it was getting low. Maybe because it was earlier than last night the cafe seemed much busier than it had. A couple sat side by side, arms locked, sharing a desert. They were either starting or finishing a date. A group of girls sat in a booth giggling amongst themselves. A collection of drones floated around them, either taking pictures or filming the girls. Showing their friends, family and one time acquaintances how much fun they were having in the fashionable cafe, ordering drinks that probably looked better than they tasted. The waitress stood with her pen and paper, talking to a man a little older than himself. The woman’s expression looked a little pained as she wrote down his order only to scratch it out, write something else then repeat the process over again.
Frytir sat there watching people and sipping his coffee, until the coffee was gone, then he ordered another, drinking more slowly this time. Eventually the sun had set and the cafe was set to close. While the waitress would never flat out tell him to leave. Frytir imagined she would get in trouble from management for that. The look she gave him pleaded with him to settle his tab and leave so they could all go home. Frytir touched his wrist to the table paying for his coffee before stepping out into the street, directionless.
 Maybe I should just go home.
 She won’t have you.
 I can tell her I’m sorry, I’m sure she’d forgive me.
 And then what? You go back to how things were, to being miserable?
 I’m pretty miserable now.
 What happens if she won’t forgive you? Why would she?
 She’s my mother.
 She’s the mother of pathetic trash and she knows it. She’d be happier without you, everyone would. Frytir sat on the edge of the walkway. The glow of the shops behind him illuminated the street. People glazed at him as they passed. Only to quickly look away and pretend they hadn’t noticed him when his eyes met theirs. 
 Maybe that’s right.
 Of course it’s right, you just have to be more honest with yourself.
 But I’m so tired.
 Then find a place to sleep because you can’t go back and no one will help you. Frytir stood and continued walking. It was getting late now, corporate security would have questions for anyone still walking around in a high school uniform. The glaces from passers by seemed more menacing now. Like each and every one of them were warning him with their eyes that he better watch his step. That if he made one wrong move it would be his last. Eventually Frytir found a quiet spot where he could slip off the main street and rest. He sat under a small  awning and relaxed a bit. He was exhausted, his eyes sank, overcome by their own weight. Frytir drifted into an uneasy sleep, periodically interrupted by bouts of shivering and teeth clattering, jarring him from his rest. One thing Frytir learned that night and something he would learn over and over again is that, no matter how uncomfortable the night, morning would still come.  
Even if it didn't,’ he thought.  At least I wouldn’t be cold anymore. He didn’t go to school that day, or the next, he just walked. Occasionally he thought about his parents and his friends. If they missed him, or if they were looking for him.
 If they wanted to find you they would have already, they don’t care that you left. Frytir would sometimes pass the doors to the undercity. He thought about going down there, about disappearing into the bowels of the floating island, but he couldn’t do it. He’d heard stories about the kinds of things that happened down there. That it was full of criminals who had to hide away from society or risk arrest. He was starting to stand out though, he hadn’t showered in a couple days and he was still wearing the oversized uniform Lux had lent him. Look at them staring at you.
 They aren’t staring at me, though he didn’t really believe that.
 They think you’re disgusting.
 No they don’t.
 Who can blame them, have you looked at yourself recently. Frytir caught his reflection in a window. His clothes were stained and caked in dirt, they hung loose making him look thin. Though that might also be because he hadn’t eaten in awhile. His hair was unkempt, patchy facial hair spotted his face.
“Hey kid shouldn’t you be in school?” A man in the dark grey uniform of corporate security called to him.
 Fuck.
The man closed the gap between them quickly, too quickly for Frytir to decide to run or not. “Can I see your student identification?” The man asked. Frytir let him scan his wrist which contained the chip that acted as both his wallet and his corporate identification. The man’s eyes vent vacant while he examined Frytir’s profile which was undoubtedly being displayed to him now. A troubled expression crossed his face. “Come with me please.” He gripped Frytir’s arm in a vice-like hold and led him over to his vehicle. A little two man hoverpod, perfect for quickly navigating the many layers that made up the vertical city and for transporting criminals. “This is ID03974 I’ve got a kid here.” The man said, seemingly to himself. 
 You’re fucked now.
 What am I going to do?
 Run obviously.
 I can’t run from corporate security.
 He’s about to arrest you. Images of what he imagined corporate prison would be like flashed through his mind. The dark grey walls and black bars, not a window in sight. It was at that point that he kicked the security officer, hard. As hard as he could, harder than he thought he was capable of. 
It did little more than stun the man, but that was enough. Frytir took off as fast as his legs could carry him. He heard the man shouting after him but he wasn’t about to stick around to overhear what it was. Probably something along the lines of “stop right there” or “freeze” neither of which Frytir planned on doing. He ran full tilt looking for anywhere he could hide, anywhere they wouldn’t find him. Security officers kept appearing from everywhere, every street he passed. Like they knew where he was going. He didn’t know where he was going. How could they?
Then he saw it, a large staircase leading down to a set of double doors, a group of men decked out in high visibility equipment descended the stairs. The undercity, if there was anywhere he could hide it was there. Frytir flung himself down the stairs knocking the men aside, like human bowling pins. Frytir passed through the doors into a world very different from his own. It was a dim dingy world lit with faint flickering artificial lights. They illuminated the walls of the broad metallic corridors. He kept running, he couldn’t afford to rest yet.
The hall rang with the echo of his shoes on the metal floor. He could barely make out the rivets on the walls a hand's length from his face in the vague light. As he ran deeper into the iron beast the lights grew darker, the sound swallowed him in an all consuming embrace. The smell of rust and oil, something barely noticeable at first was now all he could notice. He spiralled deeper and deeper into the metal bowles of the leviathan he had spent his life riding.On more than one occasion he nearly ran headfirst into the unyielding walls as the corridor branched and forked. His breath came in hot heavy bursts, his legs burned and a sharp pain stabbed his side. Frytir leaned against the wall trying desperately to catch his breath.
 I must have lost them right? There was no way they could still be following him. He relaxed a bit letting himself fall to the floor. He laid there panting for a short while before the sound reached him. The sound of footsteps approaching fast. Followed by the boom of someone yelling commands or directions. There’s no way, he thought. Pulling himself back to his feet. His legs shook violently beneath him as he took off again down the dark lifeless halls. 
Frytir crouched in a small maintenance tunnel listening in the dark for the sound of heavy boots on metal. He had tried every twist and turn to try to lose them, but they had followed. No matter where he hid they were there. He didn’t know what to do, at this rate they would find him. He’d be arrested. He wasn’t just a truant anymore. He had assaulted corporate security. 
They must be tracking you. It only made sense, how else could they know where he was all the time, but how? Frytir looked down at a faint light emanating from beneath his skin on the underside of his wrist. It was a light that had been with him nearly as long as he could remember, since he had begun school anyway. It was his wallet and his ID. It was everything he had ever been. Or at least it told others everything he had ever been. Which, figured Frytir, was essentially the same thing. It’s this thing, they must be able to track it. It has everything else about me. Why wouldn’t it have my location?
 You have to get rid of it.
 But how?
 How else? He knew exactly what he had to do to remove it, he just didn’t want to. Feeling his way through the dark Frytir searched the floor of the tunnel for anything he could use. Frytir recoiled, a sharp pain shooting up through the palm of his hand. Carefully returning his hand to where it had been a moment before he found a small sliver of sharp metal. Wrenching it from its place in the floor, he turned it on himself. Pointing the sharp point of the metal to the light in his wrist.
With a deep breath he bit his teeth into his lip. Frytir plunged the scrap of metal into his flesh. Fire burned away his skin as he dug into the newly opened wound. The tips of his fingers touched on something cold in the warm wetness that was himself. Gathering the remainder of whatever courage he had left. Which Frytir was sure couldn’t have been that much. He hooked his fingers under the hard cold square of machinery, and pulled. Tearing it from the muscle and sinew that had encased it for so many years. Frytir placed his eyes on it for the first time. It still gave off light, but the light was stronger now. Its glow had taken on an angry red colour as if it was upset that he had pulled it from its home. Or perhaps that was all the blood.  
Letting everything that had been him fall from his fingers Frytir stood, confident that he could now escape. And so he ran down the dark corridor. He ran, as he ran he felt the world leach from him the little bit of energy he had left. He hadn’t considered how blood loss might foil his escape plan. The darkness began to encroach on his vision. His head tit the rigid metal floor bouncing off it. He was sure it must have been very painful, if he was in any condition to feel it. Lying there face pressed against the cold metal, he let the darkness swallow him.

Frytir woke on a stiff mattress, his head on a pillow that smelled faintly of mould and draped in a blanket that he swore he could feel squirming. Despite all that he felt nothing but relief. He was alive, no longer covered in blood and his wound was wrapped in a fresh bandage. He stood a little uncertainly, feeling like he hadn’t used his legs in quite awhile, which very well might have been true. He was in a sparsely furnished room, with little more than the bed Frytir had been sleeping on and a small beat up dresser that looked to be shoddily constructed from sheets of metal. Frytir walked to the door on the wall across from his bed, the only door in the room. Opening the door without much thought he immediately stepped out and nearly fell to his death. The scene that opened up before him was something out of some post apocalyptic fiction. The door opened out onto a sprawling landscape of disjointed metal blocks all stacked on top of each other in all manner of precarious placements. It reminded Frytir of playing with blocks as a child and attempting to stack a large block on a piece half its size. The difference was that these people actually succeeded in balancing the larger block on the smaller one. Frytir didn’t want to think about how they did it for too long. As if poking holes in the logic of the place might just cause it to fall apart beneath him. They were in a large cavernous room. The roof soared above them spotted with bright artificial lights. They looked like stars in a rusty metal sky. Directly in front of him was a rickety looking landing with two ladders protruding from it. Leading to the blocks directly above and below the one that he currently occupied.
Frytir didn’t gather any courage this time. He was long past the point of having any energy to be afraid. He simply mounted the ladder and climbed down. Down seemed like the smarter of the two directions.
“Hey mum! The sleeping man is awake!” Frytir, startled, let go of the ladder he’d been clutching. This turned out to be a bad idea as moments later he found himself to be falling. Thankfully, or not, Frytir found himself not falling straight but in a twisting motion. The feeling hit him right before the metal grate that made up the balcony did. It was the same feeling you get falling through the air towards a body of water. When, for whatever reason, you didn’t get the jump quite right. When you can feel your body twisting through the air and there’s nothing you can do about it. It was that “oh no this is going to hurt feeling.” Then his shoulders hit the metal grate and yes, it did hurt. It also kept him from continuing his fall until he inevitably made an unsightly mess on the ground. A woman grabbed at him allowing him the opportunity to grasp the grate and pull himself out of immediate danger.
“There we are,” the woman said. “Wouldn’t want you taking that fall right after we patched you up, gotta be careful on these things.” She tapped the ladder which let out a dull ring. 
“Thank you,” said Frytir. 
“Come in and take a seat, I’ll make you some tea.” The woman helped Frytir get to his feet. She led him into the block. The place had a cosy feeling to it. Frytir might have described it as having seen better days, but he wasn’t sure there had been better days. Despite that the place looked well loved. Filled with many clashing pastel coloured furniture, with a sizeable amount of childrens toys littering the floor. All of which lended the place a special kind of charm. Frytir sat uncomfortably on a cushion trying to ignore the young child staring at him.
“What’s your name?” The girl asked.
“My name’s Frytir”
“That’s a weird name.”
“You think?”
“Where are you from?”
“I’m from the Nove district.”
“I don’t know that place, is it close to here?”
“I don’t know,” said Frytir honestly. He didn’t have the slightest idea where he was.
“What happened to your arm?”
“Umm, well.” 
“That’s enough questions dear, leave the poor man alone.” The girl's mother interrupted, entering the room with a teapot and a few cups.
“But-” the girl began.
“No but’s, your dad will be home soon. How bout you go wait for him.” The girl's face took on a prominent pout but she relented.
 “Fine,” she moved to the ladder.
“Sorry about that.” The woman set down a small tin cup before him and began pouring a cup of tea from a small pot.
“It’s fine.” Frytir took the cup offered to him. He could tell that the woman had once been quite beautiful. No that wasn’t true, her face may have been beginning to show the signs of a life well lived but she was still very beautiful. “Thank you for the tea.”
“You’re quite welcome.” She smiled warmly.
Frytir stared intensely at his cup of tea, he could feel his cheeks getting hot.
“So your name is Frytir?” The woman said giggling lightly.
“You heard that?” Said Frytir.
“It’s not a large room.”
“Right…” he said feeling a little stupid.
“My husband will be home soon.” She poured herself a cup of tea and sat opposite Frytir. “You don’t have to tell us anything if you don’t want, but I’d be lying if I said we weren’t curious.”
“Of course you’d be curious.” Frytir sipped his tea. “Can I ask how long I’ve been here?”
“You've been asleep for about a day now.” My husband found you on his way home.
“And you just decided to help me?”
“Of course we did, you were in a bad way.”
“That’s, wow umm, thank you.” Frytir was sure if his parents, or anyone he knew for that matter. Found someone bleeding out on the street, they would cross to the opposite side to avoid getting involved. He probably would have done the same.
“Well we couldn’t have just let you die there.”
 But you could have it would have been easy.’ He thought. 
Frytir heard the sound of someone climbing the ladder. A man appeared through the hole in the balcony, a little girl on his shoulders.
“Sleeping beauty is finally awake!” The man set the girl down and walked towards the table.
“He woke up just a few minutes ago.” Said the woman.
“I’m glad you pulled through.” Said the man, then turning to the girl. “How  bout you give us a few minutes Hope?” Hope adopted  the now familiar pouting expression, but said nothing, retreating back to the ladder.
“Thank you for helping me,” said Frytir. “You really didn’t need to.”
“Well I couldn’t just leave you there.” He sat next to his wife and poured himself a tea. “By the way my name is Ning and this is my wife May. Did you guys already do introductions?” He asked May.
“Not yet,” May sipped her tea.
“Frytir,” Frytir held his hand to his chest. “May was just saying the same thing about not being able to leave me there, but you absolutely could have.”
“Sounds lonely,” said Ninh.
 Did it?
The conversation lapsed into silence. Frytir felt like the silence shouldn’t be making him uncomfortable, it did though. Frytir cleared his throat.
“Anyway, thank you for helping me. Thank you for the tea. I should be going.
“Nonsense!” Ning said. “You just woke up. What kind of hosts would we be if we just sent you back out there without making sure you’d be ok.”
“You don’t understand me staying here could put you and your family in danger.”
“Let me guess, issues with security.”
“How did you know that?” Frytir watched as Ning’s gaze fell on his wrist.
“Don’t worry, they tend to avoid this area of the city. Even if they do show up they won’t get much help from anyone.”
“I really couldn’t impose on you any-”
“I insist,” Ning interrupted him firmly. “If we kick you out and you end up dead how do you think we’d feel eh? It’s ok if he stays here a little while, yeah?” Ninh turned to his wife.
“Of course” May nodded her head slowly.
“See you have the lady’s approval, you pass.”
“Well, ok but I can’t stay here forever.”
“Of course not but do you have anywhere else to go?”
“Well…” Frytir thought about his family, his friends, then looked down at the white wrapping on his wrist. There was no going back there. As far as anyone was concerned he’d lost the thing that labelled him as him.
“So it’s settled then.” Ning’s voice broke into his thoughts. “You’ll stay here, for a while anyway.”
“Maybe he could work with you at the docks.” May’s melodic voice spoke up “I’m sure they would pay in a physical currency and I don’t imagine they would ask too many questions. You said they were looking for workers.”
“Excellent idea my love! This is why she’s the brains of the operation.” Ning said to Frytir with a wink. “How do you feel about that, yeah? It’s hard work but pay is decent.”
Frytir shrugged, he didn’t really have many options right now. 
“Great!” Ning clapped him on the shoulder. We’ll take you down there tomorrow. You should rest, take it easy today. Still healing and all that.
“Be careful with the ladders this time.”  May smiled.
“Thank you, again” Frytir said standing.
“He says that a lot.” Ning said to May, who nodded in agreement.
The next day Frytir went with Ning to the undercity docks. Just as May had said they had no problem paying him in a physical currency rather than credit. Physical currency was still used in many of the earth settlements so it was accepted as a valid currency in the undercity. Frytir had thought that physical currencies had died out a long time ago. More importantly, the docks didn’t ask any questions. They didn’t care about who he had been or where he had come from, as long as he did his job. What Ning had told him was true. It was hard work, harder than anything he had done in his previous life. He was just happy to be busy. May, Ninh and Hope were great but he couldn’t help missing his old life sometimes. Fytir worked in the docks for a few months, he was starting to get used to it. He found the monotony comforting. Each day he would go to work in the buzzing excitement of the docks. The large iron vessels constantly flying in and out of the undercity. There was always something to do, something to keep his mind off the past. 
“Fucking bullshit I’m tellin’ ye. Criminally underpaid we are.”
Frytir was having a drink at one of the many bars located in the docks district. Another thing Frytir had learned in his time in the undercity was that sailors liked to drink a lot.
“I’m just happy to be working.” Said Frytir. Everyone laughed, Roui set his hand on Frytir’s arm, he didn’t move it. “You’re too soft!” Roui laughed. “People are going to take advantage of you.”
Roui had become Frytir’s closest friend since he had started his new life. He was shorter than Frytir, but significantly more muscular and Frytir couldn’t help but  notice. Roui always wore tight shirts that showed off the contours of his physique.  Roui was about Frytir’s age, most of the other dockworkers their seniors. Which might have been why they had hit it off.
“At least he’s got a bit of muscle on him now!” Ninh slammed his drink on the table, nearly spilling it. “Remember what he looked like when he first got here. Could have accidentally broken him with a light tap!”
The table erupted in laughter again. Pawr, their shift manager lit his pipe and offered it to the group. Roui shook his head, twirling his finger in a way people sometimes used to indicate that someone was crazy. Pawr motioned towards Ning  who also shook his head.
“Not today mate, gotta be headdin’ home or May’ll have my head.”
“How about you new kid?, bet you never got anything like this before.”
“What is it?” Frytir asked worryingly.
“It’s called stoke, comes from plantations earthside, just give it a shot.” Frytir took the pipe and looked towards Roui and Ning. Ninh simply shrugged as if to say “why not?”
“It’s not for me but…”  Roui trailed off.
 Maybe if you can keep up with them then they won’t laugh at you anymore. With that thought Frytir sparked a match and lighting the dark plant like substance in the pipe, inhaled deeply. The feeling hit him almost as soon as he exhaled. He had never felt anything like it, it was like, everything was alright. He was wrapped in a warm fuzzy blanket. Where he was safe.
Then he woke up. Frytir was back in his bed at May and Ninh’s, but it was different, less cosy. Less inviting, more lonely and cold. He didn’t remember the place being this cold. It really shouldn’t be, they were in the bowels of the city, it was always hot, sometimes sweltering. Yet he was cold.
 You need more stoke. It was right, he was right. He needed more of that feeling. He needed his warm fuzzy blanket back. 

Frytir passed through life as if in a haze. He still did everything he used to do, most things he used to do. He had stopped hanging out with the guys after work, not as often anyway. Most of his money went to stoke, which he didn’t mind. Better to have no money but be warm and comfortable than to have money but be cold and alone. Roui still talked to him. Though Frytir didn’t always hear him. Frytir had become an observer in his own life, which he didn’t mind. Going about his life working, eating, sleeping, repeat. He had tried to stop taking stoke for a little while. It didn’t last long. People were mean when he was sober his life was one terrible task after another, with no end in sight. When he had stoke he didn’t care that people didn’t like him or that his life was a massive fuck up. He was warm, he was happy, he was happy. So he kept watching Frytir do his day to day work. Sometimes he felt bad for him, but not often. He didn’t care that much anymore.Then Frytir watched as he agreed to join Roui on the shipping boats.
“It will be an adventure!” Roui had said.
Frytir didn’t really need adventure. He did still feel bad about May and Ninh taking care of him though. He was sure they wanted their room back. Besides Roui would be there with him. Besides, he would still have his blanket with him, no matter where he went. So Frytir watched as Roui and Frytir said goodbye to May, Ninh and Hope and boarded a shipping boat.