Who Are You?

"From what I've seen of you, I get the most peculiar impression that you don't actually find me annoying."

"Peculiar? Me?"

"Yeah. I find you peculiar." I held back from elaborating. She was already giving me that undefinable look. "Of course, that doesn't mean I don't find you annoying."

"Oh really? Well that's good to know. You've only known me for what? Six days?"

"Technically... No."

"Oh, I almost forgot about when you dislocated my shoulder all those months ago."

"But I didn't know you as Meltri back then. You were just a hot chick I literally ran into on the street."

"A hot chick?" She shook her head. "I have a hard time believing that the Prince of Mya would have found me attractive. Especially then. Do you know where I had just come from? My mother's office. She loves to chew on me. I must be quite chewy. I could have been more stressed about it, though... I guess..." And she went on.

In her monologues, Meltri seemed to acquire a certain charm that was both beguiling and honest. Frustrating and comforting. Incorrigible and contradictory. It was impossible to ignore, absolutely entertaining, positively lovely. Yet, as she continued in her ramble, I found myself realizing some new facet of her that I had never seen before. But this one, unlike the rest of her features, had me suspicious. "Who are you?" I blurted out, interrupting her rant.

She was dazed, then suddenly fearful. Not the reaction I was hoping to see. I went back through my mind and recollected key points from her running commentary. "My mother's office." "She's ruthless, and I couldn't refuse her without some sort of punishment." "I guess I should be thankful, though..." It was that last one that bothered me most. Thankful for what? Does her mother have anything to do with how she ended up here? It rang in my mind. Something wasn't right. She works in an office? Who is your mother? Who are you? And that's when I asked.

"Huh?" She breathed in, trying to relax herself. "I... Don't understand." But she was lying. Through her teeth. And now she looked familiar in a new way.

"Who are you?" My insistence must have frightened her. She withdrew a step.

"What? What do you mean?!" She was on the verge of tears, but I was not about to feel sorry.

"What..." I narrowed in on her shivering gaze, "...is your name?"

She suddenly became calm, even regretful. "Meltri."

"Your full name."

"I am Meltri. Qua do not have a second name."

"But you aren't Qua, are you?" My suspicion was no longer there. I knew what she was hiding. She saw my confidence and her fear returned.

"My... name... is... Meltri." Her words came out slowly and carefully. She was telling the truth, yet she was still shivering.

"What is your last name?"

"Pavol... Please don't do this."

"What is your name?!"

"Please!"

"Answer me!" My anger flared, and the room suddenly felt much hotter.

"Meltri..." She held back, tears finally came. "...Volta." In that second, I grabbed her and pinned her to the wall.

"EATHOS!" I shouted down the hall. "We have a spy aboard this ship!"



If this makes no sense, that is because it is completely out of context. Meet Meltri, the impossible to define best friend/foil to Pavol and one of my favorite characters introduced in Part 2 of my book. This particular scene takes place in Part 3, shortly after Pavol and Meltri meet each other aboard the Nova.

Why did I post this? Because I like this scene and because it was already written.

Promises

My ears are ringing. Can you hear them?
Your shrieks of outcry pierce my brain.
The music I play now is tied in knots.
Once precisely convoluted. It touches the insane.

My eyes are bleeding. I'm not crying.
Tears are for humans. For those who feel pain.
I shouldn't see you as well as I see her.
Fingers move in jagged patterns. Sweat on the keys stain.

Fears found. Promises shattered. Hopes lost.
Level mind, am I okay? Can't I decide?
Nevermind. I live to break another promise.
Under my mind, I'm solipsistic. From the promises I hide.

Fears found. Promises shattered. Hopes lost.
Fears found. Promises shattered. Hopes lost.
Hopes lost. Promises gone. Fears still here.
Hopes lost. Promises gone. Fears still hear.

"You're gonna feel the cut soon."

Delotrè, because he had no sense of urgency, sat down in the middle of the field and actually started to pick stalks of wheatgrass out of the ground and wrap them around his finger.

"I'm so glad you can occupy your time. And how old are you? I think the last time I played with grass was when I was 6-years-old. Also, I was a little girl." Irritation was more than a little obvious in my tone, but I would not lose patience. I kept my gaze fixed on my incredibly lazy brother. I would not look anywhere else, especially not to my left leg just above my knee, where there's a three-inch-long gash just starting to bleed. I'm pretty sure it's three-inches-long, at least. There's no way to confirm it because I can not look at it.

"Let me check it out." He moved toward me. I stepped back.

"I'm fine."

"No, I'm pretty sure you're not. It's turning pink." I tried not to flinch when we said that, but I was not able to stop a lone shiver from escaping.

"Yeah, I know. Rust. It's probably infected. But listen! We need to get home."

"We still have a mile to go, and I don't think you should be walking on that." He pointed at my leg again, and again, I shivered. "You are in way too much of a hurry," he continued, "I'm pretty sure Eathös will be able to wait..."

"Eathös?! No..." I sighed. Oh, how could I explain it to him? Sure, yes, I want to see Eathös. Good job, Delotrè. But could you please get the idea that I'm in love with him out of your head? It'd be much appreciated. "It's not him I'm going back to."

"Then... Who is it you so desperately need to see?" He had that half-smirk he always gets when he thinks he's about to win. It drives me insane. I don't want to let him win... But he'll turn my words against me if I say anything. I can't explain the real reason, though. I can't tell him secrets I promised I would tell no one. Even though he's my brother. I guess I'll let him win, then. I'll sigh, then smile and blush. Let him get a kick out of it.

"Okay," I said, "Fine. Can we go now?" He just laughed.

"No. You're being completely irrational. Look at your leg."

"Umm... No thanks. If I do, then I'll feel it."

"Ariana, just look at it." So, I did. And the image I had formed in my mind - small bits of red-soaked muscle and torn, slightly mangled flesh that dripped streaks of thick blood - was downright modest in comparison to the real thing. I screamed.

"How could you let me walk on that?!?!" Immediately, my balance gave way and I plopped forcefully onto my butt. I felt dizzy. Delotrè didn't laugh, though.

"Are you okay?" Oh, now he shows real concern.

"Yes, I am. Thank you. Oh, wait... Where's my kneecap? I seem to have lost it."

"Eww... Don't be gross. I'm pretty sure your knee's still there... It's just covered over with swollen... stuff. And I'm pretty sure you'd feel a missing knee right away."

"Probably not. High pain tolerance, remember?" I glanced back at my gaping wound. "Yeah... I'm gonna be sick."

"You are unbelievable. Well, at least you don't have to worry about gangrene or anything."

"No, but I do have to worry about permanent damage." I am pretty unbelievable. How did I ignore this? Eathös will have field day. My first battle-scar, he'll say. Except, I was running from rabbits when I got this. But he doesn't have to know that. Oh, Eathös... "We need to get home." I tried to stand up, but the pain from the wound was too prevalent now. I didn't mean to wince.

"Here, I'll help you." Delotrè propped me under his shoulder and pulled me to my feet.

Hey, look what I found stuffed under my typewriter! I think I wrote this two summers ago. I occasionally spend my free time writing about the many adventures of Ariana and Delotrè, without much point. I always suppose I can use them in some sort of flashback scene later on in my book...

But whatevar.

This particular scene is slightly disturbing... But it is the first written instance of Ariana's freakish tolerance for pain. It's actually a disorder, but she certainly uses it to her advantage. Her "need" to get back to Eathös was clear in my mind when I originally wrote this, but her motive is a bit fuzzy at the current moment. I know it had something to do with Eathös returning home after a long absence... And she "needed" to go see him as soon as he arrived out of concern... This would be not too long after Eathös' discovery of Rala Este... Anyway... Prior to this, Ariana and Delotrè were chasing rabbits. The rabbits eventually gained up and started to chase them back...

It's all a long story, really. I just like to jump into the middle of things...