The Encroacher's Trilogy: Dystopia (COMPLETED)

Chapter 9

"Excuse me," shamelessly I pushed past marchers in search for Noah's house. It's not like they would say anything so there's no big deal, right?

I had no sense of direction but I predicted that because the house numbers were ascending, Noah's house would be behind mine.

I caused a few dilemmas as I crossed the road to the South Marching pedestrians, and although no one could speak, I could tell by their pique expressions they didn't in fact think highly of my actions. After around half an hour I came across the 3200 households. I started to become distressed because there were so many households, and already the letter had started to fade from my mind.  And then I heard the most beautiful sound.

Singing.

It was only a small song but I heard it nonetheless and it made me stop dead in my tracks. Who was singing? I searched the crowd of pedestrians but they all had their mouths closed and their eyes on the back of the person in front. I cleared my mind and returned to my search for Noah's house. It was preposterous to think that someone would be singing. There was no freedom of speech!

But then I heard it again. Right next to me.

I turned to see a boy on his bicycle acting like all the other cyclists, but every once in a while he would look at me for a brief moment. How could I not have recognised the sound of his voice? I couldn't believe it. I conspicuously laughed and questioning looks were thrown at me- but Noah didn't seem to care; he laughed too, and he pulled me onto his bike.

It must have looked absurd to all the other pedestrians that a girl and a boy were on the same bike and the girl was hugging his waist. I didn't know what the rules said about 'couples' but I guessed it would not have been very acknowledged judging by the filthy looks we were getting.

I unintentionally shuddered at the thought of being a couple with Noah and he seemed to have read my mind.

"We must look like a couple huh?" He laughed a horrendous laugh that was a mixture of a horse and a hag. A horsag. Yeah, a horsag.

I couldn't help laughing too even though I was very aware we could get into trouble for disrupting the silence.
Who knew what the consequences were...

***

It was as I was worrying if Noah's family would like me that he answered one of my curiosities.

"I bet you've been walking for hours to find my house, haven't you? Well... you have to find the secret shortcut to it." He tapped his nose as if I were a child and I grimaced because that was what father did when I first met him. I suddenly recalled the argument we had and the ferocity in his voice. I realised that my inital thoughts of him were correct: he was most definitely not someone to get on the bad side of- but I wanted to know why. Why was he so angry? Why was he so strong? Why, when I first met him, did he have a signature hairstyle of a soldier? Why-

"Hey! Flora!" I was jostled out of my daydream to find Noah looking at me with concern. "Are you alright?" He looked generally alarmed, "You looked like you'd witnessed the war or something." I was startled by his use of phrase. Did he know details of the war? I presumed he would tell me if I asked for we were close friends.

"Hey Noah, do you-" as soon as I said his name he turned around and almost swerved into another cyclist. I lost my train of thought and focussed instead on his inability to ride a bike.

"Are you sure you can ride a bike?" I clarified,

"Not really but there's a first time for everything!" He shrugged as if it was 'no big deal', and I shrank away with slight discomfort.

***

Eventually we came to a 'T' in the road and Noah turned down a muddy path.

"Noah... are you sure this is a-" We turned off the grass and slid down a rocky hill.

"Noah!" I cried.

"Hold-on..." He stuck out his tongue while he worked on the brakes.

"There is a 90% chance we will crash." He said simplistically.

"WHAT?"  Before he could answer the bike stumbled over a large rock and threw us off. We both screamed as we temporarily flew threw the air before I landed on my hands and knees on the road. I grazed my hands but no major damage was present.  Noah on the other hand was not as elegant and forgot to put his hands out for support. He hit the ground hard and his face was pummelled with stones.

"Noah!" I didn't know how to help so I merely stood there watching him struggle to get up.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." He swatted his hand at me to prove his point. Soon enough he stood up and brushed the stones off his face. Although there was a bit of blood, dirt and stone dints in his forehead, he tugged my shirt to pronounce we should leave.

"What about the bike?" I asked.
"Oh... we'll... leave that there. No harm done." His gaze shifted to my hands and his eyes widened with shock.

"Oh... your hands... are... me- I- my house isn't far from here." He said with finality. I couldn't help feeling that there was something Noah wasn't telling me- but I let the matter fade away.

"Okay..." I retorted; and he nodded his head for reassurance. As we made our way to his house he threw nervous glances at the bike as if he hadn't made the right decision.