Down | Tyrus

XV

When we get upstairs again, the place is dead as a ghost's house. Not a single person or guard or maid or anyone is to be seen, that is, until we spot Amber and Andi standing in the hall outside the pilot's office. They both look to us immediately, beaming with the amazement of the current situation in their eyes. 

"Where is the guard and captain?" TJ asks as we approach them. 

"They're all outside," Amber replies, letting out a breathy chuckle. "Everyone's outside. As soon as they saw the land...they stopped caring about us."

"What about Buffy and Jonah?" I ask.

"Outside too," Andi says. 

"So why are we standing in here?" TJ says. "Let's go outside."

He leads the way, and we all hurry out of the house. The top floor is as empty as inside. When I peak over the railing, all people come into view like an ocean of bodies flowing out over the grass. We're right by the edge where the sea collides with huge rocks and a stretch of sand that rings the whole border, going farther than I can see. Once I've taken in the sight, TJ's hand finds mine, and the two of us run down the stairs, all the way to the bottom where we duck underneath the railing to step onto the grass. It squishes under my feet much softer than the metal of the city, and there's a distinct smell, like one of the city gardens but far more potent. 

Andi finds Buffy and Jonah first and runs over to join them. I'm about to go too, but I'm frozen by the sight of the pilot coming up to TJ, Amber, and me. The look of fear on the two siblings' faces is met with the stoic stare of their father stopping in front of us. What he actually says takes me by surprise.

"The mayor told me to thank you."

The three of us share a collective glance, all stuck in silent shock. 

"He said your bravery helped the city in a time of need," the pilot goes on. "But don't think that means you won't be punished. Amber and TJ, I'm developing an extensive list of chores for you to do."

"Of course," Amber responds with a nod, but I can see her trying to hold back her smile. 

"Because you'll be hard at work, don't expect to see any of your friends for the next month." He looks at TJ. "Even Cyrus."

"Well, he's not my friend," TJ says. "He's my boyfriend."

I snap my eyes to him, completely stunned by his confession. I did not expect him to want to tell his father about us, and he could've at least warned me. Now I fear the trouble I've already brought to my family will be even worse. 

Captain Kippen flicks his eyes between me and TJ, scanning both of us. 

"Well," he huffs, "you're very lucky that the Brodsky boy already told his family that he liked a boy yesterday, and the neighbours got over that fast. As long as one of my kids can carry on the bloodline, it doesn't matter."

He looks at Amber, and Amber's faces goes white, but she just nods, keeping her lips sealed tight together in a smile. 

"Uh, sir," I say, feeling like I might not have the chance to bring this up if I don't do it now. "Could I ask about my mother's job?"

"I haven't fired her yet," he assures me. "I might reconsider that. She is very good at what she does."

Breaking into our circle comes someone I've never seen up close before, Mayor Tiordit. I should probably bow my head or tell him what an honour it is to be in his presence, but I'm paralyzed by shock. TJ and Amber don't look quite as wonderstruck as me, but they certainly weren't expecting him to talk to them either. The mayor tilts his hat to Amber and shakes the hand of TJ, but when he gets to me, I stare at his hand for an awkward length of time before I get myself to shake it. I just shook the mayor's hand. Is that legal? Nobody's arrested me yet, so I suppose it must be. He begins talking, and the pilot leaves us for the mayor to have alone. 

"I heard you were the kids who found the land," the mayor says. "I want to know how you did it."

I explain the story, which I now can recite like the alphabet.

"You should've told me about the map," Mayor Tiordit says when I finish. 

"I did," I reply. "I mean, not you, but I told one of the councillors."

"If that's so, then I need to have a discussion with the councillors about the importance of every man's concern, even young, lesser privileged ones like yourself." 

Lesser privileged: a nice word for poor. I know he means well, so I don't say anything. It's not like I'd be allowed to talk back to him anyway. 

"Thank you for not giving up," he goes on. "We may owe our whole city's well-being to you."

"You're welcome," I reply, feeling strange that I'm being thanked by someone of his stature. 

When he returns to go chat with others in the swarm of city folk on the land, Amber turns to TJ and I, saying, "Looks like mom and dad are gonna have to have another kid if they want to carry on that bloodline."

TJ's mouth practically comes unhitched as he gapes at that, and Amber lets out a laugh. Following that wonderful revelation, Amber finds Andi, and I can tell by the way they giggle together and stand way too close that there's something really cute blossoming between them. 

The rest of the city goes to sleep as the moon wakes, but I find it hard to settle down. TJ and I stay out on the sand of the coast, tangled up together like elastic bands that would only fling back into each other if pulled apart. His hand plays with my hair as we lie there, listening to the waves hitting the coast while watching the lone slit in the clouds travel across the sky. I always thought the clouds were like a solid blanket that would never be torn, but this seam is splitting. I only hope there will be more like it coming. But as relaxed as I feel, there's still one loose end keeping me from being able to fully let go of my thoughts.

"I wonder who the note was actually written for." 

TJ tilts his head down to look at me while I speak. 

"And if other people knew there was land here, then shouldn't other people be here?"

"Maybe there are people here," TJ suggests. "We're only on one end of this place. Who knows how big it is."

"Do you think I was supposed to find it?" I ask, a rhetorical question. "Do you think I kept someone else from finding the land they were supposed to find?"

"I don't know," TJ says. "But I think if you did, then they'll find another way to get here. The important thing is you found it, and we're safe."

"I guess so."

A voice gets our attention, and I sit up to see my mother calling for us come back to the city now, since it's well past what I would normally deem as too late. TJ helps me up onto my feet, and our hands stay connected as we stroll across the sand, toward the grass. I take one final moment to look back at the water, but as I do, a glimmer of blue light in the clouds catches my eye. One blink, and it's gone, leaving me unsure of what I was just seeing. 

I feel TJ's hand tug on mine as he glances back, asking, "You okay?"

"Uh, yeah," I reply. 

I turn back and hurry to catch up to my boyfriend. When I reach him, he lets go of my hand and puts his arm around me, pulling me into him. The scent of ocean spray and sand is still vibrant on his clothing, and I breathe it in with a smile. 

"So at what time are you going to sneak away from your chores to see me tomorrow?" I ask him. 

He looks down at me with a grin. "First thing."

A/N: Mysterious ending. If this story somehow gets a lot of hype, I left it open so that it could go on, but I'm likely not going to actually write a sequel. So feel free to make up your own theories about what happens next. I hope you liked this story. I have another Tyrus story coming really soon. it was going to be Ambi, but I decided to hold off on the Ambi story until I'm finished Honey, because I really wanted to write this Tyrus idea I had, and I just love Tyrus. Anyway, thank you all so much for reading, and have a lovely day.