Alienus

Chapter Thirty Five

I woke up the next day to an insistent beeping sound. I sat up and pressed my bracelet to the slot on the little time-piece like machine on the desk to switch it off. Once it stopped beeping, I stretched and yawned, rubbing my eyes.

The first thing I did was check my phone to see if I had received a reply for the message I had sent yesterday.

No new messages.

I sighed and placed my phone aside, rubbing my hands over my face. I sat there quietly for a few seconds, then stood up and walked to the bathroom.

Might as well get started on the day.

When I came out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel into my hair, I noticed the suit I had taken out to wear today.

I rubbed my fingers over the suit. This was Rafe's suit that he had given me. And he still had mine. A small smile formed on my face, unbidden.

Then it faded away when everything that happened yesterday came flooding back into my head. I let out a breath and pushed the suit away, taking out another one of mine and quickly pulling it on. I let my hair stay down because it was still wet and I walked out of the room after grabbing my communication device.

I met Ren at the exit of the Resting Station and he handed me something akin to a sandwich. We munched on our food in silence and I thought about how different this food was to the one I ate.

"Tonight we have a small bonfire," Ren said and I raised my eyebrows. And by we, he meant humans, I could tell.

"Oh. Wow. How come?" I asked.

Ren shrugged, "It's the beginning of a weekend...and it's been a month. I guess we're...celebrating and mourning Earth." He said.

I nodded silently and followed him down the trail back to the Fields.

My hood was up almost the whole time I was in the Fields because of the heat burning down my back. I had pulled my hair up into a knot to keep it off my neck.

My fingers were cramped and my shoulders and neck ached from the slouched position I had sat in. My thighs burned a little too, but I didn't care. It kept my thought at bay and that's all mattered.

By midday, we were ushered to the Kitchens (which was another half hour walk away) and after a quick lunch of something akin to rice and some vegetables, we all got down to work. We dusted, cleaned, peeled, organised and washed until my fingers were prune-y and stiff. Ren stayed close the whole time, but neither of us spoke, only took comfort in one another's company.

By the time evening rolled in, my whole body ached with every step I took and I wasn't even a little bothered by it. In fact, I felt guilty not feeling this way the past month.

This past month was everything I wasn't used to. Not working much...having everything...

I shook my head and sighed, then looked up when Ren nudged my shoulder.

"You okay? You've been really quiet today." He asked.

I just shrugged, "Mind's been a little quiet because of all the work." I admitted.

Ren nodded and was about to say something when one of Ren's friend's from yesterday came to nudge Ren on the shoulder.

"So, you two?" He asked, looking at the both of us with his deep brown eyes and raised eyebrows.