Ascension

Lorelei

This was the right thing to do, right? Elijah's face when I kissed him enters my mind again. I hurt him. Even just the words in my mind don't feel right. His face was a mix of sadness and confusion and love. No, not love, lust. Elijah isn't in love with me. We are only 16, we don't know the definition of love yet.

I am limping down the hallway to some unknown space. I found myself outside my old apartment. The space is still burnt basically to a crisp but it is still the closest thing I have to a home right now.

I sit in front of the house. Life was so much simpler back when we were in space. Sometimes I wish we were still in space. We were happy there. All our people would still be alive. We wouldn't have to worry about another colony or Aliens or Elijah.

It would be better wouldn't it? I just wish we could be back floating among the stars. Everything was better without us here. The other colony could fight them by themselves.

I instantly felt bad. We are here for a reason and that reason is to help Oasis win the war. If we weren't here they wouldn't have any people left. Plus now we are one group.

I can sense someone behind me. I turn and August is walking up to me. I sigh and look back at the crispy building I used to call a home. He sits down next to me. He doesn't talk for a minute, he's probably collecting his thoughts.

"Was this your old home?" He asks quietly.

I nod. I can't muster words right now.

"Are you feeling anything right now?" He asks me.

That question takes me by surprise. I do understand what he is asking because sometimes when something bad happens you just go mute with your feelings.

I nod as tears spring into my eyes. August wraps his arms around me. I feel safer in his arms.

"No one is judging you Lorelei." August tells me.

"Elijah will never forgive me." I sigh.

"In time he will understand that you were only trying to protect him from heartbreak." August tells me.

I look up into his stormy gray eyes. There is something behind them that I can't put my finger on.

"You two are perfect for each other." he tells me.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You are both gorgeous." He pokes.

Now it all makes sense. I nod at him in a knowingly way. He raises an eyebrow.

"You know?" He asks.

"That you are Gay. Yes."

August laughs.

"No actually, I am Bi." He informs.

I nod.

"Elijah is pretty hot huh." I laugh.

"Tell me about it." August rolls his eyes.

August gets up and offers me his hand. I grab it and he pulls me up. He doesn't let go of my hand as he pulls me along.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"We are going to steal some cake."

"And gorge until we physically can't fit anymore in our stomachs?"

"Is there any other way to eat cake?" He asks me.

I laugh. He pulls me along to the kitchen.

"Hello August. Lorelei. What can I do for you two today?" One of the helpers in the kitchen asks.

"Do you have a pack of cake mix tucked away?" August asks.

"August you are talking to me. Of course I have cake mix." The help laughs.

August grins and the help makes the cake.

"Lets go." I pull him.

"Where are you taking me?" He asks quizzically.

"You'll see." I grin.

We go down several flights of stairs to the star chart room. I haven't been down here in over a year now. I had no idea how much I missed going down here until we were right outside of the room. We walk into the dome like room.

"What is this place?"August asks.

I walk over to the switch.

"Welcome to my childhood." I say as I flip the star charts on.

Thousands of glowing lights fill the dome. They are moving across the screen and it makes it look like we are going very fast. I sit down next to August and it almost feels like I am eight again watching the stars for the first time with Alivia.

I let the familiar feeling of nostalgia flow over me as I watch the gorgeous stars fly past me. Of course, I know they aren't stars but lights. We weren't really allowed to see the stars for reasons I never truly understood.

My mom tried explaining to me that people feel better about being on the ship their whole lives if they haven't seen a world beyond the ship. I never really understood that until now.

I remember Alivia and I used to think that the lights were a projection of the stars outside. Then one of the light bulbs broke and we realized that our precious stars were just lights. After that revelation we were disappointed that we were not seeing stars but that still didn't stop us from marveling at the beauty of our almost stars.

"This is beautiful." August tells me.

"This was my favorite thing to do with my best friend Alivia. We used to disappear for hours into this room and just look at the almost stars. Even when we got older we would still do this from time to time." I explain.

"Was it crowded?" August asks me.

"No. People weren't allowed in here. We stumbled upon it by accident."

"Wow." August sighs.

The almost stars are beautiful but they are only almost stars.

"I still believe the real stars are more beautiful." I tell him.

"What did the stars look like up in space?" August asks me.

"I never saw them in space. Well I did once but it was only for a few minutes."

"Another one of your rules?"

"Yep."

"Pity."