MASKUS

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. It signals the start of Autumn on Maskus, our planet. They commence the beginning of a brand new era, a new beginning, a fresh start to life. A chance where we take the next step in our lives. Something the planet Earth simply dismisses. To them, seasons are nothing but a change in weather. I have only visited Earth once, when I was very little. I do not remember much, only that it was far different than Maskus in every way.

Autumn is an especially important season for me, and for every hundred- year old. (One hundred years on Maskus is about twenty-years on earth, according to our school.) It establishes us for betrothal and careers. By that I mean we will be joined with a spouse and will be assigned a job from the Elders of Hembrich.

The Elders of Hembrich are a collective who have governed our world for more than nine-thousand. They were blessed with Maskus by the god Vandi. She created this world from a single strand of her hair. She protects Maskus, we live in tranquility because of her watchful eye.

High on the twentieth floor, I stare at the purple sunrise gleaming from the Elders’ shining silver skyscrapers. The three moons: Dex, Deriand and Dourm- each other perfectly placed amongst the stars. The vast, clear, blue, ocean shimmered like the stars in the night sky. Unlike earth, we have no continents, no large stake of land. Rather, Vandi made cities from pure metal that hover exactly twenty inches from the waters. The waters are like two magnets that never meet. She produced “land” from the core of the planet that allowed crops to grow from the metal ground; she stole meteors from space to create the trees and rays from the sun to produce the leaves and fruit, giving the reason leaves burn. Though, they do not hurt us. When touching the leaves for too long, they produce tingly feelings inside your blood.

I slipped on my white vest and sneakers and walked out of my room and to the kitchen. I grab an apple and stick it in my vest pocket. Every house has a shoot in their living room- or an elevator. I step into the glass tube and jab the first floor button. 

My step mother, and brother and sister, stood out by a burning yellow and orange tree, waiting for me. My father grabbed my hand, clasping it tightly and kissing my cheek as a tear streamed down her cheek.

Each family with a hundred-year old daughter or son is sent to the Elders of Hembrich. We take a test. I'm not sure what form of a test it will be, but I know it will test our compatibility and our IQ. This will help the Elders decide where to place us.

I turn to face my step mother's somber face. Her emerald green eyes sparkling from the tears swelling in her eyes. 

“I’m proud of you Zona. I really am. You know your father and I will be happy with whatever position you are placed in. And we thank Vandi for your future husband, who we hope will care for you as much as we do.” I squeezed her and wiped her tears away. 

No words could escape from my siblings mouths. But their melancholy expressions were enough words to fill ten pages. I pulled them both into my arms, savoring every moment with them before we were called inside for the meeting. The families were called away to wait outside. 

There were exactly two-hundred and fifty new hundred- year old's in our city, including me. I furiously looked for my friends who sat in the front row of the conference hall. 

“Raven!” 

Raven. A twenty-year old female with bright red hair, only shoulder length but wavy like the ripples in the sea. Her eyes were a soft orange with specks of purple. Her features were distinct, strong jawline, large eyes and plump lips. She was tall and wore a light grey coat. 

“Zona! I saved a seat for you and Summit right here,” Her voice was naturally high, like all Maskonians, whereas mine was unnaturally low. Something no one understood. “Speaking of which, where is Summit?”

“I’ll go look for him...never mind. Found him.” I say giggling to myself.

“Where?”

“Where do you think?” I point up to the Elders chairs.

“Oh no…”

Prior to the rows of chairs are the Elders seats. A large curved table faces us, framed with gold and silver bands. In the middle of the table is the Maskonians symbol. A dot in the middle with two lines escaping on either side horizontally. Two more lines- shorter lines- are placed above and under the longer line on both sides. The dot symbolizes our planet. The three lines on the right represent our three precious moons, Dex, Deriand and Dourm. The three lines on the left represent our three powers: telepathy, flight and metal control. Each person has one.

“What is he doing?”

“He’s going to get in so much trouble.”

“Shake him Raven.” 

I glance at Raven, her eyes glowing orange/purple. When I glance back, Summit is plummeting from the high seated chairs.

Before he hits the ground his eyes glow and metal scoops him from the air in a swift motion. Only seconds later he stands before us scowling.

“Oh come on guys. I was so close to taking one of their hammers!” He whined.

Summit. A hundred-year old male with blueish grey hair, tight curls cover his forehead. He has dark emerald eyes with specks of yellow. His perfect skin and beautiful lips make him look like a god. He’s tall as well and has broad shoulders. He wears a shirt and jeans that is complemented with a long trench coat, the same color of his hair.

These are my friends. Well, my closest. 

The meeting started. We sat and listened as the Elders spoke of our coming future. What was to be expected from us as we are chosen with a spouse and what job we will receive. I glance up to meet the eyes of my father, sitting high in the Elders chairs. My father is one of the Elders. He used to be one a hundred years ago as well, but something happened and he was kicked out of the company. Now, they invited him back after my great grandfather Bez retired.

My father is my only blood related family I have left. I never knew my mother, only faint pictures of her reside in my memory, but it is blurry. Just the wisps of her hair and full smile is all that remains. 

My step mother is a wonderful, loving lady, but she is not my mother. I find myself wanting to get away from her sometimes, possible so I do not lose anymore of the picture of my real mother. My siblings: Devin and Tenzin are precious to me, however. They are both younger and both such gems. But again, they are not a real family.

The meeting ended and we were told to split men and women. There were two isles leading from the conference room. Men on the left and women on the right. 

“Good luck.” Summit says as Raven and I draw farther away from him.

“You too.” I mouthed.

We walked into another gigantic room. It was a hollow, circular pillar that was lined with at least fifty doors on all sides. I gaze up to find more doors evenly spaced from each other. There were no stairs, nor any ladders. Instead, there were large metal plates in the ground. We have them in our houses as well, it is like a hoverboard that can lift you up or carry you sideways.

Each girl waited outside the door of their chosen room. I stepped onto a metal plate, lifting me up to a third floor door. I glance down, careful to not lose my balance and fall, each girl nervously fiddling with their hands or hair as we wait for the doors to open. I see Raven standing a floor down to my left, we make eye contact and I feel her thoughts in my head. 

You okay?

I smile and nod.

Good luck.

The doors fling open and I enter in. The room was shaped like a semi-circle, black walls with white lights cornering the walls, giving it a dim perspective. A bed installed in the middle of the room ready for me to lay in. A man stands near the bed, something small rests in the palms of his hand. I lay down.

“This will only sting a bit. Just get through it the best you can.” His voice echoed in the room. His bright yellow eyes and blue specks glowed as he placed a black circle on my forehead. 

“Count to three.” He said.

“1...2...3… Ah!”

My eyes open. The dim lights allow my eyes to adjust easily. 

A woman stands in the corner patiently. I glanced around for the man who I started out with, but he was nowhere to be seen. “You can go.”

I stand up, slightly wobbly and the woman opens the door for me. All other doors are closed, the metals plates are all on ground level except for mine. 

“Where is the man I started out with?” I ask before I leave.

“You never started with man. I have been watching you this entire time.” I cock my head and start to speak out. But I stop myself and decide to step onto the metal plate. A woman escorts me out. 

The three moons shine brightly in the night sky. No one is around except for the lady next to me. 

“Excuse me. Where are all the others? Did I finish early?” I ask.

“No. You finished late. The other men and women got out yesterday morning. You have been in there for three days.” She says.

I exhale slowly, praying to Vandi something didn’t go completely wrong.

 The cool Autumn evening gave me chills like something I never felt before. I meander home, contemplating what happened in those three days. Trying to remember what that man put on my head and what happened when I was knocked out. 

The burning trees light a way for my walk home. A red leaf falls onto my white vest. I clasp it in my hand, feeling the tingly feeling starting to run within my blood but I let it. The flame burns brighter the longer I hold it, the heat starts to get to me. Fragments of my mother's face begin to flash in my head, her blurry hair and lips become clear. Her dark brown hair falls to her waist and her heart shaped lips blow a kiss. And her eyes. I don’t remember ever seeing her eyes. Light hazel eyes that told a story of wonder. That’s why my eyes are this way.

You see. Every Maskonian has different eyes. If the mother has yellow eyes and the father has red, then the daughter will have yellow eyes with specks of red. It is the opposite for the son. The son will have the father's red eyes and the mother's yellow specks. Ever since I was a kid I had my father's purple eyes, but now, I have hazel eyes with no sign of purple.

I drop the leaf, overwhelmed by the pictures in my head. My fingers burn but I don’t care. I wanted more pictures. Clear pictures. I catch a leaf in the air and press hard on it until my hand feels like needles.

Nothing. 

“Zona!” I turn around to see Summit and Raven running towards me. “Where have you been? You didn’t get out at the same time as we did yesterday. When did you finish?”

“I just got out and am now on my way home.” I said.

“Oh bless Dourm,” Raven says under her breath. “Well, you don't seem upset... You okay?" 

“What do you mean?"

"Well...we got our jobs and scores yesterday... and we saw yours. You didn't match with anyone. Nor did you get a job. You were incompatible." She says carefully.

"What do you mean. I just got out how could they..." I stopped. They lied to me. Something happened and they kept me out longer. Why? What happened during the test?

"Are you okay?" Summit asks sweetly.

I exhale. "I'm fine." My head spins and my heart feels as if it is being suffocated, the air sucks out. Is it because I have no power?

Suddenly, a voice, faint like the whistles of the wind, echoes in my ear. Wind blows, hard and cold, pushing my attention to the metal bridge. The voice calls again, louder than before. A woman's voice. 

Go to the bridge. It says.

“Do you hear that?!” I say aloud.

“Yeah.” Summit and Raven are both silent and just as puzzled as I am.

We hurry to the bridge, scoping for the voice that called us here. 

Look into the water. 

The wind rippled the water and an image appeared on the surface. It was a woman standing in the town square of Rembrandt (our city). She had dark brown hair tied up in a messy bun and her eyes were hazel, almost white like mine. Her red lips corresponded with the one in my head. Her face was long and smooth like mine and her build was small and petite.

“Is that...” Raven began.

It wasn’t a question. That was my mom. My real mom. Right in front of me, clear as day on the ripples of the water. 

But there was something about her that was different. Maskonians are naturally tall, all of them are at least six feet tall. But I only reached five-ten, and she seemed small in height compared to the normal Maskonians. 

“That’s your mom.” Summit says out loud as if finally seeing it. 

“Yes but how are we seeing her?” Raven asked.

“Vandi,” I say quietly. “Vandi wanted me to see my mom. Why? I’m not sure, but I know it was her, I just know it.”

“I have no doubt about it. But who is your mom? She must be alive, no one dies on Maskus until they’re at least a thousand, but even that is young. And no one just dies.” Summit says.

I shook my head confused. 

Think, Zona. Look for clues.

“I am! I’m trying but-” I stop. “Zona...” I say to myself.

I turn to Summit and Raven as a thought pops to my mind.

“You guys remember how I have glimpses of pictures in my head from when I was really young? Well... there has been this new picture in my head. One of a big field, no ocean, just land. There is a sunset and these weird green plants with spikes on them. And there is a little creature thing like an animal we do not have here. It has short legs and a long body and can camouflage into rocks. It was really hot, unlike the heat from the Autumn trees or our cool summers. My dad talks of it often but I don’t remember the name...”

The wind blows over the picture and words are replaced.

Arizona.

“Arizona? That kind of sounds like your name...Oh.” Raven clasps her mouth.

“Isn’t that a place on earth?” Summit asks. I nod.

“Wait, no. I know that look, don’t-”

I turn around and sprint towards the Elders conference room. I take one last long look at the Autumn leaves falling, burning away but not crumbling. Everything was about to change. I knew the answer, but I needed to be positive. I burst open the doors to find the Elders conversing away in their throne like chairs.

“Zona- what are you doing here?” My father stands.

“Am I human?” I ask, my breath heavy.

“...”

No answer.