Aqueous Passage. Krystyna Faroe
Aqueous Passage
by
Krystyna Faroe
Copyright 2015 Krystyna Faroe
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-2442-2
All rights reserved, including the rights to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com:
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Cover design by Alexander Nelson
Dedicated to
my husband who supported me enthusiastically all the way.
Please note the book runs concurrently with several persons’ points of view so bear with me, you will find out what has happened to your favourite character, just not immediately.
Krystyna
If I could be elsewhere I would be without delay.
These never ending walls imprison us in their concrete bounds.
We travel but all the days are monotonous.
There is no release or change; it is always the same, always the same.
Fern 2032
Chapter 1
Fern shielded her eyes from the sun’s glare, its reflection from the concrete walls was heating her metal surroundings as she leaned upon the railing, looking ahead at the never ending channel. Wiping her brow she turned and made her way to the pagoda where she spent many hours sitting. Elm was already there snoozing in the shade his legs upon a stool, lazing as if he needed the rest. No one needed the rest.
Looking down at him in disgust she kicked the stool out from underneath his legs. She gave a snort of a laugh when she realized his legs hadn’t moved but continued to hover in the air. She looked at the one open eye and the small smirk on Elm’s face.
“Is something wrong Fern?” He asked in a voice that said he knew exactly what was wrong. The other eye remained shut as the slit of an eye took in her sullen appearance.
“How can you stand this? This sloth life we are bound into, doing nothing, day after day except look at these ghastly walls that trap us.”
She kicked the stool further away and glared at him in distaste.
Elm had lowered his feet and slowly sat upright from the lounging chair he was in. His smirk had become a placating smile, which annoyed her even more as it was paternal and patient.
“Don’t look at me as if I’m a toddler in a tantrum!” This time she kicked at the chair he was sat in but it barely moved, the loungers were made to be heavy and solid and the action hurt her toes causing her to cringe momentarily. She quickly hid her pain when she saw Elm’s smirk return.
Lunging at him she hit him on his chest pushing him back into the lounger. Elm’s arms caught her in the process and she was pulled down on top of him. She realized she was beaten yet again in her frustrated actions.
“You know I love those pouty lips of yours when you’re annoyed. They’re so inviting!” His eyes were bright and sensual as he moved closer toward her face.
Her hands had become fists as she pushed against his ribcage with all the force she could muster and he let out an involuntary “Ugh!”
He released her, allowing her to scramble back onto her feet, her face blazing red just like her hair in the sunlight. He let out a laugh and then quickly tried to cover it with a cough as the green eyes glared at him with want to cause injury.
“Look at you, pent up and cross because we’re travelling through the passage. This journey will take more days than have already gone by. We’ve only been travelling for two days and you’re acting as if we’ve been here longer, you’re ready to tear people apart. You know why don’t you?” The glaring eyes from the listener became questioning. “It’s because you’re bored. You need to find something to do, or some kind of entertainment.” Elm’s expression changed to mischievous. “In fact I know a way to entertain you!”
His eyes glittered as he raised his eyebrows in a suggestive way.
Elm quickly leapt out of the chair as Fern hurled her fists and body back at him, putting her weight into the action; she was unable to stop the sequence of events she had set in motion. She hit the back of the chair hard, fists first and then her face. Through the blow she had caused herself came a muffled “Ow!”
Elm was immediately beside her helping her get back up. His hands were on her face as he looked at her bleeding lips with concern. She pushed him away and stomped her foot, bringing back the smirk that seemed to be permanently marked upon his face in her presence.
“You are so annoying!” She spat at him, droplets of blood hitting his clothes.
He looked down at the splatters and wiped them off. Taking her hand he led her out of the pagoda. He stared ahead as he pulled her along like a toy on wheels.
“Fern, let’s get some ice on that lip before you start dalking like dis.”
The glittering eyes looked back at her, obvious in their amusement. She wrenched her hand away and stopped, her face wrinkled like a snarling dog.
“I don’t need your help!” She barked at him, blood staining her bared teeth. “I can do something about it by myself.”
She walked away with large angry strides not looking back at the grinning face of Elm.
She knew he was laughing, how much she knew about him and he her these days was disconcerting. It was something she tried to not think of; how she liked his company, how they would talk for hours, how even being close to him felt right. It couldn’t be right though, she had to think of Oak, he meant more to her, even if it was Elm that had saved her life. Oak had saved her life once too and he had helped her get through all the years that had followed, had always been there for her, until now. Why was she waiting for Oak when he’d already made his decision to be with someone else? She knew why, she hoped to change his mind.
She pushed the door wide lighting the corridor briefly until it closed itself as she walked along the metal hallway. As it shut it became darker once more and echoed with a metallic thunk along the path she was taking. Now lit only by the dim humming lights in its top corners it took Fern a little while to refocus. Only one light every ten feet emitted a spattering of clarity for her moving figure as she approached the steps and descended to the galley. Walking the metal corridor she once more went over her annoyed thoughts, to such an extent that she didn’t think of what she was doing as she burst through the culinary door with such a flourish, that everyone in the kitchen stopped what they were doing. Halting, she faltered as she looked at all the eyes that were upon her and her anger dropped and embarrassment took its place.
“I’m sorry!” She said softly knowing she would be heard now that the clatter of pans and utensils had all stopped to give her attention. “I hurt my lips and wondered if I could get some ice?”
The faces stared at her in disbelief, having been certain that something dramatic was occurring above deck from the energy that had been put into opening the door. Disappointed they all turned away and continued with what they were doing, except for Cook. He stood with his hands on his hips, staring at her as if she were a disgrace.
Fern dropped her eyes to the floor, unable to look into his judgemental eyes. She doubted he would ever forgive her for what had happened to Ensign Jones and her bleeding