Free The Children of New Earth by Talha Ehtasham Page A

glimmer of hope in these words. We stood silently on the shore for several minutes. For a moment I felt like I was in another world, one that didn’t have Demons or anarchists or sanctuaries. I wanted to stay in this place forever, but it hurt me more than anything to know that I couldn’t. My trance was broken by Mark’s robotic voice.
    “Hello! Sorry to interrupt but I believe Aaron is looking for you.”
    I sighed, both out of exasperation and relief. “What does he want?”
    “It’s about Aelia, she’s awake.”
    Rachel and I followed Mark to where Aelia was. She was now sitting up, eyes back to normal, but she was shivering. The others were sitting around her, trying calm her down.
    “I’m fine. I’m OK,” she insisted.
    “What happened?” I asked.
    “She saw something,” Aaron said.
    “It was just a bad dream,” she retorted.
    “What exactly did you see?” Cora asked worriedly.
    “I don’t know. It was like a woman. But she was more like a Demon than a human. And she wasn’t trying to kill me she was just looking at me with these intense, red eyes.”
    “An intelligent Demon?” I wondered. “How?”
    “The Demons are a very primal race,” Cora replied. “It’s unlikely that they made their way to our planet on their own.”
    “Are you saying they have a leader? Like, a Queen?” Aaron suggested.
    “The Queen…that has a nice ring to it,” Rachel said.
    “It’s possible, but it’s just a theory,” Cora said.
    “But Aelia just saw something that might fit the description?” Aaron seemed a little nervous.
    “We can’t know for sure.”
    “Exactly,” Lynn interjected. “We don’t know so let’s not worry about it!”
    “Well,” I started. “This only happened because she used her power so heavily.”
    “To save our lives.”
    “Still, I think we should refrain from using our abilities until we learn more.”
    “Learn more how? This has never happened before in the entire history of mankind.”
    “I just think it’d be better to play it safe. ”
    “I think we need to stop being so goddamn afraid of everything,” her frustration was rather sudden. “I’m going for a walk. Do what you want.”
    “Let her go,” Aelia said. “I’m too weak to chase after her anyway.”
    “No worries. You just rest up, friend,” Aaron said reassuringly. “In the meantime, what do you say we go for a swim?”
    “A swim?” I was caught by surprise. “Everyone's a little shaken up.”
    “Exactly!” he said, taking off his backpack. “It’s the perfect thing to calm us down.”
    “I think it’ll be fun,” Rachel said.
    Cora agreed, but Aelia was hesitant.
    “I’m just gonna rest here for a bit.”
    “Alright let’s go!” Aaron exclaimed. “Maybe you and Lynn can join us later.”
    I walked up to the shore and took off my shoes. I dipped one foot into the water, and found that it was cool to the touch, a stark contrast with the hot sand. I saw the others do the same. Mark hovered over the surface and allowed his body to slightly submerge. Apparently he did not appreciate the sensation.
    “This environment gives me no pleasure,” Mark said, rising quickly out of the ocean. “The liquid only seems to irritate my sensors, distort my readings, and inhibit my motion.”
    “Well, you don’t have to swim if you don’t want to,” I said sympathetically.
    “I’m surprised the water’s so clear,” Aaron asked. “What about all the pollution?”
    “It’s been decades since we’ve dumped such large amounts into the river,” Cora answered. “Given time, nature has its own way of purifying itself.
    “Well, that’s a lovely thought,” Rachel observed. She was the first to strip down to her undergarments and jump into the water.
    Cora, Aaron, and I exchanged glances and followed suit. I waded into the water, and felt its cold embrace climb up by body. I hesitated to go further, even while my friends slowly walked on. I saw the wound Rachel had on her right shoulder.