Chương 4: Draig

Ch 4 - Draig The food is challenging. Her stomach grumbles for sustenance but nothing tastes good enough for a willing second portion. The textures are strange. Even ignoring the tang of the dust Magse had mentioned, the flavours are muted like watered-down juice. Most items have the same moist soil smell, if they have a smell at all. The brown cubes of jelly cling in lumps to her teeth, two cups of water later and her tongue is still trying to prise them off.

She returns to the flattened dough balls, discovering that chewing the dough frees the food sticking to her teeth. Perhaps that is why Erro favoured them. Magse's fingertips increase their sliding and tapping on the surface of her arm cuff. Two harsh lines appear between her dark eyebrows. She takes a quick look at Cara who is still working a piece of dough ball around her left molars trying to extract a stubborn lump of jelly.

"I just need to speak with someone," she mutters, stepping quickly down the corridor. Erro remains strewn across the couch. Images scroll on the screen, but his head is turned away, half tucked into the crook of an elbow. Cara looks from Erro to the main door as the silence of the room rings in her ears. With her heart thumping in her chest, she tip-toes to the door, her shoulders braced for a shout or touch from behind her. The latch on the door is the same as the one on her bedroom door but three times the size.

Cold eagerly spreads through her fingers as they clasp the metal, easing it open as quickly and quietly as she can. She winces as the latch clicks closed behind her, her body frozen in place as she braces for Erro or Magse to wrench it back open. Her heart counts each millisecond. Nothing. She takes a cautious step away from the door, pulling down the sleeves of her jumper and balling them into her fists. There is no way she is going back inside to look for a coat.

The air is heavy with the same tang that mars the water and food, nevertheless she takes a moment to appreciate being outside. For as long as she can remember, outside, any outside, has been her comfort place. Preferably somewhere with strong, towering trees and a view for miles, a touch of sun warming her back, and the sound of a breeze through the leaves. But any meagre patch of outside will do. Breaking up with Sam – she'd done that outside in the driveway.

Her shoe easing a weed from between the cracks in the herringbone bricks as she'd mumbled something about wanting other things. Preparing for her promotion interview – she'd almost been late because she'd circled the ornamental fountain in front of the building so many times. She'd chosen her tiny one bed flat not because of the distance to the station but because of the closeness to the park. There are no parks or trees to see here.

Just rows of the same faded orange buildings divided by a wide grey dirt road and occasionally bisected by narrow alleyways barely wide enough for two people. She twists as her gaze sweeps this charmless version of outside and finds another reason to wish that she had stayed inside. Leaning against the wall of the bunk house as if he was waiting for her is Draig.

"Shall we agree that I can outrun you?" he asks, pushing himself off the wall with his elbow, "And skip the part where I prove it?" He is at least a foot taller than her and given that he had carried her whilst running she had no doubt that he would catch her. Caught in his stare, her feet weld themselves to the ground, running isn't an option anyway.

"Where are you planning on going?" Draig asks as casually as if they were waiting at a bus stop. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. He slips his hands into the large pockets of his coat and rocks gently onto his heels, then back to his toes as he takes in her bandaged head. Cara's toes clench in her trainers. Cold air is seeping through their breathable membrane and wisping its way into her bones. Her kneecaps start to shake.

"I- I-," she is a deer in the headlights of his indigo eyes. She's never seen a colour like it, let alone in someone's eyes. Part of her wants to take a step closer to him, to study his eyes. The other part of her, the majority part of her, wants to run as far away from him as possible.

"Your options are very limited I'm afraid," he says as if carrying on the conversation at the bus stop.

"If you follow these lines of houses here," he holds out his right arm to indicate the rows of buildings in front of them, "and take the fifth alleyway on your left, that will take you to the Central Hub and the transport in and out. Unfortunately, that's where Wyndeer, Crathsun, and Joss are, I'd advise you not to run into them." He raises his brow, tilting his head at a slight angle, giving her a small, knowing, smile. She blinks and it is gone; his face returns to a neutral expression.

"Or you could turn right, past the back of this bunk house. Carry on in that direction for two blocks and you'll reach the edge of the dome. There should be an exit passage close by on the right. But the storm is almost at full force out there, I doubt you'd survive opening the door. It really is best to stay inside the dome." He points a lazy finger upwards before returning his hand to the warmth of his pocket. As her head slowly tilts back she wrenches her gaze from his indigo eyes to view the sky above her.

Where the sky should be, about 10 storeys up, stretches an endless beige mesh. Beyond the mesh are angry swirls of grey and brown, a violence of movement unmatched by the air inside the dome. Occasional patches of mismatched mesh on mesh destroy any illusion of an imperishable barrier, yet the dome seems to be holding strong against the outside forces. She isn't sure if it is the sight of the dome, the information he is giving her, or the geniality of his tone that sets her head spinning.

"I just want to go home," the plea is all she can manage. It is the one truth she can hold onto amongst this madness. Sympathy flashes across his face, but is gone in an instant, replaced with an indifferent stare.

"It's cold, you should go back inside." She glances back at the door. It is a dull metallic grey. A sign with the same swirl logo as on her jumper is bolted on to it. He is right, it is cold, her shoulders and arms are clenched to ward off the shivers bubbling up under her skin. She flexes and unflexes her thighs to help move blood down her legs. How far can she get if she runs? Far enough to raise the attention of passersby? She glances around.

The rows of houses are quiet, no one is out walking in this temperature. It doesn't even look like there is anywhere to walk to.

"Help me," she says suddenly. His jaw twitches and he shifts his weight, straightening his back.

"I am helping you."

"No," she shakes her head and takes a step away from the door, "help me get out of here and I promise I'll make sure the police know that you helped me."

"There's nowhere to run to," he says flatly.

"It's cold, let's go back inside." He holds out his hand. His eyes flitter to something behind her then back to her face. His fingers flick expectantly.

"No." It is barely a whisper on her exhale as she takes another step away. Gravel crunches under her trainers as she starts to pivot her feet away from the bunk house.

"Inside, now," he demands in a low voice. She feels the breath of his words on her cheek and is startled to find he has already crossed the gap between them and clasped a firm hand on her shoulder. The door of the bunk house flies open, clanging loudly as it bounces against the side of the house. Draig wraps an arm around Cara's waist, pulling her into him as he side-steps to move his shoulder between Cara and the bunk house.

Erro half spins, half skids, through the doorway, stopping abruptly to avoid running straight into Draig's back.

"Oh good, you're here," Erro pants, bracing his hands on his knees, his back flexing as he gains control of his breathing. Cara feels the hard muscles of Draig's chest relax, his hand drops from her waist, but he keeps a light grip on her arm. Erro straightens up and runs a hand through his dark hair.

"I didn't see you when-" he stops short as he catches sight of something behind Cara.

"Oh shit," he mutters.