Beyond The Horizon Part 2

Part 2

The Thirteenth Floor

Wall Marina 

February, 13th 2220

          As always, her warm room was inviting. She had been living there for almost three years by now. It reminded her of how was life in the sub-urban she used to live. The room was small but it was sufficient. What she loves most about her room was that it overlooks the border over the wall. She would spend some time imagining life over the wall from her window as the moonlight sparkled on the sea surface. And tonight, there would be no exception.

         She turned on the light and put down her sling bag on the small round table next to her bed. Still feeling the exhaustion from working at the factory all day and a little adrenaline rush from the running, she needed a shower. Hoping in mind that the maintenance had fixed the heater or else the water would be freezing cold at a time like this. It was supposed to be winter, but she had not seen any snow fall in many years. The last time she had seen snow was sixteen years ago. The next year was an extreme climate change and winter has never been the same.

          She went into the bathroom and tested the water heater. It was not working. She grunted in disappointment. To the hell with the cold water, I needed a shower no matter what, she thought. Problem with service in the apartment had been an endless issue since she started living there and nobody cares to push the maintenance. They were immune to complaints anyway.

           After finishing her cold shower as quick as possible and now dressed in her home clothes, she jumped into her bed. She reached for the bag on the table and took out the book she had borrowed and a leftover bun wrapped in plastic. That would be her dinner tonight. She started turning into the first page of the book while enjoying the cold bun. A sentence on a blank background was on the very first page of the book.

"Curiosity killed the cat, you'll never know if you never try." 

            Jade smiled. 

            "Curiosity killed the cat..." she repeated. Will my curiosity kill me? She asked herself silently throwing a glance outside the window. The horizon, what lies beyond it? Her interest shifted from the book to the vast view of the sea under the light of the half moon. The flickering light was like million of diamonds scattered on the surface of the water. Was it true that no one had really gone out there? She wondered. 

             She got up from her bed and walked towards the window. The wall stood firmly in the dark making it look sad and lonely. There were no activities in the city, the street light dimly decorated the night barely indicating life. The city looked lifeless at night, so does the world outside it. She tilted her head and realized, she actually could see everything from her room. All this while she thought that she was glad the room overlook the sea outside the Wall Marina, but tonight she realized that it actually overlooks the entire city, the suburban area, the man made river and the mountain ranges. She stood in amazement.

            "Why hadn't I noticed before?" she whispered. The apartment was one of the few tall building in the city and she was on the thirteenth floor. Which means she was at the level of Wall Marina itself. Holy Jade! You're too ignorant all this while, she muttered to herself. 

            She was about to draw the curtain when her eyes caught something on the other side of the sea. Something that never caught her attention before. She squinted her eyes to see clearly. She was not imagining it, she was sure that she saw a long edge similar to the Wall Marina. There was another wall on the other side of the sea.

             Another Wall Marina!  

p/s:
This one is a short chapter. I intended to make it short because there were not so many interactions in this chapter. Please stay tuned for the next chapter. Thanks ;)

             

             

          

Beyond The Horizon Part 1

Part 1

The Wall Marina

Wall Marina 

February,13th, 2220

          Her delicate fingers flipped another page and read.

"Beyond the horizon, there was a wall. A wall of mediocrity, hypocrisy, and ignorance built by selfish people. Souls lived on each side of the wall oblivion about the fact that they should have torn the wall to live mutually. It was known that there was a curse for those who cross the borders that they might never return. Either they will change or they would not belong anymore. The wall had been since keeping the city from the outside world as well as keeping the outsiders out. They called it the Wall Marina. In some other places, it is called a different name." 

           She slowly closed the book letting a thin layer of dust to fly while biting her lower lips, still thinking of borrowing it for the weekend. The work at the factory will be suspended on weekends as in another part of the world. The Horizon, the title was interesting enough though the writer, Kane Ares, was known to live behind the Wall Marina his entire life. She was curious about life outside the world, though everyone thinks that it was an omen to even think of it. However, twenty-six years was enough for her to foster her curiosity.

            She heard stories from the old-timer that the world used to be a free place, at least there were no walls that divided the continents and cities. People were free to travel at their own will as long as they have identity papers. The war started it all. The nations divided, people became defensive and the wall was built. The people were given permanent identity according to where they belong. It was a code at the back of their neck. No papers, all computerized. The only paper that can be found in the city was in that old bookstore. She has no idea how was it on the other parts of the world but that is how it is in Wall Marina. 

           The Wall Marina was the first place she had ever known ever since she opened her eyes. She belongs here but sometimes her natural instinct nudged her to learn about another part of the world. Books and stories helped her to answer her curiosity, but it was not satisfying. She was always curious, her eyes were itching to see the other parts of the world if it exists as the book says.

            "Closing time, lady. The curfew will arrive soon," the old man knocked three times on his desk. She was astonished by the sudden interruption. She turned to him and offered a guilty smile. She grabbed the book and walked towards the counter.

            "Oh sorry, Charles. I'll take this one for the weekend," she said as she handed the book to the old man. He scrutinized the book for a few seconds and look up to her. 

             "You know, Jade? The world outside is not like those fabricated elaborately in books. Kane Ares? Everyone knows he's never been outside. You know that too, don't you?" 

              "Yeah, I know. I just need something to read for the weekend. Life is quite suffocating at my room when I'm not at work," she scoffed. Charles smiled and stamped the date on the Borrow column and handed it back to her. 

               "You should go around with your friend sometimes. Well, now off you go. Before the curfew. Remember to return it on time." She mouthed a thank you to him as she put the book inside her worn out sling bag.

                 "See you later, Charles," she waved him goodbye and walked out of the half-windowed door. 

                

                  She runs across the street towards another block of a run-down building. Ignoring the hustle and bustle of busy workers returning home, some were cursing for the late shift to be over and some were just growling tiredly as they bumped into each other. The disappearing sun light enhanced the monochromic city and its monotonic people. Along the road was an endless metal rail for the public tram, the only transport that was kept and preserved since the city was built. The city council decided long ago that the reproduction of private transport had to be stopped together with cutting the trees. They said that it was for the sake of the future, so the industry in the city turned from production to recycling used material by means of reproducing things that were necessary only. She worked in a synthetic cotton factory herself, where all the people's monochromic clothes came from.

                 Her pace quickened as she goes. The curfew will be in fifteen minutes and she has a few blocks more to go. People around were changing pace from walking fast into running too. The curfew was not a joking matter, the police were heartless enough to shoot those who are out after seven. Two men were cursing at each other when she took a corner to Greenwall Street. They probably had an argument on something personal because she over heard them shouting a woman's name and one of them had been sleeping with her some time last week. Could be a love triangle quarrel, she thought. But she needs to get home as soon as possible. It had been a norm of this city to ignore other's problem and mind your own problem. Even if anyone saw someone bleeding to death, no one will stop to help. Society here in Wall Marina was rotten to its core and she felt sick just at the thought of it. The so called morality they portrayed was just a mask to their wickedness. She could not blame it on the people, it was the competition and the overwhelming limitation that drive them to get rid of humanity.
           
                Shaking the depressing thought away, she made her final run into the lobby of her apartment. Letting out a deep sigh of relief, she was grateful that she was saved for the day. She made it before curfew today but there will be a time in the future when she might end up shot in the head on the street. The thought made her shiver with terror. She scanned her code at the apartment counter and run upstairs to her lair on the thirteen floor.



p/s:
This is only the beginning and I'm not giving up writing... Lol
I should welcome you to the very first part of Beyond the Horizon.
I'm trying on writing again and this time I'd like to make it fun for me to write and hopefully those reading will have fun too. Let the comments section be filled with feedback... I thank you in advance. *bow* :)