Phoenix

Floating

The Director fell to his knees, folding at the middle like scored paper before flopping headfirst into the dirt. Eli rushed to his brother's side, just as the soldiers, who'd gone momentarily inert in the confusion, took up their guns. Too slow, however, for the Wanderers were on them in an instant, wrestling them to the ground and their weapons out of their hands before they could fire a clean shot. A messy scrimmage ensued in which Ash couldn't tell friend from foe, gun from foot.

This was it. Her time was up. She would've like to have waited for the Establishment's retreat, so that she would not be disturbed half-way through the process. But this was as good as it was going to get. The Establishment were not going to back down now. And neither were her people. There would be only more bloodshed from here on out. And if she didn't do what she needed to do, who knew if it would be too late. The souls wouldn't stay tethered to the earth much longer.

The time had come.

Ash backed away from the chaos, out of the clearing and under the cover of forest where she found an alcove between two boulders and a Springybark, where long grass cushioned her feet. Kneeling, she unhooked the pocket watch from around her neck and held it, palm out, in front of her. It was now or never.

She was about to turn the dial and close her eyes when a hand gripped her wrist and squeezed tight. She looked up into the dark brown orbs of her brother and smiled. The memory flashed in her mind once more.

Ash was holding Jai's hand. They were in their father's workshop, but this time, the wall was only half covered in clocks. Her father was younger—there were grey flecks in his dark brown hair. And her brother sucked the thumb that wasn't already in her hand.

"Your mother and I have been developing a very powerful device," her father said. "And I think we should tell you about it, just incase something happens to us."

"Are you in trouble?" Ash said, her childlike voice high with trepidation.

"No, darling. Of course not. I just need you to listen. Can you do that?"

She nodded.

He touched her shoulder then pointed to the wall of clocks. "Do you remember that old film with your mum and I watched the other night?"

"Yeah, the one on that funny machine with the wheel?"

"The reel, darling. It's called a film reel." He paused to make sure she'd understood, then continued. "Well, your mother and I believe time is just like a film reel, flickering so fast that you can't see the blackness in between. We believe in that blackness, another world exists, just like ours, but different. a world with no humans. A world that's untouched, pristine, a utopia."

"A u-to-pia?" she said, trying out the new word.

"A place that's perfect. Where there are no tears, no sadness, no hiding."

"Wow," she said. "Can we go there?"

Her father reached into his pocket and withdrew the shiny gold watch. "This will help you get there. All it needs is a half turn to the right so the second hand ticks between the lines."

"And then?"

"That's the part I haven't figured out yet. But when I do, we'll have a place we can go if there's no room left in this world for the likes of us."

The memory faded.

"You've figured it out, haven't you," Jai said. "How to get between the worlds."

Ash tilted her head questioningly.

Jai smiled. "I've been having the memories too. Of our father, the room full of clocks, the lessons, the pocket watch. The day we got—"