The Ivory Tower Read Free Page B

something. Unless you want to go back to school today.” She popped another cube
in her mouth.
    As the lingering tone
of the third bell fell silent, Simone cast a sideways glance toward Christine. “I
think it would be irresponsible if we didn’t take advantage before the factory
work begins. Are you up for another game?”
    Christine looked
around, watching as the farm boys grabbed their shovels and plows. The line of
brown sweaters lined up outside the factory. “Ok, but this time, I’m going to
find you.”
    Simone tugged on her
tangled ponytail and jumped down. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
     
    ***
     
    Even though Christine
agreed to play, she moved with hesitation. At her insistence, they had started
the game nearer to camp. As soon as they entered the forest behind the orphanage,
her eyes refused to settle.
    “You better start
counting,” Simone said, watching Christine relax.
    Christine tossed her
ball of blue paint from hand to hand, taunting as much as joking. “You’d better
start hiding. It took me days to get the yellow out of my sweater. We’ll see
how long it takes you to get out the blue.”
    “That’s if you can find
me,” Simone yelled back, already blending into the greens of the forest.
    “One, two, three…”
Simone ran into the woods, feeling the cold air attack her face. The biting
chill stretched her cheeks, chapping her lips at their touch. She didn’t dare
glance back or slow down, knowing that the moment Christine stopped counting,
her own time slipped away. Her carefully-placed feet were silent in the
underbrush. She balanced on the fallen logs as much as possible, to lessen the
disturbance and leave fewer footprints.
    At the moment the
countdown began, Simone dropped all pretenses of the game. She was going to the
tower. While part of her understood Christine’s reluctance and the fear of
contamination, another part felt compelled to see it again.
    The air quieted. She
heard only the crunching of leaves and branches, and the occasional fluttering
of wings as the forest deepened around her. She passed the rock quarry, the
fallen hemlock, the high wall of brambles, and finally, the small river. She
splashed through the cold water, skipping along faster and faster, in rhythm
with her heart.
    And then suddenly, she saw
it. A layer of grime had settled over the years, shading the outer edges of the
brick. Silent steps brought her to the edge of the clearing. The corroded barbs
teased her, looking harmless. She grasped the cool metal.
    The wind rustled
through the branches. Bright red leaves drifted down, settling down around her,
and at the base of the tower. The visions that haunted her dreams for the past
week transformed into reality before her eyes. That same feeling of fear and
curiosity burned through her, her chest aching. She itched to touch the bricks.
    As she waited, the forest
became alive behind her. Her time had almost disappeared. Without a thought, or
second breath, she gripped tighter along the barbs and threw her legs over,
cursing as the teeth tore into her right shin.
    She slid underneath the
hanging sign and into darkness. Muffled calls rang out behind her. She imagined
her friend outside, and the betrayal sunk in. Had she pushed it too far this
time?
    Simone focused on the
world around her. The containment of the walls quieted the air. The silence was
deafening. Through the dim light, she saw signs inside the door, written in the
same charcoal ink as the outer threshold marker. Strange symbols she had never
seen before. The world surrounded by stars, letters forming acronyms, and words
unfamiliar to her.
    The light filtered in
sporadically from the worn bricks, highlighting small areas, while the rest
settled into gray haze. The air felt heavy. The chill settled onto her skin
like a damp rag. Her leather shoes were quiet on the floor, leaving a small wet
imprint on the smooth surface. The spiral steps rose steeper and narrower than
she anticipated. She