It was giant, gleaming with the light from full on rays and a wash from head to toe. It’s metal body curved, wrapped tight into itself so the end and beginning point were synonymous, crowned with a fire colored headpiece and tailed with exhaust pipes that were blue like the ocean used to be. People were lined up with suitcases, faces in awe and hope, eyes welled up with happiness to the point of crying, fingers clenched to tickets bright as the rocket. Families clung to each other and awaited as last minute carvings of scriptures for safety and health were being lasered below the crown and above the body of the roaring machine.
This was the third rocket this week destined for Mars. Tomorrow’s would be for Venus.
The rockets had been moving more frequently now and for Chloe, it gave her mental peace and agony to watch the large, godly ships venture into the solar system. It was her daily ritual to walk down the worn brick road surrounded by the dirt and dust and old, dying trees that to watch the sky station that was about two miles to the east send cargo and families through the atmosphere. She was happy for the families who got a chance to live with fresh water, air, and real food. She wanted to strap herself into a seat with nothing but the clothes on her back, shut her eyes, and revel in the feeling of her heart leaping into her throat with ascension.
‘I want to fly.’
“A lot of space birds are rushing to Mars and Venus lately.”
She felt the worn wooden bench rock slightly beneath her as the speaker sat down on the other end and let out a sigh. Curiously, she turned her eyes to see a perplexed expression etched across his face as he watched the last minutes of the ship launch. The rocket was building up power; flames swimming throughout the exhaust and curling around the edges, ready to destroy and burn everything in it’s path. Within seconds, the latches were off and the rocket was shooting into the clouds with a high pitched whistle of air being cut quickly.
“It’s still weird to think about how this planet used to be vibrant in color and life. Before the oil battle of the early 2000s that set off a world war. So much color in the history books and the animals and plants... God, what a mess we’ve made for the pursuit of money we can’t even spend here now. Even this park we’re in has suffered so immensely it’s unrecognizable.”
His hair was the color space, stardust twinkling through the slicked back strands with each fleck of sunlight and wind. His smile was soft, head tilted as his hazel eyes met brown warmly and examined the shimmers in her dress. Tan fingers drummed against the cracked frame.
“Your dress reminds me of the wheat fields on Mars in the springtime.”
“You’ve been to Mars?” she asked; the ship was now a speck of red in the sky.
“I have. It’s a lovely planet to visit if you can. They’ve made themselves to live like the 1960s, before climate change really started to become an issue in this world, and it’s worked like a dream. With some added altercations in health and sciences, of course.”
“Of course...”
“Have you ever gone? To Mars or Venus, I mean.”
“I haven’t had the pleasure. Lived on Earth my whole life.” she gave him a grin, her eyes showing the desire to float throughout space and watch meteors from the window of a metal shell. She shrugged before pulling her shawl closer to her, wrapping the fabric around her in hopes to hide the insecurity of remaining grounded forever, and tilted her head back to avoid his gaze. The two of them stared at the launch site.
“Pardon me, miss,” he said after a few moments of silence, “but can I tell you something?”
“It depends,” she answered, her head still up towards the heavens trying to see any last sights of the fire in the sea of blue.
“I know this may sound crazy,” he began again after a moment’s pause, “but I believe in our past lives we were mates.”
The statement caught her off guard. Chloe’s eyebrow arched and his smile widened as she turned to look at him and determine if he was serious or not.
“Mates. As in animals who are lifelong partners.”
“Yes. Mates. Animals in a few, but mostly of the human form.”
Chloe slowly shifted to the edge of the bench, caution signs ringing in her head as he rolled midnight colored sleeves up to his elbows and casually crossed his legs. The breeze came, gentle and caressing against their skin, vanishing as quick as it came.
“Would you like to hear about one of our forms? We were lions at one point.”
Her eyebrows furrowed as curiosity began to take hold and slowly reel her in. He enjoyed the fact that she unconsciously moved back towards him.. “..Lions. As in the extinct felines once known to be king of the safari. The ones they’ve failed to clone on Earth.”
“Lions,” he gave a slight nod, “Proud leaders of the pack. We basked in the sun near watering holes and nipped at each others faces in displays of affection. You were the best hunter around and I fought for you against every male who wanted the top female in the pack. We were attached by the tail.”
“How cheesy. So, what happened to us?” she asked haughtily. “Let me guess. We were hunted?”
“Why, that’s correct,” he examined the lines on his palm, “I was killed on a safari accident; a rogue bullet really since it was against the law to hunt lions in this decade. It was the first time they saw a lion physically devastated over the loss of a significant other. You mourned over me with such intensity that it made them question what it meant to be human. You died from a broken heart.”
Chloe sucked her teeth and leaned back to her side in annoyance. “How anthropomorphic. Typical early 2000s classic. Now I’m supposed to ‘aww’ and fall into your charm and agree to a dinner date at the diner down the street, right? Not tonight, sir, no way.”
He watched her rise to her feet, a small ‘hmph’ escaping her lips as she dusted off the back of her dress and pulled her hair behind her ear. Her irritation made her adorable, lips bent in a pout and eyes narrowed in disagreement as she turned to walk away. He chuckled and as she bid him a good day, he stretched out on the bench and waved his hand in the air.
“Come back tomorrow around the same time so I can tell you more about our past lives!”
As much as Chloe wanted to deny it that night she laid in bed restless, thoughts plagued with lions and lakes and the idea that they were truly attached.
To Be Continued.
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