Chapter 26 Children of the Moon

Chapter 26

Children of the Moon

  It never crossed Kia’s mind that she no longer needed wings to fly. However, Alexander could not help but glance over his shoulders as he soared up from the craggy opening at the top of the smaller sphere and into the open sky. It was not so much that he missed his wings. He simply no longer felt like himself. It was quite unsettling.

  Cool air streamed over his human body making his new clothes flap and fluttered. They were nothing like the feathers that once covered most of his body. Considering the circumstances, it was a small thing. Still, back in his native element the sky, he could not help but feel naked, even a bit disoriented.

 What would his family think when they saw him, how could he possibly explain it, when he could not explain it to himself, it was something meant to be. That would be his explanation he could do no better.

 He assumed his transformation served a higher purpose. One thing he now possessed he never had before was a magical empathy. Though he still had eagle like eye -sight, he found he did not need it now that he was outside the Narrow’s caverns.

   He could actually feel Captain Marks’ aching heart beating his own chest, an invisible cord pulling him forward, drawing him to his old friend. Kia felt it too, maybe even stronger than him. She was certainly flying faster than he was.

  Older’s Island was a densely forested ovoid, two miles across three miles long. They had exited the caverns at its’ southernmost end.  The great oak that overshadowed the Captain stood at its northernmost end.  They had no idea how fast they were flying, but they arrived at the tree much sooner than they expected. Apparently, the mystery force propelling them though the air was far more efficient than wings. 

  Still curled up and trembling like a child, the Captain lay whimpering; completely unaware he was no longer alone. Kia settled to the ground just beyond the tree with such feather lightness not one twig broke or dry leaf cracked as she stepped out of the air and picked her way through the thin underbrush surrounding the oak.    

   Alex eased up behind her. Still the Captain heard nothing.

  A mere three feet away, Kia kneeled down behind him and whispered.

  “Captain, I’m here…”

   In spite of the fact that the company had gone to great lengths to make the Mind Movie theater lobby look like something right out of the seventies, its interior was like nothing Kian had ever seen. A huge glass ball floated untethered ten feet above the empty center of a hundred concentric circular rows of black leather recliners. Soft gray indirect light provided just enough illumination for them to read their seat numbers, clearly printed on the right arm of every seat.   

  Kian’s ticket read 407, Penny’s 408 and Kress’ 409. Three narrow aisles neatly divided the pie shaped auditorium. The girls followed Kian around the outer most circle and down the first aisle, they came to. After foot dodging several patrons already seated they found their seats. Soon the three of them were comfortably reclined their faces looking up at the giant glass ball.

  The lights grew dimmer as their bodies sank deep into the water soft cushions. Except for their arms and hands, the cushions locked them in place. The could eat their popcorn and drink their soda from specially designed containers that kept their contents ready for consumption but not easily spilled.

  Blackness suddenly expelled every sliver of light. Kress squealed but, quickly stifled her fear. Then a ball of light exploded just inches from their faces. It pierced every pupil, raced down every optic nerve and commandeered every brain. The show was about to start…