Ticket To The Outside [Fiction]

I could barely sleep through the night. My joints ached and the pounding in my head grew loud as I hurried out of the cramped unit I shared with my two sisters to the transport station. There was a long line at the ticket office for the electro-zip line. I joined the queue and wished the officer would work faster.

The transport station was always busy—so many people travelled in and out of our sphere via different means. Very few went by train while the affluent opted for planes.

Everyone else—the low levels and riffraffs, as the Admin called us—took the electro-zip line. In every twenty hours that make up a sphere day, at least three fatal accidents would be recorded. It wasn't the safest means of transport but we had no choice.

I stepped out of the line and checked the officer at the cubicle again. He was tall, white with auburn hair that covered up most of his face. His wide jaws moved as he chewed gum.

“Hey, stop fidgeting. It will be our turn soon,” a lanky boy about my age said from behind me. I realised I was chewing my nails again and tapping my feet on the ground. I glanced at him. Cysts covered his brown face and some of them looked quite painful. He smiled nervously and I averted my eyes.

“You’re going to another sphere?”

“Uh, no. Not really.” I shook my head and started to bite my nails again.

“So what are you doing on this line?”

I didn't answer him. My journey was my business and no one else's. Not even my sisters, Anika and Lopi, who I was very sure wouldn't care whether I returned to the unit or not.

“You don't want to talk? Fine, forget I asked.”

“I have. My journey is my business.”

The lanky boy chuckled and strangely, I liked the sound of it. Then the line moved and we shuffled forward a bit.

“Sure, it's your business but no harm in being friendly. We low levels need to stick together more so that the high levels don't take everything from us.”

That sounded like the words of resistance. I turned to face him. “What do you know about the high levels?”

He scoffed and shrugged. Very yellow teeth peeked at me, and I restrained myself from displaying my disgust. He had friendly eyes and I felt a little at ease standing on the line with him.

“If you take the time to watch them, they are nicer to each other. Of course, they won't look our way because we behave wild, as they say.” He gestured with air quotes. “We can always learn stuff from them.”

“You want to be like them?”

“Just want a better life, nothin' more. So you'll tell me where you're headed?” He tipped his chin towards the ticket officer. We were inching close to the cubicle.

“You first.”

He chuckled again. “The Otherside.”

My eyes widened like saucers. That name wasn't something people say outright except to the ticket officer. And here I was, thinking I was alone on my secret mission, but there were others as well.

“What?” He leaned in and whispered, a faint smell of garlic wafting into my face. “Are you going there too?” I nodded, unable to speak.

“Next!” The ticket officer yelled, startling me. It was my turn. I moved forward and glanced back at the lanky boy. He gave me a sad smile. “See you there,” he mouthed.

I nodded again and faced the ticket officer who was already scowling at me. I leaned in and whispered, “Ticket to the Otherside.”

The ticket officer gave me a once-over while chewing his gum aggressively. “Hmm, you sure?” He arched a bushy auburn brow.

“Yes, I'm sure.”

“Pay up! Seven dreambucks.”

I placed the special shiny silver coins that cost me all my savings on his outstretched palm. He looked at them and handed me a shiny embossed card with the date February 29, 2112, etched on it.

I hurried to the electro-zip line and joined the next batch, which consisted of only two forlorn old people in a transparent glass box. I became the third passenger.

Whoosh! Like the speed of light, the electro-zip line slid down the cable. Thoughts of the lanky boy at the station crossed my mind. Perhaps I might see him there.

Sparks flew from the pressure on the cable as we made our way out of the sphere into another realm. A place where people rarely go unless they have unfinished business.

A realm where those who had passed on resided temporarily before transitioning to their ultimate resting abode.

A realm where I was willing to trade my soul to see my father who was abruptly taken away from me.

A realm where I believed my questions would be answered and my guilt put to rest.

The Outside.

I hope you enjoyed reading my short piece inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt “ticket to the Otherside”.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

^{Images created by AI in Nightcafe Studio}