AU Thear: Tabitha: Travelling to Thear (part 2)

[k_a_webb]

Part 1

The first boy looked back at Tabitha, seeming a little disconcerted. “Didn’t you have any plans that you have to change?”

She shook her head. “No, not really. Life here is all about expectations, but on Thear there are none because we don’t know what might happen.” Her excitement filled her voice. “I’m glad I was lucky enough to receive a letter.”

“You’re different to most of the other girls,” the second boy commented, smiling back at her. “I don’t understand why everyone isn’t excited about the opportunity we’ve been given.”

“Leaving everything behind isn’t easy for everyone,” she said, glancing behind her at some of the sobbing girls, feeling bad for dismissing their emotions because she wasn’t the same as them. “We should be more understanding.”

Nodding, the first boy also returned her smile. “You’re right about that. It wasn’t easy for me to leave my family behind, but at the same time leaving is doing them a good turn because now they have one less mouth to feed.”

As they stepped onto the ramp that led up to the ship Tabitha took one last look at the world she was leaving behind. Both of the boys were doing the same when she turned to continue her journey and she felt a kinship with them that she’d never felt with anyone before. It was hard not to when she knew that they were all going to a whole new world, so it was likely that they would be a part of the community she lived withing. She stepped past them, not wanting to spoil their view, so she could finish the walk up to the ship.

Waiting at the doorway was a man giving out envelopes to everyone who stepped past him. Tabitha took hers, murmuring a quiet thank you, and stepped onto the ship. She found herself in a large communal room, full of people opening envelopes and talking. Slowly she looked around in an attempt to find a quiet corner, giving the two boys a chance to catch up with her. Both held an envelope and both looked around the room with the same disappointment in their eyes, making her think they were both as uncomfortable with large groups of people as she was.

“There’s a door over there,” she said quietly, pointing. “If the majority of people are still here then we’re likely to find a nice quiet spot out there.”

Both the boys followed her once again as she made her way over to the door. With her free hand Tabitha opened it, holding it open for the first boy, and breathed a sigh of relief when she realised the three of them were alone. She lent with her back against the wall, making herself comfortable, before opening the letter she’d been given. All it had on it was a number.

“Room number?” boy two asked, looking at his own letter.

“Must be,” Tabitha replied, standing once more and starting to make her way down the corridor they’d found themselves in.

Mirrored from K. A. Jones Writing.