{"id":2378,"date":"2022-05-14T12:46:38","date_gmt":"2022-05-14T19:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2378"},"modified":"2022-05-14T12:47:04","modified_gmt":"2022-05-14T19:47:04","slug":"rooftop-in-old-rio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2022\/05\/14\/rooftop-in-old-rio\/","title":{"rendered":"Rooftop in Old Rio"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt: Set your story in an unlikely sanctuary.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

available at Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sun sank below the tops of the city, the hundred-story, kilometer square, squat, grey blocks arranged in a neat grid. The ruins they worked their way up, in the heart of the old city, were one-fifth the height.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stairwell was open in spots, the vines having wedged into the mortar and pulled parts of the wall away. Sid looked out one of the holes at the ground far below. \u201cAre you sure this is safe?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEnough. Nothing\u2019s completely safe.\u201d Ala continued to the roof, waiting for Sid to catch up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow about,\u201d Sid asked, catching his breath, \u201clegal?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, no. Not at all.\u201d Ala laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sid eyed the door to the stairwell and crouched down. He licked his lips and took a few deep breaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRelax. No one\u2019s looking for us here, and there are no regular patrols.\u201d Ala removed her pack, pulled out a blanket and spread it with a shake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow often do you do this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery chance I get.\u201d She pointed to one of the other ruined buildings. \u201cThat one has a better view into the jungle, but the roof is starting to sag. Squishy in places, a little scary. Still, there\u2019s enough of a view from here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sid stood and looked away from the city toward the jungle. It had reclaimed the smaller buildings around the ruins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the sunset, the noise from the jungle increased. Birds and monkeys called out in the twilight. Ala raised a pair of binoculars and scanned the trees. She handed them to Sid and pointed to a large tree at the edge of the canopy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sid watched as monkeys jumped from branch to branch in a wild chase. He handed the binoculars back. \u201cNot something I ever thought I\u2019d see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not the best part,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll have to wait a bit for it. In the meantime, let\u2019s eat.\u201d She unpacked the bedrolls and self-heating meals. While the meals heated, she removed a thermos from her pack and poured two cups of steaming coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat smells amazing. Is it real?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYep. Normally I wouldn\u2019t bother, but since I brought a guest, I thought I\u2019d splurge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As they ate, their conversation was trivial, and about nothing in particular. Ala noticed that Sid wolfed down his meal but took time savoring his coffee sip by sip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s more of that,\u201d she said, \u201cyou don\u2019t have to make it last all night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not that. I just want to enjoy this as long as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sky darkened by slow degrees. Venus showed first, followed by a few bright stars. By the time the sky had gone dark, the Milky Way splashed across the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s\u2026beautiful doesn\u2019t seem adequate.\u201d Sid lay back on his bedroll and stared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is why I love it here.\u201d Ala hummed in content. \u201cClear skies and new moon is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow I understand your art a little better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow so?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, as far as abstract art goes, there\u2019s something about it that seems solitary without being lonely. There\u2019s also a feeling in several of them of being\u2026small? Insignificant without being totally unimportant? Not sure I\u2019m being clear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, you are. Those are valid interpretations.\u201d Ala made a sweeping gesture at the Milky Way above. \u201cAll of this, and yet I can lay here and contemplate it with thirteen hundred grams of brain-meat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHumbling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEgo boost. I mean, we don\u2019t even have the largest brains on Earth, yet we\u2019re the ones that have ventured to other stars, colonized other worlds. Sure, we messed up early on, nearly killed the planet, but we found our way and it\u2019s well on the way to recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou ever been out there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMandatory service,\u201d Ala said. \u201cI was bounced around between systems: Bul, Dem, Kal, and Moz. You?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2026no. I did mandatory service in Capital City. It was the first time I left the block.\u201d Sid propped himself up on his elbows. \u201cIn fact, today is the first day I left the block since I returned twelve years ago. I thought when I got off the train, I\u2019d\u2026I don\u2019t know. It scared me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe whole trip you were scared. And now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCalm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExactly. That\u2019s why I come here. To relax, recharge, reconnect to what\u2019s important.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat part inside that makes us unique? I\u2019m not sure, but whatever it is, I feel it most here, and pour it out on the canvas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that noise?\u201d Sid asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ala listened, catching a faint hum on the breeze. \u201cShit. It\u2019s a drone. Let\u2019s get to the stairwell before it gets here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She grabbed up the blanket and pack and ran across the dark rooftop. Sid followed close. They started down the dark stairs, feeling their way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you have a light?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, and if I turn it on now, the drone might pick it up. As it is, I can hope that our heat signatures are hidden enough by the ruins to be a jaguar or something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJaguar?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, but they don\u2019t usually come this far out. I\u2019ve only ever seen one, and that was from a distance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sid sat down on the stairs. \u201cI\u2019m not taking another step until I have some light.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSid, I get that you\u2019re not used to being outside\u2026at all. A few minutes ago, you were laying under the stars feeling calm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd\u2026if we ever<\/em> want to be able to come back, we need to get clear of the ruins without being caught.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWould it really be that bad? It\u2019s a fine? What?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, it\u2019s a fifty credit fine. But<\/em>\u2026we\u2019ll be watched every time we leave the block. Meaning we\u2019ll never get within a kilometer of the ruins again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat wouldn\u2019t be so bad for me,\u201d Sid said. \u201cHell, I\u2019ll pay your fine, too. I just don\u2019t want to kill myself trying to get out of here in the dark.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ala leaned in close him, where they could see each other in the dim light of the stars through the broken wall. \u201cI\u2019m not losing this because you\u2019re scared! I\u2019d rather leave you behind. This is my sanctuary, my only place of peace. You take this away, you might as well lock me in the asylum, because I won\u2019t last.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sid shrank back before he stood and nodded. They continued their slow descent. \u201cHow long have you been coming here?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSince I was six or seven. My mother used to sneak out here with me. We used to camp out on the building I pointed out earlier. My family roots come from right here. We used to go by the graveyard first and visit my great-great-however-many-grandparents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s the graveyard?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s completely covered by the jungle now. Even the little path is gone. It disappeared while I was doing my mandatory service.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry you lost that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThanks. I could probably find it again, but maybe it\u2019s better that the jungle reclaims it. Sorry I snapped at you. You didn\u2019t deserve that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, I probably did.\u201d They continued in silence for a while before he spoke up again. \u201cIf I\u2019d just been a little patient, my eyes would\u2019ve adjusted. I can sort of see the stairs now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA couple more floors and we\u2019ll be far enough past the last hole in the wall to use a light.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan you still hear the drone?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, but that doesn\u2019t mean it isn\u2019t there.\u201d She slowed down and held a hand up. \u201cThis is the last hole coming up. It\u2019s pretty big. I\u2019ll go first and make sure the coast is clear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ala edged around the corner where she found the drone sitting on the next landing down. She backed up into Sid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He leaned close and whispered. \u201cIt\u2019s right there, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ala nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do we do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drone hummed and ascended to where the two were huddled. \u201cHello,\u201d a voice came from the drone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ala drooped. \u201cHi.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll pay the fines,\u201d Sid said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, you\u2019re not in trouble,\u201d the voice said. \u201cAt least not from me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPardon me. Doctor Sue Westmore, Rio University Archaeology Department.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll\u2026leave,\u201d Ala said. \u201cPlease don\u2019t let the authorities know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot at all. I\u2019d heard rumors of someone haunting the ruins on clear nights and wanted to see for myself. I\u2019m sorry for eavesdropping, but seeing how well you navigated, I just had to know. Since you know the ruins, at least out to the cemetery, I\u2019d like to hire you as a guide.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA guide? For what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re planning on having grad students do some field work here in Old Rio. The government has approved a grant to restore the cemetery along with a walking path and turn it into a heritage site.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat does that mean for me?\u201d Ala asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou would help the students find the cemetery, and maybe some other excursions through the city ruins. One or two days a week. And you\u2019d have full access to the ruins at any time. For at least four years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut it feels like my secret spot is being taken away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t want to be involved, that\u2019s fine, but it\u2019s happening either way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ala groaned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sid grabbed her shoulder. \u201cIf you take the job, you can make sure the students never get anywhere around this building, or even this part of the ruins. It\u2019s not safe, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI guess you\u2019re right. How do I contact you, Doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSync your comm with the drone, and I\u2019ll holo you tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once Ala had gotten the ping from the drone, it flew back out of the building and away. She handed the torch to Sid. \u201cLet\u2019s get home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sid turned on the torch behind her. The harsh light against the walls and stairs made it seem flat. Ala felt it took the magic away. She just hoped that it wasn\u2019t gone forever.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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