Human Untouched: Requiem of the State (Sequel to Human Untouched)

6.

As promised, those two took me out on a day-long field trip everywhere through Section B. I'd arrived back at my new apartment with painful feet and a full stomach from lunch. A long nap later, I took a long shower in a cubicle that actually permitted me and my wings enough place to easily move around. They were a bit chafed from being in their harness all day, but it was nothing that wouldn't be gone by the morning.

Waving a hand at the screen, I scrolled through the channels with simple flicks of my eye as I started to dry my hair. My wing were spread wide open to avoid getting crushed against the couch. The lower ones flapped a few times before wrapping around my waist as usual. I barely noticed it at this point. I was just wondering whether to continue eating the ice cream or avoid sugar and try to sleep again for the work day tomorrow when there was a knock on my door.

I stood up slowly, vaguely wondering if it was Keelan or Rush. It was neither. Surprise passed through me as I stared at Arnie's annoyed features. There was a few moments of silence between us before I remembered what I'd said to her earlier in the day. I gave her a sheepish smile. "I-uh-I totally forgot. Just give me a moment, I'll come with you to the dining hall."

She didn't reply. She was too busy staring at my wings. I uncertainly turned away from her to pull the towel off my head and place my feet into the new pair of slippers we'd bought today. Everything was new. I had two sets of five tank tops each, in several colours. I didn't even need that many tank tops. Technically, Rush did destroy about three of those while trying to use his knife to cut some slits for me.

I turned back to Arnie. She was still gawping at my wings. "Are these clothes okay?"

"Uh... Um..." She blinked a couple of times to ground herself again before looking me over. "Yeah. It's fine."

She moved back as I stepped out the door. Turning around to take my keycard out of its holder and let the room descend into dark. "Let's go. You lead the way."

"Uh... Yeah." She started walking with me towards the lift, eyes still glued to my back.

I glanced at her sideways. She met my eyes, turning a light shade of pink. "Sorry. It's just..."

"No need to explain. I understand." I chuckled softly, pressing the call button for the elevator. "You didn't believe me when I told you in the morning."

"Oh, yeah."

The lift dinged open, two people already in it. They started to smile at us, both of them freezing halfway to forming that facial expression as their eyes locked onto my wings. Softly sighing to myself, I smiled back at them before stepping into the elevator. They shifted a bit away as I flattened the wings to my back. There was silence in the lift, I could see the expression of shock on their faces reflected on the metal doors in front of me as they unabashedly stared at my back.

My right upper wing twitched once. Twice. The third time, I turned to make eye contact with the guy poking me. "Please don't do that." I smiled at him. My smile grew wider as he turned slightly red, pulling his hand back guiltily.

I could see Arnie out of the corner of my eye, she was trying not to smile. The lift dinged open and all of us stepped out, heading down the hallway to the mess.

"Are we late?" I asked, hearing a bit of a buzz from the mess.

"No. But I like to finish eating before majority of the crowd comes in." She glanced at her wristwatch. "At this time, almost all the 48 other people staying in this building will be here."