The Hidden Isle

I lay in bed savoring my alone time. The sun rises and birds chirp as though nothing has changed. The knock at the front door sounds like an iron fist. I don’t know anyone strong enough who could knock so fiercely. I can hear my mother thru the thin walls excitedly greeting our guest. A moment later my mother bursts into my bedroom with my younger sister. My mother has the body of a twenty year old model and chestnut hair always perfectly groomed, she is naturally more sensual in plain clothes then I would have liked, but her beauty comes with benefits I cannot deny, such as being able to stop traffic by batting her eye lashes. My younger sister Chloe is always the belle of the ball, she won her first beauty contest as a newborn baby and has been competing in pageants ever since. Chloe is still sweet but I think the tiaras and titles have recently gone to her head, there isn’t a teenager who wouldn’t want to be her in Copper Beach. Cloe opens the curtain to my only bedroom window. Light awakens my pastel pink room, I would have painted it years ago but we never have the money for paint. The previous owner loved pink because Cloe’s room and the bathroom are painted the same shade of pink. My room is simple, a twin size bed, single nightstand, and a half empty bookshelf. No need for much else. My ten outfits fit neatly in my small closet and even though my room is smaller than a Gold’s forey, I don’t have enough stuff to fill it anyway.

“There is someone from Silverado here for you!” Cloe exclaims, jumping for joy. Her pony tails make her look younger than she is as she smiles excitedly.

“Who?” I mumble, half awake. I roll away from them in my bed.

“He has come to collect you. Now that the virus is cured a select few have been authorized to go to Gold Province today. You have been selected!” Mom exclaims. I lay in bed wishing I was still asleep. I close my eyes to block out the sunlight. I feel the makeup brush dusting my face even though my eyes were still adjusting to the morning sunlight. I keep my puffy eyes closed allowing my mom to paint my face like an art canvas. The cacouphony of the make-up bag awakens me fully. The foundation brush gently smacks my nose. “Absolutely perfect,” Mom says, with the biggest smile. I hear the click of the compact close. “Cloe, help Emilia dress.” Mom places the nicest dress I own on my bed. My bedroom door slams and it’s just me and Cloe for a moment.

“Mom seems overly excited,” I say.

“You’re lucky to be leaving Copper Beach. You have been too sad this past week, I am sure happiness awaits you in Gold Province,” Cloe says. Her Piercing green eyes try to stare into my soul, but it’s no use, my eyes are permanently clouded with tears. The virus is cured, but this new world order has untimely stolen my heart.

Cloe eyes me disappointingly. “Please try to smile. Write me as soon as you arrive. It will be nice to get off of the Isle. Life on Copper Beach is too small.”

“You know I will send for you as soon as I can.” We smile agreeably.

“Hurry up!” Gran yells with one heavy bang on the door.

“Just another minute,” Cloe and I say in unison.

Cloe holds out a ruby and a copper colored pair of earrings. “Which ones?”

“Copper of course.” A splash of lip gloss turns my lips grapefruit pink. I gaze into the mirror, the girl in the reflection is me but she looks more refine and put together. I always knew I was beautiful, all Coppers are, but today I have the opportunity to be more than a pretty girl. When the virus outbreak happened the creation of the Isle and the tier system was only the beginning of everything changing.

“Good morning Miss. I am Aldrich Silver.” It was clear he was a Silver– his face is unbecoming but he clearly has a career and lots of money based on the expensive suit he is wearing. If he was born handsome he might have been eligible to be a Gold. I glimpse at the silver tips on his blazer that shine in the poorly lit living room. A Silvers clothes are superior but Coppers are the best natural looking people of the three tiers.

“Good morning Aldrich.” I smile pleasantly to my superior. I try to ignore his distorted nose and elephant ears.

“Please sit,” Aldrich insists. I practically sit on my Moms lap because I am so nervous but she gracefully moves so I land on the lumpy sofa. He places a dictionary worth of papers on the coffee table. Mismatched furniture and peach cream walls make up our small living space. I look politely at the Silver.

“Will you please verify some information about yourself for me?” Aldrich asks. His voice is monotone like a constant noisy night bug. I nod in agreement.

“Are you E646?”

“Yes.”

“Full name?” He asks with a stern face.

“Emilia Thea Copper.” Aldrich nods in agreement undoubtedly reading my name from his parchment.

“Eye color?”

“Brown.”

“E646’s eyes are brown – green,” Mom corrects me.

“Let me see.” Aldrich uses a small flashlight attached to a key to shine light directly into my eyes. The light is unpleasant but tolerable. “Brown – green is correct.” Mom smiles omnisciently. “Natural hair color?”

“Brown.”

“Height?”

“Five feet and four inches.”

“Weight?”

“One hundred and twenty pounds exactly,” I say proudly.

“Date of birth?”

“April fifth 321 New Era,” I say.

“Thank you E646. Sign here and you will be allowed passage to Gold Province.” He points where I am supposed to sign. I hesitate just for a moment when I see the countless tiny words I am about to agree to. I push the signed paper toward Aldrich. “Can you please clear the room? There are a few words I can only say to E646.”

“Of course. We are honored to have Emilia be selected for this visit to Gold. The circumstances are unsettling but I can assure you that Emilia is the perfect choice.” Mom’s words are sincere.

“Of course Gold will be good for E646. Condolences have already been sent to the Trask family. But, life must continue. The cure to the virus has already changed life during the New Era.”

“Of course,” Mom agrees. She walks out the front door with Gran and Chloe.

I sit still on the couch trying to anticipate his words. What could he possibly only be able to say to me?

“Now then. I have a message to give you.” I acknowledge him giving direct eye contact. He places an envelope on the table with only my legal name, E646, written on it. When I reach for the message, Aldrich places his hand protectively over the envelope. “You may only open this when you are alone. Do you understand?” He stares at me with threatening eyes like he will somehow know if I don’t heed his instructions.

I swallow the lump of fear in my throat. “I promise.”

“Good.” He pushes the envelope across the coffee table towards me. “You should be afraid to go to Gold. There are only a handful of Coppers in Gold and most people are awaiting their return to the mainland. During the New Era a Copper has never visited Gold under your unusual circumstances,” he whispers.

“I understand,” I murmur with a touch of nervousness.

He places the paperwork into his leather brief case. “A car is waiting outside to take you to Gold. You have a few minutes to say goodbye to your family.”

I nod once in agreement. “Will I see you again?” I ask quizzically to the ugly man.

“I am sure we will meet again. Good day E646.” His smile is uncanny.

“Good day Aldrich.” I say, then gently close the front door.

I know my family heard the door close and will enter the house soon, but I just have to know what is in the mysterious envelope. The note reads, bright blue building. The words are written on a fortune cookie size piece of paper.

I look back at my family home painted in tones of sea shell white and ocean blue –pink jasmine and hibiscus flowers bloom in varying colors. I inhale a long breath of salty sea air. Goodbye Copper Beach.

The driver open the car door for me and inside I see a young lady about my age dressed in copper with a copper identification bracelet like mine. “Hello, my name is Emilia. Who are you?”

“Lavena Copper. I am a vendor who has been invited to Gold.” Her brown eyes shift. She is a thin and graceful copper with rare ruby colored hair. “I sell herbs and spices mostly.” But her innocent reply doesn’t fool me, her remarkable posh poinsettia red ribbon in her hair tells me she is an extraordinary vendor, she sells red lace undoubtedly, red lace has the power to change someone’s appears, strong enough to transform a silver to a gold for a few hours.

“It’s nice to meet you. Are you going to attend the funeral today?” I ask quizzically.

“No. I am only in Gold for a few hours to sell some herbs. Take a sample.” She hands me a small royal blue medicine bag. “Us Coppers need to stick together.” A grin of satisfaction appears on her face when I take the medicine bag.

“Thank you.”

“Have you heard about the biggest scandal in Gold?” Lavena asks me. I say nothing.

“Of course you haven’t. You live in Copper Beach. People have been suggesting that Nolan was killed because he had fallen in love with a Copper. No one knows if it’s true. Reports can’t question the dead. If his family really did kill him for loving someone from a lower tier I hope they don’t know who she was or they will surely kill her too.”

My body freezes after hearing her verbal rubbish. Then Lavena and I are glued to the window as the car pulls up to the gate to Silverado. The car stops to show identification, then the silver gate opens. I have never been anywhere on the isle other than Copper Beach.

“Silverado is a beautiful place,” I say gesturing for us to look around. I see so much silver. There are silver buildings and elaborate silver art. People dressed in silver clothes. I notice a girl with glittery silver tipped hair walking into a store, I never knew hair could be anything other than a natural hair color. After the city shopping center we see metal art as tall as palm trees.

My eyes widen when the gold gate opens for us, the driver keeps the same pace. I would stop breathing if it wasn’t an automatic body function. The gate itself is a master piece, shiny gold glints in the sunlight. I thought Silverado was breathtaking but Gold is like something you read about in a fiction book or a fantasyland. The car stops in a magnificent Golden courtyard, the road is made of gold brick, and the center statue made of gold rains flakes of gold. The civilians in Gold Province look like diverse versions of Barbie and Ken dolls. Our car stops abruptly near another car.

Zara appears and my heart begins to race with fear. She wears a golden floor length dress with fancy black veiled hat. “E646,” Zara address me as a number. Her captivating tone is one that only a Gold could have. He bouncy long blonde curls move fluidly as she walks.

“Hello Zara.” We have only interacted a few times in the past with each other, but she has never been kind to me.

“Your clothes… well… they won’t due. Put on this hat for now, I will have you change before the funeral ceremony.

I place the elegant black veiled hat on my head. “Very well.”

“Nolan’s funeral begins soon. We must be going,” Zara insists. Her driver holds open the car door for me to follow Zara into the automobile.

Strangers from everywhere begin to run and hide. “Wind Storm!” I hear a nearby man shout. I look to the sky, I see a bright blue building, and every one begins to run. I look away from Zara and decide to run as fast as I can toward the bright blue building.

“Emilia!” A familiar voice echoes between the tall buildings. There is only one person in Gold that would call me Emilia. When I reach the end of the building I think I am seeing a ghost. A man with a military haircut, toned arm muscles, and soft sapphire eyes peer at me.

“You made it!” Nolan sighs in relief. I question my sanity when he speaks.

I touch his face and feel his features to confirm Nolan is real. I murmur, “Nolan?”