Inside & Out Ch 4: A Long Day Ahead

(Charlotte) Stepping out of the shower, I wrapped myself in a towel and took a deep breath, letting the warmth from the water linger for jus

(Charlotte)

Stepping out of the shower, I wrapped myself in a towel and took a deep breath, letting the warmth from the water linger for just a little longer. It was too early for all this.

I ran my hands through my damp hair and looked at myself in the mirror, giving myself a little pep talk.

"Alright, Charlotte, let's get through another day without losing your mind."

With that incredibly motivating thought, I went to my closet and threw on my usual work uniform—a green-and-white striped shirt (which was somehow both too tight and too loose in all the wrong places) and a pair of blue jeans. I clipped my name tag onto my chest:

Charlotte – The Sub Spot

Yeah, The Sub Spot. That was the name of the sandwich shop I'd been working at for the past year. Real creative. But hey, it paid the bills. Well, some of them.

After slipping on my sneakers, I grabbed my phone and bag and headed out of my room, already bracing myself for a long shift full of impatient customers, mysterious sandwich stains, and at least one existential crisis.

As I passed through the kitchen, I leaned down and kissed my mom on the cheek.

"Bye, Mom. I'm heading to work."

She turned from the sink, drying her hands on a dish towel, and narrowed her eyes at me.

I paused. "What?"

"That look," she said knowingly.

I blinked. "What look?"

She gave me a smirk, the kind only a mom could give. "The 'I'm completely over this job and feel like I'm wasting my life but I'm pretending I'm fine' look."

I scoffed. "Wow. So specific."

She folded her arms. "Charlotte, honey, I know you want to do more with your life. And you will. But everyone has to start somewhere. A first job is just that—a first job. Be a little patient, and the right opportunity will come along before you know it."

I sighed, looking down at my name tag, tracing my fingers over the little plastic rectangle.

"I hope you're right," I murmured.

She gave me a warm smile and pulled me into a hug. "I'm always right."

I laughed against her shoulder before pulling away. "Alright, alright. I gotta go make sandwiches and contemplate my existence."

She chuckled as I grabbed my bag and headed for the door.

As I stepped outside, I took a deep breath of fresh air and hoped, just maybe, that she was right.

***

(Kael)

A Life of Blue

I sat at the small, rickety table, absently poking at my breakfast with my spoon. It wasn't that the food was bad—just the usual nutrient mush with a side of hydration gel—but I couldn't bring myself to eat.

My mind was too cluttered, too weighed down with thoughts I couldn't seem to shake.

"Kael, stop playing with your food and eat properly."

I blinked and looked up. My father sat across from me, his sharp gray eyes locked onto mine. His face was lined with years of work and quiet acceptance. Next to him, my mother silently sipped at her warm broth, and my little sister, Seris, kept her head down, scooping food into her mouth without a care in the world.

I set my spoon down and stared at my father. Then, before I could stop myself, I asked, "Did you ever want a better life?"

A brief silence settled over the table. My mother stilled. Seris stopped eating and glanced up at me, her big blue eyes wide with curiosity.

My father, however, didn't hesitate. "Our life is just fine, Kael. The life of a Blue is nothing to be ashamed of."

I clenched my fists. "Fine? How can you say that?" I stood up so fast my chair scraped against the floor. "Look at the Reds! The Yellows! They have everything, and we have...this!"

I gestured around the house, my frustration boiling over. The walls were old, patched together with scraps of salvaged material. The air was heavy, humid, clinging to my skin like a second layer. The regulators barely did anything anymore. No fresh air. No relief.

And outside...

I turned to the window, looking out over Drenvalis, our city—the city of the forgotten, wedged deep within the appendix of the goddess herself.

It was always damp here. Always thick with the awful stench that rolled in from the goddess's massive intestines, carrying with it a never-ending wave of misery.

Even still, we worked. We endured.

My father sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "This is how it's always been, Kael. For hundreds, maybe thousands of years. This is our place. There is no shame in not being one of the chosen." His voice was calm, steady, but firm. "We all have a role in this world. And ours is to serve."

I felt my jaw tighten, my fingernails digging into my palms.

Serve.

That was all we were meant for. Shoveling filth. Collecting scraps. Living in the shadows while others flourished.

I looked down at my half-finished food, suddenly losing what little appetite I had left. Without a word, I picked up my bowl and carried it to the sink, rinsing it out in silence.

When I turned back to my parents, my voice was quieter, but still heavy with frustration. "I'm heading to my next job."

My mother looked up sharply. "Already? You just finished your morning shift."

I forced a small, strained smile. "Food collection duty. In the goddess's mouth." I grabbed my worn-out work bag from the hook by the door. "Hopefully, I'll come back safe."

My mother's eyes softened. My father simply nodded.

"Be careful, son."

I hesitated at the door, glancing back at them. I wanted to say something more. But what was the point?

Instead, I took a deep breath and forced the words out.

"Have a good day."

And with that, I stepped outside, heading toward the mouth of the goddess, where my next shift awaited.