World's End by Zak Orvil

Author:Zak Orvil
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: queer horror books, lgbtq+ horror, transgender horror, weird sci fi book, jeff vandermeer, weird fiction, china mieville
Publisher: Fiercely Independent Press
Published: 2024-11-24T00:00:00+00:00

Ki

KI DID NOT LIKE THE way her sister had been acting. It would happen again and that would be one more thing to explain to the tourist. She hated trying to explain the Outland to outsiders. Especially now.

The trail was steady and clear for her, as it always was. She wondered sometimes how her sister could not see it. Ki did not expect the tourists to, but the fact that Lai could not always troubled her. She suspected her sister could see it well enough. Lai did not trust herself, was the problem. After all, she made it home after Dad had gone off trail.

She hated to leave Lai. She worried her sister would get lost, and she doubted she would come with her. Ki knew she should wait and come back alone, but he was following them, calling to her in her mind if not aloud. He promised their mother would be there at the waterfall tomorrow. It would be time to join them. She didn’t think she could stay just for Lai, and that tied her up inside. Her father had always said she needed to look after Lai, that she was not like them and needed protection.

She had never resented this extra responsibility, not until now when she had lost everyone except Lai. Her parents and all her friends. She did not blame Lai for their absence. That would be the Outland influencing her thoughts. No, she did not blame Lai, but she wished her sister did not hate the Outland. She did. Ki could tell that now. It had always been there, but now she saw it. Maybe the Outland would not want Lai and Ki would have no choice but to let her go into the world unprotected.

“It is from the Outland she needs protection,” her father said.

She knew better than to answer him. He walked along in the forest about twenty feet to her right. Lai may not need protection out there, she realized. And as she had that thought, she realized Lai wanted to leave the Outland. Of course she did. How could she be so blind? All the vids Lai watched. All the questions she peppered the tourists with about where they were from and what it was like there. She always wanted to leave, even before.

Ki felt herself relax. The trail glowed before her. It made her happy to watch it flow out before her.

“It’s time, Ki,” her father said.

The camping site that night was a large tent. It was never safe to sleep in separate quarters. They rolled out their bags after they ate. Ki watched her sister as she made small talk with the tourist. She would be okay. As she drifted off to sleep, she wondered if Lai would change again on the way to the waterfall. It was a funny thing. Ki assumed it had something to do with what had happened there, but she could never imagine what.

The next morning, Ki saw stubble along Lai’s chin. She watched Meno as they packed up, but like all tourists, he was oblivious.

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