by Jill Caplin
Even though it appeared like the center of any old small town without a famous statue in the middle, it signified the inner core of The Annex. As Tessa gazed at the ceiling, all she noticed were the thin solar tubes. She wondered if New City would be a brighter place.
In the center, Tessa noticed a long line of wire segregated the boys from the girls. Smiling, she glanced at Aden, who smiled back. A few of them wiggled in their shoes, while others played with their hair, or bit their fingernails just like her to calm down. She shifted back and forth, trying to maintain her composure.
All of them faced a podium set up in front of the huge projection screen. Pulled out from storage once a month, it displayed the pictures of those chosen. Supervisors stood nearby, protecting the screen and providing security. A small crowd of people showed up for the event.
Anyone who didn’t want to participate or attend the event reported to work as usual. Usually, just teenagers and single young adults living in their respective dorms stood in line.
A member from the Counters arrived by an electrical shuttle. He parked it near the podium. The Counter in his bright silk orange suit came out of his van from the passenger side and walked to his place on a podium located in the center of The Annex. He touched the small microphone in his ear, and the projection screen turned on.
“Welcome to Exchange Day. I wish everyone the best of luck. Let us look to the screen to see who is exchanged into New City and who is going to The Annex. As you see, your picture appears on the screen, stand by me. As the rules go, where you will be placed in New City will all be revealed after you arrive at processing.”
Tessa faced the screen watching as pictures of the people chosen would start flashing one by one on the screen. Nervous how she didn’t see her picture or Aden’s picture as the first five people flashed on the screen, Tessa kept wondering if she would miss her turn again.
After the fifth person walked across the stage, her sense of worry turned into relief as Tessa saw a picture of herself on the screen.
Tessa held back her excitement as she waited to see if Aden’s picture appeared on the screen as well. Five more photos of people selected were displayed on the screen.
. She shook her head after not seeing Aden picked. He smiled and touched his hand to his heart. Tessa hoped he meant one day she would run into him somewhere in New City.
“People of The Annex,” the Counter said, “now you will see those who are coming into The Annex. They gave up on their lives in New City, and now they return with nothing, owing the New Leaders money. Once you are exchanged, stay in your jobs and do not make the same mistake these people did.”
Then the screen flashed their faces. No one made any comments. How embarrassing it must have been for the people to think about how anyone from New City would lose enough of their money so they would have to live in The Annex.
Tessa noticed those in attendance and those not picked look to the ground and left to their jobs. Exchange Day ended.
Standing by the Counter, she followed him and the others inside the shuttle. Tessa observed a member of Security sitting with them. Everyone kept silent as the shuttle sped through the electrical gates of The Annex into the main gates of New City.
Tessa hoped she would get her first chance to see New City. The shuttle passed by one row of Shops. She glanced through the windows of the shuttle seeing each Shop had a different, colored neon selling different products: from shoes to clothing to toiletries and displayed showcase windows for viewing the items.
Escorted by Security, Tessa recognized the inside the same amphitheater where she first arrived at New City. Except for this time, in almost total darkness.
Instead of sitting in regular seats like in the audience, Tessa and the others followed Security to the center stage of the amphitheater. A set of ten chairs placed in the middle, as if they sat on stage and their future employers in the seats were gazing upon them. Tessa cringed, feeling like they were the entertainment.
After being told which chair to sit in, Tessa took her place on stage. She shifted nervously in the chair. As soon as all of them were seated, the Counter stood in front of them. He handed each person a paper with an enlarged number on it and a safety pin.
“Pin the number on the front of your shirts and don’t forget to smile!” He said. He turned his back to them.
The lights came on.
Tessa gasped at the people who were in the seats. The women wore dazzling colored dresses made of luxurious materials with matching silky shawls and sparkling jewelry. Tessa imagined all of the women wearing glamorous shoes. The men wore flashy, coordinated suits in a variety of different colors.
The silence changed to squeaking as the sound of a loud microphone pierced the ears of everyone in the building. The Counter appeared ready to make his speech.
“Ladies and gentlemen welcome to Exchange Day. I know you are excited to be here. We have ten lucky members of The Annex who would love to work for you.” The Counter explained, “You can see the numbers placed on their shirts. Please write down your bids for the person who want on the cards in your hands. When you are done, please hand them to the Security person that is closest to you.”
Tessa couldn’t believe she heard the word “bid.” She felt so insulted, realizing she had to be part of an auction. Her hands clenched with a furious feeling of how people had no right to bid on her, like being action off as a slave.
She was a person. What was wrong with these people?
She felt horrified knowing the live auctions of people were happening again, and somehow, history seemed to be repeating itself. Tessa thought to herself; there needed to be a better way to treat people. Tessa forced a smile regardless of what churned inside her stomach.
The Security people brought the cards with the bids written to the Counter. He glanced at them and started individually calling the numbers. One by one, each person would glance at the number on his or her shirt, stand up and be escorted by a Security person to a room at the right side of the stage.
Tessa heard her number called. Holding her hands to keep them from shaking, Tessa stood up and followed Security to the room.
Inside, she glanced around and noticed a chair and a sofa. The Security person pointed for her to sit in the chair. Tessa didn’t have to wait long until a young woman, who appeared about her age, and her parents walked into the room.
The young woman sat between her parents on the sofa. Tessa recognized her father as a Banker since he wore a purple silk business suit. His tie, shirt, and shoes were all the same color. Everything his wife wore matched, from the color of her shoes to the color of her earrings and eye shadow. Tessa recalled how she learned the names of several of the colors during her processing when she first entered the auditorium in The Annex.
The mother had a long, youthful face and a thin nose. She wore her short, permed black hair close to her face. The father was bald with a pug nose and sported a black goatee.
The daughter had a pretty face with high cheekbones, creamy purple glossed lips, green eyes, and long blond hair. She tapped together the ends of her polished purple fingernails. She wore a bright purple chiffon blouse, black linen slacks, and high-heeled black shoes.
No one spoke for a few minutes. It felt like an inspection under a microscope. Tessa became aware of the New Leaders learned everything about her from her DNA sample alone, if not from her optical scan.
The father sat there with an awkward grin on his face and then gazed away. The mother appeared to inspect Tessa with mean, brown eyes and a scowl on her face. She changed her scowl to a grimace for no reason. She barked in a sharp, staccato rhythm.
“You are to help Audra. She wanted a new girl before her celebration. Just do what she asks then you’ll have no problem with me. You shall address us as Mrs. or Mr. Hill and our daughter as Miss Audra. You can speak now if you like.”
“Thank you for allowing me into your home. Thank you, Miss Audra, for picking me to help you,” Tessa said.
> “Very well,” the mother said. “Let’s go now. We’ll show you around our home. Audra will show you your room.” They stood up and headed towards the door.
Tessa listened how the mother picked her words quite carefully. She guessed the people in New City thought very highly of themselves, so the mother’s sharp attitude towards her didn’t surprise her. The mother echoed words like her own mother. Tessa didn’t care what the woman said, happy finally making it inside New City.
Following Audra and her parents to a small electric car, Tessa sat inside with them. They traveled what felt like a few blocks to a luxury apartment complex in New City. The driver of the car dropped the four of them off at the outside door of the apartment.
Once inside, her jaw dropped open as Tessa glimpsed at a few of the things they owned. Never in her life had she seen such bold colors of purple and black, which decorated the home. Frames of family portraits of each of the parents hung on the wall. They walked through the over-sized living area with its two leather couches enhanced with a black and purple starry design. She followed them down a hallway, listening to Mrs. Hill bark rules in her curt tone.
“You’re not to go into any rooms with doors closed. You’re limited to going into your room and bathroom, Audra’s room and bathroom, and the kitchen,” the mother said, “In the kitchen, you’ll ask Carey for your meal. I’ll leave you to get to know Audra now. Do not disappoint me. You can be sent right back if things don’t work well for you in our home.”
The rude, last comment didn’t even feel like a threat since Tessa would make sure she did nothing wrong to ruin her chances of staying in New City. She also figured out the mother didn’t want a response, so she nodded in agreement.
She followed Audra to a flight of stairs at the end of the hall. A steep staircase seemed to lead down to a dimly lit hallway.
“Down there is your room. Carey and Dahlia, our other servants, live there as well. It’s the last one at the end of the hall. Our one male servant and driver live up in the attic,” Audra said.
Tessa followed Audra to her bedroom, located down the hall towards the main room. Her over-sized bedroom had its sitting area, a mahogany dresser, full-sized mirror on one wall and a walk-in closet. She gasped at the queen bed with soft linens and pillows of a purple color. The first time she’d seen such a large bedroom. An open door by the mirror led to Audra’s bathroom.
“In your room, there’s an electronic list of chores to do every day. I’ll give you a pager so you can come when I need you,” Audra said, “I’m sure once you get used to her routine, you’ll know what I expect of you. I do like my privacy, so do not invade it. You’ll have your evenings off unless I have a special occasion. Do you understand so far?”
Tessa nodded, thinking of a few questions to ask. At least the pager would tell her when to see Audra. It just didn’t seem like the time right time to talk at all. Instead, she listened as Audra continued her explanation.
“Outside your room, you’ll see a scanner. Scanning going in and out of your room will show how you get paid for all of your duties. Do you have any questions?”
“I only have one at the moment. When do I start?”
“Well, right away, of course. You even earn a day off once a month. Sundays are our only slower workdays with fewer chores. Follow my mother’s rules, and answer your pager promptly, just in case I need you.”
“I will, Miss Audra. Thanks again for picking me.”
“Oh, you were an early birthday present. I’m sure we shall get along fine. You’ll do most chores while I’m away at class or other places,” Audra said, “First thing I need you to do is go clean my bathroom. Then you can have lunch. I’m going to eat now. Here’s your pager.”
Tessa took the pager from Audra who turned and walked away.
The room became quiet, and Audra finally stopped talking. Tessa glanced at the pager, a small metal gadget with a bell. She placed in the pocket of her jeans.
Tessa’s first impression of Audra was that she didn’t seem unusually mean although Tessa didn’t like being called her a birthday gift. She spoke sassy like any other rich girl who Tessa never paid attention to or talked to at a shopping center. Audra seemed to act like her mother, arrogant and wealthy enough to think they required servants to run their household.
Tessa almost gagged after she walked into the roomy bathroom. The smell of sweat and a sick mixture of perfumes overwhelmed her senses. Tessa stood amazed at what a mess Audra made in her room.
Towels toppled on the floor. The sink cluttered with makeup. A ring of rust in the toilet. Tessa noticed clothing stuffed into a tall laundry hamper.
A small linen closet inside the bathroom held fresh towels and sheets. After taking a quick short moment to breathe in the sweet flowery scent of the towels, Tessa went looking for cleaning supplies. On the bottom of the closet, she located a wicker basket filled with cleaning products.
Tessa held her breath as it made her ill cleaning the toilet. Wiping down the makeup, she put it back in a case on a table next to a full-length mirror.
For a brief moment, Tessa stared at herself in the mirror, remembering how many months passed since she gazed at her reflection in a mirror. Such a long time since she had seen herself, Tessa gasped, astonished to see her short hair and how skinny she appeared.
First, she cleaned the mirrors. Next, Tessa cleaned the shower and placed a fresh towel on the bar. Satisfied with how it shined, she grabbed the wet towels off the floor and brought them with her out of the bedroom.
After Tessa arrived at the kitchen, she peeked into the room and found a short, plump, middle-aged woman with short, straight black hair standing by a counter.
“Hi. I’m Tessa. What do I do with this laundry?”
“I’m Carey. That room is next door. Once you put those towels in the washer, I will have your lunch ready. Don’t start that wash.”
“Thanks. Be right back.” Tessa said as she left the kitchen. She opened the door to the laundry room, where she noticed a washer and dryer set. After placing the towels inside the machine, she returned to the kitchen.
The wide spread kitchen, with two metal sinks, two stainless-steel convection ovens, had two side by side refrigerators the height of a six-foot man. Above a long island in the center of the kitchen for preparing meals, hung the majority of the copper pots and pans. A pantry overflowed filled with odds and ends for cooking. A tablet computer on the inside door with a screen kept a list of all of the items used for preparing meals.
Tessa located Carey sitting at a small, metal table in the back corner of the kitchen. It didn’t matter to her where she sat as long as she ate her lunch. Smiling, Tessa walked over to join her, but instead, Carey stood up.
“I’m done. Your plate is in the refrigerator,” Carey muttered and brought it to her. She noticed on the plate a sandwich and a whole apple.
Tessa bit into the sandwich noticing only a thin slice of cheese and meat. In minutes, she devoured it. Enjoying the first crunch of the apple, she let juices drip down her chin as she almost inhaled every bite. Glancing up Tessa noticed Carey doing dishes at the sink.
“Thank you,” Tessa said.
“My job is to prepare and serve meals for all residents and servants. You’re to clean Miss Audra’s dishes after she uses them at meal times.”
With her low tone, Carey tried telling Tessa of the no-talking rule of servants who take care of business. Throwing the apple core in the trash, Tessa washed the plates in the sink and tried to locate her room.
Finally, she came to the staircase Audra showed her earlier in the day. Tessa went down the wooden stairs, passed a small bathroom, and two rooms. A metal screen attached to the door listed a person’s name with a retina scanner installed next to each door.
The room at the end of the hall had no name on it. As she placed her eye to the scanner next to the door, Tessa watched as her name appeared in yellow lights.
Inside the room, Tessa felt like she sat inside a small
closet. It had enough room for a twin bed, a dresser, and a single metal chair placed in the corner. A stagnant musty smell lingered in her nose, as she noticed there were no windows for fresh air. A single vent in the ceiling must pump in air or heat. Just four, plain, bare, thin walls surrounded her like a tight sweater.
The bed made up with thicker linens than the sheets in the dorm except the blanket felt like the same, cheap material. The only difference from a dorm room to the room Tessa slept in seemed to be a thin patchwork quilt on the bed.
Inside the two drawers were the same dull clothing of everyone who lived in The Annex. In the bottom drawer, Tessa located a change of linens and a towel. The towel smelled a similar flowery aroma to the one in Audra’s bathroom, but she bet it had to be one of her discarded extras.
Turning around, Tessa noticed a slim computer panel on the back of the door. It listed a dozen chores to do for Audra during the day. A bright blue mark appeared after she touched her finger to the first box on the list.
On the panel, Tessa read the words “bathroom” three times. Why the girl needed her bathroom cleaned three times a day seemed beyond her understanding? After she noticed how laundry and cleaners were both on the list for stuff to do today, she remembered seeing a basket of laundry in the bathroom.
Having no clue what needed to be dry-cleaned or just washed, Tessa wondered if she needed to ask Audra what to do with the clothes.
Tessa walked back to Audra’s room. Once inside, she noticed her bathroom door closed. Tessa decided to wait for her outside the door.
Audra came out a few minutes later. Gasping, she squealed, then reached over and smacked her on top of the head. Tessa flinched at the sudden pain.
“You do not come to my room while I am here unless you are paged. I’ll overlook this incident since it’s your first day. You’re confused. What are you doing here?”
