by Jill Caplin
Rushing down the alley, Tessa came to the first of several long rows of shops. Scanning the titles of the shops for what seemed like forever, she wondered if she would ever locate the type of shop her mother would be assigned.
Finally, a sign which read “Children’s Clothing Shop” caught her eye. It seemed like the perfect place.
Looking at Aden, he motioned for her to go inside, acting like he wanted to wait outside and keep an eye out for Security. Walking up to the door of the shop, Tessa scanned her eye and went inside.
Tessa walked up to a woman with long black hair who stood with her back to her. She stood behind a counter.
“Excuse me,” Tessa said.
The woman turned around, and Tessa burst into tears. She recognized the face of her mother.
Her black hair streaked with multiple grey strands. A few unexpected creased lines appeared in her mother’s forehead and around her eyes. She didn’t expect her mother to look older after such a short time.
“What are you doing here?” her mother asked, with tears in her eyes. She walked up and hugged Tessa.
“What do you mean? I got exchanged and then escaped just to find out.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I want us to be a family again.”
“What gave you the idea there were families here? I work for someone and live in their house.”
“Doesn’t Father live with you?”
“No. We lived in different houses. We worked for different people.”
“What do you mean? Aren’t you two still together?” Tessa asked, tears forming in her eyes.
“Well, first we were forced to go to The Annex. It was just too hard for me in my Containment Center.”
“You got yourself exchanged without Father?”
Tessa brushed away her tears as she rolled her eyes.
“Yes, I was first. Your father didn’t come for another month.”
“Then what happened?”
“He lasted a week selling men’s clothes.”
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“Haven’t seen him for quite some time. Thought this place would be different, but it’s no place like home.”
“So, you think he’s in The Annex?” Tessa asked.
“Said he wanted to be caught by Security,” Her mother said, shaking her head. “Who knows what he’s doing there?”
“You know, all I wanted was for us a family again.”
“I know you did,” her mother said, smiling. “Why not come home with me? The Claytons might take you in. You could be part of our family.”
“Really, Mother? You believe those words?”
“Of course, I do. This place is my home now. Why not make it yours?”
“It just wouldn’t be the same without Father,” Tessa said, hearing a sudden noise. “Did you sound an alarm? How could you?”
“Can’t lose my job. You ‘re talking, not buying. I have waited as long as I could. There are cameras around. It’s a rule,” her mother said quietly.
“Glad you’re safe, but I have to go.”
“When will I see you again? If you get caught, ask to work for the Claytons. You never know.”
“I love you, but I have to go.”
Leaving the store in tears, Tessa could not believe her mother wanted her to part of her new “family.” She wondered why she even considered life would be any different for servants in any New City? She wanted to live in an apartment like a family. She questioned why servants couldn’t have their family unit separated from the family they worked for in New City
Tessa located Aden waiting for her at the side of the alley. She rushed into his arms and hugged him, wiping the tears away from her face.
“Come on. We’ve to get to the “Entertainment” section before Security catches us.”
“Guess things didn’t go as planned?”
“No. This New City is just like any other. I’ll explain the rest when we get there.”
Tessa and Aden first stopped at a “Merchandise Shop” on their way to the Entertainment Center. They scanned their eyes, and each bought a water bottle, a protein, and a chocolate bar. Shivering, she purchased a hooded jacket, and they left the store.
Running down the streets of the Entertainment Center, they passed the casinos, a live-act theater, a strip club, and a hologram play area. Looking at Aden, they darted inside the hologram area and played a quick game of laser tag. Tessa hoped the Counters were paying attention to how their balances were dropping.
They ended up in one of the movie theaters at the end of the street. Inside they bought something to eat and drink. They noticed with each scan how expensive everything costed them.
“What’s our plan now?” Aden asked. “Don’t like wasting almost all the money we made these last few weeks.”
“You said we could be together is in The Annex, right?”
“Right,” Aden said, “So that’s why we did all this spending. To get caught?”
Tessa nodded as Aden frowned at her.
“In a movie theater?”
“Yeah, it’s a place to talk. Is the idea of a Union still okay with you?”
“It’s your idea. Sounds okay to me.”
“If we stay together, we won’t have to deal with the dorms or sneak around to talk.”
“So, we won’t be a real couple, right?” Aden said, looking at her with a straight face.
“Right,” Tessa said.
“Never did I let you think we were more than just friends.”
“Not really. But we’ll make a great team.”
Her heart skipped a beat, knowing Aden just thought of her only as a friend. Didn’t matter if she liked him. Tessa didn’t care if Aden returned her feelings or not.
Tessa wondered why Aden came with her at all. From the beginning, she believed him. She started to wonder if it seemed too easy for Aden to get the code to leave New City. Tessa needed Aden to stick around just for the time being.
“Look, I’ll do this on one condition,” Aden said. “After we leave that Annex, we’ll head back to the Thorndale.”
“Why do you want to go back there?”
“I have to finish something I started there.”
“Promised my cousin I would go back for her, so it looks like we’ll both get what we want.”
“Sounds good to me. Now what?”
“First we get caught by Security. Just a matter of time before they notice us here.”
“What about your father?” Aden asked.
“My father is somewhere in Glenside’s Annex. I’d like to see him somehow.”
“Forming a Union is your craziest idea yet. If it keeps us together, I like it.”
“Thanks, I think.”
“Well, let’s see if we even get to finish the movie,” Aden said.
As Tessa wiped tears away from her eyes, she started realizing how being a family again would be out of the question.
Tessa wondered why her mother would ever do or say anything against anyone? She never recalled her mother having an opinion about any decisions made as a family. She always agreed to whatever her father said, so why would she change?
Tessa recalled the promise she made to Felicia. She still wanted to reunite with her father. It would just take more time before she would be able to go back and maybe find Felicia. Tessa just hoped Felicia would also be exchanged one day.
As the movie stopped and the lights turned on, Tessa noticed two Security people blocking each side of their row in the theater.
Taken into a small tiny room, two members of Security stayed with them. It reminded her of where she first met Audra.
A few minutes later, a Counter walked in and took a retinal scan of our eyes. He stared at them.
“I need to speak to each of you individually to assess your situation.”
Aden left with Security.
“Why did you leave your home to come to this New City?”
“I wanted to see if my parent
s were still alive. That’s all I wanted to do here.”
In silence, he just left the room for a few minutes. He returned with Aden and one of the Security.
“Since you two are strangers to our Glenside New City, you’ll be on the first shuttle to The Annex. Your balances allow you no place here,” The Counter lectured in his stern voice and left the room.
Both Aden and Tessa sat with their heads bowed not wanting to react in any positive way to the words. Tessa sighed in relief. At least they were not just taken away.
As they waited, Aden and Tessa talked in a whisper.
“When do you turn nineteen?”
“Around two months,” Aden said, “When’s your birthday?”
“In three months.”
“Won’t take that long.”
“You mad you followed me?”
“Told you I would,” Aden said.
“I thought if I found my parents, it would fix everything.”
“Your mother’s alive. That’s important.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“We’ll get back to Thorndale one day. I promise. First, we’ll find your father.”
Tessa believed him because she needed to. She had no reason to doubt his words, but she wondered what he said to the Counter. He never asked her about her conversation, so she didn’t ask him.
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Taken to a shuttle parked outside the door, Tessa counted eight other people of different ages sitting with them.
Tessa noticed how others dressed in different colored clothing. They were former residents of New City. She and Aden appeared to be the only ones wearing the tan clothing of servants. Inside the shuttle, a Counter took only photographs of their heads. No one smiled for the camera.
Tessa and Aden were returning to The Annex as punishment for not keeping the right money in their accounts. After they arrived, despite the embarrassment in front of the crowds. Tessa really could not care less how it looked to anyone else.
19
The Annex
Several minutes later Tessa and Aden arrived in the central plaza of The Glenside Annex. Everyone left the shuttle and stood on one side of the stage. She observed the Counter saunter up to the podium to deliver the exact Exchange Day speech she heard many months ago.
Ten people chosen on the big projection screen walked up to take their places by the Counter. They stepped inside the shuttle.
Tessa and Aden walked with the eight others towards the podium with the Counter. The Counter stopped and paused. He sauntered back and held the microphone in his hand.
“People of The Annex,” he said, “See before you ten people who had the opportunity to be exchanged and enjoy the riches of our New City. They chose the wrong path and are now returned. Do not make their mistake. Keep trying for a chance to be exchanged for a new life in Glenside’s New City.”
The Counter went back into the shuttle, and the eight people who were with them left in a shuttle to their new jobs and housing.
People glared at her as she expected. Security escorted Tessa and Aden into a small room. Waiting in the room, she counted six months passed since her first exchange. A tall, skinny man with a round face and a mustache dressed in a brown, pinstriped suit showed up and took a scan of their eyes. His nametag stated, “Director of Work Ethics.”
“Well, you two have been on quite an adventure. Do pray tell, why you left the New City you were first exchanged? Lying is not a good idea since the scans tell everything.”
Tessa wondered what lies would she possibly tell him? Why would she want to be taken to Detention?
“I left the last New City to locate my parents. We decided to celebrate. We ended up back in The Annex together,” Tessa said, summarizing her whole life of the past several months in a few sentences.
“That would about explain it, young lady. Why didn’t you stay reunited with your parents in New City?”
“Couldn’t do that. They’re not even together. Where would I go?”
“I see. Well, rules state that once you return after an exchange, you can never be exchanged back into our New City. Would it not have been easier to stay in Thorndale’s New City?”
“Sir, I had to make sure parents were alive. Very important to me.”
“I understand. Most orphans lost their parents.”
“We would now like to form a Union when we turn nineteen. Can we do that?” she asked.
“Young man, do you want to form a Union with this girl?” He asked Aden.
“Sure, I want to do that.”
“Well, looks like, by the time the paperwork is processed, you’ll be nineteen. Then the application for the apartment starts. I will walk you through the process at that time. Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. Thanks,” Aden said.
“Don’t thank me just yet. I haven’t signed off on this Union. I’m also assigning you each two jobs. That’s the punishment for any New City residents returning to The Annex. Any questions?”
Tessa and Aden just stared at each other. They had no choice, but to do whatever he said.
“You will live as you did before, in separate dorms. You may have no contact with each other until the Union.”
“Why is that? We used to live in dorms that were close to each other.”
“Does that matter now? This one is more segregated. Once the Union is processed and approved, your jobs will change. Understand?”
They nodded. The man opened the door. Two drivers with their car shuttles waited outside to take Tessa and Aden in different directions. A Security member waited as Aden gave her a quick hug and they went their separate ways. She hoped she’d see him again in three short months.
20
The Dorms
Taken to the dormitories for females, a Supervisor assigned Tessa a bed with a trunk and the same clothing. The dorm appeared almost empty except for a few sleeping females, most likely resting before their next shift.
A different Supervisor escorted her to the Women’s Medicinal Center, where a nurse physically examined her and gave her a shot. Tessa wondered why they imagined she would get pregnant while on the run.
Next, she walked to the Laundry Center with a short, pudgy Supervisor with squinty eyes and stringy black hair. The woman pointed to loads of wet laundry inside the over-sized washing machines.
Tessa’s reality kicked in as she figured she would have to lift the wet laundry into the dryers. The loads appeared heavy, but somehow, she knew she would handle whatever they wanted her to do.
Her arms ached by the end of her first shift. The bell signaled lunch, so she located the cafeteria where she ate her soy nuggets, thick pieces of cooked carrots and a glass of water in ten minutes.
After the evening bells clanged, her shift ended, so Tessa sat and ate the same food for supper in the cafeteria. Returning to the dorm, she never wanted any extra attention, especially since none of the girls tried speaking to her.
Tessa expected most of them heard the rumors of her return from New City. She thought it must be embarrassing for them to talk to her since most of the girls in the dorms dreamed of working in New City. Tessa suspected she represented someone who gave up on a dream.
One of the Supervisors showed her the electronic schedule for the bathroom posted outside the door. Remembering the rotations, Tessa shook her head, seeing her number listed every other day after suppertime. Having more frequent cleaning details must be part of her punishment.
A few of the girls watched her, clearly waiting for a reaction. Ignoring their giggles, she located the cabinet with the cleaning supplies. Grabbing the bucket, she went about her business. Cleaning one extra messy bathroom didn’t bother her. Once finished, Tessa walked back to bed.
Time went by quickly before a Supervisor showed up for her, signaling she had to go back to work. Following the woman back to the Laundry Center, Tessa started loading laundry. Her two shifts were split up. She worked one during the day and one in the evening, so
the double duty didn’t bother her at all.
After hearing the bells again, Tessa returned to the dorm. After taking a short shower, she changed into the tan pajamas. Sleeping with her jacket on, wanting to keep it safe Before going to sleep, quite later than she expected, Tessa prayed how the next few months would go by fast, so she would finally form a Union with Aden.
21
Clara
Busy and tired all the time, Tessa realized after four weeks, Aden celebrated his birthday. She tried figuring out a way of getting a message to him. Tessa decided to try talking to a girl who she worked with inside the Laundry Center.
A stocky girl named Clara with brown, curly hair and blue eyes would sometimes talk to her during their short breaks. Tessa learned from one brief conversation Clara liked her job, except it seemed during her lunch break, she enjoyed buying chocolate bars at the shop.
Tessa went over to sit on Clara’s bed after a shift to talk to her.
“So, you’re from another New City?” Clara asked.
“Started in an Annex like you. So, what happened to your parents?”
“My parents were working outside when the broadcasts stopped. I never saw them again.” Clara said as she started tearing up.
“Sorry to hear that. You here with anyone you know, like a cousin maybe?”
“No, but I do okay. That’s why I don’t understand why you didn’t stay in New City?”
“Wanted to be with parents. Like a family. Now I know that’s impossible. Should have realized living with them would never happen again.”
“Just don’t get it why you left,” Clara said, “I would love to be exchanged. New City has everything.”
“Guess it depends on what you think everything is.”
“Guess you’re right about that. Heard this Union thing is all about paperwork, so be patient.”
“Thanks. I hope you get exchanged sooner than later.”
“Me too. You know we better stop talking before the bells ring.”
How upsetting, wondering what held up the paperwork of a Union. The faster Tessa joined in a Union with Aden, the quicker she kept her promise in finding Felicia.
