by S. L. Baum
“Is it?” Petals sighed looking down at the X branded into her flesh.
Petunia grabbed her sister’s hand. “It is,” she said softly. “Did we tell you all our plan?” she asked the entire group. “I guess we couldn’t have. It was approved by The Council just this morning. Since we are identical twins, so alike in every way, we have decided to stay together always. You see, any child I have will also look like it came from her, and since Petals is infertile but I am not, I can have one for me and then have one for her.”
“We will need to marry brothers,” Petals continued. “That way there will be similar genetic material from the fathers as well as from us. The Council has approved for a Marriage Broker to look in all four Concords to find two brothers, close in age, for us to marry. I think it would be nice if we all lived in the same house.”
“Of course!” Petunia agreed. “Our mother came up with the idea and Father approached The Council with our plan. Concord will not even charge our family for the Marriage Broker’s services. They just want us to appear at a few public functions and make a Marriage video to show the Citizens how gracious The Council is being to us. Being an identical twin is quite special.”
I moved to position myself between the two of them and pulled them into a group hug. “I think both of you are beyond special. I’m happy for you.”
Petals wrung her hands together. “I hope they find a good match for us.”
“I’m sure they will. We will be together. That is all that matters,” Petunia concluded.
Chapter Ten
Stories and Memories
Later that night, after I returned home, I received a message from Thorn. He wanted to know if I would be willing to read one of his recent works, a short story.
I typed an enthusiastic, “YES!” in response.
How strange it was that I’d spent six months of Incorporation with Thorn and we’d hardly even exchanged pleasantries. I think a “hello” and a few head nods had been the extent of our communications. But after one night spent away from the Guardians, trainers, and instructors, he decided to speak to me – five whole sentences and one goodbye. I was intrigued.
My mind wandered back to the missing book. It angered me that the title had been removed before I’d had time to reach the end. I could easily put my mind to the task of imagining my own ending, but that book had been different from the others. It hadn’t been as predictable. It didn’t seem like it was trying to reaffirm my trust in Concord. It was simply telling me a story… a story that interested me greatly.
I opened up the library so I could search for a new story to read, until Thorn sent the file over and I was able to read his. As I scrolled through the book cover images, waiting for one to catch my eye, a notification appeared on my tablet. Download Complete.
But I hadn’t selected a title to download.
I switched screens to check my download folder and found that Lost on the Way to the Beach was back on my tablet. I smiled with glee. There must have been a glitch in the system that caused the book to disappear. I was just glad it was back and I would be able to finish it. This was one story that I was actually looking forward to reading all the way to the end. I had no idea what would happen to that little girl… and I wanted to know!
I clicked on the file and it opened up right where I had left off before. My place had been bookmarked. I snuggled back into the pillows and covers on my bed and began to read.
The woman took the little girl’s hand, urging her to move faster, wishing that those little legs could keep up. They needed to get to the beach. The boat would be waiting there, but not for long. She’d been warned. The window of time was a small one. If the boat didn’t make it across the electronic barrier in time, it would be forced to stay for another thirty days, which would surely lead to the Captain’s capture. An unauthorized boat wouldn’t go unnoticed for long.
The woman quickened her pace. She knew the captain would not wait for more than ten minutes, and if he saw anything suspicious he would leave immediately. She had to get them to the beach. This was her only chance. They were taking the girl away from her soon. Even if the Captain was willing to return after thirty days, when the barrier was down once again, the girl would be gone and all would be lost.
They ran through the forest. The woman didn’t know how long it would be until her absence was noticed. She wasn’t allowed to take the girl out for more than an hour or two at a time. Even though she was known to all as the girl’s appointed caretaker, she was watched, she was always watched. It had been a mistake coming to this place and agreeing to this post, because it certainly wasn’t a marriage.
I rested the tablet on my lap and closed my eyes, trying to picture the scene I’d just read. To me, reading a story was just as good as watching a video… better even, because I could imagine the scene the way I wanted to. That woman and the little girl were right there in my head, running from one thing, toward something else. I could see the desperation in the woman’s face. I imagined that frantic energy traveling down her arm and flowing into the little girl.
The little girl must have felt the urgency of the situation. She probably didn’t know how important the beach was to the woman. Maybe she wasn’t even aware they were heading toward the beach. I tried to remember if I’d read anything earlier in the story about the woman informing the child of their destination. The beginning of the story came flooding back to me. The woman had only told the little girl that they were going on an outing and that they’d be away longer than usual. The little girl was happy about the outing. She liked the woman so much.
My tablet beeped, jarring me out of my thoughts, informing me that Thorn had sent his story. I closed the book and downloaded the file. When I went back to the book a minute later it was gone again. “Ugh!” I half sighed, half exclaimed aloud.
I wondered if it was worth getting myself invested in a book that was going to disappear and reappear with no warning. I pushed that story out of my mind and opened Thorn’s. I was determined to give him my feedback as soon as possible.
***
I wasn’t even sure how far I got through Thorn’s file before my eyes started slipping shut. No matter how many times I tried to will them to stay open, they just wouldn’t cooperate. I awoke the next morning fully clothed, with my tablet beside me. Apparently, I’d fallen asleep reading.
There was a knock on my door.
“Yes?”
“I need to talk to you. I’m coming in,” Aspen informed me from the other side of the door.
I nodded my head. Which was a ridiculous thing to do, considering that no one would be aware of the action but me. The knob turned, the door opened, and Aspen came into my room.
She stood by my bed, her arms crossed, fingers tapping away at her arms. “My father is on his way over. He wants to speak with you.”
“So I finally get to meet this grandfather you’ve all been talking about. I honestly have no recollection of him.”
“Bluebell, do not be flippant. I’ve told you many times that he saw you on several occasions when you were very little. He is a very busy man. I hardly see him and he is my father. I hardly know what you expect of us. You are treated very well and live a privileged life. Not everyone has access to the conveniences that you have,” she scolded me.
“I didn’t mean any disrespect. It’s just that I’ve been home for weeks and I thought he’d have come to visit me by now,” I said.
Aspen looked at my disheveled state and frowned. “You need to get out of that bed and straighten yourself up. Please put extra care into your appearance today. It is important that he sees what a fine young woman you are.” Aspen spun around and walked out of the room. “He’ll be here in thirty minutes,” she called over her shoulder.
“I will do my best,” I called out after her.
“Do my best. It would be better,” she replied.
My shoulders raised in a heavy sigh. Of course her best would always be better than mine. Would I ever perf
orm up to her expectations?
I walked into the bathroom and stared at my reflection. There were bags under my eyes, which were also puffy and red. That wasn’t a good look at any time, let alone when you were seeing your oh so important grandfather for the first time. Well, the first time that you remembered anyway.
I sighed and thought about what Holly would say. “I look zonkered,” I said aloud, in Holly’s absence.
After I showered and dried my hair I went back to my room. Waiting for me on my bed was an outfit Aspen had clearly picked out for me. It was brand new, probably something she was holding on to for just this occasion. It looked like something she would wear, overly styled and on the cutting edge of fashion. I would have preferred something simple, something that was easy to slip into, and something that made me feel comfortable.
That was not what was waiting for me.
I pulled on the slim pencil skirt and was grateful that it fell just below my knees. The white ruffle collared shirt was silky, but it didn’t look comfortable at all. The fabric was easy to crease and wrinkle. I’d have to stand straight and tall, and keep still, if I was to keep from looking like I’d slept in the shirt. The beaded jacket she’d paired with it was overly styled and embellished. There were just too many things going on with it. My eyes danced around it.
There was also a stack of bracelets, to cover my Citizen Brand. Aspen wouldn’t be caught anywhere without her signature bracelets, and she was obviously hoping to force that tradition onto me as well. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to jingle and clink everywhere I went. But I put the bracelets on anyway, to keep her happy.
As I was about to exit the room, I realized that my face was make-up free, and Aspen would expect me to be wearing some. I plopped myself down in front of my little beauty table and hurriedly applied a light coat of everything. When I stood up to inspect myself in the mirror, I didn’t love the reflection. Wearing clothes that I had no choice in the selection of made me feel not quite like me… but it would do.
The door chime sounded. My grandfather had arrived. I slipped my feet into the shoes Aspen had left by the bed and exited my bedroom.
He stood at the bottom of the stairs, steel grey hair, smooth expressionless face, eerie pale blue eyes, looking up at me. He was perfectly perfect, like Beta, but with grey hair.
“Bluebell, how lovely you look. Come. Let your grandfather inspect you.”
“Grandfather,” I nodded my head in greeting as I descended the stairs.
When I reached the last step, and stood toe to toe with him, he grasped my hands, raised my arms, and looked me over from head to toe. He really was inspecting me. I started to wonder if I was going to pass the inspection. Was I good enough, at first glance, for this very important Council member?
He turned his head away from me. “Jackson, Aspen, she is just lovely.” Then he turned back to look at me again. “Bluebell, your proportions are perfect. You eat a healthy balance of food and exercise regularly, don’t you?”
“Yes, Grandfather,” I answered.
“It is apparent. And your grooming is impeccable; you would catch anyone’s eye. First impressions!”
The inspection felt very impersonal, as if I were an object and not a living being. I felt pressure to say the right thing. “First impressions are extremely important. Once made…” I began.
“Once made they are hard to be undone.” He finished my sentence for me. “Excellent. I’m not sure about this choice of outfit though, Aspen. Is it appealing to the youth of Concord? I think I will call in a style consultant for her.”
A look of disappointment, and then irritation, crossed Aspen’s face. “I assure you it is a quality outfit. Raleigh’s work is unmatched,” she huffed.
Grandfather released my hands. I lowered them to my side and lightly shook them out.
“She needs to look the picture of youth… desirable to all. I’m not exactly getting that at first glance,” he countered. “Don’t worry, Bluebell, we will rectify the situation. I understand that there will be three Galas this season. I’m sure a few other small celebrations will take place, but a Gala is special. We made sure that yours will be the last, impossible for it to be outshone by the others.”
“I am looking forward to it,” I assured him.
“This Rosemary girl from your class has inherited a respectable sum of money. But her Gala is a false front to attract a good Marriage Contract. She hasn’t inherited as much as she’s been told. Her family isn’t always the most vocal in their support of The Council. You will need to be absent the night of her Gala. I won’t have you attend. Aspen will send your apologies with a decent and believable excuse for your absence. The next one belongs to twins. I understand that you were quite friendly with the identical twins at Training Tech?” he asked.
“Yes,” I answered. “That is correct. Petunia and Petals are very good friends of mine.”
“Good. Their Gala will be sponsored by Concord. It has been decided that they will be introduced to two sets of brothers and we will create a video series to see which ones will end up with a Marriage Contract. The Citizens will be entertained as they discover how well the couples get along, and then peek into the beginning of their cohabitation once a set of brothers is chosen.
“You are to make your first very brief video appearance the night before their Gala and then you will be properly presented the night of the Gala. Concord’s Lush girl – the envy of all your peers and the role model of all young girls in Training Tech, they should all aspire to be like you. It will be a successful campaign,” my grandfather concluded.
Not only was I an object, it seemed I was also a product.
“I will serve Concord with pride.” The dutiful answer exited my mouth without much thought. I always knew what was expected of me.
“Concord Reigns,” Grandfather smiled.
“Concord Reigns,” I replied.
***
Cimarron was on overdrive for the entire week that followed my grandfather’s visit. I was completely exhausted each and every day, collapsing on my bed earlier each night as the week progressed. My nightly assignments consumed my time, I’d barely managed to finish Thorn’s story. I still hadn’t found the time to discuss it with him.
I was expected to memorize speeches, practice talking in front of a mirror while examining my facial expressions, and was given dozens of random questions to answer. Cimarron said that a successful ambassador would be able to answer any question posed, at a moment’s notice, and do it dutifully, and with flair. Answering questions proved to be the easiest task. I always knew the appropriate response in any situation.
Twice, the students learning Video Production at the CEC filmed me while I gave a prepared speech, and I would be graduating to the actual Concord Video Department sometime during the following week. Stone had done his best to break my concentration, making a spectacle of his blown up cheeks. He managed to puff them up larger than I had ever seen. It took all my strength to look past his silly face and continue to extoll the virtues of Concord. I was proud of myself.
One thing that struck me during the week was the more I read the words Cimarron gave to me the more I realized that they were true. The speeches were starting to sink in. I’d always known that I would do what was expected of me, but I did it blindly. It started to become clearer that Concord did have my best interests at heart. And not only that – It became more apparent that Concord was always striving to make my life easier, safer, and better than the day before.
By Friday, I was in bed by seven o’clock in the evening, completely exhausted but satisfied with my work that week.
Get up, Bluebell! Get up, Bluebell! The beeping notification on my tablet woke me a few hours later.
I rubbed at my eyes with the back of one hand while I reached for the tablet with the other. Video Chat Requested scrolled across the screen. It was from Thorn. I accepted the chat and yawned into the camera as Thorn’s image appeared on the screen. I rolled onto my side and propped
the tablet against a pillow.
“I woke you,” Thorn frowned.
“It’s fine, really. I purposely left my notifications turned on. I was hoping you’d contact me. It was a very busy week, but I did manage to read your short story. I really liked it.”
“I can contact you another time. We don’t need to talk about this right now. There is no rush.”
I stifled another yawn. “Thorn, I’m serious. It was just a much-needed nap. I’m awake, I swear.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure!” I brought myself up to a seated position. “See, awake.”
“Okay. I see. So you liked the story?”
“I did. I loved all of the vivid descriptions. You made me feel like I was walking the path with the two characters. I could see the green trees, the tall grass, and the blooming flowers.”
Thorn smiled. “That means you enjoyed my writing skills. I want to know if you liked the story.”
I thought about his question for a moment. The story was of a man and a woman, walking through a garden, discussing whether or not their marriage was going to last. They questioned their decision to enter into a Contract in the first place and wondered if they’d be happy with their choice as they grew older. It seemed like a difficult conversation for two people to be having.
“I could feel their angst. Forever is a long time. It would be very hard to start questioning a choice like that. I wanted to reassure them that Concord would be proud of them if they stood strong together. But you ended it with uncertainty.”
“I thought you’d enjoy that. You could imagine your own ending, decide what would become of the two of them.”
“That’s so true. I can imagine my own ending. Oh that makes it even better. Honestly Cimarron has run me nonstop this week and I am too busy to think sometimes, I think.” I giggled. “Gracious. I can’t believe I just said that, to think sometimes, I think. I’m talking in circles now. I guess I must be a little tired still, not fully awake. Anyway, what made you write it?”
