by Jess Petosa
Ten minutes later she was clean, dry, and dressed in her new clothes. The clothes were similar to the ones she had previously owned, except the material felt softer and more durable. She used her fingers to brush her hair out since she couldn’t find a comb, and let it hang loose behind her. When she stepped out into the hall, Sabine was waiting for her.
“Feel better?” she asked.
Ally nodded and followed Sabine down the stairs and into the kitchen.
ASHER AND FLINT were already standing by the counter, occupying the same space Aden stood in last night. Ally had dreamt of his dangerous eyes last night, not being able to shake the fear of him quite yet. She had tried to appear brave when she spoke to him, but he had a menacing way about him.
A few minutes later, Mazzi served them each a plate of eggs, toast, and what looked some sort of meat. They all sat down at the table together and Ally dug into her breakfast. She hadn’t eaten much dinner last night and as the smell of eggs reached her nose, her stomach rumbled in protest.
The Ordinary that Ally thought she remembered as Asher leaned toward her. “Oakwood settlement?”
She paused mid bite and nodded. “How did you know?”
The male next to him rolled his eyes. “Asher here has a knack for guessing which settlement an Ordinary originated from.”
“I’m always right, Flint.”
“95% of the time…”
Ally smiled and pulled up the sleeve of her shirt, showing them the marking on her wrist.
“I’ve only see a handful of those before,” Sabine said as she leaned in for a closer look. “Does it hurt when they do that?”
“Oh yeah, a ton.” Ally ran her finger over the bumpy scar. “But they give you a special ointment afterward that dulls the pain. Don’t you all have one?”
“We aren’t from the settlements,” Asher said. “We were all born and raised in the city.”
Ally knew her mouth was hanging open but she didn’t care at the moment. “Born in the City? I didn’t know that happened.”
Asher and Flint both laughed out loud and Sabine shot her a confused look. “What did you think happened to all the Ordinarys? That we worked our lives away and died with out marrying, or having children, or any of that?” Sabine said.
Ally pursed her lips. “I guess I hadn’t given it much thought before now.”
Their conversation was interrupted as Mrs. Mathias bounced into the room, barking orders at Mazzi. She tapped her long fingernails on the shiny black counter top while the cook ran around trying to prepare her order.
“Good morning, Ally,” She said, her bright pink lips forming a smile. “I see you’ve met the others. I hope they are helping you make a smooth transition into our home.”
“Yes, very much so.” Ally responded as politely as she could, realizing that since she had been spoken to first, she could speak back.
“Good good!” Mrs. Mathias spurted out, grabbing the plate that Mazzi had just laid on the counter. “Lots to do today.”
She disappeared from the room just as quickly as she had come, leaving them all staring after her.
“She likes you,” Asher said when they heard Mrs. Mathias slam a door in the distance. “Consider yourself lucky.”
“That’s because Mr. Lukin has claimed her,” Sabine giggled.
Ally perked up. “Oh, I meant to ask you about that. What exactly does it mean when you say he claimed me?”
The table fell into an awkward silence. Even the kitchen grew quiet, when just a moment ago it had been filled with the sounds of Mazzi cleaning the dishes. Flint suddenly became very interested in his food and Asher cleared his throat.
“Let me take you on a tour,” Sabine said, trying to diffuse the tension in the room. “We don’t want you getting lost.”
Ally thought about bringing the subject back to her question, but decided there was time for that later. Right now, a tour of Luke’s home sounded interesting.
First she learned that the darkened hallway on the first floor was completely off limits to Ordinarys. She was pretty sure it was the same hall that Mrs. Mathias had disappeared down earlier. There was a sitting room on the first floor that held hundreds of books; a room Sabine had called a library. Back at the settlement, all of the remaining books were kept in glass cases. A few times a year one of the adults would read one out loud to them all, but no one else was allowed to touch the book.
Sabine informed Ally that the black object in the foyer was a piano and that it made music when played correctly. When she asked if anyone in the home could play it she just smiled and pulled Ally into the next room, quickly becoming an expert at avoiding questions. There was a large dining room toward the front of the house where Aden sometimes hosted parties. Most of the second floor was devoted to guest rooms, except for two rooms at the end. Asher and Flint occupied one, and Sabine occupied the other. Luke’s room was at the opposite end of the hall, and also off limits unless a work order said to enter.
Sabine paused at the railing that overlooked the foyer. “Ally, what do you know about your purpose here?”
“Nothing. One moment I was playing a seemingly innocent game in the woods, and the next I was being brought in by the Exceptional Guards,” Ally responded.
“You mean you didn’t volunteer?”
Ally shook her head. “Luke found me out in the woods and rescued me, if you could call it that. That was just yesterday afternoon.”
“You didn’t even come from the ORC?”
“What’s the ORC?” Ally had heard Mrs. Mathias mention it last night as well.
“Sabine!” a male voice yelled from the foyer, either Asher or Flint. “We need to go!”
“We’ll talk later,” Sabine said as she squeezed Ally’s arm. “Flint and I need to run errands.”
Sabine skipped down the stairs, her red braid bouncing against her back as she went. As Ally turned, she caught a glimpse of Asher standing in the doorway to his room.
“You have no idea what you are in for.” He smirked and shut his bedroom door, leaving Ally to digest his words alone.
She thought about stomping up to his door and confronting him, but she still couldn’t muster up the old Ally from within. Where was the daring and wild Ally that was always up for an adventure? Where was the Ally that had no problem standing up for herself or others? She was beginning to worry that she was in some sort of shock. She had always said that if she volunteered, she wouldn’t let the City take her personality. She would be living in a different place, with a different purpose, but she could still be herself. Now here she was, cowering under the roof of an Exceptional home on her very first day.
She moved down the stairs quickly, entering the library. She had never seen so many books, but even if she wanted to read them, it would do her no good. They didn’t learn to read in the settlement unless it was decided that it was a crucial part of their future work assignment. As a food gatherer, she wasn’t even given the opportunity to learn to write.
Ally ran her fingers over the old books, loving the way the worn covers felt under her fingers. She pulled a book out every now and then, admiring the cover and imagining what story the picture might represent. Her best friend, Willow, had been training to be a town medic, and therefore had been taught to read. She wished Willow were here right now, telling her what all the words in these books said. She imagined most of them were quite interesting.
“That one is about forbidden love.”
Ally jumped. She turned to find Mrs. Mathias standing behind her, looking over her shoulder at the book. She had been so enamored with the cover image that she hadn’t even heard Luke’s mother enter the room.
“Forbidden love?” she asked.
Mrs. Mathias smiled. “It is a common theme in love stories, but this one was quite famous in its time. It is about two lovers from feuding families. They fall in love despite their differences, and bring much grief to those around them. In the end, their love for each other is their demise.”
/> Ally gave the book one last look and slipped it back onto the shelf. “That sounds horrible.”
Mrs. Mathias let out a loud, cackling laugh. It reminded Ally of the cawing crows in the woods back home. “But still, it is a very romantic story, don’t you think?”
“How?” Ally raised her eyebrow.
“Their love knew no bounds. It was strong enough to bring them together even though they knew their parents would never allow it. They chose to follow their hearts, rather than the wills of others, all for love. It affirms to us that love is a powerful thing.”
Ally considered her words. “Their love wasn’t strong enough to conquer their deaths.”
“Is it ever?” Mrs. Mathias said with a smile. With that she hopped out of the room, leaving Ally to herself.
Ally wondered if the other books contained stories that were just as upsetting. She couldn’t imagine a love that forced her death in the end, but then again, she had never been in love. She had never given it much thought before, and chose not to give it anymore thought that morning. She slipped out of the library and left the stacks of mysterious stories behind.
Chapter Five
Sabine and Flint didn’t return until later that afternoon. Ally and Asher had eaten lunch together but shared no conversation during their time at the table, which was just fine with Ally considering his earlier comment. He had eaten quickly, mumbling something about shredding documents and alphabetizing books. Ally was ready to pounce on Sabine the moment she saw her appear around the corner. She wanted, no needed, to know more. Their parting words had been on her mind all day and she couldn’t stand the anticipation much longer.
As luck would have it, Luke stormed through the door at the same time and grabbed her arm, dragging her up the stairs and into his bedroom. She had to run to keep up with him since his Exceptional strength allowed him to move quickly with out much effort. His room was huge, much larger than the bedroom she shared with Sabine. The bed was twice the size as well, and covered in a fluffy, white comforter similar to the one on the bed in her room. All her observations were lost the moment her eyes locked on the large, black object that hung on the wall directly opposite of the bed. It had a rectangular shape to it, and almost reminded her of the computer the City had given Po back in the settlement. The one he used to communicate with the Exceptionals when necessary.
Lukin dropped a stack of books on the floor and turned to face her. “What did they tell you?”
She tore her eyes from the strange box and stared at him. “Who?”
She wasn’t sure exactly what he was alluding to, but his face showed a mixture of anger and nervousness.
“The Ordinarys. Sabine, Asher, and Flint.”
Ally wondered if he was driven to this lone of questioning by whatever Sabine had been trying to tell her. “We didn’t talk much today. Sabine and Flint were on errands for the majority of it, and Asher was doing chores. I spent a good portion of my time in the library looking at book covers. I even had a conversation with your mother. Honestly, that was the extent of my day.”
“My mother talked to you?” The corner of his mouth pulled up in a smile. “And you haven’t run screaming from the house?”
Ally allowed herself to laugh. “It wasn’t the most conventional conversation I’ve ever had, but it was informative.”
Lukin seemed to mull that over, his violet eyes narrowing as they studied her. They were so bright they almost glowed, and Ally searched for a reason to look away.
“What is that?” She pointed back to the contraption hanging on the wall.
He followed her finger and let out a small laugh. “That? That’s a TV. We use it to play movies. Before the virus it played shows and programs from around the world, but the ability to do so was lost long ago.”
“Movies?” All of these words were foreign to her, and she suddenly wished she had paid more attention to the stories her grandfather used to tell. He would tell her and Stosh that they needed to listen close, because if no one carried the stories on, soon the old world would be completely forgotten. But Ally didn’t see the problem in that; the old world would never be coming back.
“I’ll show you,” he said.
She followed him over to the TV and sat on the sofa while he looked through a cabinet nearby. He pulled a small box from within and opened it, pulling out a thin, circular object. Several minutes later, Lukin had the movie playing on the TV. It hadn’t taken long, and Ally was sure she could repeat the steps if she tried hard enough.
Pictures came to life on the screen. The people in them moved, talked, shouted, and even kissed at times. The movie they were watching seemed to be some sort of romance, with a war thrown in the middle. Wars were a thing of the past, something she did actually recall from her grandfather’s stories. He had said that her great grandfather had fought in one of the country’s more extensive wars, and had been in the military when the SS-16 virus was created.
“It’s amazing, Lukin... I mean, Mr. Lukin,” she commented, watching the movie in awe.
“Yeah, I guess. And please, call me Luke,” he said as he cocked his head at her, something she noticed out of the corner of her eye.
“But Sabine…”
“Forget what she said. I give you permission to call me by my first name, and by that I mean you can call me Luke. Only my parents call me Lukin anymore.”
With that, he turned back to the movie and leaned back into the couch. They watched the remainder of it in silence, which gave Ally a chance to take it all in.
“Some of these things seem so unreal. Bombs that could blow up whole towns, planes that people flew in, the clothes they wore, the animals they kept in their homes; all of it,” Ally said as the movie came to a close.
“I’ve seen these movies several times, and have had time to grow used to the idea of old world objects, but sometimes I still have trouble believing such things existed. This city use to be full of cars and other forms of transportation, but now we walk wherever we go. Some Exceptionals have bikes, which I can show you later, but learning to ride them is a pain,” Luke responded.
The TV screen turned black. White scribbles scrolled up the screen and soft music played in the background. Luke stood and turned the TV off, returning the movie to its case.
“Do you want to leave the house for a bit? We can go for a walk and I can show you more of the City,” he asked.
Ally jumped up. “Yes.”
She hadn’t realized how much she was already missing the outdoors. She practically lived outside her home in the settlement when she wasn’t eating or sleeping, and it had been almost a full day since she had breathed fresh air in the City. She ran to the bathroom to pull her hair back and then met Luke in the foyer, a well-missed feeling of excitement overcoming her. Perhaps she wasn’t in shock after all.
ALLY DECIDED THAT THE CITY looked more magnificent in the daylight. There had barely been any left when she had arrived the night before. The buildings were completely visible in the cloudless sky, and the streets were scattered with Exceptionals and Ordinarys out for the afternoon. Ally noticed that all of the Ordinarys were wearing the same grey clothes that she wore, while the Exceptionals’ clothes were stark white, just like the large comforter that covered Ally’s bed. Now that she thought about it, Luke’s house was filled with white rugs, floors, walls, and other white objects of all sorts.
“Where are all these Exceptionals going?” Ally asked Luke. There were too many of them for them to all be from his living area.
“They are coming home from City Center, either from work or errands. This is the most direct route,” he responded, weaving through a group of chatty female Exceptionals.
Ally watched as another group of Exceptionals passed by. She was struck by how similar they looked to the friends and family she grew up with back in the settlement. If she wasn’t able to see their violet eyes, and the boys with the shaved heads, she might have mistaken them for Ordinarys. Every now and then they would pass a Guar
d on patrol and Ally’s insides would turn. These were the Exceptionals she had grown to fear.
“This way.” Luke took hold of her hand and pulled her in the opposite direction the crowd was moving.
They finally burst out onto a side street that was less crowded, but he didn’t let go of her hand. The houses were growing smaller and closer together, many having no space between them at all. Other buildings were scattered about the houses, with signs hanging outside that Ally couldn’t read. One building had a stand of fruit sitting outside the door and she wondered if they were being sold to the Exceptionals and Ordinarys in the city.
After another half mile of weaving through the streets, they came upon an open area filled with benches and tables. A few small trees grew in the grassy area in the middle, but Ally was immediately taken with the large tree directly in the middle.
“What is it?” Luke came up beside her.
Ally pulled back her sleeve and held out her arm. “It’s an Oak tree, almost identical to my marking.”
“Whoa,” he said, running his finger over her mark.
She shivered and pulled her arm back, confused by the feeling that ran through her when Luke had touched her. She cleared her throat, trying to disguise her uncertainty.
“The branches even grow in similar directions.” Ally pointed out. She didn’t mention that she was also thinking about how quickly she could climb the tree. Partially because it was off topic, but mainly because he might determine her insane for even considering it.
If he had any idea that she was undergoing some strange inner battle, he didn’t let on. Rather, he took a seat on one of the benches beneath the tree. She did the same, sliding to the opposite end of the bench and clasping her hands together in her lap.
“You must have a lot of questions.” Luke peered over at her.
Ally was still having trouble figuring him out. His confidence and arrogance when they first met had scared her at first, but had also given her a fierce attraction toward him. But without his friends or parents around, he was calm and kind. He seemed interested in helping her learn about the City, and making her feel comfortable in his home. There was something attractive about this Luke as well. Ally had to believe that maybe she just found him appealing as a whole, no matter what state his personality happened to be in. He was fairly handsome.
