The Unleashed

by Sarah Dalton

  She took a pouch of herbs from her pocket and tipped some of them into a steel kettle. She filled it with water and placed it on the lit stove. We settled down on the blanket with the box of chocolate bars.

  “So, where are we going?” I asked. “I don’t know how long I slept for. I don’t even remember getting in the car last night. Where was I born?”

  “Mina,” she chastised jokingly. “You’ll ruin the surprise.”

  I broke off a chunk of chocolate. “I’ve had a lot of surprises recently. I’m not sure I want anymore.”

  “Oh, don’t be like that.” She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and squeezed me tight. “It’s an exciting surprise.”

  “But why not just tell me?” I moved away from her and put another piece of chocolate in my mouth.

  “Honey, you’ll get spots if you keep eating all that.” She prised the chocolate bar from my fingers.

  “We didn’t have much chocolate in the ghettos,” I said bitterly.

  Mum sighed and handed it back. “I’m sorry, that was insensitive. I’m learning everything too, you know. I’ve not been a mum for a long time.” The kettle boiled, and she poured the tea out into the lid of a Thermos flask before setting it down to cool.

  “What happened last night?” I asked. “One minute we’re at the meal having a good time. The next I wake up in a car away from the Compound.” The cool breeze helped clear my mind of the fog. Something didn’t feel right.

  “You had a bit too much wine last night. It was my fault. I shouldn’t really be giving teenagers alcohol, but you’re all so grown up. After the meal I talked to Matthew and the others, and it was agreed we’d all come out for a trip. Both Ali and Matthew had had too much to drink and no one wanted to wake up your dad so we came on ahead.”

  “What about our guard? Dave?”

  Mum’s tone cooled. “What about him?”

  “Well, why did Mary just let us leave? She wanted you guarded, so it doesn’t make any sense––”

  “Dave simply didn’t want to come. Now, would you stop this nonsense and drink your tea?” She passed me the cup, which was still hot enough to hurt my fingers.

  I placed it next to me on the verge. “It’s too hot.”

  “All right. Drink it soon, though. It’ll help with the dizziness.”

  “I actually feel a lot better anyway,” I admitted. “Think I just needed some air.”

  Mum stood and bent to kiss me on the top of my head. “Just do as I ask. Mum knows best.”

  I hugged my knees and watched as she started to dismantle the stove. For the first time I began to regret believing everything she said without question. Things didn’t add up, and when I asked her about it, she became defensive. I longed for Daniel by my side to help me; to tell me what to believe and who to trust. He always knew. He understood people better than I did. I just got tricked and taken for a fool.

  “They are coming, aren’t they?” I said, my voice sounding weak and small. “You’re not lying to me?”

  “Mina, you’re my daughter and I love you––”

  “Answer the question.”

  She faltered for a moment, and her mouth opened and closed as if she contemplated telling me something. I waited for her to speak, leaning towards her. She sighed, and hung her head. When she finally lifted her chin and appeared about to answer my question, her eyes bulged and she pointed to the verge. “Snake!”

  I followed her finger just as the snake leapt out of the grass with its jaws open to bite. I froze in shock – having never seen a snake before – which gave it enough time to clamp its jaws around my arm. For a split second I just stared at it, aghast; its thin body swinging back and forth, dangling from my arm. I screamed and swatted it away with my mind – throwing it far away from us. My heart pounded and my palms dampened. I took a deep breath to steady myself. Every part of my body trembled.

  Mum rushed towards me, and pulled me away from the verge. She grasped my arm and examined the wound. “I don’t see any venom but I’ll give you a shot just in case.” She dashed over to the car, and retrieved a medical kit. “I’ll just clean it and pop on a plaster.”

  Despite the sting of alcohol on the cut, I loved watching her take care of me. It made me feel precious. A princess. She applied a plaster before filling a syringe with clear fluid. I frowned at the sight of the needle. Something about it reminded me of the night before. A flash of falling boxes popped into my mind. Why?

  Without hesitating, Mum grabbed me by the arm, rolled up my sleeve, and jabbed me with the needle on the fleshy part of my arm.

  “Ow,” I said. “That hurt.”

  “Give it a few moments and you won’t feel a thing.”

  I leaned against the car, and waited as the medicine flowed through my body. It brought with it a pleasant warming feeling and a sense of calm.

  “Is that better?” she asked in a soothing voice.

  I nodded. My worries drifted away. Why had I been so angry? I couldn’t even remember what I’d been saying.

  “It’s strange to see a snake acting so violently,” she said. “Perhaps it had young. Mothers get very aggressive when protecting their babies. It’s like I said, darling. Mothers know best.”

  12 ~ Angela ~

  Angela sighed as she watched Sebastian kick the tyre in frustration. They’d been travelling for four hours, and it was mid-morning. They made good time for the first few hours; until the cart started to weaken from over use. Then they’d run over strips of mangled metal, and ripped the tyre apart. Game over.

  “Well, there isnae a spare. So ah guess we’d best get walkin’.” Cam confirmed their predicament.

  “How far is it?” asked Angela. She dreaded walking the rest of the way. Her body felt tired and unprepared, and her muscles ached from pushing the cart half a mile. Even still, she refused to let the others know her concerns.

  Ginge examined the map they’d stolen from an abandoned petrol station. “Another fifty miles.” She sighed.

  Angela glared at no one in particular. “I told you it was too slow.”

  “Aye, an’ the truck was too heavy,” Ginge snapped. “There wasnae a perfect way te dae this. We’ve just got te get on with it. Make the best of things, eh?”

  Cam put an arm around her. “Ginge is right. We cannae fall out about it. We have te just get on with it.”

  Angela felt some indignation rise up and she clenched her fists, trying to ignore it. Cam was right. She couldn’t just stand there blaming everyone. She had to get on with things and walk. It just reminded her of when she’d broken out of Area 14 with Daniel and Mina; watching as they made all the decisions and ignored her like she was a stupid little girl. She didn’t want that to happen again, but most of all she didn’t want to be that girl again. She didn’t want to feel jealous or annoyed any more.

  “Okay, let’s move then. Who’s on map duty?” said Angela. She forced herself to smile so wide that the skin at the corners of her mouth stretched almost painfully.

  “That’s… kinda creepy, Angela,” Sebastian noted.

  “What? I’m just trying to keep morale up,” she replied.

  They all burst into laughter.

  “What? I have a creepy smile?”

  “It’s beautiful, Ange,” Cam replied.

  “Smooth.” Sebastian winked at Cam.

  “Aye, that’s what the ladies say.”

  Angela elbowed Cam in the stomach in jest, and he feigned a terrible injury, falling back and clutching his side. “Ahh! Yer got me good an’ proper. Ah think ah need stitches.”

  Angela giggled and took his hand in hers, pulling him close to her.

  “Right, that’s enough larkin’ about. We’re leavin’ nae.” Ginge picked up the map, and rustled it with finality. “We follow this road fer five miles.” She gestured to the long stretch of tarmac winding through green fields.

  Angela internally groaned, but she knew there was no point complaining. She bent down and pulled up her socks. “We’d better
get going then.”

  The group pulled on their backpacks and began to walk.

  *

  Angela enjoyed the walk – for the first few miles. It was nice to get out of the Compound, and see some wildlife for a change. She hadn’t realised how cooped up she’d felt in the Compound.

  Ginge chose a route missing out the Areas so as not to bump into any Enforcers. They’d walked deep into England, where Scottish Nomads wouldn’t dare live outside GEM law. Even still, Ginge kept a tight grip on her rifle at all times, and Cam stayed close to Angela, protectively.

  “Do you think there will be Enforcers out here?” Angela asked.

  “Dad said that Enforcers patrolled between Areas, checking for escaped Blemished people, but most of the time they just focus on the borders,” answered Sebastian. “They won’t be searching for us anymore. We’ve been in the Compound for months.”

  The sun started to set, casting an orange glow over the fields in the distance.

  “Ah think we should find a place te camp.” Ginge gestured to a stile in the wall that led into a neighbouring field.

  The group filed through, one by one, with Ginge first, and Cam last. Angela enjoyed the springy feel of the mossy grass beneath her feet. After hours of walking they’d made it to an area of moorland that would have once been called Yorkshire. According to Ginge’s map, the moors stretched through the north of Yorkshire towards the larger cities. They had to go in between these cities before heading to Area 14.

  Ginge led the group to a small, flat patch of moor grass near the entrance to a forest. “We’ll get a bit o’shelter here an’ we’re away from the road.” She dumped her rucksack on the ground with a relieved groan, stretching out her shoulders.

  Angela removed the bag from her shoulders, and sighed with pleasure. She massaged the tight muscles between her neck and collarbone. It was only after removing the bag that she realised how much it’d hurt her. Cam dumped his bag down and headed to the forest.

  “Where are you going?” she asked.

  “We need wood fer a fire,” said Cam. “Ah’ll only be gone a few minutes.”

  Angela nodded. She hated to see him leave. The last time they’d been apart was during the battle at the Compound, when she’d been stuck in the medical centre. A lump formed in her throat as she remembered what is was like to wonder if he was okay or out fighting for his life.

  She sat down and took out her flask filled with water. They’d managed to re-fill them a few times during the day: once by a river, once in an old village shop, and once in a well. At times the water tasted dirty and dusty. Luckily, Ginge seemed to know everything about surviving in the wild. Including what they could and couldn’t eat and drink. Without her they’d be lost. She sat cross legged on the mossy ground pouring over the map, her ginger hair covering almost all of her face. Angela watched her for a moment, wondering what she was thinking, or what she gleaned from the map that others could not.

  “How long ‘til we reach Area 14?” asked Sebastian. He sat close to Ginge, his arm resting idly on her knee, and leaned over to examine the map.

  “We’ve walked just o’er fourteen miles today,” she said. “If we can walk fer ten hours a day then we should make it in another two days.”

  “That long?” Angela said. She removed her boots, and rubbed her aching feet. The thought of walking ten hours a day made her want to cry.

  “Aye, that long.”

  Cam emerged from the forest with a handful of twigs. He stepped between Sebastian and Angela, so he could set them down a safe distance away. “Anyone got any paper we can burn?”

  Angela rummaged in her bag, and found an old notepad she kept handy in case Daniel had a vision. She handed it to Cam. Their fingers touched – sending electricity up her arms. They hadn’t talked about Angela’s case of verbal diarrhoea, and he still hadn’t said “I love you” back. Her cheeks warmed. She dropped her gaze. Cam busied himself with tearing the paper for the fire. He took a lighter from his pocket, and lit the fire before sitting back down next to Angela. With the fire lit, Angela felt a little flame of hope build in her chest.

  “Shall we eat somethin’ then?” Cam said. “Ah dunnae know about ye but ah’m bloody ravenous.”

  For some reason, hearing Cam say long words like ravenous in his thick Glaswegian accent made Angela laugh. Cam grinned at her in response.

  “Well, I have a can of soup.” Angela pulled it from her bag. “And a few apples.”

  “Perfect.” Cam kissed her on the cheek.

  The group shared the soup and apples, before lying back on the grass with satisfied stomachs, watching the stars twinkle above them. Ginge sang in Gaelic as the embers of the fire died out, and Angela fell asleep on Cam’s chest. The next morning she woke to find Cam gone, and sat up in a panic. To her relief he was walking towards them after coming back from the woods with more firewood.

  He gestured to Ginge and Sebastian asleep on the grass. “They’ll sleep through anything, eh?”

  Angela nodded. She rubbed her sleepy eyes. It felt strange for them to be alone. They hadn’t properly been alone for days.

  Cam laid out the sticks, and tore more paper for the fire. “Ah never got chance te say somethin’ te ye. Ah hope ye know ah feel it too.”

  Angela’s body tensed. Her stomach tingled with anticipation. What was he trying to say to her?

  “Ye know… ye do know, right? That ah love ye?”

  She shifted in the grass, and bit her top lip to stop a massive grin breaking out on her face. Her heart soared and a huge weight lifted from her shoulders. He loved her! She didn’t have to worry about being an idiot and saying the words first. He loved her too. She couldn’t speak because she didn’t know what to say. She just nodded.

  Cam lit the fire, and moved back so they could sit together. He kissed her slowly, pulling her half onto his lap. With her head resting on his shoulder, Angela felt so safe in his arms. He stroked her cheeks, up to where her headscarf met her temples. It was a harsh reminder that she hadn’t been able to wash her hair for days, and she moved his hand away.

  Sebastian stirred. “Oh great – you lovebirds at it again?”

  “At what? Angela said. “Sitting next to each other?”

  “Staring longingly into each other’s eyes.” He faked a retching noise.

  “Oh, and you think you and Ginge aren’t like that?” Angela’s eyes flashed, but she smiled.

  “I’ll have you know that our relationship is built on maturity and respect.” Sebastian said with pretend pomposity.

  “Aye, an’ the rest,” Cam added.

  Ginge rolled over, and let out a huge snore, causing the rest of the group to burst into a fit of laughter. Angela doubled over. Her stomach hurt she laughed so much. She couldn’t remember the last time she laughed so hard. It felt good to let it all out. And then the thought of walking another forty miles didn’t seem quite so bad. She didn’t even notice Cam stop laughing and the smile fade from Sebastian’s face – not until she heard an unfamiliar voice.

  “And what do we have ‘ere, then?”

  13 ~ Daniel ~

  The van stopped to fill up with petrol at an old station Ali knew about from his many scavenging trips. It took them four attempts to find a pump with petrol left as supplies had dwindled over the years without a government. Enforcers used to drive from Area to Area, stealing fuel from the petrol station for London. Surely they had better things to do now – like fight the Resistance in London.

  During the stop, the group decided to make hot food, and drove half a mile down the road away from the station. Daniel helped Jonathon set up the camp fire before leaning back in the grass to stare up at the sky. His mind wandered to thoughts of Mina, and what she was doing at that very moment. They all lived under the same sky. They all had that – no matter what. Then he thought of Angela. He felt so powerless. After years of living with Angela’s family, he thought of her like a little sister and now, when she was in danger, all he could do was hop
e that Cam took care of her. They had no adults to guide them. What would they get up to? His mind swam.

  Kitty prowled the area. She moved like a hunting cat. Every now and then her head tilted, and she stopped to make strange slapping noises with her mouth, as though mulling over the taste of a fine wine.

  “They’ve been this way,” she said. “And then they headed south-east.” She pointed towards the long road.

  “The motorway then,” said Ali. He dropped down next to Daniel, to eat his beans from the can.

  Jonathon and Matthew chatted away from the group, standing close to each other to speak quietly. They nodded to each other as though agreeing something. He wanted to know what they were talking about but moving from his spot would make it obvious.

  “Weird family they’ve got, eh?” Ali said, nodding at the two Harts.

  “Secretive,” Daniel admitted. He sighed. “Even Mina keeps things to herself.”

  “Aye.” Ali stirred his beans. “Sometimes she cannae face up te things so she runs. She’s a kid though. Them two havenae got no excuses.”

  “You never mentioned Mina’s Uncle. Why didn’t you want us to know?” Daniel said.

  Ali’s expression darkened. “I thought he was dead. An’ I s’pose I dunnae deal wi’grief too well.” He laughed. “But mostly it’s no one’s business.”

  Daniel blushed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”

  Ali thumped him on the back. “I know, lad. I know. I guess when ye’ve been brought up a certain way and ye live with people who dunnae share ye views ye just get used te keepin’ things te yerself. Then ye grow up an’ realise it’s all just petty. Ye should never try te be somethin’ yer not, lad. I tried that once an’ it didnae suit me.”

  Daniel rubbed his palms along his jeans and stared out at the dark, distant road ahead. “Yeah, I tried that once, too. I tried to ignore my visions. My mum didn’t understand, she thought I was causing the bad things to happen. She thought I was a bad omen, or possessed, or something.”