The Harvested (The Permutation Archives Book 1)

by Kindra Sowder

  After about five minutes, the green beans were done and almost ready for consumption. Taking a slotted spoon from the drawer to Julius’ immediate left, I began to rescue them from the boiling water. They ended up in a clean glass bowl with a small amount of butter and salt and pepper. I typically added a little bit of garlic powder to mine, but Julius hated garlic. As I stirred it all together, he plucked one from the bowl and bit into it, crunching as he chewed. Another smile spread across his lips.

  “Just the way I like them,” he proclaimed.

  I had known that, which was why I’d kept the garlic out of them, though I happened to love it. I began to plate our food, and I chose to reach into the cabinet and put the right amount of garlic powder on my serving of green beans. Sporting a smug grin, I watched him cringe as he stared at me. The look of disgust on his face caused me to chuckle a little bit as I crunched away on the bean and grinned back.

  “Mila, do my eyes deceive me, or are you laughing at me?”

  The question only made me giggle again. I wasn’t even trying to hide it.

  “You bet I am. Only weird people don’t like garlic. That officially makes you weird,” I stated, picking up a green bean from my plate, placing it in my mouth, and chewing with a very broad grin on my face.

  The fresh flavor of them, coupled with the tinge of the garlic, was perfect. I watched his face twist into something between laughter and disgust, which only made me laugh harder. Only good friends could laugh over what repulsed the other and not get upset or angry about it.

  I was secretly screaming on the inside while keeping a happy outward expression, just for the sake of appearances. I was good at it. I had to do it a lot with my mother and sister, so no clues were given as to the big secret I was keeping from everyone.

  We took our plates to the dining room table. I saw the flash of the event I had experienced earlier in the day right in that very spot. The clean white case filled with supplies needed to collect our blood as well as the sight of sterile gloves made my blood turn cold. The whole testing thing was beyond ridiculous, but we all had to do it, and if we all had to do it, we would all get caught in a lie together. While I hated the thought of my impending incarceration, I knew I was more than likely with friends.

  I cut into my steak, and Julius had cooked it perfectly. Medium well was how I liked it. Medium rare was perfect for him. I found it nauseating and made the same face as he had about my garlicky green beans so that he could see it. My plan worked, and he let out a short, quiet giggle as he chewed the first bite of his slightly bloody steak. I took a bite of mine, and it was so good I could’ve stood up and broke out into song.

  “Wow. I had no idea you had it in you.”

  The surprise was all over my face, and it made him laugh even more.

  I took another bite of the steak as he watched me. He grinned as I took a huge helping of the loaded baked potato that I had overburdened with sour cream, cheese, bacon bits, and chives. Granted, mine were good, but his was so much better. I was actually kind of glad that he invaded the moments I thought I needed to myself without the food. His presence caused me to learn very quickly that I did need the company after all.

  My plate was empty before I realized it, and I still wanted more. I knew I shouldn’t gorge myself with such a fatty fare, so I chose to do something healthier. I stalked to the fridge, opened the bottom drawer, and took two granny smith apples in my hands. I pre-washed all of my fruits before putting them in their rightful place just for the purpose of quick feasting.

  I tossed one to him from the kitchen and took a greedy bite of the pale green flesh. It was incredibly juicy and tart. I was partial to the flavor of sour things, fruit especially. There was just something about it that I craved, and I wasn’t entirely sure what it was.

  Julius bit into his with mock enthusiasm as I savored my own, chewing slowly and letting the flavor roll around in my mouth. That moment was pure bliss, and I would hold onto it. At least until the moment the government would come crashing through the door to drag us both outside and into the dark. I was sure it would happen that night, but I wasn’t sure exactly when. The wait was pure and absolute torture. To know I would be taken somewhere in the middle of nowhere, so they could do horrible things to my body wasn’t reassuring. I was even certain none of us would survive it. We were too different to be kept alive for long. They would discover all of our secrets, find out how to harness them, and then kill us all so we couldn’t expose them as the thieves they were. Of course, none of those thoughts were founded on proof aside from a history book or two.

  “So, what do you think will happen?” I knew he had to have a theory about what our fate would be once the blood tests came back. The creeping sensation of danger just around the corner caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up. I desperately wanted to know that I wasn’t the only one who thought it wouldn’t end well for any of us.

  “Well, nothing good. That I know for sure,” he said, his face taking on a solemn appearance. His eyes dropped to the floor as if troubled by his thoughts.

  I was getting tired of waiting for it to happen. The anxiety was what made it so difficult to stay still, and I doubted if I was going to be able to sleep. My bed silently called out to me, and my mind wanted to fall into the pit of fatigue. But I was far too wired despite the tiredness pulling at the edges of the wakefulness. Still, I was about to indulge in the need to lie down and snuggle with the crisp, white sheets.

  I finished the apple and threw the core in the trash chute. Julius came around the counter with the dishes from our demolished dinner and placed them in the sink—the apple held firmly in his teeth as he did so. The dishes made a clinking sound that made me want to cringe because it sounded as if he was breaking them.

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I exhaled in a long sigh, exaggerating it just enough so he would know what I was feeling. I only wished there could be more moments like that without the fear and loathing hanging over our heads to ruin it. That dark cloud wouldn’t disappear no matter how great of a night I had.

  “I’m heading to bed. You can have the couch. You know where everything is, right?”

  Of course, he knew. He liked to violate curfew, and he did it often enough that he had a special shelf in the closet filled with linens and a pair of his favorite pajamas. That night was one time I hadn’t expected him to drop in. I assumed he was with his parents and refused to leave them, but sometimes he managed to surprise me.

  “Please don’t make me go over it again. Yes, I know where everything is,” he protested.

  I could hear slight irritation and insignificant amusement in his voice. I walked past him and gave him a small, playful punch on the shoulder. He feigned pain, clasping his shoulder as if I had hit him to the point of injury.

  As I closed the door behind me, I couldn’t help but think about what was to come, and the images in my head were not for the faint of heart. I knew something bad was going to happen, I just wasn’t sure what and when, but it was something. I skipped brushing my teeth, ran a brush through my hair, and crawled between white cotton sheets—the official government issued kind. I would give anything for the fancy satin or silk ones that government workers received. At least for my last night of freedom. Maybe I could have had that without having to learn the cold government stare-down as well as the seemingly government issued accent that came with the job. Like a shiny new package, all different from what they used to be except for their faces. It was as if someone lost everything that made them unique once they slipped on the white suit jacket.

  Once we were taken, we would all lose that sense of self. I could feel it already as I started to drift into the dark and silent realm of sleep.

  Chapter 5

  I was dreaming, but sadly, I didn’t remember what it was about when I awoke. Unfortunately, I never seemed to remember. I wasn’t sure if it was a quirk of my brain or if it had something to do with what our society pushed on us. Dreams were just an extension of our exp
eriences and our emotions. How could that not be true? Or was it those genetically altered green beans I had a tendency to eat?

  Opening my eyes, I realized it was still pitch black in my bedroom. I groaned loudly as I rolled over and took a glance at the bedside alarm clock. It was only two in the morning, and I let out another whimper as I turned onto my back, throwing my arm out to reach as far across the cold sheets as possible. Sleep seemed like a far away memory, and my bladder wasn’t going to allow it anyway. It felt as if it could burst any moment. I was going to be running to the bathroom instead of walking. I didn’t want to rise from the cool comfort of the bed, but the urge to ruin my white, standard issue sheets was becoming overwhelming.

  I sat up and swung my feet over the edge of the bed, touching my toes to the worn and rough carpet. It was blue and faded, just like the carpet in my living room. I moaned. I needed to get it replaced if I ever had the chance and I was certain I never would. My bladder contracted, letting me know that it was giving its last warning. Rising to my feet, I felt another pang of pressure.

  I padded to my bedroom door and swung it open, practically sprinting toward the bathroom, not even caring if Julius was awake or if I woke him. The thought of an adjoined bathroom crossed my mind, and then I remembered why I didn’t have one to begin with. I didn’t have one because of how much more it cost. It was interesting how just joining two rooms together made the price jump up, and if I recalled correctly, it was six hundred dollars instead of the three hundred I was already forfeiting.

  My bladder practically jumped out of me, and once I finished, I flushed with a satisfied smile that I would be able to go back to sleep. Or, at least I think so. My throat dried as soon as I thought the words. I must have been sleeping with my mouth open again—like most nights. I wouldn’t have been surprised if I swallowed a bug of some kind every night. The thought of it almost made me want to gag.

  I crept my way to the sink and stubbed my small toe on the corner of the cabinet just inside of the kitchen. Searing pain radiated through my toe and into my foot, making me want to cry out in agony. Why was it always the pinky toe? I swore I had broken it as I hopped on one foot, grabbing it and hoping the pressure would stop the flood of pain. It didn’t.

  “Damn it,” I whispered with a hiss, trying not to wake Julius. Cursing was highly frowned upon and was routinely punished by public flogging.

  Turning slightly, I glanced in Julius’ direction, trying to ensure I hadn’t woke him with the amount of noise I was making. He was still sound asleep, curled around a pillow while lying on his stomach with his lips parted ever so slightly and air hissing past them in a soft snore. I had never once been awake when he had stayed the night so the fact that he wheezed intrigued me. He just seemed like the kind of person to have a snore that sounded through the entire apartment. So far, that didn’t appear to be the case.

  The pain began to fade, but I knew it would be sore and a bruise would appear in the morning. That was if I made it to the morning. I quickly grabbed a sleek glass out of the cabinet and filled it up halfway with water straight from the tap. The water was cold against my throat as it ran down my gullet and into my waiting stomach.

  I walked back past the counters and stood there, sipping my water slowly and watching him sleep. He seemed so childlike. I hadn’t expected that. He was muscular and bulky, so seeing him that vulnerable was different. I could have sat down on the chair that set caddy-corner from his resting place and watched him all night if I didn’t have to worry about sleep myself.

  A yawn had escaped me before I had a chance to stop it and tears sprung to my eyes, almost running down my face before I caught them with the heel of my hand. I took a final, tentative sip, poured the remaining water down the drain, and set the glass in the sink. That was all I needed because I didn’t want to have to get up to go to the bathroom for a second time in one night.

  I walked quietly back to my bedroom and made the conscious decision to leave the door open, thinking that if they were coming for us tonight the door wouldn’t keep them out. Plus, I’d be able to hear the unfamiliar footfalls better. I completely trusted Julius, but that hadn’t stopped me from shutting the door every night he’d spent the night before. I normally couldn’t fall asleep with it open. I had lived alone for so long that I’d had the unfortunate experience of a breaking and entering incident once, and my lingering paranoia was the result. I had learned to shut doors just to give intruders something to slow them down, even if it was only for a second. I didn’t have much to take, though. I lived a very simple life and didn’t have much besides the necessities and a government issued television, which no one would steal. An alarm hooked to it would see to that.

  Plopping down on my bed, I exhaled as I nuzzled into my soft and fluffy pillows. I didn’t feel the need for the comforter since I wasn’t cold, despite being dressed in a white tank and shorts.

  Once my eyes closed, I began to drift once again even though I was terrified, but I didn’t make it to the dark and lonely place sleep took me. A gloved hand came over my mouth, and my eyes shot open. I tried to scream, but the man’s hand muffled the sound. The bedside lamp fell as I struggled to free myself. Fear and absolute terror took over while I fought hard not to turn my captor into the melted pile of flesh and blood that would result if I let my power take possession of me.

  Frozen and held in place, I didn’t even realize there was another man in my room until I felt a hand firmly clasp my wrist, pushing a device into my flesh that pricked my skin and made a strange whining noise. A beep sounded, and he nodded to the man holding me down on my bed.

  My time had come. I was being taken, and no one would hear from me again. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay there and have my nights with Julius and discussions over coffee with Cecilia and my mother. I wasn’t done poking fun at Gaia yet.

  I bit into the man’s hand covering my mouth. He kept his pained noises to a minimum, but I forced a scream out of my lungs to rip through the air as if it was the last sound I would ever make. I kicked out, my foot striking the man at my side, and launched myself off the bed, dashing to the open bedroom door.

  “Mila!” Julius yelled from the living room.

  They were taking him too, and there was no way out. I grabbed the doorway, my fingers hooking around to the edge of the frame, and I got just enough of a glimpse to see something that shook me to the core.

  Julius was on the ground, blood running down his arm and eyes wide with fear. They had put the machine to his wrist, just like they had me. It looked more like a glucose meter for diabetics than anything sinister. I assumed they used it to confirm our identity. They had just been lucky enough to find the both of us in one place.

  His arm fell over his eyes, and he looked as if he had been thrown to the ground and was trying to steady himself. Another man in a white suit stalked up to him, and punched him, knocking him unconscious.

  I had never been in a situation where I had had to defend myself, so I didn’t have anything there that was made just for that purpose. My mother had always urged me to at least purchase a gun or stun wand, but I hadn’t. When my apartment had been broken into, I hadn’t been home and had come back to find a large mess, but I had never experienced the terror of someone’s hands grabbing me and being placed over my mouth. Fear wasn’t the word for what I felt. The more accurate description was sheer, absolute terror.

  My heart pounded, sweat was trickled down my forehead, and I took short gasps as the adrenaline pumped through my veins.

  One of the two men in my bedroom snatched my shoulder and turned me to face him, jabbing a needle into the side of my neck and pushing down the plunger. I whimpered in pain once the needle slipped into my skin, piercing anything in its path. I instantly felt the effects of the medication as different parts of my body relaxed one at a time. With jerky movements, I turned and took a tentative step forward, trying to get away from the men in the white suits with their little machines and needles.

 
My body felt numb as I moved across the worn, rough carpet and stumbled into the living room. Julius was being carried out of the apartment over the largest man’s shoulders in a fireman’s carry. Everything began to feel disconnected as if my arms and legs were no longer attached to my torso.

  I walked as fast as I dared, but my eyes attempted to close, and the room began to spin. I dropped to the floor and sat there, practically drooling like a baby with my mouth hanging open because I was unable to close it. I wanted to crawl away, and I made a feeble attempt to try as the men stalked me like I was their prey. I could feel their eyes on my back as I slowly crawled to ill-perceived safety where there was none.

  My heart still raced, but it felt as if it was skipping a few beats at a time while trying to adjust to the fall of adrenaline in my system, as well as the unknown drugs they had given me. I was sure they had overdosed me, but it wasn’t as if I knew what that felt like.

  Did they need this much of it to take me down?

  I watched as a pair of sleek white shoes came to stand in front of me, and a face came into view as a man leaned down toward me. It was the same man who had taken my blood earlier that day—the one whose name I hadn’t caught.

  I could barely keep my eyes open, no matter how much I struggled, but I couldn’t let the darkness take me into its embrace. My thoughts became jumbled, and all I could think about was lying down on the carpet to stare at the fading blue color. The only thing the muscles in my face would allow was a gaping mouth and silence.

  He looked deep into my eyes, and his lips spread in a condescending grin that I knew I would see in my dreams for years to come—if not the rest of my life. He began to speak, but it didn’t sound like words. It sounded like jumbled and distorted sounds muffled by a pillow. About halfway through, I managed to focus clearly enough to understand a single sentence.