The Soldiers of the Cyto Field

by Nguyen,Peter

  The house across us has a tree growing from the inside out. Branches’ poking out of each windows and the roof is nearly destroy due to the tree growing out of its black asphalt. My mom tells me that nature is reclaiming this land and it’s a matter of time we will all be living in the forest. I think I would be swinging branch to branch searching for my next meal if that ever happened.

  I hold my mom close as we watch the policemen across the street take our neighbor’s 16 year old son, Luke. I never talked to him before. Luke always seemed like a quiet kid that didn’t care too much about things. If I had taken the chance to interact with him, it would’ve been more upsetting to see the soldiers take him away.

  Luke’s mom starts to break down in tears as they escort her only son to the truck, along with two other subjects that they already selected. All of the neighbors look at her with pity, including my mom who is also in tears from the sight from just watching. I feel nauseous and that barfing is the only way to relieve this tension.

  “You’re going to be alright. They won't take you,” my mom’s voice softens, trying to comfort me, but I think it’s more to comfort herself.

  “Mom, I’m 15 now. Eventually, they will have to,” I whisper.

  My mom probably thinks I’m purposely wanting to leave home, like when I threatened her that I’d run away one too many times if she ever gave away Kaleb. She had tried scaring me with these lies of getting eaten by a big hairy man, being mauled to death by wolves, or turning into stone by the violent ice storms.

  It’s the second time this week that the Northern Policemen had come for their next Redeemed. Just hearing that title makes my hands sweat and stomach queasy. They now only inject people under the age 20, since the survival rate is much higher in teens compare to adults. This means I’m considered a potential subject whether I like or not.

  My mom suddenly lowers her head in respect. “There she is,” my mom mumbles.

  The Northern Policeman has brought a Redeemed with them to keep things under control, it’s obvious that we all fear what they could do.

  I easily spot the girl with the tight leather jacket. Her wavy, bright, blonde hair drifts freely in the wind as she turns her head toward each family. I notice the signature marking under her right eye. It’s a long diamond like triangle, with the point reaching to her high cheekbones. The symbol represents the gods and goddesses of our early ancestors. It looks like they might have branded it onto her flesh.

  As she slowly marches alongside the policeman, I note how strange her eyes are. The bright, golden-colored irises are absent of pupils. If the guards weren’t by her side, she would be surrounded by mobs, in which they would either worship her or kill her. After all, she is the one thing keeping us oppressed.

  Knowing the injections had brought them back to life, giving them some sort of ability, the military used their redemption to strike fear into the eyes of the other territories as well as our own people.

  Kala the Redeemed slowly lays her exotic eyes on me. My heart sinks as our eyes meet. I never stared at one for so long. I can tell she’s also surprise by my courage to hold stares. Her alarm eyes widen but I keep looking, even though this is disrespectful.

  A lot of people would agree with me that Kala is one of the most beautiful Redeemed out there. She’s an idol for most young girls but I can’t even imagine how a role model would feel about convincing young girls to take the injection, leading towards their death. I quickly look down. The troops look towards my direction.

  It’s considered illegal to stare at a Redeemed when you’re not suppose too. It’s our way of life to treat the Redeemed as gods and goddess. Deep down I see them nothing more but scared lab rats that were stolen from their families. I don’t know how many people survived the serum, but I rather not be part of that list.

  The Northern policeman shuts the truck door containing five kids around my age. The fear in their eyes just makes me more grateful each day I’m here with my mom.

  Across from our house is Carter who is standing with his parents and his little sister. Carter and I would use to just spy on them during the day when we were younger. Eventually I’d regret it because Carter would always throw rocks at them. I tried stopping him once, but he kept going. Luckily he would miss or wouldn’t be able to throw that far. That could have gotten us killed or worse, injected. I share so many memories with Carter since I was 8 years old and I always look at him as a brother.

  The policemen start to march to the next neighborhood which is a half mile away from street. I wave back letting him know we got lucky this time; I can feel the blood rushing back into my arm as my mom let’s go. Carter runs to my house along with his little sister Coryanna.

  “Man I was so sure I was going to be taken away. Poor Luke, I wouldn’t expect him to be offered,” said Carter trying to catch his breath.

  “Yea I just hope he’ll survive the injection” I said.

  “Honey I’m going to go inside and make us something to eat okay? Don’t stay out too long” My mom goes back into our little house. Our home isn’t as bad as our neighbors but there are cracks forming from the broken windows.

  “Man I can’t wait for the festival tonight. I mean this once in a lifetime,” said Carter bursting with excitement.

  “Come on I know you’re only going because Kala Boltman is going to be there” I say.

  “Dude I’ll even offer her my house if I got the chance and I saw how you looked at her just now when you weren’t suppose to,” Carter laughs.

  Coryanna starts to laugh like she always does when Carter talks about girls. I tell Carter that he’s delusional; I don’t know why everyone looks at them like gods and goddesses. Sure they have power over us but that doesn’t mean we should be lower than them.

  “Ah yes, Kala, the girl that can survive anything” says a voice.

  It’s Garrett one of my neighbors who thinks he’s a know it all. My mom calls him a thief since every time I invite him over, she misses something. He walks up to us and I start feeling bad, knowing Carter and I would leave him out sometimes. He nearly trips on his shoes as he approaches. The pure white hair doesn’t make it any better. When we were little, he would get teased by the girls on these streets. They would call him “Snowball,” and laugh with no remorse. Although most of those girls are dead now from the injection, Garrett would still feels insecure around other people. Garrett is my age but only a month younger than me. I always try to hang out with him but when I do; he just wants to talk about stuff like historic events that would make me go to sleep in seconds.

  “What do you want Garrett?” says Carter folding his arm.

  “Sorry I can’t help but notice your conversation about the one and only Kala Boltman” says Garrett as he adjusts his overly sized glasses.

  “What are you going to offer her” says Carter.

  “This unique and rare beauty” says Garrett holding out a rock. “Beauty? It’s a rock?” I said. “Not just a rock. I found this when I passes the gates?”

  I knew this guy was weird but I didn’t know he was stupid. I never heard of anyone would ever go pass the gate to go into the Cyto field. The dark grass grows higher than a person’s knees, and the trees struggle to adapt to its intense abnormal seasons. It’s not a place for humans.

  Carter’s dad even old us the hunting ground inhabits failed war experiments. Territories would release them there, using it as a wasteland. Thinking about it gives me chills because millions of people have died there. Then again Garrett is known to exaggerate the truth. He even lied about his imaginary girlfriend last week. Gabriella or something I laugh to myself.

  “You been to the Hunting ground?” says Carter raising one eyebrow.

  “Yes and I’m not lying this time.”

  “Did you see radioactive bears? Or demon possessed dogs?” Carter tease.

  “No, but I hear something moving in the forest.”

  “Whatever you say Garrett, whatever you say”,” says Cater snatching the roc
k out of Garrett’s sweaty hands. We all start to laugh as Garrett chases Carter around Coryanna.

  The wind starts to pick up and it’s starting to get late. I tell Carter and Garrett I’ll meet them at the festival tonight. “Hey I’ll see you guys later,” I say.

  “Don’t forget to bring an offering or the military will your head,” says Carter.

  “I won’t. Alright I’ll see you guys later” I say.

  Everyone separates and walks back to their houses. I turn around and just when I’m about to walk inside I decided to not to go in just yet. I’m hoping my mom wouldn’t worry too much if I stay out a little longer. Usually she doesn’t mind, but since our gate is open, the troops are more likely to abduct me for their injection if I get caught. Besides I believe my mom is probably cooking something special tonight because I can smell the sweet scent in the atmosphere around my house.

  I decide to take a walk outside my neighborhood. The leftover snow lies on lower parts of the trees all around. I look to see if there are any Northern troops nearby. Luckily there isn’t a military vehicle or a troop insight. I softly step on the wet grass that has leftover snow. The cold breeze starts to pick up and my cheeks are the first to feel the piercing touch.

  I can see the familiar snow capped mountains from here as I step on the colorful marble floors. The dull bay still looks mesmerizing, I always have a feeling slipping and busting my head open every time I come up here. I would invite Carter and Garrett but it seems like I’m the only one who knows about this place and I would like to keep it that way.

  As I approach the empty benches, the white gulls start to flap their wings and fly towards the sun reflecting lake. I sit and stare at the beautiful ephemeral sundown just as it falls behind the ice caps. Looking at the colorful sky just brings me at peace but I know this won’t last forever. Every time I go out here I just think about how it would be like if things were different or if I had a father then there will be more food for us and he’ll teach me everything boy should know. I guess I’m just lying to myself every time I’m up here with false dreams and hope that isn’t possible.

  “Everything okay Hazer?”

  I nearly jump when I hear Mr. Rivera’s voice. I didn’t even realize he was sitting out here.

  “Oh hey Mr. Rivera, I didn’t even notice you there. I’m guessing you’re enjoying the beautiful view too?”

  He walks over and sits on the bench next to mine. He’s pulls out a cigar and a lighter. He hands me one and lights it up, but I refuse. I’ve known Mr. Rivera since I was in diapers so it’s kind of weird he’s offering me a cigar. The grey hair on Mr. Rivera tells me we won’t be going out camping or hunting like we use to do. Even though he’s Carter’s father, I always looked up to him like an uncle or even a father figure. He never fails to amuse me with his dry humor and contagious laugh. Even his simplest smile can lift my mood up, making me forget why I was sad in the first place.

  “It’s a tremendous view indeed” says Mr. Rivera as he exhales the smoke.

  “I wish life can always be like this, less stressful, you know?” I say.

  “Maybe that’s why it’s so beautiful. Without the bad things in your life, you’ll never know the good.”

  “Yea I guess.”

  “Think of it like this. You see how beautiful the view you have found? If you keep searching for a better view pass those mountains than beauty is the last thing you might find. “

  I guess Mr. Rivera has a point I guess I’ve always look beyond the possibilities of what a father and the relationship with his son can bring in a child’s life but all this time my mom breaking a sweat every day, working so hard to keep the both of us alive. I feel like I don’t thank her enough.

  “Well thanks for the advice. It’s getting dark I’ll see you later Mr. Rivera.”

  “Goodnight Hazer. I’ll see you around kiddo.”

  I wave at him and walk back to the trail that lead me here. The dark skies begins to howl it’s freezing wind as I walk fast pass the moving pine trees. I suddenly hear barking from afar. Animals don’t come out during the day but at night, it’s almost different world out here. This made me run even faster as I start to race home. The animals out here are known to be dangerous.

  I quickly enter my house and Kaleb rushes to me. He starts to sniff my shoes as I walk into the kitchen where my mom is making food. I don’t feel like eating so I walk up stairs to my small room where clothes are everywhere on the bed and a mirror hanging on the door. I walk over to the mirror and adjust my wavy dark blonde hair. My mom always hated me and Carter’s ear piercing but I think it looks pretty cool.

  After I shower I walk over to my bed, taking my shoes off and tucking myself in. I do feel lost sometimes and I just wish the injection didn’t exist so that I don’t have to stress over it ever day. I close my eyes and began to fall asleep.

  III

  The next day I help my mom by doing all my daily chores I’m suppose to which includes taking Kaleb out in our back yards to do his business.

  I walk into the kitchen and my mom has flour all over her face and tomato stains on her chest. She looks at me with relief. “Honey, thank god. Can you get the pepper from the cabinet for me?”

  “Mom calm down, your over working yourself,” I reach to the cabinet my mom is pointing at.

  I hand my mom the jar and I see there’s a red rash on my mom’s wrist, peeking out of her sleeves.

  I stare carefully at it and it looks almost like an infected bite mark. My mom quickly pulls down her sleeves as she realizes I’ve notice. I know for a fact it doesn’t belong to Kaleb because he wouldn’t even harm a fly.

  “Mom what is that?”

  “It’s nothing” she says looking away.

  I hate seeing my mom hurt or trying to hide it from me. The last time I saw her injured was when we went to the lake near the gate and she fell down from the porch and broke her arm. She couldn’t cook for a month but luckily Carter’s mom Mrs. Rivera gave her some of her food. It didn’t taste as good compare to my mom’s, but it’s still something.

  She places the two bowels of tomato soup and it’s about time to eat. Kaleb rushes to the kitchen and my mom makes him a separate bowel. I love how my mom treats Kaleb like human because she allows his to sit at the kitchen table as if he’s one of us.

  “So what are you going to offer something at the festival?”

  “I don’t know. I guess anything I can find in my room.”

  “Make sure clean and something that won’t make them sick” my mom giggles.

  KNOCK KNOCK!

  The startle expression on my mom face tells me she isn’t expecting any visitors. I know it isn’t Carter because he’s not stupid to wonder the streets at this time of hour. My mom slowly gets up and walks in to the hallway.

  “Honey you remember the plan right?”

  “I remember,” I say.

  My mom walks to door and peeks out from the small crack on the wall, giving us vision of outside. The hole has there ever since I first learn how to walk. She opens the door and my heart nearly stops as I realize it’s one of the Northern Policeman. Didn’t they already go through this street?

  “Good afternoon ma’am. I know we passed this neighborhood once earlier yesterday but it seems I need to check if everything here is in order.”

  I can tell my mom is shaking in fear as she grips the door knob so tight it’s making the door vibrate. The last time I saw my mom nearly scared to death was when I didn’t come home for a day. I was sleeping over at Carter’s house because my mom and I had an argument. My mom’s worst fear is losing me and I guess my biggest fear is losing her as well.

  Kaleb crawls under the table as if he knows something bad is going to happen. I rub his head and wait patiently as my mom tells the soldier outside that she doesn’t have a son. Just hearing her repeats the words just breaks my heart. I just don’t want my mom to keep lying to the law in order to save me from the injection. Sometimes I want to get the injection over
with but that’ll mean I’ll be separated from my mom and be look upon as Capa’s savior. That something I’m most defiantly not.

  I carefully peek out in the hallway again and my mom’s left hand is behind her back, ready to give me a signal. Right now it’s on one so that means I can wait but once it gets on two it means I have to hide and if it’s three I have to run outside the window. I take a deep breath as I watch my mom’s thin fingers that are now trembling in fear.

  “Sir or ma’am I don’t have a son to offer.”

  “Don’t worry about anything, I’m just here to inspect.”

  “Is this a consisting procedure now?”

  “I did this for your neighbors already. There is nothing to worry about. May I come in?”

  My mom pauses in silence as I realize she can’t come up with an excuse to why she can’t invite the soldier into our home. Following the Government’s decisions brought nothing but suffering, but it’s the top priority in order to breathe another day.

  “Um yes please come in, but there isn’t anything worth your time.”

  My mom always stumble around her words when she’s telling lies like this one time when she told an old lady that she was with child in order to get free food. That didn’t work. The old lady knew when a woman wasn’t pregnant. It was pretty embarrassing but I’m sure other people have tried even more ridiculous attempts to gain free things.

  Kaleb suddenly starts to whine but I can’t tell him to shush without drawing too much attention.

  “What was that?” the troop ask.

  My mom’s finger goes to two, compelling me to run to the back of the kitchen and open the stove which leads underground. It was first made to survive the South military’s bombing but we use it to store food. I quickly crawl into it and quietly close the stove. I look though the oven glass and the soldier is now searching our house. I can’t see the person’s face real clear because his cap hides his or her face. The person is as tall as my mom so I’m thinking it’s a female but I can’t be sure.