by Valerie Puri
He closed his eyes, shaking his head, trying to erase the thought from his mind. But it lingered. When he shut his eyes, he could see it more clearly. The half-dead monsters dragging Jennie away into the forest. Her screams ripping through the air, just like their mother’s.
“Don’t go,” he blurted out.
Jennie froze, her hand clutching a roll of bandages. He felt the unasked questions, the stares. Everyone in the compact space seemed to grow until they towered over him.
Belle’s tight curls bounced around her face as she shook her head. Ethan cocked an eyebrow at him. No one spoke.
The silence bubbled up and filled the space between them. He wanted to shrink into the corner and pretend he never spoke. But the words were out. He was afraid. Afraid of losing his sister. Afraid of what might happen.
Jennie slid the bandages into her bag. She set it on her desk and stood in front of him. When she placed her hand on his shoulder, he trembled.
He had been so brave when he set out with Ethan to rescue her. That was different, though. Sash took her. He was a monster, but he was human. For some reason, he wasn’t as frightening as the lemerons. Those creatures were bloodthirsty monsters and nothing more. There was no hope of reasoning with them. All they knew was death.
“Travis, I have to go.”
“But why? What if something happens to you? What if…”
The unasked question hung in the air. The hurt in Jennie’s eyes told him she knew what he would ask.
What if the lemerons kill you?
She tightened her grip on his shoulder. “I have to find Ethan’s people. We need to see if they can help us get rid of the lemerons. I’ll be with him. Together, we’ll be fine.”
“Why does it have to be you? Why can’t he go by himself?”
As soon as the words were out, he felt bad for saying them. He never said the right thing.
Ethan pursed his lips. The way it sounded was like it didn’t matter to Travis if Ethan got killed. He could go if he wanted, but Jennie had to stay here so she’d be safe. He bowed his head. He didn’t mean for his question to come off like he didn’t care about Ethan.
“I never asked your sister to come with me, Travis, but I welcome the support. My mother is out there right now trying to find me and my people so we can help you. We aren’t easy to find, so she’ll need my help. I - she doesn’t know who I am, or that I was even here, so it will be an awkward first meeting.”
“And that’s where I can help,” Jennie added. “Marlene needs to know about Ethan. We lost our mother, let me help Ethan find his.”
Travis opened his mouth to respond but thought better of it. If he spoke, he would say no. Knowing Jennie, she might actually stay for her little brother. But if she did, she wouldn’t be happy. She would be miserable. She would feel as though she let Ethan down. Travis could tell she cared about Ethan. How could he stand in the way of his sister being happy? How could he stand in the way of Ethan being reunited with his mother?
He couldn’t.
Sighing, he relented.
“Okay,” was all he said.
There was more that he wanted to say, to warn Jennie of the dangers, to ask her to reconsider. But she knew just as well as he did how dangerous it would be to leave the safety of the wall. And her mind was made up.
She tousled his hair like she always did. It brought a tentative smile to his lips. He wished he could pretend everything was normal, but he couldn’t forget. All he could do was hope his worst nightmares wouldn’t become a reality with his sister being the lemeron’s latest victim.
Four
Jennie
Travis hunched his shoulders and stared at his feet. Jennie hated that her decision to leave hurt him, but she had just the thing to cheer him up. It was his birthday, after all, so now was as good a time as any to give him his present.
“Wait here, I’ll be right back.”
She slipped from her office and made her way through the stables until she came to the stall she was looking for. Taking the bridle off the hook beside the opening, she entered. A midnight black stallion perked up when he saw her. Jennie scratched his chin, and the horse knickered and bobbed his head.
“Come with me. I want you to meet someone,” Jennie slipped the bridle over his head.
She walked him down the aisle back toward the others. His hoofs kicking up the soft dirt on the floor. Jennie halted outside of her office and called out.
“Travis, come here. I have your birthday present.”
Her little brother emerged from the office. His eyes grew wide when he saw the horse.
“This is Emerald. He’s a gentle giant, and as long as you take good care of him, he’ll give you lots of affection.”
“You mean I can have him?” Travis asked in disbelief.
“Anyone who works in the stables gets to have their own horse. You’re thirteen now, and you decided to join me in the stables. It’s a wonderful profession to choose. It’s one that’s very important to our survival. We need to take care of the horses so the farmers can work the fields with them,” Jennie grinned and scratched Emerald’s chin again. “But Emerald will be exclusively yours. Just like Misty is mine.”
Travis gave Jennie a tight hug. The pressure hurt her aching body, but she squeezed him back. When he released her, he stroked Emerald’s cheek and forelock. The horse smelled Travis and nuzzled his new owner.
“He likes you,” Jennie smiled. “When I’m gone, you’ll need to look after all the horses. Make sure they are fed, watered, and their stalls are clean. I know you’ll do a good job.”
Her little brother’s smile faltered when Jennie mentioned she was leaving. Emerald nuzzled him again.
“I won’t let you down,” he hugged the horse’s head.
She nodded, satisfied that he would take care of her duties at the stables.
Belle was next. She didn’t have a present for her best friend, but she had a favor to ask. Jennie pulled her to a corner of the office, hoping they were out of Travis’s earshot.
“Look after him. Make sure nothing happens to him while I’m away.”
Belle nodded knowingly. “Sash won’t get anywhere near him.”
“Thanks,” Jennie glanced over to make sure Travis was still occupied with his present. “There’s one more thing. With Marlene gone and Victor out of the picture, the Order might try to make a move. They’re power-hungry, and we don’t have any elders now. Do what you can to keep them out of power.”
“Okay, but what do you expect me to do?” Belle frowned. “We don’t even know who’s in this Order.”
“True,” Jennie admitted. Anyone living within the Commune could be part of their secretive group. The unknown enemy. The only people who Jennie was sure were a part of the Order were Victor and Sash. Victor had been removed from power, and Sash was incapacitated. At least for now. Before long, he would come after them again.
Jennie pursed her lips. She was leaving the Commune to face a different danger. But Sash still posed a threat to Belle and Travis, who were staying behind.
“Go to Uncle Albert,” Jennie said. “He’ll know who you can trust and who should stand in while Marlene is gone.”
Her best friend put her hands on her hips. “At this point, I only trust the four people in this barn. But I know Albert’s like an uncle to you, so I’ll reach out to him.”
Belle rushed forward and gripped her in a hug. Jennie winced from pain, but returned the gesture, wrapping her best friend in her arms.
“I’ll miss you. Don’t be gone too long,” Belle pulled away, water glistening in her eyes.
The sight tugged at Jennie’s heart. Belle never got emotional.
“I’ll be back before you can say ‘undesirable.’”
Belle choked out a laugh. “You better, or else I’ll have words with Ethan. I wonder, would the Order consider Ethan’s people undesirables like us?”
Jennie shrugged. “That depends on if they go against the Order or not. Anyone who i
sn’t part of their secret group is an undesirable. If Ethan’s people are anything like him, we’ll be bringing back more targets for Sash.”
“Then bring as many as you can so we can overpower Sash and his group,” Belle said.
Jennie was ready to leave. The longer she delayed, the more tempting it would be to stay. She wasn’t looking forward to encountering any lemerons. Glancing around, she noticed Ethan was nowhere to be seen. She stepped out into the central aisle of the stables. She frowned and looked up and down the length of the building. Still no Ethan.
Where did he go? Did he leave without me?
Jennie wouldn’t put it past him. He might have left her behind to protect her from danger. If he did, there’s no way she could track him down. She didn’t know her way through the forest like him. Lemerons would get her for sure before she found Ethan. Was this his way of forcing her to stay? Was this his way of protecting her?
Her heart caught in her throat as she thought about it. Would she even see him again?
Just when she was sure he really left her behind, Ethan climbed down the loft ladder.
Exhaling a sigh of relief, she smiled. When he reached the last two rungs of the ladder, he jumped down, landing in the dirt with a muted thump. He was dressed in his green tunic with his dagger belt cinched around his waist.
Striding up to her, his green eyes were fixed on Jennie. Her stomach fluttered. She was the only one he was focused on. No matter what happened out there, she was sure he would protect her.
“Are you ready to go?” Ethan asked in his smooth voice.
Jennie nodded.
“Don’t forget this,” Belle said from behind her.
She held out Jennie’s bag. She felt her cheeks turn hot. How could she forget her bag she so diligently packed? If she was this careless out there, things could be a lot worse than leaving behind some supplies. She couldn’t let herself get so distracted.
“Thanks, Belle.”
Jennie gave Travis a hug. “Look after everything for me. And father. He’ll wonder where I’ve gone. Tell him I’m going for help and this is something I have to do for all of us.”
The hint of Travis’s Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed. “He won’t understand. He’ll be furious.”
The past few days turned their world upside down and set the stage for a revolt within the Commune. How much should they tell their father? He didn’t know about Ethan. He didn’t know the truth about Marlene. He didn’t know about what Sash did to them.
“You know what? He’s our father. Tell him everything that happened. Everything. We can trust him. Belle, go with Travis. It’s better if you both go, so he knows the details of what happened to you, too.”
“Don’t worry, Jennie,” Belle said. “Now get out of here, you’re wasting daylight.”
She nodded. Her feet took her to the stable door, but part of her heart remained with Travis and Belle. With a trembling hand, she slid the mass of wood open. She squinted against the sunlight as it poured in through the opening.
Jennie wished they could take a pair of horses, but the forest was too thick and unwieldy for such large animals. Tree branches would unseat them as soon as they entered the woods. It was better to go on foot.
The stench of the air outside overpowered the comforting scent of the horses. It smelled like rotting meat. Coughing, she pressed forward, Ethan by her side.
Jennie slid the stable door shut behind her, closing off a part of her life she wondered if she’d ever see again.
Five
Sash
Sash groaned as he rolled onto his side.
What the hell am I doing on the floor?
He growled as it came back to him. Those damn kids attacked him. He poked at the red-soaked patch on his pants. And they stabbed him.
His head throbbed. His leg stung.
That older kid jabbed the scalpel in his leg. Sash didn’t recognize him, but that didn’t surprise him. He didn’t bother to get to know the undesirables living in the Commune. The Order was the only group of people he cared to know.
He looked around the disheveled room. Medical supplies and trays were strewn across the cold floor. The bright lights reflecting off the stark, white walls made his head pound even more. Those kids escaped. And so did Isaac.
Sash hated Isaac. The vermin wanted Victor’s position as head of the Order. Anyone who went against Victor was Sash’s enemy.
The rhythmic sound of a broom swishing across the floor caught his attention. He twisted around to see behind him. Goggles was there, sweeping up the mess those undesirables made. The scrawny man’s white lab coat hung limply from his shoulders. It was so long, Sash wondered how his legs didn’t get tangled up in it. He never noticed it before. Sash usually towered over Goggles. He wasn’t accustomed to being on the ground.
Sash gripped the edge of the table and pulled himself to his feet. The effort exacerbated the pain in his leg. He growled through the searing fire that spread from the wound. Standing made his head buzz.
Goggles stopped sweeping and looked at him. The short man went in and out of focus. Sash could see his lips move, but a ringing in his ears drowned him out.
“What is it, Goggles?” Sash growled. He was relieved to hear himself talk. At least he could hear something.
“I said you should take things slowly. Belle injected you with a powerful sedative.”
“I’m not one of your damn subjects,” Sash grabbed a tray and flung it at the wall.
Goggles backed away with his hands raised. “Of course, of course. I only meant that a normal-sized man would still be unconscious. Even someone of your size may still be feeling the effects.”
Sash only grunted. What Goggles thought he should do didn’t matter. Sash did what he wanted. He only took orders from Victor and no one else. He leaned against the table where Isaac had been.
“What happened to Isaac?” Sash asked.
“He -- he left.”
Sash whirled around, snarling.
“What? I didn’t bring him down here for you to let him go. I told you to process him.” He approached the tiny man with bared teeth. “Who told you to let him walk out of here?”
Goggles shrank back, holding his broom in front of him as if he were trying to hide behind it. Like that would help. Sash could snap that broom in half like a twig and beat him bloody with it.
“Where did he go?”
Goggles whimpered. “I d-don’t know. He didn’t t-tell me. He left after all the fighting.”
The fighting. That girl Jennie and her friends caused more problems than they realized. The next time he got his hands on them, they would wish they never escaped. Because of them, Isaac was out there somewhere, spreading his lies to the rest of the Order. He had to protect Victor and the Order at any cost.
“How long has it been since Isaac left?” Sash asked.
If it hadn’t been too long, he could track him down before he reached the others. Who knew what Isaac planned to tell them.
Before Goggles got a chance to answer, the massive steel door creaked open.
Sash’s head whipped around, the action making him dizzy again. His face grew hot with fury. That door was always supposed to be closed and locked from the inside. Goggles neglected one of his primary duties. No one should be able to enter without being admitted.
He was about to berate the fool when he saw who stepped through the door. His mouth fell open. He quickly snapped it shut, grinding his teeth together.
“Isaac Fenske,” he growled.
“Jacob Sash,” Isaac responded with indifference.
“Don’t use that name with me. I hate that name.”
“Then ‘Sash’ it is.”
Sash glowered at him. Isaac’s face was swollen from the two black eyes, and broken nose Sash gave him. The corner of Sash’s mouth twitched with a half-smile as he admired his handiwork.
The moment of satisfaction was short-lived. Something wasn’t right here.
“
Why would you come back?”
Isaac circled the room. He stopped to examine the drawers where Goggles kept the bodies of those who failed processing. Continuing on, he ran his finger along the workbench on the opposite wall. Lifting his hand, he rubbed his finger and thumb together.
“I asked you a question,” Sash snapped.
Isaac clasped his hands behind his back and approached.
“I take it you haven’t heard the news,” Isaac said.
“What news? Quit playing games with me.”
Isaac closed his swollen eyes and shook his head slowly. “We have been exposed. Victor was overthrown and taken into custody by the undesirables.”
Sash staggered backward, pain ripping through his leg. Victor had been his mentor for over twenty years. Without his guidance and instruction, Sash was lost. He felt the color drain from his face.
“What do we do now?”
Six
Ethan
“You said the mass of lemerons is gathering at the north wall by the orchard, right?” Ethan asked.
Jennie nodded. She was biting her split lip again, something she did frequently now.
“Then, we go to the southern part of the wall and exit there.”
“But don’t we need to go north to find your people?”
“Yes, but it’s safer if we go around. It’ll cost us more time, but better that than costing our lives.”
“I can’t argue with that. Then we go south.” Jennie turned away from the apple orchard.
They skirted along the edge of the wall. It wasn’t worth the risk of cutting through the town and being caught by the Order. Ethan would feel better when he could leave this complicated place behind him.
But now that he had spent time here, and with Jennie, things were different. He wanted nothing more than to return to his home, but he didn’t want to leave Jennie. He couldn’t ask her to leave her family, friends, and the only life she’d ever known to stay with him.
