by Ain Soph
If we’re ever going to move forward, then I need to take charge of the situation and be direct. “Mori, why are you living in a shack in the impoverished district? Your house was beautiful. Why would you move out of it, especially into a place like this? You were the village’s mama. Any one of those kids you took care of could have taken you in if you fell on hard times. It happens to the best of us.” Anger is bubbling in my stomach and I have to swallow it back down. I don’t want Mori feeling any worse about her living situation than she already is, but I’m angry at everyone in the village for letting Mori live in this slum. Obviously she fell on hard times, but where was everyone’s sense of community when it happened?
“Just come inside, Luxem. We can talk in the house.” Mori ushers me inside and takes my bag for me. “I’m going to put this in the spare bedroom. You don’t have to stay here of course, but I just want you to know that if you choose to, there’ll be a bedroom for you, hon.” When Mori is out of sight, I take a chance to pass a judgmental glare over the inside of her house. No, this is not good enough for what Mori deserves. The carpet smell like urine, and the walls look like they’re about ready to cave in on themselves. She has torn (and tacky) leopard print couches and chipped metal chairs around a card table in a closet sized space I’m assuming is the dining room. Mori returns to the living room and sits on the couch farthest from me, motioning for me to sit down. As I perch on the arm of the couch across from her, Mori begins awkwardly picking at one of the holes in her cushion.
After I sit across from Mori, I rest my head in my hands for a moment before looking up at the defeated expression on the face of the woman in front of me. “Mori...what is all of this?” I whisper. Not only does Mori look like an entirely different woman, but she’s also living an entirely different lifestyle.
Mori releases a long breath and closes her eyes, clenching her hands into fists as if the harder her nails dig in to her palm, the more confidence she’ll have to tell me about her misfortune. “There was a time a couple of years after you and Lucie left when the kidnappings got real bad in Timberwood. Parents tried to keep their kids indoors, but how can you keep an energetic young thing cooped up all day? Some of the other districts started actually assigning ‘town mamas’ as you so eloquently put it. It was a last ditch effort to keep their children safe. I was obviously first pick for this part of town; I had already been doing that for years. So every morning when the parents to HQ for missions, I’d watch over the children to keep them safe and sound until their folks got home. It was fine for a while. Actually, it almost seemed like the kidnapping stopped. But that’s when I made a fatal mistake; I let my guard down. I thought Timberwood was safe, that we didn’t have to worry anymore. It had been weeks, Luxem. I thought that the Reapers or whoever was doing it moved on to the next town. So early that morning, I took the kids to the same park we went to every day, except this time, I brought a book along- something to give me some entertainment while they all played. But while I was reading, I started feeling so tired. You wouldn’t believe how tired, Luxem. I couldn’t even explain it to you properly. I know I’d always fall asleep when babysat you and Lucie, but I’d allow myself. That situation was entirely different. But this time...it felt like I was drugged to sleep or something.”
Mori closes her eyes and sighs, letting her head fall in defeat, “When I woke up, all the kids were gone. Every last one of them. To make everything worse, the kids in this part of town were the only ones taken. That was discovered later though. When the parents came home that day and realized all of their children were gone, they blamed me- calling me narcoleptic and lazy, saying I just wanted a nap, that I didn’t care about their children. Horrible things, Luxem. They got much worse than that...and honestly, I don’t blame them. I understood even then their anger and frustration. It felt like I deserved everything they were giving me.” Mori brings her head back up and looks at me with tear streaked cheeks. She bites her lip to keep herself from crying out loud and drops her head back down to the ground.
I shake my head. There’s something wrong with this story. There’s no way they could all turn their backs on her like that, especially not when the Reapers were involved. “But they know you. They know you wouldn’t have just fallen asleep like that- not when you’re in charge of all those kids. Did you tell them about how you felt drugged? That’s what the kidnappers must have done- gassed all of you or something. I mean, that’s the only way they could have gotten all of those kids out of there without any trouble or mess ups. Those weren’t just kids; they were mercenaries in training. They wouldn’t have gone without a fight, and honestly, you would have woken up to all the commotion.”
A small smile graces Mori’s lips as she listens to the intensity of my faith in her (and in our village) but it falls off her face the moment she starts talking again. “I brought up all those points. There was a time not long after it all happened when I felt like I needed to defend myself, to show that I wasn’t that big of a monster. But after talking to the other districts and realizing that ours was the only one that had any kidnappings, the leaders started investigating. It turns out that the other town moms rotated spots-just in case whoever was doing the kidnappings happened to be watching them. I didn’t. I was such an idiot, Luxem. I took them to the same spot everyday. How could I do that? These other town moms, new ones that hadn’t even been caring for kids that long, had tips and tricks that they put into practice every single day they watched over the children. I was so confident in myself that I never even thought to change up my routine. Inevitably, the parents of the kids that went missing discovered my mess up, and I think they actually hated me more for being so stupid. Before, they thought that I was just lazy and tired, not that I was a complete and total fool.”
Mori rubs her eyes and stands up, pacing behind the couch. “So, now I live in this shack, picking up trash and going through dumpsters to make ends meet. Sometimes I’ll take a stroll through the mercenary district to reminisce. It’s gotten better. People aren’t outwardly hateful toward me anymore, but they ignore me as if I’m not even there.” Her voice drops down to a whisper, “I think the invisibility is what hurts the most. More and more I find myself missing their cruelty. How does that even make sense, Luxem?”
I slouch against the hard back of the couch, “Trash duty? Dumpster diving? So… then what is the new get up about?” I gesture toward Mori’s new look, the one that had me scratching my head in confusion when I first saw her.
Mori nods her head, finally coming back to the couch to sit down again. “It’s just something small I do for myself. It actually all started as a way to hide my identity, so I could walk around without feeling shameful or getting dirty looks. It didn’t work, of course. Everyone still recognized me immediately. But something about it...it made me feel good to start caring about the way I looked, to try to be fashionable for the times even though I’m living in a shack in the impoverished district. I just...want to feel good about myself again.”
I shake my head at Mori and lay back on the cushion, closing my eyes. I hate the fact Mori was forced into poverty even though a part of me does understand where the parents were coming from. They wanted someone to blame for their children’s disappearance and Mori was the only one who had been watching them. At the same time, Mori isn’t the one who took those kids. All of this is the Reaper’s fault and- I uncomfortably shift in my seat even though I know Mori can’t read my thoughts- the Remnant’s. But wait. My eyes fly open and I jolt forward on the couch, startling Mori with my aggressiveness. Ulric said Lucie, at twelve years old, was the youngest human the Remnants had ever taken. There’s no way all of those kids were older than that. “Mori, what was the age of the youngest kid that was taken?”
Mori pauses for a moment to think before she finally answers, “About four years old, I think. A little boy that looked like an angel.” I draw back in surprise. Four years old? If the Reapers perfect Project Artian, they have the potential to build an entire child arm
y of humanoid machines. And kids would be perfect for it. Their bodies can adapt to the introduction of machinery much easier than adults, and they’d be able to grow with the foreign Artif parts as they aged. Add in the processing chip that the Artifs had, and their brains could be one hundred percent controlled for whatever purpose the Reapers want them for. Ulric said they want peace, but I highly doubt that they’re trying to create peace by kidnapping children. The world is a violent, opportunistic place, and the reapers are no different.
But I also realize, with a sinking, sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, that there must be another human militia somewhere out there working for the Reapers. It was foolish of me to actually think the Remnants were the only militia working for the Reapers. But who could it be? The Dagger Corps? They knew about Project Artian and were ready to take out the Remnants. Maybe they were just trying to take out the competition. Is that what Ulric meant when he said he might know how the Dagger Corps found out about them? Was there even a competition though? The Reapers don’t seem to pit their militias against one another, and if one militia is kidnapping humans, I don’t think that takes any of the Reaper’s benefits away from the other one. To be honest, it kind of seems like the Reapers don’t actually care about the militias they have working for them. They just want the militias to be under their command so they can use them for whatever they want or need. I wonder if Ulric even knew there was another militia out there also kidnapping humans. I doubt it, considering our conversation was more like a confession, a spewing of all the knowledge he was able to give me. He probably would have thrown in the other militia’s name to clear his conscience even further. Although I suppose he did say that he couldn’t give me all the information at that time...If the Reaper’s other contracted militia actually is the Dagger Corps, then I need to be careful when trying to meet with their leader. I can’t let it seem like I know too much or else I might end up as one of the disappeared too. Edric said he checked them out and they were clean, but it’s possible he missed something. I need to stay alert.
I look toward Mori who’s still sitting on the couch twiddling her thumbs. Upon closer inspection, it actually seems like she’s using her thumbnail to clean the dirt out from under her other fingernails. I’m instantly reminded of the impoverished Remnants fighting for bread crumbs when I was waiting for my mission. They were all humans who were so beaten down by the shell of the society built around them that they reverted back to their most basic animal instincts. I never thought I’d see Mori among those who are suffering. “Mori?” She pauses her grooming and hesitantly looks up at me, probably not knowing whether she is going to be judged or consoled. I did neither, instead choosing to avoid our earlier conversation entirely- partly because I have no idea what to say, but also because I want to preserve some of Mori’s dignity. The conversation was hard enough for her. I don’t need to prolong it by adding my own opinions or weakly attempting to make Mori feel better. “Thank you for offering me a room here. I’d love to stay and get to spend a little more time with you. I’m actually in town to meet Edric tomorrow. He said he’d be coming back here after he was finished reporting back to the Dagger Corps.”
Mori’s eyes light up, “Oh, that boy! You know he stops over here sometimes to help me out with small things- picking up a few groceries or cleaning the house. I was worried he’d change when he joined up with the Dagger Corps but he’s still the sweet boy I’ve always known.” I give Mori a genuine smile and laugh under my breath. So, Edric’s still himself then? Even after joining the Dagger Corps? I always thought the Dagger Corps tried to break down their new mercenaries so that they’d be able to build them in the militia’s image. Either Edric is too strong to buy into their propaganda or the militia isn’t actually as harsh as I think it is. I assume that the Dagger Corps at least has strong morals because they wanted to stop the Remnants, but I can’t trust them completely. Not yet.
I stretch my arms above my head and yawn. “I think I’m going to retire for the night, Mori. It’s late and I’ll probably have an early day tomorrow.” Mori nods her head and gestures for me to follow her. She walks me down a short hallway to a small room with a single bed in the back of the house. The guest room is probably the cleanest part of the house, and my heart’s aching while imagining Mori keeping it as spotless as possible on the off chance a person might pass by wanting a place to sleep for the night. I wonder how many strangers Mori’s welcomed into her home just to have some form of human contact and interaction. Before I close the door behind me, I pause and look back toward Mori who’s walked across the hallway into her own bedroom. There’s a definite difference in standard between the guest bedroom and Mori’s room, with hers being much rattier in comparison. Mori’s too good for the world we live in. It doesn’t deserve her.
“Mori?” She pokes her head out of her room and cocks her head toward me in question. I hesitate for just a moment. Do I really want to tell her? I ball my hands into fists and squeeze them tight in an effort to work up my nerves. As I release them, I let go of the deep breath I had been holding. “Lucie isn’t on a mission. I lied and I’m sorry..I just, didn’t want to hurt you….” I take another deep breath, “She’s one of the disappeared now too.”
Mori initial reaction is to gasp and bring her hand to her heart. “My dear child…why didn’t you tell me?” As the news finally hits Mori full force though, her reaction becomes a lot less worried about and much more painful. She grips the door frame hard enough for her knuckles to turn white, but that still doesn’t stop her body from sliding down to the floor. Mori obsessively starts running her hands through her hair, her eyes wide and unblinking, her mind still trapped in a state of disbelief.
I sigh and shrug, slightly feigning nonchalance. If I let Mori see my own pain, then she’ll be busy trying to take care of me, and I don’t want that. She deserves to deal with her own grief without being concerned about mine. “Honestly, I don’t want to revisit the details. It’s still too hard to talk about. Actually, it will probably always be hard to talk about...but you’ve given me a lot of honesty and shown a lot of courage today telling me what you did. I know it was hard, but you didn’t hold back once. I couldn’t go to bed knowing that I had told you a lie. At first I didn’t want to tell you because I thought it would be too hard- too much for you to handle. But you deserve honesty, and after everything you’ve been through, I know you’re strong enough to handle it.” I pause, wondering if I should help Mori in some way. I’m not sure what I can do, but Mori hasn’t moved from her spot on the floor and it’s my fault that she’s in this state. I still feel like I made the right choice in telling her the truth, but I wish I knew a way to comfort her afterward.
I start to walk toward Mori, but she holds up a hand to stop me and shakes her head. I stop in my tracks and back up toward my room in uncertainty. Mori sniffs and wipes away a tear lingering in the corner of her eye before giving me a forced smile. She needs some space and more time to process. I need to let her have her own time to deal with Lucie’s disappearance. I look at Mori for a moment before murmuring goodnight.
I close the door behind me and push my bag off the ground, letting it fall to the ground. I flop onto the hard mattress and feel the scratchiness of the blankets clawing at my back. They’re a thick, uncomfortable wool but I don’t care. I’ve been sleeping in my car for days, so any type of bed with blankets is a luxury to me. I’ll have to find Edric tomorrow. He’ll probably stay with his mom, but there’s a chance he’ll stop over at Mori’s on his first day back. I’ll just ask Mori tomorrow morning where Edric usually hangs out in Timberwood. If she and Edric are still as close as she said, she’ll most likely know where he’s staying and where he frequents. As I fall asleep, I run through different ways of explaining to Edric the last couple days of my life. I hope he’ll becoming my partner in tracking down the Reapers. I’m still anxious to work with someone else after what happened with Isoline, but I this time it’s me needing another mercenary’s help. I’m n
ot going to let my pride or personal feelings get in the way of my mission. If I need to work with Edric then so be it. If Mori’s right though and he’s still the same old Edric, then I’m sure he’ll be more than willing to help her (at the very least) meet the Dagger Corps leader. After all, if his dad had also disappeared, he’s going to be just as invested in finding the Reapers as I am.
“We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.”
-Orson Wells
CHAPTER SEVEN
When I wake the next morning, Mori is gone. She left a note for me on the chipped wooden coffee table in the living room telling me she’d gone out for groceries. I sigh and go into the kitchen, hoping that I can find something to eat. I try her fridge first, but Mori has nothing but a carton of expired milk and a cold water pitcher. No food. The cabinets are just as empty. Is this how Mori lives? Day in and day out, barely eating, barely surviving? I have to resign myself to waiting for Mori to return from her trip to town. For a moment I think that maybe it would have been nice to join her in grocery shopping, but the thought is short lived. I don’t want anyone recognizing me and trying to draw me into conversation. That’s bound to happen in the town market, and even though I’m stronger now than when I left, there are still some things that I’m not prepared to handle just yet.
I have no idea when Mori’s going to be back, so I need to make a plan- something to keep me busy until she returns. I start cleaning up her house, my body moving toward the cleaner and rags before my mind even knows what I’m doing. I want the entire house to look as spotless as Mori keeps the guest room; she deserves that. I grab whatever bottles of cleaner Mori keeps under her sink and an old rag lying atop one of the counters and get to work.
