He lifted his eyes to the now crowded room, a superficial smile plastered on his face as the mass of people gathered slowly quieted.
“Welcome everyone!” His loud, nasal voice reverberated throughout the room. I scrunched back against my chair.
“Now, before we get to the tasks at hand for this meeting, I will perform the Reciting.”
The Reciting. I stifled a groan as he cleared his throat, then began to read from a very old, very yellowed piece of paper, framed and hanging on the wall beside him.
“As members of Earth Society, we pledge to remain loyal, upstanding community members through the following:
1: After attaining the age of 15, every individual in the Earth Society will work, the majority in the fields tending to the bounties that grow there. Others will be in charge of lumber, repairs and livestock. A select few will work in either the infirmary or school and will be chosen at discretion.
Chosen at discretion, I thought humorlessly. Whose discretion exactly was that? Not Aspen’s, that much was certain. Aspen cleared his throat, though it did nothing to decrease the wheeziness of his voice.
2: To conserve the resources we receive, every individual in Earth Society will have limited rations of supplies including food, clothing, and energy use.
Was it just us in Earth Society who had limited rations, I thought bitterly? Or was it the same for the other Societies as well?
3: Upon reaching their seventeenth year, every individual in Earth Society will leave to go to the Training. It is forbidden for anyone to speak of or ask questions regarding the Training. It is forbidden to enter the woods by any individual, except for those going to the Training. To commit any of these actions will be considered a punishable offense.
“There are no new decrees to announce today,” he added, and the entire crowd collectively let out an audible sigh of relief, myself included. “But we will now be honoring those individuals who are going off to the Training next week. When I call your name, please step forward.”
Well, there went my relief.
“Rowan Ellert!”
I watched as Rowan rose from his seat and made his way confidently to the podium.
“Ivy Holtzer!”
A tall girl with chin-length, straight black hair and heavy bangs rose out of her seat and walked slowly to the podium, taking her place next to Rowan. I didn’t know her well, only that she had a brother who left for the Training five years beforehand. He hadn’t returned.
“Sage Clarison!”
I remained in my seat with my head down, my legs frozen. I couldn’t move.
“Sage Clarison!” Aspen called again, his nasally tone somehow managing to take on an edge of annoyance. My mother nudged my knee with her own, then brushed a strand of hair back from my eyes. “You have to go,” she whispered softly.
“Ms. Clarison!”
I couldn’t ignore it anymore. Swallowing thickly, I made my way to the front of the hall, keeping my eyes focused on the floor in front of me, then positioned myself next to Rowan, Ivy already on his other side. Rowan shot me a lopsided grin; I knew he was trying to reassure me. But reassured was the furthest thing from what I felt at that moment.
“Let us celebrate our newest Seventeens…and almost Seventeen,” he chuckled as an afterthought with a sideways glance at me. I just stared back. Again, the painful realization that I’d been leaving home on the day of my birthday hit me.
“We wish them luck at the Training and ask that they remember they’re representing Earth Society. Farewell Rowan, Ivy, and Sage.” He concluded his impassioned speech, then started clapping, looking around pointedly at the audience members.
At once, the hall filled with the thunderous roar of hundreds of people clapping in unison.
Clapping as they were expected to.
I gazed back towards my parents and brother and saw them staring at me, robotically clapping, the tension on their faces barely hidden by the masks of calm indifference they wore. Well, my parents at any rate. Mason just looked like he wanted to get out of there as fast as humanly possible.
And with that, the meeting adjourned. A short one this week and the relief at that was obvious. Slowly everyone filtered out, Aspen continuing to smile creepily and waving as we began making our way back home. I walked in silence besides my parents and brother. No one said a word.
Glancing to the ground, I noticed that the bright green grass was beginning to take on tinges of yellow, some areas nearly brown. It was starting to die. Which meant winter was coming. Slowly but surely, winter was coming, bringing along with it cold nothingness.
Exactly how I was beginning to feel inside.
Chapter 3
The next afternoon, after spending my day in the fields as usual, I carried my aching body over to the school to meet with Mason. I stood on the green, only slightly self-conscious of my dirty clothes and limp, sweaty hair, waiting for him. He was the first out as usual, desperate to leave as quickly as possible. As soon as he caught sight of me he jogged over and we began our journey over to the Distribution Center to pick up our weekly rations.
As we marched along, the homes growing increasingly spread out the further we got from the town center, I glanced at the people we passed, those carrying their rations back home. Some immediately averted their gazes, refusing to look at me. Others would stare, eyes wide, following my every step. And yet others would whisper to those nearest them, casting me a disdainful look before hurrying by quickly.
It was nothing new. It had happened every day for the last four years of my life.
But if Mason ever noticed, he’d never mentioned it.
I hadn’t yet spoken to my brother about what would happen when I left. We both knew not everyone came back from the Training. And not everyone would come back this time. If I was in that group, I wouldn’t see him again. Not in Earth Society at least.
“So,” I began, shifting my gaze towards his face. He glanced over, raising an eyebrow. Though only thirteen, he already had a couple inches on me in height with his growth spurt a few months ago. “I guess this is the last time I am going to be collecting the weekly rations with you,” I supposed, trying to broach the subject of me leaving. “For now, at least.”
He didn’t respond, and to my surprise just twisted his head away from me, continuing to walk straight ahead. That increased height also meant a longer stride and I had to hurry forward just to keep up.
“I’m going to really miss being here.” It was partly true.
Again nothing.
“I’m going to miss you.” That was completely true.
He nodded slowly, still not looking at me. At least he’d acknowledged me.
“So, is there anything you wanted to discuss before I leave for the Training?”
He shrugged, then began walking even quicker, his long legs carrying him ahead. I was getting breathless, trying to match his pace. But he didn’t slow, boots hitting the dirt path roughly as he charged ahead.
“Mason, I think we should talk about it,” I managed, my breaths growing uneven.
Nothing.
“Mason!”
He abruptly froze in place. Taken by surprise by his hasty stop, I stumbled several steps past him before twisting around. His eyes watered, his face flushed. “Sage, I don’t want to talk about it.”
I hesitated. People continued to pass by us, now staring even more than usual, but at that moment I couldn’t care less. “Why not?” I whispered.
Shaking his head, he bit down on his lower lip for a moment. “Because…because I don’t want to think that after the next few days, I’m not going to see you again. That I may never see my sister again. Okay?”
There was a beat of silence as he took his hand and rubbed it across his face, trying to be casual enough that I wouldn’t see him wipe the hint of a tear from his eye.
He wasn’t casual enough.
I watched him, feeling the emotion start to show on my own face. “You don’t know that,” I said slowly
, my voice now raw. “Plenty of people come back from the Training.”
He just shook his head and didn’t reply, again looking off into the distance.
After several more moments of us standing there like this, I finally said, “Let’s get going. Otherwise we’ll be late getting home.”
Nodding, Mason began to walk forward again, pace now slowed enough that I remained by his side. There was no more talking. But as we continued the rest of the way in silence, he reached an arm out, taking my hand and giving it a brief squeeze.
I bit my lip, my breath hitching as I squeezed back.
✽✽✽
The massive wooden Distribution Center rose up in front of us, tall log beams extending far and wide, raising several stories into the air until meeting the hammered metal roof. As soon as we reached its entrance, Mason walked right in, passing the guards flanking either side and slipping through the doorway. But I paused.
I could already feel the panic creeping its way through me. Heart rate picking up, palms growing sweaty. It happened every time I came here. Every single time for the last four years. Usually I could hide it without problem. Usually I wouldn’t even need to pause. But I’d been distracted this time over my conversation with Mason. I hadn’t prepared myself.
“You okay?”
I jumped. Mason watched me closely, eyes narrowed.
I took in a deep breath, nodding. “I’m fine.”
He continued staring at me another moment, as if debating whether to say something else. But instead just shrugged his shoulders. “Come on Sage. Let’s get the supplies and go.”
Biting my lip, I forced a smile and nodded again until he turned around. Taking a deep breath, I willed away the memories of what happened here four years ago and followed him inside.
Walking in through the door, the first thing I became aware of was the whirring sound of the conveyor belts, humming as they flew past. Everywhere around us, to the right and left, above and below, going forwards and backwards. Conveyor belts carrying multitudes of supplies, soaring by in every direction.
We walked up to the large counter and waited behind the petite, blonde-haired woman already standing there. Though her hair fell around her shoulders, covering her neck, I could still make out the crimson mark peeking through.
Looking past her, I gazed at the counter. Beyond it was a wall and beyond that wall was where all of the supplies soaring around us on the conveyor belts ended up. A moment later, the blonde woman murmured a soft ‘thank you’, then turned, moving to leave. As she swept past us I caught a brief glance of her face. I’d seen her around before. She worked in the crop fields as well, but I couldn’t recall ever having spoken with her. The bag of rations she carried was small. She must live alone.
The man behind the counter waved us forward. His face was pale and his hair light. Both stood in stark contrast to the dark eyebrows that were now frowning at us. I didn’t recognize him. He must be new.
He was a moderator. Just like the guards, the moderators weren’t born in Earth Society. And just like the guards, the moderators never stayed very long. Some a few months only, while others were here for years like, unfortunately, the guard from the fields with the shellac hair that sent chills through me every time I saw it.
But eventually they too left, only to be replaced.
“Name?” the man asked briskly. No smile, no greeting.
“Clarison family,” replied Mason automatically. “Members: Talon, Laurel, Sage, and Mason.”
The mans’ eyes trolled a list, searching for our last name. Finally, he came upon it, and gave a small nod.
“Clarison. Yes. Just food this week, or do you need any other items?”
“Several bundles of wool also, please.”
“Purpose?” The typical questions. Citizens were allowed only a certain number of other items with each weekly food pick-up, which was why we didn’t own any luxuriant clothing or new linens. No, just the necessities.
“Our mother will be spinning it into yarn and knitting us hats and scarves for the winter.”
Nodding, the moderator made a notation on his chart, then headed behind the wall to gather our supplies. Each and every winter, my mother would spin the wool and knit. But as I thought about all the soft hats and intricate scarves she’d made for me over the years, a feeling of sadness fell over me. This winter, I wouldn’t be getting new ones.
I wouldn’t be there.
A rush of nervousness twisted my gut as the moderator returned, carrying the typical bag of food with him, as well as a smaller one containing the wool. Handing both over, he gave us a silent nod, then turned away again. But as his head twisted, my eyes fell onto the back of his pale neck. And locked onto what was missing.
Even though he was clearly over seventeen, he didn’t have the mark.
For some reason, none of the guards or moderators had the mark.
Taking the larger bag himself and handing me the other, Mason and I made our way back to the exit, maneuvering past the crowd of weary people waiting for their own rations.
Suddenly, an explosion of noise ripped through the entire place, piercing through me. Gasping, I jumped backwards and dropped the bag, nearly letting loose a scream. But only mere moments later, the racket ceased.
The security alarm. Someone had accidently tripped the security alarm.
My eyes snapped to the side of the room where several guards spoke with the moderator we’d just left, all motioning towards a back corner. My gaze passed over everyone else around us. They were calm, just continuing to bustle in and out, claiming their rations before heading back to their homes. They weren’t about to jump out of their skin as I nearly had.
That alarm didn’t mean anything to them. Didn’t scare them. Didn’t terrify them.
Not like it did to me.
Breathing heavily, my heart still pounding inside my chest, I turned back around. But instead of seeing Mason’s back walking out through the doorway as I’d expected, my eyes fell upon his suspicious face, only feet away from me. His eyes narrowed at me in question.
“What is the matter with you? It was just the alarm.” He tilted his head slightly, and leaned closer, studying me intently, suddenly seeming more like a concerned, older brother rather than my rambunctious younger one. “Why are you so nervous?” Reaching down, he picked up the bag I had dropped.
“I’m not,” I argued, but my voice cracked around the lie.
He stared for a second longer, then just shook his head and turned, continuing towards the exit. The conveyor belts swirled by us, their rapid motion now starting to make me dizzy. Swallowing, I hurried through the doors, relieved to feel the fresh air against my face once more.
I knew Mason suspected something. He had for a while. For a period of time I stopped coming with him to do pick-ups of our weekly rations, but that just ended up making him question me even more. So I forced myself to come here with him each week and act as causal as possible. Today it hadn’t worked.
But I couldn’t tell him the truth about why I hated coming to this place. Why I was uncomfortable just stepping within the bounds of its doorway now. Why the sound of that alarm pushed memories into my head. Painful memories, ones I’d tried to bury, ones I didn’t want to remember.
Not a single person in Earth Society knew what had happened to me here. And that was the way it had to stay. There were only two people who knew and those two people had been gone for a very long time.
✽✽✽
Eventually as the sky began to darken and the sun cast its last few golden rays over us, the oppressive heat from earlier in the day now gone, a chill growing in the air as we weaved our way back home. Finally, as we passed by the last few log houses along the common road and trudged along the pebble path leading to our own, I paused. My eyes fell upon the flattened pile of dirt along the side of the house.
It was a pile of nothing. A patch of abandonment.
It was the area where our vegetable garden used to be.
It was the very next day that the guards from the fields came. They tore everything out, leaving nothing but a trampled mess in their wake.
Anger and hurt roiled inside me as I stared at that patch of dirt, trying to picture what used to grow there. It was just a memory now.
Chapter 4
The sound of my mother washing the dishes, pots and pans clanging against one another, met my ears as I cleared the last few plates off our worn, narrow oak table. Piling them next to the sink, I absentmindedly rubbed at my palm, scraping at the calluses there. A new blister from today’s work was forming along the side of one finger and I touched tenderly at the pulsating heat there. Mason still sat in one of the four stiff-backed kitchen chairs, buying whatever time he could before my parents ordered him off to bed. Tonight he’d managed to coax my mother into telling him about the story of her parents again.
I’d never met them. But occassionally, if we pestered her enough, she would share a tale about the two of them. Tonight’s had been about how they’d met each other.
“Well,” she began slowly, a faraway look growing in her eyes as she began the tale. “My mother, your grandmother, had been tending to the gardens by her family home. And one day your grandfather walked by, on his way home from his work in the crop fields. But instead of continuing past, he paused to watch her. She kneeled in a bed of soil, her clothes and arms streaked with mud, tending to what he described looked like a bunch of dead weeds. And after a few moments of staring, he finally said as much to her.”
Awakening Earth and Fire: Earth and Fire Trilogy Book 1 Page 2