by S. L. Baum
It was the dreams again. That lady was screaming at me so often now. Get up, Bluebell! Run! I woke up in the middle of the night, every night, and spent at least an hour trying to coax my body back to sleep. It seemed like it took forever just to slow my heartbeat after I woke from one of those dreams.
“That’s exactly the problem. You are over tired. You should tell Dr. Odessa about how you wake up every night. Maybe she can give you something to help you sleep,” Lily suggested.
I shook my head and put my hands out to her. I needed help standing back up. “Goodness no. She’d put me through even more tests.”
Lily grabbed my hands and pulled me up. “You cry out sometimes, you know? How bad are the dreams?”
“I don’t really remember them. I just feel like I need to run away from something when I wake up. They’re not exactly scary or anything. They make me feel frantic. That sounds crazy. Please don’t tell anyone. Promise me.”
“What’s the big news there? Oooh, Blue has dreams,” she teased. “We all do. I woke up this morning just as I landed on a pile of purple satin, feather pillows that were at the bottom of a deep dark hole that I’d tripped into. Who wants to hear about that dream? Don’t worry about it, Blue.” She took a step behind me and pushed my shoulders, propelling me forward. “C’mon we’re late for Family Planning. This late pass expires in two minutes and I do not want Trainer Alpha docking us points. My father is giving me bonus money for every perfect score I graduate with, ”
I smoothed out my skirt. “Okay, okay, I’m up. Let’s go.”
We scanned our pass at the door as we entered and slipped into the empty chairs at the back of the room. Trainer Alpha looked up as the green light flashed on the door scanner and gave us a nod to let us know she’d seen it. We looked up at the wall screen to see the words Marriage Contracts.
“Marriage Contracts,” Alpha began, “are not to be entered into lightly. Once the details have been decided upon and agreed upon by both parties, contracts are signed and cohabitation begins. If the contract is not contested within twelve months, then the Marriage Contract is considered secured. A secured contract is unbreakable under Concord Mandates. The two parties may choose not to cohabitate, but they may never enter another contract for the rest of their lives.”
Rosebud, the tallest girl in our year, raised her hand. She had the brightest red hair and the pinkest cheeks. Which was probably why her parents decided to name her Rosebud. We started calling her Rosy when we were quite little. She always used to laugh so hard that her cheeks would almost glow. But that was a long time ago. She’d become quiet and kept to herself. She just withdrew herself from everyone and everything sometime during Year Eight, the same year her father stopped coming to Visitation Days. After that, her mother rarely came at all.
Trainer Alpha pointed at her. “Yes, Rosebud?”
“What about when a death occurs? Can a second Marriage Contract be secured at that time?” Rosebud asked.
“Excellent question. Yes, that is the one and only exception.”
“Are there ways to help someone find a second husband?”
“Of course there are. But even though The Council prefers it, not all people wish to enter into a Contract for a second time,” Alpha explained.
“But she might smile again. She might be happy again and stop looking at me with regret,” Rosebud whispered. “If she could love someone else, maybe she could look at me lovingly again.”
Rosebud had inherited her father’s red hair and fair complexion. Her mother rarely visited because every time she looked at Rosebud she saw her dead husband and was filled with despair. It took Rosy a year to admit to us that her father had stopped coming to Visitation because he had died. I had tried to comfort her then, but she never let any of us close enough to do it.
“Maybe that is something you could help her with when you move back home,” Willow suggested and reached over to rub Rosebud’s shoulder.
“Yes, maybe,” Rosebud smiled. She looked almost hopeful.
“But you young men and women do not need to worry yourselves with Second Contracts,” Alpha raised her voice, bringing everyone’s attention back to her. “Upon graduation you will know what track you are on. When you enter the Career Education Center you will know if a Marriage Contract is something that should be secured quickly, or if you must wait until you are allowed to enter into one. Not everyone will choose to marry. I did not. I chose a strictly career driven path when I was eighteen, once I was told that I wouldn’t be able to secure a contract for many years.”
“So, what are the determining factors?” Clay asked.
Alpha clicked a button, the wall screen flashed, and a list appeared. “Financial portfolio, social clout, career choice, and, of course, the results of your Citizen Brand.” Each line was highlighted as she read from the list. “They are listed in no particular order. Each has its own way of influencing your life and determining your path.”
I knew that her statement wasn’t completely true. “Money is a great determining factor,” I blurted out. Aspen had mentioned that to me often enough. Money and Council influence – Aspen said that life was bound to be a dredge of mundane tasks without those two things on your side.
“This is true, Bluebell. If you are infertile and lack the financial or social clout to secure an early Marriage Contract, then you must choose a job-training track. Depending upon what your skills are, you could become a Trainer, like me, a Doctor, like Dr. Odessa, a Guardian, or any other profession that requires so much of your time. Fertile women with money are expected to marry early and have a child right away while they have a higher chance of successfully producing offspring. Then they can begin to work in their field if they so choose.
“Conversely, fertile women without financial means must find a wealthy partner. If that doesn’t happen, they must first produce one child as a surrogate and then they are allowed to marry a man with a similar financial background. Men in the same situation must make donations to the fertility clinics before they can marry. But even then, after a single child is born to an underprivileged couple, subsequent children are usually placed up for a compensated “adoption” unless the couple can afford the Training Tech fees that are deducted from their wages for multiple children.”
Fisher raised his hand but impatience caused him to speak out before Alpha had a chance to call on him. “Why does our ability to, or not to, have a child weigh so heavily on our futures?”
“Fisher, please wait until you are called upon,” Alpha lightly scolded.
“I apologize.”
“With declining fertility rates, the advancement of our society is vital. We cannot have a future for Concord without a future generation. Controlled population growth and an orderly society are the keys to a successful and peaceful existence. The Council has mandated what is best for us individually and also collectively. We must trust their judgment.”
“Like outlawing the Second Wife Policy?” Holly said. “My mother told me that her father had two wives but nobody does it anymore.”
“It seems that waiting to be called upon is a virtue you young people are sorely lacking,” Alpha laughed softly. “Actually, Holly, the practice is a rarity now but still in practice by some. In the past, occasionally, a fertile woman of meager means would choose to enter a marriage as a second wife. Second wives could only be taken if the first wife was barren. The situation provided a stable and secure home for wife number two and a child for the family. For a little while they became quite popular, but about ten years ago the practice of taking a second wife became severely frowned upon.”
I raised my hand and waited for Alpha to glance my way and give me a nod before I spoke.
“I know about this. Aspen, my mother, well, she was on the committee to end the practice. She said that it was never officially outlawed but the committee managed to attach a social stigma to the practice. Hardly anyone wanted to be known as a second wife after that,” I said. “I don’t think I would
like to be in a marriage with more than one person. Sharing one’s husband or wife would be quite hard.”
Ending the practice of second wives was probably the one and only thing that I completely agreed with Aspen about.
Alpha sat down in the stool that was beside her. “I think it was, and still is, very hard for some people. It created tension in quite a few homes. Trainer Beta is a child from a home with a second wife. He has told me that although it worked well for his parents, it is not always an ideal situation for others.”
***
That day at lunch, Lily, Fisher, Stone, and I sat at a table by ourselves. The four of us were usually seen in one another’s company. In fact, we had begun to be labeled The Fearsome Foursome, although I didn’t think of myself as very fearsome.
“We are seventeen years old. I can’t believe that we are expected to start thinking about procreating already,” Fisher scoffed.
“You are supposed to think about it, not actually do it,” Lily laughed at him.
“I know, but…”
I interrupted him. “But nothing, Fish, we’re simply expected to know how to properly plan our future family.”
“Blue, I have entirely too much on my mind to possibly think about who I am going to be able to secure a Marriage Contract with and how many offspring I might be able to successfully create.”
“Like what?” I challenged him. “What could possibly be rolling around in that busy little brain of yours?”
In the past few months I had discovered that Fisher did indeed fiercely contemplate a plethora of subjects. Just talking to him was enough to tire me out sometimes.
“Like architecture. Have you downloaded the study of architectural drawings onto your tablet? I find it immensely fascinating.”
“Immensely fascinating,” Lily mimicked his tone exactly.
Stone released his cheek full of air. “Fish has had a thing for buildings since we were asked to draw a house in Year Two. You should see some of his drawings.”
“By the way, we are not all permitted to download the same studies. I haven’t tested for an aptitude in architecture and neither has Lily,” I pointed out.
“And neither have I,” Stone added.
“So, Mr. Fisher, none of us,” I pointed from myself, to Lily, to Stone, “are contemplating the intricacies of architecture.”
“You should,” Fisher shook his head. “You really should.”
Lily tapped his hand as he was scrolling through his tablet, looking at architectural photographs. “Have you been approved to download the study of defensive vs. offensive armory? Because I have,” she smiled.
“Lily!” I exclaimed. “Have you really?”
“Yes. I got a message this morning that the download was pending.”
“Your father will be so excited!” I smiled.
Lily beamed. “I know. I am an only child, you know, and my father always hoped that one day we could work together.”
“Not if you’re branded Fertile,” Fisher smirked. “It’d be your duty to produce a child for Concord first.”
“So I start my Career training, then have a child, and later I enter the Armory development field. Women do work, you know,” Lily scoffed. “Stone, have you found out what the future has in store for you?”
“Inconclusive. Further tests are needed,” Stone replied. “What about you, Blue?”
“The same.” I felt lighter after hearing Stone say that. I hated knowing that I wasn’t showing an aptitude for anything yet. “More tests,” I grumbled.
“Blue, you’ll be fine,” Lily squeezed my hand. She looked at Stone. “She’s been having a hard time with all this testing and she’s not sleeping well.” Lily whispered the last part.
“Lily!” I glared at her.
“What? I just said you are not sleeping well. I didn’t say anything else.”
“Anything else? What else is there to say?” Fisher asked. His eyes glittered with interest.
Stone blew out his air bubble. “Yes. Do tell.”
“Nothing.” Lily averted her eyes, afraid to look at either of the boys or at me.
Fisher stared at me. “Oh, no. Something is going on here. ”
I just stared back at him, letting a few moments pass, hoping that my silence would be taken as a refusal and they would just give up and start talking about something else. But within a few moments I had Stone looking at me with hopeful eyes. Then Lily finally turned to face me with a guilty look on her face.
“Ugh! It’s not that big of a deal. I just asked Lily, my BEST friend, not to tell anyone about some bad dreams I’ve been having.”
“And I didn’t say anything about the dreams,” Lily countered.
“True statement,” Stone said.
“Your reaction is the only thing that made us take interest,” Fisher informed me.
Stone tapped his finger on his cheek. “Bad dreams that are interrupting your sleep and making you uncharacteristically irritable…”
“Have I been that irritable?” I asked.
“A little. But then we’ve only known you for a few months; maybe you get this way quite often. It could be your norm,” Fisher said.
Lily shook her head. “Oh no, it is not her norm.”
“What’s so bad about the dream? C’mon you can tell your good friend Stone.”
“Now we’re blowing this up into something more interesting than it really is. Doesn’t anybody else have recurring dreams?” I asked.
“Sure. I’ve dreamt that Beta’s face cracks down the left side and little Betas come hopping out. I’m on six times now, I think,” Stone said.
“Okay that’s just bizarre. Little Betas?” I laughed, louder than I expected, drawing a few glances our way.
“It was after I watched some video about a little boy that dropped his sister’s doll the day before he left for Training Tech, and the face cracked. The doll’s face was so smooth. It reminded me of Beta. I don’t think anything came out of the doll’s face though. That’s purely my doing, I’m sure.” Stone shrugged.
“I’ve dreamt of myself building a house shaped like an H, a few times a year for awhile now. It’s like two rectangular houses connected by a central meeting area. It gets more detailed with each dream. I swear I’m going to build that house one day,” Fisher said.
I looked at Lily.
“Sorry. I hardly ever remember my dreams. Except for those falling ones where you wake up before you hit the ground. But, nope, nothing recurring. Sorry, Blue.”
Stone pointed at me. “Okay, Bluebell. Your turn.”
“I’m in a really green area outside, lush with flowers, tall grass, and trees. A woman is holding my hand, gripping it really tight. We are running. Fast. I’m not sure if I can keep up. I yank my arm free, but keep running. I start to lag behind. We are running toward a bridge. It’s made of planks of wood and ropes, all strung together. We have to cross it. I’m not sure I want to. I stumble and fall, but she doesn’t see that I’ve fallen and she steps onto the bridge without me. Then she turns around and sees me on the ground.
“She calls out, ‘Get up, Bluebell.’ But I can’t get up. My ankle hurts. The woman looks behind me. She focuses on something, and her eyes grow big with fear. ‘Get up, Bluebell!” She screams. I shake my head. ‘Get up, Bluebell!’ She screams again. It is so loud. I am frozen. I can’t move. Something grabs me from behind. And I wake up. There. That’s the whole thing. I don’t always dream it all from start to finish; sometimes it’s just her yelling at me. And it used to be only a few times a year. But lately, and I mean for about the last five or six months, it’s been almost every night,” I confessed the whole thing. More than I’d ever even told Lily. It felt really good to say it out loud, to admit to the entire dream.
“Wow, Blue,” Lily breathed.
“When did it start?” Fisher asked
I tugged at my lower lip, trying to remember. “I’m not sure. Year Eight maybe.”
“You probably read a weird story o
r watched a video that had somebody falling in it, and you identified with some part of it,” Stone suggested. “That’s how mine started. Dumb cracked doll’s face.”
Lily picked up a chunk of pineapple from her plate. “That could absolutely be the case,” she said then popped the fruit into her mouth.
“I don’t know…” I frowned.
“No, really, Blue,” she said through a mouthful.
“Swallow your food, Lily, you’ll choke.”
She swallowed. “Happy, Blue? Look, you are always reading and you’ve told me before that sometimes you make up a new ending to the stories. So, maybe this is just your mind working overtime. Ooooh, maybe that is the field that you are going to test into… Creative Storytelling. I can absolutely see you doing that!”
“Sure, why not.” I shrugged in agreement. “It makes sense, except for the fact that in my head I don’t make up entire stories, I just change the ending of approved stories.”
“You make up new endings?” Fisher asked. “You are the first person I have ever come across that does that. Interesting.”
Stone pointed a finger at me. “You, rebel, you.”
I shook my head. “No. Not at all. I am not rebellious in any way. It’s just that… well, by the end of Incorporation our lives will be completely mapped out for us. Which is good, The Council has created a structured and surefire way to guarantee that society will be successful and carry on in the best way possible. We will be expected to do our duty and exclaim Concur with Concord and Concord Reigns and all of that… which I will. So I guess it’s just my one way to do something completely unexpected, in my head, where it does no harm.” I tried to explain.
Stone laughed. “I’m kidding, Bluebell. Make your own stories. I believe in being creative.”
“Maybe you’ll do something creative too?” Lily suggested.
“One can only hope,” Stone shrugged. “I don’t think I could survive in one of those desk jobs, staring at a tablet all day, analyzing facts. Nope. Mr. Stone would go crazy.” He punctuated his sentence by blowing up both cheeks with air. His eyes bulged, wild and wide.