by Beth Martin
“Why is that?” Roemell asked.
“I reckon it should be clear—those damned electronics created this whole mess. As soon as everyone was plugged into their handheld computers, no one really needed human interaction. And with ’em robots, you don’t need people, period.”
Leona made a short snort of disapproval. “Then you should have banned just robots and computers. Cell phones never hurt anyone.”
Ali let out a cackle of a laugh. “You sound like you’ve grown up surrounded by those damned machines.” Leona frowned. “As soon as people started relying on objects for their news, communication, entertainment, and everything else, they lost their sense of community. They stopped depending on each other. Here, we’re focused on people. Every person on this reserve is looking out for everyone else. Also, it’s hard to draw the line between harmless calculator and computation machine. No closed circuits is the best way to protect ourselves.”
Leona crossed her arms. She realized she wouldn’t be able to get through to Ali, and it would be best to stop being argumentative. The sun was low in the sky. It would be night soon, and Roemell was sitting there, sipping his tea.
He must have noticed her gazing out the window and said, “It’s getting late. Would it be possible to stay here for the night?”
“In my house?” Ali asked, shaking her head. “No, not unless you want to sleep on the floor.” Although there was a rug under the group of chairs, the floor was made of simple wooden boards. It would probably feel worse than sleeping on the packed-down dirt on the riverbank.
Roemell shrugged. “I’ve dealt with much worse. I wouldn’t mind sleeping on the floors.”
Leona was about to protest, but Ali spoke up first. “Oh, that’s not necessary. My daughter has an extra cot. She’s in the cottage to our right.”
“We’ll need two,” Leona said. Roemell gave her a quizzical look, but didn’t say anything. This night was her first chance in days to sleep on something soft, and she didn’t want to be squeezed in with no room to breathe.
Ali shrugged then slowly got up from her seat. As she walked back to the fire, she said, “You’re more than welcome to knock on doors and ask the others here if they have spare sleeping quarters, but I don’t have anything else to offer.”
Roemell set down his mug and got up as well. “Of course, and thank you for your generosity. We both sincerely appreciate it.” He gripped her feeble hand and kissed her on the cheek.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Now head on before it gets dark.”
Leona jumped up and walked with Roemell out the front door. She had full intention of visiting as many cottages as it took to find a place with multiple beds. As they descended the steps from Ali’s house, he paused, gripping the rail tightly in his hand. He groaned as he hugged his free arm against his side, taking a slow breath as he squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw.
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
He shook his head. “All the sneezing—and my rib—” He gently touched his fingers against his side, then gasped. Ever since the river, he had been trying to act tough, but she had seen the bruise. He had probably cracked a few ribs.
Placing a hand on his shoulder, she said, “Sit down. I’ll go ask Ali if she has any painkillers.”
“It’s fine. I don’t need anything,” he said as he sank down onto the steps. “Let’s just get settled for the night. Don’t worry about me.”
Leona ignored his protest and let herself back into Ali’s house, forgetting to even knock. “Is everything all right, sweetheart?” Ali asked.
“Roemell’s in a lot of pain. I know he didn’t act like it, but he’s really hurt, and the sneezing has—”
“Men don’t like to admit any weakness.” She shook her head, then walked back over to the cabinet. After rooting around for a moment, she pulled out something wrapped in foil. Peeling away the wrapper, she revealed a chocolate bar and broke off a single square. “He should eat this now. If he’s still hurting tomorrow morning, come back and I’ll give him some more.” She carefully wrapped the rest back up and left it on the counter.
Leona wasn’t sure how a bit of candy would help, but she didn’t vocalize her doubts. She gave a brief nod, saying, “thank you so much,” before rushing out of the house and closing the door behind her. Roemell was sitting on the steps so she took a seat beside him, then handed him the small morsel. “Here, eat this.”
He popped it in his mouth without a question, grimacing slightly.
“Why don’t we wait here for a moment,” she suggested. “I’m not sure what was in that, but hopefully it will kick in soon, and then you’ll be in better shape to walk to the next cottage.” He nodded weakly, but didn’t say anything. She watched the last rays of sunlight filter through the thick tree foliage. After a minute, he leaned his head against her shoulder. She wasn’t sure if he was feeling better or worse, so she decided to give him a little longer before suggesting they go next door and settle in for the night.
• • •
Once the first shock of bitterness faded, the small square of chocolate actually tasted quite delicious. Roemell savored it, letting the silky candy completely melt in his mouth. After a minute, he felt a bit more mellow and had mostly forgotten about the pain in his side. He pulled himself up from the step, ready to go to the next cabin.
“You sure you’re okay to walk now?” Leona asked as she gripped his forearm, helping him get steady on his feet.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He stumbled a couple times, like he had forgotten how his legs worked, but quickly recovered with her help each time.
“Is that stuff Ali gave you helping at all?”
“Yeah, I feel great.” He turned to smile at her. Her light-brown skin looked golden and appeared to be glowing. It was probably an optical illusion from the last few rays of sun. Even so, he couldn’t stop looking at her. “You’re so beautiful.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I look like a mess.”
He combed his fingers through her hair. It felt so soft, like a rabbit’s fur. Before she could protest, he pulled her close and gave her a deep kiss. The rest of the world melted away, leaving just the two of them in eachothers’ arms. He wanted to live in this moment forever.
Leona pushed away, and their surroundings returned to the forefront of his consciousness. “Ow!” She slapped a hand on her arm. “Something bit me! Can we hurry up and get inside?”
He nodded and continued stumbling along. After what felt like forever, they made it to the next cottage. They took their time ascending the front steps, then Leona knocked on the door. It swung open, and they were greeted by a large man with an annoyed expression across his face.
“We were just next door,” Leona said, pointing up the path. “Ali said her daughter lives here and has room to board someone for the night.”
“Huh, that woman ain’t right in the head,” he responded in a deep voice.
Leona and the homeowner talked for a while, but Roemell had trouble following the conversation. Instead, his brain focused on the scent coming from Leona. She smelled sweet, like the flowers Jovelyn had always loved, which only bloomed at night, mixed with a bit of musk, vanilla, and something else. Did her hair smell just as intoxicating? He turned his head and nuzzled his nose into her soft curls.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Smokey.” That was the aroma he hadn’t been able to pinpoint.
“Roemell, are you okay?”
The person at the door crossed his arms and made a tsk sound. “Mama gave you some of her ‘medicine,’ didn’t she.”
Leona pushed Roemell away. “Yes. He was in a lot of pain—I think he cracked a rib.”
“Could have just made tea with some white willow bark,” he muttered. Roemell was about to point out that they had already drank some tea—which had been amazing—but the man continued, “Fine. You two can stay here, but just for one night. And I don’t want any shenanigans, especially from you.” He pointed a finger at Roeme
ll.
Roemell solemnly nodded and Leona said, “Thank you so much, Sophia.”
He shot a perplexed look at Leona. “Who’s Sophia?”
Her eyes widened, staring at him like she was looking directly into his soul, somehow condemning him for making some grave mistake. “The women we’ve been talking to this entire time—Ali’s daughter.”
Glancing back at the angry person still blocking the doorway, Roemell realized that the cottage owner’s hair which initially appeared closely cropped was actually long and tied back, and she had a shapely figure instead of a broad chest. He blinked a few times, thinking his eyes were playing a trick on him, but now he couldn’t believe that he’d initially thought the homely woman in front of him had been a man. Sophie was even wearing a lavender-colored dress and a glittering pendant on a long chain. He reached out, wanting to touch her, but Leona swatted his hand away.
When Sophie spoke again, her voice was still booming and masculine. “Come on in.” She stepped back and let the pair pass through the doorway.
This cottage was much larger than the last one. The sitting area was the same size as the entirety of Ali’s cottage. It had a bigger fireplace, two rocking chairs, and two upholstered chairs with a matching sofa. “I thought you had an extra bed,” he blurted out. “It’s going to be a tight squeeze getting two people onto that sofa.”
“You can stay in there.” Sophie pointed at the side of the room. Through the open doorway, he could see the inside of a modest bedroom with a bed plenty large enough for two people. “My husband’s a light sleeper, so if you two do anything other than sleep, he’ll be in there with his loaded rifle in two seconds flat. You understand?”
“Yes, thank you,” Leona said quickly while grabbing Roemell’s arm and dragging him toward the room. “We’re going to turn in for the night.” Before he could protest, or even really process what was going on, Leona had pushed him into the small guest room and locked the door behind them. “Are you okay?” she asked in a low voice.
He shrugged. “I feel great.”
She placed a hand on his cheek. “Your eyes are all red, and you’ve been acting really strangely.”
“No?” He wasn’t sure, but he’d thought he had been behaving normally.
She dropped her hand and turned away. “You’re high. I should have known.” She pulled down the comforter of the bed and slipped under the blanket. “If you weren’t so banged up, I’d make you sleep on the floor.”
He had known a few people who would sacrifice anything to get high, even food, and the only solace for their depressing lives was inhaling burning plant fumes. Of course, any medicinal plant in the wild would get zapped by patrol androids, while the ones on estates were closely guarded by security bots. Most people who enjoyed getting high would get killed by robots before the drugs had a chance to take their lives.
But she could be right. The best thing to do now would be to just sleep it off—which would be easy because of how tired he was. In the morning, he’d feel better and rested, and they’d be able to drive the rest of the way. He had lost track of the days, but suspected they wouldn’t make it to the capital before the beginning of the trial.
Thoughts of what the next day would bring washed over his mind as he settled into the bed. He turned to face Leona, who laid flat on her back, staring at the ceiling. Sliding closer to her, he couldn’t help but bury his nose into her soft hair and breathe in her intoxicating scent.
“Stop that,” she hissed, slapping his hand away from her breast. He hadn’t even realized he was touching her.
“Sorry,” he muttering, shifting back away from her. But even after getting swatted, he reached back out and wrapped his hand around hers. She took in a sharp inhale, but seemed to relax a bit after that. The symphony of noisy insects outside along with her rhythmic breathing eventually lulled him to sleep.
15
SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT. The smells, the sounds, even the rough texture underneath her struck Leona as odd. She opened her eyes just a slit and was overwhelmed by the intensely bright sunlight. Pain flashed through her brain as her eyes gradually acclimated. She slowly sat up, trying to get her bearings. The ground was cold and wet underneath her, and little rocks poked at her skin. Just a few feet from her, water trickled through a shallow creek. The sun was high in the sky, its rays filtering through the thick foliage of the tall trees surrounding her.
She wasn’t sure where she was or even how she had gotten here. Thoughts came to her slowly, her mind sluggish just like the bubbling water flowing lazily downstream. For several minutes, she stared at the babbling stream, not able to concentrate enough to do anything else.
Days. She fought to pull the memory out of her subconscious. She had fallen asleep at nighttime. Somewhere unfamiliar, but still a house. And she hadn’t been alone. “Roemell!” she said, shocked she had somehow forgotten he should be with her.
She jumped up quickly, but her balance betrayed her, and she wobbled for a moment before getting settled on her feet. She rushed along the creek bed, her hands cupped around her mouth as she yelled his name again. The pounding of her heart and crunching gravel under her feet drowned out any other noise. She stopped to take a slow, deep breath, trying to calm herself down and listen. Bugs and birds chirped while leaves rustled from small critters scurrying by. A mournful caw echoed from high above her.
“Roemell?!” She continued walking, carefully surveying the ground around her as she searched for any signs of him. What had happened? Why was she here? What if he wasn’t nearby at all? Her heart ached as the last question settled in her brain. She didn’t actually know that he was around here at all. It was totally possible he was still at Sophie’s cottage, eating lunch with the large woman while sharing stories with Ali and Pete. It was also possible that she had been out for more than just one night. “Roemell!” she called out, her voice high with an edge of panic.
Her head started to feel light. She stumbled to a tree root protruding from the ground and sat down on it. How long should she keep looking for him? If he was far enough away, it was already a wasted effort. But would she be able to push forward on her own? Could she find the capital without his help? She might have already missed the trial, and even if she still had time, her testimony without corroboration from Roemell wouldn’t be enough to put Tina away.
She could feel her last shreds of hope draining out of her body. Roemell might already be dead, his body cast away somewhere in the woods, Tina would get out of prison, and Leona would never find her way back to civilization. Hot tears filled her eyes. There was nothing left to live for, so why should she bother trying? She wasn’t sure if she should let herself starve, attempt to drown herself in the shallow water, or try to find a hungry bear. None of those sounded particularly pleasant. There had to be a better and faster way. She looked around, catching sight of some stones along the creek bed that looked particularly pretty sharp.
Slowly getting up from her seat, she took a step toward the water and reached down. Her hand trembled as her fingers closed around a dark gray rock. It felt impossibly smooth, worn down over time by the gentle water. She set it next to her and reached out again, this time picking up an even larger rock. As she lifted it, something underneath caught her eye. The object was black with speckles of orange, rough, and only about four inches long.
She grasped the hard object and turned it over in her hand. It was a rusty piece of metal, but she had no idea where it could have come from. She placed it against her wrist and began to apply pressure. The edge was sharp enough, and she guessed she wouldn’t have to cut too deep.
Her whole body started trembling. The sharp scrap of metal suddenly fell from her hand, making a soft clunk noise as it landed amongst the stones. She collapsed onto the ground and hugged herself tightly as she began to cry. She didn’t have the resolve to end her life, but she also didn’t have enough courage to keep going.
• • •
Roemell knew he should have trusted his gut
at the very beginning when the children had swarmed their tractor. The reserve probably didn’t even have a rule about circuits and batteries, and instead just used it as a convenient lie. The kids had meant to cut the fuel line. The people at that reserve had wanted to trap him and Leona there. Isolated and without transportation, the pair had made themselves completely vulnerable. And that medicine—he had willingly impaired his faculties. He was angry at himself for being so stupid.
Somehow Sophie, if that was really even her name, had learned where the pair were going and why they were traveling there. Of course, he had told Ali, but there hadn’t been a moment when Ali could have relayed the information. And even if she had, why would the Shenandoah reserve interfere with the trail?
Actually, he wasn’t entirely sure what had happened to Leona, and the uncertainty made him even angrier. He had woken up in the middle of the night when her hand had slipped away from his. There had been a large figure looming over her, pressing a rag against her face as she fought against it. He had wanted to jump up, yell, and fight off the attacker, but his body felt like mush, refusing to follow his brain’s commands.
As soon as Leona had stopped struggling and simply laid there limp, the figure had turned its attention to Roemell. There was nothing he could do to stop the assailant. The last thing he could recall from that night was the sweet smell of the rag and the shimmering reflection of the moon in the shadowy figure’s eyes.
And then he had woken up here. He was surrounded by complete blackness, the air cool and musty. The total silence was punctuated by a slow drip drip drip of water. Whenever he yelled out or made any noise, the sound echoed endlessly, even as the darkness seemed to close in around him. His wrists, ankles, and chest were all tied down to a chair. No matter how much he squirmed or fought the ropes restraining him, the chair would not move or give. Instead, every motion made the rope dig into his injured ribs, making him gasp in pain.