“You’re late,” Hana sneered as I approached her and nodded at me to follow her into the darkness of the wooded foot of the mountain.
The clear night sky painted the camp in dark pale colors. It would have been chilly if I weren’t so worked up. After a couple of minutes, when we were safely surrounded by vegetation, she stopped and turned to me.
“So… today’s the day,” her voice was suddenly cheerful. “Ready?”
“Ready for what?” I stared at her pale moonlit face. “You haven’t told me anything.”
“For your initiation test,” Hana smiled. “Today, you’re going to steal some rice. It’s the Acrobat Thief - Act Two!”
I looked at her, stunned, waiting for her to tell me this was her idea of a twisted joke, but she didn’t say anything.
“Initiation test… I thought I was going to help you with Hyuk… and… are you completely out of your mind? A man just died because of me stealing rice… it’s out of the ques—”
“Calm down,” Hana interrupted me. “You’re not going to steal from the granary this time, so no one will even know about it.”
“So where—”
“We’re going to take it from some prisoners.”
“WHAT?” I screamed.
“Shhh! Keep your voice down. And don’t worry, it’s a new family… just arrived from the Capital… hey, maybe you even know them from before,” Hana chuckled. “Anyway, I know for a fact they have a secret stash of rice, just sitting there, waiting for us to grab it… well, for you to grab it, to be more precise.”
“Hana… that’s crossing a line… and how do you expect us to get the rice now when they are at home?”
“Firstly, not us… you,” Hana corrected me. “Secondly, neither of them are at home right now. The wife works in the Chrysanthemum Garden, like your mom, so she shouldn’t be home for another couple of hours… and the husband is in the Center of Truth.”
“He is what? No… Hana… tell me you didn’t—?”
“Yes… I made sure he ended up there. Don’t worry, he won’t be executed… probably. Anyway, all you have to do is to sneak in, find the hiding place… which shouldn’t be too difficult since they live in the Orchid Garden, so their house is exactly like yours… and then come out with the rice. I will stand guard outside just in case the wife happens to come home early for some reason.”
“That’s… exactly the same thing that happened to us,” I gasped, horrified.
“Focus, Areum,” Hana grabbed my shoulder and peered into my eyes. “This will be a piece of cake… a piece of delicious rice cake.”
“Having our rice stolen nearly destroyed us,” I glared back at her in the pale darkness. “How can I do the same thing to another family?”
“Do I really have to explain to you again that in here, either you’re the one eating the delicious rice cake yourself, or you are the delicious rice cake that somebody else is eating… or something like that? Anyway, you have an obligation to yourself and to your family to do anything you can to survive… and besides, you owe me.”
“I d—”
“No more discussions, Areum!” Hana cut me off, sounding almost like Sun Hee when she’s reprimanding me. “Let’s go now or we’ll miss our window of opportunity… it’s already late since you took your merry time to fill your quota today.”
She turned around and barged off in the direction of the Village of the Strayed.
I followed her…
…into the blazing fire.
The house Hana had targeted was not far from ours, and the lump forming in my stomach was getting heavier the closer we got.
Not only will I destroy a poor family’s life… on top of everything, we have to continue living right next to them!
Hana stayed at the corner of the house with clear visibility in both directions while I snuck in through the unlockable door. We made sure no one had seen us. It was already dark, but there was enough moonlight for Hana to see if somebody was coming our way.
The room was a complete mess. It smelled musty and there were things everywhere. For a split second, I felt almost jealous. These people must have been allowed to bring twice as much as us. Maybe they were connected… even more than dad.
But he is the son of the founder of the Public Food Distribution System… how much higher can you get? And if you’re higher… how would you end up here?
Even though I had always felt somewhat proud of being related to Grandpa Hyun Woo, now I wished we weren’t… or at least that Colonel Wan didn’t know about it.
As I started to lift the disorderly piles of quilts and clothes, I became increasingly anxious. The room was just as small as ours, but I couldn’t search in a structured manner. There was also no light - only a few streams of moonlight through the cracks in the walls - so I had to go solely by touch. After about ten minutes of groping around, I realized I no longer had any clue to which piles I had searched already and which I hadn’t, so I started all over again, this time trying to do it in a clockwise circle.
“Hurry up,” I heard Hana’s muffled voice through the door.
After my clockwise approach had yielded zero results, I started to just frantically lift piles of belongings at random and throw them around the room, feeling for anything out of the ordinary.
Could it be that Hana is wrong? Or could it be that… she is setting me up? That armed guards will barge in and catch me red-handed at any moment?
I once again saw myself in the chair down in the Center of Truth with the bag over my head and the needle inserted in my finger, waiting for Colonel Wan to bring more pain.
A sudden knock on the door made me jump.
“You have to hurry,” Hana’s unbecomingly nervous voice sounded hollow, as if it came from far away. “It already late… we have no idea when she could be coming.”
No idea? Didn’t she say she knew the wife would come home much later?
I sat down to recompose myself.
Okay, maybe… maybe they did like us and dug a hole under the floor…
I went down and felt the floorboards where the now-empty hole in our house would be. I did find one that was loose, but underneath it was nothing but solid soil.
I started moving around the chaos of scattered clothes and quilts and other belongings in the entire room, trying every floorboard, but none of the others were even remotely loose.
There was another knock from Hana.
“What’s taking so long?”
Frustration, anger, and fear were boiling up through my body. After I had searched every inch of the floor two more times and found nothing, I was in a complete panic.
It’s not here… I have to tell Hana she made a mistake!
The thought of all this being a trap crossed my mind again, but I discarded it since I felt Hana was just as anxious to get out of here as I was. I headed for the door to tell Hana the bad news, but as I did, in the corner of my eye, I noticed the large pot hanging over the blackened fireplace in the middle of the room.
No… it can’t be that easy.
I took a large step over the pile of belongings to reach it and opened the lid of the pot. I couldn’t see anything, so with my heart pounding like mad in my chest, I slowly put my hand inside.
Yes!
There was a large cloth bag inside. From the feel of it, it was definitely rice. Without hesitation, I lifted it out from the pot, but my exalted movements were too fast and clumsy, so I tipped over the metal legs of the tripod with the chain that held it, and it all fell to the ground with a deafening clank.
“What the hell are you doing in there?” Hana’s panicked face appeared in the doorway. “Come on, we have to go… I see someone coming around the corner.”
I tucked the rice under my clothes and rushed outside.
“Did you get it?”
“I got it,” I patted the protruding lump under my shirt.
I threw a glance down the street and saw a dark figure only a few houses away. Without a moment’s hes
itation, we sprinted as fast as our legs could bear us in the opposite direction.
“Hey,” we heard the woman shout. “Stop there! Were you in my house? What were you doing in my house?”
I looked back and saw the woman had started running as well. But she didn’t follow us. When she reached her house she instead rushed inside. It only took a few seconds before her agonizing scream pierced like a dagger straight through my heart.
I have just destroyed that woman’s life! I have destroyed that family’s life!
I felt in my heart what she was feeling. Ending up here had been the first blow. Having her husband dragged off to be tortured down in the Center of Truth had been the second blow. And now, having their entire supply of rice being stolen - by my hand - would no doubt be the final blow.
I did this to her!
The screaming faded gradually as we ran through the barbed wire-filled passageways towards the outskirts of the Village of the Strayed. Before it was completely out of earshot, it had transformed into a persistent desperate wailing of utter hopelessness. The look on my crazed mother’s face the moment she had realized ours was stolen flashed before me as my intestines twisted painfully inside me.
We didn’t stop to catch our breaths until we had exited the Rose Garden. I had several cuts on my arms and legs, and I panted heavily. My feet felt wet, so I assumed my wounds from the night I broke into the granary had opened up again. But that was nothing compared to the wave of overwhelming guilt for what I had just done smashing into me and devouring me whole.
“What took you so long in there?” Hana panted angrily. “That was a close call. Too close.”
“Well, it was my first time breaking into somebody’s house… and there was no light…”
“Doesn’t matter… you’ll get the hang of it… the important thing is that we got it.”
“Get the hang—?”
“Come on, let’s go. Now is the time for the real challenge.”
“There is more?” I couldn’t believe my ears. “No way, Hana… I’m not breaking into any more houses.”
“Don’t worry… no more stealing tonight,” Hana shook her head, her breath now almost back to normal. “It’s time we go and meet the Dragons. I know for a fact they are gathering in the cave tonight, so we’re going there to reclaim my rightful place as their leader.”
“Tonight? A-and how exactly are we going to do that?”
“You’ll see,” she looked up at the mountain absentmindedly. “You’re the key, Areum… you’re the key.” She then nodded at me to follow her and took off again.
I wanted to stop her and tell her I wouldn’t take another step unless she explained the plan to me, but having gotten to know Hana by now, I knew she held on to information as a way of staying in control. So I followed her reluctantly alongside the quiet river. When we were halfway to the foot of the mountain, Hana suddenly changed direction away from the river.
“I have to drop something off at the Chrysanthemum Garden before we go to the cave,” she said as if she was doing me a huge favor by sharing this information with me.
Chills shot down my spine at the thought of what I had seen in there the night before, but that didn’t stop me from boiling over at this new slap in the face. I’d had enough.
“Are you kidding me? You’re telling me about this now?”
“Don’t worry… it won’t take long,” Hana ignored my glare.
“Hana… I really don’t want to go anywhere near that place.”
“I said don’t worry… you’ll stay at a safe distance in the woods nearby. I will only be a minute.”
Once more, I gave her my silent, but reluctant, consent and continued following her down the desolate road away from the river. Fury grew inside me for being treated like some kind of lowlife servant.
We kept a fast pace and didn’t stop until we had the wall surrounding the Chrysanthemum Garden towering up before us.
“Okay, stay here… I’ll be right back,” Hana instructed as we reached a group of trees veiled in darkness not far from the entrance gate.
Hana turned around, but just when she was about to leave, a weak light seeping out from the barn I used to climb over the wall the other night caught my attention. I thought I heard something from inside. I grabbed Hana’s arm and shushed her with a finger in front of my lips.
“What is it?” she asked, annoyed.
“I think there is someone in that building over there… I think I hear voices.”
“I don’t hear anything,” Hana shrugged her shoulders, but just then, a loud moan emerged from the barn. She laughed. “It’s nothing to worry about… just some people having some fun.”
She gave me a wink and strolled away, leaving me embarrassed listening to the continued moaning coming from inside the building.
I followed Hana with my eyes as she went up the road. I expected her to climb over the wall as I had done, but instead, she casually strolled up to the two men standing guard. Instead of reaching for their guns, they greeted her and opened the gate for her to pass.
That girl never ceases to surprise me. What kind of relationship does she have with the guards… or the officers for that matter?
After ten minutes or so, it was clear I had made a mistake interpreting Hana’s ‘I will only be a minute’ as a promise - or even as an indication - of when she would be back. I stayed under the trees, stomping my feet restlessly, and wondering what the hell I was doing there. The moaning from the barn also added to my discomfort. At first, I was embarrassed listening to people having sex, but as the moaning intensified, it sounded less and less like people enjoying themselves. I was also fairly certain I could hear two male voices, and at least one of them sounded agitated… angry even.
Suddenly it hit me. The same thing that happened to Nari that night up in the mountains is happening right now to some other poor girl in the barn no more than fifty yards away.
My impatience with Hana quickly turned into fear and indecisiveness.
What should I do? What happens if I leave and I’m not here when Hana comes back? And what can I do against two guards… maybe even officers… right next to the Chrysanthemum Garden?
My powerlessness made my frustration and fury spike.
But then, another realization hit me.
I had not only resented, but even hated Hana for not doing anything to help Nari that night… for just idly standing by and watch it all happen. And here I’m in the same situation…. just idly listening to that poor girl being violated…
The moaning of the woman in the barn gradually turned into screaming. I looked over at the entrance to see if Hana was coming, but the steel gate remained firmly shut. I pondered if the two guards at the guard post would intervene if the girl’s screaming became loud enough… but I already knew the answer.
Why would they? Maybe it’s their superiors in there…
A shrilling scream - louder than any before - suddenly pierced through my ears and continued through my body and into my heart. I couldn’t bear it any longer. I had to at least go and see if there was anything I could do for that poor girl… even if I knew it was pointless.
I waited for a large cloud to block the moon and veil me in darkness. Then I quickly and silently sprinted across the grass field to the barn. I pressed my back against the wall for a moment until I had caught my breath. I wasn’t sure what to do next. The woman’s moaning and screaming grew in intensity. I knew I couldn’t just peek in through the main door, so I snuck around the corner to look for a window. I found one in the middle of the wall. There was no glass - it was just an opening in the wall, from which a weak flickering light barely escaped.
I crouched down next to it. My heart, filled with growing hopelessness and futility, pounded heavily in my chest.
Whatever happens… I must not get caught!
CHAPTER 37
I pressed my body against the barn wall. My heart pounded in my chest and throbbed in my ears.
What did I exp
ect to achieve by coming here? Do I really think I can do anything for her? But… I can’t just stand idly by…
The screaming grew stronger and more frequent.
Great General, what are they doing to her?
I gathered my courage and raised my head to peek inside. Only for a split second. I hadn’t gotten a clear picture of what was going on in there, but none of the three people seemed to be looking in my direction, so I peeked in again, this time longer.
On the floor was a woman, lying on her back with her naked legs spread wide open. She was lit up by a candle on the ground next to her. An officer sat between her legs holding another candle. A young guard was seated behind her head, holding down her arms. She let out another scream, more agonizing than any before.
Are they burning her with the candle? Down there…?
I was pulled by an almost overwhelming urge to jump in through the window and fight them off, but I managed to resist. I knew what would happen if I did. There was no question about it. Even if I, against all odds, managed to defeat both of them, the guards from the post by the entrance would be here within seconds, and that would be it for me… and for her as well.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered under my breath.
I crouched back down under the window as the woman’s screaming intensified further. The men were also screaming something at her, but I couldn’t catch what it was. All the screaming, grunting, and moaning blended into one indistinguishable noise.
I have to get back… Hana might already be there waiting for me… there’s nothing I can do for her…
I crawled a few feet away from the window and stood up. Slowly and reluctantly I started walking across the field back to the trees, trying - but failing - to block out the intensifying screams behind me.
Then the screaming stopped abruptly, and everything became completely still.
I stopped dead in my tracks and listened. I was still only a few yards away from the barn.
Great General… did they killed her?
I knew I should just let it go, but instead, I turned around and slowly tiptoed back toward the window.
The Weeping Masses: A Young Adult Dystopian Survival Saga (Juche - Part 3) Page 32