by David Webb
“That is Subsection B, Annelise. I asked for D.”
Aniya racked her brain, then recited, “Article I, Section E, Subsection D: Any additional children born after the first two will be immediately confiscated upon birth and taken for relocative servitude in the Hub.”
“Very good, Annelise. You may sit down.”
Aniya did so and resumed her subtle slumber.
“Benjamin, why don’t you give us Subsection E?”
Another boy stood up and cleared his throat, but before he could speak, the door creaked open and white light flooded the room.
Almost in perfect unison, the entire class rose to their feet and stood with their arms at their side as four men walked into the room. Their metal boots sounded against the wood floor with perfect timing, reminding Aniya of the old-fashioned clocks in a museum she had once been forced to attend. Each of the men wore silver body armor, complete with headpieces equipped with a bright white light that outshone the scarce candles scattered throughout the room. As the men walked toward the teacher, the light sparkled and bounced off their reflective armor, making it difficult, almost painful to look directly at them for longer than a few seconds.
The teacher also dropped his hands to his side and stood straight, holding his head high. “Greetings, officers of the Glorious Bringers of Light. We weren’t expecting a visit from the Silver Guard.”
“That’s the idea,” said one. Without another word, the officers stood in a line at the head of the room.
“Well, class. Since we have visitors, why don’t we do a little pop quiz? The first three to answer perfectly get to leave class early.”
The class stirred, and Aniya looked up. A chance to ditch Regulations Class sounded promising.
“Let’s see. Article II, Section A, Subsection B. Anyone?”
Hands shot up all over the room. It was one of the easier regulations, and everyone knew it. Not exactly a good example to show off for the Silvers.
“Antonio?”
A boy sitting toward the front stood up quickly, and rattled off, “Article II, Section A, Subsection B: On their eighteenth birthday, each man must report for their random work assignment and submit their name as a potential suitor to be matched with a female mate.”
“Very good, Antonio.” The teacher clapped enthusiastically, motioning for the class to do the same.
As a few students clapped softly, the boy grabbed his bag and jogged out the door.
“And now for the next one, Subsection C Revised?”
Dozens of hands shot up in the air, and Aniya rolled her eyes. The Silvers’ visit meant a chance for the teacher to show off with some easy regulations and maybe get promoted to a higher grade level, she supposed.
“Lysa?”
A girl to Aniya’s right stood up. “Article II, Section A, Subsection C Revised: On their eighteenth birthday, each woman must choose a mate from five potential suitors, each chosen by the Bringers of Light.”
The teacher winced as the Silvers looked at each other. “Very close, Lysa.”
The girl sat back down.
“Annelise, you should know this one better than most. Your Day is coming up soon, after all. Why don’t you give it a try?”
Aniya didn’t respond.
At the front of the room, one of the Silvers turned and whispered something to his leader, who nodded curtly.
“Annelise?”
Gritting her teeth, Aniya looked up at the teacher.
She stood up slowly as each of the four lights turned to shine on her directly. She felt naked, exposed, and she raised a hand to block out the blinding light. “Article II, Section A, Subsection C Revised: On their eighteenth birthday, each woman must choose a mate from five potential suitors, each chosen by the . . .” Aniya’s skin grew cold, and she dropped her hand to glare at the Silvers standing at the front of the room. She ignored the searing pain in her eyes as her tone hardened. “. . . Glorious Bringers of Light.”
Apparently ignoring her contempt, the teacher applauded again. “Very good, Annelise. You may collect your things and go.”
Aniya snatched her bag, spun on her feet, and left the room amid scarce applause.
Behind her, the leader of the Silvers motioned for his men to stay behind. He switched off his headlamp and stepped into the dark hallway behind her.
Aniya tossed her bag on a bench in the courtyard and sat down, sighing. To hear it constantly from her parents was one thing. To be forced to repeat it in school frustrated her to no end.
If the price to pay for so-called free power was submitting to such strict regulations, was it even worth it?
“Aniya.” A hiss came from the shadows to her right.
Aniya looked up and glanced around, but the source of the whisper was unclear.
“Over here.”
Still unable to see where the voice was coming from, Aniya got up, leaving her book bag behind, and walked toward the large entrance. As soon as she stepped into the halls of the school, her hand was grabbed, and she was pulled into further darkness.
Aniya opened her mouth to speak but felt a warm hand silencing her.
Roland’s face emerged from the shadows, his eyes darting back and forth. He let go of her mouth but kept a tight grip on her hand.
“You need to get out of here.”
Aniya pulled her hand away, and she took a step back. “What are you talking about?”
As she backed away, Roland grabbed her again, pulling her further back into the hallway. Without saying a word, he pointed through the window overlooking the courtyard.
Her curiosity won over her frustration, and Aniya looked out the window but saw only black. “What are you—”
“Shh.”
Aniya nearly shoved Roland away from her, but she froze as she spotted a dark form moving through the courtyard. She squinted and spotted a tall man in silver armor making his way around the benches, stopping to check every shadow before moving on.
Before she could say anything, Roland pulled her into a nearby classroom.
He closed the door behind them and turned to her, but Aniya spoke before he had the chance. “Is William okay?”
Roland shook his head. “If they haven’t found him by now, they’re about to. They walked into your house about five minutes ago.”
Aniya’s skin turned cold. “How do you know? My house is too far away to get here in five minutes.”
“Gareth. I don’t know how he knows, but he seemed pretty certain. They’re going to be coming for you, so you need to leave now. Gareth told me to get you out of the Hole.”
Aniya threw her hands up. “Why would they come for me? They’re not looking for me. They’re looking for William.”
“Yeah, but they’re going to want to talk to your entire family. Who knows? Given William’s condition, they might skip the talking and go straight to shooting. Gareth doesn’t want to risk it either way.”
Aniya’s head spun. Not again.
“But my parents . . .”
“It’s too late. All we can do is make sure you’re safe.” Roland shook her shoulders when she didn’t respond. “Aniya, we have to get out. Now.”
She pictured William, discovered by the Silvers and dragged away. It was hauntingly reminiscent of his departure three years ago. The morning of his eighteenth birthday, just after First Light, a garrison of officers knocked on their door and took him away without giving him a chance to say goodbye.
Now, they were coming to take him again, and Aniya knew that this time, he wouldn’t be coming back.
She found herself unable to move, still picturing William’s inevitable fate. “I just got him back. I can’t lose him again.”
Roland slapped her across the face, and Aniya snapped out of her daze.
“I’m sorry, Aniya. I promised Gareth I would get you out, and I can’t stand here and watch you get taken, or worse. We need to get moving.”
Behind them, the door handle jiggled, and Aniya was grateful that Roland had
thought to lock it.
“Okay, let’s get out of here.”
Roland didn’t waste any time. He pulled her to the other side of the room and opened the window that pointed at the main street. “I’m right behind you.”
Aniya shook her hand free from Roland and deftly climbed out the window, landing on her feet with grace.
Behind her, Roland’s exit from the room was not as smooth, and he tumbled to the ground.
She extended a hand to him, and he gladly took it, muttering, “You made that look so easy. Did you take dance or something?”
Aniya scoffed quietly but did not let her annoyance show.
“I’m a runner. Have been all my life.”
Roland let go of her hand. “That’s good, because we’re going to be doing a lot of that. Right now, we need to get out of the Hole.”
“Why do we have to leave Holendast? And what do you mean, we?”
“Just for the time being. They’re going to search the sector top to bottom looking for you, and if you’re still in the Hole, they will find you.” He swiped the dust from his pants. “Besides, it’s not like I have a family here that will miss me.”
Aniya shook her head. “I can take care of myself. I certainly don’t need your help. You’re not even as old as I am.”
“How old do you think I am?”
Behind them, a loud crash indicated that the officer had succeeded in breaking down the door to the classroom.
Aniya turned around and broke into a light jog. “We can have that conversation another time. Come on!”
Roland caught up, and they broke into a dead run together.
“We need to head to the station. We can take the train tunnel to the next sector,” Roland shouted over the sound of their feet on the cobblestone below.
Aniya pointed to the right. “I know a shortcut!” Without waiting, she spun and bolted, leaving Roland behind.
He shouted after her, “What shortcut?”
Aniya took another sharp turn to the right, now heading in the opposite direction of the train station. She heard Roland’s footsteps behind her, and she ran faster, knowing that he would soon realize her true destination and try to stop her.
She vaulted over a fence and kept running. That would slow Roland down.
“Aniya!”
She ignored Roland’s shout and continued, knowing that every second lost could mean a horrible fate for her family.
The route across the Hole seemed longer than ever, even though she ran now at her fastest. The journey usually took ten minutes at a light jog. Today, Aniya made the trek in a record-breaking seven, though it felt like twenty.
Finally, she could see her house, and her heart sank.
Her home was a glowing beacon in the middle of the Hole. Light escaped from the cracks in the shack, and a foreboding white glow spilled out onto the cobblestone street. Aniya pushed herself harder and sprinted the rest of the way, but she stopped briefly as she stood by the door. She had plenty of time to think while she was running, but she had no idea what she would do once she entered.
She knew one thing for sure. They were not taking her brother again.
Aniya curled her hands into fists and took a deep breath. She reached for the handle but was grabbed from behind and forced to the ground. Her attacker dragged her away as her muffled screams fought against the hand that was clamped over her mouth.
8
William’s head spun.
His father’s screams came from somewhere in the distance, his anguish drowned out by the awful sound that wouldn’t stop echoing in William’s ears.
Squish.
After a moment, his father’s cries diminished to muffled sobs.
“I won’t lie to you, Mr. Lyons. I enjoyed that. I enjoyed it, and I will enjoy killing you if you don’t tell me where your son is. Your death has been a long time coming, after all.”
Another long pause.
Finally, his father spoke again, his voice quiet but firm. “I haven’t seen my son since you took him away from me. Just like you took—”
The sound of metal on bone was sickening, as was his father’s cry of pain.
“Your hostility is not appreciated, Theodore. Of all men, it is a mere ten percent that are chosen for relocation to the Hub. You should be proud of your son, willing to serve so that you could be given free energy. Now, please. Do your part and let him serve so you can return to whatever life you have left.”
No response.
“Very well. I’m sure we’ll find him if we look long enough. It’ll go much smoother for us if you aren’t around to be a nuisance.”
That was enough.
Desperate to avoid another death on his hands, William lashed his fists against the underside of the trapdoor, ignoring the searing pain in his shoulder.
Despite the sudden interruption, the man’s tone was even and cool, as if he expected no different. “Imagine that. Sounds like someone has decided to announce his presence.”
“No,” his father groaned.
“Fetch him.”
The trapdoor flew open, and even through the sheet that covered him, William was blinded by several white lights. The sheet was tossed aside, and he was grabbed by both arms and dragged out of the hole, his shoulder and hip burning.
“Stand up.”
William clutched his body in pain, slowly writhing on the floor.
“Get him up.”
He was grabbed again and made to stand, the pain approaching unbearable levels.
William’s eyes adjusted, and his legs buckled again as he took in the sight before him.
The one-room shack was lined with men in silver body armor, each of them standing tall, unmoving, with guns at the ready.
To his right, his father was sitting in a chair against the wall, held down by two men.
Finally, to his left was what broke his heart and stole his little remaining energy. His mother lay on the ground, still and lifeless. A pool of blood had collected under her head, painting the strands of her blonde hair a dark red.
William slowly looked up as his skin flushed, curling his hands into fists and clenching his teeth. In front of him was a man in a black suit, his arms folded across his chest. William made a weak but determined movement forward, only to be instantly pulled back by two sets of hands.
“It’s good to see you again, William.” The Operative looked at the bloodied, emaciated boy before him and smirked. “You look well.”
His father began pleading. “Please, you’ve done enough. Don’t take any more from us.”
“Perhaps if you had been honest and instantly told me where the boy was. You had to learn the hard way, Theodore, that the games you play out here in your beloved Hole will not be tolerated by the Lightbringers.” He grabbed another chair and turned it around backwards, sitting in front of William’s father. “So, now that you understand that I will settle for nothing less than the truth, I ask that you choose your words carefully. What has he told you?”
His father looked up and stretched forth his hands openly. “Nothing, I swear. He can’t even talk. We think he’s in shock from the pain.”
A ploy William had suggested the night before as a last resort.
“Let me try again. What has he told you? How much do you know?”
“Nothing. You really think I would lie to you after what you just did? You made your point.”
The Operative studied his face for a long moment. “Say I believe you. I can’t very well let you walk around a free man after what you made me do here. People out here on the edge of the Web are just stupid enough to believe your story. At best, I can take you back with me to the Hub, but you’re too old to be of any use to us. Your daughter, on the other hand, in the prime of her life—she could be of some use.”
Rage boiled deep inside William, a fury that rivaled the anger he had felt at the sight of his dead mother. The world around him went black, and all he could see was the Operative sitting before him, casually taunting his
victims.
“I know she’s all set to get married in a few weeks, but I’m sure we can find her a mate somewhere out there. In fact, it’s time I settled down, you know. Perhaps—”
“I’ll kill you if you touch her,” William found himself bursting out helplessly, regretting his words even as they left his mouth.
His father dropped his head in defeat.
The Operative slowly stood and turned toward William, his expression unchanged. “So the boy does speak. This changes things.” He smirked again. “In the spirit of cruel irony and poetic justice, William, you should know that I made sure that you were selected for relocative servitude. Payback for this.” He turned back around and pulled down his collar to reveal a scar across his throat. “It was your father’s fault that we nearly killed you, and because you’ve just confirmed that I can’t trust anything he says, it is now your fault that he has to die.”
The room fell silent as William froze in horrified anticipation of what he knew was coming next.
“I’m sorry,” his father said.
William turned around to answer, but his father was instead looking at the Operative with sad eyes.
Then, his father moved faster than William had ever seen. He leapt to his feet, fighting his way through the Silvers toward the Operative. He grabbed a gun and opened fire, and one of the officers holding William fell backward into the tiny basement, his headlamp shattering and going dark.
The Operative simply looked on, seemingly amused, until William’s father broke through and charged at him.
Then, a knife appeared from somewhere within the man’s black clothing, and the Operative made one graceful slice through the air.
William’s father stopped his attack, staggering forward as his eyes widened. Blood seeped out of his neck as his mouth slowly dropped open. The gun slipped from his fingers, and he slowly dropped to his knees as the Operative bent over and whispered in his ear.
“Now you know my pain.”
William’s father clutched at his throat and croaked out his final words. “I’m sorry.” He then looked away and inched forward on his knees, pushing past the Operative and slowly making his way toward his son.