by Tamara Black
“Say something,” she whispered.
I cleared my throat. “We’re here today to wish good travels to Cricket, Mercy, and Melvin who will travel to House DeeCee to get the latest news.”
A half dozen people who were gathered for the event cheered.
“They’re brave individuals, the type of people we need if we’re going to rebuild this world.”
Another cheer filled the air. I smiled, pleased with myself. Ree put her hand in mine and squeezed, filling me with even more joy. Our community had a long way to go, but its existence proved that all men and women could work together in harmony toward a common goal. It’s going to take generations, but we’re on our way, I thought to myself as the gate opened slowly.
“We go. Back later,” Cricket pronounced.
Mercy and Melvin waved. While they were a bit old for traveling outside the walls, neither could be stopped from attempting to return to House Ballmore where they were born so many years earlier. Once they were beyond the gate, it closed and locked. I sighed, thinking of all the improvements we needed to make for better security.
“What’s wrong?” Ree asked.
“Oh, just stressed,” I said.
“About what?”
“A little of everything,” I said then chuckled.
“Things are going so well. I think we have a chance.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded her head. I leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. Instead of resisting, she parted her lips. My heart beat faster as her tongue slid into my mouth, dancing against mine. I wrapped my hands around her waist, pulling her closer. We both became wrapped up in the passion of the moment until someone cleared their throat. I pulled back and turned to my left.
“Sorry, Gov. We have new news.”
“It’s okay, Terry,” I said, smiling. “Give me a minute, okay?”
He nodded and headed toward the left factory. I turned my attention back to Ree.
“I have to go.”
“I know. It’s okay. I’m busy too.”
“Maybe we can have dinner again later.”
“That’s a possibility.”
“Teaching math today, are you?” I asked.
She smiled. “Yeah. See you later, okay?”
I watched as she walked away. The way her full hips swung back and forth was mesmerizing. When she turned a corner, I took a deep breath and headed toward the left factory, which was having power and production problems. The problem would likely be easy to fix, but a lot of little things were adding up. Most of my time was putting out fires rather than planning for the community’s future, which was a shame. Dinner with Ree later that night did put a bounce in my step.
Three
Tony
A week after Cricket, Mercy and Melvin left, I received word of someone approaching the main gate. They weren’t supposed to be back so soon, which worried me. I rushed out of the factory and climbed one of the towers we had constructed recently. When I reached the top, I looked out at the clearing and the man approaching. From his size, I could tell it wasn’t Cricket or one of the other two.
“Who approaches?” I called out.
The figure removed the hood of the weathered cloak he wore. His hair was pure white. A full beard fell halfway down his chest. He looked up at me, shielding his eyes from the sun with his left hand.
“Greetings. I am Curtis, a traveler who asks for sanctuary for a night or three,” he shouted.
“Are you armed?”
“You’re kidding right? It’s dangerous out here.”
“Fair enough. We’re opening the gate. Don’t try anything funny.”
I descended the ladder of the tower as the gate slowly swung open. The old man walked over. When he reached me, he held out his hand. I shook it. His firm was grip, which was surprising for his age.
“Where are you coming from exactly? Do you have any news?”
“Might I rest my feet and get some nourishment first?”
“Of course,” I said. “Follow me.”
We made our way to the cafeteria, which served food for everyone throughout the day because it was one of the basic necessities of life - like chocolate. Once he had a plate piled high, we found a seat at a table. Ree walked in and sat down next to him.
“Welcome,” she said.
The man smiled, nodded, then took a bite of a biscuit.
“This is Curtis. He has information for us,” I said.
“I have information for everyone. I’m not tied to any single factory-city. And let me tell you, there’s some crazy stuff out there in the world right now.”
“Like what?” Ree asked.
“Let the man eat,” I joked.
“I’m fine. And there’s a lot to tell with little time before I have to move on. I have a lot of other places to go and people to see.”
“What’s the biggest news?” Ree asked.
“War is on the horizon. A lot of governors and presidents and kings are thinking about expanding their empires. If they all do it at once, it could get bloody.”
“How many people are alive out there?” I asked.
“Millions, I would say.” He took a bite of chicken. “At least that many,” he continued as he chewed his food.
“I have to get going,” Ree said, turning to me. “You can catch me up later, okay?”
I nodded. She stood up and walked away as I turned my attention back to the traveler.
“Things are crazy out there now,” he said, not slowing down at all on the food intake. “There’s this place called Texas where they’re all lunatics. I barely escaped.”
“Go on…”
“I have everything written down. I’ll leave you a copy before I go. Make as many copies as you can,” he said. “We need to spread knowledge.”
“I agree,” I said, the gravity of the situation weighing on me.
“You’re in charge here, right?” he asked, glancing around the nearly empty cafeteria.
“Yeah. Why?”
He reached into his bag and pulled out a small pouch. I accepted it.
“Don’t look inside right now, but it’s a map and a diamond ring.”
“Why are you giving them to me?”
“Well, I want some supplies and maybe a few people to travel with me. I hoped we might come to an understanding?”
“Everyone here is addicted to chocolate. They can’t leave.”
“Chocolate can be found everywhere in the world now.”
“Do you know anything about the cure?”
“Doc Chang from House Newyo.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard him mentioned,” I said.
“If you can find him, he may be able to help. I’ve tried, but I don’t like to spend too much time in any one single area. Tends to wear out my welcome, you know?”
“You’re welcome here as long as you would like to stay. We are working toward breaking the addiction to chocolate and building a new world for everyone.”
“I applaud you, but I don’t think you can pull it off.”
“No? Why not?” I asked.
“Well, a lot of reasons.” He put his fist to his chest then burped loudly. “Look, I don’t want to discourage you, but a lot of people have tried over the years to make the world a better place.”
“And none of them succeeded?”
“Just take a look around,” he said with a snort. “Do you see progress? It’s bleaking hopeless if you ask me.”
I stood up.
“Thanks for your information, and let us know what supplies you need before you leave.”
“Will do,” he said, not looking up from his plate.
As I walked away, I thought about his stories, the map, and the diamond ring.
* * *
I leaned against my desk in my office. Ree sat in a chair near the door. She took a deep breath, obviously tired and worn out. The map and the diamond ring were both hidden away.
“He’s a strange man,” she said.
“Yeah,
but he’s seen a lot.”
“So he says.”
“You’re so paranoid sometimes,” I said.
“Am I? Did someone tell you that? Who was it?” she whispered quickly while looking around.
I laughed. “You’re so funny sometimes too.”
“Ten days since we had dinner and kissed,” she teased.
“Too long in between for me.”
As I stood and took a step toward her, she got to her feet.
“I have to get going.”
“Okay. I’ll see you later.”
She returned my awkward wave then left. I walked over and shut the door behind her, locking it. Back at my desk, I got out the map and the diamond ring. Ree would receive the ring as a gift and a pledge of my love for her, but the handwritten paper was something entirely different. I unfolded it carefully and saw crude characters I couldn’t translate. The mountain range, however, looked very familiar.
I decided to keep it to myself a while longer, just in case I needed it. A stranger from across the land delivering it was surely more than a coincidence. After studying it for a bit, I folded it back up and hid it away in the bottom drawer of my desk. Sounds of the factory floor came through the walls of my office. I walked out to check on everyone.
Since we no longer had a need to keep the chocolate from everyone who was addicted, we did everything under one roof. It was why our production was so high. I waved at Melvin as he stood next to one small portion of the giant machine that produced the chocolate everyone craved. He nodded his head with a smile on his face. After a quick walk-through of the rest of the plant, I returned to my quarters to sleep.
Four
Ree
After the visit by Curtis the traveler, Tony began acting strange. I blamed it on my paranoia and tried to put it out of my mind, but two weeks later I still had the same thoughts. As I laid in my tiny bed, staring at the ceiling, I wondered whether my life would ever get any better. While building a factory-city where everyone had rights was interesting and fulfilling in some ways, it was a hard life.
A knock sounded at my door.
“Come in,” I called as I sat up in bed.
The door opened. Tony peered in.
“You got a minute?”
“For you? Sure, I guess.”
I smiled, but not too much. Our flirting was reaching new levels.
“What’s up?” I asked as he sat down next to me on my bed.
“Oh, I was just done with today’s work, and my mind turned to you.”
“Aww. You’re so sweet.”
I placed my hand on his thigh.
“Do you have plans tonight?” he asked.
“Maybe. What did you have in mind? Something naughty?”
His eyes opened wider for a brief moment as I caught him by surprise.
“No, I wasn’t thinking that at all. I mean, I was, but…”
“I’m just teasing. Settle down,” I said. “I’m glad you came. Do you mind if I ask you something?”
“Uh oh,” he said. “What did I do now?”
“It’s not bad. At least I don’t think it’s bad.”
“Go ahead.”
“Well, when we first met. You lied to me. It was a lie of omission, sure, but it was a lie.”
He sighed, staring into my eyes.
“You’re bringing that up right now?”
“What? I’m just trying to make conversation. I’ve been thinking about…”
“How everyone’s out to get you,” I interrupted. “I get it. You tell me all the time.”
“Maybe you should leave now,” I said, standing up.
He stood up as well.
“Hold on. I’m sorry. It’s just been a stressful day, and I’m tired of people asking me all these questions, you know?”
His arm slid around my waist.
“I know, but trusting people is hard for me. Everyone has lied to me my whole life.”
“I used a lie of omission because it was hard for me to trust you too. At least back then.”
“And now?” I asked.
He reached into a pocked and pulled out his closed hand.
“I have something for you.”
“Yeah?”
My eyes opened wide in amazement as he opened his fingers. A shiny ring sat in his palm. He picked it up with his other hand. Is this happening? What does it mean? After taking my hand in his, he slid it on my index finger. Miraculously, it fit perfectly. I looked from it to his face. Our gaze met. His eyes are so beautiful, I thought. When he leaned forward to kiss me, I turned my head away.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, putting his arm around my back.
“I’m just not ready,” I said, unable to explain it to him with words.
He stood up. “It’s okay. We all have a lot of work to do.”
“It’s not you,” I said, looking up at his face. “It’s just…”
I took off my House Ballmore signet ring and put it into a pouch.
“What was that?” he asked.
“My family ring. I don’t want to have it on with your ring on my other hand.”
A smile spread over his face. Just a moment later, the alarm bell rang out.
“The wall’s being attacked,” he shouted, turning around.
I jumped off the bed and followed him as he took off outside. We headed straight to the source of the clanging, the main gate. When we reached the wall, he took charge instantly.
“Status?” he screamed.
A moment later, four of our security forces surrounded him. Once they had their orders, they scurried off to put well thought out plans in place.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Ravagers are trying to test our defenses, I think.”
“What can I do?”
“Just go and stay safe,” he snapped.
“Bleak that,” I said.
He called out as I headed up the ladder of one of the towers near the main gate. Once I made it to the top, I saw a group of leather-clad ravagers throwing flaming sticks at the wall. They had no chance of breaching the wall, but we had decided to deal with anyone who attacked us swiftly and completely. I watched as a half dozen of our well trained guards appeared from behind a building outside the wall.
The ravagers attempted to react, but they were taken down by the six strong men who swore to protect the walls of our factory-city. I climbed back down the ladder, not interested in seeing the blood and violence. While it was a fact of life, the thought of someone losing their life disgusted me, even if it was a ravager. On the ground, Tony walked over.
“What was that all about?” he hissed.
“You can’t just order me around. Got it?”
I walked past him before he could answer. He made my heart beat faster and got me wet in my special place, but he could be a huge pain the ass. An hour later, he returned to his office where I was waiting.
“We found something,” he said as soon as he walked in.
“What?” I asked, sitting up in the chair behind his desk.
He smiled. “Practicing for when you take over for me?”
“Very funny.” I placed my arms on the desk in front of me.
“Anyway, we found something in a bag on of the ravagers had on them.”
“What?” I asked again, using my arms for emphasis.
“This…”
He placed a piece of paper on his desk. I glanced at the piece of paper. Not a lot of the scribblings made sense, but I saw the words “Doc Chang” very clearly near the bottom.
“Is this from him? Or to him?”
“I don’t know, but it’s weird we just find out about him and now he’s popping up again.”
“You think it’s a sign?”
“Not a huge one, but it’s been zero days since we were last attacked.”
I smiled. “Cute.”
“Anyway, I just wanted to let you know. I’m exhausted and need to check our defenses one more time before I sleep.”
“I’l
l help.”
He raised his arm, hand out. “No, that’s okay. You get some rest.”
“Are you sure?”
“Think about the ring and what it really means,” he said.
We made eye contact for a moment before he turned and left his office. A few minutes later, after admiring the ring and the huge stone from many different angles, I stood up and returned to my sleeping quarters. Maybe everything in the world isn’t so bad after all, I told myself as I crawled into bed and closed my eyes. A woman can dream.
Five
Ree
I sat on my bed after dinner. The ravager attack was all anyone was talking about the entire evening. Spirits were high because we had taken them out and sent a message to others who might think about attacking us. Curtis the traveler was long gone, but his stories of an approaching war between factory-cities were left behind. As I thought about everything, someone knocked at my door.
“Come in,” I said, already knowing who it would be.
Tony walked in and shut the door behind him.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said.
“Hey, you.”
Just a few short months ago, a love like ours would have been forbidden.
“You sneaked out after dinner,” he said.
“Too many people.”
“You want me to leave?”
“No, you’re the perfect number of people.”
“I’m perfect, huh?” He smiled.
I patted the mattress next to me.
“Come sit down a minute.”
He took a few steps toward the bed. After sitting down, I turned to him. Without saying a word, our faces moved toward each other, as if propelled by an unseen magnetic force. Our lips touched, softly at first. His hands snaked around my waist as I put a hand on his hard, flat chest. My tongue pushed into his mouth. He kissed me forcefully and with plenty of passion.
“Are you sure?” he asked after pulling back.
I nodded my head. As we kissed, he took off my clothes, and I stripped his from his body. While I had seen his muscular torso before, it was the first time I’d laid eyes on more, on what he had between his legs. The size of his cock impressed me. He leaned forward and licked one of my hard, dark nipples. I put my hand in his hair and pulled him closer to my chest.