I sit down next to him at the round table with my food. “Something wrong?” I ask him. We’ve always shared these sorts of things before.
“This is strange for me. I don’t belong in a place like this,” he answers languidly.
I reach out and take his hand. “I know, but this is the best option we have right now.” I attempt to be more like Kale—an extraordinarily caring person—and comfort James. His loving ways are rubbing off on me—not that I was a bad person before, but he’s so kind-natured that he makes me want to be better.
“I know,” is all James says in response.
THE LOWDOWN
I look over to Kansas and the others sitting about the island. “So Kansas, can you give us the lowdown on this place? We’ve only been here a day.” Maybe we can find somewhere James will be more comfortable, if it’s even possible.
Kansas sets her glass down on the smooth countertop. She pushes it around in circles with the tips of her fingers as she decides where to begin. She finally settles on her beginning. “I was placed here straight from being taken. The others have all been transferred here.”
“Is everyone transferred for not mating?” I interrupt to ask her the question.
“Some. Most are here for other reasons though, like not being entertaining enough for the public, not getting along with their enclosure companions, or because the Keepers saw something truly evil in them and thought they’d put on a good show here. Stuff like that. They transfer all the time.”
Kale asks her about our new enclosure and puts words to the concerns I’ve had in my own mind. “What exactly is this place? We know it’s different than where we came from, but what’s their goal with this super-sized zoo? We got a stupid welcome video when we first arrived at the first enclosure, but they didn’t tell us anything about this one.”
Kansas takes a moment to gather her thoughts and then gives us a brief history lesson. “The world has changed a lot since your times.” She looks at each one of us. “There were lots of problems with the economy, healthcare, and international relationships. Countries were dissolving. Civil wars were being fought. The whole world was in a state of panic. Things finally came to a head in the year 2050. World War III was about to happen, and to stop it, the leaders of all the remaining countries decided to form the Global Government. Fifteen elected officials were appointed to make the decisions for the entire world . . . Everything changed from that point on. They made new laws. Everything was government sanctioned. The world complied, rather easily, to the change. This allowed the government to focus on other things—science to be more specific. There was a boom in scientific breakthroughs. They used taxes to fund research on finding cures for deadly diseases, perfecting genetic manipulation, learning how to grow bodies for organ harvesting, discovering the secrets of time-travel, and so on. They succeeded with each new task, but some things were immediately outlawed, like time-travel.”
I can tell Kansas doesn’t approve of the way things are in this world. Her whole body has an air of sadness. She’s slumped over the countertop with her hands wrapped around the drinking glass. But she continues on, “A utopian society began to form. Peace prevailed. But with this change, something had to be sacrificed—the individual. Everyone began living in a sterile world where everything was provided by the government. Everything you had was the same as the next person’s. Cultures and languages disappeared. The people began to realize they were losing all the things different cultures could offer, like art, music, language, and just a sense of life. Before the people revolted, the Global Government decided to allow culture and self-expression in the people’s lives through regulated displays. I won’t get into the details of that right now . . . Anyway, eventually, this became part of the curriculum in schools—to find the culture and time you want to live by. And, by the time we turn 18 we are expected to choose one.”
Kansas takes a quick breather and continues on with the zoos now. “The People’s Past Anthropological Centers were built to mimic zoos for animals. The Global Government thought it was genius to use our time-travel abilities to gather live subjects. We could use them to help us with our problem of the disappearing cultures. Lab rats . . . They pitched this idea to the world like it was the best idea ever. They said the people that were brought here were more than willing, since they otherwise would have been dead. Centers sprung up all over the globe. You gads were at one of those Centers before you came here. They are controlled and safe for the public. I bet you saw lots of children, right?”
“Yes,” the four of us all say.
“Like I said, it’s part of schooling now. But some idiot scientist had the brilliant idea of creating a super-dome and mixing all the cultures together. He wanted to see how we would evolve, if we would create governments, war, or become a utopian society like they believe they have now. It became somewhat of a sick sport to watch. There are four domes like this one,” she quickly adds, “that I know of.”
“If all that’s true, then what was up with our enclosure?” I look over to Kale and then ask Kansas, “Kale and I were in an enclosure that was nothing like where we can from. Why? And there were even two other people in there that were from other times.”
Kansas shrugs. “I suppose you could think of the other enclosures as control groups and your enclosure as an experimental group,” she says. “They have several experimental groups throughout each zoo. They want to see if your cultures will remain, fade, or merge. It’s kind of like what they are doing here, but without the violence.”
“Oh,” I say. We definitely got the short end of that stick.
“How do you know all this? When are you from?” Kale asks.
“I was taken in 2267,” Kansas answers.
Kale is shocked, as am I. He wants to know more. “So you’ve lived out there recently and they sent you here. Why?”
“I have no idea. Maybe they were worried about placing me in a regular zoo, because I already know about them. Maybe they thought I could find a way out. Like I said, I have no idea.”
I’m having a hard time computing all of this. It’s so horrible and weird. I say as much, “This is so crazy. I can’t believe that much has changed. And they think this fits into their utopian world? What a joke.”
I glance over to James to see how he is taking the news. His face is stormy and he looks like a stranger. He’s becoming more and more so the longer I’m in his company. A stranger. It’s unsettling and it makes me question my judgment.
I turn my attention back to Kansas. “So, you were taken in 2267, not born in 2267. How old are you then?” I ask.
“I think I turned 18 a couple of weeks ago.” She stops fidgeting with the glass and looks at all of us. “So, you wanted to know about the goings-on of this enclosure, right? Well, the woods where they dropped you—there are people that live in the trees. You probably didn’t notice them, but they were there. They pretty much keep to themselves unless someone bothers them. If you travel there, keep your belongings secure, because they’ll swoop down and swipe them from you. You’ll never hear them coming.” I get the shivers as I remember that we slept there just last night. We didn’t have anything to steal, so that’s probably why we didn’t run into them. “The two houses next door are abandoned. Some Russians set fire to one of them and stole everything they could carry, including the people that lived there. The other one has been pillaged as well. No one will inhabit it because it is too dangerous to live there. They’re sitting ducks. I live here with three guys and another girl. The girl was born in the 1980’s. She’s 14. One of the guys was born in 1932. He’s in his forties. And the other two guys are around my age. One was born in the 1970’s and one was born in 2016. He’s the latest birth date I’ve heard of here besides me.”
Kale interrupts, “Wait a minute. You said no one lives in the other house because it’s too dangerous. What about this house? Are we in danger?” He looks like he’s ready to spring into action, arms and neck tensed for a fight.
&nb
sp; “No. People know not to mess with this house.”
Could she be more cryptic?
Kale doesn’t accept Kansas’ answer. “What does that mean?”
She becomes agitated and says, “Just what I said. People know not to mess with this house. You’re safe. Please drop it.”
“No, I won’t drop it. I have women to keep safe. I want to know,“ he argues. I notice he left out James.
It’s me that interrupts now, because I want her to keep telling us about this place. “Kale, it’s fine. We’re fine. She said we’re safe. I believe her.” I look over to Kansas. “Sorry. Please continue. We need to know about the others as well.”
She relaxes a little and motions behind her back with her thumb. “You obviously passed that western town when you came in. Bunch of imbes if you ask me. Always gambling for food, women, and weapons. They tend to stick together and defend their town and their people—unless someone’s caught cheating. Then they’ll turn on each other.”
“Imbes?” we all ask at once, confused.
“Yeah. You know, imbeciles. Lunatics.” She keeps going, not realizing we don’t know the slang of her time. “Most of the Asian people live in that red building past the western town. The time differences don’t seem to matter with them. I wouldn’t go over there though, if I were you. They don’t take kind to strangers, and they have at least a dozen armed men standing guard at all times. They’ll stop you before you get anywhere near the entrance. Grass huts are empty. They all got killed off years ago. Um . . . There’s the mountains, well, hills really. Stay away from the caves. They call them the ‘Cannibal Caves.’ These dark as death people live in there. They mark their bodies with this white and yellow paint. I’ve only seen them once before, on accident. They blend in with the nature and sneak up on you. Then they have you for dinner.”
Victoria grabs Kale’s arm and whimpers. I feel like we’re sitting around a campfire listening to ghost stories. Victoria is playing the part of the helpless girl that’s trying to get the guy’s attention by acting overly scared. That girl usually dies first, right? I’m only kidding. Shame on me for thinking that, but I can’t help it.
“There are other people that live hidden in the mountains. We trade with them sometimes. They survive by keeping hidden, moving often, and trusting only us. It’s a hard way to live here. On the other side of the mountains, you can find the worst of the worst: Vikings, pirates, Nazis, African warlords, you name it. They’re always fighting each other over there, and occasionally they come over here and attack the smaller groups. Luckily, each of those groups is too small on its own to take on one of the bigger groups on this side of the mountain. They haven’t figured out that if they band together, they could wipe us all out. So, if you see them coming, it’s best just to leave. Let them take what they want and clean up when they’re done. Remember that, because they like to steal women for brides and sex. The men they don’t kill—they use them as slaves.” Kansas leans back in her barstool, her tale-of-terror now over.
“What about the castle?” I ask because she failed to mention it. The fortress or castle or whatever it is, is so haunting and ominous. It’s intriguing as well.
“Oh yeah. They have a king that’s pretty brutal. He controls most of this side of the mountain range or so he likes to think. He’s been known to make fair trades, but if he doesn’t receive exactly what he’s looking for in return, he’ll go on a rampage killing anyone in his path. Likes to put people’s heads on stakes on his front lawn. Besides him, the people there are mostly British and Eastern Europeans. He takes pretty good care of his commoners—I hear—so long as they obey him.”
Kale has more questions for her now that he’s settled into believing that we are actually safe. “So how does the food thing work? Do they replace what you eat? Do you have to hunt? Where did you get peanut butter and jelly?”
“And shampoo?” I add.
Kansas laughs and then her teal eyes turn serious. She says, “I wish they automatically replaced everything. That would be nice. The stuff in the house is provided directly to us: soap, clothes, and all that. But the food is a different story. What happens is; once a week the Keepers drop five crates filled with food around the enclosure. You fight for your food or you let the others fight for it. Then you trade with them. Either way, you don’t eat without sacrificing something.”
Suddenly, my peanut butter and jelly sandwich seems to have new meaning. I look at my empty plate and then over to Kansas who’s fed all four of us freely.
James hasn’t said a word, and Victoria is being a bit of a space cadet, only really listening when food is mentioned. She has no interest in this new world’s ways.
DID I REALLY MAKE A HEAVEN REFERENCE?
James remained especially quiet throughout our entire meal and Kansas’ stories. I worry about how he’s feeling, so when he stands to leave the room, I follow him to the upstairs bedroom. This will be the first time we’ve been alone. I want to use it to learn more about him—find out what he’s thinking and see if I made the right decision about him. Now that I’ve actually been around him, I’m discovering that his good looks may be all that is drawing me to him. We aren’t clicking on other levels. Maybe it’s just our situation and surroundings. Maybe not.
I reach out for his hand. It’s rough from the physical labor of his past life. He squeezes my hand in return and turns around to face me. The look on his face is indescribable. He’s got some kind of inner turmoil going on behind those cool blue eyes.
He reaches around me with his free hand and pushes the door shut. Then, his face changes; it becomes lustful. He looks down at my body and back up to my lips. He backs me against the door and lifts me up on my toes so that I’m eye level with him. He forcefully presses his lips against mine and holds tight to my hips. I’m shocked at first, but I can’t deny my physical attraction to him. I kiss him back more softly, trying to slow down his urgency.
James doesn’t take the hint. Instead, he tugs at my shirt, pulling it over my head. I let him have his way without much hesitation, because I have a giant sports bra covering my chest. He kisses my neck and then moves down to my left shoulder, so hungry for my flesh. I feel wanted and excited, but not ready to go all the way—not ready to go any further than this. Plus, Kale’s disappointed face keeps popping up in my mind.
Go away! I scold the imaginary Kale.
James pulls back from the door and carries me over to the bed. He lowers me down and moves his hands down to the button and zipper of my jeans. I freeze. I move my hands over his and say, “James, I’m not ready for that. We barely know each other.”
“We’ve spent months communicating. You know me,” he says in response. He tries to push my hands away.
Do I know him? We have spent months communicating. I know about his family and where he’s from. I know how old he is and what he did for a living back in his time. But no, I don’t know him. Not really. I only know what he told me.
Who is James?
“No James. I don’t know you well enough yet. Please stop.” I try to wiggle out from under him.
He grabs both of my hands in his one strong hand and pins them over my head as he continues to undo my pants. I try to thrash around, but he’s so much taller and stronger than I am. He tries to kiss me again, but I bite his lip. He wears the face of a complete stranger.
As I struggle against him, my mind is on overdrive. I ask myself, what the hell is happening? I thought he was a nice guy. If he just wanted to get some, why didn’t he have sex with Victoria (warranted she was willing)? No! No! No! I can’t stop screaming in my head.
“Get off me!” I scream at him when I find my voice.
He pulls my pants down to my knees and covers my mouth by pushing my hands over it. My teeth dig into my palm, as it’s forced further into my mouth. It hurts. I keep trying to scream, but the sounds are muffled.
He whispers in my ear while he tries to unbuckle his own jeans. “I’ve been waiting for this. You tease
d me for weeks in that tiny little dress.”
I shut my eyes, waiting for the pain. Tears escape and slide down the sides of my face. And all I can think is; how is this happening?
The door to the room flies open. It’s Kale. He pauses, trying to make sense of the scene before him. I try to scream for help, even though I’m sure Kale realizes I need help. His face transforms from being stunned to absolute rage. James stands up just in time to receive Kale’s powerful tackle. They slam into the second story window. It shatters. Shards of glass rain down onto the ground outside the home. When James forces his way back into the center of the room, I see that the back of his neck is bleeding.
I scramble to re-dress as the two guys have a stand off.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing with Emma?” Kale hollers at James.
“Mind your own business, hombre. She wanted it.” He glances in my direction with a sleazy grin.
Oh hell no. I’ll take care of this myself.
I reach over next to the queen-sized bed and yank the lamp off the nightstand. Kale notices what I’m doing and shuffles around, causing James to shift positions. He’s now standing with his back to me. I turn the lamp over in my hands so that the base points up, and then I take a swing at James’ fat head. Pop! And he’s down for the count.
After jumping off the foot of the bed, I reach to feel James’ neck for a pulse. It’s still pounding away. I look over to Kale, who’s still beyond angry. His fists are clenched and he’s breathing heavily. “What should we do with him?” I ask.
“Well, I say shoot him, but I guess it’s up to you.” Then he kicks James in the rib cage. “Asshole.”
MORE SURPRISES
Kale drags James’ limp body down the stairs, not caring that his head is bumping down every single step. He leaves him lying on the floor next to the front door. Victoria and Kansas come into the room from the separate kitchen and breakfast area when they hear the commotion. “What happened?” Kansas asks when she sees that James is unconscious and bleeding.
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