Lisa arrived beside me and handed me a caramel apple. I smiled as I took it; I hadn’t had one since last year, and they were one of my favorite treats. Somewhere in the distance, a guitar began to play and then the beat of drums sounded. It was the one day of the year when a celebratory air actually permeated the town again.
Perhaps it should be sad, some members of our town would be leaving today to never return, but it had become a day of excitement and new beginnings. The government brought in supplies, and letters from loved ones at the wall were handed out. Treats we didn’t have all year were concocted to say good-bye to the people who would be leaving us today. After the volunteers stepped forward, dancing would commence until they left at sundown.
I took a bite of the apple as Lisa walked over to kiss Asante’s cheek. They spoke in hushed whispers while I allowed Bailey to take a lick of the caramel coating. He nibbled at the apple before I took another bite and gave it to Gage.
“Mine!” Bailey shouted and grabbed for the apple. “Mine!”
“I can’t wait for him to outgrow this stage,” Gage muttered as he reluctantly handed the apple back into Bailey’s clapping hands. Bailey smiled happily and dove into the caramel once more. Sticky goo smeared his face and stuck in his hair when he finally came up for air again.
“I’m not getting it back, am I?” Lisa asked when she reappeared at my side.
“I’ll get you another one,” I told her.
She waved her hand dismissively. “I think he’s getting more joy out of it than I would. So how many volunteers are we thinking?”
“I said eight, Asante guessed eleven,” I replied.
“I’m thinking twelve,” she said.
“Nine,” Gage guessed.
Bailey rested one of his sticky hands against my cheek and giggled. “Thanks,” I said. I pulled his hand away and kissed his tiny fingers. He returned his attention to the caramel.
“I should be going. Have fun today,” Asante said. He kissed Lisa’s cheek before walking away. His shoulders were rigid in his forest green uniform shirt. Guard was spelled across the back of the shirt in gold letters.
“Let’s see what goodies we have this year!” Lisa declared.
Gage practically skipped ahead of us as we worked our way through the crowd while waiting for the volunteering to begin. The scents of frying fish, vegetables, and cooking sweets caused my stomach to rumble. The snap and crackle of the fires and the animated tones of the voices surrounding us added to the excitement of the day. The red and yellow tulips lining the outside of the field were in full bloom; their sweet aroma was barely discernible over the numerous foods filling the air.
The dunk tank in the back had become a big draw. Gage stepped forward to take his chance at knocking the kid into the water; on his second throw, he hit the bull’s-eye. The kid tumbled into the water with a big splash.
A cheer went through the crowd. A young girl stood on her toes to kiss Gage’s cheek. The fierce blush burning my brother’s face made me laugh out loud. He threw back his shoulders and ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stand more on end. I had to bite my cheek to stifle my laughter, but Lisa wasn’t quite so discreet.
Gage shot her a look before stepping away from the girl now digging her toe into the ground and turning the color of a lobster. Gage hurried into the crowd.
“Who was she?” I asked when we caught up to him.
“A girl.” He pretended to search the crowd as he tossed his answer back at me.
“Does this girl have a name?”
“Cherry.”
“Seriously?” Lisa blurted.
Gage glowered at her. “You’re seriously annoying.”
Lisa grinned at him. “I don’t have siblings to pick on so I get River’s.”
“Whatever,” he replied with a roll of his eyes.
“Do you like her?” I asked Gage.
He shrugged, but his skin was becoming more flushed and now his neck had begun to look like he had a sunburn. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing again. “I barely know her,” he mumbled.
I thrust Bailey into his arms. “Remember birth control.”
“I uh… I…” he sputtered.
“I know you’re only fourteen, but the time will come, and when it does, remember the diaper from this morning.”
“I stink!” Bailey declared and Gage winced.
Gage’s mouth shut when Bailey placed a sticky, caramel-coated hand against his cheek. I grabbed a napkin from a nearby table and wiped at the caramel coating he’d left on my cheek.
Then again, if Gage were anything like me, I wouldn’t have to worry about him having sex for years to come. However, I still wasn’t going to take any chances. Gage was cute and extremely responsible, but accidents could happen, and he wasn’t as tied down as I was right now.
Most guys weren’t exactly clamoring to date a girl with a deadbeat mom and two brothers to raise, but Gage could break free of that and do something more with his life. I’d never allow him to volunteer, I couldn’t handle not being able to see him again, but with his kind and prideful nature, he’d make a great Guard.
I may not have much of a dating life, but I wouldn’t have changed one thing. My brothers were my world. Besides, I’d had little time for the boys who had been interested in me and the few dates I’d been on had been awkward. I knew fishing and changing diapers; I was the least sexy conversationalist in the world.
Not to mention, I’d always kept myself at a distance from men. What if I accidentally had golden-white sparks dance over my hands, or caught his clothes on fire, or had a vision in front of him? I couldn’t risk any of those things; it would be far too dangerous if someone were to find out about me. At the end of all my first—and last—dates, I’d found myself on my doorstep watching as the boys and men all but ran away from me. I’d usually end up biting my lip to keep from laughing out loud at their hasty retreats.
Walking through the crowd, we passed the band as the open grilling pit drew us onward. “Hello!” Mrs. Loud greeted us with a smile and a wave as she lifted one of the large stripers and flipped it over. I wasn’t sure, but it looked like the one I’d brought her earlier today. Next to the fish, some mussels, crabs, and lobsters were also on the grill. “What would you kids like?”
“I’ll take some lobster,” I replied and held out one of the plates on the table.
For the past month, everyone had been gathering special supplies for this day. There was no trading for food today. People volunteered to bring the supplies, others volunteered to help cook and run the games. Mrs. Loud handed me a lobster tail before turning and dishing out food to the others. We walked over to a clear patch of grass on the football field and settled in to eat.
When we were done, I gathered the plates and brought them back to the grilling pit. Two large tubs, one of warm water and soap, and one of just warm water had been set up at the end of the table containing the plates and silverware. I washed everything, rinsed it in the tub of warm water, dried them, and stacked them neatly back on the table.
“It was delicious, Mrs. Loud,” I told her.
Preoccupied with dishing out more food, she didn’t look at me when she replied, “Thank you, dear.”
I was almost back to the others when a flyer was thrust into my hand. A hollow feeling filled my stomach, but I looked down at the paper and read the words on it. We are looking for someone who has unusual abilities. This person may be able to see things they shouldn’t, have telekinesis, or perhaps possess other abilities beyond the normal human scope. If you know of someone like this, or possess such abilities, please come speak with us. Age does not matter. You will be rewarded. We require your help!
I stopped feeling the warmth of the May afternoon as my blood ran cold and my legs wobbled. I glanced at the Guard who had handed me the paper, but she had already turned away. Besides, it didn’t matter; the Guards weren’t the ones searching for a human with abilities. The government was.
CHAPTER
5
River
My gaze drifted past the Guard to the woman still standing by the truck. An older gentleman with gray hair cut close against his skull now stood beside her. The style of his hair emphasized his high cheekbones, square jaw, and compressed lips. These older military personnel were the ones who had been members of the military before the war started and the only ones who came back for Volunteer Day.
Keeping the paper, I walked back to where Lisa and Gage sat on the lawn. They each had a flier in hand. When I approached, they lowered their fliers quickly and tried to hide them. They gave up and brought them out again when they spotted the matching flier in my hand.
“It’s the same one as last year,” I whispered when I settled onto the lawn.
“Why are they looking for people like this?” Gage demanded.
“Shh,” I whispered. My gaze darted around, but there were few people near us. “I don’t know.” I glanced at the two people standing near the truck again. “Do you think the rumors of experiments are true?”
Lisa leaned closer to us. “I think most of the rumors are true. None of us know what goes on over the wall. I don’t trust those news broadcasts for one minute. We only know what they tell us, and I believe most of it is a lie. And why did they start handing these fliers out four years ago? The volunteering has been going on for eleven years now. What happened four years ago that made this start?”
“I don’t know,” I muttered as I glanced at the flier again. “Maybe I should talk to them.”
“Don’t even think about it,” Lisa said firmly. “Nothing good is going to come out of whatever it is they’re looking for. Mark my words on that one.”
“What if they find out?” I looked pointedly between her and Gage. “I could be putting you both at risk.”
“I’m willing to take the risk.” Lisa pulled the flyer from my hand and crumpled it into a ball. She snatched Gage’s next and crushed it with hers. “Stay away from whatever this is.”
I had to agree with her on many things, but the idea of something happening to any of them petrified me.
I didn’t have much time to think about that as the man who had been standing by the truck stepped forward and lifted his hand into the air. Some conversations continued to swirl around us but they died off when more people realized he was about to speak. With the sunlight beating down on the man, the metals on the chest of his blue uniform shone. I didn’t know what they used for material for their clothing, but it was of far better quality than anything any of us wore.
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,” he said in a clear, booming voice. “I am Colonel Ulrich MacIntyre and I’m so happy to see all of you here today for the volunteering. I so enjoy coming to these seaside communities, and who doesn’t love a good lobster?” Polite chuckles followed this statement. “Now, could we have all of the sixteen-year-olds in the community come forward?”
Finally finished with licking the caramel off his apple, Bailey toddled over to me and settled in my lap. Gage handed me his glass of water and a cloth to wipe off Bailey’s fingers and face with. From amongst the crowd, people made their way toward the trucks and the pair of military personnel.
The teens lined up beside the colonel with their parents behind them. My mother hadn’t bothered to come on the day I’d stood up there, but Lisa’s mother had stood behind me throughout the experience.
I finished cleaning Bailey off and settled him in my lap as a heavy air of expectancy descended over the crowd. There were at least fifty teenagers up there waiting to declare their fates. I didn’t envy them; it had been such a simple choice for me, but it wasn’t for many others.
Clearing his throat, the colonel drew everyone’s attention back to him. “Volunteering is a sacred duty only few are brave enough to undertake. All volunteers will leave their homes and families behind for a life spent protecting the wall and the many who reside outside of its borders.”
Lisa shot me a pointed look. ‘From what?’ she mouthed.
We’d all heard this speech before, but that had always been the question. What was on the other side of the wall? The rumors were anything from animals and humans deformed by radiation, to brand new creations as a result of the radiation, to Russian, North Korean, and Chinese fighters who hadn’t been beaten like we’d been informed, and still waged war on the other side.
It was a question I was dying to know the answer to, but we were too far from the wall to ever know. The closest section of the wall to us was over three hundred miles away. My feet definitely weren’t going to make the trek.
We’d heard stories that howling screams, ghostly calls, and other strange sounds could sometimes be heard in the towns residing closest to the wall. Sometimes those who were allowed to cross the bridges onto the Cape, or enter the ports in order to trade with us, said the towns closest to the wall lived in fear of what was on the other side. It was whispered those people would have fled if there had been a guarantee they would be able to find someplace else to live.
I tried to believe they were only campfire tales, meant to scare people away from the wall, but I couldn’t shake the belief that at least some of it had to be true.
“The volunteers will be well compensated for their bravery with a home, clothing, and food behind the wall,” the man continued. “They will never again have to wonder where their next meal will come from. Not only that, but their parents or guardians will receive a stipend of food from the Guards for the rest of their lives to help offset their needs.”
This was the reason most people volunteered. It wasn’t so much the promise of something new, better clothing, and steady shelter that made them step forward, but the ability to help take care of their family too.
“All volunteers will receive training and be taught how to take care of themselves and how to protect others,” the colonel continued.
Again, we were told this, but we had no way of knowing what happened after the volunteers were taken away. Letters were sent home from past volunteers and families were allowed to send mail to the front, but the letters arriving here never revealed any info about what went on at the wall.
“All volunteers take pride in what they do as they help to rebuild our great nation. They are amongst the many celebrated heroes of this majestic land. Now, as you all know, all first year volunteers are sixteen years of age. If you are not sixteen, please return to where you were seated. You will have your chance soon.” No one moved from where they stood lined up beside him. “If you have not come forward yet, please do.”
The only mandatory attendance for today was for the sixteen-year-olds in town. I didn’t know why they were all required to stand up there, if they weren’t going to volunteer. Maybe the government felt it would embarrass some of those who didn’t volunteer into doing so, or maybe they thought people would look down on those who didn’t volunteer. Either way, they were wrong. Standing up there, I hadn’t felt embarrassed, ashamed, or looked down upon when I hadn’t stepped forward. I’d only wanted to return to Gage in the crowd.
“Now,” the man stepped forward and turned to face the kids. “Who amongst you is brave enough to face a whole new world and to protect and serve your great nation?”
Lisa leaned over to whisper in my ear. “Volunteers must be down this year in the other towns. He’s really pouring it on thick.”
I nodded my agreement as the man walked in front of the people gathered before him. “Please step forward if you are willing to become one of the great many who have kept this country alive.”
There was a shuffling within the group, and then five boys and two girls stepped forward. My gaze focused on a small girl at the end. Her hands were folded together before her, and her head was bowed. A willowy woman with two twin boys, one on each hip, stood behind her. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the young girl as I waited for her to do what I knew she was going to do.
With a dejected look at her mother, the young girl took a step forward. The woman gave an awkward lurch
forward as she tried to grab hold of her daughter’s shoulder and pull her back. The young girl brushed away her mother’s grasping hand.
Tears streaked the woman’s cheeks; she glanced between her daughter and the others standing forward from the group. The kids were all trying to look so proud with their tilted chins, thrown back shoulders, and gazes fixed on something in the distance. On most of them, their shaking hands, trembling lower lips, and misty eyes belied their brave front.
“Eight,” Lisa said. “River’s right again.”
“I don’t know why any of us ever guess against her,” Gage said.
I smiled wanly at him as I held Bailey closer against my chest.
“Let’s give a round of applause for these brave men and women!” the colonel announced proudly.
Cheers ran through the crowd while the families grouped back together. They hugged each other close as tears were shed.
“If anyone else, who is of age to volunteer and is under the age of twenty, would like to volunteer, you may do so now!” the colonel declared.
It was rare anyone volunteered after the age of sixteen, but some did because of unforeseen events or maybe to escape the island. I’d only ever seen two do so, and no one moved forward now to join the teens who had volunteered today.
With the volunteers established, the cover on the back of the truck was pulled away to reveal the bags of mail, clothing, and other supplies stashed in the back. With no set postal service anymore and no real means of distant travel, letters only came and went to the wall on this day each year. Families with children who had volunteered in the past, rushed forward to collect the letters from their loved ones and to hand over the bags of letters they had written over the year. Everyone else waited to receive and divide the rest of the supplies until all those letters were delivered.
Good Intentions (The Road to Hell Series, Book 1) Page 4