Shymers

by Jen Naumann

  Then I wonder about Kendall and Kiki. What are they doing here without their family? Why is Kendall being so kind and protective of me? Why is he determined to get me away from the Free Lands before the Rebels make their move?

  “Kendall?” I whisper to the darkness. He hums in response. “How long have you lived in the Free Lands?”

  “Not long,” he says.

  I pause. “Are you a Future?”

  “Yes,” he whispers quietly. “But I’m not like the others. My parents were Rebels. I don’t think like the rest of Society.”

  “What about the others? Did they live in Society with you, too?”

  “They’re all orphaned Shymers.”

  Momentarily, I am speechless. Bringing all of them over the border must have been difficult. Only someone with a big heart would do something that dangerous. Although I haven’t known Kendall very long, I think I may already be growing fond of him.

  “So you have this mission in life to save rejected children?”

  He grunts. “Something like that.” I feel his body shifting around near me. “You need to rest now. Good night, Olive. Sweet dreams.”

  My breathing stops.

  Every night for as long as I can remember, my mother would tell me “sweet dreams” just before I would drift off to sleep. It could just be something other mothers tell their children. Yet it seems too big of a coincidence to go unnoticed. Just how well does this guy know my mother, anyway?

  “Good night,” I manage to answer, my voice tight.

  With the close of my eyes, visions of Harrison come rushing at me: his stunning smile, his rugged face, the way his blue eyes lit up when he told me he was running away with me. I want nothing more than to spend his last days at his side and help him check everything off of his playlist. I will do whatever it takes to see him again.

  * * *

  A high-pitched beeping noise jars me awake. I take in the dirt smell and dark room, momentarily forgetting where I am.

  “Someone kick Kendall already,” a boy grumbles from somewhere in the darkness.

  Then I remember—I’m in an underground hole with a group of Shymers. Kiki stirs in my arms. I pull one of my hands away to reach out to where Kendall was sleeping. All I find is an empty blanket. “He’s not here,” I report to the boy.

  Moments pass before a light appears from the other side of the tunnel. Kendall crawls in with a bright light on the end of a metal stick in his hand. There are multiple groans when those awake protect their eyes from the sudden intrusion.

  “We need to go,” Kendall tells me. The high pitched beeping starts up again.

  “Turn that alarm off!” the same boy yells, sitting up and rubbing both eyes with his fists. Kendall steps past me and grabs an electronic device from the ground to push a button. The beeping stops. “I really hate that thing!” the boy complains.

  “Time to go,” Kendall repeats, ignoring the boy. “We don’t have long before soldiers will be out again.”

  I cross my arms over my chest. “Are we going to find my friends?”

  “I told you it isn’t safe for you to stay.”

  “What about the rest of you?” I ask Kendall. “Where will everyone go? Why don’t we all cross over? Won’t you be just as vulnerable to harm if you stay?”

  “We’re joining the Rebels,” Kendall answers in a voice that asks, “Where else would we go?”

  I gulp. “All of you?”

  “They’re all capable of fighting.”

  I look down at Kiki. “What about her?” I gently stroke her hair just as my mother always did to me. Kiki stirs a little and snuggles in closer.

  “She will stay here with Grandma M.” From the pained look in his eyes and falter in his voice, I know he is worried about her safety. He must see no other choice.

  My heart feels as if it has climbed into my throat. Is this Kendall and Kiki’s grandmother? In her frail condition, there is no way she could take care of Kiki. When Kendall had helped her to lie down, she looked too feeble to even do that on her own.

  I glance over to where the woman is lying with one eye open, looking as if she is dead. She doesn’t even appear to be capable of walking on her own. How do they even get her in and out of the tunnel?

  “I can stay here with them while you fight,” I say. I try to make my voice sound strong, like this is something I could actually do. However, my stomach is heavy with just the mere mention of the word “fight.” Will they useweapons? Will Kendall and the other children have to kill soldiers? So many people were killed back in the time of the riots, when Society first changed their laws. The thought of everyone down here doing it makes me ill.

  Kendall’s eyes flicker onto mine, looking ablaze with irritation. “Youcan’t stay. Not with all the soldiers that are out there now. It isn’t safe.”

  I hold my chin high. Society tried to tell me what I could and couldn’t do. I’m certainly not going to let some boy tell me now. “Yeah, well, that’s not for you to decide.”

  “You’re wrong!” he barks. Kiki, now awake, shrinks back into me with her brother’s outburst. His face falls when he realizes how loudly he had yelled. “I’m sorry, but that’s just not an option.”

  Why is he willing to take these other young children to fight, but not me? Why won’t he let me stay? Surely he knows Kiki and this old woman won’t survive long on their own. “What if I take Kiki with me?”

  Kiki’s bright eyes sweep up to mine with the proposal. I didn’t offer to take the old woman because I know I won’t be able to take care of them both while on the run. For all I know, the elderly woman is already close to death, anyway.

  Kendall pauses, regarding me and Kiki as he considers the idea. He finally sighs loudly. “It may be some time before the Rebels on the other side can get to you. Do you really think you could take care of yourselfand another person?”

  I think of my friend Taylor and all the time we used to spend together. When she left, a piece of my soul was carved away. My mother told me it was because she was more like a sister than a friend to me. I miss that feeling. Even as a little girl, I always wished my parents had other children. Looking at Kiki now, I realize I reallycando this. I can take care of her like the little sister I never had, but always wanted.

  “I would protect her with my life,” I tell Kendall quite seriously. “Just please, give me more time to search for my friends. If we can’t find them after a few days, I’ll let you take me and Kiki away from here.”

  He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Okay. I will find some other way to protect Grandma M. Now get your stuff and let’s get out of here.”

  I almost laugh in response. Did he think Kiki was going toprotect her grandmother? While I am folding my blanket, Kendall leans in to kiss the old woman’s cheek. I overhear him whispering in her ear, “I promise to keep her safe.”

  * * *

  We move through the forest as quiet as the afternoon breeze. The sun has just begun to cast a golden glow on the forest around us. Kiki clutches my hand tightly, scurrying to keep up. The backpack I carry holds my blanket, a doll my mother made out of a sock that Kendall had also saved, Kiki’s blanket and a few of her personal belongings, as well as a small supply of canned food and Kendall’s tin container filled with fresh creek water.

  Before we left, Kendall had told Mackenzie—the small girl with flaming red hair—that she was in charge of the group. He warned them it could be as many as three days before he would return, and that they all needed to help take care of Grandma M as best they could.

  Still unfamiliar with the part of the forest we travel through, I have to rely on Kendall’s knowledge. He expertly maneuvers around bushes and sinkholes, leading us without any hesitation. The way he moves with such grace and speed is exquisite, like watching a deer leaping through the trees. Though I have only seen a few of the endangered animals in my lifetime, I remember those times as being quite magical.

  With every noise in the forest, my heart skips a beat when we
take cover. Each time I hold my breath, hoping that one of these times I will turn to find Harrison running to me. The only things we see, however, are wild birds and small animals. Occasionally, we come across more than one soldier.

  When Kiki grows tired of walking after a while, I carry her in my arms. The pain in my chest flares when I hold her, but I don’t want Kendall to think I’m weak so I continue on without complaining.

  The sun is down when we come upon a wide-open field filled with tall green grasses. Kendall leads us behind a hollowed out tree trunk. When I peer past the bark, I find a great metal wall beyond the field, lit with thousands of lights. It is even taller than the one I had scaled from Society. Under the artificial lights, the shining metal looks perilous. There could be as many as fifty soldiers keeping watch. Some are gathered together in conversation, while others pace back and forth, waiting for something to happen—any excuse to use the gun they hold in their hands.

  My breath is stuck in my throat. “Is this the end of the Free Lands?”

  Kendall turns to me and nods. “Beyond that wall is a whole different way of life. Getting the two of you over it will be difficult, but there are people on the other side who will help us. They will take care of you. We’ll camp here tonight and contact them in the morning.”

  My blood rages hot through my body. I’ve been betrayed. “You lied to me!” I yell, pushing forcefully on his chest.

  His eyes lock onto mine. “Don’t touch me.” His words are cold and sound like a threat more than a warning.

  “You said we could search for my friends,” I yell. “Were you even going to help me, or did you plan to just bring me here all along?”

  He holds a hand out in front of him, trying to calm me. “Keep your voice down. You have to go, Olive. Your mother always hoped you would one day get to pass over that wall and get a feel for the old world.”

  I shake my head, frowning. “How could you possibly know that? Why do you know so much about my mother?”

  “I told you—”

  “What youtoldme was another lie! You know my mother better than from some trades at the market! You went into aburning house to save my things! Why would you do something like that? You don’t even know me!”

  “I knowenough,” he answers sharply.

  I shrug the backpack off my shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. Kiki looks up at me, her eyes filled with questions. I set her down beside the bag and nod. She eagerly unzips it to sort through our belongings. My chest burns from the added strain of her weight against my arms.

  “I won’t do this,” I mumble.

  “You won’t dowhat?” he snaps.

  “I won’tleave. I’m not going to run away. I know you and the others are going to fight for what is right, and I can’t just walk away from that. I don’t agree with the way Society treats people. I don’t think a person’s life should be of any less value just because they aren’t going to live as long as others. I don’t think people should be locked away before they die, just to keep them from acting out against the government’s sordid ways. I want to go with you, Kendall. If my mother is still alive, I need to come along to save her.”

  “She wouldn’t want you to do that. She would want you to be somewhere safe.” After taking a deep breath of air, his eyes soften. “Olive, I promise I will bring her back to you, and I don’t make promises unless Iknow I can keep them.”

  Angry, I whip my head back and forth. “How do you know you can save my mother? How do I know I can trust you? Why do you care what happens to me?”

  His cool blue eyes are filled with nothing but pure kindness when he looks down on me. He turns his head sharply, but not soon enough. I have already seen what he’s trying to hide. The look was so tender and caring—it was a look my mother gave me quite often. It was the same look I had seen in Harrison’s eyes when we were planning to leave together.

  Kendall cares deeply about me.

  But why? He has only justmet me. Did he know me as a little girl and I just don’t remember him? What other reason could he possibly have when we are total strangers? We stand close, both of us feeling awkward with the unspoken tension passing between us.

  “Whoare you?” I whisper.

  He takes a sudden step forward, closing the remaining distance between us in one stride. “I’m your brother.”

  18 – Why Did They Keep You a Secret?

  Time completely stops before I catch my breath again. Staring back at this total stranger, I wonder how he could be mybrother. Why wouldn’t I have known about him before now? Why would my parents have kept something like this from me? What about Kiki? Is she my sister?

  Studying him now, I am suddenly able to find some features that remind me of my father, like his strong jaw and the shape of his thick hairline. The color and shape of his eyes even resemble my mother’s somewhat. But it just can’t be true. If I had a brother, I would know.

  “I don’t believe you,” I say, placing my hands on my hips. “Why wouldn’t my parents tell me I had a brother? Why wouldn’t I know all these years about you?”

  He sighs deeply. From shifting of his eyes, I wonder if he regrets telling me. “They were trying to protect you.”

  My hands push at my temples. First I discover my home to be gone, and now this. With the magnitude of the things I’ve been learning since leaving Society, I feel like my head might explode.

  “I don’t understand. What are they protecting me from? Why wouldn’t they want me to know about you?”

  He runs a trembling hand through his thick blond hair and glances over at Kiki. She plays with the doll my mother made, oblivious to our conversation. “It’s long, complicated story. We don’t have time for that right now. I shouldn’t have told you, Olive. No matter what happens, you cannot let anyone know I’m your brother. Our parents sacrificed everything to keep it a secret.”

  I point at Kiki and lower my voice. “What about her? Is she mysister?” It seems impossible, only because I would have seen my mother’s belly swell before my father died. Still, if Kendall is my brother…

  “She was part of the family who took me in when I was alone in Society. There’s no time for the whole story now, Olive. You’ll just have to trust me. I will do everything I can to make sure you get out of here alive. It’s whatour mother wants. I made her a promise to keep you safe.”

  The shock of his confession continues to engulf me. Why did he live in Society without us? What reason could my parents have to lie to me about having a brother? Overwhelmed, I collapse to the ground and place a hand to my head.

  Kendall crouches down beside me. Again, he acts as if he is going to touch me, but instead pulls his hand back. “Everything will be okay. Our mother will be freed from suspension before it’s too late. But you have to go. It’s not safe for you to stay.”

  My eyes blur with an onset of tears. “If you’re really my brother, then you should know that I’m in love with someone. I was supposed to meet him and his cousin here in the Free Lands. If you won’t let me fight, then let me watch over Kiki until you return. I won’t leave the Free Lands until I find them, Kendall. You can’t make me.”

  Kendall’s eyes darken. “You’re far too young to be in love.”

  “How would you know?” I say angrily. “How old areyou?”

  His expression grows tense with irritation. “I’m nineteen, and I know plenty oflove. I was once in love with a girl, too. I even wanted to marry her one day. But she died. When someone falls in love, someone always dies. I saw her death coming, and there was nothing I could do about it.That’s what I know.”

  I scoff. “Are you saying it isn’t worth falling in love with someone just because they will die one day? Don’t the moments you get to spend together before that count for anything? Our parents spent many happy years together. Doesn’t that matter? Everyone dies, Kendall—everyone. I may not know my DOD, but that doesn’t matter. I was raised to live each day to its fullest, not caring about that. We need to laugh and cry andl
ove each otheras much as we possibly can,while we can. Why are you joining the Rebels when it sounds like you believe in the same things as Society?”

  “Idon’t believe in the same things as Society,” he snaps, his face turning crimson. “I think everyone is of equal value, whether here for only a few days or fifty years. But you can’t fall in love with a Shymer, Olive. You just…can’t.”

  I frown. “How did you know Harrison is a Shymer?”

  He is flustered by my question. “I…can just tell. It doesn’t matter, Olive.”

  My own face burns hot with annoyance. How dare this almost total stranger tell me what I can and can’t do? He may be my brother by blood, but he knows absolutely nothing about me and has no right to control me.

  “You’re right—Harrison doesn’t have much longer to live. But I want him to see what else is out there and experienceliving. He has never been outside of Society. He spent his entire life under the shadow of death, knowing his entire family was going to die all at once. They all died on the sameday,Kendall.Can you imagine how awful that must have been for him? He deserves to be happy, if only for a week, or a couple of days. I want his remaining time to be filled with nothing other than true love.I love him. Nothing you can say or do will change that.”

  “I don’t want to see you get hurt!” he snaps, stepping closer.

  “It’s too late for that!” I snap back. “I won’t stop loving him just because you ask me to, and I’m not leaving without him!”

  I feel a tug on my shirt and look down to find Kiki looking at me, her eyes filled with tears. “It’s okay,” I say, leaning down to sweep her hair behind her shoulders. “I’m sorry we scared you. Your brother is just sad because he lost too many people he loved.”