“Hi, Carly. This is Elliot,” I say. “Are Andrew and Chris available?”
“They’re out on the water,” she says in the slower drawl of Accidia, presenting a small pang of disappointment. “You want ’em to call you back?”
“No, that’s all right. Just let them know that we’re visiting this weekend,” I say.
“Oh,” she exclaims in exhilaration. “We haven’t seen ya’ll in a long time.”
I chuckle a little into the phone. Her energy has always been infectious. “I’ll see you in a few days. Have a good rest of the night,” I say.
“You too, Elliot. I’ll let ’em know. Bye.”
“Take care.” I conclude the conversation and hang up. The way my morning went, I never thought I would finish the day with a giant smile on my face. I walk back to the kitchen and finishing making dinner for us. My heart is so full of appreciation for my mother.
I can get through these next few days, I tell myself. Soon, I’ll be in a better environment. I summon my strength and prepare myself for the rest of the week.
Chapter Five
Luckily, the next few days pass without incident. I’ve had a lot of practice ignoring the looks of my pitying classmates. The eagerness for this weekend overpowers any other thought.
By Thursday, I’m nearly shaking with excitement. We’re going to leave the territory tomorrow and I anxiously await seeing my grandparents and friends again. We haven’t heard back from my grandparents, but that’s pretty normal for them. They always seem to get lost in their own world.
I arrive at school just in time and get ready for another day dealing with my near-perfect classmates. Normally, we start straight off with our lessons but today they make us go to the auditorium.
Once we’re all seated, the Territory Leader comes onto the stage. I inhale sharply when I see how haggard he looks. In less than a week, he seems to have aged ten years. I can see the bags under his eyes even though I’m halfway to the back. Murmuring occurs throughout the room. Despite this, the Territory Leader still exudes a great deal of power and is able to silence the whispers by raising his hands.
“Students,” he says. “I am here today to relay messages that have been given to me directly from the President. There is an illness spreading throughout the other two territories, Vis and Robur. While it has not reached Potentia, we are still going to be placed under some restrictions in order to reduce the chance of an epidemic.”
My eyes widen at his last statement. The soft scuffles and intakes of breath from hundreds of students suddenly paying attention spreads throughout the auditorium.
“This illness—although the President assures me is completely curable—is highly contagious and appears to be spread through the exchange of bodily fluids. If you see anyone acting strangely, it is best to avoid all interaction and report them to the authorities immediately—even if it is a family member.” He pauses to let the words sink in.
“Aside from school and work assignments, everyone should remain at their living quarters. Every other activity is canceled. This starts immediately. There is absolutely no reason to panic and the President told me she has the utmost confidence that this minor issue will be resolved shortly. I have discussed the matter with the Territory Leaders from Vis and Robur and we are all in agreement to follow this precaution.”
There is some muttering at this last comment. The way our government is structured, if all three of the Territory Leaders disagree with the President, they can override the decision. Typically, there are disagreements between the four of them and it has historically been challenging to get everyone on the same page.
“Thank you for your time. I will let you continue with your studies.” After he finishes his speech, he leaves the room and a blanket of silence surrounds everyone.
Finally, someone across the hall calls out, “What does that even mean? What’s this illness?” He’s quickly ushered out of the room by an educator. After this, the fear of punishment prevents anyone else from speaking. As I always avoid confrontation at all costs, I keep my mouth closed and follow orders.
Educator Haven says, “You heard him. Stand up and let’s go back to class. I have an exciting lesson for you today.”
Some students groan at this statement. The last time he said this, we spent the rest of the day learning the rules of organic molecules.
Some of my classmates remain seated, so he continues, “If you don’t adhere to my instruction, there will be severe consequences.”
Ian is the last person to stand, his shoulders tense with anger.
I direct my attention back to returning to our classroom when someone pushes me into an empty closet. This happens a couple times a year, so I close my eyes and wait for the attack to be over. My mother may think that my being different is a blessing, but the guys bigger than me sure don’t when they feel like venting their frustrations.
When nothing happens, I peek through and see my brother. He runs his hands through his hair. This gesture reminds me of my mother so much it startles me. We make eye contact and dread courses through my body.
I’ve never seen an ounce of fear in my brother before—even when we were little and he got caught out after curfew. When he was returned to our house, he faced my father straight on.
Now, however, the panic that comes off of him is more contagious than any illness. “What are you doing here? What’s going on?” My voice rises with anxiety.
“Something’s wrong. I don’t understand what’s happening.” He fades off and stares blankly at me.
My eyes widen in shock. I’ve never heard him make such a statement before. I wait for him to continue but after a few seconds, my patience wears thin. It had to be something serious for him to leave his training and be in such a state of terror.
“Dominic, listen to me. You need to tell me what’s going on. Maybe I can help,” I say in an attempt to get information from him.
“Maybe you can help?” He utters a humorless laugh as he repeats my words. “There’s nothing you can do. There’s nothing any of us can do, Elliot.”
The hair on the back of my neck stands up at his use of my name. I can’t remember the last time he used my actual name.
“We need to go find Mother. We need to go home. We need to get out of here. We need…we need…” And shockingly, my older brother, who I’ve never seen show any sign of weakness, starts crying, his entire body shaking. Not knowing anything else to do, I reach out to hug him. Once he senses what I’m trying to do, he freezes.
“Do not touch me, Joe.” His jaw clenches, regaining control. “Despite everything else about you, we share a mother and father. We come from the same gene pool. As a genetic engineer, I understand how important that is.” He runs his hands through his light hair again. “You won’t leave Potentia without Mother. We need to get her as well. Follow me and do not stop for anything. Even if the Territory Leader himself yells at you to stop, you need to keep moving. Do not lose me. Do you understand?”
Not able to sense any other option, I simply nod. He exhales deeply and opens the door. There is no one in the hallway. It won’t be long until Educator Haven notices I’m missing. Hopefully, the confusion from the words of alarm given in the auditorium will last long enough to prevent me from getting in trouble for missing class.
As soon as we clear the school, Dominic picks up his pace and runs. His increased height and physical stamina make it impossible for me to keep up with him. To my surprise, he stops to wait for me to catch up.
“Like it or not, you need to keep up.” He starts off again and I pant my way back to our house. When we get there, I collapse on the couch in exhaustion. The only evidence of his running the three miles from the school to our house is a thin line of sweat above his brows.
The education system removed me from our physical fitness classes two years ago because it was deemed no longer beneficial for me. It sure would’ve helped today.
While I focus on my breathing to recover, a part of me i
s annoyed with Dominic. I only have a finite number of lessons left and he’s taking me from them for this new game of his. Whatever that may be.
Once I’m able to sit up again, I focus on Dominic. He’s rummaging through the cabinets. He pulls something out and before I can make out exactly what it is, he throws it in his backpack.
I walk over to join him. “What are you doing?”
“Keep putting the food packets into the bags until I return.” And with that, Dominic is out of the room.
I may not know what his intentions are, but I do what I always do. I follow orders and pack up the food. As soon as I finish, Dominic is back.
“Okay,” Dominic says. “We need to leave the territory. The request for our vehicle went through and our mileage has been approved. The employees at the registration building do not know what is going on yet. I just saw our vehicle is in our parking garage ready to go.”
He finishes rummaging through his bag and says, “You go get Mother out of work. It would cause attention if you show up with the vehicle. Come up with some excuse to get her out of there. No one can know we are fleeing and it would draw more attention if we both go to her. She is more likely to listen to you. Meet outside the walls by the hill. Do you remember where it is?”
“How could I forget?” Before I can go too deep in my thoughts, Dominic runs out of the house carrying his backpack. I grab mine and go the opposite direction to find my mother.
Chapter Six
The receptionist gives me a curious look as I walk inside the food distribution center. I worry she’s going to stop me. She opens her mouth and my chest tightens in apprehension as I mentally prepare my story. I need my mother for an independent research assignment for class. No one will question that I need help. Before the receptionist is able to speak, however, a man I don’t recognize runs up and starts speaking with her.
Thankful for my good fortune, I quickly walk past her through the sea of cubicles. Everyone is too busy to give me a second look. I keep my head down and find my mother examining some data. At fifty-eight, she has a little bit of grey, though her blonde hair easily covers it. New wrinkles I haven’t noticed before line her eyes.
She finally glances up and her eyes widen at the sight of me. “Shouldn’t you be in school? Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine. Educator Haven instructed us to study independently today. I thought I would come here to go on a walk before lunch. Can you take a quick break?”
I can’t make eye contact with her. I don’t make a habit out of lying, especially with my mother.
“I really appreciate the thought, but we’re swamped here at work. We’re trying to figure something out and the numbers just aren’t coming together. Is it possible we could postpone this?” Her focus drifts back down to her work.
“Please,” I say. Her eyes dart back to my face, piercing me, and we finally make eye contact.
After a moment, she stands up, puts her things in her bag, and grabs my hand with her free side. I squeeze in reassurance and we venture out of her office.
“Oh, Annalise. I was just coming in to see you,” a middle-aged man says while rummaging through his papers. “I have some new data I need you to run through for me to see if it sheds any light on this mess. If I could just find it…Ah, here it is.” He pulls a sheet out of a large group of papers.
My mother takes the page. “Thank you. I’ll look into it soon. I’m just going on a quick walk with my son.”
“Soon? Wouldn’t now be better than later? I don’t want to have to pull rank on you, Annalise, but it’s important that we all put forth our best effort in order to figure out…” His eyes widen when he notices me. “The solution to our problem.”
Squaring her shoulders, my mother says, “I understand that, Paul, and that’s why I’ve been working tirelessly. If you check my hours, you will find I’ve stayed late every day this week. Are employees no longer allowed breaks?”
“Of course they are. Given the situation, however…” He tapers off and stares meaningfully at me, then back at her.
“Given the situation, it’s more important than ever for everyone to be working at their best. Now, excuse me, I’m taking my break,” my mother says to her increasingly startled-looking boss.
His mouth opens a little in shock. “When will you get to it then?”
“Soon.” She stares at him in a challenge. When he doesn’t say anything else, my mother pushes us past him. As the door opens so we can leave, I can hear Paul yelling at someone.
“Probably trying to compensate for what just happened,” my mother says. “I do feel sorry for whoever is taking the brunt of his temper, but there was nothing else to be done. Paul can be, for lack of a better word, quite an ass.”
She breathes heavily from her exchange. Years of experience have taught me that silence is the best course of action when she’s upset. Better her fuming at the ground than me. I say nothing and lead us to our meeting point. Everyone is so busy that no one takes notice of us leaving.
Not entirely sure how to explain why we’re leaving, I don’t say anything. Seemingly able to sense my mood, my mother doesn’t prompt a conversation. The two of us focus on our journey to the hill where we’re meeting Dominic. My thighs ache with the quick pace.
My brother is already there by the time we arrive. He still looks frightened but has regained some of his composure. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s had time to calm down or because of his refusal to show weakness in front of me again. Probably a combination between the two.
“I’m assuming both of you have brought me out here for a reason? I could get in a lot of trouble for skipping out of work, and you shouldn’t be leaving school early.” My mother looks expectantly at both of us.
Before I can answer, Dominic speaks. “I promised I would explain once we were all together.” He takes a deep breath and continues. “There is something spreading throughout the territories. The government’s claim that this illness is not dangerous is a complete lie. I do not know exactly what is going on, but I do know it is causing people to change.”
“What do you mean by ‘change’?” Mother’s eyes narrow in confusion.
“I saw some footage that I was not supposed to see. They seem to lose everything they once were. The video showed a woman, about my age. She just was not right.” He glances at each of us, pleading with us to believe him. “Her color was not normal and she did not look well. Something was off about her. She attacked someone with nothing more than her hands and actually bit him.”
He takes a deep breath, runs his hands through his hair, and looks straight at my mother. “You taught me family was the most important thing. You may not see it, but I am trying. You always wanted me to look out for my younger, average brother and for once, I am. We need to get out of here before they shut everything down. They said it was spreading too fast to contain and they had no cure. The territory will be quarantined tonight. As soon as they said that, I left. I am not going to let this illness change everything we are.”
I glance over at my mother. Her mouth is slightly open in shock. While she may not be the most outspoken individual, she’s never had a problem articulating her thoughts.
Very quietly, my mother says, “At work they’re having us track foods. They suspect that it’s causing this sickness. We’re following them to try and figure out what portion of the food is infected, but nothing is adding up. We haven’t been able to discover a correlation between the outbreaks of this new illness and the supply. Maybe Dominic is right. Maybe we should leave.” By the time she finishes, her voice is no more than a whisper.
“If both of you think we should leave, then I’ll follow,” I say.
My brother turns around to get one last look at the territory, faces my mother again, and then settles on me. “I need both of you to listen to me. When I say do something, you need to do it without question. I am the strong one. I am the one who will know what to do. I was made to lead.”
Dominic stares me down to make sure I understand his message. I nod. He appears satisfied. Without another word, he takes the driver’s seat and inputs our destination into the system.
“You can have the passenger seat,” I say to my mother.
“No, you should take it. Your legs are longer.” She seems to be in a daze.
I shake my head and open the door for her to get into the front seat. She gets in and surveys the distant walls of Potentia. I follow suit. Fear overwhelms me. I can’t believe just a couple of hours ago I was excited about this drive. Now I’m full of apprehension and panic.
When the gate to get out of the territory is open, Dominic visibly relaxes and the vehicle takes us away from Potentia without any hesitation. I take one last glance at the tall buildings behind the walls. If everything Dominic said is true, what’s going to happen to everyone left inside once they quarantine? Surely, they’re just being overprotective right now.
Dominic’s fingers tap anxiously on his legs. As much as I would like to believe this is some elaborate joke, he would have never left his training and risked his reputation unless something drastic happened. I take a few deep breaths to steady myself and dispel the anxiety in my chest. My mother looks back, concerned, but I shake my head. I don’t want to voice my concerns with Dominic in the vehicle.
Soon, the only evidence to the passage of time is the sun rising higher into the sky. I’m startled when I glance at the clock to see that two hours have already passed. I glance at my mother and worry; she hasn’t spoken since we left. “I think she’s in shock,” I say to my brother to break the silence.
“I do not know what you want me to do,” he says. “You have always been her favorite.”
I scoff in disagreement.
He ignores me and continues, “Make her talk and if you cannot, stop whining about it. I am trying to put all of the pieces together.”
One look at my mother and I know she needs more time to come to terms with the situation. “Why did you have us meet at the hill? Out of all places?”
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