by Brad Carr
“I would never do that.”
“I know you wouldn’t. I’m just used to putting on a brave face. The Tyra District needs a strong leader.”
“You already are darling. Everyone respects you. Legends have been written about you.”
“Legends can be exaggerated.”
Kissing him again, she replied, “You are a good man, who has had to do bad things to keep this nation together. It is what leaders have to do. But I can’t think of anyone better to have in my life than you.”
“Thank you Mona. God, I wish I could stay tonight, but I would keep you from sleeping if I don’t take medicine to stop the shakes at night.”
“Just stay a few hours. Bring the medicine tomorrow. There is nothing I want more than you beside me. It feels good, it feels right.”
Propping himself on his side, with his hand supporting his head; facing her he pressed his lips against hers again. Pulling her closer, her soft breasts resting against him. She felt his penis stabbing against her leg.
“Round two?” she smiled.
“Absolutely.”
Mona smiled playfully, pushing him back down to the mattress. Placing both of her hands flat against his chest, she straddled his legs. Grabbing his penis, she directed its position inside her again. Riding and rotating her hips, Mona’s internal muscles squeezed against his member. Mona’s breasts flailed in circular directions. Arching back, she steadied herself by grabbing Brakion’s knees behind her.
***
Mona’s alarm clock blasted classical music to wake her. “I’m up,” she snarled to the alarm. This phrase signaled the clock to turn off. Rolling to her right side, she reached over with her left arm. Mona felt alone again. Brakion left to do his rounds in the district, as well as his regular exercise routine. Mona wished he had stayed the entire night. He must have left when she fell asleep. She knew Brakion was a busy man, but Mona felt comfortable beside his warm body.
When his presence was near, Mona could remove caution because she trusted him. Although she felt relatively safe behind the walls, and especially Tyra’s Keep; when by herself, Mona observed everything around her. It was a habit that she couldn’t let go of, since dwelling in the uninhabited territories. Shortly following the birth of Leah, she arrived to the neutral zone of Paatu Commonwealth. Searching for clues about her father, eventually led to the Tyra District.
Chasing the ghost of her father left her with more questions than answers. When she was offered citizenship here in Mitton, Mona felt it was best to stop living in the past. For the sake of Leah, it was better if she allowed her little girl to grow up in a civilized society. But Mona knew her daughter’s personality all too well. Leah was special, and one day she was going to have an impact on the world. But until that day, Mona vowed to let Leah live as a child before adulthood crept up with hardships.
Rolling over to her opposite side, propping upright, Mona stood and walked to her bathroom. She readied herself for the day ahead, changing into her favorite white cotton pants, and gray v-neck, long-sleeved shirt. It was her day off, and Mona refused to spend it wearing the same jumpsuits she wore at the greenhouses.
Knocking on Leah’s bedroom door she commanded, “Leah. It’s time to get up.” Opening the door she entered, “I thought we could go to the,” Mona paused. The tiny room was empty. Leah’s bed was messy and her book sat on a wooden night stand. This wasn’t the first time Leah left without telling her mother where she was going. “Dammit, where is she now?”
Pushing her feet through her black stockings, Mona slipped on her gray leathered boots. Locking the front door of her home, trotting down the steps into the marketplace, she began asking a few vendors about the whereabouts of her daughter. Most didn’t see a little girl run by them. However, she reached an old woman sitting on a bench. The old woman wore a green scarf covering her head and a loose gray frock.
“Ma’am, did you see a little girl come by here?”
“Dark skin? Curly hair?” The wrinkled faced lady asked.
“Yes, have you seen her?”
“What was she wearing?”
“I..I don’t know. She ran off before I awoke.”
“I saw two little girls with that description today. But one was with her mother. Was that you?”
Exasperated by the woman’s question, Mona composed herself, stating, “Ma’am, if it was me I wouldn’t be asking. I need to know the direction of the little girl.” She had to clarify her statement, “The little girl who was by herself.”
“The one with dark skin and blonde curly hair?”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“She was alone?”
“Probably Ma’am.”
“Oh, okay. She was walking towards the exit to the surface.”
“Thank you!” she exclaimed while dashing towards that direction.
Mona jogged off, the old lady whispered to herself with a confused expression, “Or was it towards the cargo tunnels? Hmm, I wonder which child she was talking about? I don’t know why she was asking me where she was, when the little girl was with her earlier. That poor young lady must have a memory problem.”
“Grandma!” a young teenage boy called out to the old woman. “Where have you been? You are not supposed to be roaming around without help.”
“Who are you?”
“Grandma, it’s me, Fergus.” Holding out his hand to help the old woman up, “Did you forget your medicine again Grandma?”
“Medicine? What medicine?”
“You didn’t take it did you?” Fergus asked although already knowing the answer.
“Steve said I didn’t have to.”
“Grandma, Steve has been dead for ten years.”
“No, he isn’t. Your right here Steve.”
“Grandma, I am Fergus.”
“Who is Fergus?”
Chapter 17
A thin delivery man plopped a wooden box down on the sales table. He wore dirt stained, egg shell colored overalls. A Genesis District insignia patch was sewn into the upper left pocket. Although his garment seemed bedraggled, his hair was neatly combed to the side. Clean shaven facial skin of a young man formed his profile, with pale complexion, dark brown hair, and light green eyes. Sloping upward, his nose hairs were removed.
“Delivery for April Millworth,” the deliveryman reported.
Following behind this delivery man, a woman wore the same attire; pulling a wheeled dolly covered with three more crates on top. From a distance, her medium lengthened blond hair was pulled into pigtails. The woman’s rosy complexion gave her a look of innocence. But her eyes deviated from that angelic quality. Red blood shot eyes with blue pupils, mirrored a paranormal spirit. The delivery woman walked with a limp from her left knee.
“Yes, I am April Millworth,” a portly, balding, middle aged male responded; wearing a green smock over gray cotton twill slacks and shirt.
“April is a girl’s name,” noted the delivery woman in a raucous voice.
“Yeah well, tell that to my damned mother. She wanted a girl, but she got me. Regardless, I am April Millworth.”
“Let’s see some identification for delivery.”
“Fine, whatever.” April exhaled in an annoyed manner, allowing the delivery man to place a portable optical scanner up to his eye. A beep confirmed his identity to a tablet on top of the crate.
Opening the top of the crate by a simple latch, the contents revealed differing fabric spools of varying color. Picking up the box, April noticed the weight diminished from the ordinary. The delivery woman smiled mischievously to him.
“This seem light,” April complained.
The delivery man leaned closer. April looked at the name tag of “David” on his outfit. David stared deeply into April’s eyes and commented,”You know, the best fabrics are always on the bottom.” David gave him a small wink.
April dug deeper into the box and pulled up a false bottom. Below it were individual packets of heroin patches. The symbol of a red rose was stamped onto t
he plastic covers.
“Look…ahem,” April cleared his throat. “I could sell this in the Xyloclostus District without a problem. But um…rules are very strict here. No one…um…likes this special color or feel of fabric.”
“Patty, think you could explain to this gentlemen how this fabric is so unique?” asked David, calling over to the delivery woman.
Now standing next to David, she made the remark, “It’s a special fabric from the Albert collection.”
April gulped and repeated, “Albert?”
“Albert,” she confirmed.
“I can’t sell these…fabrics here.”
“Now, now, now, Mr. Millworth, I recall that there is a payment that is owed to your former employer. We wouldn’t want you to default on any debts now?”
A horrified look came over April. He begged quietly,”I gave up selling this fabric a long time ago. I have new interests.”
“Not anymore,” she commanded.
“How do I move this type of fabric?” he asked evasively.
“I have it on good authority that a valuable customer will be coming by tomorrow afternoon. He will be requesting red roses.”
Realizing he couldn’t get out of this situation, April nodded hesitantly in agreement. “Consider it done.”
Patty smiled and replied, “Excellent!” Turning her attention to David she mentioned, “Well David, we have ordinary deliveries to make in this marketplace. Let’s get them loaded on the dolly.”
“Of course,” he agreed walking away.
***
Almost on a daily basis, Leah enjoyed speaking to the soldiers in Tyra’s Keep, especially the cargo tunnel officers. They knew her by name because she would pester them with constant questions. Much of the time the conversation would be about what the tunnels look like, how to get in and out, where the deliveries came from, and inquiries of time durations of travel. Often she would repeat the same question to them, yet phrased differently, so they may accidentally get frustrated enough to give up valuable information. Enthusiastically, she would compliment their weapons and armor. Sometimes Leah would ask if she could fire a laser rifle; which of course the guards would refuse politely, asking her to, “Please go home now.”
Leah had a secret agenda. Sure, she was curious, that much was true. But her alternative motive was the thrill of challenge. Contemplating whether or not it was a smart idea, was lacking from her internal monologue. Danger didn’t seem to frighten her as much as it would to most children.
Figuring out that the retina scans, to access neural chip identifications, were the only way to get in or out of the cargo tunnels; she knew a direct attempt would be futile. But Leah was determined. One day she observed deliveries arriving from various districts. The parcels were distributed to different venders of the marketplace. However, the district deliveries also exported packages from Tyra’s Keep.
Typically Leah slept well through most of the night. Tonight was different. She waked to the sound of moans coming from her mother’s bedroom. Leah reasoned to herself that her mother was probably ill. “She must have a tummy ache,” she thought to herself. By early morning, Leah chose not to bother her mother while she slumbered. Hastily, she brushed her teeth, arranged her hair into a loose ponytail, slipped on her cleanest dirty overalls, and trotted out the front door. Forgetting her boots, she returned, and slipped them on over her socks.
Closing and locking the exterior door, with her key that Mona handed to her a few weeks ago; she descended stairs, slipping away to the marketplace. Leah enjoyed the barter between customers and vendors. She gathered intel on the body language of citizens. Storing them in her mind, Leah comprehended the signs if someone was lying, avoiding a subject, interested in a purchase, or trying to scam someone. No matter what a person may speak; facial twitches, avoiding eye contact, standing form, arm movements, breathing patterns, and many other details gave information into someone’s true motives.
Today however, opportunity arrived for Leah. She could see David and Patty dropping off a delivery to the fabric merchant, April Millworth. Down one of the aisles of tables on the corner, a young female leather merchant was packing raccoon and feline furs into a large wooden crate for exportation.
Leah scurried over to the leather merchant, “Hi there.”
The young woman wore a yellow one piece dress. Her wavy brunette hair draped in front of her eyes, bending over lifting furs, she was packing them away in a crate. Without looking at Leah, she spoke.
“Listen, I don’t have time Leah. I’ve got to get this crate sent off to the Genesis District. Come back later okay?”
Leah made up a story and replied, “But Miss Robin, I just talked to the delivery people and they said they aren’t taking more crates today.”
Swiftly turning her head with panic, “What?”
“Yeah, they said the fabric merchant was their last pick up.”
“Dammit! Leah watch my furs for me while I run after them,” Robin directed, as she jogged towards David and Patty.
Leah grabbed as many furs as she could handle, dropping them in the wooden crate. She lunged inside. Covering herself with the furs she just packed, she remain hidden and silent. Robin trekked back to her table, but didn’t see Leah.
“That girl is a pain in the ass sometimes,” Robin muttered to herself. The leather merchant continued to stack the crate until it was full. Looking at her pile of furs and oiled leathers, she whispered to herself, “I thought for sure I could have gotten more in there. Oh well, I’ll just put these aside for next week’s delivery.”
Holding a wooden lid, Robin placed it on top of the crate and screwed it shut. Leah began to worry now. How would she get out of the box? Pressing her hand against the sides, she could tell the wood slats were thin. “I’ll just break out after I get past the guards,” she thought internally.
It wasn’t very long until David and Patty arrived to Robin’s table. Their voices sound muffled through all the layers of furs around Leah. She could feel herself, and the box, ascending and dropping down onto the dolly.
“We normally charge more for this weight,” David told Robin.
“It’s the same weight I always do David,” responded Robin.
“I think you’re trying to get over on me. Good thing you’re a hot piece of ass, or I would make you open up the box, and repack it.”
“You’re a pig David, and not the useful kind either.”
“Oink, Oink, baby.”
“Ugh, are you going to deliver it or not?”
“Yeah, yeah of course, just remember that I did you a favor. Maybe next time you could do me a favor, you know, by doing me?”
“Hmm…tempting offer, I think I’ll pass, you disgusting mutt,” Robin scornfully replied.
“You just think it over doll face. I’ll be back next week.”
“Counting the days David,” Robin replied sarcastically.
Laughing, he changed the subject,“Come on Patty! Let’s get out of this shitty district. Goodbye beautiful,” David said, looking back at Robin, scrunching his lips in a smooching gesture. Robin raised her middle finger in retaliation. He responded, “That’s okay baby, I like your feisty style.”
Leah felt the motion of the rolling dolly. Her crate banged slightly against the others. The box she was in made a small cracking noise. Through all of that, she could still listen to David and Patty’s conversation.
“She doesn’t want you, you know. I think she likes the feel of a woman like me instead.”
“No way Patty! That slut will be mine someday. Well, at least for a few minutes anyway,” he laughed.
“You really are an asshole David. But I like that about you. You’re my type of creep.”
“I’m everyone’s type Patty. You remember that. If you ever want to taste sausage instead of clam someday, you just let me know.”
“I like both David, but um…I don’t think your sausage is good enough for my clam.”
“Only one way to find out.”
“Fuck off David. Let’s just get this stuff loaded on the back of the cargo train.”
“Fuck off? That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Both giggled, continuing their lascivious bantering until they were interrupted by the another voice. Leah knew it was the voice of one of the male soldiers that guard the tunnel. Backing out of this crazy curiosity was a smart option at this point. All Leah had to do was just yell. It crossed her mind, but then she would still be left to the mystery of the tunnel’s appearance. To her inquisitive nature, that was a worse option.
“Scans please.”
“Really dude, you see us delivering every week. You know who we are,” David said.
“Just do it. It’s for tracking purposes.”
“Fine, no problem, just busting your balls a little.”
“Thank you scumbags,” the soldier playfully insulted them as he scanned their retinas.
“Yeah, but you love us, don’t ya Mike?” Patty chimed in.
“Sure, now get the hell out of here,” Mike said with a grin. “I’ll see you next week.”
The large sliding door crawled open, revealing a rusty metal train, with an open cab. Resting on the railroad track, two flat cars were attached. Dimly lit, small light bulbs were bolted to the ceiling of the tunnel. David and Patty unloaded packages on the dollies, strapping them down onto the first flat car. Leah’s crate crashed down on its floor.
“Damn that thing’s heavy!”exclaimed David while tying down the cargo.
“Quit your bitching David. Let’s get this done and get out of here. We still got to go to Kashem, Mezzo, and then we can go home.”
“I already know the route Patty,” he replied matter-of-fact.
“We aren’t skipping any districts this time David. We got our asses handed to us last time.”
“It’s not my fault you wanted to stop at the tavern and hold us up.”
They climbed into the cab. Soon the wheels began to turn slowly. It wasn’t a speedy train; maxing out at eighty kilometers per hour. But to Leah’s perspective, it felt a lot faster. She began to feel the rare occurrence of fear. Mona would be enraged, searching for her. Regret for this action entered her mind.