by R A Doty
APRIL didn’t think of herself as a girl. She was a female, but being a girl, like Calla, she was not. Too many years had passed where she had existed in a world of silence. Communication through spoken words was all too new to her, and it would take a long time for her to accept that she was even remotely part of the human race. Even the concept of her having a name was incomprehensible. She thought.
When Calla called her by the name she had given her everything seemed to change. She immediately recognized her name, and for the first time she felt as though she was needed. Somebody wanted her. She turned to Calla, who responded with a slight smile.
“You’re awake, Calla.” Such a feeling of joy came over April. She didn’t realize how close she had become to Calla, or how alone she felt without her, until she once again looked into her eyes. She scooted over and buried her head onto Calla’s chest. The sound of her sister’s heart thumping beneath her ear made her feel as though everything was going to be fine, from this day forth and forever. She raised her head. “Are you feeling okay?”
Calla winced. “Pretty much, except for the throbbing inside of my head.” She stared at the woman sitting behind April. A woman she had never before seen. “Where are we, April?”
“Don’t worry, Calla. This is Betty. She dressed the wound on the back of your head. I think you hit it on the floor when we crashed the boat.”
“You’ll have quite a headache for a day or so,” Betty said, standing from the bed. “I’ll get you some aspirin. It’ll help, but it won’t take it away. Unfortunately, only time can do that.”
After giving Calla the aspirin she had promised, Betty took April into the bathroom and cleaned the cut on the back of her head. “There,” she said to April. “It’ll be sore for a few days so I wouldn’t recommend running a comb through your hair.”
April smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome, April. Now why don’t you join Calla on the bed and get some rest. I’ll be back in a few hours to check on the two of you.”
APRIL climbed quietly onto the bed, trying not to wake, Calla, who had fallen back to sleep. She scooted close and carefully placed her arm around Calla and nudged her face to her neck. What would she do if anything happened to her? How could she possibly survive in this new world without her by her side? The questions were frightening, and her entire body tingled with the anticipation of what was to become of her and her sister. Her eyes became very heavy, and the rhythmic breathing of Calla soon lulled her into a state of relaxation. She awoke, hours later, to the sound of a voice, and a hand gently shaking her arm.
“It’s time to wake up, sweetie.”
The room was much darker, and for a brief moment she thought she was lying on her bunk in the kennel. Was it all a dream and Manolin would be waiting for her in the yard? But it wasn’t the kennel, and the room was different from the one she had known her entire life. She reached for Calla but only felt the empty mattress.
Betty stood by the side of the bed, her arms crossed over her chest. “You were really out.”
“Where’s Calla?”
Betty hesitated for a second. “Don’t worry; your sister’s fine.
Although April had limited experience in communicating with others, she did notice that people have a way of hesitating when they are being less than truthful.
“Can I go to her? I need to be with her.”
“Relax, she’s fine. She came out when you were sleeping, so I took her to the kitchen to fix her something to eat. She’s there now talking with David.”
“Who is David?”
Betty held out her hand. “David runs this place, now come on, let’s check that bump on your head.”
April took Betty’s hand and followed her into the bathroom. “Is she okay?”
More hesitation. “Of course she’s okay, sweetie. Now lean forward a little so I can see the back of your head.” April did as she was told, and Betty separated the hair to reveal the wound. “It’s still swollen somewhat, but it should go down by morning. I’m sorry we don’t have any ice to put on it, but you’ll live.”
April turned quickly and looked at Betty. “What does that mean, I’ll live? Was I going to die?”
“It’s just an expression, sweetie. It means you’ll be okay.”
“Can I see Calla, now?”
Betty caressed April’s cheek. “I’m afraid not just yet. David wants to speak to each of you, one at a time, to determine what would be best for the both of you.”
“But why does he wish to speak to us alone?”
“It’s complicated. It’s just his way of doing things. Try to calm down; everything’s gonna be fine.”
Chapter Nineteen
IT seemed like days since Calla last ate. She gripped the soup spoon in her closed fist and brought it to her mouth, the salty liquid spilling onto her tongue and down her throat. Another spoonful soon followed.
David sat quietly. Observing. Judging. She was the larger of the two girls, but there had to be a reason. It had to be justified. Otherwise he would be no better than the sinners he was trying to rid from the earth. Every soul had to be saved, one way or another. When the girl stopped to catch her breath, he capitalized on the opportunity to gain her attention.
“Your name is, Calla, is it not?”
Calla looked up at him. “Yes, sir.”
“What’s your last name, child?”
“Wilkinson.”
“That’s a noble name. Do your parents follow the word of our Lord, Jesus Christ?”
The question caught Calla off guard. She no longer thought of the people that raised her as her parents, more so her guardians or caregivers, and religion was never a part of her life. The Power Select was the closest thing to a god that she had ever known, and to think otherwise would be an act of treason against the Power Elite. Not that it mattered anymore, but she still felt odd thinking otherwise.
“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know who Jesus Christ is.” She continued eating.
“I assume your sister would answer the same?”
“I’m not sure how she would feel about that, sir.”
“But were you not raised in the same household? If you are estranged from our Lord, then she too, must be as well.”
“I think she knows all about religion. She seems to know everything. But we weren’t raised together. We were separated from each other until recently.”
“Where was she raised, if not with you and your parents?”
“At the kennel, sir.”
“What is the kennel? It sounds like a place where animals are kept. A prison, if you will.”
“I guess it is a sort of a prison.”
“I see.” A bad seed, David thought. One that knows about the Lord but refuses to accept him. “And you, my dear, are a lost sheep, having never felt the presence of the Lord, Jesus Christ. A soul for the saving.” David scanned Calla, “Such a pity.” Never the less, the Lord works in mysterious ways and his will must be followed. He watched as Calla brought the bowl to her mouth to empty the remainder of its contents. “Have you had enough to eat my dear?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you very much.”
“You’re very welcome, child. Can you send me your sister upon your return?”
Calla nodded and stood with her bowl.
“No need to concern yourself with that. I’ll take care of it. Just send your sister.”
Calla returned the bowl to the table and headed down the hallway.
“And you must be April,” David said to the girl walking hesitantly into the kitchen. He stood to greet her and pulled out a chair. April sat, her eyes scanning everything in sight. “Your sister mentioned that you are very intelligent.”
April realized it was no longer necessary to hide her ability to speak, but she felt it prudent to guard herself against the man taking a seat across from her. The way he studied her reminded her of the first time she met Mr. Weston outside of the kennel. This man wanted something, but she didn’t know what.
“Don’t be shy, child. You are among friends. Now tell me, why did you live apart from your sister until recently?”
“Calla told you that?”
“She did. She told me all about the kennel and your knowledge of religion.” David leaned closer, his hands folded on the table. “Tell me child, do you abide by the will of our Lord, Jesus Christ?”
April thought of everything she had read on Calla’s tablet concerning religion. All of the lives sacrificed and all of the people suffering needlessly at the hands of those who feel as though they have to defend the will of their gods. She hesitated momentarily, and then lifted her head to face the man staring intently at her. “If such a man did exist, I’m not sure what his will for mankind is. Is it to follow him blindly in the hopes of obtaining eternal life when they perish? And if so, why does he allow such suffering to continue in a world that he, supposedly, created? I believe if such a leader did exist, he would show more compassion for his followers and his children.”
David withdrew back to his chair. How could anyone possess such blatant disobedience? “You are wrong, child. It is not for our Lord to command his will upon his followers, but to suggest in the hopes of leading them on the path to righteousness. It is free will that separates us from common animals who act on instinct rather than obedience to the Lord Almighty. We must, alone, decide whether we choose to accept the will of God.”
April noticed the change of tone in the man’s voice. He was clearly upset. “I’m very sorry if I offended you after you were kind enough to give my sister and I medical attention and shelter.” She waited for a response, but the man just stared at her, his eyes holding her attention until she forced herself to look away. In the far corner of the room, a mouse scurried along the baseboard and under a door. April wished she, too, could scurry away. She wanted to get Calla and leave this place. “May I go to my sister, now?”
David’s anger subsided. A sense of relief coursed through his entire body and he knew what must be done. He was one of only a few left on earth that would carry out the will of God no matter the cost. He stood and extended his hand. “In due time, my child. Come with me, first.”
April stood and took the man’s hand; it was warm and moist. She hurried her pace to keep up with his stride as he led her down a hallway of mysterious closed doors. What was behind the doors and why were they all closed? It reminded her of the kennel. Within seconds, they entered the large room filled with wooden benches she had seen earlier. Some people, seated with their heads facing down, looked up when they passed. Others continued staring at the floor as if they were sleeping. April’s hand began to hurt as the man tugged her along. He finally stopped at a closed door on the other side of the room. After reaching into his pocket, the man pushed a key into the door and turned the knob. A dark void appeared before April. She tried to pull free, but the man grabbed her arm with his other hand and tugged her into the room. A nudge to her back sent her forward into the dark pit. The door closed, and the sound of metal against metal was the last thing she heard before all went quiet.
Trembling, she lowered herself to the floor, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She thought of the day she had spent with Calla and Sarah when they went to downtown Ancada. It was so fun and exciting! Why couldn’t that day have lasted forever?
Chapter Twenty
CALLA sat on the bed, her gaze fixated on the blanket she was twirling between her fingers.
Betty sat next to her, occasionally glancing at the door. She noticed her own breathing, so she closed her mouth and did her best to breathe silently through her nose. She glanced at the door again, and then at the young woman sitting next to her.
“You and your sister are obviously very close.”
Calla raised her head. “What’s taking them so long? Shouldn’t April be back by now?”
Yes, she should be. Something’s wrong, Betty thought, but she had to remain calm. “Your sister was just as worried when you were gone, so I’ll tell you the same thing I told her. Don’t worry; she’ll be fine. Did you have enough to eat?”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.” Calla had to get her mind off April. Even if only for a minute or two. They’ve come so far, the thought of losing her was more than she could bare. “What’s it like living on the mainland?” she said. It was the only thing she could think of that she was actually interested in, other than the return of April. She’s always been interested in the mainland, and what better time could there be to find out more about it? “Is it as dangerous as my parents taught me when I was growing up? And why is the city so deserted? Where’re all the people?”
“Wow. That’s a lot of questions from somebody who hasn’t spoken a word in the last half hour.”
“I’m sorry. I just—”
“No need to apologize,” Betty said, a slight smile on her face. “I understand. Let’s start with your first question. To be perfectly honest, it’s not easy living on the mainland. There usually isn’t a lot of food to go around, and we really don’t have proper medical supplies. The cities are dangerous, but if you stick together, like we do in the church, it’s much safer.”
“Where are all the people?” Calla asked, suddenly fascinated with life on the mainland. She focused on Betty’s face, waiting for her response.
“I wish I could think of a better way to put it, but they’re all dead. That is, except for the ones that managed to somehow survive on their own.”
“But how did so many of them die?”
“There just isn’t enough food to go around, so most of them died of starvation I would assume.” Betty looked at the young woman sitting beside her. Her arms were plump, her face glowing and healthy, her white dress still mostly clean, and her teeth as white as the clouds in the sky. It was obvious that she didn’t have a clue as to what was going on in the world. How could anyone have been so sheltered?
The thought of starving to death made Calla feel suddenly uneasy. How could that possibly happen on the mainland when Ancada, just a few miles away in the ocean, had plenty of food? “What about your nutrimen? Weren’t there enough of them to keep people fed?”
“I’m sorry, sweetie, our what?”
“Your nutrimen. Are there not enough of them to feed everyone?”
“Forgive me, but I don’t know what you’re talking about. What’s a nutrimen?”
Calla explained everything to Betty about the nutrimen and how they were created. When she finished, she lowered her head. Didn’t everybody have nutrimen? She couldn’t imagine what would happen to the citizens of Ancada if there were no nutrimen. And then something became grossly obvious to her. They, too, would all be dead. Was what they were doing wrong? To raise nutrimen for nourishment? To eat the flesh of another creature that looks so similar to oneself? And then she thought of April. If she never got the job at the kennel, would there have been a chance that she may have one day eaten April? She felt sickened and quickly pulled her hand to her mouth. She ran to the bathroom.
“Is everything alright?” Betty asked, standing from her seat on the bed. She walked toward the bathroom.
“Please don’t come in,” Calla asked, kneeling over the toilet, her eyes filled with tears. “I just need to be alone for a while.” She cried hard into her hands.
Betty went back and stood by the foot of the bed. After ten minutes, the toilet flushed.
Calla came out of the bathroom. “Can we please get April?”
Betty walked over and put her hands on Calla’s shoulders. “I’ll see if I can find her. You should lie down for a while until I return.”
Calla nodded and climbed onto the bed. Her eyes burned from crying, and her head began to throb as Betty predicted it would for a few days. She forced her eyes closed to relieve the pain.
BETTY was surprised when she arrived at the kitchen and noticed the only one sitting at the table was Melvin, a small-framed man she usually tried to avoid.
With a pile of magazines splayed in front of him, Melvin ogled the p
ictures of the naked women, totally unaware of Betty’s presence. When he finally noticed the shadowy image standing silently, he quickly corralled all the magazines and pulled them toward him. The sudden thrust of crumpling paper, and the speed at which Melvin moved, startled Betty, who, in turn, startled Melvin when she jumped backward.
David would never allow such temptations from the devil to be viewed for means of pleasure, and Melvin knew that all too well. The last time he got caught with a magazine he had found on the street, David had Cain whip the devil out of him with ten hard lashes across the back. To be caught again would be reason enough to be chosen to have one’s “soul saved.”
Betty and Melvin exchanged a silent glare. There was no reason for the exchange of words, and neither had any desire to start a conversation, although Betty considered asking him if he had seen David recently but the answer to her question was quite obvious. She turned and left the kitchen. Melvin slowly retrieved the magazines from under his arms. He fanned one open, and his eyes widened at the first picture. He turned and glanced at Betty, his gaze fixated on her until she vanished through a door. He turned back to the magazine.
BETTY LOCATED DAVID kneeling before an enormous painting of Jesus Christ, hanging behind the podium. His hands were clasped and his head tilted upward. She remained silent until he murmured, “Amen.” When he stood, she walked up to him.