I waved back and went back to washing the clothes on the porch, sudsy water sloshing onto the wooden planks every so often. Rainbow swirled bubbles landed happily for a moment, before that happiness burst into nothingness. I thought, hard. I need Lulu. I’ll do anything to get her back. Anything. Even marry Zander Preston. The image of Crew’s moonlit face flashed through my mind.
∞
USUALLY KYAN VISITED ON SUNDAY, but he didn’t yesterday. I hadn’t seen him since Saturday night. Not since he had returned to the bonfire with Paige in tow. Perhaps he loved her, or would grow to in time. There was definitely something going on between them Saturday night. The tension was palpable, thick as bonfire smoke hanging in the cool valley air.
The days were growing darker. Night clung to the sky when I arrived at the orchard on Monday morning. It was hanging on tighter each morning, as the sun relinquished control to the moon.
I stepped through the white wooden gate and walked down the aisles of carefully planted trees until I came to the area that I stopped working Saturday morning. I wasn’t sure how far the team got after I had to leave, but I could find them from here. It was eerily quiet. Laney usually beat me here. So did Kyan. But, I saw no one. I stepped into the next row and scared some crows into the air. They cawed in protest and flapped into the steely blue sky that was only now beginning to lighten, ever so slightly, slowly.
No one. I stepped into the next row, and the one beyond that, until finally, I saw Kyan arranging wooden crates. Pickers used the flexible bushel baskets. They were lightweight and easier to haul up into the trees when needed, but to ship the fruit to the cities without bruising it and ultimately damaging it.
The apples would be neatly packed into crates and loaded onto the trains. During harvest, the train left daily or every other day with our shipment. I assumed it also collected the goods and produce from other villages before traveling to the ultimate destination of Olympus or whatever Greater City requires our goods.
Those unable to labor in the orchards, the elderly or injured, were charged with packing. They packed the crates carefully. Our village had a job for everyone. It was Lulu’s job to assign the tasks in the village, to ensure everything ran properly.
The entire village worked at harvest time. It was how we were able to produce such a crop of apples. Rows of trees stretched as far as the eye could see from any position in the village. Move to the outer edge of your vision and stand there. The fields stretched further. An endless ocean of fields, rows and succulent fruit.
In the off-season, there were greenhouses to tend. Winter vegetables for village consumption, soil to fertilize for the next planting season, seeds to sort, food to preserve and store, we were nothing if not hard workers. Those who weren’t able to walk to the orchards, tended local gardens for village consumption.
We were forbidden to eat the fruit we grew in the Greater orchards, though we were allowed to have our own fruit trees on our properties. That’s why Megan had broken the rule and would have been punished by Norris. That’s why I made her run away.
In Orchard, there was always something for someone to do. Often, there was too much for even all of us working together, to accomplish. There were always pathways to clear, repairs to be made on dwellings and community buildings, animals to feed and care for. No idle hands here.
Cold and eerily quiet, the morning stretched out across the heavens. For a moment it felt like I was the only person on earth. That moment, however, was fleeting. Soon, people began drifting in, ready to start their day. We’d made significant progress with all of the help and for the first time, I could actually imagine us meeting the harvest deadline of a Friday finish.
Kyan walked toward me with Laney at his side. A few girls from Wheat tagged along behind them. That was one thing I had taken notice of since the bonfire, since working in the orchards again, even if only for a short time each day. Most of the help, with the exception of Crew and a few others were female. Could the males not be spared?
Kyan’s hair was shorter, golden brown shone in the early morning sun that peeked over the hills to the east. His brown eyes locked on mine. Laney made eye contact with me and then jerked her eyes toward Kyan. I knew this silent warning. Kyan was in a bad mood. I nodded very slightly.
She passed me and traveled about 20 trees down the row and readied her ladder. The other three girls fanned out around her readying bushel baskets and rolling up their sleeves. One pulled her long golden hair back, securing it with a long ribbon.
Kyan stepped up to me, his face like steel. “Abigail.”
What? I ticked my head back. “Abigail?”
“That is your name,” he scoffed.
“You never use my formal name.” I narrowed my eyes. What was his problem?
His jaw clenched. “Things change.”
“What changed, Ky? Paige finally lay down the law about our friendship?” Goading him was wrong, but I couldn’t stand it when Kyan acted this way. It was rare, but bothersome.
“This has nothing to do with Paige and you know it.” I crossed my arms. “Actually, I have no idea what your problem is. So, either enlighten me or back off.”
“I saw you with him.” A chill ran up my spine. He saw Zander.
“Zander?” He looked taken aback. His eyes harden along with his jaw.
“No. Crew.” Oh. Oh, no. He saw me with Crew. He must have seen us kissing. Crap.
“I’m not apologizing. I wanted to kiss him. He wanted to kiss me and so we did. It’s not like you and Paige didn’t have some special alone time.”
“I don’t like him. Something’s off. I don’t know what it is, but you should stay away from him. And, you certainly shouldn’t be kissing him. He’s leaving soon. You’ll get hurt.”
A bitter laugh left my throat. “I know he’s leaving. I know I shouldn’t have kissed him, but it happened. I can’t take it back. Not that I regret it. It was amazing. But, it’s not going to matter after the festival.”
“He’s got to leave sometime. I’m sure there’s plenty of work waiting for him and the others back in Cotton.
“It’s not that. Zander is pretty much forcing me to marry him. I want Lulu back, so...”
“You cannot be serious.” He nudged my chin up so that my eyes followed. “You can’t be serious. You can’t marry him. He’s such a bastard. He’ll make you miserable. And not just for a little while; he will make you miserable for the rest of your life.”
I nodded. He had spoken the truth. But I had to do something. From the corner of my eye, I saw movement. Crew was standing a few trees away, Paige by his side. If looks could kill, her caramel eyes would have burned a hole through my heart and I’d be lying in a heap on the ground.
“Isn’t this cozy?” she screeched. “Kyan, I need a word with you.” Her hands were folded over her chest and her plump lips were pinched tightly together. “Now!”
He rolled his eyes and escorted her away to a private spot. Not that their conversation was kept private. Her whiny screeches could be heard by anyone within a two mile radius. I looked at Crew and then decided it best to leave it alone. We kissed. I liked it. He liked it. But, it had to end here. So, I turned away and joined the girls in the trees. I could feel his eyes burning into my back as I began to work.
Two hours flew by, and in that time the earth around us warmed. The dew evaporated away, the leaves and grass once again became crunchy underfoot. Lifting my final bushel onto my shoulder, I walked to the ladies waiting at the orchard’s exit.
Kyan’s mother and Miss Evelyn, our village healer, sat together happily chatting while keeping a watchful eye on the laughing children who ran around gathering the rotten apples from beneath the trees. They raced one another, taking the brown, soft apples to a large barrel, dumping two or three in at a time, screaming and giggling in triumph. Girls with golden curls and dark haired boys made work play, and I prayed they enjoy it while it lasted.
∞
THE PRESTON’S HOUSE WAS EMPTY. I ca
lled out for Mrs. Preston and then Mister but was greeted with silence. No list awaited me on the counter, or on the long wooden table. The pounding of hooves echoed outside. Stepping onto the porch, I was met with the man who still haunted my nights.
Norris dismounted an enormous black stallion, which whinnied and grunted, rearing as Norris subdued him secured the beast to one of the porch railings. I wasn’t sure that the porch would actually stand a chance against such an enormous animal. Norris pushed his greasy long hair back behind his ears and smiled at me. It was the most frightening of his smiles, the one that didn’t reach his eyes. He stalked forward and I felt like an animal caught in a snare, thrashing around as it saw its fate in the eyes of its hunter.
“Why aren’t you in the orchards?” His voice was rough, harsh as the scar dissecting the flesh on his cheek. The shiny raised slash lifted and puckered as he smirked at me. It wasn’t the scar that scared me. It was him. I knew others with scars. Their kindness mitigated their injuries. Norris didn’t know what kindness was.
“I’m supposed to work for the Preston’s. I only work two hours in the orchards, then report here.”
“Well, allow me to be the first to inform you of your schedule change. You’re to report back to the orchards and then back here after you clean up this evening. Mr. and Mrs. Preston have invited you here for dinner this evening. A formal dinner.”
“As a server, or—”
“No. You’re apparently the guest of honor.” He laughed harshly, revealing the yellow grit around his teeth.
“Okay. Thanks for the message.” I quickly started toward the orchards once more. The last person I wanted to spend any time with was Norris Jones.
“Ah, ah, ah. I’m to deliver you. In fact, I’m to pay extra close attention to you for the rest of the week. Seems you’re marrying Councilman Preston’s son. Can’t have you doing anything to embarrass your new fiancé or his family, can we?”
Anger tore through me. “So they sent you, huh? Gonna stripe my back? You better tell Mrs. Preston to get a high-backed gown to hide it. Though, the blood might seep through onto the pretty white fabric.” In an instant, he was in front of me, his nose nearly touching mine. Rancid, hot breath fanned my face, but I stood my ground in a stupid attempt at false bravery. Inwardly, I trembled.
“Mr. Preston gave strict orders not to stripe you.” He slid his leather riding crop across my jaw, up my cheek and rested it under my eye. “But don’t worry. I can get very creative with my punishments. Some won’t leave any marks upon the body at all.”
“I’m sure Zander will object to your creativity. I’ll have to tell him about your threat.”
Laughing, he stepped back a few feet and I finally released the breath I’d been holding. “Who do you think suggested that I handle you differently?”
He nodded toward his horse. I was almost as afraid of it as I was of him. Norris mounted the midnight stallion and once it calmed down, reached down for my arm. I pulled myself up and sat in front of him, scooting as far away from him as was possible in the small saddle. Norris’s arms withered around my stomach as he clenched the reins. He whipped the horse and we took off, a tall trail of dust in our wake.
The ride was fast. I was back with my team in no time. Kyan all but ran over me as Norris dismounted and then clenched my waist, harshly yanking me off of his devil horse. The horse was wild. It almost threw us twice on the short trip over. Even now, it whinnied and snorted like the maniac it was. I’d always liked horses until now.
“What’s going on?” Kyan addressed Norris, not once looking at me.
“She’s been cleared for full duty.” The two eyed one another for a moment, tension thickening the now unseasonably warm air.
“Abigail, go work with Laney.” He pointed down the row and I could see her signature blonde spirals beneath a tree. She was discreetly watching what was unfolding. But, I knew her, she’d heard every word. She never missed anything. For someone who spoke so loudly, she could be still as a statue when she wanted to be. I walked toward her and her eyes grew big.
She mouthed the word, “Norris,” and her light chocolate eyes glistened as she jerks them to the spot where I’d left the two men standing. I quietly shushed her and we began to work. Norris walked to the end of the orchard nearest us and secured his horse to the split rail wooden fence, giving it a few apples to eat. Devil beast. I figured it ate babies.
While he was out of earshot and probably couldn’t even see us too well, Kyan came over, crouching down beside me and Laney. “What the hell, Abs?”
“I know. It’s the Preston’s. They want me to marry Zander. They know that Crew and I kissed and now they’ve ordered Norris on me to ‘keep an eye on me’ until the festival.” What began as a whisper had transformed to a yell.
“Shh. Calm down.” Kyan scrubbed the back of his neck roughly. “This is not good, Abby.”
“I know! He said I have to attend dinner at the Preston house this evening and that Councilman Preston and Zander have told him that he can’t whip me, but that he can get creative in his punishments. He can punish me so long as my body isn’t marked. What does that mean?” I was nearly in panic mode.
Kyan trained his dark brown eyes on mine. “I don’t know. But he’s one evil son of a—”
Laney interrupted. “Shh. Here he comes.”
Throughout the rest of the day, Norris never let me out of his sight. When I went to relieve myself, I thought he might follow. Luckily, Kyan intercepted him and kept him busy for a few minutes. At lunch, he disappeared for a while and I was able to talk to Laney a bit. She was every bit as afraid of Norris as I was and as I was working with her, his very presence put her in danger.
But, being the awesome friend she was, she told me to come to her house after we finished in the orchard. She offered to help me get ready for this sure to be awful dinner. Mrs. Preston would die if I showed up in my normal jeans and plaid shirt. I had few clothes. Lulu had never been much of a seamstress and neither am I. Laney on the other hand, was amazingly talented. Give her a needle, scraps of fabric and she could fashion beautiful ensembles. Like spinning gold from straw like the little story Lulu used to tell me as a child.
With half an hour left in the day, the wind whipped our hair and thrashed our clothing. Thick gray clouds smothered the sunlight. The branches on the trees twisted and fought against the onslaught, scraping our exposed skin. Everyone rushed around to get the full bushels to the packers and from them onto the trucks and wagons. From there, the apples would be packed onto the train cars. Everyone had a job and rushed to finish before the storm hit. When their job was complete, they helped someone else complete theirs, until all was finished.
Soon thunder boomed in the distance. And, a few minutes later, lightning made its appearance. The warning whistles began filling the air. I heard the shrill pitch of Kyan’s whistle slice through the howling wind.
Laney and I grabbed the last bushels we had and ran toward the end of the orchard. Her foot caught on an uplifted tree root in our path. Apples tumbled over the earth around her. As thunder crashed overhead, and rain began to sprinkle down upon us, she grabbed her right ankle and cried out in pain. Her face contorted in pain, a silent scream.
“Laney! Can you walk?” The wind whipped my hair around my face. The leaves were ripped from their branches and rained down around us.
“I think I sprained it. I don’t know if I can walk.” Tears formed in her eyes.
Crouching down, I tucked her arm around my neck, wrapped mine around her back under her arm and lifted her up. “Easy. We can do this. Let’s just take it slow. I’ll be your crutch.” I tried to smile and make it look genuine, but even I was scared of the storm at this point.
She nodded and we started hopping down the row. The rest of our team was gone, gathered with Kyan as protocol dictated. If we didn’t make it to him soon, he would come find us and help. He would come. Thunder crashed against the angry gray sky and lightning flashed brightly. It was closer
. Right upon us.
“What about the apples?” she screamed above the wind.
“I’ll come back for them. Don’t worry.” All apples must leave the fields before the laborers. A Greater Rule. We were expendable, their crop was not. Simple as that.
She nodded again. The row seemed longer with each step, the end of it getting further and further away. Then, we saw it and both squealed in happiness, as we clung tight to one another. Headlights of the old blue work truck shone down the aisle in front of us. We waved our free arms frantically. Kyan stopped six feet ahead of us and jumped out of the truck.
“What happened?” The rain pelted his face.
“Laney fell and hurt her ankle. Take her to Evelyn.”
“I’ve got her,” and with that statement, Ky scooped Laney up as if she weighed nothing at all and ran toward the truck, placing her in the passenger seat.
I turned back to get the bushels that she dropped and I had abandoned. If we didn’t bring this bushel out of the orchard, we would all three be punished. Grasping frantically for apples that scattered away from the overturned baskets, my knees ground into the earth below.
A strange surge filled the air. The hair on arms and then the rest of my body stood on end. A low vibration hummed from the earth around me. I looked around frantically through whipping hair and tree limbs for the source of the strange feeling. Nothing. I couldn’t see anything unusual. The sky barked loudly right above me and then quieted. Eerily.
A loud crack and a flash of light fell, connecting with the apple tree beside me. The smell of burnt wood filled my senses and I barely had time to cover my head with my arms and curl up before one of the large branches gave up the ghost and fell toward me. My arms and back were battered by the branches and leaves as it crashes down. A scream was torn from my chest. I wasn’t not sure if the whole tree hit me or if it just felt that way.
Reap (The Harvest Saga Book 1) Page 9