by C J Singh
“Eden!” Brian’s voice attracted the eyes of others who worked outside their tents. They watched me, curious who would defy Brian, one of their leaders. Giving a few a sweet smile, I kept walking until I arrived at my tent. I could feel eyes burning into my shoulder blades, but I never turned.
Eden
Brian’s voice moved through me, and I smiled at his desperation. I couldn’t leave him hanging, so I responded.
We can resume when you’re ready to talk. Right now, I need a nap.
He didn’t reply, so I went to my cot and slept.
***
Wake up!
Brian’s voice boomed inside my head, and I jumped off the cot, landing on my feet. Eyes wide, I scanned the room only to land on his smirk. He stood near the tent door with his arms crossed.
“Come.” He didn’t wait for my reply and walked out of my tent.
Rubbing my eyes, I pushed my fingers through my tossed hair and followed, jogging slightly to catch up. “Where we going?” He didn’t reply. We passed a tent with a crying child, and I caught a glimpse of a young mother rocking it, singing a sweet song. My fingers touched the butterfly on my chest and I sighed at the empty feeling. Ellie’s warm hold on me a distant feeling. Looking forward, I met Brian’s eyes as he looked back at me with an eyebrow raised. “What?” He ignored me again, gesturing for me to enter Derek’s tent.
“Come sit.” Derek motioned to me upon entering. He sat at the head of a well-worn wood table, smiling. I sat in the chair next to him and watched Brian choose the chair across from me. “You want some answers. I understand that, so let’s talk.”
I looked between them. Both harboring serious faces as they waited expectantly for my questions. “All right. Where does the virus come from?”
“We don’t know exactly.” Derek sat forward, linking his fingers together. “It could be us carrying it, the animals, maybe it’s in the soil. There are many possibilities.”
“So since we have already had it or have already had some kind of cure, we don’t get it, but people like... my friend Jace from the city get sick and...”—my throat restricted at the word—“die?”
Derek nodded slowly. “Yes. There is only a one percent survival rate. So, chances of anyone from the city surviving are very, very low”
I squeezed my hands together, thinking of Jace. I may not have been his biggest fan, but I wouldn’t wish for anyone to die in such a manner. “Do you have any idea what was given to you to... possibly to me, to survive?”
The look between them was quick and fleeting, but I didn’t miss it. “No.” Derek’s voice was thick, and I ground my teeth together. I could taste his lie in the air, but I could see I would get nowhere.
Three arguing men barged into the tent. Their faces red from heat and anger as they stopped short at the sight of us sitting around the table.
“So, she a leader now too?” a tall, dark-haired man snapped.
Derek stood. “No Jon. We were just having a conversation.” He sighed, taking a few steps toward the men.
Jon’s eyes narrowed on mine, and I fought the urge to growl. He was challenging me, and I don’t back down from challenges.
Easy
I turned to Brian’s warning stare.
That won’t give you props with the citizens.
Looking back at Jon, I let out a huff, disappointed that Brian’s words were right. If I started fighting with the people, they would never fully accept me, and I needed to be accepted. I craved it. I missed my family, my sense of belonging.
I stood and took a few steps toward him, extending my hand. “Hello, Jon. I’m Eden.”
Jon looked at my hand, scoffing. “Is this a joke?”
I kept my hand extended and a smile plastered to my face.
“No joke,” Derek replied.
Jon inspected me as I stood there, hand outstretched, waiting for him to accept me. “Drop your hand, girl. I’m not going to shake it.”
His words stung, but I dropped my hand and stepped back. Brian moved to my other side. I could taste the tension in the room, and every hair in my body tingled.
“Why are you here, Jon?” Derek asked.
Jon looked at me a moment, then took another step closer to Derek. The two men behind him still red faced and panting stood like statues. No one was leaving this tent before they allowed it.
“Why is there a sick boy in the medic tent? Not just a cold sick but with the virus.” He pointed a clenched, white-knuckled hand in the direction of the medic tent. “He has the Fever, Derek!”
My stomach tightened and I looked to Derek as well, curiosity brewing. They said Jace had died, but yet there was a sick boy still here.
“And what would you have us do, Jon? Put him out in the woods and leave him for dead?”
“He’s going to die anyway! Why put us all at risk?” He squared off in front of Derek and his two henchmen stood a little taller, fisting their hands. I could feel Brian stiffen, and he put a soft hand on my shoulder, pulling me slightly behind him and Derek.
“That’s not how things work here, Jon, and you know it. We don’t just throw people out.”
“He has the Ferine Fever!” one of the men behind Jon yelled.
“Yes, and he is quarantined. Sarah is making sure no one goes in other than us.”
Jon scoffed again. “Sarah, what does she know?”
“She’s was a doct—” Derek focused on keeping his composure, and I had to give him props; even I was clenching my jaw in frustration.
“She’s a beauty queen! One good for cuts and bruises, nothing as serious as the Fever!”
“Careful.” Brian growled taking a step toward Jon, but Derek’s hand clutched his forearm in warning.
“Why are you so worried? None of you have gotten sick yet.” All eyes turned to me, and I fought the urge to step back.
“Yes, girl, we all survived the virus, but we haven’t forgotten the feel of it. How every breath felt like it was our last. We don’t know enough about it to know for sure we can’t get it again, and I will do everything I can never to get it again.” Jon narrowed his shoulders at me and Brian tensed.
“All right, stop!” Derek moved in front of Brian. “You all know we don’t just dispose of people. We could learn something from this boy. Sarah, who is a doctor”—he narrowed his eyes at Jon—“is trying different remedies, to see what she can do with what we have, to prolong it, which she has been able to do, by days, and if we are lucky, she may save him.” Jon opened his mouth, but Derek cut him off. “And you know that we have never had a second case. So if you have had it and survived, which everyone here has, the likelihood is low, so stop your bellowing and deal with it!”
Jon’s shoulders tightened and his face grew red. “Very well. I’ll follow your rules then.” He gave us all a stern look before exiting the tent, his henchmen following.
I let out a long breath. “What did he mean? Your rules.”
“He meant he is going to get enough people to argue on his behalf, and then I’ll have no choice but to throw the boy out.” Derek’s shoulders slumped. He rolled his head to relieve the tension in his neck.
I swallowed the large lump in my throat at the thought of a helpless person being sent in the woods to die, or even worse, to be ripped apart by the beasts.
Chapter 17
Eden
The next day I trained hard, barely breaking a sweat. In such a short time, I had built stamina and become faster and stronger. Derek and Brian were pleased with how quickly I was strengthening, but not surprised, almost like they suspected it.
The tension within the camp was thick. Jon and his thugs had started spreading rumors among the people, causing fear. Derek had spent most of the day calming worried people.
Since my physical training has been such a success, Brian decided to increase my skills and start trainin
g my senses. Apparently, I had heightened senses. They did too. And it was time I learned how to use them in combat. Blindfolded, I stood in the middle of the clearing with Brian stalking around me.
Tune out all the distractions, he says. Fight me with only your hearing and smell.
Groaning, I leaned down and rubbed my sore knee. The start has been rough.
Clutching the long staff, I turned in a circle slowly.
Snap! A twig.
I whipped around, but it was too late. Brian swiped my legs out from under me, and I landed on my back. “Oof.” I coughed, gasping for breath.
“Up!”
“Just... give me a—”
“Your opponent won’t wait for you, so you need to get back up on your feet. Now!” He gave my leg a nudge with his foot.
Leaning on the staff, I pulled myself up. Listening carefully, I turned my head until I heard his steps, soft and slow. He was circling me. A child’s scream pulled my attention in the opposite direction.
Wham!
I folded forward coughing, gasping for more breath. Grinding my teeth together, I thought, he’s going to pay for that.
“You have to tune everything out. Don’t let little things distract you. That one second could be your life.”
I pulled off the blindfold, piercing my eyes on him. He smirked.
“All right, little one. I think we’ll call it a night.”
I lowered my staff, still clutching it tightly as I scanned the camp. Everyone was quietly retiring to their tents for the evening. The pink horizon glowed over the top of the trees. After sunset, not many, if any, people wandered the camp.
“Fine.”
Brian walked toward Derek’s tent, and I looked down at my wood staff. Right when his muscled back disappeared through the tent flap, I snapped the staff on my knee and dug the sharp end into my palm, creating a three-inch cut. Stifling a grunt, I watched the dark red liquid seep from me, painting the grass at my feet.
Fisting my hand, I entered the tent. “Uh, so I tripped, broke my staff, and my hand got cut.” I gave them the sheepiest smile I could muster. Clear head, clear head, clear head...
Brian’s gaze narrowed on me as he snatched my hand to examine the cut. He didn’t say anything, but I felt his distrust. I would be surprised if Derek didn’t feel it too. It took all my strength not to pull away and lower my eyes in submission. He fixed his mouth into a straight line as he held my eyes.
Chuckling, I tried to lighten the thickened air. “Too bad all this training can’t fix my clumsiness.”
“Indeed,” Brian said.
“That’s unfortunate,” Derek said, looking over Brian’s shoulder at my hand. “Brian, escort her to the medic tent. Sarah should be able to patch it up.”
“Yeah. Sure.” He pulled me from the tent by my arm.
When he got outside, I pulled my arm back. “I cut my hand, not my legs. I can walk without you holding me.”
He spun around. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but you better be careful.”
My stomach sank; maybe I didn’t think through my plan very well. I was never a good liar. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I fought the instinct to turn away.
“Don’t be coy with me, little one. You may be getting stronger and learning fast, but we don’t need a troublemaking little girl around here.”
The blood drained from my face. Not wanting to let Brian know how much his words affected me, I cleared my throat. “Yeah, all right, but just so you know, I’m not a little girl.”
He scoffed before leading me down the middle row of tents. Halfway, there was a tent that was slightly larger than the others.
“Sarah?” Brian moved the tent’s flap to the side.
Sarah turned from a small desk, giving Brian a blushing smile. Warmth flowed through the air as he approached her.
“Eden cut her hand.” Brian motioned to me with disinterest. He tried to keep his back to me, but it didn’t keep me from seeing his cheeks flush. Obviously, the feeling was mutual.
Standing awkwardly near the entrance, I kept my hand away from my clothes, so as not to stain them. I only had one extra pair. Sarah floated to me, her eyes fixed on my hand.
“Let me see.” Her grasp was gentle with skin so smooth I wondered what her secret was. “Here, come sit. I will clean the cut and patch it up.”
I sat on a cot as she rummaged through a small cabinet, grabbing all the items she needed. Brian stood gawkily at the entrance of the tent, and when I looked at him, he was conveniently very interested in a small snag in the tent’s fabric.
“You don’t have to stay, Brian. I remember the way back to my tent.”
As he turned to us, I could read his struggle between feelings and duties.
Sarah smiled down at the cotton pad she was disinfecting. “Yes, Brian. I am sure she is capable of getting back on her own. It is just her hand that’s injured.” Her tone was teasing. I liked her immediately.
“All right then”—Brian cleared his throat—“you know where to find me.” He briskly left the tent. For the second the flap had opened, I spotted the twilight sky, the sun was almost down, exactly what I planned.
Sarah worked in silence cleaning and bandaging my hand. If she felt my eyes roaming her face, she didn’t show it.
“How long have you lived here?” I asked.
She didn’t look up. “Since the beginning. Since we built the walls fifteen years ago.”
“Where did you live before?”
She put the supplies in the cabinet next to the cot. “I had a home, cabin type near the water. My husband...” – she paused – “he worked in the city. He would commute.”
“You gave up a home for tents? To follow Derek and Brian?” What could these two men have that would make someone leave the comfort of a home?
She smiled at me. “We only live in the tents in the summer. We have a group of log cabins closer to the water we move to when it’s colder. Protects us better from the cold.” Playing with a piece of fabric wrap in her lap, she stopped smiling for a moment, but then she tightened her face, trying to keep the mask of constant happiness. “You’re young. You don’t know what we went through when the virus hit. When we were banned entrance into the city. When they built the walls, keeping us out.” Her smile now disappeared to what looked like disdain. “We had to learn survival, which many of us didn’t know how to do. People went crazy, violent. It became fight and kill for survival. When Derek and Brian showed up, they offered a safe haven. The structure and security we all craved.”
I sat quietly as her face grew soft, thinking of the memories. “You are safe now. Derek and Brian will take good care of you.” She stroked her hand through my hair. I had to fight the instinct to turn into her touch. It was a very motherly action, and it reminded me of Ellie. Watching her dark hazel eyes disappear into thoughts, I wondered if she had any children.
“Have you met many others living in the woods?” I asked, pulling her from her memories.
“Yes. Some have created groups like this, but many still live on their own, surviving by any means possible. We get stragglers that come, many due to the creatures that are becoming rampant. Those creatures go through camps and homes killing anyone in their sight.”
My stomach rolled at the thought of the creatures in the woods. “Do we know what these creatures are? Where they come from?”
“No. Years ago, we may have seen one or two infrequently, but they have been growing in numbers. They are aggressive and bolder in their attacks.”
Their squeaky, gravely voices had been spine-chilling. Clutching my necklace, I sent a quiet prayer that they hadn’t found my home and hurt my family.
“Anyway”—she cleared her throat and smiled—“you must be tired from all that training. Come see me tomorrow, and I’ll clean and rebandage it.”
“I will. Thank you, Sarah.” I smiled at her as I left the tent.
The cool night breeze kissed my skin as I started my walk down the row of tents toward my own. Each tent was lit within by lanterns, shaping the paths through the camp. Stopping a few tents down, I hid around the corner to wait and watch. Sarah was the lead healer in the camp, so chances are she was the one caring for the sick boy. I needed to find where he was. If Jace was dead, maybe I could help one of his friends.
I hugged my arms around me to keep in the warmth from the chilly night and shuffled my feet so my blood continued to pump. Just as I was about to give up and leave, Sarah stepped out of the tent. I followed her brisk walk down the row, staying within the shadows of the tents. She topped at the largest tent in the camp, the tent at the end of the row. As she went inside, the flap stuck open giving me a glance inside. Hanging over the back of a chair was a familiar set of clothes. Blue pants and a white shirt. They were the same clothes that I last saw Jace in.
“Jace,” I whispered to myself. Was there a mistake? Was he still alive? My stomach bottomed out. If he was alive, why did Derek and Brian tell me he died? I needed Sarah to leave. I needed to see who was in that tent.
Chapter 18
Eden
My hands ached from the tightness as I wrung them together. My feet wouldn’t stay still. I needed Sarah to leave, needed to see who was in that tent. Sarah finally left, disposing a mask into her pocket and walking down the row to her tent. Without thinking that someone else could be inside, I charged in. Luckily, the only person inside was a patient. Their head was turned away, but I skipped a step at the long dark hair. It had to be Jace; it had to be. Slowly, I approached the cot, putting a soft hand on his shoulder and turned him onto his back. Letting out a sigh, I smiled at the sleeping, handsome face.
“Jace.”
I knelt next to his cot. “Jace,” I repeated, feeling his hot damp cheek. He turned his pale, clammy face toward me, cracking his eyes.
“Eden?” he croaked, his lips white and chapped. I put my hand on his chest to still him when he tried to move and felt his slow, steady heartbeat; he was alive. I let out a relieved sigh.