Deprived

Chapter 3

Maize and Ollie propped themselves onto two turned-down cans in the city square near Sherry's pastry stall. They were waiting for Mr. Michael to get off work and take his usual route home. Maize wanted to follow him to the distribution center. She hoped to get her hands on some Earth food for Liam.

After their shift, she and Ollie were both hungry, so they bought four Solix cakes from Sherry's stall for two nobs.

The sweet taste peppered their taste buds, making them want more. Although money was tight, Ollie insisted on treating Maize—a kind of going away present, he said, before she transitioned to the capital the following day.

"Don't worry, Sis, I'll work extra shifts."

She knew she should worry because extra shifts at the factory were hard to come by.

Maize didn't want to eat the Solix protein cakes, but it was all they had. And any Earth food she got was to be kept for Liam.

They could hunt for more, izards, but they didn't have the time.

The sun slowly went into hiding, leaving behind an orange glow on the scraggly apartment buildings made of mismatched metal, plastic sheets, and multi-colored cloth for walls.

Between buildings, trousers, shirts, and sheets fastened onto ropes tie-dyed in grime, fluttered in the slight breeze like rainbow-colored ghosts.

Stalls were secured with sheets of plastic and or metal and tied down with ropes and cords. Their livelihood kept safe from thieves and dust storms till morning.

The giant screen installed by the capital was the only thing in the square worth admiring, and that too was a daily reminder of their sufferings.

A few Preppies walked out of Mr. Tom's metal furniture store and headed out of the village square, their noses held high in the air. Their bodyguards weighed down with shopping bags, walked closely by their side.

The Preppies didn't care much for the Lessers but loved what they had.

On Friday nights, they always came to see the Lesser men play a game of stick-fighting. Then they always returned to their glorious, lily-white cottages uptown.

The color from the giant screen flashed in the night like a celebration.

Then came a picture of a girl.

Maize glanced at the screen as she licked a few cake crumbs from her lips.

Another girl had gone missing, three young people in a day, a record from their parts. She was thirteen, with sad brown eyes and limp brown hair, ninety-seven pounds.

"Why do they post these reports when nothing comes from it?" Maize asked. "It's like President Aberdeen does it to pretend he cares. In all the years, not one has ever returned home or been found alive."

"What you think is happening to them. M . . . them who go missing?" Ollie stared up at the giant screen.

Maize shrugged. "Rumor is some run away to be with their boys fighting in the West. Some are killed by the wild animals while hunting. I guess we'll never know."

"But what do you think?"

"I'm sure the capital is behind it."

Ollie sighed. "Why you hate them so much, M? How you gonna make it over there?" Ollie picked up a piece of iron and banged it on the ground. "Sorry to tell you M, but you'll have to shake it off. You'll only make things worse for yourself with that kind of attitude."

"Keep your loyalty to the leadership to yourself, Ollie. I don't want to hear it. They've done nothing but keep us down since our ancestors came to this godforsaken place. Trapped us and tell us they're protecting us. I don't want to hear it.?"