Deprived

Chapter 7

A badly beaten body—blue-black from plastic cords—hung from the gallows. Two village guards watched and laughed as the elephas fed on the feet and legs.

A one-legged-blue-bird hopped on the head and shoulders of the body, settled down, then feasted on the eyeballs.

Carts and villagers weaved through the square. Mr. Jameson came to a complete stop behind a wagon pulled by an elephas that seemed too old and too fat to keep going.

"Take heart, my children," he said to Maize and Leon. "We have enough time to get to the gates of Wisteria on time. I know you're all excited. That's why I always believe in an early start, for times like these."

Maize wished they would be late.

Leon sat beside Maize in the backseat of the car. Since they picked him up at his house, he never stopped talking.

"Ooh, it's crazy out here."

"Uhm, hmm."

"I can't wait to get in behind those walls. I can just imagine all the good-looking sprouts in there. I hope they'll be half as pretty as you are, Maize? Yea, pretty girls, all different types, shapes, and colors. I'm sure I'll have a lot for the picking." Leon said, rubbing his hands together.

"You are disgusting, like a dog in heat."

"Ooh, that hurt," Leon said. "Why are you so mean to me?" He raised his hand to touch her hair.

"Touch me, and I'll punch you in the throat."

"Okay...okay," Leon said as he raised both hands in the air.

"Snob," Leon said. "A cute one, though." He laughed.

"Don't worry. I know not to mess with you. I've seen you throw a knife." He paused then added, "Tell me. What's so wrong with thinking about my prospects? I'll be spending the rest of my life in that place."

"Yes, but our priority is to find a cure for the virus."

"And I plan to do that while I'm having fun."

Maize rolled her eyes.

"Loosen up, my peer. But you've always been an uptight girl. Loosen up, have some fun."

"Your idea of fun is different from mine?"

"Maize, I've known you all your life. And you've only spoken to me what two or three times and it was always in the classroom. You uptight, baby. You need to loosen up."

"Yeah, I'm uptight. I'm uptight because I want more than just crumbs. I want the whole darn feast. But how can I, when everywhere I look, someone is dying or sick or beaten down to the ground by those bloody guards. You're bloody right, I'm uptight."

"Calm down. Calm down. Your luck is about to change. You're going to the perfect place on the Earth. A Heaven. A paradise. An Elysium, they say. Hopefully, then you can get rid of all that meanness." He said, smiling.

"Shut up, Leon." Maize turned her body away from him and looked through the window at the messy square for the last time. Maybe she was uptight, but she didn't think she was mean, or was she?

The shops were open and ready for another day of get-by business. No matter how hard Lessers worked, they only got by.

Under the shed Maize saw Mr. Tom, the blacksmith dripping in sweat, pounding away at a piece of flaming metal.

She would miss him more than anyone else in the square.

Lydia stood inside her stall, skillfully braiding a female Preppies hair. The Preppies bodyguard, a burly guy, stood nearby.