The Ruins Of Us

The Burning

They healed my wound as if magic. A salve was diligently rubbed into the burn and bandaged for twenty minutes or so before removing it. Both brands had been cast now with an AB+ expertly, cleanly stamped into the inner part of my wrist. I ran my fingers over it as I was nudged towards the barracks. I was fixated. Ruth was right, we were cattle, only they knew what we felt and thought, they simply didn't care.

"I thought I'd hear you screaming" Ruth's familiar voice reached my ears. I rose my eyes to see her sat on the edge of the porch, her hands poised as she skinned the bucket of potatoes at her feet.

"I didn't?" I asked delicately, my body too weak to strengthen my tone.

"Nope, you did good green"

"Well, it's over now, won't have to go back"

"You will. Not physically, but when you hear the screaming, you will always be back in that shack", I took her darkened eyes as a testament to her experience, the lines etched into her skin did their job, reflecting the horror that must've flickered in her mind.

"They've already got you to work" I nodded, changing the topic as quickly as it came. I could not think of it, not so soon.

"If we wanna eat, we gotta work for it"

"I haven't had potatoes in years, a winter a few years back ruined our crop"

"Well, we've got roasties on the way, look forward to what you can. That's my advice"

"Looking forward to roast potatoes, that's all we get?", my sardonic tone wasn't lost on the woman as she sighed deeply, her whole body seemed to deflate.

"It's better than nothing, they'll give you a square of chocolate after harvest"

"Chocolate?" I asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, they import it from Peru. It's good stuff, not like the sugary crap in the old world"

"They really have the whole world under their thumb then?", I could feel my spite hatred to life.

"Seems so, wouldn't know. We overhear stuff if we're lucky. When you're always around, hearing their language enough, some words slip through"

"I could never, I always struggled with languages"

"My husband... he was Polish, I always tried to pick it up-" she chuckle as she recalled a memory of the old world, "I was just getting conversational Polish when they came"

"You remember the day?"

"I'm sure everyone does, celebrating the new year and all. What a new year it was"

"Yeah... what I would give for a Quality Street right now"

Ruth gave a hearty peal of laughter, she appeared younger when she smiled. "You and me both... I used to hide them around the house like an Easter egg hunt on Christmas, for the... kids and such"

"We had many traditions in my house but nothing like that"

It was in concluding the rare, light-hearted conversation, that my body began to regain feeling, draining off the last traces of adrenaline coursing through my system. It was quick when my legs gave out but Ruth was quicker, catching me in her strong arms before I collapsed to the ground.

"And there we go, I was waiting for it to kick in", I wanted to smile but I couldn't do anything, only hold onto Ruth as she dragged into the barrack. I prayed the nightmares wouldn't come after today, after what I'd endured. I mostly prayed to my Dad, muttering for words of strength but only my heaving breaths sounded in the shared sleeping area.