The Resistance

Chapter eight

Roll up Roll up

The air was cool on Caleb’s face, he had run clear of the school in a matter of minutes but for good measure he ran a little further out of view. When he as sure that no one had seen him, Caleb dashed across the road and down the street, only for a second reentering the view of prying eyes.

Caleb’s heart raced, fear and adrenaline the only thing keeping his empty stomach going, as he neared the end of the street the pain the his stomach grew to an ache. Why did he not have anything this morning, why did he think he could last the night without food? The night was dark and school had only begun, he had just a few hours to get to where ever he could, eat, and get back to school before they phoned his Farther.

Suddenly the pain in Caleb’s stomach was more than just an ache, it had become full on pain, his head was spinning and he now realized that Scott was most likely right, he was ill. A small café caught Caleb’s attention and without giving it a second thought, he bolted across the road once more.  Cars honked their horns as they desperately tried not to hit him, but Caleb didn’t care one thing was on his mind and one thing only, eating.

The doors of the café felt heavy in Caleb state, he had to push with all his might to get them to open. Caleb had felt hunger pains before when he was a child but nothing like this, nothing that made him want to rip his intestines out. The pain grew with every passing second; weakly Caleb approached the young girl behind the counter. He gazed at her unable to speak for a moment

“Anything” he snapped “Get me anything” the girl stood unsure of what to do, if he could just get her to hand him something to eat he would be fine but she just stood like a frightened rabbit with lights shining at its eyes.

“Don’t just stand there” He barked “Get me something” the girl then snapped out of her gaze and grabbed several things from the glass display cabinet, placing the red pastries on the countertop in front of him she ran to the coffee machine and made him a drink. Caleb instantly started eating as fast as he could, trying to relieve some of the pain. It was working; the pain in his stomach had almost gone by the time he reached the third bun.

The girl had moved him into the corner, out of the sight on passersby. Caleb sat in a small metal garden chair that was decorated in fake flowers; the table wasn’t much different ether. Now that he thought about it, the whole shop looked like it had come out of a 20th century magazine.

The girl, who was still helping him, even after he spoke to her so rudely, came toward him carrying two coffees on a silver tray. Placing the drinks on the table sat then sat down in the chair opposite.

She glided so delicately in to place, her beautiful dark brown hair and brown eyes where mesmerizing, a lot like Payton’s but they had a more real feel to them. There were no F.I.C.C product on this girl, Caleb liked that, so many girls were artificial now that finding one that was all natural was a relief. Her rosy cheeks complemented her painted red lips, which was about the only thing that wasn’t her natural color. Caleb suddenly realized that he was staring at her, a flush of embarrassment shot through his body. He looked to the floor hoping that she hadn’t noticed but she had, she gave a small laugh and pushed the coffee toward him but he refused to take it in his shame.

This just made her laugh again “You have to drink” the amusements was gone from her voice and concern now took its place. Caleb pulled the hot black soup up to his lip and took a sip, amazed with the rich taste he continued to drink, again amusing the young girl across from him.

“Do you find me funny?” he question, uncertain whether the girl knew who he was.

“No, I just think the way you act is funny” she giggled, looking at him with some sort of recognition “do I know you?” the concern still in her voice

“Indirectly, maybe” Caleb shrugged his muscular shoulders and the girl sunk back it to the hard mental chair, she put a finger on her chin and bit her lower lip trying to place Caleb’s face.

“Oh you’re the ministers’ kid! Right?” a part of Caleb was disappointed, he didn’t want her to know, he just wanted to have a convocation with a stranger, where he was a stranger as much as they were a stranger to him.

“Yeah, I am” he sighed

“And do you always skip meals?” Caleb was in shock, how she could ask such a thing was beyond him

“NO, and any way it’s none of your business” he smacked his hand over his mouth as soon as those words came out, but the girl just laughed

“So even Council members aren’t as perfect as we Underlings thick”  

“Please don’t use that term”

“What term?” she asked as if she hadn’t said it

“Underling” Caleb said quietly making sure that only the girl could hear, even though there was no else there

“Oh that!” she said in realization “There’s nothing wrong with it, I mean it’s what I am”

Caleb felt I certain awkwardness talking to this girl, for a girl so pretty she had some real ugly ideas.

“No, that’s not what you are! You are my equal” the girl just laughed again

“My blood isn’t as pure as yours, its diluted that’s why I am an Underling” she smiled like everything she was say was normal but nobody thought like that anymore “If I am your equal, then I am your fathers equal, yes?”  

“Yeah” Caleb wasn’t sure where this was going but he didn’t like it 

“Then why aren’t there election for a new Minister, why can’t anyone but high council members decide on what should be done about the rebellious colonies” the girl had gone from sweet to aggressive and protective.

“I don’t think I should talk about this with a stranger” Caleb said “I …. I am goanna get going”

“Yeah, sure run away from the hard questions” the girl shouted at him as he made his way to the door.

“Thank you and good day” he said politely before he pushed the door open and left the shrieking girl behind. Caleb found himself just wondering around the streets, unsure of weather to go back to school or not.

Time passed in the blink of an eye and suddenly he found himself in the center of uptown Westbury. The streets were busier here, people scrambled from one corner to the next, dashing in and out of stores. The street lights glow a pale white, thy light the way to a small make shift stand where a line of men and boys stood waiting to be seen.

The stand didn’t look make shift and it blended in with the white metallic street of uptown, it had a glass counter top and titanium poles had a camera built it. The two cameras worked together to project a holographic display, the words were on a loop ‘Sign up, Sign up now!, Sign up’ played over and over again.

“Roll up, Roll up” a skinny officer shouted from the side of the make shift stand “Roll up and Sign up today” the man’s voice echoed through the street “The Colonies need you to restore order and crush these rebels” Caleb thought about what the girl had said and realized he didn’t want to just be the ministers son, he wanted to be Caleb. He knew what he needed to do.

Caleb walked towards the glass counter top ignoring he queue of people waiting. Mumbles began in amongst the men, people recognized him, people knew who he was but that is just what Caleb wanted, he wanted for them to see the a High council members son was taking action, that he didn’t dance around the important things.

When he arrived at the counter top the boy behind it couldn’t believe his eyes. Like the girl before he stared dumfounded at Caleb unsure of what to do. Caleb took the pen in hand and then hesitated. Was this the right thing? Too late to back out now, Caleb pushed the pen against the paper and filled out his details, the muttering was continuing behind him but he tried to block it out, when he was done he just walked away and didn’t look back, if he had second thoughts it was too late.

All of a sudden men from nearby stores came rushing into the street to join the line And the murdering had become and all out riot of men pushing a shoving to sign up for the colony forces.

Caleb didn’t look back, he didn’t laugh, he didn’t do anything but smile as he walked back to school.