Beast

Chapter 1 - The Walls

Inhale, exhale. Each day, every hour, every moment of my life I have been doing the same thing. Inhale, exhale. I have taken breaths in and out, every second. They keep my heart beating. But I have broken the chain one too many times before. This happens, when I see the sunset. Because of it's beauty. Because it almost makes me forget that what follows it, is nothing compared to it's beauty itself.

"Lindsey, meet me by the tree once you're finished up with that," I remind my friend Lindsey. She looks up from the powdered mixture she's creating with a stone-carved mortar and pestle. She gives me a genuine smile, which I reflect back to her.

"No problem Cris, but can you go get some more wild licorice? This won't be enough to last long," Lindsey asked while nodding to the powder which she has now poured into one of the mason jars which is labeled with 'cough remedy', lined up next to many other different jars that sit along the old wooden shelves.

"Sure thing," I reply, shooting her one last glance as I exit the small room which she and a few others including myself make medicines for the sick or injured. I stroll down the dimly lit hallway, giving genuine smiles to all the people whom I'm around often. The hallway is lit from the radiant sunlight that pours through the windows. The town ran out of electricity long ago.

"Cristine, you leaving this soon? You still got another half-hour," Aaron questions me, blocking off the open doorway which leads straight outside.

"Nah, I'm just gettin' some more wild licorice for Lindsey," I explain, while flipping my blonde hair behind my shoulder. He scoffs then shuffles out of the way, staring me down as I exit the hospital. I hear the creaky wooden door shut behind me and quick footsteps approach me on the gravelly dirt path that leads to one of the exits along the walls. I cringe before I even hear his voice confront me, before he even faces me.

"Hi Cristine," Aaron greets me, running his fingers through his light brown hair. I roll my eyes before I reply.

"Hi. Do you need something?"

"Uh, no, sorry. Can I um, tag along?"

"I don't know how much use a door-stopper will have when gathering herbs, but whatever," I reply. All he did was stay at the main entrance of the hospital and keep track of who was on what shift and when.

I continue down the path until I come up to the exit door designed for gatherers to have easy access to and from the forest outside the walls. Secretly I'm glad that Aaron tagged along, since it's kinda intimidating to have your guard down while gathering for roots in the shadowy part of the woods. It's darker because the wall casts a shadow over it for quite a ways - especially when it's late afternoon and the sun's soon to be low. If the forest was peaceful like elders say they used to be, I most likely wouldn't be quite as timid. But the forest wasn't peaceful.

"Follow close behind, you don't want to get lost and get stuck out here past daylight," I warn Aaron. I turn to see his response and he looks down at me to nod. I look up at the patrol who stands up along the wall, and she climbs down to unlock the door which is locked from both sides and only guards have access to it. "Thanks," I say after she has climbed back up the ladder. I'm pretty sure her name is Melissa, but I'm not positive.

Aaron and I step out into the forest, and Aaron closes the door behind him. I can hear it lock itself.

"With wild licorice the leaves are alternate, with oblong leaflets. The flowers are yellowish-white, in spike-like clusters. Fruit are brown pods that are covered with long hooked prickles," I explain to Aaron. "Clear?"