The Revolution

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

I was sitting at the small table with Louisa, Belle and Marnie, watching them scrawl on some paper with a few crayons.  Belle seemed to be drawing some form of red and blue rainbow, with strange shapes on top of it.  Louisa was drawing a person - well, I say person, it was actually a face with arms, legs and a big bow, so I guessed it was a girl.  Marnie was drawing a very detailed flower, which surprised me as I'd never known that she was any good at drawing.  But now, looking at the rose on her paper, I was amazed - I couldn't draw to save my life! 

The front door opened, and Rachel walked past with a small bag. 

"Watcha got momma?" Belle asked, hopping off the chair and reaching for Rachel's bag.  Rachel brought the bag down to Belle's height so she could look inside.

"The nice girl next door gave me a few seeds so we can start growing some food." Rachel told her daughter.  Belle quickly lost interest and went back to drawing. 

"Where are you going to plant them - we don't have a garden."  I pointed out, but Rachel just smiled.

"No, but there is a small garden at the end of the houses, called the Allotment, where I can plant them." Rachel said, "I'm going there now."

"Momma I wants to come." Belle said excitedly.

"Can I comes too pleases." Louisa chirped when she saw Belle leave the table.

"You both can come, any other takers?" Rachel asked me, Marnie and Aaron.  Aaron shook his head, but Marnie nodded.

"Yeah, I'll come." She put down her pencil and slid off the chair.  Rachel looked at me.

"No thank you." I said.  Rachel nodded and took the three girls out.  Aaron was sitting on another chair, reading some book, so I didn't want to disturb him.  Instead, I went upstairs.  I sat on the edge of my bed, pondering what to do, when something hanging down from Aaron's bed caught my eye.  It was some paper.  When I looked at it more closely, I could see it was a sketchbook.  Overcome by curiosity, I opened it up, and my jaw dropped.  There were so many amazing sketches of a beautiful girl.  She had long, dark hair that fell in beautiful curls over her shoulders and down her back.  The pictures ranged from full body sketches to portraits that were shaded in such detail they could have been mistaken for photographs.  Everything was immaculate - the curve of her neck, the individual strands of hair,  the lifelike eyes staring off into the distance.  I wonder who it was - had he already met someone here?  I doubt it, he'd only been out the house once and that was with me and Zayne.  So that must mean he has a girlfriend before - someone who was either still at the camp, or maybe back at his original home.  I pursed my lips and had a strange feeling in my stomach, whenever I looked at this beautiful girl - I have no idea why.  I wonder why he never told me anything about her...then again, why would he?  We'd only known each other for a week or so, I had no right to demand answers from him.  I slammed the sketchbook closed and place it back on his bed, before walking downstairs and pulling my boots on.

"Where you going?" Aaron's voice appeared behind me, only making those feelings in my stomach return.

"Out." I said sharply, sharper than I'd meant to.  Without looking back, I walked out of the house.   I didn't know where I was going, I just needed some air.  I walked along the dust path, following the route that Zayne had shown me, but after a while, I'd gotten lost.  I was surrounded by trees - I knew I was still in the village territory because I hadn't passed the fence.  This must've been the hunting grounds Zayne was talking about.  I sat down by a small pond with a little stream flowing into it, and slipped my boots off, before dipping my feet into the cool water.  It reminded me of when I'd sit by the lake at my home - I'd sit there to escape everything, and I'd dream of a simpler life.  Be careful what you wish for, I thought to myself.