I push Downs out the door.
“Go on!”, I call. “Don’t come home too soon!” She stumbles down the front steps and onto the porch. Clutching the scrap of paper that has a list of things I need on it, she turns around, looking silently at me. I shake my head, and close the front the door, swallowing back tears.
I watch through the window. Downs doesn’t look back again, and she joins the crowds of other children. Pressing my hands against the smudged window pane, I notice a girl staring at me, eyes narrowed. She stands in the shadow of a nearby house, clutching a worn, masking-taped, black and gray walkie talkie. I freeze.
The girl smiles grimly, lifts the walkie talkie to her ear, and speaks into it. I throw myself away from the window, panting. It was an Ear. I swear, it was an Ear. And she saw me watching Downs. I slowly sink to my knees, laying my head in my hands. I close my eyes, and fall into a restless sleep.
The sun is sinking behind the trees, and Downs hasn’t come home. Other children make their way back from the market, older siblings waiting at the windows, faces masks of indifference.
Wrapping my frayed shawl tighter around my shoulders, I try not to look worried. There are Ears everywhere. Larkin lets out a cry, waking up from her nap. I grit my teeth and focus on not caring. A strong wind picks up, blowing through the cracks in our ramshackle house. The rags Mother stuck between the boards before she was killed do little to keep out the chill.
The sun starts to set, and I close the door. Downs isn’t here. Larkin lets out another cry, and I have to wind my hands in my shawl to keep from reaching over and picking her up. Even with the door closed, we aren’t safe. Another Ear could still report us.
I take a deep breath and move to sit on the small wooden stool, the only piece of furniture we have. Smoothing my thin skirt over my knees, I close my eyes, resting my head in my hands. Suddenly, there’s a loud knock on the front door. I jump to my feet, tipping over the stool. Larkin starts to scream, and I hurry to the door, pulling it open. A clean-shaven man in a dark green uniform stands there, badge in hand, gun slung over shoulder.
“Are you Wynter?”
I nod, my voice failing me.
“You are to report to the Skyscraper tomorrow morning. We have your sister.”
My throat closes up.
“Wha-what?” I manage to gasp. The soldier looks at me.
“We have Downs.” He turns abruptly and leaves, weaving through the maze of broken-down houses and factories, making his way towards the Skyscraper in the distance.
I watch him go, heart pounding. They’ve got Downs. Gently, I close the door. Larkin whimpers, her tiny fists waving in the air. The whistles through the house, stirring up dust and making the rags flutter. I walk over to the wooden crate in the corner and pick up Larkin. She immediately stops crying and closes her big blue eyes. I smile a little, and it feels foreign. Laying her back in the crate, I fix the stained blanket that used to be one of Mother’s skirts.
There isn’t much time. I need to leave. Furiously, I brush away a tear. There’s no time for crying. Quickly, I tie my shawl tighter around my shoulders and smooth the scarf holding back my thick dark brown hair. I pull on another skirt and double knot the laces on my cracked leather boots. There’s nothing to be done about the holes in my stockings, or rip on my blouse across the left shoulder.
Getting to my feet, I walk quickly to the door. Larkin whimpers in her sleep. I stop, hand resting on the rusted knob. What about the baby? Who...who will take care of her? Swallowing, I try to make myself leave. But I can’t. How can I choose between Downs and Larkin? Dropping to my knees, I rest my head in my hands. There are too many Ears. Larkin won’t stand a chance alone in the house. But neither will Downs with the government. I know they won’t hesitate to kill her if I don’t go to them and become an Ear.
