I, Keeper Lareine

CHAPTER ONE

  “Come.” My mother’s hair reflects the evening sun as she skips along the roadside. It is plain defiance to do so, she is well aware, so am I. I want to stop her, but my words have no sound when they come out, she doesn’t hear me or the noise that the Keepers make when they run towards us and pick me up. I scream, she still doesn’t turn back. I hear her humming above the sound of the Keepers shouting at her. They knock her to the ground, she screams when they put a gun to the back of her head. There’s a loud bang then she stops her shrieking, the square is silent save for my screaming.

  “Aleira.” I see her waving her hands, and the hole in her face spurts blood. I don’t call back, my throat is sore from screaming, and it all suddenly seems less real.

  “Aleira.” It’s not her voice, it’s Ann, but I can’t see her.

  “Aleira, it’s a dream.” My eyes flicker open, even though I thought they were open.

  “Ann, it’s my mom, I saw her again.” I can’t keep the panic out of my voice, and I’m breaking the rules by speaking so loudly, she doesn’t seem to mind, just smoothes my hair back from my forehead.

  “No, child, she’s gone. You just dreamt of her.” There’s sadness in her voice that I can’t relate to. Like she’s sorry for me, I don’t want her pity, it can change nothing, I want my mother back. She was just right there, I could touch her, I want to wake up from this horrible dream, I want to find out that what I saw wasn’t real, I want so many things. So many impossible things.

  “Okay, I’ll wake up now, let’s start on the chores.” Sitting up, I brush the ghost of the familiar nightmare away.

  “Good girl.” Ann’s worn face seems to dim a little at the mention of starting chores.

  “Or we could just stay in bed, lazing around until lunch time.” I say carefully, trying to make her smile again.

  “No, better get things done before-” She bites her lip and stops talking abruptly. Biting her lip is something she doesn’t do except in troubling situations. Nothing seems troubling right now.

  I don’t press her for answers, because I know that she tells me what I need to know, and I need to know nothing more. That’s the way things are in Ronin, our district, I don’t have to question anything. But sometimes, my curiosity isn’t satisfied and I have to stuff it all the way down. I used to question things, question the way things were, but after my mom died, eleven years ago, I stopped being inquisitive. I’m sixteen years old now, and I still can’t get the image of the gaping hole in my mom’s face out of my mind.

  Being with Ann helps, she is such a nice person, but she can’t replace my mother, nobody can. I grew up not knowing anyone outside of school, Ann isn’t a very sociable person and never goes to the annual feast that the Cresta, the capitol, throws for us. She says that the feast is barbaric, from what my schoolmates tell me, it isn’t, but I suppose everyone’s way of thinking is different. 

  “Child,” her voice sounds in the kitchen. “It’s late morning, I think you’ll have a brunch.”

  “Later, I’m not really hungry.” I say, picking up the broom in the corner.

  “Aleira, please.” Desperation tinges her voice and sends a chill up my spine. “Let’s eat together, I’m hungry.”

  “Well, you can have it first, I’m not hungry.” Fear makes the words stick in my throat, she panics for good reasons, and she’s panicking now, she sounds desperate and sad.

  “Please!” She almost shouts and walks out to me. But it’s too late, the front door bursts open and men in dark suits march in.

  “Who are you?” I demand, stepping in front of Ann instinctively. “What do you want?”