The Green Rising

Chapter Thirty

A scream cut through the night and jostled me awake. I patted my surroundings to find my bearings, my achy back reminding me I was upstairs. Where was it coming from?

“Mommy!” The scream belonged to Rosabel, and her voice was laden with sobs. Maggie and Noah joined in on the ruckus before I reached the stairs.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” I said. “Mommy’s right here.” I ran downstairs, scraping my leg on the bed’s metal frame. The burn smarted and I stifled a curse word. I shook away the pain and deliberated on which child needed me the most. Noah wouldn’t stop crying until he was in my arms, but the girls were blubbering. I lifted the baby from the playyard and scooted between Rosie and Maggie.

Their wails trailed off instantly as I settled into my spot. “I was afraid you left us like Daddy did,” Rosabel said.

“I won’t ever leave you, baby girl. Never.” I kissed the top of her head. Her hair smelled like apples and I inhaled another breath of it, longing for the days when I took that scent for granted. “You’re stuck with me forever.”

“I miss Daddy,” Maggie whispered. An auburn ringlet fell across her face. I brushed it away and gave her a kiss as I tucked the tendril behind her ear.

“I miss him, too. He’ll be home soon.”  I didn’t believe it, but it seemed wrong to deny them hope. “I’ll bet he’s working hard right now and helping lots of people.”

“Yeah. My daddy’s Superman.” Maggie beamed as she extolled her father’s many great qualities. She sounded so grown up for a three-year-old. Or was she four now?

I did the math and figured out that tomorrow was her birthday, if I hadn’t missed counting. I let out a sigh. She had no idea; all of our days blurred to an endless compilation of nothingness. And I had nothing to give her, other than my love.

Rosabel hugged a little closer to me. “Mommy, are you okay?” I nodded. “Where’s Jessa? Why didn’t she come to us when we cried?”

How could I answer the question? Truthfully, I suppose. “I don’t know where she is.”

“She hates us, Mommy. Doesn't she?” Maggie cried.

“No. She doesn’t hate you. Me, perhaps, but you girls are too good for anyone to hate.” I ran my fingers through Rosie’s hair, trying to tame her tangles.

There was a pregnant pause as they tried to determine why she would leave us. Eventually Rosabel asked, “Do you think the greenies found her?”

“How do you even know about the greenies?”

“We heard you and Daddy talking about them. And I heard Miss Miller say the greenies were going to save us. One of them came to school to talk about their church.”

So much for the separation of church and state. The school wouldn’t allow prayer of any kind, yet the Order didn’t have to play by the same rules. Heidi had told me when she provided me with her translation that the order was hoping to infiltrate schools, but I hadn’t expected they were indoctrinating my own child. I bit my lip to diminish the shock. 

“Are the greenies going to save us from the bad people?” Rosabel asked.

“Sweetie, the greenies are the bad people. If you see anyone wearing a green robe, I want you to run away as fast as you can.” Running had worked for me, after all.

She frowned. Rosie had never been gullible, and she seemed to be weighing what she knew of the teacher versus what I'd just told her. “But Miss Miller wouldn’t hurt me. She helped me in school.”