Beyond Our Fate

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

            There was no applause for the safe. There was no applause that your children were safe for another year. There were two 13 year olds losing their life this year, and not a single boy; the ideal combination for the dome leaders. If you got rid of females the population would be even easier to control. After the ceremony, we have 2 minutes each with up to 3 people. I chose Mom, Dad and Oasis. Even though there wasn’t a class system in Delta, the safe were considered above the sendaways, so I wasn’t allowed to see Cajun.

            We were put into small concrete rooms, with a small window inches from the roof, and a door. There were chains in the corner meaning that some years it got violent. The first thing that I noticed was it was surprisingly cold in the rooms

            A guard came into the room “Your first family member is here”

            “Mom! Oh my god I promise did nothing to anyone or anything, it was one in more than 5 thousand!”

            “I know honey! I can’t believe it at all! I won’t believe it at all!”

            At this point I started crying and so did she. Losing your only 2 daughters is heart wrenching.

            By now my mother was talking through sobs “I-know-you-know about Evelyn, I- love –you-so-much Fedora!”

            “I love you too mum. So much and I will do everything I can to get back. I promise!”

            The gruff guard stormed in “Times up.”

            “Nooooooooooo!! Mom!” I screamed and ran to hug her, but one guard grabbed my arms and pinned them behind my back, and one grabbed her and pushed her out.

            The door slammed shut behind her, and my guard let go and followed “You people are evil! I used to trust you and your stupid dome!” I screamed uselessly at the sound-proof door.

            “Your next Family member is here.”

            “Get out and sent them in.” I responded through gritted teeth

            “You are not authorized to talk to me that way Ms. Par; I do have authority to cut short your last visits though.” He talked in an accent that I didn’t recognise, but it sounded rich and sophisticated, like one that Jazzy and the mayor’s family spoke in.

            “Dad!” I rarely saw my dad because he was a shopkeeper, so he didn’t live with us; he lived above his shop. There was normally one room for the shop keeper to live in at every shop.

            “Sweetie there is nothing to worry about. You will not die out there if you follow my instructions, do you understand me?’

            “Yes daddy I understand, but at the same time, I don’t. There is no way to get back in no matter what. It’s not like I haven’t done anything bad in my life like read restricted books. I have, I admit it! There were plagues, there were wars, and there were people that looked different and people who had more money than our mayor! What if they are still out there?” I was totally confused on why he was being so calm about it, yet his face showed that he was crying inside.

            “Don’t think of this as a death sentence. Think of this as a new adventure that brings you to new people. Sweetie I love you and no matter what I want you to believe. When they set you out, they will instantly abandon you. You have to go out and walk in a straight line towards the sun. Do that for 2 days. You will come up to a sign. Wait at it. Can you promise me that?”

            “Yes, d-daddy I will do whatever you want me to do. I love you.”

            The guard walked in “Time is up. Do you want to do this the easy way or the hard way?”

            “I love you daddy, I love you and I promise!” I screamed as they closed the hard concrete door behind me, leaving me feeling very cold and very alone.

            The door slammed open. “Last one. This one is a friend.”

            “Fedora! Fedora! Fedora! Noooo it can’t be you! You never got cited; you never got on the mayors nerves!” Oasis sobbed.

            “It’s ok, I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me. Oh my god! I can’t be strong for you, I-I love you and I can’t leave you!” I cried

            “No you can’t leave!” She sobbed “It should have been me! It just should have been me!

            We spent the next minutes just saying things we did that were fun and hugging silently. As they were closing the door behind her, I heard a voice screaming, and footsteps running in the hallway. Someone was fighting the system and I liked the sound of it. As if my legs had a mind of their own, I ran towards the sound. It was a guard fighting with two men, someone who resembled Cali, probably an older brother, and my own brother.

            “Aero?” I questioned. My voice didn’t sound right, it was quite shaky but calm. The exact opposite of what I was feeling.

            “They can never have you Fedora! You’re mine!”

            “You’re tearing apart my whole family!” I screamed “Didn’t you see the look of terror and pain on my mother’s face?” I choked on a sob.

            The guard beside my grabbed my legs and my guard grabbed my arms and they dragged me across the concrete floor to my room, I was screaming not in anger, but in pain now. They threw me into the cell like I was nothing but a bag of rotten potatoes. As they left me huddled on the floor of my temporary room, hair wet with tears, sweat and blood from my cheek dragging on the rough ground, I realized that now that I was truly alone. I would never get to set things right between me and my precious little brother