What We Trade Our Hearing For (a North and South Story)

14. Wars

"Men of destruction reap iniquity

When heroes of courage die with dignity

How many weapons did I help create?

And how many lives will it devastate?"

-Hurt

Maggie

Things had been strangely quiet for a few days. Everyone seemed frozen, waiting on the edge of their seat to see who would cave first. Maggie could tell people were getting agitated; the city fizzled with anxious energy, ready to burst at any moment when the pressure got to be too much. She saw it in the tired lines on Becca's face, felt it in Nick's glaring absence as he spent more time at the bar.

Life couldn't come to a complete halt, though, and her mom's illness was too obvious to ignore. Maggie remembered what Faith had said about essential oils- the thought came to her as she heard her mother retching in the bathroom. In a desperate attempt to do something, anything, to help, she decided to head over to the Thornton's. It felt good to be out of the house, the chilly air cooling her lungs and wind whipping through her hair.

On a whim, she decided to ride her dad's bike over. It was less than 5 miles and seemed like a perfect way to blow off some of the anxious energy thrumming through her body. Helmet on, she pedaled through the side streets to avoid car traffic as much as possible. Almost no one was out and about, it seemed, unusual even for mid-morning. Was it a holiday she'd forgotten about? Her mom hadn't felt like even watching the news this morning, so she wasn't sure.

Mrs. Thornton opened the door with concern creasing her brow. "Oh, Maggie, it's you. I thought... Did you see John on the road?" She asked in an anxious tone, looking around fervently before pulling Maggie in and closing the door firmly behind her.

"No," Maggie responded, wondering why John would be expected home this time of day, anyway. "I'm sorry to bother you, Mrs. Thornton, Faith had just mentioned the other night about some essential oils for my mother..." She trailed off, hearing a strange thundering sound in the distance.

Before she could figure out where the sound was coming from, the door burst open again, startling both the women. "John! Thank goodness you're home." His mother cried while he locked the door behind him.

John was obviously surprised to find Maggie in his home but was apparently in too much of a rush to question it. "Mom, Maggie, y'all go upstairs. Get the gun, lock the door, stay quiet." He was struggling to catch his breath, looking like he had run all the way home from The Mill. He motioned again for them to go upstairs as the roaring sound from outside grew louder.

There was a gun suddenly in John's hand as if it materialized out of thin air. Maggie glanced at it quickly before locking eyes with John. There was none of the soft kindness she'd become accustomed to seeing in his eyes. Instead, she saw the cold, calculating fear of a soldier preparing for battle. The expression on his face sent shivers down her spine, freezing her in place until Mrs. Thornton tugged her up the stairs. They raced up the staircase and into a back bedroom where Faith was already huddled in a corner, the older woman grabbing a shotgun from a rack before telling the girls to stay put.

Of course, Maggie followed Mrs. Thornton down the hall to a room with windows overlooking the street, staggering a bit when she saw what was below. A sea of people crowded in front of the house, chanting something she couldn't make out. But one thing was obvious, they were upset, and there was no question who the focus of their anger was.

Across the room was a TV set to the news station, a familiar name catching her attention. The headline on the screen said, "Thornton initiates plan to break Ghost's boycott." Oh no. Maggie's heart sunk as the newscaster outlined the details of the plan. It was actually an impressive idea, but she could see what had stirred the boycotters into such a frenzy. They stood on the front lawn of the large house, not yet willing to make the leap onto the porch and forgo all sense of order. She wondered how long that feeling would hold.