Guarding Grace

Chapter One

  The young woman ran along the cobbled streets, searching for anywhere to hide. The guards, known as Trainers, chased after her. She thought back to the day when the Trainers weren't as rough. It occurred to her that the trainers only wanted her because of an ordinance that all women of childbearing age be given a thorough examination to determine fertility.

The Fertility Exam is mandatory for all natural born females.

She continued running, slowing only enough to turn a corner without falling over. She ducked into an alley, hoping that the Trainers would not follow her down an alley. Everyone knew that Trainers were more likely to be killed in the Rabble zone. She ran until she found the alcove she was looking for: Dark Annie's. She slipped through the door and made her way to the back room where she knew Dark Annie would be.

"Come in child, sit down and have some tea." a cracking voice called from the dark.

Dark Annie, a woman past childbearing age, but had yet to be reprimanded. She served her function. Stories circulated that if you had any sort of problem, you went to Dark Annie.

Especially if you are female and a Rabble. The girl walked into the darkness, sitting herself down on a larger, overstuffed pillow. "Problem, child?"

She swallowed, "Yes, no, maybe?" She wasn't sure if Dark Annie would be able to help her out of this predicament. "I will fail the Fertility Exam, I do not want to be reprimanded!"

Dark Annie smiled a toothless grin. "Why do you believe you will fail?"

Again a swallow, she could not think of a legitimate reason why she would fail, other than she had never bled.

"I have never bled. The Repros said..." Dark Annie scoffed, "The Repros know nothing. The Rabble have their own set of criteria. Do you eat? Take your VitalMins? Follow the Directive?"

She thought back to that morning. The VitalMan refused her ration card, stating she was no longer in the system. Her nutrition was up for discussion as she was now in her 16th year. But there had been other times he had refused her VitalMins. Out of her dosage, he said.

She looked at Dark Annie, "I eat when I can, VitalMins are a requirement, but I have not had any since my 16th birthday. The VitalMan said they are out of my dosage and my nutrition is up for discussion." She winced, it sounded made up, she didn't know if Dark Annie would believe her.

Dark Annie only nodded, "Of course your nutrition is up for discussion. Take this, mix it with water. Drink it down as fast as possible. There is no good taste. So hold your nose and drink." Dark Annie shoved an envelope of powder into her hand, "Remember drink fast."

She carefully tucked the envelope into the pocket of her tunic and turned and walked out of the dark room.She walked into the parlor and quietly asked for a glass of water. The man, covered in symmetrical scars that marked him as a Rouser, calmly handed her a small glass. She promptly dumped the powder in the glass, grabbing a spoon off the serving cart. She stirred the powder into the water until it turned a pale yellow. It smelled horrific, burning rubber mixed with blood.She held her nose as Dark Annie had said and drank the mixture in one gulp.

She swayed on her feet slightly, struggling to keep upright. The Rouser took her by her elbow and led her to a threadbare sofa. He gently pushed her down until she was sitting on the sofa, "You have to sit. The powder will tear your stomach up if you don't."

She looked at the Rouser. He had spoken? She was sure she had imagined the man speaking. She held her head in her hands. Why did the room start to spin?

The Rouser again gently pushed her head between her knees, "Careful now, you don't want to fall out. You'll feel better in a minute." She kept her head between her knees. Eventually, the floor stopped trying to run away from her and became still.

She rose up, intent on asking Dark Annie what was given to her when the door burst open and in filed Trainers.

The leader pointed a finger at her, "By ordinance 39 dash 40, you are to come with us to the EPub for your fertility exam."

He went to take her arm to pull her out of the room when Dark Annie appeared, "She is mine. I'm allowed an apprentice, she is that. Fertility Exam is not required."

The leader stared at Dark Annie, "You have not put in a request for an apprentice, she will go for her fertility exam."

Dark Annie chuckled, "Not required. You go ask your Master. He is no master of mine." Dark Annie took her arm, ".In the back, you have training to complete."

She did not offer a refusal nor an argument, Dark Annie was saving her from Fertility Exams. What did Dark Annie do exactly? Solve problems, she knew. But was she to be an apprentice to Dark Annie?

She sat down on the same overstuffed pillow she had sat on when she first came in and waited. She could hear a soft murmuring behind a curtain, she thought to herself 'who or what is making that noise? Should I look? No, what if Dark Annie sees me, catches me.'

"Curiosity killed the cat." She seemed satisfied with herself, coming to the decision to not try to investigate the noise.

She whirled around as she heard a cough, "Curiosity may have killed the cat, but satisfaction brought him back. The noise is a Rouser, freshly severed. Botched the job is what happened. Only partial severing. Poor thing will most likely be reprimanded. But not you, oh no, not you. You will learn all my secrets. You will become the new Dark Annie. Do you want to know the secrets of life and death? Do you want to learn to straddle the line between life and death?"

She thought a moment, undeath? Unlife? She slowly nodded, "Yes, I believe I do."

Dark Annie let out a barking laugh, "Then you are in the wrong place," she laughed again, "I am nothing more than a healer. We do not dabble in the Arts. Simple herbal remedies. You will learn how to mix them, how to treat different ailments. Now, before we begin, we will need to feed and bathe you. "

Dark Annie tottered toward the curtain where the murmuring came from. She spoke softly and soothingly to a figure on a cot. The figure settled down and seemed to fall asleep.