Incandescent

Chapter 7

It's the Green from the other day. He was the one who gave me far more coins than I could allow myself to keep.

I can feel my back filling with hot blood. Mine?

"Stop!" he yells again, but the Official has already backed down. 

"These two Purples were trying to attack me, falsely accusing me of things that are not true!" he defends.

The Green does not waver. "A purple trying an act of violence? Unheard of."

"Well it's true." he says matter-of-factly.

"Go on, I've got your badge number. Be on your way." the Green says.

The Official utters no more words and rushes away.

The Green watches as Mother rushes over to my side and Thyme helps to lift Father.

The Green won't stop looking at me with his creepy green eyes. I have to look away.

We slowly make our way home.

Pepper stops by with aloe vera and dried chamomile. She has made a salve to put on our wounds.

The neighbors are pooled around the front of our house. They are concerned. 

Father is asleep. Mother tends to him. "Marjoram, you foolish man." She weeps.

Thyme is cleaning my jaw and neck. I can barely keep my eyes open. So tired.

"You're stupid." he says quietly.

"What was I supposed to do, let him beat him?" I say, my jaw throbbing.

He sighs and says nothing.

Ginger stops by and cries at the sight of me. She's probably never seen anything like this before. 

I look in the mirror. I look awful.

Jaw swollen, angry welts on my neck. My back is torn, and bloody.

I need sleep. 

Why did that Green even interject to help?

Who is he?

Why wouldn't he stop looking at me?

I shiver. I need sleep.

---------------------

Pepper's salve has done WONDERS for me and I already look so much better. 

Granted, I still look like I was beaten harshly, but not nearly as bad. 

Father has a broken arm.

I bite my lip, trying not to cry. It seems like it's my fault even though it isn't.

I sit in my garden, picking at tiny weeds that grow around the edges of the peppermint.

Ginger emerges with a jar of coconut flakes. 

I smile. 

We grab some lime and honey. We pour it over the coconut flakes in a bowl. We scoop the flakes into our mouths, sticky fingers threatening to touch each other.

We lie on the grass and watch the palm fronds wave back and forth.

"Tomorrow is it. The Sorter will choose what we are going to do with the rest of our lives." She lifts her arms to emphasize the last part. She gets up and sits with her legs crossed and clasps both my hands in hers. 

"I know." I say quietly.

"I'm scared." She whispers. "What if we get sent to different things and I never see you again?"

My stomach drops, I'm nervous. But I don't want Ginger to know. 

I snort. "That'll never happen. Everyone knows we can't work for Blues, we can't even walk steadily enough for their liking." I laugh. 

"I'm serious." she responds.

"I know." I sigh. "We just aren't what the Blues are looking for anyway, they choose the strong ones, the ones with valuable knowledge. What do we know? NO-THING."

Ginger looks like she's about to cry.

I grasp her hands tightly. "We are going to be okay. We're gonna stay in Purple forever." Her purple eyes lock in with mine.

I poke her side. Her eyes crinkle and she starts smiling.

"You're right. I can't imagine you ever with a silver platter steadily serving ANYTHING." she laughs.

I get up and put my arms out as if I'm holding a tray. "Could I interest you in a cup of tea?" I theatrically fall over on top of her. She laughs, but I still see her worry.