[Discontinued] Not Equal

six//the first work day

I glance at the door, nervously. A Male opens it quickly and hastily shuts it after we walk in. This Male was much older than Cole and was wearing a suit that looked priceless.

I walked inside, noting every detail. The first thing I noticed was that the home unit was huge. It was maybe twenty times or larger than our home unit and had beautifully decorated rooms with doors and walls and glass. The Male did not speak to me, which was odd, not even to ask for my name.

I am escorted into the center of the home unit. We walk into the kitchens and rooms that I don't have in our home unit, past all of the fancy furniture and paintings~painting. They had art.

So why wasn't it allowed for Females?

"Go on." The Male says harshly. It's the first time he's spoken since he opened the door, and it startles me, not in a good way.

I keep on walking, admiring all the perfectly tidied objects and the golden-edged mirrors.

The Male stops at the door, and I stop too. He opens the door and walks outside, and I follow him. The door opens up to a path. The path spirals down valleys, towards a farm.

A farm?

The Male practically shoves me down the path, and I grit my teeth. I have a brain, you know. I have Feelings, even though it's against the Rules.

The farm is full of older Females, preparing to work. I can already see some Females beginning to work, at 3 am, and it outrages me. The Male doesn't flinch. He continues walking down the path, and I trail after him. We reach the farm and a Female glances at me. The corners of her mouth lift in the slightest smile, a tiny crack that surprises me.

"This is Madilynn Carter." The Male says, his voice bored. "She will be working with you today. Take her to the fields and make sure she is on task." He shoots a glare at the Female who had smiled at me.

That's odd, I think, shivering. He knew my name already, without any of us telling him.

"Yes, sir." The Female quickly averts her gaze and bends her head down. She grabs my hand, and I almost let out a shout, but she doesn't flinch. Her cracked, dirty nails bite into my skin, and I grit my teeth.

The Female pulls me towards a corner of the shed, where she gives me a straw hat that itches on my head. "Your name." She says firmly. The Female stares at me. She has grey eyes, and it startles me. I have never seen anyone with grey eyes.

"Madilynn," I say. Didn't the Male already say my name?

The Female stares at me. "Your original name, dear. They change your name."

Do they change your name? I shiver. I had never heard of this part of Aging before.

"That is my name. They didn't change it." I stare back into her eyes, as well.

The Female doesn't look amused. "Very well." I expect her to start teaching me how to work in the fields, but she doesn't. She straightens her back and stares straight ahead.

Confused, I look ahead as well. Several other Females have looked forward, and I shift nervously. They all look at attention, ready to perform an order. The Thought comes to my head, but before I can process it, four Males walk into the shed. Three of them linger behind, a silhouette in the distance, while the other one walks forward to face us.

"I except every single one of you to fill up fifteen sacks of cotton, to the rim." His voice is harsh and unfeeling. "I couldn't care less if it hurts."

I furrow my brows. Fifteen sacks aren't a lot. I glance around at the other Females, trying to catch their expression. The Female who had given me a straw hat was pressing her lips tight together, her face trying not to show any emotion.