“You can’t go,” Carmen said. “You’ll die!” She took hold of her brother’s arm.
“I have to. If can’t stay in this place for another day.”
“It isn’t so bad, really. Can’t you just ignore them?” She tried to make the boy look into her eyes, but he maintained a steady gaze at the sandy ground.
“No, I can’t. I can feel it getting to me me. And I know that it’s affecting you. You’re going to tell them that I’m leaving, aren’t you?” Now his eyes rose to meet hers, hostility clear in his blue eyes. She let go of him, and moved back a step.
“No! I wouldn’t! How could you even say something like that?”
“You know what they preach, Carmen. ‘Familial ties weaken our bond with the Lord. Abandon them, and give your soul fully to your worship.’ No one can resist forever.” He looked into that horizon, past the ocean of sand. “And that’s why I have to get out of here.”
“I still love you, Isaac. You know that. Even if I do believe some of what they say, they could never tear us apart. We’ll always be together, no matter what.”
“Then will you come with me?”
“I – I – I don’t think I should. I mean, I couldn’t. They’d catch us, and we don’t know what would happen.” Tears welled in her eyes. They fell to the ground and were swiftly devoured by the thirsty dirt.
“I knew it,” Isaac said. Hoisting a bag onto one shoulder he bent down to kiss Carmen on the cheek. “I love you, Carmen.”
“Love you, Isaac.”
“You should get inside. We’re supposed to be praying. They’ll be wondering where we are. I don’t want to get you into trouble.” With that he turned and began walking down the gravel road. He looked back once. Carmen saw him and waved. He smiled at her, and then turned away
Carmen turned back, and wiped her face. She bit her lip as she watched her brother’s shape fade. On the stark landscape, his form was obvious, even from vast distances. The sun was beginning to set, and it hurt her eyes to watch. Still, she stayed where she was. When he began to look more like an ant than a person, she walked to the church.
At the front of the hall, there was a stage. On it was a lectern, which a preacher was standing behind, repeating his familiar sermon.
There was a large crowd of children, perhaps seventy, congregated in the church. Carmen slipped into the back row, next to a girl that she didn’t recognise. She must be new, she thought. Hopefully it’s safe, then.
The girl was frowning at the man behind the lectern. His tone was mild, completely contradicting the words he spoke. That’s a good sign, she thought.
Soon after, the gathering ended. The children filed from the church without a sound. When they were outside, they all shuffled through the warm sun for their medication.
They all moved into a small building, a dull white, the same as all of the buildings in the centre. Carmen walked to the end of the line, and there, she found the girl who had been sitting next to her in the church. “Hi,” Carmen said to her. “Are you new?”
The girl nodded. “I arrived this morning. My name’s Suzie.”
“Carmen. What’d you think of the service?”
“It was very – enlightening.” The girl stared at the ground as she said it. How far away could he be by now? Carmen thought.
Carmen laughed. Several children in front of them in the row turned back and glared. She leaned close to Suzie. “It’s all right. I haven’t been brainwashed like all the rest of these assholes.”
Suzie’s eyes widened. “I haven’t heard anyone else swear for years. That’s a relief.”
“So, what’d you get sent here for?”
“I told my mother that I didn’t understand why God could punishes innocent people. She turned me in straight away. What about you?”
“My brother and I kept a book we found. ‘Subversive literature.’ We didn’t think it was doing any harm.”
“Where is he now? He isn’t-” Suzie gazed along the line.
“No. He’d never give in to them.”
“Then he’s-”
“No,” Carmen said, interrupting the girl before she could finish her sentence. “He’s still alive. He ran away. Not even half an hour ago.”
Suzie gasped, again drawing the attention of the people in front of them. As they shuffled closer in the line, she said, “Do you think he’ll get away?”
“No one has before. They get them without even trying. Some, we never see again. But some join the group again after a day or two. They change, though. They end up following everything the preachers say. All I can do is hope that he’ll be the first to get away.”
The front of the line neared, and Carmen put a finger to her lips. They waited in subdued silence. When they came to the front, Carmen rolled up the sleeve of her shirt. One man held her arm steady while another injected her. She was then led out the other door.
The girls and boys were separated, and an official accompanied each group to their quarters. Plaques indicated the ownership of the room. Carmen was escorted inside hers. As the door closed behind her, she heard the clicking of a lock from outside. A similar noise, but fainter, came to her many times, as if it was an echo.
Carmen looked around the room. There was a set of drawers, a bed and a desk. Upon the desk sat a massive book. She pulled the stool from underneath her desk, and opened the book at random.
Carmen began to read. She could feel her mind beginning to relax, and her vision blurred for several seconds. Yawning, she rubbed her eyes. A calm feeling descended upon her. Soon, all thoughts of Isaac had faded, and she dedicated herself to memorising the scripture.
After a long time, she went to her bed. Pulling back the blanket, the slipped under it and rested her head on the hard pillow. Before sleep could claim her, the drug began to wear off. She kept her eyes closed, and willed her brother on. Hurry, Isaac. You can make it. Eventually, she fell asleep.
***********************************************************************************
Isaac walked in the sand to the side of the hard road. The soles of his shoes were already beginning to wear. Everything was coated in a pale glow, illuminated by the moon’s generosity. He kicked at the sand, and began to cough when a cloud of grit engulfed him.
Even while he felt his chest begin to restrict, he kicked again, and again. “Screw it!” he yelled. “I’m not even getting anywhere! I’ve been walking for hours, and there’s still nothing!” His voice came out as a harsh rasp.
His pace began to slow, and he sat down on the road. “Just for a minute,” he said, taking off his shoes and rubbing his blistering feet.
“Maybe a little rest.”He put his shoes back on and moved over, onto the sand. He shifted for a while, trying to find a position he was comfortable in. He sighed and closed his eyes. Sleep was a long time coming, but when it came, he gave his soul to the night without any resistance.
When he woke up, the sun was glaring down on him. He shifted on the sand, feeling it sting him even through his thick clothes. “Oh, shit,” he said. “Idiot! Stupid idiot!”
He jumped up from his resting place, shaking the sand from him, and wiped at his face. Then he looked both ways. He still couldn’t see anything in either direction.
Isaac began to trudge in the direction of the city again, his ears alert to any sound. Once, he thought he heard the buzzing of a car’s engine, but it was a swarm of flies savaging some carrion. He averted his gaze, and kept walking.
After an hour of walking, he began to feel dizzy. He pulled a stale piece of bread from his pocket, having abandoned the bag he had taken when the first signs of fatigue had materialised.
“I’m gonna need another rest soon,” he said. Then the buzzing noise sounded in his ears again. He looked ahead of him for more carrion, but he couldn’t see any. It’s getting louder, he thought. He turned back in the direction of the camp. Shading his eyes from the sun with a hand, he squinted in the direction that he had escaped from. A speck was travelling along the road towards him. Even as he watched, it grew in size, and Isaac saw it for what it was.
Hey, guys. Well, this is more planning for my NaNo of this year. It's my way of beginning to characterise. Carmen's going to be one of the main characters, and this is just to fill in her background a little. This is rated for mild swearing and possible offensiveness? It all depends on your sensitivity, I suppose. Anyway, enjoy. ^_^
