venture too far? Into cursed land? Why would she risk it? Is it worth risking our lives to save one pike? The guards that hauled Emily away flash through my mind. What if we’re caught?
I fall back behind Ky and Forty-four with Ripper at my heels, forcing space between myself and everyone else. Ripper runs happily with his tongue out like we’re playing his favorite game. My fear and anger grow with each long step we take through the humid trees. I was eating cake less than an hour ago! How did I go from eating cake to running aimlessly through the forest to help an escaped pike?
I continue my angry monolog in my head as we run for the next twenty minutes, until Forty-four speeds up to run effortlessly next to my mother’s side. He runs with ease, no sweat, no heavy breathing, nothing to show the slightest extended effort as they sign to one another. I’m sweating from every pore in my body. I inhale sharply causing a pain in my lower left side, and I let the warm air sting my throat in bitter revenge for our unplanned exercise.
Finally, I stop and double over with my hands on my knees, causing pain to shoot through my sliced palm. Forty-four stops dead in his tracks to wait quietly for me. He notices my absence instantly, while my mother continues on alone for a moment.
“We’re almost there, hun. Catch your breath and we will start back up in a few,” she says calmly with only minimal sweat on her brow.
Who is this woman I have been calling my mother for the last seventeen years? She is perfectly poised while I practically have a seizure for lack of air. Her straight blonde hair is pulled back flawlessly and my dark waves elude little curls from my hair tie, curls that plaster to my face and neck.
“Where are we going?” I push out between breaths.
Forty-four stands tensely beside me and lifts his hand above me like he might touch my shoulder. Then, he lowers it back to his side before vaguely pointing in the distance to the forest of trees. A few more trees that possibly have more trees behind them. How enlightening.
“Well, never mind, how silly of me to ask.” I stomp forward, away from him to confront my mother.
Her eyes just now catch sight of my wrapped hand; mother of the year is just noticing me. Her gaze shifts to Forty-four, an accusation flashing in her eyes. She says nothing, only stares daggers at him for several moments. If she thinks he’s hurt me, she doesn’t voice it.
“Why is it he knows where we are rushing off to and I don’t?” I ask, trying to push the petulant child-like whine from my voice.
“Because,” my mother is quiet when she speaks, looking only at the dying colorless leaves that occupy the ground, “he’s leading us.”
Three
Safe Haven
My mother never actually admits where we’re going. However, the farther we walk the more sure I am of our destination. She also doesn’t explain why we’re going there with an escaped pike either. I follow though. Always the compliant daughter. It’s best to not ask questions when you have so few choices in life.
She is very good at deceiving everyone around her. Suddenly we’ve become quite the accomplished lying family, she and I. Her dishonesty should make me nervous, yet it doesn’t. I know when she lies and when she tells the truth. She would never lie to me. She has no reason to. We are honest with each other, if no one else.
I haven’t lied to her since I was fourteen and brought Ripper home. I snuck him into our quarters. I told my mother he wouldn’t be any trouble or take any extra food supplies. Even then I knew that that was a lie.
Pets are non-contributing companions in society, but Ripper has lived with us ever since. He was neutered immediately, to eliminate the pet population, and after that, he was part of our family. The guards of the camp are just waiting to catch the dog alone to get rid of him once and for all. The skittering and nervous animal stays out of sight for the most part, like he knows what would happen if he didn’t.
So here I am following a liar and a pike to my secret place.
When I was younger, my mother wanted to leave the camp and go out on our own. We walked for hours