Marital Law Read online

  Cutting him off, I tried to say her name, but I couldn't get my brain to send it to my vocal chords. Managing to hand the letter over to Caleb, I stood and awaited his reaction.

  “What? It can't be! She would never do this to you—to us,” Caleb said, clearly as surprised as I was.

  “I can't believe this is happening. It—” I stopped myself from saying, it’s playing out exactly as it did in my dreams. I hadn't told anyone about the things I'd been dreaming, the terrible visions that plagued me.

  “What are you going to do?” Caleb asked. He had a look of fear in his eyes, but I could sense something else. Excitement maybe.

  Since I'd returned from the forest, I’d often longed for a stronger man, someone like—no— I won't allow myself to go there. Caleb was a good man, a loving man, and the perfect homemaker.

  There were just so many times I wished I didn't have to be the one facing all of life's battles, the one now being forced to face my childhood companion, Kaylee. Colin plagued my dreams, but I knew he was probably a complete different person now. He was a monitor, a protector of Providence, of Marcella Munford.

  “Gather my gear, my knives and spear. I will go into town and confront Kaylee. If this is all a silly prank, we will share a laugh and let it be history. If not, well, I guess our lives are about to change drastically.”

  Caleb ran hurriedly through the house gathering the things I'd requested. I folded the letter back up and tucked it into my shirt pocket. As I turned to leave, Caleb said, “Be careful Sidnie. I—I don't know what I'd do if you didn't make it back.”

  “Everything will be okay, Caleb. The challenge is still three days away. I just want to speak to Kaylee, to verify and hear her betray me to my face.”

  “I love you, Sidnie. Be safe,” Caleb said, fear and worry lacing his words.

  “You too, Caleb. You too.” Our custom didn't allow us to say the words back to our husbands, but agreement was authorized, even if I didn’t really feel it. I hadn’t a clue what love really was, but I wanted it to be like it was in my dreams. Only Caleb wasn’t in that picture.

  My feet were heavy as I hit the main road leading into town. Instantly, I was reminded of my trek to the forest, for the coming of age ritual and capturing Colin. My mind often returned to him, and I knew it was wrong. Still, I couldn’t keep it from Colin’s muscular frame and his intense brown eyes. Shaking it off, I said aloud, “Time to move on, girl. You’re married and you have to protect what is rightfully yours!”

  I couldn't imagine my life without Caleb. He was the one who always made sure I didn't allow my anger to rule me, didn't jump into things without taking a deep breath and thinking everything through. Still, I could feel a nagging something running through my head. I dared not actually voice my thoughts, but I couldn't help but wonder if some small part of me was hoping I'd lose the...Stop it, Sidnie! Caleb is a good man. He loves you.

  Kaylee resided on the outskirts of town, her small place really just one long room, consisting of a living area in front, a tiny kitchen in the center, and a bedroom in the rear. No walls separated the areas, and the tiny home was the residence of Kaylee, her parents and two sisters.

  Kaylee was the oldest of the three girls at seventeen and she was already a widow. Her husband had died of cancer, a disease that had run rampant after the War. Some said it was due to the warheads set off during the conflict, but that was something the people of Providence knew little about.

  I thought back to Ryan's funeral, the pain and anguish Kaylee had gone through. The monitors had taken him to ensure the cancer wasn’t contracted by others in Providence, and Kaylee was told to begin the short mourning process. This consisted of digging a small hole and placing Ryan’s belongings in it and conducting a funeral procession with friends and relatives.

  Sitting on the couch, I remembered gently rocking Kaylee’s head back and forth in my lap. She cried for hours and hours without end, sleep eventually over taking her. When she had awakened later that evening, she was done. Women were only authorized to mourn the loss of a loved one for half a day's time, anything more would be deemed as weak. And we didn't have time for weakness.

  Was it really possible that Kaylee was responsible for the challenge? Would she betray me, my trust? I had a hard time believing it, but with the letter inside my pocket, her trademark signature apparent, it was hard to deny.

  Thinking back to our childhood days, I smiled at the never-ending hunting games me and Kaylee played. We used to take turns being the hunter, oftentimes losing ourselves in the role. We had sparred, trained alongside each other, and provided much needed support to one another during our coming of age rituals.

  Kaylee was the one who had met me at the edge of the forest when I had brought Colin back and turned him over to MOM and her guards. And likewise, I was waiting for Kaylee when she came out of the woods just six months after me, with her captive in hand. Of course, she had returned quicker than I had, but I had managed to put my jealousy aside for the sake of my best friend.

  The more I replayed the scene of seeing another dweller with their arms bound behind their back, being ushered forward by Kaylee's boot to their back, the more I was left torn and questioning everything I believed. I began to wonder if by chance we really were the evil ones—the ones kidnapping innocents from the forest.

  My mind was going crazy, firing in a million different directions. Focus, Sidnie. Focus on the task at hand.

  As I rounded the corner, I could see Kaylee's house up on the right. It was built by her grandfather, one of the few old-world homes still standing after the War. The structure was crafted from trees out of the same forest where the dwellers now resided, each one hewn by hand and planed in the rectangular shape of 4X6's. It would take more than a few bombs to dismantle the fortress.

  Kaylee's home was painted bright red, making it stick out like a sore thumb. The color of the home was Kaylee’s father’s decision. As the homemaker, the men could choose all things decorative for the abode. I, for one, happened to like the color. Something about it lightened my spirits, made me smile when my days were harder than normal. I welcomed anything that took me away from the monotony of life.

  Kaylee had over thirty acres of land, most of it tillable for gardening or for bringing in a decent crop each year. Farming after the War was tough, the ground oftentimes stingy about opening itself back up to us humans. But as the years went on, the earth began to produce an even richer soil than before, which in turn, yielded an even healthier crop.

  Known as one of the top producers on the land, Kaylee regularly sold and traded vegetables for meat and other things of necessity in Providence. Of course, this was all helped with her still holding the fastest time for bringing in a forest captive. People thought her a hero, and many stopped by just to see the mythical goddess in person.

  As I neared Kaylee's front porch, I saw a shape suddenly appear in the doorway. Kaylee's face said it all: guilt, betrayal, and something I would've never thought possible, spitefulness.

  Making her way over to me, Kaylee stopped and said, “Don't take it personal, Sidnie. You know my choices are limited, and the longer I remain unwed, the less my chances are of ever finding someone. It is shameful for a lady of my age to be without a homemaker.”

  My head swam, my heart broke. A beat. My mouth grew dry. Words flew in but refused to come out. Finally I said, “But why me? There are numerous available males in the adjacent towns and countryside.”

  “You very well know why, Sidnie. I've had my eye on Caleb since we were kids. He should've been promised to me in the first place, not you.”

  My eyes misted, but I dared not allow a tear to show its ugly face. I wouldn't give Kaylee the satisfaction. “You know as well as I do that we have no control over whom we are chosen to marry, Kaylee. I am very disappointed in you, my friend. Of all the people, I never fathomed you would sneak upon me in the middle of the night. We've known each other since...”

  “Please spare us both the mel
odrama, Sidnie. I did what I feel is best for my future. It is as simple as that,” Kaylee said, in what sounded like a cold and rehearsed tone.

  “Your future? Your future? What about me? My future!”

  “You're not the same person you used to be, Sidnie. Ever since you went into the forest, you've been different, distant. And I saw the way you looked at me when I handed my captive over to MOM's guards. Unless I'm mistaken, you seem to have taken a liking to the forest dwellers. I also noticed the glances exchanged between you and your captive, Colin. What was going on there, Sidnie?”

  “I have no idea what you are talking about.

  I detest everyone in that forest!”

  “Um, I'm not too sure about that, Sidnie. First off, you were with them one day longer than we are allotted. Second, you supposedly can’t remember anything about your time there, and third, Colin didn't put up a fight when you handed him over. Every prisoner taken to date has fought back, but not yours. Why, Sidnie?”

  “I see what you're doing—you’re trying to turn this around on me. Well, it's not going to work, Kaylee! You have betrayed me and completely obliterated our friendship! If a battle is what you want, a battle you will get!” But I had to admit there was some truth to Kaylee’s words. He hadn’t fought against me, or the monitors, and even when he’d run from me when I’d come to in the forest, his effort seemed half-hearted.

  “Why don’t you do us both a favor and just concede, Sidnie? You know you can't beat me. Your asthma won't allow it.”

  Anger soared through me, almost to the point of making me want to reach out and punch Kaylee in the face. But I restrained myself and channeled my anger for her betrayal for the big day. “I'll show you exactly what my asthma will allow, my friend! This weekend you will get to see firsthand what asthma girl can do! My little condition didn't stop me from taking one of the dwellers captive, and it sure as heck won't prevent me from defeating you!”

  “It took you four days, Sidnie! Never mind! I believe we are done here, Sidnie. See you in three days,” Kaylee said, devoid of emotion.

  Words of anger flooded my mind, but I didn't give them voice. They were nonsense. Kaylee wasn't the same person I used to know, the constant companion. The sister I could depend on and confide in. Now she was nothing but a traitor, a backstabber!

  The walk away from Kaylee's house made me feel like I was leaving a funeral, and rightly so. Our friendship had just died, forever. And to think I’d been there for her after Ryan’s death, had seen her at her weakest moment.

  My stomach was in knots. My head had even begun to ache. I remembered having a stray dog as a pet when I was very young, and when it died, I felt a similar sense of loss. Although, this time I wouldn't shed a tear. Still, my heart ached at the loss of Kaylee, and quite possibly my Caleb as well.

  It took me a few hours, but I eventually managed to turn my hurt back to anger. When I finally made it home, Caleb was waiting on the front porch for me. I tried to put on my best no worry face, but the anger still soaring through me made it an impossible task.

  “I take it from the look on your face that the challenge wasn't some sort of sick prank. What did she say?” Caleb asked.

  “That her choices for a new suitor were limited and she has wanted you since you two were kids. What do you think about that, Caleb? Do you feel the same?”

  A beat. Caleb looked taken off guard. “I-I am yours, Sidnie, and yours alone.”

  “That doesn't answer my question, Caleb. Are you in love with Kaylee? Would you rather be with her?” My heart was breaking inside, but I didn’t let Caleb see. My friend and my husband didn’t care about me, had probably been plotting behind my back the whole time.

  “That’s what I thought,” I said, as I stormed into our bedroom and sprawled out face-first onto the bed.

  More thoughts than I believe I had space for, flowed through my head. None were coherent, none complete. I was a wreck, and I didn’t see things getting better anytime soon. I kept coming back to the time I’d spent with Kaylee after Ryan had passed. I felt we’d grown closer than ever before, our friendship unbreakable. A lot you know, Sidnie. She tossed you aside like a wet blanket at the sight of the first boy who came along.

  A fool was just the start of how I felt about myself. All of the time I’d invested in Kaylee could’ve been spent pouring into Adeline. We had been friends as long as I could remember, and she hadn’t thought twice about trampling over me.

  The more I pondered the betrayal, the more I began to wonder about the instances where Kaylee had insisted on going over to see Caleb. About how she’d gotten angry with me for not being more considerate when Caleb was crying about his father being taken off to live with the sick and aged. It started to make sense, not that it changed anything. She was nothing but a thief, a robber of husbands.

  Chapter 17

  Capitol Life

  A large squadron of monitors was waiting for Colin at the end of the hall, in full battle regale. He started to turn and run back to his room, but when they separated, and Lucius stepped forward, Colin knew he’d been caught.

  “I’m so glad you are as excited about tracking down your traitorous people as we all are, Colin. Seems you were so eager, you came looking for us. Well, let’s get to it,” said Lucius, as he came nearer and wrapped his long arm around Colin’s shoulder.

  This was definitely not what Colin had intended. Now he had no choice but to take them to the forest. He just prayed his people would have their spies out, that they would see them coming and get out.

  The trek into the forest was the longest, most dreadful time of Colin’s life. He took the monitors in quite a few circles in an effort to keep them from remembering the way. He could see from the frustration on Lucius’s face that the man wasn’t fooled. Knowing he had to do as he promised, Colin led them to a small outpost where only a handful of his people resided. Please let them not be here.

  Stopping a hundred or so feet from the encampment, Colin pointed and said, “They’re in there, but you have to promise me you won’t kill anyone.”

  Lucius smiled and said, “You are in no position to be demanding anything, Colin! I will do with them as I please, and if you don’t like it, I’ll kill you too!”

  After barking a few orders at the monitors, chaos soon ensued.

  He’d been lied to, and he should’ve known better. Colin felt powerless to stop the massacre as the order keepers tore through the camp. Fires soon erupted and loud screams tore through the early morning hour. Cupping his hands over his ears, Colin tried to take his mind elsewhere, tried to unsee what he’d done. What were you thinking? You should’ve led them elsewhere, given them nothing! You should’ve given your life, if necessary!

  When he heard a familiar voice yelling for help, Colin took off. Thomas was lying on the ground, a gaping wound in his stomach. Blood was pooling in his mouth, and his yells had turned to moans of pain.

  Dropping to his knees, Colin took his brother’s head in his lap and did his best to soothe him. “No, no, no! What are you doing here, Thomas? Oh, God, no!”

  “I, I have…” Thomas started

  “Shh! Just breathe, my brother. Take it easy.”

  “No, I, I have to tell you…something.”

  “Later, Thomas. It can wait,” Colin said through tears.

  “There won’t be…a later. Listen, I want to…to thank you for always be…being there for me,” said Thomas as the last vestiges of life fled his body.

  Feeling the limp, lifeless body of his brother, Colin grew numb. This was his doing, his fault. He never should’ve led the monitors here. Fire burned through him, and all he could see was Lucius, the beast responsible. Getting up from the earth, Colin made a beeline for the man. He made it within ten feet before two monitors stepped in front of him.

  He was so angry, Colin didn’t think about his actions. Flying through the air, he kicked one of the monitors in face, ramming his nose into his brain and killing him on the spot. Bouncing back onto hi
s feet, Colin managed to right himself just as the monitor swung a sword at his head. Ducking the blow, Colin wedged the knife from the man’s grasp and tossed it aside. Pulling the monitor close, he snapped his neck like a walnut.

  He was within two feet of Lucius, could see the taunting in the man’s eyes, when all of a sudden, something struck him from behind. He went down immediately, lights out.

  ****

  “My place is here with you, Sidnie. My feelings are irrelevant,” Caleb said as he followed me into the bedroom.

  Seconds lapsed, my mind trying its best not to think about the obvious. Caleb and Kaylee not only were in love, they had more in common than he and I. This was not news to me. I'd noticed their similarities quite often over the last year. But in this moment, it felt overwhelming, like I was standing in an open pit while they kept heaping loads of dirt onto my head.

  In my dreams, the tree people allowed their men and women, boys and girls, to choose their mate all on their own. I began to wonder if given that same opportunity would I have taken Caleb.

  “I'm tired, Caleb. There's not really anything more to say here. Kaylee and I will meet in battle in three days. You will either remain here with me, or you will become hers. It is getting late. Please push dinner back until 6:00. I will eat after I rest.”

  “Very well,” Caleb replied, clearly hurt by my lack of emotion over the challenge.

  Making my way to our bedroom, I turned over my shoulder and said, “It will be okay, Caleb. One way or another, things will work out for the better,” I said, as I followed Caleb to the door and ushered him out.

  Behind the safety of my door, I slid my back down to my seat, placed my head in my hands and started to cry, silently. Maybe Caleb and Kaylee belonged to each other. It was obviously what they both desired. Part of me wanted to throw in the towel, to just lie down and let Kaylee have her heart's desire. But my pride was greater than my desire to please my backstabbing friend and my weak husband. I wasn't about to give up what was rightfully mine. It wasn't my fault that Kaylee's previous husband had succumbed to the cancer disease. He should've been stronger, fought harder.