Marital Law Page 13

  The longer I sat there pondering my ex-friend's betrayal, the angrier I became. Using the sleeve of my long shirt, I wiped away my tears and my snotty nose, and immediately got back onto my feet.

  Making my way over to my bed, I bent down and retrieved my shorter spear from below. Without hesitation, I heaved it at the wall on the front side of the house. Sunlight immediately poured into the three-inch hole left from my weapon of choice. The spear had went through the wood of the interior and exterior of the old home and stuck into the side of the large oak tree that blotted out most of the roadway heading towards town.

  The sound of Caleb's footsteps running towards the bedroom door told me that he too had heard my outburst of anger.

  “Everything's okay, Caleb. I'm fine, the world is fine. You can go back to preparing dinner now,” I said coldly. It was hard not to be bitter at him for not wanting me more than Kaylee, for not being in love with me. In all honesty, nothing was fine. My life had just been turned upside down and nothing would ever be fine again.

  “Are—are you sure?”

  “Yes. And don't be hovering around my door either. I will be out when dinner is ready.”

  Plopping back down onto my bed, I wondered what Colin might be doing? The last time I’d seen him, he was training to become a monitor. Was he still alive? Was he performing slave labor for MOM?

  It was widely known that the forest dwellers taken captive were forced to work in MOM's garden, and in her coal mining operations across the nation. My mother used to tell me about how in the days prior to the war, coal had gone from being the daily source of heat for people's homes and their only avenue to cook food, to being considered dirty energy and banned from all use. Funny how things have come full circle and coal was now restored back to its high stature in the country. Used as our only source of heat and light, I couldn’t imagine life without it.

  Dinner was normally my time to gorge myself. I'd always been able to put away more grub than any of the other women in Providence South. But this evening was different. I didn't feel like eating, only training, killing something. Ripping two of the legs from the rabbit I’d killed just two days prior, I tossed them into an old hand towel, went back into the bedroom and grabbed my spear, and headed for the door.

  “Are you just going to leave without saying a word?” Caleb asked, the look on his face one of both hurt and concern.

  “My mind is still whirling from everything that has transpired today, Caleb. I need to go out into the woods where I can think clearly.”

  Caleb looked back down at his food. He'd never been one for confrontation of any sort, and this was his customary way of handling such.

  “Don't worry. I'll be back first thing in the morning,” I said. Staying in the woods was nothing new to me. I loved being surrounded by nature. The animals and their soothing sounds of life, the bright moon and the gentle breeze, always gave me the best rest.

  Chapter 18

  Colin was taken back to the Capitol, thrown into a large jail cell, where they shackled his hands and feet to chains coming out of the back wall. Once secured, the two monitors took turns working him over. They punched and kicked him for nearly thirty minutes, only stopping to catch their breath. They sent more curse words his way than Colin even knew existed. After they finally tired of this sport, the two men left Colin unconscious, his wrists supporting his sagging body.

  When he awoke the next morning, Colin had more aches and pains than he thought imaginable. He thought he would go mad from the extreme fatigue in his joints. His shoulders and neck especially. Many times, he cried out for them to release him, to free him from his bonds. But no one came—no one cared.

  Days passed, months followed. Colin soon lost track. He began to forget why he’d come, why he’d left the forest. Sidnie was the one thing that kept him sane, brought him back around, but he feared even the memory of her might soon leave him as well.

  Rousing him from sleep, two monitors came into Colin’s room and removed his chains. “We’ve been instructed to take you to see Lucius. If you try to escape, we will kill you. If you run, we will break your legs. Do you understand?” the shorter of the two monitors said.

  “I do,” Colin managed to get out through dry, cracked lips. In his mind, Colin plotted his revenge. If he got the chance, he would kill the man responsible for murdering Thomas. Aren’t you culpable as well, Colin?

  Before carting him off for his meet with Lucius, the monitors tore off his clothes and doused him with buckets of cold water. Then they scrubbed him with a long brush and some sort of liquidly substance. By the time they were finished, Colin’s skin was red and welted with spots.

  As they guided him out the door, Colin saw light coming in from a window at the far end of the hall and never had he seen such a glorious sight. He hadn’t been out of his cell in quite some time. He hadn’t seen the light of day in so long he’d forgotten how it looked.

  At the end of the corridor, the monitor’s turned right and led Colin into a large open room. There was a massive fireplace on the far wall with what appeared to be hand painted photos of the Munford royalty: three women, their reign over Providence spanning the last 50 years. Marcella Munford was in the center. Her age couldn't have been more than twenty at the time.

  It was no surprise to Colin that no men were present in the photos. Males were of no importance in this kingdom. Even the monitors weren’t given credit for the policing of Providence. It was all Marcella Munford.

  Seated in an oversized high-back chair was Lucius. His expression was hard to read: a mixture of boredom and frustration. Colin's worry ratcheted up many notches, having no idea what might lay in store for him.

  “Take a seat, Colin,” Lucius said as the monitors deposited him in front of their leader.

  Without speaking, Colin did as he was told. Slyly, he looked around the room for a weapon, something to gain the advantage against the much larger man.

  “Against my better judgment, I've decided to make you a monitor, Colin. It was a hard choice: kill you or make you one of us. I just need you to understand what will be required of you here, Colin. If you fail me, you will die. Lie to me, die. Go against another monitor, myself, or the queen, not only will you die, but everyone you hold near and dear. Thomas's death was an accident, but you hold the fate of Jeremiah and Hannah in your hands. You decide whether they live or die.”

  Speechless, Colin didn’t know how to respond. Surely this was a trick. They’d never allow him, an enemy of Marcella Munford, to become a member of her court. His mind sprinted in circles, trying to figure out what Lucius was up to. An accident? Not a chance! You are a murderer!

  Remembering his mission, Jeremiah’s plan, Colin struggled to channel his anger. Finally, he said, “I got it. But I can assure you that I have no plans or desire to cross you.”

  Just the mention of Thomas's name had caused Colin to see red. He wanted to jump across the table separating him from Lucius, wanted to wrap his hands around the man's throat and squeeze until there was no life left in him. But he smothered the flame. He focused his attention on his mission, become a monitor for now. His revenge would come later.

  “Over the course of the next few months, you will go through a series of intense training events. The first will test your mental ability. You will be forced to completely turn your back on your people, deny them entry into your heart and mind. Second, you will go through months of physical training to prepare your body for the rigors of being a monitor. Lastly, you will receive training on the various weapons we have here in the Capitol. Each phase is dependent upon the one prior. If you fail any of them, you will be executed. So, you tell me, Colin. Would you still like to proceed, or should I do away with you now?” Lucius said darkly.

  Battling with the guilt at already causing Thomas's death, Colin had trouble immediately responding.

  “What's that? I didn't hear you, Colin.”

  A beat. Colin slowly nodded his head. “I will do whatever it takes to beco
me a monitor.” The words tasted bitter like some of the wild plants he'd eaten out in the forest as a young boy. But Colin knew the end result would eventually allow him to get back at Lucius for what he’d done to Thomas, and that was enough to make him endure whatever was necessary.

  “We'll see. Personally, I don't see you making it past Phase I, but other dwellers have surprised me,” Lucius said, getting up from the chair. He motioned the monitors forward, and they positioned themselves on either side of Colin. With a wave of his hand, they reached down and pulled Colin onto his feet by his arms.

  Lucius went to the doorway and turned. “Uh, and Colin?”

  “Yes?” Colin replied.

  “A word of warning: I have eyes all over the Capitol. If you try to escape, you will be caught, and killed on the spot! I am a man of my word—don't make me prove it!”

  The monitors shoved Colin down numerous corridors, and eventually deposited him in front of a large metal door secured with one of the old-style keyhole padlocks. The one nearest him removed a key from his belt, inserted it into the hole and swung the door inward. Concrete stairs led down to a dark and musky basement area.

  Colin could barely see his hands in front of his face, much more the steps. He slipped a few times, but one of the monitors managed to grab his arm before he took a major tumble.

  At the bottom, they guided Colin into a massive room with a large metal table in the middle. There were straps to lock down one’s hands and feet, and Colin feared he knew what was about to happen. He strengthened his resolve, calmed his pounding heart. It wasn't easy. His mind yelled run, fight. But he’d known something like this was coming, believed he would be subjected to whatever madness Lucius deemed necessary to change him, to break him.

  Going along with the nudging of the monitors was akin to walking freely into a bear trap. Colin could already feel the steel jaws of the thing bite into his foot, rip through his flesh. Still, he lay out on the table, allowed them to strap him down. And then he waited, the most maddening length of time he'd ever endured.

  The monitors stepped out of the room, and the lights suddenly went out. Panic began to creep in, Colin's imagination conjuring up all sorts of dark thoughts.

  ****

  My time in the woods was good for me. Staring out at nothing in particular, my mind finally opened up and I began to remember my time in the forest—my time with Colin. My emotions left me feeling like I was running through the mountains, highs and lows, pain and joy.

  I remembered Colin’s grandparents, Hannah and Jeremiah—everything. And then I remembered the headstones, the dead children, the savages, and the evil that Lucius and the people of Providence were reigning down on the dwellers—the Manumissionists.

  The more my memory returned of my time in the forest, the more I wished I could file it back away. After all I'd seen, I had still chosen to turn Colin over to the monitors. I was disgusted with myself. Losing the challenge to Kaylee would be a just ending to my nightmare.

  What had I done? What if he doesn't do what they demand of him? Would Lucius feed him to the savages? You would be the one serving Colin up to them, Sidnie. You are no different than Marcella Munford!

  I took a few tentative steps towards the forest, before my mind started yelling rational thoughts at me. They probably hate you, Sidnie! You betrayed them! How are you any different from Kaylee? Hannah and Jeremiah trusted you and you turned their son over to the monitors! They took you into their home, treated you like one of their own!

  It was an impossible situation, but it basically boiled down to the fact that I was no longer wanted in either place: Providence or the forest.

  What was the point? Even if I did beat Kaylee, I would still be stuck with a man who didn't want me, and to be honest I wasn't sure I wanted him. Oh, Colin, what have I done?

  Tears welled up inside of me, regret consumed me. What was I thinking? Why did I turn Colin over to the monitors? What kind of animal was I?

  As I stood on the edge of the forest, everything within me wanted to enter in, to leave this life behind and become one of them. If only they would still take me. What did I have left to keep me in Providence?

  I secretly feared even my love for my own family could slip away at any minute. Adeline had become more distant over the past few months, no longer following me around like my shadow. And my mother and father had taken to traveling to the adjacent towns more and more over the last few years. Since my marriage to Caleb, they’d gotten into trading things grown in the garden, for just about anything not. It was obviously a business that demanded they take their product all throughout the outer regions of Providence, because I rarely saw them.

  Suddenly, I began to see the world differently, every situation, every little thing, fleeting. This scared me, made me want to hide away, to just flee. But where would I go? Would anyone want me?

  A high-pitched scream tore suddenly through the forest, through my thoughts and my mind. I knew it well now. The savages were after another victim. By my estimation they were a few clicks to the west. I contemplated going in to help them, but just as I took a step in that direction, I heard footsteps behind me.

  As I turned, I heard the familiar sound of a flying spear heading towards my face. Managing to weave to the right just in time, I avoided the life taking instrument. Gathering myself for a fight, I searched for my attacker. To my surprise and relief, I saw my mother come out from behind a large pine tree. She was nodding her head in admiration, saying, “Good job, my daughter. I have taught you well.”

  My body slowly began to relax and a smile formed on my face, happy to see her. I wasn’t angry at her assault, as this was common practice with my mother. Every day was another opportunity to train, to prepare me for battle. Most mothers stopped training their children after they married, but not Sonia Rashellus. She knew the importance of being ready at all times and used every opportunity to instill that in us.

  “Mother, it’s good to see you. I thought you and Wayne were in Providence West,” I said, closing the gap between us and reaching out a hand to shake hers.

  Firmly grasping my hand and not letting go, Sonia looked me in the eyes and said sadly, “I just got word about your challenge and left Wayne to finish the trading. He’s not as good at bargaining as I am, but this is where I need to be right now.”

  “Can you believe this of Kaylee? I’m still in shock that she would go against me.”

  “It’s like I’ve told you time and time again, Sidnie, there is no loyalty in Providence today. The people care only to please MOM, and to seek out what little pleasure this world affords. Kaylee is no different, although even I must say I’m a little surprised by her. I never thought she’d be the one, but I knew this day was coming regardless. I knew you’d have to face someone, might as well be her. At least you know her fighting style, her ability.”

  “Mother, when I was younger you told me you were challenged for father twice, but only spoke of the one instance where you easily defeated your opponent. What about the other?”

  Sonia took a few seconds to recall the time in her life, the battle for her love. She said, “Della Hargrove requested the battle for the same evening she’d left the challenge, something very few actually agree to in Providence. It was customary to give your opponent three days, but Della was known to go against the normal flow of things. She stretched the boundaries every chance she got, and thanks to her size and strength, always managed to avoid punishment from the monitors.

  “Unfortunately, I had just gotten back from the woods, two days prior, during which time I’d sprained my ankle while falling over a hill.”

  “What? You never mentioned this before,” I said, surprised.

  “No need to. I don’t like to talk about the times in my life when I was weak, and that was a very hard time for me. But since you asked about the challenge, I wanted you to know the whole story.”

  “And you still battled with Della, bad ankle and all?”

  “Yes. Anyhow, during
my hunting expedition, I’d come upon a large ten-point buck, but he refused to get close enough for a good shot. I took a chance and sent two arrows his way, in quick succession. I was pretty certain I’d hit him, but he took off running, and I gave chase.

  “The deer led me around for a good hour, making me so tired, I lost my bearings. When he went down the other side a ridge, I thought nothing of it and followed. To my chagrin, that ridge was much higher than I’d anticipated, higher than the buck had thought as well. We both tumbled a couple hundred feet until we finally landed in a heap at the bottom.”

  “Oh, no! And that’s how you hurt your ankle?” I asked, holding my hands over my mouth to cover the gasp.

  “When I came to, an hour or so later, dusk was setting in, and I could tell from the pain and throbbing in my ankle, I was in trouble. Fortunately, my arrow had struck the deer, and he’d breathed his last not more than three feet from me.

  “I managed to crawl my way over to a broken tree limb, and eventually used it as a crutch, to help me limp my way out. Me and the dead deer, that is. I dragged him home with me. It took more time and effort than I ever care to expend again, in this lifetime, but he was worth it. His carcass fed us for two full weeks.”

  My respect for my mother climbed a notch with each word. I knew she was tough, but this was an entirely different level of strength: mental and physical.

  “And two days later I received the challenge letter from Della. She’d gotten wind of my injury and thought it the perfect opportunity to profit on my weakness. Sadly, not many in Providence have honor anymore.”

  “Could you have requested the battle be postponed until your ankle was better? Surely there’s something written within Munford Law for such things?”

  “I’m afraid not. Even with my bad ankle, I knew better than to delay the battle. Doing so would invite others to challenge me, assuming I was afraid of Della. We can never appear weak, Sidnie. Remember that above all else.