Blemished, The (23 page)

T
he woods stretched for miles. It was dark and I had no idea where we were. I described the map to Daniel and he set off with purpose. I followed. According to him, the forest curved around the outskirts of Area 14 and if we followed the curve we would find the farm.

We had to keep moving. I swallowed more painkillers and matched Daniel’s pace. There was no time for breaks. We were exhausted, dirty, wet, but I still loved it; the smell of the pine and the sound of owls. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I enjoyed feeling the leaves underfoot.

There was no talking, only us moving swiftly and silently. Daniel cocked his head to one side, listening out for followers. Angela breathed heavily beside me. Our clothes were still sodden and we all shivered our way through the trees. My ankle was hot, and I knew that was a bad sign. We walked for hours until the sun started to rise and the owls stopped calling.

Daniel looked up at the sky. “We’ve gone east but we need to get high up to see if we’re heading in the right direction.”

“How are we going to do that?” Angela said. “We can’t see above the trees.”

Daniel strode over to an oak with a couple of low branches. It climbed high up into the sky.

“Oh no you don’t,” I called after him, keeping my voice low. “You’re not climbing that tree!”

Angela placed a hand on my arm. “Let him be. We used to go walking in the woods all the time. He’s really good at this.”

Daniel ignored me and swung himself up on the branch like a monkey. He stood up and my breathing stopped as he wobbled. But then he was under control and he reached for the next branch. Daniel kept on going, moving from branch to branch, his bulky body surprisingly flexible, until he disappeared up into the sky. I held my breath, waiting for him to come back into view. I wanted to shout to him, to check he was all right, but I had no way of knowing if the Enforcers were following us.

“You know, you can’t have them both,” said Angela.

Her words took me by surprise. I tore my eyes from the tree. “What do you mean?”

“You can’t love both of them – Daniel and Sebastian. You’ll have to choose.” Her face was stern.

“I don’t… They are just friends, Angela,” I said tentatively. My hand drifted to the necklace under my tunic. “Daniel and I are just friends.”

“Not to him,” she said curtly.

I turned to her. “I’d never do anything to hurt you. You do know that? Don’t you?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Then answer me one thing. Have you and Daniel kissed?”

My mouth tightened and I thought back to the shed; Daniel’s salty lips on mine; the warmth and the softness. It was the briefest of kisses. I hadn’t even kissed him back, not really.

“Only for a second.”

She turned her back on me and shook her head. She still wore her headscarf but I’d shoved mine in my backpack. Her arms folded.

“He kissed me, Angela. Look, I don’t even want a boyfriend. I don’t want anything except my dad back and you and Daniel as my friends.” I hesitated. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“I love him, Mina,” she said meekly.

“I know,” I said. “I’ve always known.”

“Do you think it’s weird? He’s like my brother.”

“Not if you don’t think of him as a brother.”

She paused. “Does he think of me as a sister?”

I swallowed. “I don’t know, Angela. That’s something only he knows.”

There was a thud behind us and I turned to see a grinning Daniel. His crooked smile set my body tingling. His eyes glistened in the early morning sun. I wanted to kick myself in frustration. What was the point in wanting something you could never have? I looked at my feet instead.

“I saw it!” he said, breathy and excited. “I saw the farm. We just need to head deeper into the woods and it peters out into a clearing surrounded by fields. It’s a good few miles. Might take all day. We should get there by night-fall.”

He took a deep breath and let out a small laugh. Angela stepped forward and hugged him.

“What are we waiting for?” she said. “Let’s go!”

We set off. Daniel hung back for a moment to talk to me.

“I thought you would be more excited?” he said.

I forced a smile. “I am excited. I’m just tired.”

How could I tell him that my heart had just been torn open?

*

The day continued. We walked like zombies, legs moving but our minds elsewhere. Daniel and Angela talked quietly to each other but I didn’t join the conversation. Occasionally he looked across at me, frowning slightly. I fiddled with my necklace when he wasn’t looking. Morning sun turned to midday sun turned to afternoon drizzle and our food ran out. We poked out our tongues for water. The evening came and the sun set. The trees began to thin. My muscles tensed as I thought of Daniel and Sebastian meeting each other. Perhaps Sebastian’s father would turn us away? And then we would be back where were started.

“We’re nearly there, I can feel it!” Angela said. She was full of excitement and optimism. She skipped along.

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“Are you okay?” Daniel asked. “You’re not worried they won’t let us in are you?”

Angela’s face fell. I couldn’t let her lose hope.

“Of course not.” I forced a smile. “Everything is going to be fine.”

Daniel knew me better than that. He spotted my glance to Angela and he frowned.

“You’re worried,” he said quietly to me while Angela picked flowers. “What’s wrong?”

“I turned him down,” I said. “What if he turns us away?”

Daniel’s face set. “He won’t.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I know that I wouldn’t.” He sighed. “Just trust me. I know he won’t turn us away.”

Daniel picked up the pace to leave me behind, confused again. I jogged to catch up. I’d taken more painkillers from our pack which took the sting out of my ankle, but the heat was travelling up my leg. It felt wrong but I’d been ignoring it for hours. Our wet clothes had dried out hours ago and the smattering of rain had hardly been enough to wet us through yet my tunic was damp with sweat. It was me. I was burning up.

“Look!” Angela called.

I jogged a little faster, her enthusiasm finally infecting me. Just like Daniel said
, the forest petered out onto a field which dipped into a steep bank. At the bottom of a patchwork of fields lay the farmhouse.

“We’re here,” she said.

I laughed. “We really are.”

I took a mom
ent to think about how far we’d come – the Enforcers, losing Matthew, Billie helping us, the speed boat chase and the fight at the industrial estate. We had a taste of freedom now. Angela took my hand and on her left she took Daniel’s. Together we ran down the bank. Finally we reached the field fence and came to a stop with smiles on our faces, out of breath but happy. We took turns to climb the stile in the limestone wall.

It was a clear night and the light from the moon trickled over the grass. I’d lost track of the time but it felt like late evening. My stomach growled with hunger. The next field was vast and descended slowly into the valley. We marched forward like a tiny army. Three soldiers, orphaned but tough.

Angela grasped my arm. “Look.”

I followed her gaze to a large shadow moving in the right side of the field.

“What is that?” I said.

We froze, exposed in the centre of a large clearing. We had nowhere to run.

“It’s too large to be human,” Daniel said.

I breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wasn’t an Enforcer. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous. The blob moved towards us in a slow curve, as though circling us.

“Is it a horse?” said Angela.

“It could be,” I breathed. “I guess it’s the right shape.”

“Or a cow,” Daniel offered.

“Whatever it is, it’s
huge
,” I whispered.

The beast came closer and I saw the slow bob of its head as it walked. Grass rustled eerily beneath its hooves and through flared nostrils came a snort. It sounded like the funny machine in the Café Sebastian had taken me to in the town. Angela moved forward with her hand outstretched.

“What are you doing?” I hissed.

“I’m making friends with it,” she replied.

“Come back!” Daniel whispered. He moved closer to me and grabbed my arm but I pulled it away. He frowned at me.

The beast snorted again, softer this time, as though sussing us out. Angela moved closer, cooing, her hand outstretched. It stepped forward into the moonlight and I gasped. I had never seen anything so beautiful. The pale gaze of the moon revealed the wide black and white forehead of a cow. It had kind, dark eyes and a black nose glistening with spit. A large pink tongue flicked out to clean a nostril and all three of us jumped back. The cow snorted and jerked its head but then settled. It assessed us curiously with its blinking eyes.

Angela walked forward confidently and stroked the cow right between the eyes. It bowed its head and nuzzled against her side. She giggled.

“You have to feel this, it’s so weird!”

Daniel and I approached cautiously. I pressed my hand against the soft, furry skin of the cow and stroked its surprisingly silky coat.

The cow moved its head and the pink tongue flicked out. Before I could move it licked the length of my face with its raspy tongue.

“Urgh.” I backed away. “That’s so gross!”

Daniel laughed.

With a snort the cow turned and slowly walked away from us. With an almighty
moo
it instructed us to follow.

W
e trailed hoof-prints like the solemn followers of a religious procession. The cow was a sign of things to come, our luck changing; it showed us that miracles really do exist. When Sebastian told me about the farm, about living independently from the Ministry, part of me hadn’t really believed him. Now I did.

The field stopped at a dry-stone wall with an old rusting gate. We climbed over and I winced at the pain of my ankle. On the other side lay a muddy track, worn by hooves and boots. The track led to a yard with a large barn on the right. On the left stood a small farm cottage which was old but not dilapidated and in much better condition than some of the houses in the ghettos. Pot plants framed the steps leading to the farm-house door.

“Are you ready, Mina?” Daniel asked anxiously. “It should be you who knocks on the door. You know that.”

“It must be late,” I said. “There aren’t any lights on inside. Maybe they are asleep and they won’t hear us.”

“If they don’t hear we’ll just have to set up camp nearby and wait ‘til morning,” said Daniel.

“Don’t worry, everything will be okay,” Angela said encouragingly. She squeezed my shoulder for moral support.

I sucked in air and moved towards the cottage. The painkillers were wearing off and I limped. Every bit of me ached, and as I walked I felt like my legs were made of lead. I lifted a tired, trembling hand to the door. Doubts flew through my mind: What if they turn us away? What if they turn is in? Will Sebastian and Daniel fight? Does Sebastian hate me? I ignored them all and knocked hard and loud.

We were greeted by the barrel of a gun. I gulped and raised my hands. The man wielding the gun was handsome and middle aged. He had deep-set dark eyes and hair that greyed at the temples. I forced the tingle in my palms to come, just in case I had to take the gun out of his hand. I didn’t want it to come to that. I didn’t want to reveal myself.

He looked surprised. “A Blemished girl?” He narrowed his eyes. “Who are you? What do you want and how did you find us?

“My name is Mina Hart,” I said slowly. “I know your son, Sebastian.”

The man turned his head away. Next to me Daniel twitched and I placed a hand on his arm. The last thing we needed was Daniel tackling Sebastian’s father to the ground.

“Seb? Do you know these people?”

Inside the house there was a shuffle and the sound of squeaking door hinges. Eventually Sebastian appeared in front of his father. He saw me and smiled.

“You came!”

It was as though nothing had happened between us. He was still Sebastian, easy going and friendly. My stomach unclenched.

“You gave this girl directions?” said his father.

Sebastian looked up guiltily. “She needed help, Dad. Remember how I told you about her?”

I watched this exchange, eyeing Sebastian’s father’s reactions. He wasn’t happy to see us but there was no malice there. He seemed mildly irritated with Sebastian but not particularly worried. It was almost as though they’d been expecting us. But why would he pretend to be surprised? I decided to stay alert. My ankle twanged and I shifted my weight.

“Are you hurt?” Sebastian touched my arm and looked at me with concern. Next to me Daniel stiffened.

“My ankle was bitten by a dog a few nights ago,” I said.

“Well, you three look like you’ve been through the wars and then some,” Sebastian’s father said. “You’d best come in.”

We followed them in, Sebastian held me by the crook of my elbow and I didn’t protest, my muscles felt suddenly very weak. My forehead was burning.

“You feel hot, Mina, feverish,” Sebastian said.

He steered me into a lounge and helped me onto a soft, cushiony sofa. Daniel watched with his arms folded and his lips pressed tightly together. Sebastian hadn’t really looked at him.

“Were you followed?” Sebastian’s father asked.

“No,” I mumbled.

“We lost the Enforcers in the Industrial Estate about twenty miles from here,” Daniel said. He spoke with a stern authority I’d never heard before. “We moved fast through the woods. Didn’t hear anyone following.”

Sebastian looked at Daniel for the first time. They stood facing each other, both with stiff backs and arms folded. Daniel jutted out his chin.

“Just because you didn’t hear them doesn’t mean they didn’t follow,” Sebastian said.

Daniel smiled – it was a sarcastic, caustic smile. “No, but they can’t have been anywhere near us. The woods are so deep they’ve probably given up by now.”

I thought back to the way I disarmed the Enforcers in the ghettos and wondered if they would give up so easily after seeing me do that. A woman bustled into the room. She was plump and pretty, with silver tinged strawberry-blonde hair.

“We have visitors?” she said to her husband, her expression one of confusion but not fear.

“Mum, this is my friend, Mina,” Sebastian said. He ignored the presence of Angela and Daniel.

“Nice to meet you Mrs Cole,” I said weakly.

“My goodness. You look just terrible,” she said. She looked around at the others. “What are your names, dears?”

“I’m Angela,” she said shyly.

“Daniel,” he said with a smile approaching warmth.

Sebastian’s lips tightened further as Daniel confirmed himself. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. It wasn’t a friendly look. I tried to sit up straight and say something to defuse the tension but instead I slipped and fell forward. Daniel and Sebastian both jumped forward to catch me but bumped into each other instead.

Mrs Cole tutted and helped me up by my arm. “So, Mr Cole, we have some sick children to help, do we?”

“Seems that way,” Mr Cole answered.

“All right then. I’d best get this one upstairs. Seb, you can feed them. There is bread and cheese in the kitchen. Mr Cole could you give me a hand please?”

The Coles slipped their arms under me and lifted. I blacked out.

*

When I woke my head was nestled in the most comfortable cushions I’d ever felt, plumped up to perfection. Sunlight peeked through lace curtains. I was snuggly, warm, and above all – clean. The heat from my forehead was gone and my ankle had been strapped up tight. It still hurt but the warmth from the cut had faded. Mrs Cole sat by my bed reading a novel.

“You had a fever,” she said matter-of-factly.

“How long have I been sleeping?”

“Two days and nights,” she answered.

I sat up fast and my head spun. “Two days? Why didn’t someone wake me?”

“You needed it. Sit down now. You need even more rest to let that ankle heal. You’re lucky you found us when you did. And I’ve stitched up the wound on your arm too.” She shook her head. “In my day girls did what they were told and didn’t get into trouble like that.”

“Thank you,” I said, touching my arm gently. “I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

“Don’t mention it, dear.”

The bedroom door opened and Angela bustled through in a new dress. “Mrs Cole I’ve changed the bedding in the master bedroom and… Mina, you’re awake!”

I smiled. It was good to see her. “I am.”

She dumped a pile of clean bedding below my feet and leaned across the bed to embrace me. “Finally! You had us all worried. Sebastian and Daniel have been fighting over who mops your brow.” She rolled her eyes. Mrs Cole raised her eyebrows and shook her head. “We all thought you were going to die for a little while. It was scary.”

“You look so pretty,” I said. She really did. She wore a floral dress with long billowing sleeves that was delicate but still practical, the hem-line finishing just below her knees. She wasn’t wearing her headscarf and the curls framed her face.

Angela curtseyed and Mrs Cole beamed. “Pretty as a picture. They belonged to my eldest daughter. She died before we even moved to Area 14 but I just couldn’t bring myself to throw them away. I’m so glad I didn’t because now they have a new purpose.”

I remembered Sebastian telling me about Eve, the pregnancy and the involvement of the Resistance. There was something off about Mrs Cole but I couldn’t put my finger on it. She was kind enough. She tended to my wounds when I was vulnerable. She even seemed to care about Angela. There was a slight vagueness about her which reminded me of Angela’s mum. Yet a Blemished woman would never be married to a man who worked in London so she could not have had the Operation. I watched her as she smiled warmly at Angela.

“It’s amazing here, Mina,” Angela gushed. “They have cows and horses and chickens.”

Mrs Cole chuckled. “Angie has been helping me with the chores. She’s a grafter, this one. A real hard worker.”

I smiled nervously. Only Theresa called her Angie. “Sounds great.”

“I know,” Angela mused. “I hope we never leave here.”

“Me neither, dear,” Mrs Cole said.

A chill ran down my spine.