Aberrant (7 page)

"Soon enough," she answered, stopping the vehicle
in front of a building. They all looked tall to me but this one only reached five
stories, and still made me feel incredibly small. I hesitated before stepping
out of the truck.

"How long has Haven been here?" The city felt
foreign to me, unnatural.

"Can't say," Scarlet shrugged, nonchalant,
"hundreds of years, I'm pretty sure." She didn't move from the front
seat. Joshua stepped out from the truck, grabbed our bags and handed mine to me
before he shut the door.

"Thanks for the ride." He nodded at Scarlet before
he reached for my hand, leading me through the heavy, wooden unlocked doors. I
didn't say a word as I glanced up at the staircase and balcony just overhead. Intricate
designs pasted onto the wall covered the foyer. I couldn't help but stare – I'd
never seen anything quite like it. The stairs were a dark oak and the carpet a
deep beige, matching the walls.

"Joshua, Olivia!" I heard a familiar voice and
nearly jumped out of my skin seeing his mother, Rebecca, greeting us.

"Mom?" He was obviously taken aback by her
presence. What did that mean back home for my mother? I couldn’t imagine the
Governor had released her from prison. How had Rebecca escaped Genesis? Did the
officials question her? What about his father? I had so many questions but
couldn't find the words against the deafening sound of my heart.

Rebecca hugged her son tightly in her arms and then pulled
me into a quick embrace, offering a warm inviting smile. "I'm glad you're
both safe. I won't be here long." Her brown eyes bright. "The council
called a meeting and there was no chance I was going to miss it."

"You're on the council," I remarked as if it were
the most obvious thing in the world. I should have known. She was the sole
reason I had won my freedom.

"Yes." His mother nodded, smiling politely at me. "I'll
show you both to your rooms on the second floor and you can get cleaned up in
the meantime."

"Rooms?" I asked curiously.

Rebecca laughed softly. "You didn't very well think your
marriage was legal?" She shook her head, her truffle hair falling down her
back. "The laws back home don't apply in Haven. We allow our people to
choose who they marry. So long as you are living here, you are in separate
rooms until you choose a spouse," Rebecca told us.

Joshua glanced at me for the briefest of seconds before
embracing his mother in a hug, "Thank you," he breathed a sigh of
relief. "You don't know how happy I am."

I was appalled. Was he actually thanking her for not having
to remain married to me? Was I that terrible a choice to be with? Is that why he
left Genesis? "We can marry someone else?" I asked, refusing to look
at Joshua.

Rebecca nodded faintly. "It is your choice to make."
She told her son, reaching for his arm giving it a squeeze. "To marry no
one at all or marry someone different entirely. In fact, we encourage you to go
out and meet the other members of our town, Haven. We want you to adapt to
society, fit in wherever possible."

I didn't quite understand what that meant. I knew they expected
us to live here indefinitely, but I wanted my life to be with Joshua. I felt
burned, in the worst way possible. Yes, Rebecca had rescued me from prison, but
for what reason? What motivated her? I wanted to think she had been entirely
selfless when Joshua had told her the news, but the pit of my stomach told me
otherwise.

Rebecca led the way up the staircase and to the second
floor. Rows of rooms lined the hall, and I couldn't help but wonder if this was
some sort of dormitory, and if so who else lived here.

There were so many levels but the staircase only seemed to
take us to the second floor. "How do people get upstairs?" I asked
gesturing towards the ceiling. I'd seen the windows for several more floors.

Rebecca smiled warmly, "the elevator, dear. It's in the
back of the foyer but there's no need for either of you to use it."

"Elevator?" I repeated curiously. I'd never heard
such a word before.

"It's similar to a car," Rebecca elaborated,
"you ride it from one floor to the next." I tried to imagine such a
device, like the car Scarlet had driven us in on, located within the building
that would ride you from floor to floor. It would have to be vertical which
only made me laugh. Rebecca shot me a peculiar look. "What's so funny,
dear?"

"How do you not fall out?" I asked, curious.

Rebecca rolled her eyes, not answering my question. "You
will each have your own private suite. I had to pull some strings," She informed
us proudly, "But I know you will both be pleased with the arrangements."

"Thanks, Mom," Joshua nodded. I didn't say a word.
What could I say to express my gratitude and also discomfort with the present
situation? I felt bitter in this new home – it wasn’t the life I wanted or
wished for. Maybe I didn’t agree with the government, but I had played by their
rules, mostly. It wasn’t fair, being tossed into prison and forced on the run. I
just wanted to be left alone. I reached for my door, turned the handle and
pushed it open. I didn't look back and didn't say anything to either of them. I
dropped my pack on the floor inside my room and shut the door abruptly.

I headed for the dresser, finding brightly colored and
patterned blouses and skirts. I'd never seen so many colors of fabric before. Next,
I opened the closet, curious what else may be waiting and was shocked to see a
dozen or so dresses and several pairs of shoes. My fingers moved along the material,
feeling each with curiosity. I paused, glancing at a rich blue dress and pulled
it from the closet. When I stepped inside the bathroom, my mouth dropped at the
oversized tub and glass shower stall. They were both huge! The bathroom was
practically its own room in size. At home we had a shower, but it was timed and
at a specific temperature. We had exactly three minutes to get clean three
times a week. The water shortage had made things difficult at times, and the
government considered showering daily a waste. However, they frowned upon showering
less than that as well. Then you smelled like Levi Keller.

Turning the shower on, I jumped at the freezing cold
temperature and played with the dials jumping away again when my hands nearly
got scalded. I stripped out of my grimy clothes and stepped beneath the spray. It
felt good to get clean, and I turned the water warmer than it would be back
home, feeling my body relax under the spray. I didn't pay attention to how long
I'd been standing there and realized the water hadn't shut off on me. What a
luxury! I found some soap and finished cleaning before shutting off the shower.
It took a good two minutes to figure out how to do that. I wasn't used to so
many buttons and knobs. With time, I'd figure it out.

Drying off, I wrapped a large fluffy towel around my body. I
couldn't help but wonder where such luxuries came from. Were they trying to
show us the good side of the rebellion to make us want to join forces? Did they
expect us to fight with them? I wasn’t ready for a fight. I had no training and
doubted I could shoot a gun and hit a target if my life depended on it. Besides,
I imagined myself capable of other jobs aside from joining their militia in
Haven. I dried myself off and slipped on the dress I'd found in the closet. It
was beautiful, soft and flowing down to my toes. I found a brush by the sink
and worked the knots out of my hair. Staring at my reflection I wondered if I
was the same girl days ago. I hardly looked like the girl I knew. I hardly felt
like her, either. On the counter, sat an array of brightly colored trays and
compacts. I had no idea what they were and left them untouched.

I grabbed the filthy dress that had been white just
yesterday morning and tossed it into the trashcan in the corner of the
bathroom, never wanting to see it again. It was a small act of rebellion. I
would not let them control my identity or my future.

With a fresh start, I headed into my room and grabbed the
pack, digging out my father's journal. I wanted to know what my father could
have written about in such secret. I opened the first page of the journal,
seeing his handwriting and immediately felt a rush of nausea spread through me.
I hadn’t seen my father in more than ten years and here was his writing. It
saddened me that I hadn't found his journal. I was grateful Joshua had given it
to me, but I still found it hard to come to terms with. Quietly, I read the
pages, trying to understand what my father had felt, what he experienced.

Yesterday, I met my wife for the first time. I should be
overzealous with joy at her beauty, but all I can do is despise the government
for deciding we must be together. This is not the life I want or wish for. Children
should not be won, but born from love. Tomorrow I will begin my new job. I've
already gotten wind that I will be a writer for 'The Genesis Times'. Little do
they know I was once a rebel journalist. I have not and will not ever give up
what we fight for. Our country was born on certain liberties. The men and women
of our newfound land have no knowledge of such things. The victors wrote our
so-called history, these lies told to the children of our society. I know my
time will be limited, but I must fight for the resistance. I must make a
difference. Leaving is not an option. Not now, not yet until change has been
made.

My eyes read over his words, and I paused, realizing he must
have been eighteen when he made his first journal entry, when he had accepted
the marriage ceremony as I had yesterday. I always thought my parents cared for
one another, even if the government had decided upon their union. Love, though,
was a word hardly ever spoken in Genesis. I turned the page, reading another
entry from a few years later. I wondered what had happened in that time to make
him stop writing. Had he worried about getting caught, of facing the government
and being tried for treason? I couldn’t blame him, especially after having
spent a few hours in prison. Saying it wasn’t pleasant was an understatement.

I don't know how it happened. They say women can't
conceive, at least not naturally. But Samantha is pregnant. She hasn't won the
lottery, and I know we have limited options. It will be our first child, so the
government won't demand us to give up our baby. At least I hope not. All I can
think is that the government will want to hide the knowledge that the baby was
born naturally. I can only hope Samantha will have a daughter, or else everything
will be discovered. If we are lucky enough for a girl, I'm unsure how safe she
will ever be in this city. If I take her from these walls, we can expect so
much chaos and violence. I fear for her life. I see no solution in sight.

I fell back against the mattress, staring up at the ceiling
as I held the journal against my chest. It wasn't easy reading the words from a
man I missed and loved greatly. Sighing, a huge burden of sadness coursed
through me as I felt what he must have when they'd learned of my mother’s pregnancy.
With a heavy heart, I turned the page again and continued reading another entry
of the journal.

I don't know how I'll ever repay those who have promised
to help us. I will owe them a dangerous amount of debt. I fear what this favor
will amount to. Samantha will win the lottery this month. I can only hope all
will be okay. Samantha is incredibly nervous we will get caught. I've assured
her I've taken all the necessary precautions. The doctor has insisted that
should the government find out she became pregnant naturally, they will insist
on terminating the pregnancy – something unheard of for at least one hundred
years. It has been at least that long since women could carry children without
assistance. We're unsure how she was able to conceive, and the doctors tell us
we must pray for a girl or our secret will be exposed. I do worry what this
will mean if we bring a daughter into this world, but I will deal with that and
protect her when she comes of age. I will put my life on the line for her when
the time comes.

My heart constricted and my eyes welled with tears. He never
did get the chance to tell me the truth, and my mother had decided to keep it
from me until the government threw me into prison for a crime I did not commit.

I jumped from the mattress when I heard a knock at the door.
“Olivia?” A female voice called from the other side.

“Just a sec!” I answered, shutting the journal and glanced
quickly around the room. I needed to hide it. I didn’t trust those in Haven,
and couldn’t risk them discovering my father’s journal. I wasn’t sure what it
would mean to the rebel alliance. I rushed toward the dresser, maneuvering it
behind the wooden furniture. It wasn't the safest place, but it was the only
place I could think of that wouldn't be obvious.

I walked to the door and opened it to see a bright eyed,
red-haired girl a few years younger than me. "It's time to meet the
council," she informed me with a cheery grin.

"What about Joshua?" I asked, noticing she led me
away from his room and down the hall. I glanced back and wondered why he didn’t
join us.

"The council only requested your presence," she
assured me. "Don't worry – you're not in any trouble."

"Not in any trouble?” I repeated carefully. I had
broken out of prison with Rebecca’s help. I hadn’t even considered they would
punish me for the escape. Of course, the reason I’d been arrested hadn’t been entirely
fair, either, but I wasn’t familiar with this new town or its rules. I walked
with the redhead down the stairs. “Are you on the council?" I asked.

She giggled. "No, but my mother is." She glanced
at me. "I'm Jacqueline," she introduced herself. I stared into her pale
blue eyes, reaching for her hand.

"Nice to meet you. Olivia," I introduced myself, though
I was fairly confident she knew that already, considering she'd knocked on my
door just moments earlier and called me by name.