SAFE (2 page)

The
entire time we talked, there was an eerie silence in their words. They weren’t
telling me something. I waited to see if they would mention anything about what
they were discussing in secrecy. But they didn’t.

Instead,
they continued to smile; my dad rubbed his forehead off and on and talked about
their weekend. The following day was a work day. Another reason I was surprised
at their late night talking. In the midst, my father mentioned we needed to
have a family night soon. I loved them a lot, but what was the difference
between a family night and any other night we spent together? It’s always been
the three of us. Basically every time I was home, it could be defined as family
night.

After
an hour of eating way too much pie, I gave them each a kiss on the cheek and
headed to my room for some much needed sleep. They stayed behind and talked
some more. I made no effort to eavesdrop, I was tired.

The next morning, my mom was cooking breakfast and humming
in the kitchen over the stove. A touch of sadness hung on the end of each note.
She and I ate breakfast together and we took our daily regimen of vitamins before
I headed to the lab. It still felt somewhat new, my position assisting Doctor
Benton in his current research, and as I walked out the door, my mom came
behind me and squeezed my hand.

“Have
a lovely day at work,” she said, “love you.” Her eyes were as calm and sincere
as her words.

I
looked back at her with a mixed expression of love and sorrow, guessing she must
still be thinking of Madeline after whatever they discussed last night.

“Love
you too, Mom,” I replied and gave her a kiss on the cheek before darting down
the sidewalk.

The
test center was located adjacent to the Academy on the opposite side of the
courtyard. Doctor Benton’s lab was on the eighth floor. Every morning I cringed
as I climbed the stairs, unsure of how the skinny structure kept from toppling over.
I was sort of scared of heights. Though Jessie assured me it wouldn’t fall.
Jessie. She was the doctor’s first assistant. When she graduated to the next
security level, he requested me. My grades at the school were exemplary; the
best in my class. She stayed behind for a few weeks to help train me and was
kind enough to communicate about the doctor’s
habits
; he was someone who
followed every rule in the handbook and only studied in the area specified to
him. He had a specific way he liked everything done and insisted all the
beakers face a particular direction. If I forgot to wear gloves during tests,
he made clear he’d fire me without hesitation.

“There’s
no room for error.” I heard him say this over and over again during my first
few weeks of being there. Jessie silently chuckled as he said it and mouthed
the words alongside him. Of course he didn’t see her, but I did. And we became quick
friends after that.

As
I walked up the stairs, I passed many others headed off to their labs, each of
them wearing long black coats like me. Most people in our building didn’t care
to show off as much of our skin as those in the Academy. Our vines weren’t as
numerous as theirs, really not much to show. The visible power expressed by
vines wasn’t as important to those in the labs. Our power was in our brain. We
were smart.

Training
of the new cadets had to be taking place. Rapid gunfire echoed in my ears, which
was something only allowed within the Academy walls. Only those with written
authorization had clearance to own a gun, unless used for practice within training
sessions. Every firearm assigned only functioned with the correct corresponding
DNA of its owner. This helped keep the possibility of thievery to a minimum. Of
course, there’s always going to be someone selling them illegally to the Lowers.

The
smell of biochemical compounds began filling the staircase as my hands guided up
the metal railing. Every floor had a door with a carded electronic entrance. I
scanned my nametag hanging around my neck and the green light flashed,
unlocking the hefty door.

I
didn’t know why the door had to be so heavy, I had a hard time pushing it open
and flinched when it immediately slammed shut. The blonde-haired receptionist
sat with her back perfectly straight and wore a solemn look as she nodded me
past. I wondered when the day would come for her to acknowledge me with more
than a nod. Maybe a wave or a hello of some sort? My rubber sole shoes squeaked
against the hallway floors and I turned through the plastic curtains. Doctor
Benton removed all but one of the doors on this floor, allowing him quick
access in and out of each laboratory room. It was more efficient this
way
.

My
father works two stories above me, however I never saw him. His job began hours
before mine and normally ended hours after mine too. His clearance level exceeded
everyone on my floor, and it didn’t matter that I was his daughter, I was not
allowed anywhere except for on the eighth floor. When I was first requested to
work here, I signed a contract stating my knowledge and understanding that if I
were to break any codes, it would be seen as a personal violation, possibly exiling
me from this Land.

“Believe
me,” I told the lady and man duet, “I promise, I will not be doing anything I’m
unauthorized for.” The last thing I’d ever want is to be sent out on a boat to
the
other
Land. All the kids here learned early on about the other Land.
The rumors were it became the home for all the settlers who contracted the
plague when our Land was established. The sickness ran rampant, killing massive
amounts of people. Rapidly, a vaccine was created to kill the disease. But
instead of simply stopping the plague, it permanently restructured our genetic
cell makeup, forming the never-ending veiny vines all over our skin. Sadly, the
vaccine didn’t work on everyone. For those unfortunate people, they were forced
to leave our Land and move to the
other
. To this day, the rumor is a
variety of diseases has taken over that land and anyone who survived the plaque
now lives permanently disfigured from a mesh pile of illnesses.

President
Falcon took over after his predecessor appointed him prior to dying of old age,
and he is covered from head to toe with dark vines, the strongest of all of us.
He probably has abilities we don’t even know about.

 Every
once in a while, not often, someone is born without vines. If the lines don’t
appear within days of their birth, then the parents are given a choice to either
leave with them for the other Land or be executed. Not surprising, most choose
the option of sailing to the other Land. But they know no matter what they
choose, they’re choosing death. A large body of water, miles wide, is the only
thing dividing our two islands. But it’s so far away we can’t even see it.

President
Falcon has expressed more than once his distaste over the decision these families
are forced to make. “Nobody deserves this,” he said, “but the last thing this
Land can handle is a mass outbreak again. We have no choice. We must uphold the
rule.”

All
of us can feel his pain when the former choices have to be made. However, we’re
all too aware of what another outbreak could mean. It could kill us all if it
were to happen again. Twice a month, President Falcon assigns a few officers the
dangerous task of delivering food and supplies to the other Land. I don’t think
they actually stop on the Land itself, for fear they’ll catch a disease, but instead
anchor far enough away, letting the tide bring the supplies the rest of the way
in.

Chills
ran down my back and I shuddered at the mere thought of the other Land. The
stench must be overwhelming from all the deceased and diseased.

I
began today in the lab like every other, pulling petri dishes ready for fluorescent
examination and placing them in chronological order along Doctor Benton’s rollaway
table. Each dish made of glass. If I were to break one by accident, the
bacteria we’ve been growing for months would be destroyed. We’re trying to
narrow down the search of a specific bacteria strain and in turn create viable
medicine. Two years ago, a noticeable influx of sicknesses became apparent. Not
many have died, but my fears are heightened nonetheless. It has taken months
and months of research before finally narrowing the microorganisms down to the
correct form.

Doctor
Benton pushed through the plastic curtain, translucent tablet in hand, as he
walked over to the table I was categorizing. He tapped a few buttons on his
screen and shut it off before placing it in the desk’s drawer.

“How
are we doing today Miss Penny? I trust everything is in precise sequence and
you’ve followed all the safety regulations?”

“Yes
Doctor Benton,” I replied.

When
I first started working here, I found out very quickly never to use the term
Mister instead of Doctor. Apparently, the former is a sign of disrespect and
every doctor feels the same way.

“They’re
ready now.” I stacked the last dish onto the end of the never-ending rows and
helped roll the table out the doorway and down the hall to the only room
containing a door. Doctor Benton scanned his ID and instantly the door unlocked,
a slight suction sound escaped, as it breathed from the secured fit.

I
became stiff and the cold air from inside the room flowed across my arms
causing a shiver down my spine. Once inside, we walked around the table towards
the glass box, hanging on the wall, encasing our safety specs—goggles. The
goggles are sanitized overnight with an automatic spray and it was another
protocol to wear them. The stiff air in the room wasn’t harmful to our lungs
but it would cause irritation to our eyes without the goggles. I grabbed mine
after the doctor grabbed his and proceeded back to the table. In unison, we rolled
it to the contained area at the end of the room.

The
rest of the day, I helped him analyze and study every single dish—it took
hours. We skipped lunch just so we could finish by late afternoon.

“That’ll
be all, Miss Penny. Thank you for your help. See you tomorrow, same time.” The doctor
gestured away from him with his hands as he continued staring into the
microscope. I replaced my goggles in the box and walked back out the door to
get my things from the other room. Halfway down the hall, my ID badge beeped as
a bright red color flashed in the top right corner.

Anxiously,
my fingertips held the tiny edge and a message scrolled across the screen:

-
LAND MEETING 18:00 HOURS - LAND MEETING 18:00 HOURS - LAND MEETING 18:00 H

The
meeting wasn’t what concerned me as did the red flash. Only three colors were
used to inform the Land what type of meeting to expect, and red had never been needed—not
in my lifetime. The red meant urgent, attendance mandatory. It even applied to
the people residing in the outer areas within the perimeter, the Lowers.
According to the law, if a person didn’t attend, individual punishment would be
ordered.

With my purse strap slung across my chest, the door
to the eighth floor didn’t seem heavy anymore and I paused at the bottom of the
winding staircase, wondering where the last few minutes had disappeared to. My
mind coexisted with bombarding questions about tonight’s meeting, and the sun’s
ray hit my eyes with a fierce, sudden blindness upon opening the last door. Immediately,
my hands flung out to block the light, letting my eyes readjust and I squinted across
the courtyard.

James
was nowhere in sight, not unusual, but I knew his ID would be flashing, causing
him the same curiosity. Four guards stood outside the Academy’s main entrance,
arms by their sides with black, sleeveless shirts exposing all of their vines. They
looked like quadruplets, matching haircuts and clothing attire.

I
looked down at my watch, large digital numbers flashed four o’clock; two hours
left until the meeting. Trying to banish the rush of thoughts, I picked up my
pace towards home.  After rounding a few corners, the street became crowded
with people tugging anxiously on the flashing cards hanging around their necks.
The noise of everyone’s words clanging about, combined with the suffocating, sudden
heat, created an overwhelming feeling in the pit of my stomach. Now, more than
ever, I wanted to be in my room. I walked faster. Without warning, I was nearly
trampled by a kid, freckles covering his nose and cheeks, running aimlessly
across the street towards his friend jumping up and down on the other side. The
same message scrolled across the tiny card clipped neatly to his collar as he
passed me.

The
more I walked, the more people began filling the streets. A few older ones hugged
one another and others sat in driveways drinking, mingling like nothing big was
about to take place. And they might be right. Perhaps this meeting was just an
important informational gathering—though I highly doubted it.

Jessie’s
house was only a few blocks away and I contemplated passing by to see if she
was home yet, a second later, I decided against it. What can she tell me that I
didn’t already know?

Three
homes left until I reached my street.

As
I turned the last corner, my chest sunk with relief. James was sitting on the
porch. Seeing him washed away any anxieties I had for the moment.

“Hey!”
I hollered, running and wrapping my arms around his neck. The feeling of being
tiny within his large, warm chest, was one I loved. He cupped my chin and followed
it with a short, quick kiss.

“So
are you done for the day? Do you want to hang out…? Walk with me to the meeting
tonight?” I asked.

“I’d
like to, but the officers only allowed an hour off and I stopped by your house
on my way back. Evidently, extra guards are needed on the scene during the
meeting.”

As
he spoke, I took a step back. “Why would they want extra guards?” There were
plenty of guards, and President Falcon was capable of taking care of himself
even without the extra security.

James
glanced down at his boot, spit shining a spot off with his hands. “I’m not
exactly sure…probably just for appearances. They don’t want the crowd getting
out of hand.” He stood back up once his boot reflected the sun correctly. “Superiors
have been in and out of meetings all day, but they won’t give us any details.”

“What
could be so important?”

“I
don’t know. That’s what I’m going to find out. Just wanted to stop by and see
you before I headed back. Love you.” He gave me another big kiss and I told him
I’d see him later. Then he jogged down the street and disappeared around the
corner.

The
rest of the evening I was alone in my room, and my parents never came home,
probably somewhere eating before the big meeting or in a conference. I waited
until my ID read 17:50 hours before I changed out of my comfy reading clothes
into more appropriate apparel and then I headed out the door along with the
rest of the crowd, walking in the same direction down the street. A light
breeze began to pick up outside and I was glad I opted for longer sleeves.

A
pair of twins held their parents’ hands, swinging back and forth between them over
the pavement. An elderly gentleman was pushed on wheels out to the side of the
street where it was less crowded. Massive amounts of vines climbed the family
next to me and in front of them were a group of kids with thin ones a lighter
shade of black, greyish in color. So far I hadn’t seen any of the Lowers. The
crowd became denser as each street came closer to the courtyard. By the time I
rounded the last corner, every inch of space was taken up—shoulder to shoulder.
Immediately, I started searching for anyone my age, but it was hard to see
through the mass of people, and my height didn’t help any.

I
jumped up and down, scanning left to right as I peered across the sea of heads
and finally spotted Jessie. Quickly, I made my way under and around elbows towards
the direction that I saw her. The meeting hadn’t begun, and the noise from
everyone talking was too loud to shout over. So I just kept searching until I
finally saw her long, fiery red hair blazing from behind a group of young boys.

“Jessie!”
I yelled, grabbing her shoulder.

She
didn’t notice me at first and gazed straight ahead.

“Jessie!”
I tugged again, startling her.

“Ah!
Penny! I wondered where you were. Do you know what’s going on?” she asked, observing
the front of the courtyard marked off. We stood near the front allowing us to
see a long row of tables with doctors sitting behind them—my dad included.

When
I saw him, his eyes locked on mine. Then I mouthed, “W-H-E-R-E I-S M-O-M?”

He
turned his head and pointed down the long row of doctors to the end where a few
people sat behind a marked-off area. She was in the middle of the group. I
didn’t spot her at first because the person in front of her was substantially
taller and thicker than she was.

I
tried waving, but it was no use. She couldn’t spot me through the enormous
amount of people surrounding me, I was like an ant in a sea of larger ants.

Just
then, Jessie nudged me and pointed to her ID hanging around her neck. The red
light stopped flashing. The time blinked 18:00.

A
line of guards walked out from around the stage behind the tables, each holding
a large gun across their chest. Every one of them marched in unity, one after
the other. I counted ten, then twenty, and then thirty. James was in the middle
of the line. As the guards stopped, they turned forward facing us together and stomped
their feet in place, making any type of access into the marked-off area impossible.
I looked at James, but he didn’t look at me. He didn’t know where I was
standing.

Another
group of ten guards walked out on stage, President Falcon in the center of the
group. The crowd became instantly quite and Falcon started talking. His voice
vibrated loudly through the speakers surrounding us from above.

“Hello,”
he nodded to the audience and lowered his hands in front, greeting the crowd.
“I know you’re wondering why all of you are here tonight. You know this meeting
wouldn’t have been called unless I felt it was truly necessary.” Everyone shook
their head in support because we trusted President Falcon completely. He
continued, “Something terrible had been brought to my attention. Over the past
two years, there’s been a small increase in the number of deaths. Many by old
age, but others due to a specific illness. This is of a major concern to me.”
What he said wasn’t news to me, but some people may not have recognized the
significance.

“Because
of this, I have ordered a full mandatory testing to be completed tonight.” As
the words left his mouth, gasps soared across the mass of people. Testing. It
was something only specific infants went through as a final examination, determining
whether they inherited the genetic material preventing the plague. And even
then, it was only performed on the infants that didn’t present a visible sign
of vines. President Falcon raised his hands patiently, quieting the crowds’ questions,
“I think we can all agree when I say… we need to find out what the exact
illness is that has killed a few already. It’s only a small few, but we don’t
want it to become worse. We gathered samples from their bodies and have narrowed
down the virus at the forefront of the illness. This is for your protection. If
your test results come back positive, you’ll be quarantined and given the
vaccine created. Please do not worry,” he put his hands back down as the crowds’
whispers gradually subsided.

Instantly,
the rope dividing the crowd from the tables dropped to the ground, and each
guard turned sideways, allowing a space to walk by them.

“Please,
in an orderly fashion, continue forward to a table for testing.” President
Falcon ended his speech, walked to the side of the stage, and sat in a chair,
observing the disciplined mass.

Slowly
people made their way in between the guards. I walked over to James and gave
him a quick glance as I passed. He looked at me, but didn’t say anything. The
guards weren’t allowed to converse when they were on duty, unless directly to
another guard or if they were restraining a person. A few broke the rules, but
James took his job seriously and wanted to move up the ranks without any problems—a
work ethic I suitably understood.

Many
people were ahead of me. I watched blood being drawn from their wrists and
small pieces of flesh snipped from the sides of their torsos. Children screamed
and cried during the painful process. Tears rolled down the moms’ faces in
response to their child’s pain. Luckily, the doctors were precise, making the slice
of flesh fast and as painless as possible.

It
was my turn next. I walked forward. My dad sat next to the doctor in front of
me.

“It’s
okay, Doctor Sabin. I have it here,” my dad indicated to the doctor and waved
for me to slide over.

“Don’t
make a fuss—it’s fine. I have her,” the doctor replied. “Trust me, I’ll be
swift. Promise.”

Before
I responded, he grabbed my ID and scanned it into his translucent tablet. Once
my name appeared on the screen, he grabbed my wrist and jabbed my vein, filling
a tiny glass capsule with the midnight blood, then put it off to the side and asked
me to lift my shirt as he took a slice of flesh. I jerked from the discomfort, put
my shirt down, and waved to my dad, letting him know I’d see him at the house. I
rather hang out with James or any of our other friends after all of this, but I
knew James would be busy at the Academy and Jessie had a date.

Large
amounts of people still stood in line when I left the courtyard and I imagined
it’d take hours for everyone to finish, and then days for all the results to
run through the labs. Maybe I’d be allowed to help with the results? Probably
too high of an expectation, but it wouldn’t hurt to let Doctor Benton know I
was willing.

I
arrived home not much later.

An
hour passed before I heard the door downstairs shut, and I closed my book to find
out who it was. As I hopped down the stairs, nobody was in sight.

“Mom?
Dad?” I asked.

No
answer.

“Mom,”
I said a little louder.

Sill
no answer, but someone was rustling in the kitchen. I walked pass the couch and
opened the kitchen door.

My
mom was wearing a rosy colored shirt, bent over facing the opposite direction
in the doorway of the pantry, not noticing me behind her.

“Mom,
what are you doing?” She jumped at my presence.

Without
pausing, she replied, “Penelope, grab a backpack. You know…the one in the hall
closet.”

I
was confused by the statement, but followed orders anyway. After I found the
backpack on top of a shelf above the jackets, I brought it back to her.

“Okay,
here you go.” She grabbed the slim, coal-colored pack from my hands and started
tossing random food inside: bread, carrots, apples, and a few other things I
couldn’t see because she was moving so fast. Swift movements had always been a
tireless effort of hers.

“Mom,
tell me what this is all about.”

Finally,
she stopped and looked at me, “Just go upstairs, grab a change of clothes, and
a jacket. Alright?” I didn’t move and stared with wide eyes. Had she gone
crazy? “Please, Penelope, do it for me.” Her voice sounded desperate.

“Sure,”
I replied, slowly turning around, wracking my brain with possibilities to what
might be happening. But I couldn’t think of anything. I did as she asked and
when I came back downstairs, my dad was in the kitchen standing next to my mom,
bracing his hands on her shoulders, whispering back and forth—intensely. They
looked at me; my mom’s cheeks were wet and her eyes bloodshot.

“You
are officially freaking me out. Tell me what’s going on. Now.” I threw my
clothes on the ground in frustration.

My
mom stumbled over, picked up the clothes, and stuffed them into the backpack, along
with the food. My clothes. In the backpack. The backpack was for
me
?

My
heart began racing and a quivering sensation ran through my body as I tried
catching my breath. My eyes didn’t leave the sight of the backpack hanging from
my mom’s hands and then my dad walked over to me. He pulled out three vials
from his pocket, each filled with a liquid the same color as the sky. Then he
held them out in front of me.