Chapter 22: Know Thy Enemy
He went forth conquering, and to conquer. ~ Revelation 6:2
In the days that passed, life in the colony resumed as normal. Except for the fact that May was in the infirmary, now busier than ever. Shortly after she removed Grace’s and Frankie’s censors, the other parents in the colony wanted all of their children checked for them too. And every single kid had them, just like Owen said.
When he first told me about them, I couldn’t figure out how I’d given Mr. Baker the opportunity to implant that censor into my head but after talking with Grace and a few others, I came to the conclusion that there were moments where I’d gone to the infirmary and couldn’t remember what happened.
May had told us when they were first setting the infirmary up, there were times where Mr. Baker would help her out, and she would often leave him alone with the patients. Nobody could blame her. May was only one person, and sometimes when she was backed up, she needed the extra help. And at the time, none of the colonists would have figured Mr. Baker for what he really was…
A monster.
Mr. Martin and Mr. Edwards were kicked out of the council. Even though they were in cahoots with Mr. Baker, my father didn’t see the point in casting them out of the colony completely. They were not the ringleaders, they were the followers, and he said it was punishment enough that they would not be included in any group decisions the council members made regarding the colony.
Then, there was Colin. Our relationship would never be the same. There were times where he tried to talk to me. I assumed he was trying to make amends for he’d done, but I could never get past the fact, that left me out in the middle of a barren earth, with cannibals, to die. All because he wanted to please his father, Mr. Edwards, and Mr. Baker.
Sometimes, I’d stare at him the way I used to. I expected to get that same feeling—like my insides were on fire, but it never came back. And I’d catch him looking at me too with a tortured longing look in his eyes. A look that told me he regretted the day he left me to die.
I couldn’t trust him anymore and I didn’t think that the trust I used to have for him would ever return. Once a person breaks that bond, it’s broken forever—like a man or woman who cheats on a spouse. When people betrayed one another, how could they come back from that? How could they look each other in the eye and find what they once had? It would be difficult and maybe even impossible.
A candle light vigil was held for Monica. The entire colony gathered around, sang songs, and talked about what a great person she was. It was extremely difficult for the Vickers family, because it was just like a funeral, and no one has an easy time with burying their kid. But, at the end of it, Grace and I talked and she said, “ I tried to keep the way I felt about her disappearance inside. I tried to put my best foot forward, but all I really needed was closure. I never knew what happened so I couldn’t move on.” She went on. “We were always waiting for the day when she would come home. And we never knew when that would be so it’s like waiting and waiting and waiting for something that’s never going to come. At least now we can say, yes she died, we loved her so much and will think of her always, but now, we can move forward, because we’re not constantly wondering what if?”
It wasn’t until it was late at night, when I was alone with my own thoughts that I thought of Owen. Owen, and his violet eyes. Not to mention his smile that I loved somuch. I wondered where he was on his journey. Also, if the Baker family had caught up with him. Lastly, I wished that there was a way for me to communicate with him. I wanted to know more about the place that was untouched by The Great Fam
ine, if he’d made it there, or if it really existed for that much.
The Great Famine was a global killer, even more than the asteroid that led us to the point where our race was starving to death. If there was a safe haven, out there somewhere, well, that seemed too good to be true. During these dire times, too good to be true didn’t exist.
There was one secret that Owen told me that I kept. I didn’t tell anybody about the hidden room above Mr. Baker’s old chambers. That was my place. A place where I could go and be alone, think of Owen, and forget about everything.
Now it was bare, all the television screens had been ripped down, the control panel dismantled. It was just a big empty room, but I didn’t mind. I loved how when I laid my face against the cold, black marble floor, it reminded me of winter. The way the frigid air used to sting my cheeks when I was outside. The first snowfall. Ice skating. Winter was my favorite season and I hadn’t experienced it in years.
The secret room brought a sense of adventure to me. There were so many other compartments that I hadn’t had the opportunity to see the last time I was here, aside from the closet Owen locked me in. There was a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom, even a sitting room.
While examining the kitchen, I went through every cupboard. I wasn’t really looking for anything because I knew if there was ever any food in the cupboards it was probably long gone by now. Then, I recalled Mr. Baker’s conversation with Owen, about Mr. Baker giving Owen some of our food, so I knew the possibility of food not being in the cupboard was high.
Closing my eyes, I yanked open the last cupboard door, hoping to give myself a surprise. “AHA!” My eyes shot open and what was behind the door definitely surprised me. Three kisses, stacked in a pyramid, their silver wrappers twinkling. Chocolate!
Chocolate was like an illegal drug now. Nobody could find it anywhere. And if someone did, they hid it because any survivor would kill for a piece of chocolate.
Sliding the kisses aside, I noticed a tattered piece of paper underneath. Another note! It had to be from Owen! Delighted, I snatched the paper from the cupboard and smiled. Finding anything from him at all made me feel like he was still around and never left.
Georgina,
I left you these because when I found them, I thought they were sweet, like you.
O.
My heart fluttered and I stuffed the note in my pocket. Then, I grabbed the kisses, shoved two in my pocket with the note and unwrapped the first one. I didn’t even care if it was white, flaky or stale. Chocolate was chocolate. And it was a luxury that I hadn’t been able to consume since I was fourteen.
Staring at the little blob of sugary splendor, I inhaled deeply. It smelled fresh. The mixture of cocoa, milk, and sugar tickled my taste buds and I hadn’t even plopped it into my mouth yet. I wanted to savor the candy. I didn’t want to be greedy and gobble it up all at once but, I couldn’t help it. I shoved it into my mouth as the milky chocolate melted against my tongue and dripped down my throat.
Sucking on the chocolate, I enjoyed every last bit of it, until it was no bigger than a raisin and I finally chewed it up. Touching my pocket, I thought about giving one to Frankie. She would be so excited when she saw the candy. I could already see her face lighting up in my mind. But giving the chocolate to Frankie meant that she would probably tell somebody and then people would come to me asking where I got it. And that would open up a whole new can of worms because then I’d have to tell someone about my hiding place and that was something I wasn’t willing to give up or share.
That’s when I had a genius idea. Frankie was only nine when the asteroid hit. To be in a situation like that at such a young age can be devastating. Fourteen was young too, but I got to do a lot of things that Frankie would never be able to do. I went to school dances, traveled, and the list went on. Frankie missed out on her childhood and had to grow up really fast. So, I thought about how happy she’d be finding the piece of chocolate and came to a decision that I would hide the chocolate kiss somewhere in her things, so that she’d think she found it on her own.Entering my room, I remained as still as possible, listening for any sound or movement. I waited.
After seconds of silence, I tiptoed over to the nightstand, next to Frankie’s bed, quietly opened the drawer, placed the kiss on top of a notebook, and closed the drawer. Then, I removed the rest of the items in my pocket and wrapped them up in the letter Owen gave me and tucked them safely under my cot.
At dinner, I plopped down next to Grace as our plates were being distributed. “I came to your room today,” she commented. “You weren’t there. Where did you go?”