This was for the best. I knew I had hurt his feelings but I couldn't let him get into trouble, he wouldn't last a week if he got sent away. Sometimes I wonder if he really is satisfied with all this, the life we have. I mean does he ever want more you know. To get away from it all. Sometimes I’m happy but it doesn’t last. It feels like I’m breathing through a straw most of the time.
I should apologize though, but what I was doing was dangerous.
When the virus began to spread, more and more people died. We were at the brink of extinction, those who survived were forced to pick up the broken pieces of a broken world. And that's how the Rank was created. It was a way of creating something new, to create a community. to create peace.
Half a millennium later the Ranking has now become a broken system. a plague that consumes this colony. You get ranked by your skillset. What you have, or what you can do for the Council.
I'm not ranked and therefore I have no privileges, That's why I steal. I steal to survive. just like Tommy, just like all of us.
The rain had stopped, I walked towards the forest. The smell of wet sand hit me, the trees look greener, an after effect of the rain. I slowed down enjoying my walk. I've always loved walking this path. The calmness of the forest takes my mind off of everything that's going on in my life.
I walk farther and farther into the forest taking great care as to not trip, then I saw it, a fallen tree, a way to the camps.
I jumped over the tree. Once I have been here. I came with Beatrice to get some medicine for Tommy when he was sick, back then he was only 2 years old. I remember looking at the makeshift tents that surrounded us and the smell of filth and rot. it smelled horrible, it still does.
I remember Beatrice telling me to stay outside a tent while she talked to the man inside. I waited for a long time. She did return though, but she wasn't the same. her dress was torn, her body was shaking but her eyes, her eyes were cold, she had to do what she had to. We all do, eventually.
The sound of voices brings me out of my thoughts. The camps came into view in all it's filthy glory. I stood for a moment to stare at the sight. it's full of people walking around. there were torn makeshift tents all around, Laughter and screams rang through the air.
This place always made me nervous. Beatrice always called it "Hells playhouse"
I didn't understand it back then but now I see why. You can lose yourself here. This place has a way of turning the purest of hearts cold, like Beatrice, it either destroys you, or it damns you.
I made my way through the crowd occasionally bumping into someone, I try and take deep breaths, I haven't been here that long but I already feel suffocated, I forced myself to think of something else that would calm my nerves.
Shawn, Beatrice, Tommy
I kept repeating these names, the names of the only people I have in this world, the people I'm doing this for. If I get to sell the knife I'll be able to get us to valleys, an area of the colony that better, we could have a life, we could even get ranked. We could finally have a chance to be happy.
I saw a group of grown men drinking under a large grey tent to my right. I stop, this was it, this was the place Shawn told me about. A grey tent in the middle of the camp.
I stood at the entrance, the men who were drinking and talking wildly hadn't noticed me yet. I wonder how can they not notice me? I am wearing a large green coat after all. I cleared my throat. and then there was silence. All eyes were on me now, I felt nervous, I crossed my hands bringing them closer to my chest all in an attempt to stop them from shaking.
There were two large lamps Illuminating their faces, one in the middle of the big table, the other one dangling by a string.
