Aberrant (4 page)

Joshua laughed, seeing my jaw on the floor. "Well, for
the record, he deserved it."

I shook my head. "The cow didn't deserve anything. Mr.
Mercurial might have, but I can't believe you did that. I also can't believe
you didn’t tell me sooner." I nudged him.

Joshua grinned, his eyes shining as he stared at me. I
shifted my head slightly as it rested against his shoulder. I could smell him
as he sat beside me. He smelled sweetly of almonds and milk, and I wondered if his
story made me imagine the scent. "Your turn to tell me a story," he said.
I could feel his breath against my skin.

I nodded faintly, but didn't move from his embrace. It was
warm and comforting as I closed my eyes. "Let's see." I tried to
think of a story that wouldn't break the banter between us. I was enjoying our
time together, married. "Okay, how about this." My eyes flashed open
glancing at him. "When I was six I went over to your house. I wanted to
ask if you would come out and play on the swings. Except after I rang the
doorbell I was too nervous. I ran off and hid."

Joshua laughed. "You did that on more than one
occasion. I actually remember that. Mom was swearing about some kid playing a
prank on us. That was you?" He hugged me tighter. "What were you
afraid of?"

"That your dad would answer the door. He scares me. At
least he used to," I admitted. "Then I started asking my mom to come
with me. She'd knock on your door and then if you were home we'd go to the park
together."

Joshua nodded. "I remember that. I can't believe you didn’t
tell
me
sooner."

I laughed. "Yeah, right. So you could tease me?" I
sighed softly and did something I'd only read about in forbidden novels. I
leant in, brushing my lips against his. The kiss was soft and chaste. It lasted
no more than a mere second before I pulled back.

"What was that, Olive?" He gave me a horrified
look and all I could feel was my stomach somersault. I knew romance and love
weren't ever spoken of in Genesis. There was no need when the government knew
who was perfect for one another, and children were won by lottery and conceived
in a lab. Intimate acts were considered unnecessary.

"I read about it in a book," I whispered, afraid
I'd done it all wrong. "It was a kiss," I breathed, chewing on my
bottom lip nervously. I’d never kissed anyone before and worried he thought it
was terrible. I’d never seen two people share a kiss, I didn’t quite know what
it was supposed to look like, but I thought I’d done it right after reading
about it. My hand reached out, grabbing his arm. "Please don't be mad at
me." I breathed. "You have to swear you won't tell anyone!" Joshua
hesitated for only an instant before he leaned in, taking another taste from my
lips trying again. The second kiss was softer and satisfied both of our
curiosities. My heart raced and my skin warmed to his touch. "I thought
today was going to turn out so much worse," I confessed.

Joshua laughed as he pulled back slightly, staring at me. His
eyes had darkened a deeper richer shade of blue. I'd never seen his eyes change
colors before. His fingers moved to tickle my stomach with a grin. "Worse?
Really? You're not happy you married me? You're just relieved it wasn't someone
worse?"

"No!" I shrieked, "That's not what I
meant!" I tried to catch my breath, but he hardly gave me a second more
than necessary. I pulled from his ticklish grasp, jumped from the couch and ran
across the room in a fit of laughter. He quickly followed, jumping over the
sofa as he was just inches from me. He was close now, smiling and trailing
behind me as I ran toward the bedroom. It was probably the worst place I could
go, trapped between Joshua and a mattress. I felt him tackle me down onto the
plush bed, his hands skimmed my stomach but he was no longer tickling me. The
laughter still hadn't subsided.

"Breathe," Joshua said, staring intently at me.

"Trying," I gasped between fits of laughter. Lying
down helped settle the feeling of my racing heart, and after a moment I shifted
along the mattress, reaching out to him. "I want to tell you a
story," I insisted as my fingers found his cheek. "One I read in a
book." I wanted him to learn the things I had about love and romance. I
couldn't help but feel my body stir with a strange fire and warmth as he loomed
just above me. Staring up at him I froze on the mattress hearing the latch click
on the front door. I knew it had been locked.

“Who could that be?” I asked, glancing back as I heard the
heavy clatter of boots and saw Governor Craynor stalking into our home with
guards standing behind him. They raised their guns and pointed them towards us
as they entered our bedroom.

“Arrest this girl!” Governor Craynor pointed at me. Joshua
moved off my small frame, standing in front to protect me. I shifted further
back on the bed, scooting away from the Governor and his posse, eyeing the
window. I doubted I could get it open in time and jump through, but I didn't
have too many other options.

"What crime has she committed?" Joshua demanded an
answer. I was grateful he was stalling, and I flipped the latch on the window. Trying
to pull the glass upwards it didn't budge.

“What did I ever do wrong?” I cried out, eyes wide in horror
as I glanced behind me and saw them shove Joshua aside, slamming him forcefully
into the wall. “Joshua?” I reached for him, but the guards were quicker and
stronger. They pried me from his grasp and pushed me face first into the
mattress. My head was turned slightly watching as one guard held a gun to
Joshua's head.

"Go ahead and move. I dare you," the guard
threatened Joshua. Fear coursed through my veins as another guard pulled my
hands tightly behind my back, causing pain to surge in my arms. I screamed in
agony as they secured my wrists with iron cuffs digging deep into my flesh.
Joshua didn't budge afraid the guard wasn't bluffing.

"Why are you doing this?" I cried into the
mattress and felt the Governor pull me up in one swift motion, as I gasped for
air. He gripped my arm, clearly satisfied I was of no danger to him as he led
me outside of my home.

"Help me!" I screamed. My voice echoed through the
streets as neighbors glanced out their windows and stepped outside to see the
commotion. "I've done nothing wrong!" I demanded, trying to break
free from the guard’s hold, but it was impossible. Any movement further dug
iron into skin and I cringed in pain.

From a distance, I could hear footsteps and finally his
voice. “What are you charging her with?” Joshua demanded. "You can't
arrest her without a warrant."

The Governor laughed but refused to answer. I felt
everyone’s eyes on me and my stomach somersaulted. “Joshua?” I called back in
horror as they pulled me further down the road to the only place I knew they
held the condemned – the worst place they could take me. My feet scraped the
dirt pavement, and I knew my white dress was now covered with dirt as the dust
kicked up from my fight. There were holding cells beneath our town of Genesis
for the criminal and the insane. The guards dragged me down the street towards
the prison. I hadn’t done anything wrong. “Please!" I gasped as they
pulled me harder, gripping my arms. There would be bruises tomorrow. "This
has to be a mistake!" I screamed, trying to break free, but once again finding
it impossible. The prison held men who tried to betray our government and those
who acted out of revenge or hatred. I'd done neither.

“I’ll find your mom,” Joshua offered. I could hear his
footsteps pounding the dirt as the guards pulled me from the street and toward
the prison. One guard unlocked the door before we descended down the dark
spiral staircase. I felt my wrists burning as I struggled with the binds. Even
if I could manage to break free, how would I escape? These men carried guns and
were twice my size. I didn’t stand a chance.

“Please, tell me what I’ve done wrong. What crime have I
committed?” I begged for answers, but when I paused at the bottom stair I felt
the guard push me with the barrel of his gun hard.

“Walk,” he commanded. I glanced behind me, no longer seeing
Governor Craynor. Where had he gone? Was he rounding up other people or just
me? What had I done that would elicit such a response? On occasion I had snuck
into our old cellar. I'd read a few illegal books that I had assumed were my
fathers’. Had they been found? Had I been caught? I couldn’t assume anything
without incriminating myself.

The guard unlocked the cell, and I shuddered from the loud
creak echoing through the prison. The bars were heavy and thick, cast of the
same iron binding my wrists. They screeched as it opened and another man pushed
me inside. “Turn around,” he instructed and I did so, feeling the restraints
loosen and then release. A moment later the doors swung shut with a heavy clasp
as they locked me inside.

“Please, you have to tell me what I’ve done wrong!” My voice
wavered with uncertainty. One guard retreated up the stairs while the other
watched me cautiously. I recognized him. He was the guard from the marriage
ceremony. His daughter had been married today, just as I had. Did he take pity
on me? Could I use this to my advantage to break free? "Please," I
begged him watching as he stared at me.

“We take orders. We don’t ask questions.” He walked towards
the stairs, and I took a final step back, surveying my quarters. This wasn’t
the home I expected to find myself in after being married.

CHAPTER 3

I lay awake on the cold cot in the dark damp cell. I lost
count how long I’d been down here. Minutes? Hours? It all seemed the same. The
sun had set, and I knew curfew must be close. It was all I could see from the
small window high above my head against the far wall. I knew I had missed lunch
and dinner and felt my stomach grumble in protest. I had tried to climb atop
the cot, reaching toward the window. But it was too small to break through, and
the iron bars let only my hands grasp at air.

I wondered who would come first – a guard, Governor Craynor
or Joshua. I knew Joshua went to find my mother, but I couldn’t fathom how she
could be of any help. My options were severely limited.

I heard heavy footsteps and sat up in bed. I recognized the
sound of boots against the stairs as the guards descended to the holding cells.
Were they coming for me? I didn’t move from the thin mattress and gripped the
edge of the metal cot.

“Olivia!” I heard my mother's voice and knew if she was coming
with guards this couldn’t be good. As she further descended onto the main floor
of the prison, one guard carried a torch and the other escorted her forward
through the hall. The faint glow gave enough light to cast her image as she
passed by.

“Mom!” I called back with wide eyes rushing towards the cell
doors. “Mom, what’s going on?” I reached my arm out through the bars and felt
her arm as the guards put her into a cell beside mine. I could no longer see
her but could hear the guards as they told her to turn around as they removed
her restraints.

"Mom, what did you do?" All I could think was this
had been somehow my fault. Maybe she had tried to reason with the Governor or a
guard to let me go and they had arrested her for treason.

“Olive, are you okay?” I heard the worry in her voice and
nodded, momentarily forgetting she couldn’t see me. My hands rested on the iron
bars, and I tried desperately to see her but couldn’t.

“I'm scared.” It was an honest answer. The guards retreated
for the stairs, and the torch went with them, bathing the prison in darkness
again. “What’s going on, Mom? Why are they doing this?” I didn’t understand.

“I made a mistake,” she breathed anxiously. “I trusted an
ally who must have turned on us.” I could hear movement and imagined she was
pacing the length of her cell, trying to devise a plan of escape.

I felt a shudder course through my body. “What are you
talking about?” I was astounded by the way my mother spoke. “Does this have to
do with Joshua?” I remembered what she’d said at the marriage ceremony earlier in
the day, telling me we needed to speak later. I could only surmise that it had
to do with Joshua but now that seemed less likely.

“What?” She paused for a long moment. “Of course not. He’s
fine. You, Olive, though, you’re not.” Her words made my stomach tense.

I wanted to scream at her. To ask her what she’d done so
terrible that could have us both locked up. “You really think now’s the time to
tell me I’m not fine?” I scoffed angrily. “I don’t even know what I’ve done wrong!”

She sighed. “I’m sorry, Olive, but I never meant for this to
happen. This is not what we planned.”

“We?” I asked. She ignored my question. “Mom, this isn’t
fair!”

“You were born,” she answered simply. “You’re my daughter
and since I conceived you naturally, it’s possible you might be able to have a
child of your own,” she answered calmly. “I had planned to sit you and Joshua
down and explain, but sometimes things don’t go as planned.”

I wanted to shout at her, but my shoulders slumped forward. “Nothing
about my conception was natural,” I muttered finding myself back on the cot
with a loud squeak as I sat down.

Children were born in labs. It was the way things were – The
Day of the Chosen, a lottery including all women in Genesis who were 18 to 29. Each
family had an equal opportunity to conceive – a rare gift in our world where
the government had to intervene for women to become pregnant. The lottery was a
blessing the first time and a silent curse if your name was called twice. For
all families were provided one child if they won the lottery, but all children
born thereafter were handed over to the government and taken outside of
Genesis, presumably to another family in a neighboring city.

I sighed. “So, why are we arrested?” What had either of us
done wrong? Could they really keep us down in these dark cells until they
decided otherwise?