Categories > Original > Sci-Fi > One
Chapter Four
0 reviewsTwo hundred years in the future, the freedoms we take for granted are banned. One woman fights for hope.
0Unrated
Garret and I left One with Quorra and walked around the village together, finally we reached the edge and he stopped, turning towards me.
“I hope you decide to stay,” he said, cupping my cheek gently and I smiled.
“Why?” I asked softly, inhaling as he lowered his head and kissed me.
I closed my eyes, enjoying our closeness when suddenly a bell began to ring.
Garrett pulled away, and looked toward the village with a frown.
“What’s wrong?” I asked and he looked at me.
“Something’s happened,” he said, before taking my hand and running back to the center of the village with me.
There was a large crowd gathered, including Garret’s father and mother who had One in her arms.
“There’s been an attack,” a large man with silver hair and a scar running down his cheek yelled. “An outlaw base not far from here as been burned down.”
I gasped and grasped Garrett’s arm, realizing that he meant the base that I had come from.
“Was there any survivors?” Quorra asked, looking toward me with concern and the man shook his head.
“It was done by Rinzler and his army,” he said, “the scouts said he’s heading deeper into the badlands, closer to our village.”
“What do they want?” A woman in the crowd cried and the man looked around before spotting One.
“Him,” he said, pointing at One.
I pushed away from Garrett and took One away from Quorra, holding him protectively as the crowd began to yell.
“He’s an innocent child,” I cried, as Garrett and his parents flanked me protectively, visibly lending me their support. “He must be protected.”
“He’s a pusher,” the man growled, “I saw his mark. He’s no innocent.”
He looked around the crowd.
“I say give the boy to those who seek him,” he yelled. “Then they’ll leave us alone.”
“You don’t know that Jakob,” Garret’s father said, “what’s to stop them from killing us all one they have the boy?”
Jakob’s eyes narrowed.
“I say we have a better chance to live if we give the boy to them,” he said.
Finally an older man pushed forward, standing between Jakob and us.
“This is a matter for the council to decide,” he said, then looked at Garrett’s father. “Beni, call the council forward.”
Beni nodded and called out the names of twelve people, then followed them and the old man inside a house built in the middle of the village.
I turned and saw Jakob glaring at us, then with a shiver looked at Garret.
“What will happen now?” I asked, and Garrett gently grasped my arm, leading me back to the house.
“The council will decide,” he said, “it may take a couple of hours.”
It took three hours, in which I paced the floor of the house.
Garrett tried to entertain One, but he kept glancing at me with a concerned frown as if he knew something was wrong.
Finally there was a knock at the door and an announcement that the council had made a decision.
I picked One up and left the house with Garrett, as Quorra and the others filed out of the house.
“We’ve decided,” Beni said, “that no matter who the child is, we can’t give him to the enemy. He and his guardian will stay here under our protection.”
I sighed with relief and hugged One as Garrett hugged me.
“Thank you,” I said, and the council members nodded at me.
I put One down who went over eagerly to play with the other village children, then tensed when I heard a whisper in my ear.
“This isn’t over yet,” Jakob hissed, before storming away.
I turned and watched him go, realizing with a start that even here, we weren’t safe.
I turned back around with a small shudder and realized One was watching me, the familiar frown on his face, as if he knew what I was thinking.
Later that night I put One to bed, then laid down next to him, holding him close.
I dozed off for awhile when something woke me up, I sat up, then gasped when I saw a shadowy figure.
Before I could scream, they put their hand over my mouth and pinned me to the bed as another shadowy figure lifted One into their arms and climbed out the window.
“No,” I screamed silently in my head as I struggled to move.
Just then the moon came out from behind a cloud, revealing the face of my attacker.
Jakob smiled at me with a sneer then raised something over his head.
“I told you this wasn’t over,” he said, before knocking me unconscious.
“I hope you decide to stay,” he said, cupping my cheek gently and I smiled.
“Why?” I asked softly, inhaling as he lowered his head and kissed me.
I closed my eyes, enjoying our closeness when suddenly a bell began to ring.
Garrett pulled away, and looked toward the village with a frown.
“What’s wrong?” I asked and he looked at me.
“Something’s happened,” he said, before taking my hand and running back to the center of the village with me.
There was a large crowd gathered, including Garret’s father and mother who had One in her arms.
“There’s been an attack,” a large man with silver hair and a scar running down his cheek yelled. “An outlaw base not far from here as been burned down.”
I gasped and grasped Garrett’s arm, realizing that he meant the base that I had come from.
“Was there any survivors?” Quorra asked, looking toward me with concern and the man shook his head.
“It was done by Rinzler and his army,” he said, “the scouts said he’s heading deeper into the badlands, closer to our village.”
“What do they want?” A woman in the crowd cried and the man looked around before spotting One.
“Him,” he said, pointing at One.
I pushed away from Garrett and took One away from Quorra, holding him protectively as the crowd began to yell.
“He’s an innocent child,” I cried, as Garrett and his parents flanked me protectively, visibly lending me their support. “He must be protected.”
“He’s a pusher,” the man growled, “I saw his mark. He’s no innocent.”
He looked around the crowd.
“I say give the boy to those who seek him,” he yelled. “Then they’ll leave us alone.”
“You don’t know that Jakob,” Garret’s father said, “what’s to stop them from killing us all one they have the boy?”
Jakob’s eyes narrowed.
“I say we have a better chance to live if we give the boy to them,” he said.
Finally an older man pushed forward, standing between Jakob and us.
“This is a matter for the council to decide,” he said, then looked at Garrett’s father. “Beni, call the council forward.”
Beni nodded and called out the names of twelve people, then followed them and the old man inside a house built in the middle of the village.
I turned and saw Jakob glaring at us, then with a shiver looked at Garret.
“What will happen now?” I asked, and Garrett gently grasped my arm, leading me back to the house.
“The council will decide,” he said, “it may take a couple of hours.”
It took three hours, in which I paced the floor of the house.
Garrett tried to entertain One, but he kept glancing at me with a concerned frown as if he knew something was wrong.
Finally there was a knock at the door and an announcement that the council had made a decision.
I picked One up and left the house with Garrett, as Quorra and the others filed out of the house.
“We’ve decided,” Beni said, “that no matter who the child is, we can’t give him to the enemy. He and his guardian will stay here under our protection.”
I sighed with relief and hugged One as Garrett hugged me.
“Thank you,” I said, and the council members nodded at me.
I put One down who went over eagerly to play with the other village children, then tensed when I heard a whisper in my ear.
“This isn’t over yet,” Jakob hissed, before storming away.
I turned and watched him go, realizing with a start that even here, we weren’t safe.
I turned back around with a small shudder and realized One was watching me, the familiar frown on his face, as if he knew what I was thinking.
Later that night I put One to bed, then laid down next to him, holding him close.
I dozed off for awhile when something woke me up, I sat up, then gasped when I saw a shadowy figure.
Before I could scream, they put their hand over my mouth and pinned me to the bed as another shadowy figure lifted One into their arms and climbed out the window.
“No,” I screamed silently in my head as I struggled to move.
Just then the moon came out from behind a cloud, revealing the face of my attacker.
Jakob smiled at me with a sneer then raised something over his head.
“I told you this wasn’t over,” he said, before knocking me unconscious.
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