10

Carrington watched Alfred spew a yellow liquid as he digested the processed food. It was her third day on the job and the smell still hit her like a freight train each time she walked into the machine’s lair. It was going to be a long six weeks.

Larkin was behind her, running a standard hourly maintenance check. Carrington was still learning, so she observed while Larkin probed the appropriate sections.

The two girls had spent most of their time together since their reunion in the library. Carrington had learned that Larkin was the youngest of three siblings, all girls. Her two older sisters were “perfect,” according to Larkin. Each had been at the top of her class; both had been chosen. Everyone had expected Larkin to excel as well, and she had been a disappointment early on.

“My mother was worried at first,” Larkin had explained over breakfast that morning. “She claimed there was something wrong with my brain and tried to convince my father that my behavior wasn’t normal. I believed her too. She had me convinced I was sick, that I was broken.”

She paused as if the hurt from her mother’s words still stung inside her chest.

“I tried, you know. I really did. I wanted to be everything my family expected —proper, graceful, worthy. You know that’s what our society tells us, that we can’t be loved unless we fit perfectly into their mold.”

“I’m sure your mother loves you regardless,” Carrington said.

Larkin huffed slightly and dropped the spoon she’d been using to eat her oatmeal. “Maybe in your home, but not in mine.”

Carrington still couldn’t get Larkin’s words out of her head. They’d followed her the rest of the morning, and even now they burned in her ears. She couldn’t block out the expression on her own mother’s face the last time she saw her. The shame and devastation in her eyes and the look of malevolence on her face were more than Carrington could bear. If there had been remorse for losing her daughter, Carrington didn’t recall seeing it. She only remembered the anger.

“We are out of vents,” the Lint Leader on Carrington’s right said. It rocked her out of her solitary depression and refocused her on the present.

“Are they ready for pickup?” Larkin asked.

The Lint Leader nodded. “Take the newbie with you; show her the run. Stick to the side streets whenever possible, and hurry.”

“Sure thing,” Larkin said, yanking off the orange gloves that had been protecting her skin from Alfred’s gases.

“I’ll have a CityWatch guard escort you,” the Lint Leader said. She turned and walked away without a single glance in Carrington’s direction.

Carrington followed as Larkin quickly discarded her apron and protective goggles while communicating with another Lint about their run. She explained to Carrington that although most of Alfred’s parts were stored and produced in-house, the vents were a specialty item manufactured in the city. The run required a ride back across the river on the train and then a walk through town to the plant. The walk wasn’t far, but they would have to cross through a heavily populated part of the city center.

Since the Choosing, Carrington hadn’t seen any of her old life except for the lights from her window, and the thought of treading across the familiar ground made her feel fuzzy.

Larkin paused, her hand on the door lever that would take them out of the factory. She turned to Carrington and placed her free hand on Carrington’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll be with you the whole time.”

Carrington forced a smile and stepped out of the factory after Larkin. The sun was dazzling and she squinted against the brilliance.

The train ride seemed much shorter than it had on the day of Carrington’s disastrous Choosing Ceremony, and when they exited on the city side, Larkin stepped over to a large man dressed in black and greeted him. “Carrington, this is Remko. Remko, Carrington,” Larkin said.

Carrington moved her hand to shield the blasting sun that blocked out the CityWatch guard’s face and stepped forward. She gasped and Larkin turned in surprise. The familiar guard with kind eyes nodded toward Carrington in recognition and Carrington internally scolded herself for audibly reacting.

“You okay?” Larkin asked.

Carrington pulled her eyes away from his alluring face. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Larkin glanced between Remko and Carrington a final time and a slight grin grabbed at the corner of her mouth. “Okay, then,” she said. “Let’s go.”

Larkin softly tugged Carrington to her side and Remko silently fell in step behind them. The three walked without a sound, save the noise of their feet on the pavement. Larkin glanced at Carrington with a devilish glint in her eye and Carrington begged with her own for Larkin to stop. Larkin couldn’t keep a soft laugh from tumbling off her lips and Carrington wished she could fade into the closest wall.

Whatever Larkin had thought she’d seen, she hadn’t. Carrington had just been caught off guard. She fought to keep her eyes forward and ignore the power of Remko’s energy. Again she found herself entranced by the way she felt. Usually a cold spike would be riding up her spine with a CityWatch guard so close behind, yet now she felt warm and protected. It made her heart flutter in a way that she knew was foolish —forbidden, even —and that thought allowed her to gain control of her heart and steady it.

The noise around them grew and Carrington knew they were approaching the city center. It was one of two local spots for acquiring nearly anything a citizen might need —food, supplies, entertainment, medical treatment, mechanical and technological equipment —rows and rows of shops filled to the brim. Both locations buzzed with life from early morning until curfew.

The two girls rounded the corner and stood facing the city. People moved like ants, scurrying from place to place. They carried their goods, greeted some with kind words, others with fake smiles. The entire scene was a memory Carrington had been plucked from and was being forced to watch from the outside.

Larkin must have sensed the heaviness settling into Carrington, because she reached down and grabbed her hand. Carrington turned to see Larkin’s reassuring gaze, and a sense of ease crept over her.

“The distributor station sits right through that far alley, so straight across. Easy,” Larkin said.

“I’ll lead,” Remko said and stepped out from behind the girls. As he moved into the swarming crowd, Carrington and Larkin stayed close behind him. Carrington tried to hide herself as much as possible behind Larkin and Remko. The sounds, the smells, the sights —everything was a painful reminder of what she had lost.

At the sight of the Lints, a handful of people stopped what they were doing. Carrington remembered doing the same in her old life. She had shunned the unfortunate community workers, sidestepping to avoid merging onto similar paths, treating them as lepers. After all, in the eyes of the Authority, they were.

The reality grated the inside of her chest. The longing for who she had been tempted her to rush into the crowd and beg them to see the old her. The alley wasn’t far ahead and she struggled not to run toward it.

“Carrington,” a tiny voice called.

The whole world stopped. She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.

“Carrington!” the voice came again, this time filled with glee. The noise around her vanished except for the beat of his small shoes.

Slap. Slap. Slap.

The people disappeared into a blur and all she saw was him, his sweet blue eyes, his bouncing blond hair, that silly grin that had once annoyed her and now made her heart ache. He bounded toward her, laughter echoing from his mouth. Warren.

She dropped to her knees and he threw himself into her arms. The people swirled back into view, but the noise around the two of them muted. Everyone was watching as the little boy’s laughter turned to bubbling conversation with the Lint, who was supposed to be invisible.

“Carrington, Carrington, I found you,” Warren said.

She pulled the small boy away from her chest and looked into his precious face. “Warren, what are you doing out here?”

“I found you. I have been looking everywhere. I asked Mom and Dad, but they just kept telling me you were gone. You’re not gone, though. I found you.”

A wave of tears seeped down her face. She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his forehead. She could feel the looks from those around her. She knew this wasn’t allowed, that people’s shock would soon swell into opposition.

Larkin dropped beside Carrington and placed a hand on either shoulder. “Carrington, we need to go.”

She glanced up to see Remko standing close by. He tilted his head toward the alley and she knew they were both right. She turned back to her baby brother and felt she might be sick. How could she leave him again? How could she stand never seeing his beautiful face, or watching him learn to ranch with Father, or start his practicing lessons, or choose a bride? Her hands started to shake and her agony threatened to drown out all of her reason.

Warren noticed her discomfort and shook his head. “Don’t worry, Carrington. I found you.”

“Warren, Warren,” a voice shouted, and Carrington didn’t dare look up. She heard the voice gasp and could feel the woman turn cold.

Larkin pulled Carrington up from the ground and Carrington met her mother’s eyes —icy, tears brimming, fists balled.

“Mom, Mom, look —I found her,” Warren said. He rushed to his mother’s side and she quickly snatched his tiny arm. His face turned in pain. Something snapped in Carrington’s head and she stepped forward. The woman she had called Mother didn’t love her, and she didn’t love Warren.

Remko stepped in front of Carrington and conveyed with his expression that the next move she was contemplating would only end badly.

Carrington glanced around Remko’s shoulder and watched as her mother lifted Warren off his feet and into her arms. With a final hard glance and without a single word she turned to leave.

“No, Mommy, stop. What about Carrington? Stop!” the boy screamed.

“Warren,” Carrington whispered.

She moved to step forward again and Larkin pulled her away toward the alley.

“Stop,” Carrington said, ripping her arm away from Larkin. “Warren!” she called louder. She couldn’t let that monster take him. Their mother loved only herself, and Warren deserved more than she could give.

“Carrington, you can’t —” Larkin said, but Carrington was already three steps away.

“Warren,” she yelled. She couldn’t stop the tears, wouldn’t have had the strength to even try.

Remko slid in front of her and pushed her back. She tried to sidestep him, but he was twice her size and easily twice as strong. He gently but forcefully gripped her arms and escorted her toward the alley. Every eye watched as Remko and Carrington stepped out of the main flow of city traffic and onto the dark side street.

After another moment, the city transformed back into its vibrant normalcy as if the scene between a lonely Lint girl and a silly little boy had never happened.

Carrington fought against Remko’s hold, but his grip stayed firm. He searched her face, but she tried desperately to avoid eye contact. Her entire body was begging her to race after the woman who had stolen the person she loved more than anyone in this whole terrible world. Carrington’s brain fought to remind her of the place she now held in society, but as her body overpowered her logic, she yanked at Remko’s hold with a rising fury.

“Let me go,” she cried.

“Carrington, there is nothing —” Larkin started.

“He is my brother!”

“Maybe by blood, but that is all,” Larkin said.

Carrington stopped resisting and gaped at Larkin’s words. “How could you say that? You don’t even believe in the Authority’s rules!”

“You’re right; I don’t. But my disbelief in the rules will not save you from getting punished if you break them.” Her words were strong but kind; her eyes pleaded with Carrington to calm down.

Whatever had snapped inside Carrington seemed to settle back in place. She relaxed in Remko’s grasp. She was losing her grip on herself, allowing her mind to surrender to her emotions. Only trouble could come from where her heart was pushing her.

Remko slowly released her and she stepped away from him. She turned and steadied herself against the brick wall since tremors were still coursing through her body. She drew in sharp, painful breaths and focused on not pooling into a puddle of mush in front of Remko and Larkin.

Larkin extended a comforting hand and touched Carrington’s shoulder. Carrington received the gesture and the tears she thought had abated came in another torrent of misery sliding slowly down her cheeks.

“I’m so sorry, Carrington,” Larkin said and turned to Remko. “I’m going to go get the vents. Can you stay here with her?”

Remko must have agreed because Carrington heard Larkin’s feet quickly shuffle away.

Carrington couldn’t face him, not after the mess she had caused. He could easily report what had happened, ensuring they made an example of her. Most CityWatch guards would not have shown her any mercy.

She felt him near her while she composed herself. Wiping the tears away from her face, she took deep breaths to salvage any dignity she still had. In a world where restraint and order were required, Remko had seen her lose it more often than not.

Carrington finally turned to face him and saw that he had his back to her in an effort to give her privacy. Again she was surprised by his sensitivity.

“I’m sorry for my actions,” she said.

Remko turned. “No need.” His words were as sincere as his eyes.

“I understand if you have to report this.”

Remko studied her intently, as if searching for an answer to a hidden question. His stare made her heart race and when he finally broke it, she was thankful.

“Ag . . . Ag . . .” He stopped and flexed his jaw. She watched him process his disappointment with his own struggle and then let it go almost as quickly. “Again, no need.”

Footsteps gave Larkin away as she rounded the corner. “I got what we needed. We should take a different route to the factory.”

Remko nodded and led the two girls away from the city and back to where they belonged.