Fable moved stealthily through the shadowy woods, her coily black-and-red hair hidden by a scarlet shawl and hood. Skeletal tree branches rasped against her garments as she crept through the dense forest, looking over her shoulder to make sure she was alone.
The sound of barren branches rustling and snapping behind her caused the hair on the back of her neck to prickle. She couldn’t push aside the feeling that she was the target of someone’s—or something’s—watchful gaze.
Turn back, you idiot, Fable thought to herself. She didn’t want to risk anyone figuring out where she was going. She didn’t want anyone to know that the cabin in the woods existed, or for anyone to find the boy she’d hidden inside of it. Even though 11 years had passed since Liam had accidentally killed two people in class, Wardens were known to hold grudges. His life depended on her stealth and secrecy.
Fable scanned the woods, noticing a lone wolf lurking a few miles in the distance, its yellow eyes a pop of color in the dull forest as it watched her, its body partially shielded by brown, dry shrubbery. She felt a hint of comfort that there was an animal following her rather than a Warden. Wolves tended to congregate around these parts—maybe due to the fact that her her late grandmother treated them like cherished pets, feeding them as if they were her own.
The wolf looked normal, but with all the experiments that had been done on humans and animals during the Bio Wars, she had no way of truly knowing what she was up against. Mutant animals could hide lethal supernatural abilities. Fable knew better than to run. Nothing good could come from making herself look like prey.
Why can’t I have a helpful mutation, like super strength or fire breath? Fable thought to herself. Why can’t I stop hearts with my touch, like Liam? She wanted a power that could put any rabid wolf in its place. Instead, she had useless scaly red patches on her skin that she kept hidden under makeup and oversized clothes to save her own life.
As a child, her skin and hair were both brown, with only a few red spots on her arm and leg. The spots had been inconspicuous enough to pass as bruises. Now that she was 16, the spots had spread and didn’t look much like bruises anymore. She covered her face daily with heavy makeup, and she hid her skin under baggy, oversized clothes. She didn’t let anyone touch her or get too close. Not her friends from school. Not even the boy in the cabin whom she loved dearly. If the red marks overtook her body and she could no longer hide them, she’d be killed by the Wardens in town.
The wolf took off and disappeared into the forest, and Fable heaved a sigh of relief. She was alone as she ventured deeper into the woods, the ancient trees that loomed overhead giving her a feeling of shelter despite the eerie shadows their gnarled branches cast as they clawed at the darkened sky. Though the wolf had left, she still felt as if she were not alone. She forced herself to brush aside the unsettling feeling.
Among the trees, Fable spotted the hidden cabin, its timeworn logs covered in moss and ivy. The cabin had once belonged to her grandmother before she disappeared. Grandmother had been a mutant fond of exploring, and Fable guessed a Warden had found and captured her. As Fable pushed open the door, the warm, rustic scent of wood and herbs enveloped her. With a glance at the pot on the kitchen table, she immediately noticed the delicate aroma wafting from its contents and could see that he’d made some type of sweet-smelling herbal tea. Joy filled her heart at the sight of Liam sitting by the fireplace stirring a hearty bowl of soup atop the fire.
He spun around, his eyes widening in surprise as he saw Fable standing there. His coily hair had been styled into a tapered cut and, at seventeen, he had a stubble from the facial hair he shaved off, but for a guy who lived alone in the forest, Fable thought he definitely kept himself together. She hadn’t brought him any clothes or tools during this trip. She’d just wanted to see him.
“Hey, Sunshine!” The crooked grin that spread across his lips made Fable’s heart flutter. She loved his smile and his humor. She loved the way he looked at her. Fable thought back to the day they met. After Liam had killed a student and teacher during his first day of school, Fable dragged Liam from the school, down the streets of Chicago, to her big blue two-story house where she enlisted the aid of her parents. They helped her sneak Liam out of the Chicago settlement. Fable’s family had then taken him to the cabin, where he was raised by Fable’s grandmother until she disappeared.
Liam had been living in Fable’s grandmother’s cabin for eleven years now. As Fable and Liam grew, they developed a fondness for each other. Playdates turned into actual dates, and Fable looked forward to moments she could sneak away from the settlement to see him. He was the only person, outside of her family, who knew about her mutation. He was the only person who made her feel safe and secure.
“Hey, Heartstopper.”
He sauntered past his bed, dashing past the clutter of books adorning his small wooden desk, until he enveloped her in his arms, coaxing a tender kiss from her lips. As his lips met hers, a rush of warmth raced through her veins, his gentle touch sending shivers of delight through her body. She could taste the sweetness of the tea on his lips. He tasted like sugar and honey. She was tired from her walk, but his lips were soft and his embrace was warm. The journey had been more than worth it.
“I didn’t know you’d be here tonight,” he said. “I’ve missed you.”
Fable glanced over at the food atop the fire. “Where did you get that?”
He looked away, a guilty smile playing on his lips.
“Did you go foraging again?”
“You can’t keep me caged up in here, Sunshine; I’m not an animal.”
“It’s not safe for you outside.” Fable said, and he chuckled.
Fable frowned. What was she to do with him? He’d definitely grown into a person with a bit of a defiant streak. He was a risk taker, while she saw herself as more level-headed.
“Roaming the woods alone is dangerous,” Fable said. “I don’t want you to go missing like my grandmother. The majority of the plants are dead. I can’t believe you are even finding much of anything edible.”
“I’m careful,” Liam promised, pulling her closer. “And I find a few things. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“I brought you a book.” Fable pulled a ripped and worn novel out of a pocket in her shawl and watch Liam’s eyes light up. She chuckled to herself. He’d never outgrown his love for a good novel.
Liam took the book from her hands and scanned the back, reading the plot summary.
“It was written before the Bio Wars,” Fable said. “It’s fantasy. About some guy who finds a magical ring or something. Apparently, it was pretty popular back in its day.”
Liam walked over to the table full of books and picked one of the larger books up. “I’ve been reading through this Encyclopedia of Chicago. It was written before the bio wars, but I think it helps me understand how the city came to be what it is now. I’ve been learning about some landmarks. There were these abandoned freight tunnels under the Chicago Settlement that I think became The City Below.”
“That’s interesting.” Fable pulled a backpack out from under her shawl, opened it, and let apples and bread fall out onto Liam’s bed.
Liam’s eyes grew wide. “Where did you get apples?”
Fable shrugged. “We get them in our rations from time to time. It’s a rare treat.”
The Wardens only offered rations to people who didn’t have mutations. They would be out of luck if anyone noticed Fable’s red patches.
Liam walked over to his bed, plopped down on it, and looked Fable up and down, a bemused expression on his lips. “Aren’t you hot in all of that?” he motioned to her layers of clothing.
“It’s not like I have a choice.”
They broke bread and shared a meal, their limbs in gentle contact, and Fable was acutely aware of their knees and shoulders touching. He made her feel as if her skin was electric. He locked eyes with her as they ate.
“What?” She laughed and looked down.
“You’re beautiful,” he said. “Can’t I look at you?”
Fable gazed back up at him as their eyes met. She felt a type of comfort and peace that she had only ever felt in his presence. He was her shelter from a harsh and dangerous world.
“Well, you are kinda cute yourself,” Fable admitted as her cheeks grew warm.
After they ate, Fable melted into Liam’s embrace. Her shawl slipped down from her head, and Liam played with her hair.
Fable’s muscles tensed. Her hair was turning red. There was a reason she wore long sleeves, gloves, and hats.
“Liam …” Fable trailed off.
“I know, I know,” he said, moving his hand away. “It’s just … your hair looks pretty.”
“The red is spreading,” Fable said, lowering her voice to a whisper as if they were not the only people in the cabin. “It’s getting on my face, on my hair. I might have to live out here with you sooner than I thought.”
“Would that be so bad?”
“Honestly, no. But then I wouldn’t be able to bring you food and supplies. I don’t want to force my parents to make the dangerous trip out here to keep us alive.”
“I admit, having you here with me wouldn’t feel like much of a tragedy. It gets lonely out here by myself.” His hands moved from her hair to her hands that were hidden inside brown leather gloves. He didn’t touch them, just placed his hands near where her hands rested. “Why do you hide your hands from me? I think you are beautiful. You know I don’t care about the red.”
Fable shrugged. “It’s getting worse and spreading all over. Do you want to see how bad it’s gotten?”
He grinned, looking her up and down.
“On my hands!” She shook her head at him. “How bad it’s gotten on my hands.”
“If you’d like me to,” Liam said, and Fable slid her gloves off, a grimace on her face as she looked at her scaly, bright-red hands. “The Wardens are starting to question why I dress the way I do, covered from head to toe in all seasons.”
Liam moved his hand closer, brushing his finger against her skin. “It’s been so long since I’ve held your hand, Fable.”
Fable took his hand, lacing her fingers with his. “I know.”
Liam smiled at her. “You know. my mother had a mutation very similar to yours. But even before the Bio Wars, things like this happened. There was something called vitiligo that could do this. There is nothing wrong with you. There is everything wrong with a world that would hurt you for being what you are.”
“Liam, have you ever considered moving back to The City Below? Visiting your family again? I have some extended family down there, too.”
Liam shook his head. “I like being by myself.”
Fable knew that wasn't true, but she suspected he would rather be alone than be abandoned or rejected. His family thought he had no mutations. She doubted he wanted to tell them that his mutation had killed two people. He had no family with whom he was in contact and no friends other than her.
“I’m sure your family would love to see you.”
He looked away. “Not after what I’ve done.”
“You did nothing wrong,” Fable said. “You were a child. You had no control over what happened.”
Liam put a finger on Fable’s wrist, sliding up her sleeve to expose more red skin. He caressed her wrist with his thumb.
“And you have no control over this,” Liam said, motioning to the red on her hand. “Yet you act as if you are ashamed.”
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the tiny bit of exposed skin. “Every part of you is beautiful. You are a dream come true. And I’m so glad that you are as you are, because if you weren’t, I wouldn’t be able to hold your hand. A world where I could never touch you would be a sad, sad world.” A wicked grin curled across his lips. “I can’t wait to help you forget the name of everyone who made you feel there was something wrong with you.”
He pounced on top of her to steal a kiss, the two of them falling back onto the bed. He grinned at the surprised expression on her face, and Fable laughed. He laughed with her. Then their lips met, and electricity shot through her body as he kissed her hungrily, moving from her lips to her neck, purposefully kissing every red spot he could find.
A distant sound sent a shiver down Fable’s spine—a subtle, persistent rustling, like something or someone moving through the underbrush just beyond the cabin’s walls. Her muscles coiled with tension as she tuned into the subtle sound.
“Are you okay?” Liam asked.
She pulled herself away from Liam, her eyes widening in stark fear.
“Liam,” she whispered, “did you hear that?”
Liam’s brow furrowed as he strained to listen. The rustling grew louder and closer. He nodded, concern etching lines on his face. “It’s probably just a wolf. Don’t worry, we’re safe in here.”
Fable wasn’t so sure. The loud, rhythmic rustling didn’t sound like a wolf’s stealthy steps. If she didn’t know better, she would have guessed there were human’s outside. Her heart raced as she listened intently. But now there was silence.
Then, with a sudden, deafening crash, the cabin door pushed open, splintering inwards. Fable’s and Liam’s eyes widened in terror as a group of four Wardens stormed into the cabin. They were armed with menacing, gleaming guns, and they moved with ruthless precision, surrounding the bed.
Fable opened her mouth to scream, but her voice caught in her throat as she watched them flood into the room, their boots crunching over the broken door.
This is my fault, Fable thought to herself. I wasn’t careful enough.
Fable crawled to the furthest end of the bed, distancing herself from the Wardens. An apple fell from the bed as she moved. It rolled to one of the wardens toes. The warden scowled at it, as if vexed by the notion that someone of their humble status could possess such luxury.
“Liam!” Fable whispered, hoping he would move away from the armed men. Instead, he moved his body in front of Fable protectively and locked eyes with the Wardens.
Behind them, just outside the door, a wolf crept up to the cabin and peered inside, its lips curled in a snarl as a low growl escaped its mouth.
Liam pulled Fable back to shield her from the intruders as they pointed guns at their heads. Fable couldn’t look at the guns or the men, so she focused on the glowing yellow eyes of the wolf as it sneaked into the cabin.