Ruth Silver - Aberrant

“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.

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.