A Quiet Morning

All the world was quiet. The lazy sun still hasn’t risen from its slumber. A small fire crackling softly behind him is the only thing in existence that dares to disturb the cool morning’s silence. Its flickering light dances across the walls of his small cabin. He sits hunched over a workbench meticulously carving sticks into smooth, solid shafts. His weathered sun aged hands work deftly. Using just the right amount of leather and cordage he secures the fletching and an arrow head made of what used to be the quarter panel from a van. It was important not to waste resources now. Not after everything fell apart. With a quiver full of new arrows he gets ready for the day.

Just like every morning he dons makeshift armor crafted from an old leather riding suit and scraps of sheet steel. Painted with a splotchy green, black, and brown to prevent rust and to camouflage himself in his forest home. As he passes through the old wooden door frame that divides his bedroom and “living room” if one could call it that. He kneels and presses his forehead against the molding about forty-eight inches above the rough concrete floor. He kisses a small golden amulet and tucks it inside his DIY breastplate, close to his heart. He puts on his full face riding helmet and steps out into the world with a quiver full of new arrows, a bow that’s made from scraps and springs, and a homemade spear.

His yard is a grisly sight. The trees a beautiful green as the sun peaks up and over the hills between the leaves pains him almost as much as the soft, plush grass. All reminders of what he had lost; what was taken from him. He casually strolls past effigies erected to hopefully scare off other thrulls and, perhaps more importantly, other people and makes his way deeper into the woods.

Most of the traps he had set proved fruitless however by lunch he had a decent belt full of rabbit. After a brief rest and a lunch of nuts and berries he makes his way to the lake. Clank Clank The sound of bones and metal scraps fill his ears. This isn’t good. This is a trap, but not one set for rabbits. This trap was set for a far more dangerous game. Carefully, slowly, he creeps toward the sound. His heart was slamming against his ribs. How had they found him!? Why did they come? Finally he sees the intruder. Arms and legs thrashing against the net. Now that he’s within ear shot he can hear another sound. A low and rhythmic clicking. If he didn’t act soon more thrulls would come. He knocks an arrow and draws. A slow exhale later and for a brief moment all the world is still. The only thing he can feel is a gentle breeze blowing in is face, he makes a slight adjustment to his name and let’s the arrow fly. With the disgusting sound of rotten meat hitting the floor the arrow finds its mark and sinks deep into what was once a human brain. The thrull falls to the ground.

“Who….Who’s there!?” her voice pierces the air, a slight tremble betrays the fear she’s trying to mask, “I’m warning you!” She fumbles around patting her pants pockets.

“Who am I! Who are you? You’re on my property” his voice is rough from a lack of use. He steps into the clearing near the small stream with a bow at half draw. “As you can imagine I don’t get many visitors.”

“I’m–I’m Evelyn. I’m not going to hurt you, I'm just trying to get away from the city.” After the collapse of society, everyone was forced to live in the cities or in pure anarchy. Some “citizens” preferred the safety behind thick walls and guns, but he could never live under the state’s boot. “I can understand that. Doesn’t answer the question as to why you’re here.” He pulls the bow to full draw and takes aim.

“No! Please! I’m hungry. I’m cold, I’m thirsty. It was all I could do to get out. The feds caught wind of my escape and had cut me off from my original route where I had stashed my supplies!” He lowers Evelyn down and stands by as she struggles to get out of the net. She stands up now free of the oppressive net “What’s your name”

“For now you call me Campbell. You’re not staying long. So don’t get chummy. You want supplies. What do you have for trade?”

“I told you I don’t have anything.”

“Good luck.” Campbell turns around and begins to walk away.

“No nononono! Wait I uh..I can help you. I can show you how to make better tools.” A hint of shame creeps into her voice. Evelyn grabs her arm and looks away before finally saying, “I was an engineer for New Missouri City.”.

Campbell’s face darkens. Just like the lightning from a storm he lashes out and strikes Evelyn before she even knew he moved.

***

When she comes too she finds herself tied to the only chair in the room of a small cabin. Just a small wood stove and some junk “antique” furniture. Aside from a small workbench, table, and stuffed dog sitting on a shelf. The only other thing in the room is a pot belly stove with a put and a pan on it. The rope diggin into her wrists and ankles are rough. This isn’t the tightly wound cord she was used to; this was made by hand. On the table sits a glass of water with a small, crooked metal straw. If she leans forward it’s easily within reach. The sky outside of the window was a soothing purple. Despite finally having something to drink and not being in immediate danger like she was ever since she left New Missouri City. She was panicking. Trying everything to break the rope that ties her to this maniac’s chair. Heart pounding and blood rushing it was impossible to form a coherent thought. The only thing running through her mind was the fact that she needed to get out. The walls were closing and the rope began to rub raw. Evelyn screams in frustration when she realized she had as much chance of getting away as the rabbits dangling on Campbell’s belt had.

The door is thrown open. Campbell walks in holding two of the rabbits he had caught merely hours before now. Each one on a small wooden slab with what appeared to be potatoes in a little pile next to the fresh meat. “You’re awake. Didn’t mean to hit yo so–”

“WHAT THE HELL!? I offer to help and you kidnap me? Tie me up! Give me a concussion!? Let me out! Let me out or you’re going to regret it!” Evelyn glares at him, puffing out her chest, bringing her shoulders back, doing everything she can to make herself seem more intimidating. Campbell sits the makeshift plates on the table and disappears into his room. He emerges with a simple wooden stool. He pauses a moment and runs his right hand down the door frame pausing at irregular increments. “Can you blame me?” He said. His demeanor is unchanging except for his eyes. There is a cold fire to them. “You said you were one of them, and you show up in my woods? Why are you here? What do you want?”

All the bravado leaves her. She slumps back into her seat trying to disappear. “You have to believe me. I…………I didn’t know what they were doing. The only things I worked on were structural I swear! We were told they were hospitals, and they were, but not in the way we know them. More like laboratories. The medical treatments were a front to fund the research on the ‘Thrull Problem’.”

Campbell cuts one of the rabbits into smaller chunks before stabbing it with a knife and holding it up to Evelyn’s mouth. She looks at it, looks back at him, and scowls. Her stomach betrays her and growls. Evelyn however maintains control and turns away. “You will not feed me. You will untie me and I will feed myself.” Campbell sighs as he gets up. He wraps another rope around her torso and ties her to the back of the chair before untying one of her hands “There. Fair is fair. I guess.” As soon as he stands back Evelyn takes her liberated hand and slaps him in the crotch. He doubled over with a grunt and leaned against the chair. “Don’t ever do that again. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. You caught at a rough time”

After a second to recover Campbell growls “I could have left you out there. Let them eat you. Maybe you’d turn into one.”

There is a silent pause. “I’m sorry. Of course you’d be on edge when a federal engineer showed up.”

“I shouldn’t have hit you. It’s been three years since I’ve seen and I panicked. How did you even find this place? The only people who knew about it were family.”

“I needed water” Evelyn’s cheeks are full of meat and potatoes “I went down hill until I found it.”

The two sit and finish their meals in silence. The soft purple light fading into blackness.

Campbell stands up. “Are you going to hit me anymore?”

Evelyn shakes her head. “No, you gave me food and water. I imagine those are precious resources now.”

Campbell cuts her loose. “Don’t open the door. There is a second bed in the back. I’m calling it a night.” She watches the strange host walk away before deciding to snoop around a bit. She finds nothing of any real note except for some markings on the door frame. There are two that are much older than the third; they read “Tristan” and “Nathan”. The markings and names continue all the way up the frame and terminate about 6 inches above her head. The third name is “Robin” and it stops about four feet off the ground. A single tear falls down her cheek. “I did this…..”

****

The loud sound of a chopper ruins the silence of the morning. There is a loud knock at the door. “This is the United Federation of America Police. Open up! Doctor Evelyn we know you are in there! Come out or we will have to use force!” The two startle awake. Campbell snatches his spear from where he laid it and Evelyn quickly hides her bag as best she can. She clutches a small knife like her life depended on it. Before they can even say a word the front door is blown off the hinges. Armed troops came pouring in; they never stood a chance. Campbell and Evelyn are cuffed and dragged into the front room . Before a figure with stark white hair wearing a uniform that clearly marks him as the Governor. His voice drips with a sickeningly sweet poison. “Doctor Evelyn, you didn’t think we’d let you go now did you? You know far too much, and who do we have here? Oh no no no, There is no way? Are you one of the Campbell brothers? Do you have any idea how hard it was to fix what you had done!? You’re the reasons we sneak trackers into all Federation employees! Where’s your brother, hmm? How is he dealing with the weight of his guilt?”

“Keep his name out of your God forsaken mouth!” Tristan tries to rush Governor Jakob but is quickly beaten down by the butt of a rifle.”

“Governor, we found it.” A soldier hands the Governor an external hard drive. Jakob chuckles. “Why would you want to tear down everything we built? Without the Hospitals we’d never have been able to treat the thrulls. Without them our society wouldn’t function! Because of your great work we can farm the wild lands of America without fear of wild thrulls! All it costs is a few citizens a year. But the man that made it all possible was you and your brother. Who would have thought that your work to cure the diseases that have plagued us for ages. Led to you accidentally creating the most useful disease we’ve ever had. Not only did it give us free laborers now, it also convinced everyone to come together into one place for their safety! So much easier to keep an eye on. Now I know you’re wondering why I’m telling you this. Well it’s because your going to die.”

“Why do you all work for a monster like this!?” Campbell yells in desperation begging any of the agents to betray the system that allows them to live comfortably.

Jakob pulls a handgun aims, and pulls the trigger Campbell crumples into a lifeless heap.

Evelyn screams as Jakob aims at her. “You’re losing your grip. Revolution is coming.”

Jakob fires once more and Evelyn breathes her last.

The ten agents and Jakob load up into the helicopter and take off. The only thing they leave are incendiary grenades sending the cabin up in flames.

“Sir, how many citizens are turned into thrulls?”

“That is none of your concern.” Jakob shoves the agent out of the helicopter and watches as he plummets into the flaming ocean. “Anyone else?”

The helicopter flies off toward the city. All the world was quiet.