The Child

This is a second installment of this story, a continuation of the first one submitted to the Doomsday Diary challenge. If you would like to read the first part it is here.

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Tessa slithered out from under the camo net that shielded her from the view of the insurrectionists. It was dangerous to get so close but a freshly bombed village was a like a bountiful harvest for her and the other fugitives. The mission today was to be as inconspicuous as possible and grab as many supplies as they could without being detected. All supplies were to be brought back to the underground encampment so they could be used for the entire growing movement. She was glad she wasn’t alone in this quest. She was just one of many know as the Agitators. They were a well-organized group of now adults and young adults who had been either captured, taken, or in Tessa’s case, rescued from eradicated villages since the start of the insurrection. Not one of the Agitators was over the age of 25, most were younger, but all were eager to make a new life and a new reality.

She had had a good life with Zerena. Her Mama had told her she would be okay, but she kept that heart-shaped locket close to her always. She had come to realize that it was only a locket and that any magic it had was if, and only if, she believed there was magic in it. “You will know in your heart, through this heart, what is right and what is wrong.” The words her Mama told her resounded in her head. She knew that this was something she had to do. She knew this was right and oh, how proud her Mama would be. She reached for the locket once more, before creeping slowly forward, inching closer toward the village to secure some food supplies to nourish the Agitators.

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Tessa was a bit wary of Zerena. The woman had not hurt her, nor had she mistreated her in any way. But she was a stranger and even though Mama told her to go with the strangers if they found her, Tessa longed for the warmth of Mama’s embrace. None of her wants mattered now. Mama had reached her end and this was going to be her life for as long as she let it be. She tried to rationalize this information in her young mind. Even at five-years-old, Tessa knew she had no choice and needed to trust her Mama’s words. She was so lucky to have the locket. It meant Mama was always close.

That first night with Zerena was comforting. Zerena seemed to genuinely care about Tessa and almost as soon as she could feel the cool metal of the little heart-shaped locket Tessa relaxed and conversed easily but cautiously. “Do you have children, Zerena?” Tessa asked as she played with the locket.

Zerena became rather quiet and looked at Tessa lovingly. “No, little one. None of my own. I have always wanted to be a mother to my own birthed children but that was never to be for me. When I joined the insurrection, I lost even more hope of that ever happening because I had no partner, and expected to have none.” Tears welled up in Zerena’s eyes, but she did not dare let them drop. Maintaining composure was a stawart trait of the insurrectionists. Even in front of the child she couldn’t waiver on that. “If you will have me, I would like to take you in and raise you. I can give you a good life and you will have a good education available to you. Because I found you, I still have the choice of keeping you or giving you to the Ministry. Help me decide, little one. Help me decide.”

Tessa felt warm and cozy when Zerena called her “LITTLE ONE.” That was what her Mama often called her and she liked it. She felt safe and protected. The realization that her Mama was no longer with her spilled soft, silent tears down her face. She looked up at Zerena and saw the lady’s kind features and warm eyes looking back at her. Tessa did not know who or what the Ministry was but she sensed it would not be as nice as the room she found herself in at this very moment. “Can I keep my locket?” Tessa asked shyly.

Zerena nodded, “of course! It must be very special to you.” Tessa’s face opened up into a tiny grin and then fully erupted in a big, bright smile. She sprang forward and into Zerena’s arms which greeted the little girl with a tender embrace. “Now let’s get you some nourishment.” She took Tessa by the hand on a quest for some food. “What can we get you to eat, Tessa?”

Tessa shrugged. She didn’t know what to say to that. The last few years had been really lean in the village and her family rarely had a lot of food to eat. Most often Mama and Dada had gone with very little so that Tessa could eat the paltry meal of dried bread soaked in some kind of syrup that her mother made from tree sap. Tessa didn’t care much for the taste, but Mama kept telling her to eat it all up because it was very nutritious. Not wanting to disappoint Mama she ate what she was offered. She had no idea how to respond to Zerena’s question so she simply said, “food, please.”

“Is there nothing you would like to eat, little one?” Zerena asked, shocked at the response.

“I don’t know,” answered Tessa. “Mama and Dada only had bread and syrup. Can I have that?”

Zerena was stunned at Tessa’s response. She knew that since the start of the insurrection things were pretty bad for the villagers, but this was the first real indicator to her how badly off the people really were. No matter. Her job now was to raise this child, an orphan from the recent attack, and to groom her into another soldier to do the will of the Ministry. She knew that her taking in Tessa was better for the child than sending her to become a ward of the Ministry. At least she could gain the child’s trust and give her a decent life, and she could let her keep the precious heart-shaped locket of which the little girl was so fond. The Ministry would confiscate it in a instant. “I’m so sorry, Tessa dear, I can’t reproduce that, but I will have something made that you may find similar. How does that sound?” Tessa nodded in agreement and Zerena programmed the nourishment replicator to make two servings of pancakes with maple syrup. It was the closest food she could think of that could possibly be somewhat familiar to the girl and she hoped that Tessa would eat them.

The pancakes were made and Zerena carried them to the table, inviting Tessa to follow her. She sat Tessa on the large wooden chair and set the plates of pancakes down. She cut Tessa’s portion into smaller pieces and set the plate in front of the little girl. She expected her to pick up the fork to eat the meal. Instead, Tessa picked up a piece of pancake and pensively put it into her mouth. A broad smile appeared on her face and her eyes sparkled in appreciation. “This is tasty food,” she said. What is it called?”

“These are pancakes and the syrup is a type of syrup that used to be made from a tree sap, called maple syrup,” Zerena responded to the query. “Do you like them, Tessa.” Tessa nodded as she rapidly shovelled the food into her mouth with both hands. Apparently the child was hungry. Zerena was pleased that Tessa ate and seemed to enjoy the pancakes. When Tessa asked for more, Zerena proceeded to cut up the second plate of pancakes that she had intended for herself. She would get personal nourishment later. For now, it was important to feed the child. Tomorrow she would have to teach her some of the finer things, such as using a fork instead of her hands. One thing at a time, she thought inwardly. One thing at a time.

Other pieces by me can be found on my profile page, here. Thanks for reading.