I'm Colton. Sorry for being an ass back at the Safe House. " He says the last word in air quotes. "Reagan's a creep and I just got carried away. Look, I don't know what your angle is here, but we can't talk now. We've gotta keep moving." He and Junie both look down at their packs. "You've gotta keep up as best you can."
"Do you mind if I cut off the bottom of your dresses? You'll run faster," Junie asks. Timid and I both nod our heads yes, and Junie pulls a knife out of the side of her pant leg. She kneels down in the leaves and quickly shreds away the fabric hanging past our knees.
"That's better, thanks," I say.
"I wish I had clothes to share, but I just packed essentials."
"It's fine, I'm just grateful. Truly."
After Timid and I drink from the stream, Colton begins leading the way for the four of us deeper into the woods. We run along clear paths and move as quicky as we can through the more tangled brush. We can move faster with our dresses no longer confining our strides, but the downside is our legs are getting scrapped up with nearly every step we take.
We keep moving for another hour. Until I stop dead in my tracks.
The shower that was threatening to break through the grey clouds this morning has finally broken lose.
Rain.
A downpour drips from the sky, falls on my head, my face, my shoulders. I laugh from pure joy as I lift my hands, realizing I can touch the water falling from the sky. Timid has her head tilted up, eyes closed, if you didn't know it was raining you would think her cheeks were streaked with tears.
"What are you doing?" asks Junie, amused.
"Yeah, usually people run for cover when this happens. Not stand in the middle of it laughing like lunatics," says Colton.
"I ... we've never felt rain before," I answer, pushing my hair from my eyes.
"What do you mean? It rains All. The. Time. Like, more often than not, I swear. It's the curse of this part of the country," Junie says.
"Well I spent...." I don't finish, because the story is too complicated to explain right now. Complex descriptions of hazmat suits and underground bunkers and even the boundaries of the Refuge will take away this moment from me. "We've just spent our lives indoors. I've heard the rain, and even seen the rain through a window, but I've never tasted it. Or smelled it. Or felt it."
"It's better than I ever imagined," Timid says as she twirls around, mud sloshing at her moccasin covered feet, and I couldn't agree more.
As the rain washes over me, I feel like the parts holding me back or down or far away, are being washed away too.
Lukas
Perfection is speechless. Her eyes so big and her smile so wide, and even though she anticipated this was going to happen, it's clearly still a shock to her. I smile back, and despite knowing the cause for her happiness isn't real, it's hard to deny the impact my words have on her.
"Of course, Nobleman. It's the greatest honor in the world. To be your mate, and help bring more Vessels and Humblemen into the fold is a blessing. Anything to help fulfill The Light's Creed."
The Creed.
The Light will work diligently to take out all the darkness, filling the world only with Light, as we repopulate the human race with purity and truth.
I swallow, hard, before responding. I avoid her eyes, because I have no intention of bringing anything into this world with her. But of course, fulfilling The Creed is the point of mates within The Light. Of the prophet. Of me.
"Vessel, I am sure there is much to discuss," I tell her diplomatically. "For now, we need to speak with the Councilmen so we can learn our next steps before we are Bound."
"Of course, Your Nobleman." She bows to me once more.
"If everyone can take a seat at the table, please." Councilmen Depend directs us to the chairs, and then dismisses the Vessels who were singing.
It's decided, for us, that we will stay here for the next night, before we are taken to Refuge One, where the Head Councilmen resides, and is
"Do you mind if I cut off the bottom of your dresses? You'll run faster," Junie asks. Timid and I both nod our heads yes, and Junie pulls a knife out of the side of her pant leg. She kneels down in the leaves and quickly shreds away the fabric hanging past our knees.
"That's better, thanks," I say.
"I wish I had clothes to share, but I just packed essentials."
"It's fine, I'm just grateful. Truly."
After Timid and I drink from the stream, Colton begins leading the way for the four of us deeper into the woods. We run along clear paths and move as quicky as we can through the more tangled brush. We can move faster with our dresses no longer confining our strides, but the downside is our legs are getting scrapped up with nearly every step we take.
We keep moving for another hour. Until I stop dead in my tracks.
The shower that was threatening to break through the grey clouds this morning has finally broken lose.
Rain.
A downpour drips from the sky, falls on my head, my face, my shoulders. I laugh from pure joy as I lift my hands, realizing I can touch the water falling from the sky. Timid has her head tilted up, eyes closed, if you didn't know it was raining you would think her cheeks were streaked with tears.
"What are you doing?" asks Junie, amused.
"Yeah, usually people run for cover when this happens. Not stand in the middle of it laughing like lunatics," says Colton.
"I ... we've never felt rain before," I answer, pushing my hair from my eyes.
"What do you mean? It rains All. The. Time. Like, more often than not, I swear. It's the curse of this part of the country," Junie says.
"Well I spent...." I don't finish, because the story is too complicated to explain right now. Complex descriptions of hazmat suits and underground bunkers and even the boundaries of the Refuge will take away this moment from me. "We've just spent our lives indoors. I've heard the rain, and even seen the rain through a window, but I've never tasted it. Or smelled it. Or felt it."
"It's better than I ever imagined," Timid says as she twirls around, mud sloshing at her moccasin covered feet, and I couldn't agree more.
As the rain washes over me, I feel like the parts holding me back or down or far away, are being washed away too.
Lukas
Perfection is speechless. Her eyes so big and her smile so wide, and even though she anticipated this was going to happen, it's clearly still a shock to her. I smile back, and despite knowing the cause for her happiness isn't real, it's hard to deny the impact my words have on her.
"Of course, Nobleman. It's the greatest honor in the world. To be your mate, and help bring more Vessels and Humblemen into the fold is a blessing. Anything to help fulfill The Light's Creed."
The Creed.
The Light will work diligently to take out all the darkness, filling the world only with Light, as we repopulate the human race with purity and truth.
I swallow, hard, before responding. I avoid her eyes, because I have no intention of bringing anything into this world with her. But of course, fulfilling The Creed is the point of mates within The Light. Of the prophet. Of me.
"Vessel, I am sure there is much to discuss," I tell her diplomatically. "For now, we need to speak with the Councilmen so we can learn our next steps before we are Bound."
"Of course, Your Nobleman." She bows to me once more.
"If everyone can take a seat at the table, please." Councilmen Depend directs us to the chairs, and then dismisses the Vessels who were singing.
It's decided, for us, that we will stay here for the next night, before we are taken to Refuge One, where the Head Councilmen resides, and is
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