everyone,” he answered, like he was reciting a piece of preplanned
propaganda.
“But you didn’t,”
I countered. “You handed the outsiders over without even giving them a chance
to fight for their lives. You led them to slaughter like they were a bunch of
cattle. What’s wrong with you?” I knew I was shouting but couldn’t help it.
“How do you know
they wouldn’t have killed us all once we took them to the second Southern
Kingdom?” My father asked. “It was either trust them or get rid of them.
After what they did to the original site, the council decided they couldn’t be
trusted. There wasn’t any other choice to be made, Skye.”
“So you would
rather trust a bunch of harvesters than other human beings? Is that what it’s
come down to? We trust the animals more than we do living, breathing humans?
People who just wanted a chance to live a better life? What the hell happened
to you, Dad? I don’t even know who you are anymore. And I’m not sure I want
to.”
My words broke
through his manufactured composure. I saw the hurt enter his eyes and twist
his face in anguish.
“Skye, you don’t
understand…” He reached a hand out to me but I pulled away and turned to walk
back to our transporter.
No explanation
could make me understand the man he had become.
My friends joined
me in the transporter. None of them tried to console me or pretend they
understood what I was feeling. I sat staring at the seats Collin, Flash and
Jack had occupied only minutes before. I was sure if I touched their seats
they would still be warm. For some reason I felt guilty over their fates even
though I had nothing to do with the decision to bring them to the harvesters.
But I was part of the reason they had been traded to the real-life monsters of
our world.
I wondered if
Margaret regretted her moment of inhumanity when she agreed to go along with
the terms of Lucena’s truce. Now she was the one being traded for others
safety. Perhaps it was just a perversion of fate she would most likely find
herself in a harvester breeding camp now after willingly sacrificing so many
lives to finally be allowed into paradise. My mother always said what you give
to the world is what you receive back. I guess she was right.
I’m not sure how
much time passed as we waited for the caravan of transporters to start their
procession to the second Southern Kingdom. It was probably close to an hour. I
had pretty much zoned out by then becoming lost in my own little world
remembering happier times with my family trying to recapture the father I once
knew, unable to reconcile my memories with the father I had now.
My father’s angry
voice could be heard outside the transporter just before the door was pulled
off its hinges causing us all to jump in our seats. Only one thing could display
such an incredible act of strength, a harvester.
When he stepped
through the door, I thought maybe I had fallen asleep and was having a
nightmare or at the very least hallucinating.
Freddy, dressed in
a black harvester uniform, stood in the doorway of the transporter. Blue
barked at Freddy and made to attack him, but Kirk tugged on his leash
preventing him from rushing forward.
“Long time, no see,
Skye my love,” he said.
Ian made to get up
but was quickly forced to sit back down by Freddy’s stun baton.
“Don’t push me,
Ian. Any excuse to kill you will work for me.”
“What do you want,
Freddy?” I asked, fearing I already knew the answer.
“The Queen said it
was time for you to come home, love. She’s grown impatient. She told me if
you try to fight, I should kill as many people as needed to gain your
cooperation,” Freddy looked around at my friends like he was trying to decide
which one of them would die first.
I stood up.
“Skye, no,” Ash
said, grabbing hold of my arm.
I looked down at
him. “It’s no use, Ash. Don’t you see that? I might not agree
propaganda.
“But you didn’t,”
I countered. “You handed the outsiders over without even giving them a chance
to fight for their lives. You led them to slaughter like they were a bunch of
cattle. What’s wrong with you?” I knew I was shouting but couldn’t help it.
“How do you know
they wouldn’t have killed us all once we took them to the second Southern
Kingdom?” My father asked. “It was either trust them or get rid of them.
After what they did to the original site, the council decided they couldn’t be
trusted. There wasn’t any other choice to be made, Skye.”
“So you would
rather trust a bunch of harvesters than other human beings? Is that what it’s
come down to? We trust the animals more than we do living, breathing humans?
People who just wanted a chance to live a better life? What the hell happened
to you, Dad? I don’t even know who you are anymore. And I’m not sure I want
to.”
My words broke
through his manufactured composure. I saw the hurt enter his eyes and twist
his face in anguish.
“Skye, you don’t
understand…” He reached a hand out to me but I pulled away and turned to walk
back to our transporter.
No explanation
could make me understand the man he had become.
My friends joined
me in the transporter. None of them tried to console me or pretend they
understood what I was feeling. I sat staring at the seats Collin, Flash and
Jack had occupied only minutes before. I was sure if I touched their seats
they would still be warm. For some reason I felt guilty over their fates even
though I had nothing to do with the decision to bring them to the harvesters.
But I was part of the reason they had been traded to the real-life monsters of
our world.
I wondered if
Margaret regretted her moment of inhumanity when she agreed to go along with
the terms of Lucena’s truce. Now she was the one being traded for others
safety. Perhaps it was just a perversion of fate she would most likely find
herself in a harvester breeding camp now after willingly sacrificing so many
lives to finally be allowed into paradise. My mother always said what you give
to the world is what you receive back. I guess she was right.
I’m not sure how
much time passed as we waited for the caravan of transporters to start their
procession to the second Southern Kingdom. It was probably close to an hour. I
had pretty much zoned out by then becoming lost in my own little world
remembering happier times with my family trying to recapture the father I once
knew, unable to reconcile my memories with the father I had now.
My father’s angry
voice could be heard outside the transporter just before the door was pulled
off its hinges causing us all to jump in our seats. Only one thing could display
such an incredible act of strength, a harvester.
When he stepped
through the door, I thought maybe I had fallen asleep and was having a
nightmare or at the very least hallucinating.
Freddy, dressed in
a black harvester uniform, stood in the doorway of the transporter. Blue
barked at Freddy and made to attack him, but Kirk tugged on his leash
preventing him from rushing forward.
“Long time, no see,
Skye my love,” he said.
Ian made to get up
but was quickly forced to sit back down by Freddy’s stun baton.
“Don’t push me,
Ian. Any excuse to kill you will work for me.”
“What do you want,
Freddy?” I asked, fearing I already knew the answer.
“The Queen said it
was time for you to come home, love. She’s grown impatient. She told me if
you try to fight, I should kill as many people as needed to gain your
cooperation,” Freddy looked around at my friends like he was trying to decide
which one of them would die first.
I stood up.
“Skye, no,” Ash
said, grabbing hold of my arm.
I looked down at
him. “It’s no use, Ash. Don’t you see that? I might not agree
Similar Books
