chopped through the air. “We’ve been through this. Some people among us don’t believe. They chose to become Undesirables. And The Party must find them and stop them.”
“But what about—”
He held up a hand to stop me from talking. “Undesirables want to destroy us. They want to keep us down. What will it take for you to understand?”
“So my mother counted as an Undesirable?” The words came out like machine gun bullets. My eyes widened in anger and my heartbeat sped up.
“That’s not what I meant,” he implored, and put his hand over his eyes. “I’m not saying things always make sense. But we will soon go house to house, finding people who would try to destroy our way of life.”
Then he paused.
“If there’s anything in your house that’s not good, not what they allow you to have, it’s going to get bad.” He raised a hand to stop my reply. “I know you don’t want to believe me. I know how stubborn you are. I see it in those eyes.” He shook his head. “Jesus, Charlotte, you have to believe me.”
I swallowed. I knew all too well the meaning of “bad”. My mind wandered to all the things the soldiers might not like. Thanks to my mother and her past, I couldn’t be sure our house was safe.
“So what do you think I should do?” The muscles in my back tensed.
Might be worth it to hear him out.
“I’ve thought about it and I have an idea.” He pointed down the alley to a crumbling, ancient apartment building a half block away. “My parents own that. As a kid, I helped my mom clean it on Saturdays. I know the place pretty well.” Fostino’s eyes bore into mine.
“Aren’t all the apartments taken?”
“Not now,” he admitted. “Not since, well…” His voice trailed off because he didn’t need to say any more.
Not since the massacre.
“I can’t pay for an apartment,” I said, incredulous. “I don’t have any money. No what… I mean… I don’t have any stamps. I can’t pay anything.”
Fostino looked up and down the alley to make sure we were still alone. “It won’t be a big deal if you move in,” he said. “Mom and Dad stopped collecting rents a few weeks ago because they’re so distracted. God, they just worry about Farrah. She is not doing well. I think she’s been having nightmares. I wish she would talk to me.” Again he trailed off and his eyes grew hard. “It doesn’t matter about the rent, anyway. The building is theirs. They own it.
“I cleaned out one of the studios the other day. It has a crawl space under the bed. I think it will be a good place for you.” Fostino grabbed my shoulders once more. “Closer to work, and safer, maybe.”
“Why should I trust you?” I wondered aloud again. My eyes searched his face. “How do I know you won’t turn me in, that you won’t tell The Party that I’m an Undesirable?”
“Come on. I would never do that,” Fostino responded. His eyes darkened further. He moved one hand from my shoulder to the nape of my neck. “I’m trying to show you even though…” His words trailed off as he held my gaze.
“So if I did move in, how would you suggest I do it?” I murmured. I broke away from his stare and studied the back of the apartment building. “It won’t be easy to move much over here.” I sucked in a tentative, unsure breath.
Fostino answered me first with a deep exhale; the medals rode up and down his chest. “I’ve thought about that, too. You won’t be able to bring much… a small backpack, I think. And you’ll need to bring it in the morning, on your way to work at the factory. You could leave it on the back steps over there. Then I’ll slip it into the apartment.” He moved his left hand off my right shoulder and it found a place in my tangled hair.
“Will The Party let me move?” My thoughts turned to the soldier I watched beat the woman in the square on the day of the massacre.
“I think so,” he said as he ran a hand through his hair. “It’s worth
“But what about—”
He held up a hand to stop me from talking. “Undesirables want to destroy us. They want to keep us down. What will it take for you to understand?”
“So my mother counted as an Undesirable?” The words came out like machine gun bullets. My eyes widened in anger and my heartbeat sped up.
“That’s not what I meant,” he implored, and put his hand over his eyes. “I’m not saying things always make sense. But we will soon go house to house, finding people who would try to destroy our way of life.”
Then he paused.
“If there’s anything in your house that’s not good, not what they allow you to have, it’s going to get bad.” He raised a hand to stop my reply. “I know you don’t want to believe me. I know how stubborn you are. I see it in those eyes.” He shook his head. “Jesus, Charlotte, you have to believe me.”
I swallowed. I knew all too well the meaning of “bad”. My mind wandered to all the things the soldiers might not like. Thanks to my mother and her past, I couldn’t be sure our house was safe.
“So what do you think I should do?” The muscles in my back tensed.
Might be worth it to hear him out.
“I’ve thought about it and I have an idea.” He pointed down the alley to a crumbling, ancient apartment building a half block away. “My parents own that. As a kid, I helped my mom clean it on Saturdays. I know the place pretty well.” Fostino’s eyes bore into mine.
“Aren’t all the apartments taken?”
“Not now,” he admitted. “Not since, well…” His voice trailed off because he didn’t need to say any more.
Not since the massacre.
“I can’t pay for an apartment,” I said, incredulous. “I don’t have any money. No what… I mean… I don’t have any stamps. I can’t pay anything.”
Fostino looked up and down the alley to make sure we were still alone. “It won’t be a big deal if you move in,” he said. “Mom and Dad stopped collecting rents a few weeks ago because they’re so distracted. God, they just worry about Farrah. She is not doing well. I think she’s been having nightmares. I wish she would talk to me.” Again he trailed off and his eyes grew hard. “It doesn’t matter about the rent, anyway. The building is theirs. They own it.
“I cleaned out one of the studios the other day. It has a crawl space under the bed. I think it will be a good place for you.” Fostino grabbed my shoulders once more. “Closer to work, and safer, maybe.”
“Why should I trust you?” I wondered aloud again. My eyes searched his face. “How do I know you won’t turn me in, that you won’t tell The Party that I’m an Undesirable?”
“Come on. I would never do that,” Fostino responded. His eyes darkened further. He moved one hand from my shoulder to the nape of my neck. “I’m trying to show you even though…” His words trailed off as he held my gaze.
“So if I did move in, how would you suggest I do it?” I murmured. I broke away from his stare and studied the back of the apartment building. “It won’t be easy to move much over here.” I sucked in a tentative, unsure breath.
Fostino answered me first with a deep exhale; the medals rode up and down his chest. “I’ve thought about that, too. You won’t be able to bring much… a small backpack, I think. And you’ll need to bring it in the morning, on your way to work at the factory. You could leave it on the back steps over there. Then I’ll slip it into the apartment.” He moved his left hand off my right shoulder and it found a place in my tangled hair.
“Will The Party let me move?” My thoughts turned to the soldier I watched beat the woman in the square on the day of the massacre.
“I think so,” he said as he ran a hand through his hair. “It’s worth
Similar Books
