Read Online The Vanished by Sarah Dalton - Free Book Online
Authors: Sarah Dalton
Tags: Teen Paranormal
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disgusting a pig pen smells and what it feels like to stand in a cow pat. A goat tried to eat the sleeve of my jumper and chickens chased me away from their eggs. He told me more about General Lloyd and Dr Woods, two men he didn’t care for, and how they monopolised the Council, leaving Mary out of decisions, despite her often being the voice of reason. I discovered that births, deaths and new arrivals were documented even though the Children of the People hated it.
I spent time with my dad and the group of people that the rest of the Compound called the “Freaks”. I was one of them and I trained with them. I got to know that Mike had a wicked sense of humour, Kitty was the most hyperactive person I’ve ever met and Hiro was the wisest person I would ever know. We painted the barn together, set up punch bags and targets. We spent the days meditating on our powers, learning martial arts and drinking pots of tea. Like the Children of the People we were a group of people that were generally left alone which meant that we weren’t allocated jobs. Dad said that it was just as well because we had more important things to spend time on – developing our powers.
Angela ignored me. She was given a job on the farm, milking cows and tending to vegetables. She lived with the rest of the farmers – in trailers positioned near to the fields, barns and make-shift outbuildings. At my request, Daniel told her about his feelings towards her as a sister, but it didn’t seem to help matters. Some nights I would see her hanging around the castle gates, wringing her hands and walking back and forth. I guessed she wanted to see Daniel but didn’t know what to say or do or whether she was welcome. I tried not to care after the horrible things she’d said but deep down I just missed her and wanted my friend back. At least Cam enjoyed her company, I saw him cracking jokes to try and cheer her up, leaning in a little closer each time. His face lit up when she smiled.
Sebastian was given a tent to himself with some basic equipment. There weren’t many in the Compound who would give him a chance, but Ali gave him a job helping out on his market stall with Ginge. If he did well, there was a chance he would get a place in the Scavengers. I wondered what it was like working with Ginge. I’d never known anyone so laconic. But whenever I saw Sebastian he had the biggest smile I’d ever seen. Whatever happened on the stall, he seemed to be enjoying it.
I split my time between tours of the Compound with Ali, training with the Freaks, talking to Sebastian on the stall and visiting Daniel. I loved every minute with him. I loved our long talks and our little routine where I would eat dinner sat on the chair next to his hospital bed, telling him every detail about my day; who I’d talked to, what I’d learned about the Compound and where I visited. I’d never really enjoyed talking about myself before, but with Daniel I found that I could tell him anything. Along with our chats I relished in the fact that each day he looked better and after two weeks we could go for walks around the Compound.
“How many girls have had babies since you’ve been on the ward?” I asked him as we walked towards the farm. I wanted to show him the Children of the People. I’d heard them singing and knew that another ceremony was about to begin.
“I lost count. Maybe half a dozen.”
“Does that seem like a lot to you? How many people live here?”
“I don’t know,” he said, raking his fingers through his hair. It was indescribable to say how much I loved to see the sunlight shining through his yellow hair. “The Compound isn’t that big.”
“One of these days I’m going to look in the register and find out. It’s weird. Don’t you think it’s weird ?”
He laughed. “It’s good to see you back to your old self.”
“What do you mean?” The wind whipped my hair. It was longer now, almost to my cheekbones.
“Finding a cause. Something to
I spent time with my dad and the group of people that the rest of the Compound called the “Freaks”. I was one of them and I trained with them. I got to know that Mike had a wicked sense of humour, Kitty was the most hyperactive person I’ve ever met and Hiro was the wisest person I would ever know. We painted the barn together, set up punch bags and targets. We spent the days meditating on our powers, learning martial arts and drinking pots of tea. Like the Children of the People we were a group of people that were generally left alone which meant that we weren’t allocated jobs. Dad said that it was just as well because we had more important things to spend time on – developing our powers.
Angela ignored me. She was given a job on the farm, milking cows and tending to vegetables. She lived with the rest of the farmers – in trailers positioned near to the fields, barns and make-shift outbuildings. At my request, Daniel told her about his feelings towards her as a sister, but it didn’t seem to help matters. Some nights I would see her hanging around the castle gates, wringing her hands and walking back and forth. I guessed she wanted to see Daniel but didn’t know what to say or do or whether she was welcome. I tried not to care after the horrible things she’d said but deep down I just missed her and wanted my friend back. At least Cam enjoyed her company, I saw him cracking jokes to try and cheer her up, leaning in a little closer each time. His face lit up when she smiled.
Sebastian was given a tent to himself with some basic equipment. There weren’t many in the Compound who would give him a chance, but Ali gave him a job helping out on his market stall with Ginge. If he did well, there was a chance he would get a place in the Scavengers. I wondered what it was like working with Ginge. I’d never known anyone so laconic. But whenever I saw Sebastian he had the biggest smile I’d ever seen. Whatever happened on the stall, he seemed to be enjoying it.
I split my time between tours of the Compound with Ali, training with the Freaks, talking to Sebastian on the stall and visiting Daniel. I loved every minute with him. I loved our long talks and our little routine where I would eat dinner sat on the chair next to his hospital bed, telling him every detail about my day; who I’d talked to, what I’d learned about the Compound and where I visited. I’d never really enjoyed talking about myself before, but with Daniel I found that I could tell him anything. Along with our chats I relished in the fact that each day he looked better and after two weeks we could go for walks around the Compound.
“How many girls have had babies since you’ve been on the ward?” I asked him as we walked towards the farm. I wanted to show him the Children of the People. I’d heard them singing and knew that another ceremony was about to begin.
“I lost count. Maybe half a dozen.”
“Does that seem like a lot to you? How many people live here?”
“I don’t know,” he said, raking his fingers through his hair. It was indescribable to say how much I loved to see the sunlight shining through his yellow hair. “The Compound isn’t that big.”
“One of these days I’m going to look in the register and find out. It’s weird. Don’t you think it’s weird ?”
He laughed. “It’s good to see you back to your old self.”
“What do you mean?” The wind whipped my hair. It was longer now, almost to my cheekbones.
“Finding a cause. Something to
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