will they do to us?”
“I can’t go in there.”
“They’ll kill us! ”
Panic wafted through the small space along with the smell of defeat. No one knew what to expect because no one ever came home. The idling vehicle did little to calm our dread as we waited like cattle being led to the slaughter house. One by one the terrified voices filled the din, whispering questions and reciting prayers that would go unanswered.
“Vee?” Hunter asked, trying to find room to sit up. “Do you know what will happen to us?”
I looked around the darkened truck to see that several deserters eagerly awaited my response. How did I suddenly become the expert?
“We’ll have to work. Probably preparing bottles or cleaning toilets or something mundane like that.” My heart pounded in my chest when I thought about toilets and latrines, and my Zach digging hole after hole without complaint. Every pore of my body knew that part of my life was over now.
“Or they’ll just execute us for running away.”
I snapped my head around to look at the man hunched in a corner who’d just incited unnecessary fear in all of those trying to be strong. His dirty hair covered his face and the burlap-like tunic hung from his gaunt frame. He looked like he smelled.
“I had a friend once,” he continued. “ He got captured and they cut off his head and stuck it on a stake as a warning to others.” The man shook himself. “They don’t need us as workers. They need us to set an example.”
“How do you know that story is even true?” a young girl asked. I couldn’t see her face, but her voice quivered with each word.
“I just know,” he replied.
“Stop it,” I said. “It’s just a scare tactic. We live in a civilized world not the Dark Ages.”
“Civilized?” The man tried to stand only to fall on top of three other prisoners. He continued talking from the floor. “You’re sorely mistaken, miss. Civilization went away the moment those nukes left the planes.”
“He’s right.”
“They don’t need us.”
“We’re going to die.”
Sobbing soon filled the darkness and I wished our captors would hurry up and get us out of here. If I spent too much longer with these people, I feared I would give in to the despair in my stomach telling me we were doomed.
The truck lurched forward, knocking many of the deserters down, and forcing me to bump into Max again. I heard the distinct sound of a metal gate scraping behind us and realized we must be getting close.
After five more minutes of slow movements over bumps and turns, it had me wondering if we’d actually arrived at the factory. But then I smelled it. A sickly sweet odor oddly reminiscent of cotton candy. Or sugar. Perhaps that was part of the water bottling process?
The truck stopped again a nd within seconds the tarp ripped open at the rear exit. Bright sunlight blinded us but the sound of birds chirping trumped my curiosity. I thought we were coming to an industrial park, yet the smells and sounds inundating my senses told me otherwise.
My personal captor, Riley, reached his hand inside the truck. “Come with me,” he said. I looked around only to notice everyone staring back. Riley had spoken directly to me.
“Not without him,” I said, grabbing hold of Hunter’s hand.
A slight smirk pulled at the corner of Riley’s mouth. “Fine.”
“And him,” I said nodding toward Max.
“He’ll join you later.”
“N o, now.” Although when I looked more closely at Max, I realized he wasn’t going anywhere. Still breathing, his two hundred plus pound body would be impossible for me to carry. I bent forward and whispered into his ear. “I’ll find you later.”
Hunter gave Max a quick hug before following behind me to escape our dark prison. Riley kept his hand outstretched waiting for me to take the bait. I couldn’t do it.
When I stumbled out of the back, a searing pain raced through my leg. My knee felt more than just bruised. However, I did the best
“I can’t go in there.”
“They’ll kill us! ”
Panic wafted through the small space along with the smell of defeat. No one knew what to expect because no one ever came home. The idling vehicle did little to calm our dread as we waited like cattle being led to the slaughter house. One by one the terrified voices filled the din, whispering questions and reciting prayers that would go unanswered.
“Vee?” Hunter asked, trying to find room to sit up. “Do you know what will happen to us?”
I looked around the darkened truck to see that several deserters eagerly awaited my response. How did I suddenly become the expert?
“We’ll have to work. Probably preparing bottles or cleaning toilets or something mundane like that.” My heart pounded in my chest when I thought about toilets and latrines, and my Zach digging hole after hole without complaint. Every pore of my body knew that part of my life was over now.
“Or they’ll just execute us for running away.”
I snapped my head around to look at the man hunched in a corner who’d just incited unnecessary fear in all of those trying to be strong. His dirty hair covered his face and the burlap-like tunic hung from his gaunt frame. He looked like he smelled.
“I had a friend once,” he continued. “ He got captured and they cut off his head and stuck it on a stake as a warning to others.” The man shook himself. “They don’t need us as workers. They need us to set an example.”
“How do you know that story is even true?” a young girl asked. I couldn’t see her face, but her voice quivered with each word.
“I just know,” he replied.
“Stop it,” I said. “It’s just a scare tactic. We live in a civilized world not the Dark Ages.”
“Civilized?” The man tried to stand only to fall on top of three other prisoners. He continued talking from the floor. “You’re sorely mistaken, miss. Civilization went away the moment those nukes left the planes.”
“He’s right.”
“They don’t need us.”
“We’re going to die.”
Sobbing soon filled the darkness and I wished our captors would hurry up and get us out of here. If I spent too much longer with these people, I feared I would give in to the despair in my stomach telling me we were doomed.
The truck lurched forward, knocking many of the deserters down, and forcing me to bump into Max again. I heard the distinct sound of a metal gate scraping behind us and realized we must be getting close.
After five more minutes of slow movements over bumps and turns, it had me wondering if we’d actually arrived at the factory. But then I smelled it. A sickly sweet odor oddly reminiscent of cotton candy. Or sugar. Perhaps that was part of the water bottling process?
The truck stopped again a nd within seconds the tarp ripped open at the rear exit. Bright sunlight blinded us but the sound of birds chirping trumped my curiosity. I thought we were coming to an industrial park, yet the smells and sounds inundating my senses told me otherwise.
My personal captor, Riley, reached his hand inside the truck. “Come with me,” he said. I looked around only to notice everyone staring back. Riley had spoken directly to me.
“Not without him,” I said, grabbing hold of Hunter’s hand.
A slight smirk pulled at the corner of Riley’s mouth. “Fine.”
“And him,” I said nodding toward Max.
“He’ll join you later.”
“N o, now.” Although when I looked more closely at Max, I realized he wasn’t going anywhere. Still breathing, his two hundred plus pound body would be impossible for me to carry. I bent forward and whispered into his ear. “I’ll find you later.”
Hunter gave Max a quick hug before following behind me to escape our dark prison. Riley kept his hand outstretched waiting for me to take the bait. I couldn’t do it.
When I stumbled out of the back, a searing pain raced through my leg. My knee felt more than just bruised. However, I did the best
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