"You must never leave the protection of these caves, Mellie. There's nothing good out there," Mom spoke harshly as she reached forward to clasp her hands over my shoulders, giving me a stern look. She was absolutely livid that I'd ventured out in the woods earlier. Recently I've been feeling a dangerous curiosity lurking at the back of my mind. It's raging; begging me to walk along the earth's ground, to feel the leaves and twigs crunch under my tattered sneakers. I crave fresh air and freedom. Down here in the catacombs of our safe haven, it's damp and dark and never very comforting. Ever since the night my mother woke my sister and I up with a direct order to pack our bags, it's been hell. I was only seven when the international disaster happened. I hadn't know why we needed to leave town, or society for that matter.
But now I do.
Ten years ago, a disease broke out among civilization. Women seemed immune to the contagious symptoms: extreme rage, lustful advances, and psychopathic behaviours. This problem grew worldwide, and only affected human males. Women became the targets of sinister hunts, kidnapping, rape, slavery, and often murder. Even my own dad became our worst enemy.
That night, after I packed the things I was told to, I walked downstairs to a bloody mess. And I don't mean that as an exaggeration or a figure of speech. I mean, the floor had been covered with blood; a deep red puddle so dark it felt as if I could drown in the depths of it. I guess it was from the slashes in my dad's stomach from where my mom stabbed him to death.
I never asked why she killed him. But I believe it was to protect us. She didn't even care about her own safety that night. She only saw her husband as a possible threat to her children, so she took care of it.
"I know mom, but why can't I just go outside for some fresh air every once and awhile. Just five minutes out in the open won't get me kidnapped. We have weapons. It's not like I won't go out unprepared!" I whisper yelled so our conversation wouldn't drift towards nosy ears.
"Don't let the elders hear you talking like that. If they heard you went out in the open today, they would rather kick you out of here than have you risking the safe haven they've built. Remember what happened to Abigail?"
I groan and look around us at the damply lit cave. This place was not home to me. This was a place where rats populated. We are human beings! We should be able to live freely, to go out with friends and attend school...We belong out in society; or what's used of it. The last time I even saw a house, or a building in general, was the day we left our lives for good. Mom had cut off her long red hair and dyed it black before leaving. She wanted to blend in, to look like a man driving the car. Our red hair was a bright attraction saying "hey, look at me!" I remember climbing in the back seat of our car and being told to lay down so I wouldn't be seen. Rhiannon, my sister, had sat down on the floor with a blanket covering her small form. She had been scared, so for the ride I held her hand. It had been a comfort to not just her but for me as well.
"Answer my question, Mellie!" Mom hissed angrily. She hated when I zoned out. It made her think of dad. Apparently he used to do the same thing when he was "normal."
"Yes, I remember what happened to her," I sigh. Abigail was a girl about sixteen, who had felt the same curiosity that I have. She ventured out into the woods without anyone knowing and was caught and brought back to the city where she was never seen again. And no, this is not a story that the elders made up to scare us into not going out. I knew Abigail personally. She told me about the outside world, brought back spring flowers and let me see them up close. I remember the earthy scent, the texture of the purple petals, and the rough green stems. Abigail also inflamed a desire in me like no other, a deadly desire for life. It's probably going to get me killed or kicked out of the colony one day. However, I can't help longing to be free.
"And you best remember the consequences of her actions. That girl played with fire and she got burned. If anything happened to you I would never forgive myself. I'm not like Abigail's mother, Mellie. I wouldn't sit here while you were captured. I would go into the city for you! Do you understand what that means? I would go into a male-run city and sacrifice myself so you wouldn't suffer alone. I would risk my life to get you back!" her grip tightened over my shoulders as she slightly shook them, making my head snap back a bit. I swallowed hard and felt the tears start to spill over the corners of my eyelids. I know she would do all that. And it kills me inside to make her worry like this.
"I-I know you would. Mom, I'm sorry for making you worry. But you don't understand. You've lived a longer life than I have and experienced so much more. I feel like I've had something great stolen from me. I'm seventeen. Do you think I like not being able to go out with my friends to coffee shops, read teen magazines, or have a boyfriend? I don't think ten years ago planting gardens and sewing clothing to keep warm in the winter would have been a teen's daily routine," I tell her. I know she'll just tell me the past is the past and how I should worry about what's happening now. The elders don't like to focus on the future as it's something they don't think about too fondly. I guess it's because they don't see one anymore with the disease still active. Since there are no more "normal" males to keep the population going, we females won't be able to produce children. After my generation...I don't even want to think about it. Our only hope is that the women who have been captured, produce, and escape their hell with their offspring. Or a cure. However, that's a very unrealistic expectation.
"Mellie, it's time to stop trying to find that missing part of your life. There's nothing left out there. You still won't be able to do all those things. Everything's changed! Your generation is the last bit of hope we have. Please, just listen to me, and never go out there again. Promise me, you won't," Mom stared me down, her eyes determined and wary.
"I promise," I replied, hoping she wouldn't see the uncertain look in my eyes. I was always very good at lying; however, mom usually seemed to notice when I didn't tell the truth.
"Thank you," she nodded and wrapped her arms around me in a loving hug. I closed my eyes at the warmth it brought me and let my head rest of her shoulder. I missed those peaceful, carefree days. Where she would wake my sister and I up for school, put pigtails in our light red hair with cute bows, and dress us up in lacy dresses. She'd give warm hugs like this and say she loved us to the moon and back.
"Mom?" Rhiannon strode towards us, an uncertain look in her eyes.
"Yes, Hun?" Mom turned to her and smiled, letting me go from the warmth. It was if my sister had cut the peaceful moment with a knife.
"Anna said she wishes to speak with you," Rhiannon replied, bowing her head a bit. I frowned at the submissive attitude my sister let off. I never understood why she was always the gentler one, the girl who jumped at raised voices, kept to herself, and listened like a military dog. When it comes to me I'm the complete opposite.
"Alright. I better go see what she wants," Mom quickly gave Rhiannon a hug and then left us alone in the hall of the cave. When we arrived here I had been surprised over how big it was. Anna's family owned the land for centuries and she grew up around the catacombs. It was the place where she and her younger sisters would play hide-and-seek and explore through the halls of their dead ancestors. The woman is eighty-something years old, but she's a feisty little thing. I've grown fond of her over the years that we've been living under her land. She's accepted so many women into this place...Even though I hate living here, I do know that without it, my family would have been left for dead. The night we searched for safety, our car had been pulled over by a police officer. He tried to rape Mom but Anna came out of nowhere and shot him in the head with her shotgun. We were lucky. Many others weren't.
"You went out again, didn't you?" Rhiannon looked at me sternly, but I knew she was just worried about me like Mom.
"I-I won't go out again," I told her and walked down the hall towards our little 'room' filled with large tombstones that looked like coffins. I always wondered if there were skeletons of Anna's ancestors in them but never asked her about it.
"Sure. I know you, Mellie. When that little voice in your head wakes up again and nags at you to go out, you will. And no matter what we say or do to prevent it from happening, you'll eventually escape from the grips of reality," Rhiannon shrugged her shoulders and leaned back against the cold rough wall of the room.
"I promised Mom. I won't betray her to replenish my own curiosity. Besides, what would you guys do without me?" I smiled to lighten the mood but only received an eye roll in reply.
"You're my big sister, Mellie. However, no matter what you say, I don't trust that wicked head of yours. You have too much passion for your own good. You're like a horse that can't be broken," Rhiannon turned towards the door to leave, but I stopped her,
"If anything happened to me, Rhi, I'd want you to stop Mom from coming after me."
"Why are you asking me this; are you planning to break your promise any time soon?"
"No, I'm going to keep that promise. But after everything that's happened, I know that anything could transpire at this point. Would you want Mom to come after me and get herself captured, or worse, killed?"
Rhiannon stared at me for a moment before replying, "I get it. Okay, I'd stop her from going to get you. But Mellie, don't leave these catacombs again. Because if you do, nothing will stop me from going to get you myself. I'd stop mom, but you're my sister...I love you and if you do something stupid like that again..."
I nodded and held up my hand. I understood how she felt because I'd do the exact same thing for her.