"I'm–I'm … My name is–is Irene," I stuttered out while looking down.
"You don't have to worry, Irene," The beautiful lady spoke in a gentle voice that magically calmed me down. "We will reach the settlement in an hour or so."
A hand made its way to my shoulder and I jerked instinctively, abruptly looking back. My mother's impassive face was what greeted me as she pulled me back from the kind lady who saved us from those bad monsters. I met the lady's eyes for a moment and gave her a forced smile, reluctantly stepping back with my mother.
"Don't talk to these people," My mother spoke sternly to me and I froze in my place, looking down without meeting her eyes. She continued speaking, but a weak whimper escaped my throat, unable to process her words. She stopped after one of the companions of the gentle lady spoke up about taking flight or something. My mother strapped me to one of the seats while doing the same for herself.
…
"What a beautiful sight …" I spoke up as got off the plane with my mother and the rest of the people that the gentle lady and her companions had picked up. Ever since we'd gotten close enough, my eyes were fixed on the giant floating castle in the sky. We were all lined up as we walked away from the plane, away from the gentle lady and her companions who were all talking amongst themselves. My eyes went to the people at the end of the path, the two men both had scary expressions on their faces. I shrunk back as my eyes darted to the gentle lady once again.
'I have to do it …'
I don't know what got over me, but I broke off from the line and crossed the rail by ducking under it and ran to the women. "Miss!" I called out to get her attention but before I could reach her, someone grabbed my arm.
"What are you doing?!" My mother shouted as she tightly grabbed my arm and pulled me back. "Didn't I tell you not to talk to them?" She furiously spoke in my ear. I felt like I had just missed something unbelievably important. Tears welled up in my eyes as the pain of her tight grip finally hit me.
"You're hurting me …" I squealed. My vision blurred, and my stomach sank. I looked longingly at the gentle lady, but I couldn't even make out her shape as tears fell from my eyes. I felt my mother's grip over my arm loosen just enough that it wasn't hurting anymore.
"You are Irene, right?" I didn't know when it happened, but the gentle lady suddenly appeared right in front of me. "Did you want to talk to me about something?" She asked. I felt a gentle hand on my cheek and she wiped away my tears. I still couldn't focus my vision and it was still difficult to see the expression on her face, but I could instinctively tell that she was concerned about me.
"W–what's that place?" I asked while pointing to the beautiful castle's silhouette. I couldn't see it anymore, but I was certain that I was pointing in the right direction.
"That, little lady, is The Sanctuary," The gentle lady told me. I like how she called me little lady, "That is where I and the other widows live."
"Did you lose your husbands like my mom?" I instantly felt regret when I asked that question. Despite not being able to focus completely on the beautiful lady's blurred face, I could tell that she felt a negative emotion from my words.
"That's not it, Irene. We are the Sanctuary's elite combatants who protect this settlement. As for the namesake, there isn't any deep reason behind it," She's lying to me, but not completely. I can't tell what she lied about.
"I want to join," The words escaped my mouth before I even thought of them. "How do I join?" I asked. The lady smiled and looked at my mother. I could tell that my mother was seething inside but showed a gentle expression in front of the strong lady.
"How old are you, Irene?" I was asked.
"T-twelve," I told the lady, feeling like there were going to be some problems. The lady didn't say anything to me for a while, confusing me. "Is everything okay?" I asked.
"In a few days, Irene," She spoke to me. "The widows will be doing their third recruitment drive in this settlement. How about you participate and see if you can qualify?" I felt the lady tracing her hand over my cheek. Her finger touched the back of my ear and she left something there. I couldn't feel it on my skin, but I felt like there was something there. Moments later, I felt that feeling on my neck. As if it was wrapped around my throat.
"I will, gentle lady," I blurted out as I felt my vision coming back. My heart also calmed down, even though I hadn't even realized that it had been thumping just a few seconds ago. She laughed and patted my head before leaving me and my mother. This time, she didn't leave anything on me.
I blinked my eyes as my vision came back, moments later, my mother's grip tightened over my arm once again, "You better not make up meaningless fantasies in your head. You're a fool if you think that you can join them."
"You're right …" I looked down, "I don't know what got over me." I felt like I was under some kind of foreign influence when talking to the beautiful lady.
'It all feels like some kind of dream … There's nothing on my neck either. Why would she leave something on me …' I threw the events to the back of my mind. 'Somehow my mother's grip doesn't hurt as much anymore … It would be better if she was a little gentler ... Or if I could leave …'
…
I didn't go to the recruitment that the beautiful lady invited me to. Nor did I talk to the beautiful lady again in the month that I'd been here. I made a few friends in the settlement and they had told me of the prestige that the Protectors of The Sanctuary held. My mother was right. How could I join such a group? Especially after hearing that they never took anyone over twelve. While I could have been accepted by them with just that, I have my mother to take care of. And they never take children away from their parents unless the parents voluntarily give up on the child.
"Irene!" I heard a familiar voice call me outside and opened the window of the small kitchen to see him from the second floor of the small one-bedroom apartment that was provided to my mother and me.
"I can't come down, Jaskir. I have to do chores," I shouted, showing him a soapy plate. "Mom's asleep after working all night and I need to take care of her mess as well."
"Just come down! The widows are doing their sixth recruitment drive today. It's been six months since they have completely changed the lives of the people in the settlement. And I heard that this time they might do something special. We have to go!"
"I can't Jaskir," I shouted reluctantly. "Why don't you come up and help me out? If we finish up early, we can go then."
"Fucking hell!" He disappeared from my vision. It took almost ten minutes for there to be repeated knocking on my door. I sighed audibly before opening the door.
"What?" I asked as Jaskir and two of my other friends looked at me imploringly. "I have to do chores, guys."
"Forget about your chores," Sophia spoke as she grabbed my arm, "You and I both know what your mother is busy with every night. You don't need to take care of her. Especially after all the abuse she dishes out on you."
"It doesn't matter, Sophia," I said. "I have to take care of things here."
"What's all this goddamn ruckus?" Speak of the devil. My mother came out of the room, dressed in the same skimpy outfit that she was wearing when she came home in the morning.
"Mom —" I couldn't even say anything to her before a smack on my cheek sent me tumbling down to the ground.
"Get the fuck out of my house," I heard another smack, my mom probably hit Sophia, who had been standing closest to me. "And you!" She slammed the door and kicked me. I groaned. "Get back to work. Do you know how hard I have to work to provide for the both of us?"
Tears appeared in my eyes as I turned to look at my mother. I could almost tell where she was going to hit me next and moved to the side despite not being able to see what she was about to do. "Bullshit," I spoke with newfound courage. "Every minor receives an allowance and you splurge it all on your useless crap, leaving me with meager scraps from my own allowance from the Sanctuary."
"How dare you speak up against your betters?" I could tell that a slap was coming. While unable to see, I still stepped back, causing my mother to lose her balance. I don't know what came to me and pushed her with all my strength.
"I'm leaving and never coming back!" I screamed at her and moved to the door. From my teary eyes, I couldn't even see where I was going, but I just ran as fast as I could to move down the stairs. I heard my friends call out to me, but I ignored them completely and continued running. I couldn't see where I was running, it was as if my instincts were controlling me. Before I realized it, I reached the grand square where the widows were evaluating the new applicants.
***
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