Page 86 of Beyond The Maples
She hurries over, crouching down beside me, and softly brushing the spindly green blades that pop out of the earth defiantly. It's a small patch, but I look around at all the nooks and crannies surrounding the abandoned town, and I see several more glints of green peeking out from the shadows. Farra follows my gaze.
"What in the underworld is going on…" she whispers. There's enough growth here to be significant, and yet I don't see any attempt to cultivate this land. I move idly through the town, searching farther than I know we were supposed to, but I need to know what else is out here. As I move deeper through the streets, I notice the tiny patches of grass or weeds grow taller the further we explore.
Farra catches up with me. She seems out of breath, but it's not from exertion. Her hands ball into angry fists as she comes to terms withwhat we're seeing. The Council can't be struggling that hard to grow things, so why are they starving us? Drugging us is one thing, but people are dying every day from malnutrition. How can that possibly benefit them?
Farra and I say nothing as we promptly walk back to the house on the outskirts of the village. We pass Vera and Berkley, who are sitting at the back door, idly guarding it, like those inside aren't helplessly strapped to their own furniture.
"What took you so long?" Tane is there at the front as we round the building, standing with Tarius and Leo.
Leo has that look about him, the same look he had the day at the church when he saw the young girl hanging. He doesn't have the stomach for this kind of stuff, and it only makes me love him a little more.
"We walked through the town. I thought we were supposed to scout?" Farra responds with that cool confidence I rarely see from her anymore. I feel a stab of pride. They couldn't take that away from her, despite the marks on her skin.
Tane’s eyes flick to me, and he glares like he's expecting me to tell a different story. Feeding off Farra's confidence, I give him a look that seems to conveyfat fucking chance, sir. He scowls.
"You didn't need to go that far. You two can stay here with your crew. I'll be right back." He stalks off angrily.
I turn my attention immediately to Tarius and Leo.
"What did you see? Any information on these three?" I ask, as quietly as possible, as we huddle together in the shade of the house.
"Both of them keep screaming about how they don't know anything. They've lived here their whole lives, most of their family either left or died out, and they swear they don't have any information for The Centre or the Council," Tarius replies in a whisper, sharp brown eyes darting around.
"Did you guys see anything out there?" Leo asks.
Farra begins to fill them in quietly when I hear something from within the house. I wander closer to the door, pressing my ear against it.
"Why would they want you?" Tane's strained voicecomes through.
"We told you, we don't know. We don't know anything. There haven't been other people living here for a few years now, everyone's moved out. We've been barely surviving." Tane's quiet as he listens to the man try to convince him to let them go. I peer in through the crack beside the boarded-up window, ear pressed against the wood.
"I'm sorry. If I don't bring you back..." he trails off, his hand scratching the shadow growing along his jaw.
The woman lets out a sob, and the flimsy armour I keep trying to place around my heart, slips. I know exactly why the Council wants them. Why, when they realized their existence, they called for an extraction. This town has growth. Growth that hasn't been reported.
"You can pack a bag for each of you. We need to get going. I'll do what I can for you when we get to The Centre, but I have to bring you in."
I hear stomping and move swiftly away from the door, right before it's yanked open.
"You and Rigby go in and see that the man packs sufficient supplies for the three of them, then tie him back up," he grumbles, stalking off around the house.
My heart pounds against my ribs as I walk into the house. I watch the man, rushing from room to room gathering what little supplies they have.
My attention flits back to the woman, and the boy, tears streaking down their faces. The boy can't even be eight. He's small, and he looks too brittle for his age, but he's well cared for. Loved.
"What are your names?" I ask softly.
The woman gapes at me, an angry look pulling at her features, but she relents.
"I'm Hazel. This is my grandson, Parker." She looks at him longingly, and I can't stand that she's tied up, unable to comfort him. I walk over and untie their hands.
"I'm Maple," I offer.
"What are you doing?" Tarius whispers.
I shrug.
"Can you be honest with me?" I ask.
