“The council?” I heard Joshua ask, not sounding as though he understood anything more than I did. I felt some relief in his response.
“Soon enough,” she answered, stopping the vehicle in front of a building. They all looked tall to me but this one only reached five stories, and still made me feel incredibly small. I hesitated before stepping out of the truck.
“How long has Haven been here?” The city felt foreign to me, unnatural.
“Can’t say,” Scarlet shrugged, nonchalant, “hundreds of years, I’m pretty sure.” She didn’t move from the front seat. Joshua stepped out from the truck, grabbed our bags and handed mine to me before he shut the door.
“Thanks for the ride.” He nodded at Scarlet before he reached for my hand, leading me through the heavy, wooden unlocked doors. I didn’t say a word as I glanced up at the staircase and balcony just overhead. Intricate designs pasted onto the wall covered the foyer. I couldn’t help but stare – I’d never seen anything quite like it. The stairs were a dark oak and the carpet a deep beige, matching the walls.
“Joshua, Olivia!” I heard a familiar voice and nearly jumped out of my skin seeing his mother, Rebecca, greeting us.
“Mom?” He was obviously taken aback by her presence. What did that mean back home for my mother? I couldn’t imagine the Governor had released her from prison. How had Rebecca escaped Genesis? Did the officials question her? What about his father? I had so many questions but couldn’t find the words against the deafening sound of my heart.
Rebecca hugged her son tightly in her arms and then pulled me into a quick embrace, offering a warm inviting smile. “I’m glad you’re both safe. I won’t be here long.” Her brown eyes bright. “The council called a meeting and there was no chance I was going to miss it.”
“You’re on the council,” I remarked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. I should have known. She was the sole reason I had won my freedom.
“Yes.” His mother nodded, smiling politely at me. “I’ll show you both to your rooms on the second floor and you can get cleaned up in the meantime.”
“Rooms?” I asked curiously.
Rebecca laughed softly. “You didn’t very well think your marriage was legal?” She shook her head, her truffle hair falling down her back. “The laws back home don’t apply in Haven. We allow our people to choose who they marry. So long as you are living here, you are in separate rooms until you choose a spouse,” Rebecca told us.
Joshua glanced at me for the briefest of seconds before embracing his mother in a hug, “Thank you,” he breathed a sigh of relief. “You don’t know how happy I am.”
I was appalled. Was he actually thanking her for not having to remain married to me? Was I that terrible a choice to be with? Is that why he left Genesis? “We can marry someone else?” I asked, refusing to look at Joshua.
Rebecca nodded faintly. “It is your choice to make.” She told her son, reaching for his arm giving it a squeeze. “To marry no one at all or marry someone different entirely. In fact, we encourage you to go out and meet the other members of our town, Haven. We want you to adapt to society, fit in wherever possible.”
I didn’t quite understand what that meant. I knew they expected us to live here indefinitely, but I wanted my life to be with Joshua. I felt burned, in the worst way possible. Yes, Rebecca had rescued me from prison, but for what reason? What motivated her? I wanted to think she had been entirely selfless when Joshua had told her the news, but the pit of my stomach told me otherwise.
Rebecca led the way up the staircase and to the second floor. Rows of rooms lined the hall, and I couldn’t help but wonder if this was some sort of dormitory, and if so who else lived here.
There were so many levels but the staircase only seemed to take us to the second floor. “How do people get upstairs?” I asked gesturing towards the ceiling. I’d seen the windows for several more floors.
Rebecca smiled warmly, “the elevator, dear. It’s in the back of the foyer but there’s no need for either of you to use it.”
“Elevator?” I repeated curiously. I’d never heard such a word before.
“It’s similar to a car,” Rebecca elaborated, “you ride it from one floor to the next.” I tried to imagine such a device, like the car Scarlet had driven us in on, located within the building that would ride you from floor to floor. It would have to be vertical which only made me laugh. Rebecca shot me a peculiar look. “What’s so funny, dear?”
“How do you not fall out?” I asked, curious.
Rebecca rolled her eyes, not answering my question. “You will each have your own private suite. I had to pull some strings,” She informed us proudly, “But I know you will both be pleased with the arrangements.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Joshua nodded. I didn’t say a word. What could I say to express my gratitude and also discomfort with the present situation? I felt bitter in this new home – it wasn’t the life I wanted or wished for. Maybe I didn’t agree with the government, but I had played by their rules, mostly. It wasn’t fair, being tossed into prison and forced on the run. I just wanted to be left alone. I reached for my door, turned the handle and pushed it open. I didn’t look back and didn’t say anything to either of them. I dropped my pack on the floor inside my room and shut the door abruptly.
I headed for the dresser, finding brightly colored and patterned blouses and skirts. I’d never seen so many colors of fabric before. Next, I opened the closet, curious what else may be waiting and was shocked to see a dozen or so dresses and several pairs of shoes. My fingers moved along the material, feeling each with curiosity. I paused, glancing at a rich blue dress and pulled it from the closet. When I stepped inside the bathroom, my mouth dropped at the oversized tub and glass shower stall. They were both huge! The bathroom was practically its own room in size. At home we had a shower, but it was timed and at a specific temperature. We had exactly three minutes to get clean three times a week. The water shortage had made things difficult at times, and the government considered showering daily a waste. However, they frowned upon showering less than that as well. Then you smelled like Levi Keller.
Turning the shower on, I jumped at the freezing cold temperature and played with the dials jumping away again when my hands nearly got scalded. I stripped out of my grimy clothes and stepped beneath the spray. It felt good to get clean, and I turned the water warmer than it would be back home, feeling my body relax under the spray. I didn’t pay attention to how long I’d been standing there and realized the water hadn’t shut off on me. What a luxury! I found some soap and finished cleaning before shutting off the shower. It took a good two minutes to figure out how to do that. I wasn’t used to so many buttons and knobs. With time, I’d figure it out.
Drying off, I wrapped a large fluffy towel around my body. I couldn’t help but wonder where such luxuries came from. Were they trying to show us the good side of the rebellion to make us want to join forces? Did they expect us to fight with them? I wasn’t ready for a fight. I had no training and doubted I could shoot a gun and hit a target if my life depended on it. Besides, I imagined myself capable of other jobs aside from joining their militia in Haven. I dried myself off and slipped on the dress I’d found in the closet. It was beautiful, soft and flowing down to my toes. I found a brush by the sink and worked the knots out of my hair. Staring at my reflection I wondered if I was the same girl days ago. I hardly looked like the girl I knew. I hardly felt like her, either. On the counter, sat an array of brightly colored trays and compacts. I had no idea what they were and left them untouched.