I didn’t feel like reading. I still couldn’t believe they demanded I have a child in the next few years. At least I had time to stall and possibly change their minds. I wasn’t ready to be a mother, and I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to be one and certainly not in the middle of an uprising. It seemed a terrible reason to bring a child into this world.
I left the book open on the bed and walked across the hall, knocking on Joshua’s door. “You in there?” I called, glancing from side to side, afraid I’d get caught. I couldn’t take the chance they’d force me to leave Haven or worse send me back to Genesis. I knew the Governor would love to get his hands on me.
I listened for a moment, hearing noise on the other side of the door. “Joshua?” I knocked again, hoping he would let me in. After what felt like an eternity, I heard footsteps and smiled when he opened the door, standing in front of me. “Good, you’re home. I was wondering if you got lost in there–-” my voice trailed off as the smile faded. Just past Joshua was a girl, no older than me sitting on his bed. Her midnight black hair and eager smile sent my stomach into knots. “I guess I’m interrupting,” I remarked feeling her eyes on me. Had he moved on already? The thought made me sick that he went along with it. I didn’t see another choice for me, but Rebecca was his mother. Why hadn’t he fought her on it?
He let out a heavy sigh, shooting me a nasty look. “Something like that,” Joshua muttered as he stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him. “Do you need something?” he asked coldly.
“I wanted to talk with you.” I glanced past him at the closed door, knowing she was in there on his bed, waiting for him. It made me sick. “Guess it’s a little late for that.”
Joshua let out a heavy breath and ran a hand through his hair. He looked anxious, flustered. Clearly I surprised him by stopping by. “I’m busy studying. You met the council. You remember what they said?”
I nodded faintly. I did know what they said. It didn’t change the fact I was angry with him. “Yeah, I was there. They read me the rules, too,” I remarked bitterly. I crossed my arms. “I was going to suggest we have dinner together, but I guess you’ve already made plans.”
Joshua stalled for a minute deciding what to do. “You’re mad at me.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. And by the sound of it he was shocked.
“I guess I should be grateful; you did rescue me from prison.” I knew it was a low blow, but was that all I meant to him? He helped me escape from Genesis, and I gave him a free pass – a chance at a new life. “I wanted to tell you I met your sister. I thought we could all have dinner sometime, but now I realize I made a mistake.” I grimaced. I didn’t want him inviting whoever the dark-haired beauty was to eat with us. I didn’t think I could face her without reaching across the table and slugging her. Maybe she hadn’t done anything yet, but the way she looked at Joshua told me all I needed to know.
“What?” Joshua shook his head confused. “My sister?” It took a moment for the realization of what I was saying to dawn on him. His skin turned ghastly. “How is she?” He frowned, trying to form a coherent thought.
“She’s nice.” I nodded slowly, trying to be civil. “She took me to the council meeting this morning and then we grabbed lunch. I would almost think you’d like her, though probably not as much as the girl in your bedroom,” I remarked coldly.
“We’re done here,” Joshua answered, turning and headed back into his room, closing the door behind him.
“Damn it!” I hit my fist against his door before I sulked back into my room, slamming it shut. What had gotten into him? Maybe I’d made a mistake bringing up Jacqueline, but he would eventually find out she was his sister. Besides, if anyone had a right to be angry it was me! He had moved on without me. The council demanded of me to have a child I wasn’t ready for. Clearly, he hadn’t taken our marriage seriously, and though I knew it hadn’t been our decision, I thought he’d been happy with the fact we were together. I thought he had actually cared about me. I knew we’d been friends, but before the marriage ceremony that morning, I thought I felt something more between us. Now, I didn’t know what to think.
Tossing myself back on the mattress I grabbed the giant book and started from page one. It was going to be a long two weeks. I didn’t know how the council expected me to finish all the texts they’d given me, let alone one in two weeks’ time.
My eyes moved over the pages. I had remembered learning that after the Fourth World War, the country of Cabal had been prosperous, and technology and medicine had greatly advanced. Cancer had been cured, but at a high cost to society. As I read the history text, I learned that what they’d taught us in Genesis wasn’t entirely true.
The Cabal History text explained that people had once lived to one hundred and twenty, resulting in overcrowding along with a shortage of food and water. As the prosperous nation began to struggle, the Red Plague began wiping out people overnight. No one knew where it originated, but it spread quickly. The Red Plague was brutal, infecting hundreds of thousands before their symptoms were even visible. The best doctors across the world quickly gathered together to put a stop to the ravaging disease, but by the first meeting five million people across the world had contracted it. China had bombed their own cities to control the disease, killing another seven million people. Not all of them had been infected, but most had been exposed. India had offered a vaccine in its earliest stages at the second meeting with the worldwide group of doctors. It appeared to work, and no one thought twice about the side-effects. Without it, the entire population of the world would have become extinct.
I continued reading, learning that the vaccine had very dire consequences. The next twenty years consisted of constant miscarriages from women and the inability to conceive. Doctors wracked their brains trying to understand the cause and when they linked it to the vaccine, they removed it from the market. But it was too late. The entire population of Cabal had been vaccinated, as was the entire world in a global pandemic. The people were told by the government of Cabal that eradicating cancer had caused infertility, but no evidence linked the two. Doctors struggled for years to reverse the damage done to society to no avail. The next step was to find a way to continue allowing population growth while ensuring the countries’ resources didn’t disappear. The government decided to start five breeding projects across the country to ensure the future of Cabal. Reading the word ‘breeding project’ made my stomach somersault.
I nearly jumped from the bed when I heard a loud rap at the door. “Just a sec!” I called, glancing at the page number before shutting the textbook. I opened the door, surprised to see Jacqueline on the other side.
“Hungry for dinner?” she asked, bouncing excitedly. She had so much energy, I was envious of her.
“Yeah, I could eat something.”
“Grab your dining card. We’ll head to dinner, and I’ll show you some of the town’s sights on the way.”
“Thanks.” I nodded following her out of my room before shutting the door. The door had no locks or keys. I walked behind her, heading down the stairs and out the main door where we’d entered earlier.
“So, what kind of food do you like?” Jacqueline asked as she led me onto the road.