Glitch (The Write Awards 2013 Winner)

Glitch - Chapter 15

The canopy of the wood distilled the sunlight to create flickering patterns of golden illumination across the ground. Every now and then they would pass through an awaiting spotlight and the scenery would be thrown into a jubilee of spring. Warmth permeated through the air in those moments and painted Freya’s yearning skin in its touch. For those fleeting seconds the world came to life. The hushes and whispers provided by nature hummed through the quiet and decorated the silence in sound. Each breath contained a flavour of something refreshing, clean and bright that Freya couldn’t quite peg down to an exact taste. The fern contributed to a trace of delicacy and the early-morning dew made the scent worth savouring, but other than that it was a novelty she had no words to describe. 

Then the shade would arrive and the scene would lose that indefinable glee that pressed Freya forwards. The repetitive motion of placing one foot in front of the other became a task that she could barely bring herself to carry out. Wren’s name weighed behind her and added an extra weight to every step. The grief twisting inside would break out from its confinement and refuse to go ignored. In the shade she recognised the darkness in her own thoughts. They had been walking all night and Freya was losing the energy to pretend that optimism remained a viable option.

“Andie says we’re nearly there. But for now I can offer you breakfast,” Bryn said while dropping his pace to fit his footsteps alongside Freya's. He placed an apple into her hand before taking a bite from his own. The crunch seemed to echo with something distinctly playful. It was enough to make Freya attempt a smile as she accepted the offering. She could feel the expression confining itself to her lips. It did not colour the rest of her features. But it was an improvement. It was a promise for something better in the future. Bryn seemed to hold the vague hope of solution in his presence alone. And with absolute bemusement Freya found herself clutching onto it.

“Thank you.” It was a struggle to ascertain whether she was referring to the fruit or the attempt to cheer her up. Either or both. It didn’t really make a difference. She was just grateful. It didn’t particularly need a cause.

“This is it,” Andie announced while pausing to allow the rest of the group to catch up. The trees thinned out to reveal a narrow road leading to a stone-wall bridge over a small beck. Branches of the wood framed the scene into a snapshot that could be found on the walls of any family home. In the distance a trail of houses lined across the street beginning a village that appeared in sleep. No one walked the streets. No sounds of life carried through the air. Freya studied the tiny settlement with absolute incredulity. A sense of impossibility sank through her mind and caused her to scramble back into the cover of the trees.

“There are no checkpoints? Why are there no checkpoints?” Freya asked; her hurried breaths creating a breathy air of desperation to her query. It was impossible. There was no logical explanation to clarify how they wandered into a settlement unchecked by Patrollers. There was nothing to prevent anyone wandering in and out. That wasn’t allowed. Every settlement had sanctions against leaving. No one, not even the highest officials, could just wander out of their birth place on a whim.

“This village technically doesn’t exist,” Bryn said while guiding her onto the road by placing a hand on the small of the back. She cautiously followed his instruction and stepped out from the cover of the trees; expecting to be the focus of hostile and questioning Patrollers at any moment.

“A long time ago the Government separated people into official communities. As I’m sure you are aware movement is restricted to officials and Anomalies. That left numerous small settlements around the country without a use. Especially in rural places like this, ghost towns are fairly common. Perfect for a meeting place,” Andie elaborated.

“A meeting place?” Freya repeated the words to prompt further explanation. She had grown used to restricting the amounts of her questions. The concept of ghost villages had been purposefully stored in the back of her mind to ponder later. At the moment what she needed to get her head around was the purpose behind choosing this particular location.