The Offering (Lesbian, Gay, Girlxgirl)

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The long way home was the same, ten year-old Talin thought as she glanced outside the truck. Though the path was, with ongoing developments from the government, replaced with new asphalt, she knew that it wouldn't last long. People from the New World were used to the road cracking after a few months. The hot and cold temperature pestered everything they could get their hands on.

It was the primary reason why they couldn't simply build a dome to hide into. Aside from lacking manpower, things would fall apart faster than they could be erected, and preserving what buildings they had at present was taking all efforts from the government.

She leaned back on her seat and closed her eyes. If she thought hard enough, she could imagine how hot it was in the factory during the mornings until late afternoon, and how cold it could be at night. Usually, the children could do nothing but moan and groan when it was scorching, blaming their centurion of an air conditioner for failing to do its job well. Her lips quirked up. But wait until it was night fall, for that was when the fun would start.

Cold as it was when the moon was at its peak, the children would all snuggle near the heater and tell each other stories. Talin, being one of the youngest and most silent member of the group, stared and listened. Though she didn't participate, she enjoyed knowing where the other children of the factory went for their chores, who they talked to, or how they survived the day. She would then turn to her right, breathe deep, and underneath the mingled dust and sweat in the air, smell the person who mattered, feel the warmth of her skin, and see the smile on her face.

A fist knocked on her window from outside. "We're here," a soldier said. Talin stared around. She didn't realize that they've made it back to the factory.

She got down after the soldier opened the door. She didn't say thank you and remained mum, her back straight, her eyes like glowing embers, perilous and untouchable, their secrets only known to her. The soldier gave her a strange look and shivered before saluting. They were under strict orders to treat her like they would a general. "I will see you after one week," he said. "Please enjoy your vacation, defender."

She waited until after the truck was gone before glancing at the factory, at her old home. It was a building stretched to the right and left, with gigantic tubes on the roofing pointing towards the sky. The latter used to emit smoke every time work was being done, but with the new order of the president, they'd been configured to release fumes another way with an invention they just made. The reason, Talin overhead once, was to lessen the effects on the environment. It was a little too late if someone asked her.

She stared at the steel door that would take her inside. The huge panel was closed, no indication that anyone was there, though she knew that at this time, the children were neck deep in work, doing whatever the owners required of them.

She shifted her weight on the other foot, suddenly wishing that the spear was on her hand. With it, she was never afraid. With it, she could fight anyone. She frowned. But she wasn't afraid now, was she? What for? And how come? She squared her shoulders and started to walk. She was a defender, but this was where she came from. It was time to go home.

The work seized when she opened the door. Immediately, different types of smell covered her nose, from soapy concoctions to strong chemicals that made the back of her throat burn. But the heavy stuff where further inside, handled by the adults. It was the children's task to make sure that everything was clean, that they had the right amount of supplies, and what glassware or metalwork were produced were packed in boxes.

"Oy! It's Talin!" There were shouts of astonishments from the children, and in a few seconds, they have abandoned their boxes so they could run to her.