Gears (NaNoWriMo 2017) (#1 Below the Machines)

Chapter 19

Etta (My name), age 12, Rowan (Servant 60, now frontal soldier), Hazel (Maid 83), don't forget. Maid 27 wrote on her hand, her hand shaking so badly she needed to pause every now and then when she wrote to stop herself from making messy squiggles on her palm.

Today, was the Forgettings. She had almost forgotten about them until yesterday, when Maid 83 had reminded her. Pun unintended.

How could she have been so oblivious? Everyone knew about the forgettings — even though they weren't supposed to. Most always remembered and cared enough to spread out the rumours and information, and around here, Maid 27 knew that news always spread like wildfire.

From what she knew, they all had gone through their first Forgettings on arrival, which had been two years ago for her. The Forgettings were a series of injections that they received every second year, to keep them blank, responsive and most of all, quiet. Maid 27 knew as well as any other servant or maid that there was somehow wrong in this system, because all of them had a secret to hide. All of them remembered something they shouldn't, but of course, that was always kept private — unspoken, because all of those who did were soon after sent to the mines, or never heard of again.

Maid 27 had been there before, and she remembered every single part of the painful experience. She stood thinking, as she came to a halt at the end of the queue, watching more maids and servants line up behind her as she fell into step. Everything she saw was in a deep haze, as if a fog had settled over her. She took in deep breath to try and clear out those painful memories. She knew that Pro 1 had almost been a blessing when she heard that she had been one of the chosen few who had been selected for the full - time job as server, no longer having to work shifts in those terrible mines. Pro One had unknowingly saved her from her nightmares, which remained one of the reasons why she still felt thankful for her.

She tucked the pen that she had been unconsciously squeezing in her hand into a back pocket on the Maid's uniform jacket, hiding it from sight. She didn't need the officials knowing that she had written anything down, especially not today. But unfortunately, she hadn't taken into consideration that the maid behind her had seen everything.

"Nervous?" She asked, catching Maid 27 with surprise. She turned around, opposing the direction in which everyone was lined up in. Maid 27 bit her lip.

"Yes. Isn't everyone?" She replied, her voice sounding strangely small and quiet. She coughed, and cleared her throat, realising that she hadn't actually used her voice in a long time, especially with the absence of interactions that she had made with other people.

The Maid's lips twitched, her gaze darting all over, then scanning over 27's figure. "Server?"

Maid 27 nodded. "Yes, recently promoted actually. It doesn't sound like much, but it means a lot to me, being out of the mines."

"Maid 44," she said, a glint of appreciation and respect appearing in her eyes, "Pleased to meet you. I have a brother who works in the mines actually, and I fear for him more with each passing day. I'm glad I've met someone who has gotten out of there, at least it proves to me that it is possible." She said, more for her own benefit rather than mine.

Maid 27 gave her a small smile. "It's not easy, but one day he might be lucky enough."

44 nodded, but she didn't seem to entirely believe it. "What were you writing? Trying to remember something?"

Etta froze, her mind going blank. "I-i didn't write nothing," she stuttered, messing up her choice of words as she hastily scrunched up her fist, covering up the words written in blue ink on the palm of her hand.