Yarrow

ll - This Crowd is for Me

My hands tremble as I step up the final stair; my feet planted on the hard stone surface of the platform in the centre of the square. Gedeon is waiting anxiously in the very front of the audience — I turn around for a moment. He's standing with his arms pinned to his side and he's tugging the seam of his tunic. I'm lost in it all, really. It's begun to rain again; every drop that hits my skin feels like a needle. Or perhaps a bee sting. My face seems to burn with anxiety and the whole world is spinning. It's cloudy and the sun is completely hidden, but even so, my vision is blurred and it's inexplicably bright no matter where I look. I feel winded — it's hard to breathe. What will they do to me? They can't execute me. I haven't committed a crime of that magnitude. But they'll surely send me across the wall. Banishment.

Chancellor Cunning stands before me, offering to shake my hand. The more I think about it, the more I realise how fitting his name is. He is cunning. This is the man behind our suffering; he is permitting my banishment. And he has the audacity to shake my hand and act like a hero. The truth is orphans usually don't make it in Durslo. Not unless someone takes them in — a rare occurrence — or they break the laws. That's me. An orphan. A criminal.
Chancellor Cunning steps to the podium and begins to read from a single sheet of paper. His voice is raspy as he reads along the script,

"It's been quite some time since I've had the privilege of seeing you all from Durslo," he begins. His façade makes my stomach churn — what a monster he is.
"As a community you have faced unbearable hardships; I commend you for that. You have proven your courage. And it is because of these victories that we, your leaders — your "control tower," if you will, have vowed to keep your community at peace."

Cunning pauses for a minute. His breaths radiate through the speakers. It's a little repulsing. But unfortunately, he continues soon after.
"And so it is our duty to eliminate all forms of crime in your city... to protect our people"

Our. That's right. We have no freedom. He owns us; as if we're livestock. And if by "protect our people," he means to induce famine and a shockingly high death rate, then I'd say he's doing a wonderful job. But I can't help but find it funny. For years it's been this way — probably since this horrid country was developed. A big game of charades. Cunning continues to send more and more of us out of Selum; hoping to eradicate anyone he considers a rebel. He claims it's all for the name of peace. But when the real hardships come... famine, droughts, epidemics... he's nowhere. Hiding in his city of gold like the coward he is. But now isn't the time to loathe Chancellor Cunning — who's speech has continued.
There's an officer on either side of me; they have a strong grip on my arms and they are escorting me to the podium — right next to the Chancellor. All the sounds around me have become nothing but a ring as I see four more officers pushing through the audience. They're practically dragging two people along with them. A boy and a girl — who can't possibly be older than seventeen or so. I have a bad feeling. A feeling that I already know who these kids are. And when I see their faces as they break through to the platform, I'm not even the slightest bit shocked. The officers force the boy and the girl up on concrete steps. It's surreal. Like a film — although I've only seen a television once or twice.

The boy looks at me sorrowly. And there they are: Bellamy and Annaliese trying not to fall over as they're pushed up the stairs. Then they're standing next to me — Bellamy on my left and Annaliese on my right. I slowly become more aware and realise that Cunning is still talking. His words weigh on me — I know I won't be here much longer. I'm an outcast now. A piece of meat that the government can do with what they please. I wonder how much time I have before my banishment. I wonder what people will do without me here. But no one will really be affected by it except Mae and possibly the hunters. Mae. What will she do for food? She hardly makes anything as a seamstress. Certainly not enough to live off of. I can't protect her anymore and she's all I have left. I can only assume she'll starve. Finding a job is very difficult in Durslo; there's nowhere for her to go. So I've narrowed it down to two outcomes: she starves, or she breaks the laws and likely gets banished too.