Pure - The Broken Society

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

◉ Tate Torres ◉

"Tomorrow...is the day we've all been waiting for, the day when all of our hopes and dreams come alive," Ezra stands tall in front of the gathered crowd, everyone listening to her in excitement, waiting for more words to come out of her mouth. "Tomorrow is the awakening of the brave new world, where power shifts and lives change! I know some of you live in fear, and are afraid that this promise of a new future will not be granted. And that this revolution will fail, but let me enlighten you," her voice carries as an echo throughout the whole court.

"This revolution is not possible without optimism. The brave men and women who are sacrificing their lives for a brighter tomorrow would not be doing so if they did not have hope. But they have hope, so much of it. We cannot continue to live in constant fear as the ones above us live in lavish luxury!" She slams her fist down on the lectern, "We have lived in fear for too long, I say, it is time for change! Please, my daring men and women, rise to the challenge that presents itself in front of you! Take it! You are not guaranteed survival, but you are facilitating change for all future generations! Please, my people, stand with me, stand with Torres, and Patel, and together, let us mend this broken society!" She thrusts her fist in the air, the entire court shooting up out of their seats to scream and shout in triumph.

I stare back at the stands, taking in the wondrous sight in front of me. I notice that few people remain seated, battling with the fear in their minds. Among the ones who sit, I stand dismayed as my eyes land on Madelynn, her face buried in her hands and her hair falling around her like a shield. Her legs bounce in nervousness, as she too fights against angst.

I'm ripped from my staring contest as I feel people rush down from the bleachers into the middle of the court, my body being carried and lost within the current. They jump, howl, and scream in one large mass, sweaty bodies clashing into one another as they all dance with exhilaration.

I glance back up to the stands, her once doubled over body now gone, and I find myself searching everywhere for her, but she's gone, disappearing just like Raelynn.

I haven't talked to Rae since that night at the bar, her absence leaving me confused as to whether or not she will fulfil her part in this fight. I've been longing to find her and ask her...beg her, but her ambience leaves me with the feeling of acrimony. To which, I just assume she will not partake, leaving a portion of the plan utterly impossible to deploy without her help. That realization sends me into a pit of worry, but deep down I know we will pull through.

The crowd begins to dissipate, people running out of the court with festivity and pride. They chant and shout with one another, locking arms and dispersing all around the Sectors like a wild pack of bulls. I catch the defectors out of the corner of my eye, but without Madelynn, her brunette head is not in the bunch.

I struggle to make my way towards them, bodies upon bodies everywhere shoving into one another and crowding. I push my way through with brute force, but once I get to the clearing, they're gone, too.

***

The day flew by in a flash, there wasn't much work for all the time was spent with celebration and drinking. The dining hall crawled with people singing and dancing like there's no tomorrow, and I couldn't stop myself from laughing with them. The sights unfolding in front of me are inexplicably beautiful.

That...is one thing that the Damaged had that the Pures didn't, diversity.

Men and women spun and twirled around to the beat of the music. Little children ran around the perimeter of the dining hall, playing and laughing with one another. As I peered at the children, a part of me erupted in joy, knowing that this revolution will give them a life they deserve outside of the chasm walls. They deserve to see the world and explore the great lands without worry of crossing boundaries.

I scan the kitchen, few workers inside unloading the last crates of food brought back from the train. Within those crates rested pounds and pounds of raw meat, seasonings, and perishable goods. The rest of the crates stood stacked in piles in Capital Pier, box after box covering the walls. Those were filled with armor and weaponry of every kind imaginable.

Earlier, as everyone left the court and danced their way to the dining hall, I stayed behind with a few other men to sort through the crates, calling to each other the contents of each one.

"Food."

"Weapons."

"More food."

"Armor!"

That continued for what felt like hours, constantly lifting the heavy boxes from one place to another.

There was one box I opened though, full of strange blinking gadgets. They were small and round, appearing to look the exact same as those trackers pulled from the defectors. I grabbed one, untangling the chords that were intertwined with one another. I held it in front of my face, examining it with a wondrous eye.

As I peered at it, I noticed the gadget to have an earpiece that is meant to be connected behind the ear like a magnet to secure the other portion of the gadget. The other piece wrapped around the ear's pinna and reached into the eardrum. The piece was thin, almost invisible once connected to the ear. I grabbed another gadget that looked the exact same, suddenly realizing that the gadgets were pagers and a radio, meant for keeping the Patrolemen connected to one another to alert of sudden danger.

A wicked smile took place on my lips as I placed two of the gadgets into my pocket, a sudden idea coming to mind.

I sit now in the dining hall alone, watching everyone else around me as I pull the gadget from my pocket, fiddling with it carefully between my fingers. It's at that moment, I stand from my place and rush out of the dining hall, not looking back as I begin to jaunt to a sudden destination, my heart beating rapidly once again.

***

My legs ache as I run up the steps and twist around the rusted railing. The sun sets over the chasm with undertones of pastel blues and lilac purple. The trees stand still, no wind whipping between the vines. I rush to her door, watching the sky above me, excitement taking over me as I stride closer and closer.

Ever since I was a child, my mother would always take me to this hidden garden. She always told me to keep it a secret and to only bring certain people through the hidden passageway. She always said that not all people deserved to see the true beauty of nature, and that once I found someone who deserved it, she always told me to take them there.

And this is exactly what I plan to do.