“But I still need—”
“You don’t need anything. Come on!” he growled as he yanked me out of the house, forcing me to leave everything behind.
Tom had me pack all his papers, clothes, and some insignificant items until his pack was full, and I… I had nothing except the clothes I was wearing. Tears burned my eyes as I thought about the few things I had of my parents, but I didn’t let them escape - it would only make him angrier.
The city of Stamper was a lovely city. I had lived here my whole life, and had thought I’d stay until the day I died. However, there had been a hostile uprising. It started small - shouting, peaceful protests, vandalism - but recently it had gained momentum. Fights were breaking out on the streets, and gun shots could be heard echoing off the protective bubble that surrounded Stamper. Tom feared that if we stayed, he’d end up dead, which is why he decided that we were going to leave the only place I had ever known.
I wasn’t sure what the uprising was about, Tom locked me out of any technology that would have allowed me access to real world information. The only ways I could get information was from reading magazines and paper scraps he had left for me to clean up or eavesdropping on people’s conversations. Last week I had overheard some people saying it was the women in the city who were sick of the laws, but others were arguing it was the Savages on the outside wanting to make our city part of their territory and enslave us all.
It seemed more reasonable to me that it was the women of Stamper, for two reasons. One, the women were once in command and now were treated more like pets. Stamper had been a matriarchal society for hundreds of years, but about a century ago there was a war and the men took the power back. I had thought we were finally finding a balance between the two genders since not all women became a part of the Significant Other program. Now only orphans and daughters from families who could not afford to keep them were put into the S.O. program, where they are taught how to behave and not cause trouble. This program has been ongoing for almost as long as our society has been patriarchal, so it would make sense that the women have had enough. Two, the Savages have never in our city’s history come into Stamper. Plus, and more importantly, if it was the Savages trying to enslave us, then why were people attempting to cross through Savage territory to make it to the next city?
According to the books I read when Tom was gone for business meetings, the Savages were cruel creatures who devoured everything that moved through the forest. They were faster than us, fierce, vicious, and it was a rarity for anyone to live to talk about any confrontation they had with them. The books stated that the Savages had been people once, but had devolved into creatures with animal like features: sharp pointy teeth, fur that covered their entire body, claws on their fingers and toes, and ran around on all fours. These features varied slightly from book to book, but the one constant thing in every book I had read and every person I had overheard talking about Savages - the most important bit of knowledge that everyone should know - was that Savages hated all who hadn’t become like them.
“Hey, Tom,” a man called, and I immediately focused my attention to the ground. “We were starting to think that you weren’t coming.”
“What, and wait another month to get out of here? I don’t think so.”
“Is that all your belongings?” the man asked in surprise, and I glanced down at the wheeled bag I was pulling.
“Yes. My S.O. waited until the last minute to try and pack,” Tom replied.
I continued to stare at my feet. Tom hadn’t told me that we were going until thirty minutes before he wanted to leave. I bit the left side of my bottom lip. I guess it was my fault for not packing his stuff faster.
“Well you made it. The second group left this morning. Our group is smaller so we should be able to move quicker, maybe even catch up. However, because we’re the last group, the Savages might be ready for us. Their territory is a two-day journey, and then it’ll be a couple more days before we reach Jaspin. Of course, depending on the Savages’ mood, they still may continue to follow us the whole way. Once we’re closer to Jaspin, the city’s security will be able to protect us.”
Normally we’d take a vehicle wherever we went. However, we had to walk between cities because every vehicle that attempted to travel from one city to another never reached its destination. Over the years many people had tried to create roads, tunnels, bridges… but nothing survived the wrath of the Savages, let alone come close to completion… or so I had read in a history book.
“You hear that S.O.? You better not slow us down.”
I nodded and timidly glimpsed up to see an older man turning an irritated expression from Tom to a look of sympathy at me. He smiled kindly and I hastily focused on my feet again.
“Let’s get going then,” the man said. “The midday sun is beginning its descent, and the further we can get in Savage territory before nightfall the better.”
***
When I was given to Tom, a device was implanted into my arm so I would not forget my place, and Tom was given the control - just as was done with every S.O. This concept was created to ensure that the S.O. did as was expected of her. For example, if I acted against Tom’s wishes, then the device in my arm sent an electrical charge through my entire body as a reminder - the intensity and length of the punishment was Tom’s decision. Luckily, Tom had been kind in his reminder today, probably because I needed to be able to move quickly so we would arrive at the other city.
The journey had been quite pleasant after Tom used the quick current of energy to remind me that other men were not allowed to smile at me. The weather was nice and there had been no signs of Savages, which seemed to put everyone at ease. Unfortunately, I also noticed that our pace had significantly slowed. Not just because the people had started to forget about the dangers on this beautiful serene day, but they were not used to this much walking. I didn’t have to observe anyone to know their bodies were rapidly becoming exhausted, it was quite evident by the heavy breathing that interrupted the peaceful quiet of the thick forest on both sides of us.
“The last open space is coming up, which is where we will stay the night,” the man leading us loudly informed the group. “Put your tents as close to one another as you can. The first group reported they lost a few people because they thought they did not need to adhere to the instructions.”
I glimpsed at Tom and smiled as I saw that he was speaking to a woman who appeared quite nervous. I knew by his calm demeanor that he would set her mind at ease. When he wasn’t stressed out, he was a very nice guy. Although it surprised me that he was so relaxed amid this dangerous territory, but maybe it was because he had survived traveling through here twice before. I glanced around at the group of about forty other people. Most of them appeared to only be slightly interested in what our guide was saying. However, I took note of everything, knowing that I didn’t want to be taken or killed by the Savages, or have Tom get angry with me.
By the time the man had finished talking, we had arrived at the clearing where we were going to sleep. It was a good sized open space. I honestly couldn’t believe that it existed. It made no sense to me that the trees did not grow here when they had grown so thickly everywhere else. I contemplated this for another moment with awe before I began putting up our tent while Tom was helping the woman who seemed absolutely clueless, which was fine since it didn’t take me long to get our tent setup.
Before my parents died, they had taken me camping in the artificial forest of Stamper. I guess it wasn’t real camping, but I did get to help my father set up a tent. It was one of my favorite memories.
“Nice job, S.O.”
“Thank you, Tom,” I replied with a smile as I turned my attention to him. “It is very kind of you to help that woman.”
“Sandy? Turns out her man was killed in this forest several months ago.”
“That explains why she looks so worried,” I commented, peering over at Sandy. “I can’t imagine what I’d do if I lost you.”
“You’d never survive.”
“I know,” I agreed as I glanced at my feet.
“S.O., would you mind going into the trees and grabbing some long sticks? One of the poles for Sandy’s tent is broken.”
“I wouldn’t mind, but the guide said that we should not wander from the—”
His eyes became serious and I immediately stared at my feet. “No one will notice if you go now,” he quietly growled.
I nodded and hurried into the forest before he could get angry enough to send a current through me.
The sun would be setting soon, and I knew from listening to the man’s speech that after sundown there would be creatures just as vicious in the forest as the Savages. I tried not to search anywhere that I could not see the tents, but there weren’t any strong sticks on the ground anywhere in the vicinity. I didn’t want to disappoint Tom, so I carefully maneuvered myself around the foliage, trying not to disturb anything anymore than I had to. I was both in awe and on edge by how quiet the forest was, even though it wasn’t silent. I had jumped just about every time I heard something crunch, crack, or snap. Always to my relief, it was just a small fluffy creature or a bird that I had startled.
Despite how exhilarating it was to be in a forest of real trees, my feet were aching and my legs were tired from walking so far from Stamper. I needed to rest, and after a short internal debate, I sat on a fallen tree. My eyes immediately scanned the broken branches that were all around me. None of them were what Tom wanted. In fact, most of them looked as though they would crumble if I touched them. I observed the forest around me and slowly breathed in the air as I listened to the small animals scurrying around. As I became familiar with their sounds, the tranquility began to settle itself in my mind and I closed my eyes. Even though there were a lot of different sounds, it was peaceful. It was strange that despite everything I had read and heard about the forest being terrifying, I was enjoying this moment. There was a calming ambiance that I had never experienced in Stamper.
I inhaled one more deep breath before opening my eyes. As I stood up to resume my search, I was immediately frustrated by the fact that I had sat too long. I walked away from the fallen tree, my eyes eagerly scanning the ground. For whatever the reason, there were no good-sized sturdy sticks anywhere. Or perhaps it was because there was no longer a sufficient amount of light for me to see the ground well enough to find what I was seeking. I didn’t want to give up my search, knowing how dismayed Tom would be, but I didn’t have much of a choice. I slid my hand in my hair as I slowly turned and scanned the ground again. How could there be no sticks for me to give Tom? My hand moved to the back of my neck as I walked a little further before dropping it to my side. I halted as I shook my head. My heart beat a little faster as I wrapped my fingers around my forearm, accepting the fact that I was going to return empty handed. I could only hope Tom would understand that there were no sticks that he could use.
I glanced around, suddenly comprehending that I was too far from the open space where everyone else was. I couldn’t even hear the ruckus of the group. All of the warnings from the guide immediately raced through my mind. I took a deep breath and shoved aside my urge to panic, slowly searching the area around me. I walked in the direction I had come, hoping that something would look familiar despite the darkening shadows.
I stopped walking and my heart began to race as I realized that the small sounds of the forest had become silent. I wanted to believe that it was because the sun had set, but my instincts were telling me that I was in danger. I slowly scanned the forest around me, but despite the light from the moon, I saw nothing. I shrugged and turned to continue in the direction I was confident that the tents were in. It was probably just my imagin—
My breath caught and my body froze with fear. Two red circles were gleaming from the shadows. I forced myself to breathe slowly. What were those? Animals didn’t have red eyes. Perhaps it was… I shook my head as the red circles began to move lower. I couldn’t decide if I should run or stay. Our guide had informed us that some creatures loved the thrill of the chase, while others would attack no matter what.
I had thought this bit of information was good to know when the man was telling us what to do if we saw anything in the trees. How come he hadn’t said what to do if you saw red circles?! After another moment, I decided that I would not run since it hadn’t attacked, plus my legs refused to move. I stared at the ground between me and the red eyes, not wanting to encourage it.
I glimpsed up to check if it had continued on its way. My breath caught. The red eyes were gone. Instead there were golden eyes shining from the shadows closer than the red circles had been. A chill slipped down my spine, making me confident that I was in more danger. Without the slightest warning, it leapt out of the shadows with a snarl. I cowered and squeezed my eyes shut as my whole body tensed for the impact until I heard fierce growls and hisses behind me. I instantly turned to see that there were two silhouettes completely preoccupied with each other. One was huge. It appeared to be wider than two men, and its back seemed to be at my chest level. It moved in the blink of an eye, attacking the other shadow whose silhouette resembled a man’s. Not round or thin enough to be from a… city. I swallowed hard at the only possible thing it could be. I abruptly turned and ran away from the frightening snarls, knowing that if I wanted any chance at living, I needed to outrun them.
“It’s about time you— Where’s the stick I asked you to get?” Tom asked with irritation as I burst out of the forest.
“There was a Savage,” I began through my quick breaths, elated that I had run in the right direction. “And—”
“What were you doing all this time,” he irritably interrupted as he walked next to the tent towards me.
“I—”
“You clearly weren’t doing what I told you to do.”
“Tom, there’s a—”
“You expect me to believe that there was a what? A Savage?”
I nodded. “It had—”
“If you saw a Savage, then how are you standing here without a scratch on you? How were you even able to return?”
“Tom, I—”
My thoughts vanished as the electricity raced through my body. As it stopped, I found myself laying on the ground breathing hard, my body completely tense. All I could see was Tom glowering at me.
“There is no excuse for your behavior. When I tell you to do something, then you need to get it done. I’m just trying to help Sandy.”
“Tom!” the guide growled. “If you do that again, there will be consequences.”
Tom sneered as he turned to face the guide, and I continued to stare upward. There was full moon tonight. It was large and beautiful, and I understood that it was the only reason I had found my way back to camp. It was extraordinary how it—
“Like my S.O., do you, Randy?” Tom haughtily inquired, halting my thoughts. I knew by Tom’s tone that I was going to hurt later. No one was supposed to notice me.
“She reminds me of my daughter, and I won’t have you punishing her for no reason.”
“She disobeyed me,” Tom growled.
“I hardly doubt that.”
Tom turned his attention to me with an expression that filled me with dread. He lifted his foot, and I squeezed my eyes shut. My muscles were still useless from the charge they had received, preventing me from attempting to protect myself.
“Tom,” Randy warned.
My eyes opened as Tom’s hand painfully gripped my bicep. He yanked me to my feet and jerked my arm over his shoulders to support my weight, walking me away from Randy.
“If I so much as see a bruise or hear her scream, I will tie you to a tree and leave you here. Understand?”
Tom halted and glared over his shoulder with a nod as he headed back to our tent, gripping my side too tightly. I didn’t want to go to the tent with him right now, but there was nothing I could do to stop him from doing whatever he had planned. Not only had I disappointed him, but Randy had tried to defend me.
“I’m sorry, Tom,” I forced out.
“You will be.”
We were almost to the tent when someone screamed in terror. The woman’s scream had sent chills down my spine, and my fears from the forest resurfaced. Tom immediately turned, letting go of me. I held myself upright for a few seconds before I sank to my knees. I focused in her direction, fearing what I was confident was true. The Savages were here.
I turned my head as Tom hurried away. I stared in that direction waiting for him to return and tell me the woman had freaked out over nothing. As I continued to wait for Tom, the night filled with more screams. It wasn’t long before Tom ran past me with a look of horror. I stared in the direction Tom had gone and shook my head. It couldn’t be Savages, it couldn’t. I was in no condition to run.
“Savages!” a man shouted as he ran past me, fleeing for his life.
I stared after the man as people continued yelling in hysterics while they fled as quickly as their weak bodies would allow. Fear got me to my feet, and I stumbled in the direction everyone was headed. Tom grabbed my arm, forcing me to hurry in another direction. He grabbed Sandy’s hand as we saw her and headed for Jaspin. It had become mass chaos as everyone ran for their lives, hoping to escape the horrific death that the Savages would bring. They were shoving each other as they pushed their way through the group, caring only about themselves. A large man headed in the opposite direction bumped into me as he passed, separating me from Tom. I tried to follow after Tom and Sandy, but another body collided with mine and I fell to the ground.
The crowd trampled past me as I attempted to get back to my feet, fearing that the Savages were killing everyone they caught. I forced myself to stand and run as fast as I could, which was more of a clumsy walk. I fell to the ground several times, but I refused to give up. However I was still too weak to keep up, and it wasn’t long until I was left behind, alone in the darkness listening to the echoes of frightened men and women.
I halted my efforts as an animalistic growl came from behind me, echoed by two others to my left and right. The moon’s light brightly shone upon the ground, allowing me to see what was in the immediate area: trampled tents, bags, suitcases, overall it was a mess of everything the other’s had left behind. What I couldn’t see, were the creatures that had encircled me with frightening growls.
I searched desperately for Tom or the movement of a person, until tears filled my eyes at the realization that Tom wasn't coming back for me and only death awaited. I sunk to my knees and stared at the ground in front of me. A hand pushed against my back, forcing my torso forward. My arms moved out in front to keep my body from hitting the ground. I stared at the grass my fingers were clenching as I tried to not tremble. I didn’t dare glance up. I knew I didn’t want to see what was going to happen to me. I didn’t want to die, but I knew I couldn’t prevent it. It was taking all my strength to not collapse to the ground.
A warning growl filled the silence, but this time there was no response from the others. I swallowed hard, hoping my death would be painless. I remained focused on the ground even as I saw two dirty bare feet in front of me. I took a breath and for a moment I was relieved that someone had come back to help me. However, as I shifted my eyes to his calves, I realized they were not the right size to belong to anyone from Stamper, and I hastily focused on the ground again, waiting to be yanked to my feet. As I thought about the pictures of Savages in the books, it seemed more likely that I was about to feel pain rip through me.
The screams of the people that had been echoing through the night air were almost nonexistent. What was it waiting for? Did it want me to know that I was all alone, that no one would hear my screams?
Complete silence filled the forest around us, and several moments passed, but he still hadn’t moved. I slowly glanced up at thin pant covered legs. As my eyes made it to his waist, I immediately shifted my attention to the ground again. He was not wearing a shirt and his flesh was rippled and tight, not soft and hanging over his pants or clinging to his bones.
“You are not afraid?” he growled.
“Very,” I whispered, staring at his feet… that did not have claws or fur? It only took a split second for me to realize that he had spoken and I understood him. He had an accent that I had never heard, but it did not cause his words or tone to be unrecognizable.
“You do not smell as fearful as those who ran.”
“I am,” I assured him.
“You are not like the others.”
“What are you going to do with me?” I asked.
“I have not decided,” he replied with indifference.
I nodded and bit the left side of my lip. He crouched down in front of me and I squeezed my eyes shut. His hand grabbed my jaw and I was surprised at how gentle he was as he tilted my face up towards the sky, causing me to sit back on my feet. My heart raced as I waited for pain, but still nothing happened. I opened my eyes out of curiosity, and saw his face a few inches above mine. His face did not appear any different than anyone else’s that I had seen on the streets in Stamper, except for his defined features and his eyes - vivid red.
His eyes began to inspect my face as he slightly turned my head from one side to the other. His other hand touched my cheek and I winced.
When did that happen? I didn’t remember… My breath caught as his eyes met mine, and for a brief moment, golden flecks shimmered against a light that wasn’t there.
Savage? He had to be. No man from the city had eyes like his, nor have I ever heard of someone’s eyes shimmering - not even in the light.
“You will come with me,” he stated as his hand moved away from my face.
I shook my head.
“You do not get a choice,” he calmly informed me.
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