BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. MY ALARM CLOCK WENT OFF AT exactly 6:07 a.m. as I always set it to. It’s my thing. All the other tribal members wake up at 6:00 in the morning, while I get seven more minutes of rest. I don’t like routines. They’re predictable. I am unpredictable, so it just doesn’t fit. My nearly frozen feet struggled to feel themselves as I stood on the harsh wooden floor. My cabin. It’s my sanctuary. Edgar lets me stay out here, though he doesn’t like the idea of me being in the woods all by myself. He still lets me for the sake of independence. That’s priceless these days. Before, people took advantage of their independence, their right to live as they wanted. In the days after, it is forbidden. The right to choose exists no longer and as long as these tyrants rule it will never be again.
The independents have no rules. We believe in survival of the fittest and natural selection as Darwin had taught. Our leaders want to force us to believe in God, which we all do, but we rebel anyway. We believe in our God. And ours is better than theirs. No matter what the leaders tell us, we go against it, whether or not it makes sense. That’s beside the point. Always keeping distance from their beliefs is an unspoken rule. We pray, but not in the way the leaders do.
Today is the final day of our mission. We are almost to the big rock. When we finally get there, Marie will name it. Being the leader of our tribe, she decides everything. Marie Clark. She was a very prestigious, but underrated, politician in the previous days. She was of the independent party, which no longer exists. There are republicans and then there are republicans. And then there are natives, independents, rebels, or whatever else you want to call us. We’ve chosen an undesirable path, but that doesn’t make us any less capable than those Zora-zombies are. It just means we haven’t been brainwashed like they have.
I threw together my backpack, including my hunting knife and two pairs of clothes. I brought my water bottle and my diary. Nothing else was necessary. I’d leave it all here for the next tribe. We may not all live together but we all support each other’s efforts. It’s tradition to help the other natives. That’s just how we are. We want to give each other a hand up because we’re all working together in some ways or others. Though we definitely don’t always get along.
“Raleigh,” a deep man’s voice called from outside my door, following with two knocks. I jerked my head left toward the door, hurting my neck a bit. I was alert, always ready for attack. That’s how we’d been trained. Trust no one. I threw on a jacket and walked slowly and cautiously toward the door, being sure to bring my “zombie knife” in the pocket of my warm fleece jacket. We called them “zombie knives” because they were only used for killing those who were against us.
“Who is it?” I said when I got up to the wooden, old-fashioned door. I looked through the peephole I’d created for myself. It was a new member. I could tell he belonged to our tribe because of his shirt. It was brand new camouflage. No dirt on it, or signs of fighting, or falling down. He had no bruising or cuts anywhere. Fresh meat. I was even more alert now. There had been new members before, but they always turned out to be spies. We had to be careful of who we let on the inside of Earth Tribe.
I decided to open the door. He seemed safer than the others. Not a threat to my life in other words. I smiled falsely, “Who are you?” My words were blunt and bitter. It was all about survival. You have to let your enemies know that you’re going to stand your ground. I opened the door a little further when I realized he was shaking. His eyes were burning red. He was one of the brainwashed. Their eyes turned red when they were outside their boundaries. When you get past the Courtyard, which is extremely difficult and dangerous to do, they zap you in an attempt to kill you. If you get past without dying, your eyes turn red from the electric shock. It’s one of President Damon’s ways of keeping tabs on his own. Edgar couldn’t be serious about letting this kid in our tribe. It was a nice gesture I suppose, but it was an extremely risky decision. Our lives were officially in danger.
His teeth chattered together as he replied, “Edgar said there was room for me in this cabin.” He shivered and held his chest tight with both arms.
“Who are you and what are your intentions?” My words might have been a bit harsh, but you can never be too cautious of these people. I’ve been beaten, stabbed and almost killed by new natives who had claimed to have had a change of heart. They’re really just spies. Now that Edgar’s getting old, he’s less likely to seek them out. We all gotta watch our own backs.
A tear rolled down his cheek as the bitter cold wind hit his face, “My name is River. I’m not one of them. I was one of the enslaved hunters, but I escaped a few weeks ago. I used to be native, but I lost my family in one of the tribes. Can I come in? Please?” He seemed sincere, but they’re usually good liars. I didn’t want to let him take advantage of my sympathy for him in case his intentions were dirty.
“Hunters never lose their keen senses, whether they were enslaved or not. All they crave is the kill. I can’t let you in.” I slammed the door as hard as I could, but it didn’t shut. His foot was in it. He pushed the door open and came in. I was ready, guarding myself, waiting for him to attack. I had my hand inside my pocket, fingering the knife. He just put his back against the door, holding it closed, and then slid his back down it until he was sitting on the floor. He began crying. I’d never, in the last three years, seen a hunter cry.
River put his wind whipped, reddish brown face in his hands. He wept softly, but passionately. The cries were real. I just couldn’t figure out why. He was probably about a year or two younger than me, about sixteen or seventeen-years-old. He looked fine, not too damaged from hunting. His eyes were red just like the other zombies. They kill, hunt, spy and eat out of the palms of the leaders’ hands. They’re the reason the leaders are still thriving. Without their army, someone could overthrow them.
I wished I were still unharmed from all of the chaos surrounding me. Back when it all began, I was still okay. I was optimistic about the future, which is all that allowed me to live. My happiness was what kept me going. But after a year, walls of hurt and tragedy hardened me. I’d seen my mother and brother killed and my oldest sister become one of them; the tyrants’ brainwashed slaves. She willingly joined their brutal army though. I’d seen my boyfriend enslaved as a hunter, just like this one claimed to be. I’d seen all my old friends captured and either killed or enslaved or just plain brainwashed. Before I knew it, my world had collapsed around me. It all came tumbling down, which leads me to today.
Back then, I would have been empathetic toward River. I could have helped him, patted him on the back and optimistically stated, “It’s all going to be okay.” The best part is that I would have actually believed it too. In present time that just wasn’t the case. I couldn’t be nice to him. He reminded me of the hope that my boyfriend could still be out there. I didn’t want that hope because I didn’t want that disappointment.
River stopped crying after a few moments, “My apologies,” he said through leftover tears. I smiled halfheartedly. Edgar wouldn’t let me throw this kid out. I had to keep him, like a pet or a small child. Was I really expected to take care of this new native? Surely everyone knows where I stand with the new ones. Don’t try to kill me, I won’t give you up or stab you in the back. Try anything and you’re dead.
I turned my back, which is something I never do when someone new is around, and went back to packing my backpack. I shrugged to myself, “River, let me ask you a question.”
“Anything,” I heard him say as he stood up from his pathetic position on the floor in my doorway. He laughed casually, but it wasn’t a real laugh at all, “I understand trust issues. I have quite a few myself. I’ll be the best partner you’ve ever had.”
I turned back to him, my jaw dropped so low it was touching the ground, “No way. Partners? No. I don’t have a partner and I never intend to. I hunt, scavenge and kill alone.”
The optimistic look on his round, baby face turned to a look of pure disappointment. He shrugged, “Edgar said…”
I cut him off, “He’s getting old. He forgets things. I work with the tribe when I have to, but I’m a loner. Look, if I wanted friends or a family, I would just kill myself. Because…everyone I used to know is dead…and I don’t want to get to know anyone who’s still living.”
“Everyone in my family is dead too, except Navi,” he replied, looking down at the ground shamefully. I became instantly infuriated. Navi Zora. She was the root of all-evil and wife to the second most dangerous person in the world. Of course, Navi was the first. Sure, Jacobi, her husband and the self-made leader of the world is sick, but his wife is even worse for loving him, helping him and supporting him in all his brutal glory. She’s much crueler than he could ever be. Navi is the queen of torture, of slavery, of everything horrible. Jacobi is just a dictator. Navi actually follows through with everything.
My face turned red in an instant, “You’re related to that sick, horrible, good-for-nothing sidekick? Navi Zora? You can’t be serious. Are you here to kill us? If you are, then just do it now and get it over with.” I walked up to him, got two inches away from his face and finished, “I will never be partners, friends or even acquaintances with anyone who shares blood with Navi or Jacobi.”
He sighed, “I can’t help that Navi’s my sister. Our parents chose to get pregnant with her. My mother was Alana Fauxlet and my father was Black-Hawk Zora. Of all of the children my parents had, Navi is the only one who turned out the way she did. It’s no one’s fault but her own, along with the help of Jacobi Damon. He can be quite persuasive.”
“Whatever,” I tied up my backpack with angst, threw it around my shoulders and went to the kitchen sink to wash up. As I splashed water on my face and lathered up my hands, I said, “Edgar wants us to work together. We’ll see about that. As soon as I’m done, we’re going to Marie. She has final say, especially when it regards the Damon-Zora family. I can tell you she won’t be pleased.” I sighed and continued washing. He walked into the next room, resting I assumed. It’s a long walk to our station, especially from the Courtyard.
I fixed up my shirt a little, tried to make my face look slightly well kept, and my hair…that was hopeless. “River,” I called, “Let’s go.” The words came out with a burning taste in my throat. He came rushing to my side, eager to please, but I wasn’t buying his routine. I swung the door open only to meet the eyes of my dearest Edgar.
“Raleigh, my darling. I trust things are going well with you and your new partner.” He smiled a devious smile. He knew I had never wanted this. The partner thing wasn’t even personal. I just wanted to be alone. The thought of growing close to someone only to have them killed or ripped right out of my hands by radical ideas and dark lies. I couldn’t do it again. My father, Gemini, my mother, Lolie, my sister, Clover, my brother, Dawson…they had all been so carelessly taken away from me, leaving me here, to rot.
My heart began aching when I thought of the word partner or friend. It was too saddening. I almost began to cry, but decided I was too strong. I inhaled deeply, “Edgar, I’m going to talk to Marie about this situation.”
“What situation?” He furrowed his brows.
“Please give us a moment,” I turned to River, trying and failing at being polite. I stepped out the door and closed it, still holding onto the handle. I inhaled and exhaled once more, desperately attempting to clear my mind, “You know I don’t want a partner, much less a partner who is related to Ms. Navi Zora. Have I not made that clear, Edgar?” I huffed all of that out in less than one breath.
Edgar smiled, “You have, yes, you’ve made it quite clear, but things can’t always go your way sweetie. Sometimes the Creator chooses to give you something you haven’t bargained for. And He always gives the toughest situations to the strongest souls. This is your mission. Befriend this boy. I think it will end up doing a lot of good for you.”
“You sometimes amaze me Edgar with your wise, but oh so annoying words. I don’t know this kid. You don’t know this kid. He is related to Navi, and he is a former hunter.” I couldn’t help but argue. It was in my nature.
Edgar sighed, “Enslaved hunter, as your boyfriend, Gavin, is.”
“Was,” I corrected him, “As Gavin was.”
“Why do you insist he’s dead? Hardly any have died. That’s the last thing Jacobi wants; for his slaves to die. I think not. Your boyfriend is more than likely alive.”
“This isn’t about Gavin,” I replied quickly, “This is about the decision you have made for me to have a partner. I just won’t do it until I can rest assured that Marie is okay with this. I know you’re one of our leaders and I respect you, but Marie has final say in all things, big or small.”
Edgar smiled at me, “Ms. Clark surely does have final say, but she and I have an agreement. If I give you or any other tribal member an assignment, they must listen to me and she stays out of it.”
I folded my arms, opened the door, and called to River, “C’mon. We’re going hunting.” Then I smiled angrily back at Edgar, “Is that okay with you?”
Edgar didn’t reply. He just smiled politely as River came to the door.

River didn’t look so pleased, but he came anyway. He gave me a dirty look, and then smiled at Edgar, “Nice to see you again sir.” He was a nice kid, but I was convinced it was all just an act. I didn’t have faith in the human race anymore, nor did I want to. Having faith made room for the letdown that your stupid faith didn’t come through. That was just another letdown for me and I was sick of one disappointment after the other.

I looked back and realized how young he was. It wasn’t just his age that made him seem young, because he wasn’t that much younger than me. He was new and without native experience. He still hadn’t gotten used to the fact that this was reality. His sister was married to the king of doom and the rest of his family members, the good ones, were dead. It reminded me of my situation.
When I was just fifteen and the prerevolutionary movement began, more than four years ago, Clover had just graduated from college. Dawson was a freshman in college and I was a freshman in high school. The most important thing in my family was education, aside from family loyalty. Clover was finished with her education and was then going to look for a job. Higgins Price hired her. That was just a cover name for a bunch of anti-American spies. We trusted her. We thought she was doing good, honest work. In reality she was spying on our own country and giving back the information to Dexter Higgins and Marilyn Price. They began the revolution. Jacobi Damon and Navi Zora ended it. Clover’s first assignment was to give up Dawson, her own brother, to show her loyalty to the movement. Then she gave my mother up. My father had been killed months before, when the revolution was just beginning. Gavin and I were on the run for three months before they found him. He told me to run and never look back. I guess his mentality had stuck with me. Just keep running. If trouble is near, run. If someone looks suspicious, run. Maybe not physically, since the tribe doesn’t allow its members to wander astray, but mentally. I couldn’t even get close to Edgar, who I’d bunked with an entire year before I begged for my own place a little ways away from the others. My cabin was the farthest thing out there that they allowed us to go to. Any further and we had to bring along a leader. If we ran without permission, we were killed. Considering the circumstances, that was a logical thing to do. Even people who have been a part of the tribe for the last three years can’t be trusted. In other tribes, there have been stories of people turning on their own native tribes. River had been sighing the whole way already and we’d only walked about twenty steps. I couldn’t believe that I had been partnered with this big baby. He wasn’t even worthy of my acquaintanceship, nonetheless my partnership. Everyone else had partners. There were Scarlett and Ella, Mason and Avery, Gabriel and Sofia, Delancey and Luna, Morris and Hope and now there would be, Raleigh and River. It almost sounded too perfect to be true. However, it was hardly perfect. I heard a sound in the bushes. I looked over defensively, getting into hunting position. Get ready for the kill I heard Gavin’s voice say to me inside my head. Someone’s next to you. Be on your toes, he coached me. Never show weakness. That makes you become the prey. Raleigh, remember, you’re always the predator, always seeking victory.And a predator is always… “In control,” I finished aloud. It was something my boyfriend and I had practiced while on the run. We lived out in the middle of the forest, underneath the ground, in a hole we’d dug for ourselves. It was like a cave. Sure, it wasn’t much. Actually it wasn’t anything. It was filled with dirt and it smelled like everything we’d ever killed, but it was awesome. It was ours…for those three long months that seemed like a lifetime. River was panting heavily, breathing loudly through his mouth. He held onto me. This kid was lying. He had never been a hunter. Whether he’d been an enslaved hunter or a willing hunter, he would have had the senses of a hunter; senses which only trained killing machines possessed. He definitely did not have the senses. There were four traits that the zombie killer machines were taught, whether they were willing to learn or not. The first one was to show absolutely no compassion. Assume everyone is evil and trying to kill you. The second lesson was to be quick on your feet at all times. When you hear a sound, be ready to kill. When you see anyone, even a child or infant, be ready to kill them. Number three was to report everything back to your leader. Fourth was “when in doubt, shoot!” The hunters were the most lethal weapons Jacobi and Navi had. They killed when they felt like it. They killed for no reason whatsoever. They were literally like human machine guns. And even worse than that, they were also like ticking time bombs. Pass by a hunter and you’ll almost always end up dead. Every former or current hunter had the ability to see everything, hear everything and kill everything and anything in their path. If River had even been just a hunter in training, he would have already shot whatever was moving in the bushes. Instead, the weakling whom I had absolutely no respect for, clung to me. Not literally, of course, because I would have pushed him off me in the snap of a finger if he’d tried. But he was so close to me; I could almost hear what he was thinking. I laughed coldly, “You’re not even in position.” I was more comfortable now, knowing that whatever was hiding was an animal of some sort. I could tell from the footsteps, which were faster, then slower, not timed at all like a wanderer’s would have been. They weren’t trained, but they had the advantage of knowing the land. There was fur sticking out through the leafy bush. It was some mutation of a common wildebeest. Obviously some animal the scientists had invented.

Gavin, my old boyfriend, had taught me how to strangle these things. You get them from the front, pin ‘em up against you and choke them until you feel no struggle. That means they’re dead. They never die without putting up a fight. It had been two days since our last feast. I had gotten filled up, but was starting to get hungry again. Marie had fed us a wonderfully plump dear and a couple other big, nameless animals. We didn’t know what to call them yet. There were many new species since the previous days. The scientists who were for the revolution had conducted experiments and accidently made hundreds of new insects, plants and animals. Some of them were a bigger danger to us than others, but it was nearly impossible to tell.
River probably knew nothing of the animals. If he’d been a hunter, he would have been fed. Hunters didn’t hunt for their own food. They just hunted for their own kill. I was trying to figure out what else he could have been doing if he hadn’t been a hunter like he claimed. I knew he hadn’t been a wanderer either. They have a lot of knowledge of the things around them and they’re very dangerous. Heck, I was a wanderer before the Earth Tribe. It gave me my strength.
The only other possibility was that he was with the revolution. He probably wouldn’t want any tribal members to know his dirty little secret. It would turn everyone against him in an instant. We’d probably end up killing him, like we’d had to do to the other spies who came around. Either that or we’d enslave him and he’d be forced to work for the tribe. I didn’t figure that was the case though. The revolutionists lead such privileged lives. None of them would leave without reason. Something really serious would have to happen to one of them to make them leave. Either their safety or security would have to be threatened or a leader was after them. I hadn’t heard of either thing ever happening to those zombies.
They had everything. Food and shelter were handed to them as long as they agreed to everything Jacobi and Navi said. Clothing and jewels were offered to them whenever they cooperated with “the plan”. The zombies were so fortunate, but not without price. They had no independence. They had no freedom of thought or choice or opinion. They were brainwashed, agreeing to every idea whether or not it was rational. I’d rather have my brain and nothing to show for it than to have no power in my own life and have all the riches in the world. No amount of money is worth my soul, I don’t care how much.
I got my knife ready, sliding it into my back pocket from my back pack. I snuck up on the wildebeest-thing. It was one of the biggest ones I’d seen. I reached my arms around the thing, pulling it in towards me and strangling it right underneath something of a jaw. My arms pulled tighter and tighter until the struggle was over. It was still breathing. I took out my knife, slowly but harshly tearing at its neckline, making a slit so it would die quickly. I looked back and smiled at River, “Hungry?”
“Eh, shouldn’t we clean that or something?” He looked a little frightened and very confused, like a young child in a strange position.
“Of course,” I laughed. I furrowed my brows and inquired, “You’ve never killed anything with your bare hands?” The serious face I’d constructed undid itself, and my lips slowly curled up into a sly smile. My eyes flirted with River’s, trying to get into his head a little more. Head games are always amusing to me.
I heard fast footsteps approaching and looked back quickly and instinctively to see a brightly smiling Scarlett running towards us. Wind ran through her wildly curly blonde hair, blowing it every which way. Her light blue eyes, set deep behind glowing, high cheek bones, smiled at both of us with genuine joy.
Scarlett laughed lightly, “Hello Raleigh. Hunting wildebeests, I see.” She always had such a playful way of speaking and interacting. She was the happiest person I’d ever met and glad to share her joy with others. I didn’t understand how she could possibly do it. Being happy was so far from my mind.
“Yes, well, I’m the only one hunting. Have you met River?” I could hear my mother coaching me as a small child. A proper introduction would be, Scarlett, this is my friend, River. He’s my new partner and will be bunking with me. But proper introductions no longer had any use. We rarely dealt with new people and when we did, we were usually holding a sharpened knife to their throat.
She giggled, “I have now,” holding out her hand to him.
He took her hand, looking into her eyes in a childlike daze, “I’m Raleigh’s partner, actually. She made it clear that we’re not friends though.” I rolled my eyes, then sarcastically smiled at both of them.
She introduced herself in her charming British voice, “My name is Scarlett Leaf. My partner is Ella Moses. We’d be happy to help you anytime with anything you need, like hunting or killing strategies. You know, the basics of tribal life. And don’t take it personally. Raleigh takes a while to warm up to newbies. It’s understandable for anyone in this situation. It’s hard to trust people.” She smiled at me, “But she is a really great girl and I think you two will make a wonderful pair.”
Ella came up behind Scarlett, “Ready Scar?” They smiled, then took hands, and began walking back in the direction from whence they came.
Scarlett turned back, saying, “It was nice meeting you River.” Then she nudged Ella as they continued walking. They were both giggling about something. I heard my name and then the words cute and lucky. Of course. They thought he was cute. And they thought I was the luckiest girl in the world because I had him as a partner. In my opinion, I was anything but lucky.
River helped me cut the skin of the wild animal. We carved up the animal and took off the meat. Then, of course, we’d have to take it back and cook it to kill the germs. It was quite large, so we would most definitely be sharing it at tonight’s feast. Tonight would be very special. The rock would be our feasting ground. However, we’d first have to celebrate the claiming and naming of this new piece of land. It would be ours; the Earth Tribe’s Rock.
“Why did you decide to go hunting instead of ratting me out to Marie?” He sighed. He felt bad. Ashamed of being the person he couldn’t help being: himself. The feeling was a very familiar one. I remembered when people found out I was related to Clover. She was my sister. I couldn’t help it either. Show some compassion a voice in my head said to me softly.
I smiled, “I remember what it was like to be new and related to someone who was considered ‘the enemy’. Everyone looks at you like you’re a traitor, but in reality, you didn’t choose to be born from the same mother your sister was. I know. My sister is Clover Lake.”
Deadly silence quickly approached, until he finally broke it, “Clover. I worked with her. That’s why I’m here. See, my sister wanted me to be a part of her plan. You know…the plan. I was assigned to your sister. Navi thought we’d be able to take their place when she and Jacobi died. I’d become the next Jacobi and Clover would become the next Navi. We were arranged to be married, and then have our own children, who would reign after our death and so on. I hated the idea. No offense. You and your sister are both very pretty. I just didn’t want to marry her. I don’t believe in what they’re doing.”
“My sister was wonderful. She was the best friend I ever had. Her smile, her laugh, and the way she understood everything, every little problem I had. She always listened. Always offered a helping hand. But there are two sides to every person. She kept her dark side hidden from us and she kept her light side hidden from them. Clover was one person at home and another person at work. She had it all wrong. She made a big mistake. She wanted to be accepted, she wanted to find a job…she did. She finally found a way to channel her inner strength, but she just went about it the wrong way…
“I understand River. Everything you’re going through, I completely understand. I’m sure you love Navi very much. She was probably always so sweet and so caring and generous…and then one day she just couldn’t hide her dark side anymore. “True colors always have their way of showing through…no matter how hard we try to cover them up.” “I hope that soon you will see my true colors,” River looked into my eyes hopefully, with a boyish look I found hard to resist.
I smiled at River. Not yet could I trust him, but I was beginning to feel more secure with him. The look in his eyes reminded me very much of the one Dawson used to give me, the one that meant he was scared. It was an invented look; invented solely because of the revolution. That was the scariest time of his life before he died. I would never forget that day, the day he was killed by an agent from Higgins Price. I knew there was something about River that I could grow close to. But I couldn’t allow myself to. I couldn’t grow to care for someone just to have them taken away from me…again. Footsteps approached us. I looked back to meet the eyes of Luna, accompanied by her partner, Delancey. She greeted me with a smile of sympathy and eyes filled with hurt. I looked at her with furrow brows. The expressions were almost like an exchange of understanding. We both understood that something was wrong. In her left hand, she carried a letter, sealed in a stained manila envelope. I stared at it with a feeling of both fear and curiosity. The last time I’d been handed a letter, it was with the news that my brother had been killed. “Good day Raleigh,” Luna said. Years ago, I would have been optimistic about the letter, but today, it only instilled fear and sadness within my heart. I sighed, “I’m not so sure it is. What do you bring with you?” She looked down at her feet, and then handed me the letter without even the courtesy of looking me in the eye. I accepted it. On the front were brown stains of coffee and a rip in the corner. It looked worn down, as if it had been around for a few months, just waiting to be received. “I know you don’t want it, but I was assigned by Edgar to bring it to you,” Luna obviously felt bad for handing it to me, but I understood. It’s just a part of tribal life. You get assigned to a task and you must complete it. On the front, it was addressed to Raleigh Lake, Residence of Edgar Woodmen. At the top it read, from Clover Lake, Courtyard Residence of the Presidency of Damon-Zora. A tear rolled down my cheek. The first time I hear from a family member and it just had to be my sister…unfortunately, also my enemy. I wanted to be happy to finally hear from someone, but I couldn’t considering the circumstances. I tore open the letter, letting my eyes carefully, and somewhat regretfully, read over each word. Dear Raleigh, I hope you know I love you and haven’t stopped thinking about you since you left to be a part of Earth Tribe. I know what I did was wrong, but if it’s any consolation, I’ve never told a soul about you and never will. I pray everyday for forgiveness, but it will never matter, until I feel that you’ve forgiven me…