others born from the
Lowers, but within the Colony and using their doctors . Of those
twenty-nine, twenty-three babies were born without vines. Of those
twenty-three, nineteen families relocated to the other Land. The Land filled
with sickness and death.”
I
didn’t have to ask what happened to the other four families not relocated.
Though, she answered the thought anyways and it wasn’t what I expected.
“The
rest died. They fought and the soldiers killed all of them, including anyone
who fought along with them. From then on, none of us would birth our children except
for right here in the village.
“Mundunugu
means medicine man. This man told us he came here in secrecy, but really
President Falcon had sent him. Word traveled fast about Jace and the President
found out about his lack of vines.”
“Did
he turn you in? The Mundunugu, I mean.”
Before
answering, Sidnee stood up, poured some more tea, and returned to the table.
“No,”
she replied. “Instead, he gave us a bottle of pills, told us to break a capsule
in half and administer it with milk every day. Then he promised as our child
grew, he’d be back to give us more pills. Eventually Jace got bigger, became a
toddler, and instead of mixing a capsule with milk, we mixed them in his food
or drink. As he grew into a young boy, he took them every morning like any
other pill and we told him they were special vitamins which helped keep him
well.”
“I
don’t understand. What exactly did the pills do for him?” I asked.
“Two
days after giving Jace his first pill, his body grew vines all over his skin
and they looked exactly like everyone else’s.”
Only
one person came to my mind. One person who had the knowledge to invent a pill
imitating the effects of the vaccine. “The Mundunugu was my father, wasn’t he?”
Sidnee’s
hands released from her cup and she looked up at me.
“Yes.
We met with him every four months. Sometimes in town, and other times in the
woods secretly. We were careful. Over the years, ten more children were born
without vines and Mundunugu met with them as well.”
What
she told me was too much to handle. I pushed my tea away from me, suddenly not
thirsty anymore. I remembered what my father briefly mentioned at the house before
everything happened; my sister held captive on the other Land, him forced to
work for Falcon, things that made me question everything I knew. But I never
guessed my father had any connection with the Lowers or even talked with them,
let alone helped them. And I wondered how many others he had helped, others
that didn’t live here. Were they anyone I knew?
“The
bodies you saw driving here; the ones wrapped, prepared for the ceremony, along
with my husband. They died because their children had been given medicine by
your father. But it wasn’t because of the medicine they were found out. That
wouldn’t be possible; we were very careful. The soldiers claimed these specific
children contained a virus, something contagious and capable of spreading. The
kids were ordered into custody. My Jace was only thirteen years old and my
husband and I were not going to allow them to take him. Jace was the oldest of
all those kids. My husband, along with a few others, fought back and, in
return, the guards shot them, dragging one of them behind their vehicle.”
“I
didn’t see any children along the road. Were they taken into custody?”
“Yes,
they were taken to the Academy.”
“Then
you shouldn’t worry. Jace will be back as well as the rest.” I said this aloud,
but the truth was hidden in the back of my head, wanting to be left alone. I
didn’t want to think of it, much less utter the words. Was I someone my father helped,
somehow without me knowing?
Sidnee
began sipping her tea again. “Maybe,” she replied to my rambling about the kids’
future return. “You know, I’m getting a little tired. I think I’ll go rest.” She
stood up and pushed the chair out from underneath
Lowers, but within the Colony and using their doctors . Of those
twenty-nine, twenty-three babies were born without vines. Of those
twenty-three, nineteen families relocated to the other Land. The Land filled
with sickness and death.”
I
didn’t have to ask what happened to the other four families not relocated.
Though, she answered the thought anyways and it wasn’t what I expected.
“The
rest died. They fought and the soldiers killed all of them, including anyone
who fought along with them. From then on, none of us would birth our children except
for right here in the village.
“Mundunugu
means medicine man. This man told us he came here in secrecy, but really
President Falcon had sent him. Word traveled fast about Jace and the President
found out about his lack of vines.”
“Did
he turn you in? The Mundunugu, I mean.”
Before
answering, Sidnee stood up, poured some more tea, and returned to the table.
“No,”
she replied. “Instead, he gave us a bottle of pills, told us to break a capsule
in half and administer it with milk every day. Then he promised as our child
grew, he’d be back to give us more pills. Eventually Jace got bigger, became a
toddler, and instead of mixing a capsule with milk, we mixed them in his food
or drink. As he grew into a young boy, he took them every morning like any
other pill and we told him they were special vitamins which helped keep him
well.”
“I
don’t understand. What exactly did the pills do for him?” I asked.
“Two
days after giving Jace his first pill, his body grew vines all over his skin
and they looked exactly like everyone else’s.”
Only
one person came to my mind. One person who had the knowledge to invent a pill
imitating the effects of the vaccine. “The Mundunugu was my father, wasn’t he?”
Sidnee’s
hands released from her cup and she looked up at me.
“Yes.
We met with him every four months. Sometimes in town, and other times in the
woods secretly. We were careful. Over the years, ten more children were born
without vines and Mundunugu met with them as well.”
What
she told me was too much to handle. I pushed my tea away from me, suddenly not
thirsty anymore. I remembered what my father briefly mentioned at the house before
everything happened; my sister held captive on the other Land, him forced to
work for Falcon, things that made me question everything I knew. But I never
guessed my father had any connection with the Lowers or even talked with them,
let alone helped them. And I wondered how many others he had helped, others
that didn’t live here. Were they anyone I knew?
“The
bodies you saw driving here; the ones wrapped, prepared for the ceremony, along
with my husband. They died because their children had been given medicine by
your father. But it wasn’t because of the medicine they were found out. That
wouldn’t be possible; we were very careful. The soldiers claimed these specific
children contained a virus, something contagious and capable of spreading. The
kids were ordered into custody. My Jace was only thirteen years old and my
husband and I were not going to allow them to take him. Jace was the oldest of
all those kids. My husband, along with a few others, fought back and, in
return, the guards shot them, dragging one of them behind their vehicle.”
“I
didn’t see any children along the road. Were they taken into custody?”
“Yes,
they were taken to the Academy.”
“Then
you shouldn’t worry. Jace will be back as well as the rest.” I said this aloud,
but the truth was hidden in the back of my head, wanting to be left alone. I
didn’t want to think of it, much less utter the words. Was I someone my father helped,
somehow without me knowing?
Sidnee
began sipping her tea again. “Maybe,” she replied to my rambling about the kids’
future return. “You know, I’m getting a little tired. I think I’ll go rest.” She
stood up and pushed the chair out from underneath
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