The Deathless Trilogy

1.26. The Refugee Camp

Home. I remember what that word used to mean. Love, familiarity, comfort. This is not home. At least, not yet.

My dwelling is essentially a round tent constructed from long branches of wood and fabric. It's just big enough to fit a makeshift bed made from long, rectangular floor pillows, and a small table to hold my belongings if I had any. The door is a long sheet, not exactly the most secure system, but I guess the heavy military presence is supposed to make up for that.

Despite the lack of security and comfort, the dwelling is full of color. The fabric walls are light brown for camouflage, but the bed pillows are sewn from many smaller pieces of fabric, all in different colors and patterns. There are flowers and stripes and solid colored fabrics in reds, purples, pinks, yellows, oranges, and greens. My table is made from a variety of different woods, all in different hues and textures. The ground is covered in animal pelts—white rabbits and tan deer and brown bears—all protecting me from the rocky earth beneath my feet.

I suppose I can't complain. For what it is, it's lovely.

"So? How do you like your new place?" I turn around to see that Declan has walked in. I'll have to put a bell or something on the "door."

"It's... quaint," I say.

"For sure. Mine is not much bigger."

"Yours is bigger?"

"Well, yeah, obviously, I'm super important around here," he jokes. "No, the first ones built were all a little bigger. The more people we find, the less space there is, so the dwellings become smaller."

"I see. I guess I'll let that slide." I smile.

"Well, Miss Blume, I was sent to retrieve you. We're going to take you and Bea on a tour."

"Who is we?"

"The whole attack crew. All nine of you, plus me and General Sato."

"When will we be able to talk to him?"

"Later, once the leaders have gone to bed. General Sato is usually up late. We will be able to talk to him then."

"Okay. As soon as possible," I say.

"Of course. I feel better here, though; don't you?"

"I do."

He smiles at me and turns to head out of the dwelling.

"Declan, hold on," I say.

"What?"

"Everything is going to be okay." I pause, and he smiles. "Right?"

He returns to hug me. I can feel now how much I needed that. As I embrace him, his spine pokes out of his back, jabbing my arms. "My goodness, you're skinny," I laugh.

"I know, I know," he says. "But, listen, everything is going to be okay. You will use a better attack strategy, you will find your family and Hugh, and when you get back, I will be here to welcome you all home. We will escape or make a move for power, whichever one you want, and we will be free to be ourselves instead of pawns in this game called 'who can rebuild the earth first.'"

I smile. "I wish you were coming."

"I know, I wish I could come, too, but somebody's got to hold down the fort," he jokes, mocking the leaders. "C'mon, let's go." I nod and together, we meet the group at the dam.

We follow General Sato and Winston as they lead us through the inner workings of the dam, through tiled hallways and walkways between the water and the rocky canyon, until we stop in the great room where all the massive water filters rumble below pristine American flags. These flags haven't been touched by time like the ones in Mountville were. Someone here must have been taking care of them all these years.