The Nutriments

Grey Skies

We don't have last names. They don't care about us enough to give us full, proper names. At least nearly all of us have different names. Not always, but usually.

Only the Nutriments have one, specific name. Everyone else, the Commons? At least two.

Once, I heard of a person with five names in their full name. It was hyphenated and everything.

What I would give to have more than one name. Alas, I have only one.

One, singular, solitary, dreadful name.

And even more dreadful, I am a Nutriment.

__________

Now a days most people don't know about the Nutriments anymore, which is actually kind of tragic.

The start of our use wasn't the most courageous thing… but then again, human kind's never done anything truly courageous.

After the war, all the nuclear radiation killed nearly everything with a life essence; only a few humans surviving because  of underground houses and shelters. But I honestly don't know how people could have survived above ground durring that time.

All crops and cattle were destroyed.

Anyway, to survive, alot of people underground had children just for the reason of human cattle. They only gave them first names so they wouldn't get too attached…

And I guess the idea stuck. They are called the Nutriments, which means food.

They're segregated from the rest of the people, and other than pajamas, are only given a white shirt and black leggings for women, and black jeans for men. On their white shirts are printed their first and only name in ink that will never fade, scratch nor wash off.

Only given enough food to keep a good amount of meat on your bones.

We're kept outside, always supervised, but when it's time t to eat or sleep were shoved into our wood and metal houses that hold 50 people each.

I guess  you could say it's a bit crowded now the land is more populated.

It's a little surprising and strikes new as a little grueling that even after 300 years, people are still having children just to add more food to their supply.

But that's the way it is, I guess.

And there's no escaping your own fate, right?

_______________

"Hello! Earth to Promise!"

I snap back into reality and Ky flicks me on the nose.

"Stupid!" He laugh as he rocks back and forth on the ground.

"Ow… Jerk…" I say, sticking my tongue out at him.

"Eh… you love me."

"On occasion." I say.

I look up at the grey sky, then down at the fake grass Ky and I are on.

There are also other people on the plastic dark green, but I don't know them all personally.

"What are we doing here?" I ask Ky quietly.

"Hmm?"

I turn on my side to face Ky, who's already on his.

"Why are we here, Ky? Why so people have to resort to cannibalism to simply survive? Why can't we just…" I flop onto my back, covering my face with my hands.

"Leave?" Ky finishes.

I peek through my fingers to look at Ky's face, studying his features like I always do when I look at him.

When you're a Nutriment you learn to cherish the moments you have with the people you care about.

This boy is one is a million.

Literally.

Out of the million Nutriments I've met, none of them look remotely close to Ky.

His bright, ice blue eyes, tanned skin and rugged black hair that curves over his forehead. The shape of his lips and the sharp line of his jaw. He's beautiful. The most beautiful person I've ever met in all of the 19 years I've been alive. Why he is a Nutriment, I have no idea.

The Commons seem to be attracted to beauty, so it's a wonder why they haven't snatched him out from under me. I'm so thankful they haven't though. Because whenever people are taken out of the Nutriments Plantation, they never return. And everyone knows it's because they're probably going end up someone's next meal.

"Exactly." I reply through my hands.

Ky takes my hands away from my face and kisses my cheek. "If only, darling."

I sit up. "Ky." I say sharply.

Ky leans back. "Promise… what are you thinking?"

I lower my voice to a whisper and get closer to Ky. "All we need to do is get out of here."

Ky looks at me sharply. "Promise, you know that's extremely dangerous. No one has ever tried it before."

"That's the point!" I cry. "No one has ever been brave enough to try and make it out there on their own… or better yet, make it as a Common."

Ky's eyes widen. "Promise what're you saying?"

"Ky." I say seriously. "We need to try and get out."