Chapter 4

So far, my search for a match maker had been extremely un fruitful. I haven’t found a thing, whoever was hiding them was doing a good job. I had to admit; it had crossed my mind that that lady may have been insane. Maybe they didn’t exist, I had to look within the city. If word got out, I was looking in town I would be turned in before I could blink. I had one lead left to follow up today. After that I had exhausted all the leads I had thought of. I look a sharp turn, down a small and gloomy ally way. Right on the edge of the city, near a small port was a tiny little wooden shack. This part of the city looked abandoned, before my search I had no idea how many parts of the city had just been forgotten. The bustling centre looked like a fairy tale. Which boggled my mind a little, why were the outskirts of the city so derelict. It didn’t make much sense, was it to help hide the dodgy dealings of the city? Or was the city not doing as well as it made out? Or were these parts just no longer needed? I mean a huge portion of the population was dumped into our town, and that was after a big portion was killed off.

This can’t be the place I thought as I stared at the gaping hole, where the door handle should have been. Surely not, there is no way prime and proper city people are doing any sort of dealings in that. I had never seen a single soul in his city who wasn’t dressed in the newest fashion and groomed to the nines. I peeked through the hole; the dusty room was empty as expected. I pushed my way in and place a hand on an old chair. I gasped, as the room around me wharfed into something new. A girl stood in front of me close enough to touch. I reach out my hand which goes straight through her. Her eyes puffy and red, as she whispered, I don’t want to give these people matches. I don’t want to work for these men, they hurt me. Her voice cracked as the last word left her lips. I could feel how broken she felt, how helpless. I watched in horror as 3 men, called out to her. “What the fuck, we don’t want those matches. They are not good looking enough do better” The men scream in a fit of pure rage.

“I don’t have control over who the match is, I just know who it is” She whispered with a voice barely audible.

I flinch as the first fist collides with her face, her right eye instantly beginning to swell. She looked no older than 9. For someone to think an untrained 9-year-old would be able to perform to the standard these men were demanding was insanity.  I don’t see why I am surprised, the fact these men felt okay bashing a 9-year-old was already pure sanity. No matter your view on the gifted she was still just a mere child. My guess from the look of despair on her face, she had been with these men most of her life. If you were found to have gifts as a child, in some rare situations someone could buy you. This was only an option if you were a child, because the rule was you would be killed before you reached 18. She didn’t fight back; she didn’t usher a word. She just stared blankly out the peep hole. The men turned and walked straight through me and out the door. Leaving her here, with no food or water. I watched her sadly, this was a memory. Not the real reality in front of me. I had no way to console her.

The empty room came back into view. Well I know who I am looking for. How I find her, was going to be a real issue. I had very little to go off.  I searched the room for anything of use, with very little hope. These men had been hiding her successfully for years. I highly doubt people who are taking such a risk by having a gifted child, would not have some sort of safety net. Money, or being professionals in the field. This was my final lead, I had to follow it. No matter the odds, which were very much not in my favour. Surely, they came here often, I hadn’t seen or heard a soul since I got here, it was creepy. I couldn’t imagine people came here, unless they were hiding something or someone. I better take a look around the area, maybe she isn’t the only match maker who is being hidden here.

The whole area around the port was disgusting to say the least, there were rats scurrying along the streets, rubbish literally the paths, black plastic garbage bags big enough to carry a body scattered alone the paths. It put me on edge more than I already was. The search was putting a lot of pressure on me. My parents harassed me constantly about where I was, they could feel their control over me slipping. I didn’t intend to give anything away this soon, but I had no choice. Between this match maker search, my house, work, the city requirements I was running around. I was pushing because no one would follow in my footsteps, if I couldn’t prove it was possible. Out of the corner of my eye, movement caught my eye. That women again, what is she doing in a place like this? She whips around with record speed, how someone at her age could move like that was beyond me.

“My god girl has no one taught you not to sneak up on people. I thought I was about to have a fight on my hands”

“People sneaking about, are bound to get a freight from time to time”

“Touché”

“What brings you to whatever you can this place?”

“Port Lenetta, it was abandoned because it was named after a gifted family. But I think you will find we both are seeking out the same person”

“The girl?”

“That is correct, I kidnap back gifted children if you will. Let the best man win with our search”

“You set me on a search for my match, to reject my chance at finding him? I highly doubt I will be able to beat you in finding her. I don’t have a single lead at this stage. “

“I saw greatness in your future, greatness I believe your match would help you achieve more quickly. Because support breeds quicker results. My ability to see beyond the usual scope of vision doesn’t mean I can medal; medalling can change the course of events. Life at times is like a game of chess, your moves have to be calculated. The skills and growth you get from your journey is what will determine your success. You yourself have to become the person we see, only you alone can create that person.”

“What are you”

“What am I, not who I am. I see you have worked out I do not fit into your scope of knowledge. I am what is known as a visionary. There is much you don’t know about the gifted. The city has been suppressing the gifted way before the war. Your war was the second war, not the first. You only know about the groups that were left after the first war. The less you know for now the better. Too much knowledge about the past could change your view. Changing the path, you take. You aren’t filled with anger or hatred. You are filled with kindness and a desire to make change in a safe way. That is the key to your success. You find middle ground, a safe ground to lead our people to a better way of life. The path we choose to take, is lead heavily by the knowledge we have. I want the future I have seen to become the future we get to live. For that I have to not medal, let you find that path, find your path”

Her words darted around my head. Bouncing off the walls of my brain, smashing into each other causing utter chaos. My life was changing rapidly, but somehow still felt the same. How something felt so different but still the same at the same time was confusing. The thought of me creating a better future seemed unlikely, if not impossible. My mind was racing way too much for me to continue any kind of search. But I knew exactly what I could do, see miss Cathandra. That women was a god send, She poked and prodded me about how distracted I had been. While terrified I blurted out about the farm house, and how I was struggling to furnish it with my lack of money and the constant surveillance in town. Everyone got questioned about everything. The soldiers were pissed that the queen had stopped the weekly tests. She thought it was pointless as the tests hasn’t found a gifted child born in 15 years. In her eyes it was a waste of resources.

I strode past the wooden gates and up the driveway. My attention was drawn to an old beaten up float sitting in the park bay. The right bay was filled with something and covered with a table cloth or sheet of some kind. Well that is an odd sight. Miss Cathandra pops out from behind the front of the float and gives me a wink. Get in she gestures. I open the door of the car and sit down. I had no idea what this apparent plan was, and it was making me nervous. What the hell were we about to do. I felt like I was an unknown compliance to something like a bank robbery. I just knew whatever the plan was it was going to be something I could get in a lot of trouble for. As we took off my hands went straight to my lap as I fidgeted with my fingers. Trying to calm my frayed nerves. I was verbally frozen in fear, too scared to ask what we were about to do. As the border loomed closer and closer the more my hands franticly began to fidget. The pent-up anxiety, causing an impossible to ignore need to move.

We came to a halt at the border line. A guard began to ask multiple questions. Before I know it, we are heading towards my house. I couldn’t believe it, we made it through. Something as simple as stating we were on a tip run, got us through. It really was that easy. I stare out the window in disbelief. I watch as the town drifts. I can see the sadness written over Cathadra’s face, as she sees the world, we live in. I doubt she had never been here before. Most people never step foot here, they never saw the carnage that was left behind for us to live with. There’s no happiness to be seen anywhere. The torment the guards put us through was hidden, from most city dwellingers. I direct us through the streets, past the main drag of town. If you could really call it that. My little house came into view. “it’s not much, but it’s home” I state.

I walk us both around, giving a tour. I point at different rooms, and objects. I walk around the yard and talk about my plans. Cathadra was speechless as I showed her around. I smile and gesture towards the float. We both get to work, taking objects into the house. We work in silence. I had to admit the silence was eerie. I was used to the quiet, but I felt like I was breaking some kind of unspoken law. There was nothing stating we couldn’t do what we were doing, but I just knew if the guards knew. I would be in big trouble. I could have heard a pin drop across town, I was so attuned to what I could hear around me right now. It took the rest of the day, for us to bring everything inside and position it correctly. I had to admit the house looked great. I mean it was by no means a city house. But it was clean, neat, fully furnished in a simple plan fashion. Like the snow cabins, all the rich people paid to stay at, at their little resorts. Minus the fancy food and extra facilities.

I silently sat down back in the car. I was going to have to travel back into the city. The guards would look into where I was, if I didn’t return with Cathadra. The drive back was a blur. I couldn’t recall anything along the way. I was way too consumed in my thoughts. Firstly, how I had managed to actually pull this off, it blew my mind how well this seemed to have worked out so far. But I also couldn’t shake the thoughts as to why nothing had been said since our arrival there. I grabbed my bag and headed to leave.

“I am so sorry, that’s how you all have to live. It’s horrible. It breaks my heart; people can treat others like that. Like you aren’t even human”

The walk back dragged, I wanted to go to my home. The house that was peaceful and now filled with furniture. The home where I could be safe, but it didn’t feel safe. I would be alone there, anyone could come and find me. No witnesses, if anyone went too far with me this time. I follow the dirt path towards the paddocks. I wander around aimlessly, letting my mind wander. What was my next step, in this crazy self-appointed journey? All I wanted was a better life for myself. At the time that idea, felt only like a simple idea. A better life, and everything was pretty bad. So better seemed pretty attainable. I wasn’t asking for a miracle. But now I felt overwhelmed by the chance of a future, where life was better than I could have ever imagined. There was now apparently an opportunity for me to change the life of so many people. At first glance that seemed amazing, but the more I thought about it the more it filled me with fear. What happens if I fail?

I close my eyes, feeling the similar and soothing feeling of the sun kissing my skin as I lay in the paddock. The sound of the horses grazing, helping calm my racing mind. I had spent so many hours here over the years. Telling my stories and struggles to these animals. They were my only friends, when the world felt like it was against me. I would imagine, how amazing it would be if I could just ride off into the sunset. Find somewhere safe to hide from the world. I didn’t want to be alone anymore. I wanted to find my match. I wanted to have someone to watch my back. But the expectation that another could save me, was a huge ask. I couldn’t ask that of anyone. I had to save myself. Which leads me back to my original thought. What is my next step? Like the universe was talking to me, the answer came to me. I need to find a way to get food.