RITE OF REJECTION: Bonus Scenes

The Necklace

Rite of Rejection - The Necklace 

A bonus scene from Eric 

A high pitched beep bounced off the smooth white walls of the perfect square where Eric slept. Pushing up out of another nightmare, he threw off the drenched sheet and flipped on the Wall Board. The news was the same as yesterday and the day before, but even the repetitive words of the reporters was better than the memories that plagued his dreams.  

The large flat panel was brand new and much nicer than anything his parents had back home. It, and everything else in the tiny, but efficient apartment, was already there when Eric moved in. Nothing was too good for a Cardinal employee. He couldn't care less about any of it. Soft carpet wouldn't stop the nightmares. Designer furniture wouldn't fill the void; couldn't erase the memory of what he'd done. 

It had seemed such a simple choice when he gave up his family in exchange for his freedom. The Cardinal knew exactly what they were planning. Daniel should have known all their profiles were carefully monitored. The Guard Commander handed him a full container of greasy noodles and a promise that no one would get hurt. "We just need to know when. Your sister and the others are never getting out of here, but you could have a real life."  

Eric grabbed a fluffy towel and let the steaming shower wash away the remnants of another restless night. The baritone voices of the news anchors floated clearly over pounding water with the top of the line sound system installed throughout the apartment. 

"The NorthEast Territory is reporting its first snowfall of the year as we start another glorious morning." 

"That's right, Jim. Winter has arrived. Here in the AtlanticCoast, meteorologists are expecting we'll see our first frost within the month." 

Eric wrapped the towel around his gaunt frame and turned the sound down on the Wall Board. He didn't need the overly chipper news anchors to tell him it was cold outside. He saw it every day as residents of the PIT made their way to meals shivering in threadbare clothes while he stayed warm in an insulated red coat. 

He scanned their blank faces all day, every day, but never the ones he really wanted to see. Those faces were still locked up tight in Quarantine with no release in sight. Eric asked one of the head guards about them last month, but the stony stare he received in answer was enough to tell him he'd better not ask again. Too many of the guards didn't trust him as it was.  

Not that he blamed them. Who would trust the guard who earned his red uniform by selling out his own sister? Eric tugged the stretchy red tunic over his head, the soft material at odds with the prickles of guilt that ran under his skin. 

A quick glance at the clock confirmed it was much too early to leave for his shift. His stomach growled, demanding breakfast, but that was a luxury his conscience wouldn't allow.  

His first morning outside, he made a big meal of eggs, bacon, toast and fresh squeezed orange juice. Red-banded china and cut crystal glasses gave the table a festive feel. Even the red cotton napkin felt like the finest luxury, but it was all too much. He sat heavy in the shiny metal kitchen chair and only got his fork halfway to his mouth before a churning in his gut sent him running for the bathroom. 

Since that day, the kitchen was nothing more than wasted square footage in the home that felt like a prison. The best he could manage most mornings was a cup of bad coffee from the small café by the Airtrain station. Even that was ten times better than the average PIT meal. 

Only a few minutes of watching the silenced talking heads was more than he could take this morning. Waiting at the station was better than the suffocation of remembering his failure. He laced on his boots and marched outside, the early morning air instantly making it easier to breathe. The relief was short lived. Every step toward the station brought him closer to going back inside the PIT. Back to endless days of hoping to see them and fearing he would.