String Lights

Part II: Slaughtered (Chapter 4)

Laura Grant had ears like wiretaps: In other words, she had the crazy ability to pick up every rumor and source of gossip circling our town, faster and in double the amount of detail than anyone else. I teased her frequently, saying that she probably could have predicted our colonization, with instincts like hers. And, as I was used to having her dash over to our house several times a day, ready with some new piece of information she'd attained, I knew that today, like all other days, she had heard something new and odd and was bursting to let it out.

"Read this," said Laura, thrusting a rolled-up newspaper into my hands. I scanned the bold letters stamped onto the top of the page: The Chronicles Insider. 

"It's that newspaper network," I said aloud with realization. "The one ran by independence activists."

Ever since the colonization, many Chronicle people had turned to relying on the more accurate information written by the many anonymous freedom fighters in our country, as most of the government-designated newspapers often held twisted truths.

I scanned the first paragraph. On this day, February 2nd, 2116, nine more deaths were reportedly associated with the strange new illness going around. The disease is believed to be contagious, and once spread, to affect a victim's mental health with abnormal behavior. Researchers in the National Center for Consanology are currently in the process of studying the disease and its causes.

"Abnormal behavior?" I looked up, meeting Laura's gaze. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She shrugged. "Apparently, as of now, there's not much information on the topic. But whatever the illness is, it's spreading pretty quickly, and no one knows where it's coming from. I think it's a disease that affects the functions of the brain." 

"Like a mental illness?" I shook my head, incredibly confused. "Can those actually kill people? Or spread from one person to another?"

"What? No, no, it couldn't have been that!" said Laura, now positively alarmed. I knew she was shocked at having encountered a topic about which she did not know more than anyone else. "It's just . . . it's so strange that this is such a big deal. Usually it only takes a week or two for our Consonarists to find cures to any new sicknesses."

My brow furrowed. I pressed my knuckles to my lip in concentration, staring down at the newspaper clipping. After a moment I flicked the copy away in frustration.

"Things just get stranger and stranger," I sighed. "Goodness knows our country's been through the mill already."

･･･⛧･･･

There was no new information on the radio broadcast at night, but the fact that Erebus had allowed the news to be broadcasted to the entire continent only stressed its importance, making things appear even more concerning. Perhaps Mother thought so too, because there was a certain strain in her voice when she spoke up, much later, after we had finished our dinner meal.

"Both of you," she said as we stood to clear our plates, "really, there's no harm in being especially careful. In these times especially. It's far too dangerous for any of us to wander freely, even in the village." Mother released a shuddering breath. "Yes, it's best if we stay inside as much as we can for the time being, do you hear me, girls?"

I had been preparing to mutter a glum agreement when something in her voice made me stop in my tracks and turn around. For a moment, I was unsure of what had compelled me to hesitate. Then I looked at Mother, taking in her tightly clasped hands, the slight twitching of her lips, the quiver in her chin.

And I realized she was trembling. The grimace on her face, which I'd mistook for sternness, had actually been a display of fear.

Lia, too, must have noticed what was off, because it was her voice that spoke the words forming in my mind: "What's wrong, Mother?"