String Lights

Part II: Slaughtered (Chapter 5)

He handed out gifts to the three of us: a leather-bound book for Mother, a necklace for Lia, and for me, a bag of sweets.

"Souvenirs," Carson said, grinning, "from the city of Literacy!"

I took the sweets from him with a nod of thanks, then unwrapped one and sucked on it, thinking privately to myself how I would have preferred a book like Mother's over candy. Carson still saw me as a child.

Lia, unlike me, seemed perfectly content with the gift she'd received. She fastened the clasp of the necklace over her neck and looked to Carson.

"How about a walk? Since you're back now."

Carson smiled and turned toward our mother. "If that's fine with you, Mrs. Haven?"

Mother hesitated, then obliged.

"Just not for too long," she said.

The two of them were gone before I could blink. The screen door slammed behind them, blocking out their voices, the sounds of them giggling like children.

With a sigh, I dropped my chin into my cupped hands.

"Do you expect they're seriously in love, Mother?" I asked. "And that they really will escape the country to live somewhere else? Together?"

"I like to think there's no other man on Premus better fit for Lia than young Carson Lansford," replied Mother, and I groaned. "What? You're fond of him too, darling."

"Carry on," I said, choosing not to say anything to this. "So, who else did you see? Jimmy? Edgar? Oh, and the beggar at the end of the street is still there, isn't he? He was a nice old man—I used to give him a couple pinches of Obascus every time I passed by. . . ."

･･･⛧･･･

The news reporter on the radio announced yet another round of deaths from the "revolving psychiatric illness." Sitting at the table with Mother, the only thing I could do was sigh.

"You know, Mother, do you think it's really safe to just let Lia wander like that?" I said—already a few hours had passed and Lia hadn't returned home. "You don't know if Carson contracted any sickness or anything while he was traveling," I added. "They say the contagion's working its way down from the north, and that's where he's been this whole time."

"Knowing that meticulous boy, I'm sure he must have been very careful," said Mother, but she looked uneasy.

I decided to take my chances and throw in a request before her anxiety made a refusal inevitable.

"Well, since Lia's out," I began casually, "can I step outside for a moment too?"

Mother looked at me suspiciously. "What for?"

"I won't meet anyone," I said quickly. "It's just been two weeks since I last went outside, and I'm feeling . . . a bit lightheaded. I'll get some fresh air, take a walk around the block, then I'll come right in."

Mother sighed. "Five minutes, then." 

I kissed her on the cheek and circled around the kitchen, heading out the door.

I stepped outside and closed our front door behind me, inhaling deeply. The outdoor air felt great, tasted great, even.Glancing back at the house, I hopped off the front porch and began walking down the street. I didn't plan to go far. I just wanted to circle the neighborhood once or twice. More than anything, I was hoping to run into Laura coincidentally, as she often went for walks around the block with her older siblings when their impatient father kicked them out of the house for the afternoon. He had become even more bad-tempered as of recently, Laura's most recent letter had told me. There was no doubt that the bizarre safety precautions for the sickness going around was getting to Mr. Grant, too.