The World We Made

Chapter 5

My fingertips were wrinkled from the constant washing that I had to do. My shoulders slumped but the fear of being punished fought through the pain and tiredness.

"Are you tired?" Bethany asked as she brought over a new basket of clothes to wash.

"Yep." I replied, wiping sweat off my forehead.

Bethany chuckled. "You'll get used to all this. Give it some time."

"How long have you been doing this work for?" I asked, trying to distract myself from the painful future ahead.

Bethany shrugged. "3 or 4 years I guess. But I don't have the time to pay attention to those things."

"Who's been here the longest?"

"That's still alive? Probably Blake. He's been here maybe 8 or so years."

"How old is he?" I asked, shocked that he'd spent so long working as a slave.

"About 20 now but the smartest of us all. He learnt the ways of the world way too young and now he's our leader. He knows how to keep us under control, even the older slaves look up to him."

That means he was 12 when he started working for our master. 12? You're literally a child at 12, how could they make a child do this kind of work. Then a thought came across my mind.

"Do you think that this world could change?" I asked.

Bethany shook her head. "The world doesn't need to change. This is our norm. This is what we're used to. Just because you don't agree with it doesn't mean it's bad."

"But... but what about my friends. They're stuck in the rooms eating the people the care about because they have to. I could get them out. I could save them."

Bethany angrily slammed a bucket of water on the washing bench and put her hands on her hips.

"Can you, Cassidy? Can you?! And what would your friends be doing out here. They're better off in the rooms where they're safe. Barely anyone survives this world. Your friends are in the rooms because they're too young or not wanted by anyone. They have no reason to be out here. They'll just die like everyone else. You're not saving them from anything."

"No, no you're wrong." I claimed. "I will save them. I will get them out of there. Then you'll realise that you're wrong and I'm right."

I waltzed off in a sour mood, completely ignoring my duties as a slave. I kicked sand into the air in anger, crossing my arms and scratching the skin on my hands.

The market place was bustling with soulless bodies. Masters and mistresses were giggling to each other while their slaves carried heavy items on their backs. This wasn't the world we're supposed to live in. This wasn't the world in the stories people told me.

"You should appreciate this place for what it is." A voice behind me said.

"Blake? What are you doing here?"

"Someone's got to keep you in line." He replied, shrugging. "And today I'm more of a supervisor than a slave."

"You know that all of this isn't right, right?"

Again, he shrugged. "It's normal to me just not to you. You can't change the world, Cassidy. Trust me, people have tried, they've tried to make things better but now they're six feet under. You were born in the rooms, that's your normal. But out here is our normal. The longer you take to accept that, the further you'll drift away from reality. I get that you want to save your friends but some truths should be kept hidden. They're happy in there not knowing what they're eating. Some people would rather be happy than know the truth."

"What should I do then? Just spend the rest of my life as a slave?"

"Why not? It's not that bad when you think about it."

I couldn't believe him. Not that bad?! People are being killed, people are killing themselves, people are starving and being overworked to death! What is not that bad about this world?

...

It's only when you see the light that you realise how dark your world was. I didn't remember this room being so grey and empty. It was only then that I finally understood that this room wasn't my world, the people were. That's why I wanted to save them, because I had nothing without them. I didn't miss this place, I missed the people.

"What do we do now?" I asked. "We can't go back."

Blake scoffed. "Are you already thinking about what would happen next? You have the time to mourn now so just do it. Take as long as you like, I'll start mourning for my lost friends that died because of you while I'm at it."

I stood in silence, contemplating everything. The way Blake leaned against the wall, arms crossed and eyes closed. I couldn't tell if he was thinking or resting. If I left right now, would he notice?

"Should I die?"

"What?!" he said, alarmed.

But I shook my head. "Nothing, it was just a thought."

"No. Tell me what you were going to say." He demanded.

"I have no purpose anymore. And you can't even deny that. People died for me, because of me. Only for me to achieve absolutely nothing."

"So, you're just going to throw your life away? As if it's nothing?" A mixture of anger and disbelief was painted across Blake's face. "Remember when that friend of yours killed himself, do you remember what you told him? 'We'll find a way out of this mess, I promise.' That's what you said. And here you are blabbering on about dying."

"But there's no one that would say that to me, Blake. There's no one left that cares. Not after master killed them early when he realized I wasn't working. So, give me one reason to live, Blake. One reason."

I didn't know if I actually wanted a reason or if I just wanted him to struggle finding one. I gained confidence in my decision as I watched him scan his brain for any reason, even the smallest one. But he couldn't, and I wasn't surprised.

"This time I'm certain it's the right choice if even you can't give me a reason to not do it." I said.

"I'll say it." Blake said hurriedly. "I'll say it to you."

But I rolled my eyes at him. "But would you mean it...? No, exactly. So, don't bother caring now."

"When your friend committed suicide..." Blake began. "did you want to save him?"

"Yes," I replied. "but not now."

"What would you do now then?"

"I'd join him."