I don't know when it all started, or, for that matter, why, but policemen now are the ones that are in charge. We can't go anywhere without them hurting or even killing us. I heard once that they used to protect us. There's no way that could ever have been true. Police don't protect; they kill, they hurt. We can't even leave our small towns. They're there, just outside of our homes, waiting, always waiting for anyone to be foolish enough to try to leave.
And so it was, for as long as I've known. I live in the small town of Zenta. My name is Tivian, but everyone has taken to calling me Tiv. I'm training to be a runner: one of those who, at least once in their lives, try to make it to a different town or city, regardless of the threat of cops. We have three runners who have gone and made it back. It's a lot; most towns only have one, maybe two. Cities naturally have more because of their size. They are our teachers. One day, when our caller tells us about a danger in another town I'll volunteer and go. The caller is the only one in our town with a phone. She will get told of happenings that go on outside of our town and in the country around us. There is only one in our town; we need no more than that.
If you take a mission you have to try to get to your destination no matter what. It doesn't matter if you come back to your town once or twice, just as long as you never give up and eventually make it to where the caller tells you to go. The cops can do so much to you. They might just beat you the first time they see you, or mark you by cutting your arm. They could kill you right there as well. If you're a female, though, you have a rougher time. They'll sometimes keep you alive so that they can 'use' you. I'm afraid of that: terrified. I'm a female; I don't want that to happen to me. I might end up carrying one of their spawn. I'd rather be marked then killed instead of that.
There's someone at my door. I open it to find Martin. He's my age and looks like he's seen a ghost. He always looks like that when the caller gets a message that requires a runner. "There's a meeting that's been called, Tiv," he gasps out. "The caller says that she needs three runners." He knew very well that I had completed my training last week and this was my first chance to go. "If you're going to go--" he inhaled a shaky breath as I watched his cheeks turn pink. "If you're going to go, don't."
"Martin, you know that I'll have to go sometime. If I volunteer then I'm going, whether you want me to or not. I can't help that. It's the code of the runner. There's no turning back, Martin."
"Do--do you know if it's okay that I go with you then? I--I know that I'm not a runner but I just don't want you to be killed." He still remembered; remembered what I had told him about getting the feeling that I wouldn't return if I ever did have to run.
I shook my head. "You can't, you know you can't. A runner barely has a chance of making it. Someone who wasn't even trained properly doesn't even have a snowball's chance in hell. They have less than that. I'm sorry, Martin. Hey, come on! Smile! Maybe I won't go this time, okay?"
He looked at me with his puppy dog eyes, tears forming in the corners as he gave me a small nod. I walked out onto the porch beside him, closing my door behind myself. "But," he started. "You'll go this time. I just know you will."
I watched him; his head was hung and his shoulders slumped. I put my arms around his neck from the back. He was one head shorter than me. "Don't worry, okay, Martin?" I whispered in his ear. "I'll come back, just for you. Once I've gone and come back I don't have to go again. I promise." I loved him, but rarely showed it, and he was always so worried about me. But how could I have promised him? Thousands go…one or two make it back. I don't have a chance at all.
"You said there was a meeting, right?" He nodded as I withdrew my arms from his neck. "Then we should go. They're going to want all the runners to be there."
~^~
The meeting hall was crowded, like it always was when there was a meeting called. I stood in the back, resting against the wall. A few of the other runners where there with me. Everyone was talking in hushed voices, mostly asking whether anyone knew anything about what the mission would be. They all seemed to know that three runners where required and that number was obviously cause for question. Only a few of the older townsfolk remembered there being cause for three runners.
"Your attention, please. The caller would like to have a few words and then she will give the runners a chance to volunteer. If there are not enough volunteers she will choose or have the returned runners help her appoint people."
The room was silent as the caller; a woman in her thirties took the floor to speak. "As you've all heard, I need three runners to volunteer. Now, you may be wondering why there are three runners needed. I'll tell you. The seer from the capital of our country has called me and told me of a town that has just recently been formed. They need runners to teach them how this works. I want two people to go as runners that will stay and one runner who will go to make sure that they get there. The last runner will have the toughest job for they will also have to return here when they complete the mission, or try to return here as the case may be. Since this case is a strange one and not often encountered, there are a few extra rules that have been chosen for it." At this everyone seemed to lean forward. The rules where hardly ever changed and for there to be cause to change them for one mission told how important the mission was. "You can't return here until the mission is complete. No matter what happens you have to keep going. That is all. Now, do I have any volunteers for the two that will go and stay in the town?"
A pair of runners held up their hands. They were married. The caller nodded approvingly. "Very well. Mariel, Matthias, you two will be the ones who shall stay in the town when you get there. Now, does anyone want to be the one who is supposed to come back here when the mission is done?"
I raised my hand. If I made this, I wouldn't have to do anything after. "I will," I stated. Recognizing my voice Martin turned to look at me, fear in his big, brown eyes.
The caller nodded. "Very good, Tivian. You three shall leave tomorrow at noon. Do not forget what you've been taught and remember to bring your packs." The three of us nodded. "Then this meeting is dismissed. Thank you."
~^~
I stood in my bedroom, trying to decide what to take and what to leave. I'd need food, water, extra clothes, a med-kit, blanket, and a brush. I'd wear my knee-high leather boots, pants, a shirt, and coat.
I frowned. Was I forgetting something, or not? A knock at the door broke me out of my wonderings and I left to answer it. Once again, Martin stood there. His eyes were red from crying and his kept sniffling. I allowed him to come in and let him sit at the small table in the kitchen.
I pulled up a chair and looked at him. "Please, Martin. Why do you have to make this so difficult? I--" My sentence was cut short as he thrust a package at me. "What's this?" I questioned.
"I bought that for you a while back," he stated. "But--but I didn't have enough courage to give it to you. Now that you're going to be leaving, I figured that you should have it so that you could remember me. Open it." I did so, slowly taking the tape from the brown rapping and then unfolding it. Within I found a box and in that a silver ring adorned with an emerald stone. I slipped it onto my ring finger; a perfect fit.
I looked at his tearstained face, giving him a small smile. "Martin, you didn't have to. I would've remembered you anyway. This must've been expensive." I looked at him and suddenly, within my stomach came the crushing realization that I might never see him again; I knew what he'd been feeling ever since he'd heard about the meeting. I stood then, walking over to him, sat down on his lap and, throwing my arms around his neck, cried. "I'm going to miss you, Martin." He put his arms around me and held me the way that I needed and wanted to be held.
After a moment I pulled away from him. "I'm sorry. God, I shouldn't be crying like this. I don't want to be weak; I can't afford to be," I stated, trying to stand, but his arms held me tight: he wasn't about to let me go.
"Girls should be able to show weakness once in awhile. I think that you've been bottling it up way to long. I've never seen you cry," he said quietly. "I've known you you're whole life and this is the first time that I've seen you cry." He was silent for a moment but still refused to let me up. "You have to try to come back, Tiv. I know that you already promised that you would but--but I need you to try, alright?" I nodded. "Thank you," he whispered.
He let me up after that. "I guess that you're getting ready for…that you have to pack so that you can…that you're…busy." I gave him a small nod, moving the ring around with my thumb. "I'll leave then."
I sighed heavily as the door closed. I wished that he could've stayed. In fact, I was half tempted to go and get him to come back. I had to finished packing, though…
~^~
The day had come; I was going to leave soon. Mariel and Matthias stood next to me as the caller handed us each a map, instructed us not to lose it, and to be careful. I could feel Martin's eyes upon my back, watching me, pleading with me not to go. My thumb touched the ring as I tried to tell myself that I would see him again, that I'd get back.
Then the caller was finished and we were saying goodbye to everyone. A small door that was in the wall of our town was opened and we departed from there at a swift jog. A seven-hour journey there and another seven-hour journey for me on the way back. I sighed as I kept up with my comrades; there was no way; I was as good as dead.
~^~
The first four hours had passed without attack. Then we saw something to the right, a moving shape of blue and black. A cop? I tapped Matthias on the shoulder and he nodded as we sped up our pace.
An uneventful hour passed and we started to wonder if there had been anything at all. Slowing down to the jog that we started out at we continued on, questioning each other with hand motions like we had learned to do from the returned runners.
One more hour at that rate and then terror struck. Mariel, who had been in the front was taken out from the side, she gave a scream of shock as she hit the ground, the large man dressed in black and blue on top of her, pinning her to the ground. The sound of her voice attracted more of them.
Matthias tried to get to her, tried to help her. But there was nothing for it. I pulled him away. They were preoccupied with the trophy that they had caught to pay us any mind.
Her voice called out for him, pleading for rescue. I held him back, still, shaking my head. He knew; I know that he knew that she was as good as dead. He ran ahead of me but I know that if I could've seen his face there would've been tears in his eyes, just like there were in mine. My thumb rubbed against the metal of the ring as we continued on.
We were not attacked for the rest of the journey to the new village that we had originally set out to reach. When we got to the gate and were allowed in Matthias collapsed to the ground, weeping over Mariel.
The village caller approached me. She was young, about my age or slightly older and had a look of confusion upon her brow. "What is wrong with him?"
"There were three of us," I explained. "The third was his wife. We were attacked an hour from here and they took her. He tried to save her but couldn't." My eyes filled with tears. Mariel had been a close friend…
I was allowed to eat with them and then asked for a bed, telling them that I'd be leaving in the morning. The caller came to me before I'd gotten to bed. "Are you sure that you can't stay with us, Tivian? We were told that two runners would come. Now we only have one that will be staying and he doesn't seem to be in too much of a condition to tell us what we're going to have to do."
I shook my head. "No. My job was to accompany them here then go back to Zenta. He loved her with his whole heart, caller." I inhaled a shaky breath; thinking of Martin, back in Zenta, who was most likely worrying over me. "He'll get better, just give him time. Mariel was a nice person and a good friend." I paused for a moment. "You have a runner. That's a start. Other towns that have been around longer than this only have one returned runner as well. Now, please, let me rest."
She gave me a grave nod as she left the small house that I'd been allotted. I finished getting ready for bed then crawled under the covers, my thoughts dwelling on one man who was seven hours away from me.
~^~
I left early in the morning, going the same speed that we had used the day before. I kept that pace up for three hours then slowed slightly as I took out some dried meat from a pocket and began chewing on it.
I heard a noise then, a twig snapping or something close too so I began to jog once more. Finishing the meat I gabbed my canteen from where it was attached to my pack and took a quick drink, glancing quickly around for anything out of the usual.
I ran for another hour and then stopped dead. Ahead of me were two large men. They were dressed in blue and black and had gold badges covering their left breasts. I took a step back and shot towards the right of them, hoping to make it around them and get away. I tripped and lay, sprawled flat upon the ground. One snatched my ankle but I pulled it from him, got back to my feet, and tried to get away. The other grabbed me cruelly by the arm, twisting it painfully back and down so that I was forced to my knees. A small cry escaped my lips as I looked back at the man's face. Martin…
Suddenly my pack was gone as were my boots. I tried to pull free of their grasp, but was held tight. There were tears of fear and pain in my eyes. I'd promised…
I was hit up beside the head with a heavy object and then knew no more.
~^~
I opened my eyes gradually. "She's awake." I heard. I winced, the loud voice made my head throb painfully. I felt a sharp pain suddenly enter my arm. I grabbed for it with my other hand, feeling warm, gooey liquid seep onto my fingers. I was bleeding; they had marked me…
I sat up slowly. "We're done, sweetie. You can go now, if you want to. But if any of us find you again they'll be sure to kill you because of that mark that you've got on your arm now. I'm sorry about your clothes but they got kind of torn so we threw them away." The companion to the speaker laughed at this. "And I think that we happened to misplaced your pack as well. Sorry." And then, they were gone.
I got shakily to my feet. Everything… I was naked. No…not everything…I still had the ring that Martin had given to me. I remembered then; I had made him a promise. I had to make it back; he was waiting for me.
I went as fast as I could but my head hurt too much to jog or run. The rocks and sticks that covered the ground cut cruelly into the soles of my feet until I could hardly take another step.
Looking up I realized that I could see Zenta. It was so close. My eyes teared up as pain shot through my legs when I quickened my pace at the sight of my destination.
I was at the gate, knocking, when I saw the cops once more. "Please! It's Tivian! Hurry!" I called desperately. The door opened when the police weren't three yards from me and I was pulled in and the entrance bolted shut.
"Thank God," I said, relieved. I was alive…tears came to my eyes at that realization. They could've killed me. The caller draped a blanket about my shoulders, and I saw Martin, staring at me with shock at my appearance.
"Come on, Tivian. Let's get you cleaned up." She had her arm around my shoulder. I shook my head pulling away from her. I looked at Martin and, slipping my hand out from under the blanket, showed him the ring that he had given me two days before.
He came up to me, tears in his eyes. "It--it was the only thing that they didn't take from me, Martin. I made it back, like I promised."
I suddenly dropped to my knees and he knelt beside me. "What's wrong, Tiv?" I shifted my body and pushed a foot out from under the blanket.
"They took my boots too." He inhaled sharply and I knew why; there must've been small stones still embedded in the pads of my feet. "I had to walk on my bare feet for a long time."
The caller was standing by us, looking at my feet, as well. "We'll get you cleaned up and get you some new clothes to wear. You're one of the few that have actually returned after a journey. You're the fourth one to do so in this village. Now come on."
"I'll do it, if that's alright with you, caller," stated Martin, standing up next to her. I inhaled deeply. It felt good to be back with him.
The caller nodded. "That's fine with me I suppose. Tiv? Is that all right?" I nodded. Martin, without talking with her further, picked me up. I put an arm around his neck as I rested my head against his shoulder and quickly fell asleep, listening to the beating of his heart. I would never leave again…not ever…