A New Home

Lord Heisenberg… I'm sure I could fill a whole other journal with my opinions about that man. But for the sake of this journal, I'll stick to the parts that pertain to my story. I'm sure if a writer recorded everything he says in a day, their arm would give out. The title of "Lord" seemed a bit strange on him at first. Not that he didn't hold it over other people. From sheer appearance, you wouldn't be able to tell him apart from any other villager. But that didn't mean he wasn't threatening. To think that I had pretended to worship him up to that point, and then had to work for him… Now, it just makes me laugh.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. As I said before, at the time I left with Heisenberg, I knew nothing about him aside from hearsay. Most people had never laid eyes on him. Many said that he lived in a factory that he almost never left. Some claimed to have seen him using some sort of mystical power. The only thing I gave him credit for was having a horse in his family crest.

Daria was the only one keeping me steady as we went further away from the village. For a while, Heisenberg didn't speak. He just kept walking down the road, eventually lighting a fresh cigar. We hadn't encountered anyone since disembarking. I kept trying to see the faces of everyone I knew, wondering if any of them other than Mamă would miss me. It was a grim thought, I know, but I couldn't help it. Even if they did, there was nothing they could do. If they knew I was taken by a Lord, they wouldn't have the desire, let alone the strength, to fight against it. No, they would see it as nothing more than Mother Miranda's will and forget about it. Maybe rumors would spread that I went willingly, that it was all my choice. People would probably say I was blessed. Yeah, right. From what I knew, anyone who encountered a Lord or Mother Miranda herself were met with death soon after. So, forgive me if I wasn't as enamored with the idea of serving under a Lord as others. I was more concerned with my life than any kind of "blessing" that village had to offer me.

"A few rules before we get there."

I jumped at the sound of Heisenberg's voice, causing Daria to stop. Heisenberg just kept walking, getting a good laugh out of it before continuing where he left off as I clucked to Daria.

"Rule number one: don't interrupt me when I'm talking. Rule number two: don't go anywhere in the factory I don't tell you to go. Rule number three: don't touch anything you're not supposed to. Don't worry, I'll tell you what that does and doesn't include, but you seem like a smart girl, so I'm sure you'll figure it out. Rule number four: don't leave the factory grounds without my permission. …I think that's it. I'm sure I'll think of more later. Got all that?"

I nodded, trying to keep my hands steady. At that moment, I wished Mamă had raised me to be more rebellious. Part of me wanted desperately to have Daria kick him and bolt, but I knew I didn't have the resolve to do such a thing. Oh, if only I could speak to the me of five years ago… she would be astonished at the person I've become.

"Ah, there she is: home sweet home."

As we crossed the stone bridge, I could see it more clearly. The last thing I would've called what I saw was "sweet". An iron gate with barbed wires greeted us. The grass was all brown, the mountainside looming in the background. Pillars of steel billowed smoke into the sky. Old machines were strewn about the grounds like neglected gravestones. The whole place was just metal, from the siding on the buildings to the doors. It was more akin to a prison than a home. What kind of man could stand living in such a place? I didn't dare to answer my own question.

The gates pushed open on their own. This time, it was Daria who spooked.

"Whoa, whoooa there, girl. It's OK." Nothing about what was happening was OK, but I didn't want my anxiety to rub off on her.

I wasn't convincing; she was just as hesitant as I was and refused to take another step. Heisenberg just stood in the entrance as another cloud of smoke escaped his mouth.

"Ya comin' or what?"

Did I have a choice? After a few neck strokes and gentle kicks, Daria went forward. As we entered the threshold, my stomach tied itself in knots. This place isn't natural, my instincts screamed. There wasn't much I could do about it. This was my new lot in life, and like it or not, I had to either accept it or get steamrolled. Once the cart made it inside, the gates closed behind us, tying my stomach further.

"Welcome. Make yourself comfortable. Your friend here can stay in a barn out in the field." He patted Daria's neck. I twitched. "You…" He looked up at me. "Well, I'll make something work. I wasn't exactly expecting guests, so forgive the state of the inside." He nodded his head toward the main building up the path. "Meet me there once you get situated." He put his cigar back in his mouth and strolled away.

For the first time since leaving, I had a chance to breathe. They were shallow breaths, but they helped curb my nerves. I scanned the area, spotting the barn Heisenberg mentioned.

"OK, Daria, let's get you inside."

I directed her to the barn before hopping down to lead her the rest of the way in. Thankfully, there was hay sitting against the wall. I unhitched the wagon and rolled it towards the entrance before untacking her. Aside from the hay, the barn was empty. I set the saddle and its pad aside on the ground. I removed the bridle to fully release her.

"There ya go, girl. Eat up. I'll get some water for you later." Daria happily dove into her meal while I collected her saddle. Thankfully, there was an open hatch on the roof. I couldn't have stood to leave her alone in a dark place. I went outside and placed a hand on the door.

"I'll be back soon. I promise." I slid the door shut before placing the saddle on an overturned vehicle. Not ideal, but it would do.

I took a deep breath, dreading what came next. The walk to the building was more than enough time for me to ponder my fate. Surely Heisenberg didn't expect me to just sit on my hands for… however long I was expected to stay with him. I was hoping he would just leave me alone so long as I followed his Rules. It was a fleeting desire, but maybe the man wasn't as cynical as I thought.

I stepped inside where the stench of rust and smoke assaulted my nose. I coughed, tempted to go back outside for relief.

"Ah, there you are. Took ya long enough." Heisenberg emerged from a nearby room. His hammer wasn't with him this time. I tried to relax. He stomped his cigar on the ground. He looked around for a moment before going over to shake a blanket off an errant machine. He put the blanket on a table before gesturing to it. I glanced between him and the makeshift chair. Mamă always said not to bite the hand that feeds you. So, I sat.

"Look, I know this isn't ideal. If it were up to you, you wouldn't be here. You'd rather just say 'fuck it' and go back to fixing saddles with your mama. Am I right so far?"

How was I supposed to answer that? I just stared at him. He laughed.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? I'm not gonna hurt you."

So he said. Somehow, I wasn't in a trusting mood.

"You won't start work until tomorrow. Today's more for… getting acquainted."

There was just one problem with his plan. I opened my mouth to speak, but then remembered Rule Number One, so I shut it again and folded my hands into my lap.

"C'mon, don't be shy. I do get tired of hearing myself, y'know."

"I… I don't think I have any skills that would help you here. I don't know anything about machines."

"But you're a quick learner, right? Good with your hands? Or so your mama told me. Maybe she was just blowing smoke."

"No. She was right. I can learn." It was less about proving him wrong and more about rejecting any notion that Mamă was dishonorable. But my pride did sting.

He grinned. "That's what I thought. Like I said, that won't start until tomorrow, so why don't we start the tour?"

I stood from the seat with shaky legs. It was much easier when Daria was there to hold me upright. I tried to walk straight, not wanting to give Heisenberg any more reasons to mock me. I followed a short distance behind him.

The facility was… much more complicated than it seemed upon first entering. The main building was a bit of a maze, but Heisenberg only let me into two of the rooms outside of the general entrance area. Much like the outside, there was scrap metal laying everywhere. The office had a desk with a chair, an empty table with various tools and metal parts lying under it, and a couch. My room was mysteriously empty. There wasn't a trace of scrap in sight. A stray mattress sitting atop a metal bed frame was resting on the far side with a makeshift window carved out above it. A small table and chair were at the foot of the bed.

"This is where you'll sleep; feel free to arrange it however you like," Heisenberg said.

"…Thanks," I replied.

He really expected me to sleep in a room by myself with no defenses? Not a chance. I started planning how I could scrape together a bed in the barn.

Heisenberg made it abundantly clear that I wasn't to go anywhere beyond those rooms. I couldn't understand what he possibly had to hide. He had the authority to do whatever he wanted in the village. Or maybe he just didn't want me to get lost. What would happen if I did go somewhere I didn't belong? Another question I didn't want to answer.

The rest of the factory grounds weren't remarkable: a couple of sheds housing hefty vehicles and machines, a smaller workshop, a water tower, and some more sheds, one of which stored a motorcycle. Looking at it all, I just couldn't understand. What did this man do all day? Surely, he wasn't the village's mechanic. A supplier maybe? But that didn't make sense either; more people would have seen him out and about and there would be more people coming in and out. If he really was holed up in that place all the time, what could he possibly do to keep himself occupied? And just what kind of work would he have me doing? And what payment did he expect Mamă to give him? Why was I there? There were too many questions, and I didn't have the courage to ask.

I pity past me. She didn't know what was coming, didn't know the horrors she would have yet to witness, or just how strange the village really was. I wish I could go back and shield her from it all. But then, where would I be? I wouldn't exist. A different me would exist, probably still stuck in that village. But would that be so bad?

The tour was over. Heisenberg told me that I would have to scrounge for my own food, but there was a well in the back for water.

"But I'm not a hunter," I said.

He shrugged. "Not my problem."

What a chivalrous man. Even if I was a hunter, there weren't any animals to hunt in that metal landscape. I would just have to get food from the village. But there was Rule Number Four… I groaned. What an asshole.

Luckily, Mamă was kind enough to pack some food with my luggage. It would only last a few days, but it was enough to get me by until I figured something out. I took a bucket from the barn out to the well to at least keep Daria hydrated. I took some spare hay and one of Daria's blankets out of the cart for the night.

"Good night, girl," I said, stroking her neck as she laid down next to me.

I was exhausted despite not doing any actual work that day. If I had had the energy, I would've screamed and cried, lamenting my situation. But more than anything, I didn't want to give Heisenberg the satisfaction. Even in that barn, I felt like he was watching me, studying my every move. I may have resented him, but I knew he wasn't a fool. He wouldn't readily accept someone into his facility without doing a thorough check on them. All the more reason for me to stay with Daria.

I don't think I slept that night.