Chapter 269
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During the month of November Eve began seeing flyers in the sector. They advertised a way out. Individuals as young as 15 could become gladiators, actually fight each other to the death. People were actually signing up willingly. Suppossedly these gladiators got to live the high life outside the sector. Some fight were one on one, others involved multiple fighters like "Hunger Games." Many would die in their very first fight. But at least it was voluntary. There were rumors of people being forced into this with their families as hostages. One of the few places that offerred real hope was the integrated schools. But they continued to be threatened with violence. Soldiers were stretched thin protecting them. People remained angry about this, by November 22nd there were seven school shootings, two more bombings. More than seventy dead. Angry loyalists seemed bent on taking away the sector's last bit of hope. The FBI tried to arrest suspicious groups, but it was hard to know who was on what side. They created a fake, radical loyalist website, to lure in the real radicals. But some within the FBI were actually providing support to these terrorists.
Eve had noticed reverand Jenkins in his garden, just outside the church. This was the only place where his refugees went outside their basement. November wasn't great for growing food, but it was possible. The sector guards took some food from here, they didn't ask a lot of questions about who were growing it. Many sector guards used their uniforms more to gain more rations than to serve the common good. They at least knew their limits, thanks in part to captain Wells putting pressure on them. Many feared that loyalist soldiers would take far more. Teri had learned some skills from Jenkins, she grew a little in the apartment. She kept it contained, and relatively clean. Teri only needed the sunlight from the window. The result was that she was able to grow tomatoes for her roommates by November 22nd. It was thanksgiving, according to the old calendar. Teri, Julia, and Eve dined together. Even Sharon Mason was displaying kindness. She'd been pretty critical of integrated schools. In one of the recent bombings, she'd been nearby, horrified to see children murdered like this. The images on the news showed Sharon carrying out a hurt little boy. Even Eve was touched. On thanksgiving Sharon announced that she was adopting this little boy, Pete. Pete's father had been a sector guard, but he was killed in this bombing. Perhaps the spirit of reconciliation was still alive after all.