One
Four years ago, my brother stood in front of this mirror, most likely mentally preparing himself for the same reason I am. Today was my sixteenth birthday, and in twenty-seven minutes, I would have a Post of my own.
Every person, on the day they turn sixteen, receives a Post. It appears as a small tattoo on the person’s right wrist. A Post determines the rest of a person’s life. It isn’t just a career choice; it’s their future. Only certain Posts were allowed to marry certain Posts because the Stature laws decreed it. The governor before Governor Byrne was a killjoy.
“Edaline, please come down. There is somebody here to see you,” called Mom. She sounded nice. Something was wrong.
“Yes, Mom,” I replied. I finished buttoning the sweater I was required to wear over my dress. Since today was a special day, I was permitted to wear a purple dress. Cayden had found this one a few weeks ago and left it by our front door for me. In our town, girls aren’t allowed to wear purple except for their wedding and, of course, their sixteenth birthday.
I grabbed my boots and made my way down the stairs. Instead of seeing my older brother at the door, it was Edwin Byrne, Governor Byrne’s son. That explains Mom’s mood.
Edwin gave a little bow upon seeing me. “Miss Edaline, I have something for you.”
I curtsied back. “Mr. Edwin. Will you come in, please?”
He glanced at my parents. “No, thank you. I’ll only be a minute.”
I looked at Dad, who got the message. “Jalia, why don’t we go sit in the living room?”
Mom looked at me. “Okay. But don’t be long, honey. It’s almost noon.”
“I’ll make it quick,” I promised.
Edwin watched them walk out of the room before looking at me. “Your brother told me to give you this.” He passed me an envelope. “Um, happy birthday, Edaline.”
I looked at the envelope. “Thank you, Edwin, so much. You have no idea how much this means to me!” I hugged him and whispered, “You know my parents disapprove. I’m sorry.”
“I know. But I’m willing to wait,” Edwin whispered back.
As soon as I released him, my parents walked in.
“Goodbye, Miss Edaline.” Edwin bowed.
“Goodbye, Mr. Edwin,” I replied as I curtsied.
As he turned around and started walking away, I closed the door. Clutching the envelope in my hand, I faced my parents. Dad smiled like he knew what had happened while they weren’t in the room. Mom, on the other hand, was not in a good mood.
“What was so secretive that we had to leave the room? We see the looks he gives you. I know you like him. But it’s never gonna happen!”
I put the envelope in my pocket. “I’m sorry, Mom. He dropped by to tell me that Cayden said happy birthday but couldn’t make it. That’s it.”
The room got quiet. Dad was the first one to break the silence. “It’s 12:15. Edaline, what did you get as your Post?”
I turned my hands over, looking both wrists over in careful detail. They looked the same. There was no pain. No bee sting as black ink wrote itself into my skin.
“Well? What did you get?” asked Mom, tapping her foot against the ground.
I didn’t answer. My brother got one. I had to have a Post or my life was ruined.
Mom grabbed my hands and turned them over. Still nothing. “What did you do? Why don’t you have a Post?”
I yanked my hands out of hers. “I didn’t do anything!”
Dad stepped between Mom and me. “Now, Jalia, we both know it isn’t her fault. It isn’t anybody’s fault. This is how God made her. We knew this from an early age. Don’t make things more difficult by blaming somebody who has no control over this.”
I was confused. God made me like what? I tugged on Dad’s sleeve. “Dad, what is going on? God made me like what? I don’t understand.”
He turned. “You mean you haven’t figured it out by now? Honey, you’re not going to get a Post because-.”
The doorbell rang before Dad could finish his sentence. He crossed the hallway in a few strides and opened the door. A man in a blue suit stood on the front step. He was an officer in the Ilawell Army.
“Officer Carson, at your service, sir.” He saluted my father. “Mr. Harmon, it is my understanding that your daughter turned sixteen today. I am here to verify her Post and escort her to the registration office, where she will receive instruction for her Post.”
Dad looked at me and then back at the officer. My heart beat fast with anticipation. It was several minutes before he spoke. “My daughter didn’t receive a Post.”
“Dad, no! What are you doing? You know what this means for me – how could you?” I screamed. I ran to the staircase and started up them. A hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me to the floor. I kicked as hard as I could and scratched his face with my nails. Officer Carson shoved a handkerchief into my face. My parents’ worried faces were the last things I saw before my eyes closed.
Two
“You there.” Someone kicked me. “Get up. We’re talking to you.”
I opened my eyes and instinctively curled into a ball, my knees against my chest. The place was pitch black. But the ground was cold as ice. “Wh-Who’s there?”
“Your cellmates, duh. What else would you expect?” answered a female voice. She was only a few feet away.
“I don’t know. I didn’t know I had cellmates,” I responded. So that’s where Officer Carson had brought me: the prison. Well, it was more like a giant cave under the Governor’s house. Everybody had heard the horror stories growing up. Governor Byrne froze his prisoners either to death or to the gallows. Neither was a pretty sight. I didn’t like the look of either in my future.
“Well, we were asking you what your crime was. Why are you here?” the girl asked.
I didn’t answer.
Someone kicked me again. “Answer me!”
“No! I don’t even know who you are.”
“Maybe this will help you talk.” Someone struck a match against something, and the room lit up. A woman sat next to what I assumed was the door to our cell. A toddler sprawled out on her lap – she was maybe two or three. Against the wall adjacent to the door stood two girls. One of them, the oldest, held the match against a candle until it lit. The second one held the older one’s hand, two small hands gripping a bigger one.
“There. Now you can see us, and we can see you,” spoke the woman on the floor. As she stood up, she set the little girl on her side and walked over to me. “May I sit down?”
I nodded, unsure what else to answer. “What are you all doing in here?”
She sat next to me and put the toddler on her lap. “We all have something in common. I’m more interested in hearing about you. Why are you here?”
“I’m not exactly sure. One minute, I was celebrating my birthday with my parents, and the next minute, a guard showed up. I woke up here. And now I don’t know if I will ever see them again.”
The toddler started crying, and everything inside of me broke. Here I was, sitting in a jail cell somewhere in the governor’s building, and I had no idea what was happening. Who cares if I didn’t get a Post? I don’t see the big deal. I know Edwin surely doesn’t. I think my parents will still love me.
The woman looked at me. “Maia, will you take Thea to change her diaper? Brielle can take the candle.”
Maia gave the candle to the younger girl standing beside her. She came over, picked Thea up, and knocked on the jail door. The guard opened it, chained Maia’s feet together, and escorted them out of the dungeons.
I looked at the woman, tears still freefalling, confusion in my eyes. Who were these people? How could they just walk out of here? Why hadn’t they escaped by now?
“I know what it looks like. But we don’t have the freedom to leave when we please. The guards make a small exception so Maia and I can take Thea to change her diaper. Even though they say it’s only ‘so they don’t have to smell the dirty diapers,’ I think the guards know that we are innocent and try to help us.”
“Why haven’t you used it to escape yet?”
She shrugged. “We’ve tried before. But they only let Maia or I and Thea out of the cell at a time. That way, we won’t escape.”
I nodded and finished her thought. “Because somebody would be left behind.”
“Exactly. Now, what about you? Oh dear. I didn’t even ask what your name was! How rude of me. What is your name, honey?”
“My name is Edaline. But some people call me Eda.”
“Nice to meet you, Edaline. My name is Alyson. Thea, Maia, and Brielle are my daughters. But enough of me. You mentioned something about your birthday and your parents. What happened?”
“Well, my mother wouldn’t accept that I didn’t get a Post. And then-”
“Wait,” Alyson interrupted. “You don’t have a Post? That’s wonderful!”
“No, I don’t. But why is that wonderful? Not having one hurts my future.”
“Because it means you’re like us!” She turned her head and called, “Brielle, light another candle and come here.”
“But it’s my last one!” complained Brielle.
“And I’ll buy you another one! Now hurry,” Alyson snapped.
A moment later, Brielle walked towards us, candle in hand. Alyson turned my hands over in search of my tattoo.
“I told you: I don’t have one!” I ripped my hands out of hers. What is going on?
She met my gaze. “I know. I had to check.”
The cell door opened. Maia walked in with Thea trailing behind her. “Mama!” Thea ran to Alyson. “Look Maia gave.” She held up an apple. It was small and slightly discolored. “Can eat?”
Alyson looked up at Maia, a question in her eyes.
“I nicked it off her breakfast tray. I didn’t steal from anyone.”
Her head moved as she thought. “Technically, that does count as stealing.”
I wanted to know more. “What did you mean that I’m like you?”
She glanced at me, then back at Thea. “Yes, you may eat it. Maia, keep an eye on her. She’s still too small not to eat the apple seeds.”
Thea squealed and ran off. Maia and Brielle followed.
“Now, before I tell you why you’re like us, please tell me what happened today in full. I need to understand something,” Alyson said.
I hesitated. I still didn’t know anything about these people. But right now, they were the only chance I had of getting out of here. I decided to give her the short version. “Well, my parents and I were waiting for my Post at noon. Mom was frustrated that I didn’t get it, but Dad convinced her. The guard took me away, and here I am.”
She gave me a look like she knew there was more I wasn’t telling, but she didn’t ask. “It all started fifteen years ago. Normals and Ambidextrous lived side by side in peace until Marcel Deleor became governor of Ilawell. He started twisting people’s views of the Ambidextrous until the Normals were too scared to be around us. Everyone had their own reasons. Some didn’t want us around their children. Some thought we were thieves. Some were outright mean. Eventually, Marcel locked the Ambidextrous up and took action to make sure none more existed. He, along with his right-hand man, Taregan Byrnes, created a serum that would give every right-handed or left-handed person a job at age sixteen.”
“A Post,” I breathed.
“Exactly. It was given to every child at birth so they would eventually get a Post. But it also helps weed out the Ambidextrous. Setting a certain time for people to get a Post, therefore, made people fearful of not getting one and not fitting in. Those people are sent to live in the dungeons until they die.”
“But what about all the people who were over sixteen when Marcel created the Post serum? There were plenty of those.”
“He made them take the serum. This was a little different, for it was to be immediate instead of waiting for sixteen years. And if a Post didn’t appear,” Alyson shrugged. “Then he knew how to find the rest of the Ambidextrous.”
“What if they didn’t want to take it? I’m sure there were people who refused.”
“He made them. Marcel was smart, you see. He knew that if he could prevent people from getting food, they would give in and get the shot. And that’s exactly what happened. At first, they resisted. But as time went on and their kids started to go hungry, they decided just to do it. It didn’t help that Marcel promised them each a pound of cocoa.”
“Cocoa? You mean that chocolatey stuff that Governor Byrne banned? No way!” I would have happily gotten a shot if it meant just a bite of cocoa. When my brother and I were little, before cocoa was banned, Dad used to buy some. He would make two glasses of hot chocolate every few weeks. Cocoa was every kid’s dream. We would save our money to go buy hot chocolate from the local market every fall.
“So you see, we have been around for a long time. People just don’t talk about us anymore.”
“Wait, us?” I asked. “What do you mean by us?”
“You’re one of us, kid. The Ambidextrous.”
I stood up. “No, there’s no way I’m an Ambidextrous. It was just a mistake that I didn’t get a tattoo. I’m right-handed; I’ve always been right-handed.”
Alyson shook her head. She looked up at me from the floor. “You didn’t get a Post, and you’re in here with us. That isn’t an accident or coincidence. You’re ambidextrous.”
“There’s no way. I’m right-handed, I swear! I can prove it to you. Do you have anything to write with?” I searched my pockets but came up empty-handed.
Alyson got up and stood in front of me. She was slightly shorter than me. “You don’t need to prove it to me. Prove it to the noose that awaits you.”
My throat tightened as I swallowed. “I have no intention of going to the gallows. I’m not an ambidextrous; I won’t be hanged.”
She laughed. “Oh, honey, that won’t matter once the rope hangs around your tiny neck.”
Three
Alyson marched a few feet in front of me, our feet and wrists linked together by a dirty silver chain. I could hear Thea right behind me. Tears poured down her face like a two-foot-tall rainstorm, the ground darkening as she walked forward.
A few minutes later, we arrived at our destination. Six nooses hung from a long horizontal piece of wood. Five of us stood in front of our own piece of rope. I was given the end spot. I stared at the rope; the noose was three times bigger than the size of my neck. I scanned the crowd but did not see any of the four faces that lived in my heart.
Edwin’s father, Governor Byrne, stood on a platform a little ways away from the gallows. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the deaths of these traitors. Their crime? They are the remnants of the Ambidextrous. It is written in the Law: all Ambidextrous are to be punished by death. This Law will be followed.”
“This Law will be followed,” repeated the crowd.
Governor Byrne turned to the so-called traitors. The others and I were still as statues, awaiting the inevitable. Thea continued to cry. She stood between Brielle and Alyson, close enough to reach out her hand and touch them if it hadn’t been for the chains. Her small hands were handcuffed together and linked to a silver chain that sprawled across the floor, running to the next prisoner and enclosing her chained hands.
“Guard, fit the prisoners,” barked Governor Byrne. A guard grabbed each person’s neck and shoved it into the noose. He tightened the knot above the noose to fit each neck. When he got to Thea, he grabbed a chair and lifted her onto it before fitting the noose around her neck. Mine was the last neck to meet the rope. It was an unpleasant feeling, knowing my life had come to this moment: one man’s opinion leading to five innocent deaths.
I looked at Governor Byrne. He avoided my stare. He was focused on something to my right, past Alyson on the other end of the gallows. I couldn’t see what was happening. I scanned the crowd but couldn’t find the source of his attention.
“If you choose to hang these traitors, then I will hang with them.” Edwin! But where was he?
“Son, I forbid you to do this. Your life is worth far more than these nobodies.” Governor Byrne was outraged. Where was Edwin?
“Nobodies? They may not be some important head-up-his-butt governor, but they aren’t nobodies. They are people just like us. Just like me. Everyone, look at me! I’m on the gallows, at the last noose.” I looked down the row and caught a glimpse of his face.
“What is he doing?” I whispered to myself.
Maia looked over, her eyes wide. “Can’t you see? The governor’s son has decided to hang with us.” She took a step back. The noose pulled her forward again, back into her place.
For that split second, while Maia was behind the row, I saw Edwin. The right sleeve of his shirt was pulled back, resting at his elbow. His Post could be seen by the entire town. It was the symbol for greatness. “I don’t have a Post. I am Ambidextrous just like all these people. But have any of you ever known and treated me differently because of it?”
The crowd stood there in awe. Their own governor’s child, who had grown up with these people, didn’t have a Post.
Governor Byrne shook his head. “That isn’t true, son. You are not one of these Ambidextrous traitors. You have a Post – it’s right there on your arm.” He turned back to the crowd. “I am sorry, people of Ilawell, my son is unwell. Edwin, come down from the gallows. Let’s get you home. Guards.” He gestured to the guards standing in front of the gallows. They marched up the steps and came to a stop behind Edwin’s noose.
Edwin turned his head to the side. “Don’t you even think about moving me from here! I stand with my people…and my girl.” He stared at his father. “If their lives end tonight, you can bet that mine will end too. I will not stand by while you hurt innocents.”
Governor Byrne nodded his head at the guards. I thought we were saved – that Edwin had convinced his dad.
Then I heard the sound of a lever. Saw Edwin’s body go limp.
“No!!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. Tears exited my eyes, each drop hitting the floor as loud as the heartbeat in my chest.
The crowd surged on Governor Byrne. He didn’t stand a chance.
I didn’t hear the voices behind me or feel the rope being removed from my neck. I didn’t see my family rush towards me. My body hit the ground a moment later. I later realized that it was a good thing the first thing my dad did was remove the noose from my neck. I also later learned that he proceeded to free my new-found friends.
Tears fell harder as my breath began to slow.
Macey Furtick is an upcoming senior at University of the Cumberlands. She is double majoring in Christian Studies and English with an emphasis in Creative Writing. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, drawing, and any other creative outlets. She is currently writing poetry with the intention of publishing a poetry book in the next few years.
Pensworth 