Chapter Five

________________

________________

My feet stops moving suddenly making Samuel bump into me, realising that we have actually wasted our time going back to the spot we found those plants, the water source Elsa seem to be chasing after is a dead lake, all dried up!

"Elsa! Elsa!" I try to call her back but she already ran from my horizon and earshot.

"Come on let's go after her," Samuel says, nudging me forward.

We keep running for a few more minutes until we get to the old lake.

Just like before; it is still dried up.

An empty space. Filled with cracked and dried up earth. Empty.

Elsa is crunched on the ground looking defeated; hands folded into fists by her side.

"El, It's going to be fine," I say kneeling by her side.

"How? They are going to throw us out E! How would we eat? Without a profession, we are liabilities E! What would we do? How would I take care of you? I have failed. I have failed you," she says looking at me with trembling lips and I realise she is about to cry.

"Elsa, don't cry, please, you know I can't stand that. They will put us in another profession not throw us out, that's what Bellman said it isn't that bad." I try to console her.

"You don't get it do you! You are always so ignorant and naive. Have you not noticed? There are no other professions, only the guards, the farmers and the foragers are getting their quota of food; there are missing people everyday in the city Eden, what do you think happened to them? What do you think happened to the kids we graduated with? We started out twenty now we are less than that! What do you think happened to them?!" She screams at me stray tears falling down her face.

Now that I think about it, a lot of our neighbours have been missing for months now, even the foragers we graduated with only thirteen are left. The other seven just never came back, the officials say they left on their own. But did they?

"They did not leave on their own, they either got thrown out or worst!" She finishes for me.

"But A****n would not just throw people out, right?" I ask hoping the answer is not what I am thinking.

"Sorry to cut into your conversation but Elsa is right, no body except the officials know what is happening; the population is decreasing rapidly and it's not due to normal causes or immigration; its like people are just vanishing," Samuel says staring at the dried lake, "my mum thinks its the food."

"What about the food?" I ask looking at the both of them confused.

"Eden, have you not noticed the quantity of food rationed out to the people has reduced? Don't you notice the number of children we pass every morning reduce too?" Elsa answers for him.

"I have, but is the food situation connected to the missing people?" I ask still not getting it, they both looked like they fully comprehended the situation but I didn't.

I have always known that our soil was no longer able to grow crops the way it used to, they even had to kill some animals few months back because there was no feeds for them but did they now start killing people too?

"In a city like ours, everything is connected. Come on girls we still have a few hours before the sun comes down, let's walk back to city or do you guys plan on sleeping out here, we are far from home." Samuel finishes but before he can make a turn and start heading back, Elsa stops him.

"You! Your father is really important, he will not let them kill you, you are his only son. Why are you even here? This mission was doomed from the start. They never really wanted us to graduate to start with that is why they made us do this! Everyone knows this assignment is way above our level. What is going on Samuel? What is really happening? Your district lives like the food situation isn't affecting them, while the rest of us dies. What is really going on?"

"You said it, my father is really important. I am not! I don't have an answer to any of your questions," he says firmly and walks away angrily.

Elsa keeps staring at his retreating back and knowing her, she wanted to cause trouble.

"Elsa, let's go. Forget about it, it's not our business why the officials sent us to do this."

"You think it's not our business? Well if I am going to get killed I would like to know why at least! Use your pretty head Eden! Samuel shouldn't even be doing assignments with us, his father is second in command in the whole city! He rules our compound! That means he is entitled to a position in the political circle!"

"Maybe he is just doing assignments with us to learn. I don't know." I shrug.

Elsa stops staring at Samuel's back and now focuses her attention on me;

"E, I am sorry, it's all my fault."

"No, it isn't."

"Yes, it is! I knew this place was a dead end but I was just so carried away. I thought maybe, we will meet a miracle or something. I am sorry."

"It's okay," I say rubbing circles on her hands, "you still believe in magic?" I ask.

She smiles and hugs me. We start walking back the way we came, Samuel was already a few feet ahead of us fuming over the outburst they had earlier.

"I wonder what's going to happen now," Elsa says to me, worry still evident in her brown eyes.

"We will be fine, I still don't believe they will kill anybody. Hmmmm, guys I need to take a quick pee, I will be right back," I say leaving a worried Elsa with an angry Samuel.

I find a good spot behind some dried tree trunks and relieve myself.

I step back out and I find only Samuel.

"Where is Elsa?"

"I do-"

"GUYS! EDEN!! SAMUEL!!! I SWEAR IT'S WATER! EDEN IT'S WATER!!"

We hear Elsa's voice and I stare at Samuel who just turns in the direction of Elsa's voice stumping the ground as he marches towards her.

We reach Elsa and low and behold, she is standing right in front of a spring!

"I swear it's a miracle Eden! It's a miracle! We are not going to die!!! We won't die! We have found water! See! It's real water! I even tasted it! Come see! We can finally have a bath!!!! Eden I swear we will get a promotion!" She screams joy flowing out of her.

I stand grinning at her excitement and she drags me to the spot where the water is flowing out of the ground and she starts splashing me with it.

It is amazing.

Finding this means so many things for us and everyone and most importantly we were not going to get killed!

Even Samuel is happy and surprised at the same time, he joins us in the little pool Elsa had created and we all take our baths.

God its been ages since we had a bath....

When we finish, we start our journey back home. We were so excited we did not even feel the cold evening breeze on our wet clothes.

Two hours later, we get to the city gates. we meet other foragers at the gate all standing looking tensed. Some girls were seated on the ground looking helpless.

Elsa approaches one of them and tries to find out why they were outside and the gates were closed.

"Only those that found water are allowed in, orders from the general" Says one of them.

"But why is the general giving us orders? Besides I thought Bellman said those who failed would have to join other groups." I try to put in.

Elsa gives me a look that I have come to know meant I should keep quiet and let her do the talking.

"So far how many people found water?" she asks the girl.

"None! Isn't it obvious! Look around you Blondie!" the girl says looking irritated.

While we stand there not knowing how to inform the guards that we did actually find water, one of the guards steps out and asks of Samuel, when he spots him he informs him that he could step into the city.

This causes a little commotion among the rest of us but like I said little commotion there was nothing about thirteen of us could do to about fifty armed and trained guards.

Soon enough, they create space for Samuel to step into the city.

"Why can't we just mention that we foun-"

"Don't!! Look around you Eden! This people will give anything to know what you are just about to say. Come with me." She hisses to my ears.

She takes my hand and we both move towards the gate.

"Excuse me officer!" she says to one of the guards.

"Step aside Blondie! I don't have time for whatever you want to say." He replies looking bored.

"No! You will have time for this! We found water! My team found water! You need to let us in so we can inform our captain!" Elsa insists in a low voice.

"That's is the same thing you all keep saying; step aside before I shoot you!" He says moving closer.

"Elssaa! Please stop trying. We will find another way." I try to pull her with me but she refuses to move.

"Elsa, pleaseee." I try to plead with her but before she responds; we see Bellman walking briskly towards the gate with Samuel following behind him.

"Let those two girls in!" he says to the guard with his usual tone.

"Sir! I am sorry, I can't open the gates for any of them! Order from the General sir!" he says standing at alert.

Bellman stares at the guard for a few seconds, his head almost increasing in size and asks for his name.

"Tony sir! Tony Woods sir!"

"Hmmmm well Samuel, I guess you can run along and go tell the good general that a certain Tony woods is threatening to destroy the city by refusing to let in our source of survival."

"Okay Captain," Samuel says and starts retreating.

"Hold on! Young Mr Spencer! If it's the general's order then I will let them in right away. You don't have to tell him about me. Come- come in miss and miss," he says bowing to us.

Elsa and I steps in looking puzzled at Samuel and Mr Bellman.

"Come with me girls, you have to face the boss and explain the exact location where you found that water." Bellman says to us.

We walk quietly in a straight file behind him, until we get to the administration building. We pass cells on the ground floor and go up to the second floor, Bellman knocks at a door and a guard opens it allowing us into the conference room, in there I see Mr. Spencer at the right hand of a mean looking man who has a scar running across is face from ear to ear which is really ugly if you ask me. There are a bunch of other men in here too but I have never seen them before nor was there any striking thing about their appearance other than they looked well dressed and well fed almost like the room they all sat.

Mr Bellman directs us to stand at the center and walks around to join the others at the table, when he is seated, the one with the scar stands up and begins addressing us.

"You must be Elsa and you Eden, do you mind sharing to the council how you found water?" he says while giving Elsa an intense gaze, like he is trying to reach down her soul.

Before I can even respond, Elsa holds my hands and takes a few steps forward towards the one who spoke to us whom I presume must be the general.

"We will share everything we know but on one condition," she says holding my hands firmly.

There were gasps among the council which consisted of five men including Mr Bellman, even Samuel gave Elsa a shocking look. I could not believe my ears but with that firm grip on my hand it only meant I should let her do the talking.

Mr. Scar man only smiled a little bit and leans a bit forward. "Young lady, do you know who you are dealing with?" he says.

"I know you are the general and I know that source of water is very important to a****n." Elsa throws back at him with lots of confidence.

"Don't you also know that as an Amazonian you have to obey your General's command!? Which at this situation is answer my question?" He clenches his fists and I see Mr Spencer holding the general's shoulders in an attempt to calm him, then Mr Spencer stares at Elsa. "Elsa, what is your condition?" he asks her calmly.

"I want you to let every forager outside into the city," she says.

"That can be arranged, but do you assure us that you really did find water and can still remember the way back?"

"Yes of course I can, nobody in my team knows the forest like I do"

"Okay it's a deal then. Bellman! Go tell the guards to let them all in!" Mr Spencer says with finality to Mr Bellman.

"But Thomas, the city w-" The General or Mr. Scar man as my mind now calls him,  tries to object.

"The city will rejoice at the news of the water discovery,Go!" Mr Spencer says.

"Okay Thomas. Its your call." The General says through his teeth and  leaves the room in anger.

"You three can go rest now, tomorrow is going to be a long day!" Mr Spencer says to us giving Elsa a warm smile.

I mouth a quick thank you and we file out of the room.