Beasts and Savages (The Beastly Series Book 1) (9 page)

“Wow, Lea. Who knew you could actually look good?” One of the twins had her hands on her hips, glaring at me.

I tugged on the skirt to cover as much skin as possible. “Uh, thanks. I guess.”

“Mind your own beeswax.” Rally stuck her tongue out before turning back to me. “Of course you look good. I dressed you.”

I went back into the closet to find my clothes. The costumes were soft and fairly comfortable, but I already missed concealment of tunics and leggings for daily wear.

“Quick everyone! My mom will be home in fifteen minutes. Put everything back!” Girls rushed around on Beth’s orders, hanging things on the first hook they found. Furs flew everywhere; tunics were thrown over heads.

Rally reached for a hook and stopped. She took down a leather bag with a rose emblem burned on it.

“What’s this?”

Beth inspected it. “It looks like the satchel in Ms. Dawning’s photo.” She opened it, looked inside, and then dumped the contents. A knife in a sheath, a small canteen, a compass in a silver case, and a braided leather rope spread across the table.

I knew what the compass was for; we’d learned to use them in class so we wouldn’t get lost while hunting. A canteen seemed practical, but the rope and knife were a mystery to me.

“I wonder what the knife is for,” I thought out loud.

Beth whispered, “To cut his heart out.”

“What?!” Ms. Dawning hadn’t said anything about cutting the hunted’s heart out.

“Why?”

“Don’t you know anything?” One of the twins snapped. “We don’t take food so we’ll hunt better. After we finish, we have to eat his heart so we have enough energy to get back. Plus it gives us nourishment for the baby. Why else do you think they die?”

A wave of nausea rolled over me. I swallowed hard.

“I thought maybe they were like bees. After they sting, they lose their stingers and die. Something like that.” Once I spoke, I realized how stupid and naive I was. The girls around me laughed. Heat rushed to my face.

Rally took my hand. “Come on, she didn’t know.” She led me out the doorway before poking her head back into the room. “Beth’s mom is going to be home any minute. We better get out of here.”

The laughter stopped and girls rushed around. Rally held my hand all the way to Beth’s room. I plopped down on her bed and stared up at her canopy. Tears burned my eyes. I didn’t know if they were from embarrassment or from learning the horrible truth.

Rally plopped down beside me and sighed, “I hate pink.”

I giggled, “me too.” I rolled to my side and propped my head up with my hand. “Thanks for standing up for me. I feel so stupid.”

Rally rolled on her side to face me. “It was nothing. That’s what friends do.” She traced the pattern of the bedspread with a finger. “You really don’t know much about hunting, do you?”

I lay back down and crossed my hands over my stomach. “I guess not. How do you know so much?” I continued, “My mother waited until I bloomed to discuss the basics of changing. Any time I brought up the subject she changed it. I think she doesn’t want me to dwell on Lucille. Painful memories.”

“Who’s Lucille?”

I checked Rally with my eyes. She was brave enough to ask because she was innocent enough to not think of terrible scenarios on her own.

“She was my best friend. She died.”

“What? How?”

“She had a boy. Something happened after and she couldn't request a second hunt.”

Rally’s eyebrows knitted close together and she bit her lip. “Did she get the surgery without being asked if she wanted a second hunt? How did she die?”

I closed my eyes. “No. She killed herself. The doctors said she was depressed.”

“Oh Lea, I’m so sorry.” She slipped her hand over mine. I let her keep it there.

We stayed in silence for a long time. I thought back to my nightmare and Lucille. Something clicked. Lucille had remembered her hunt. She must have. I remembered how she whispered to herself, and when she caught me watching she would shake her head. I had heard Lucille whisper the words, “killed for nothing.” At the time I had dismissed it, certain I had heard her wrong.

I glanced at Rally. Her eyes were closed, face serene. My mind whirled. Mom knew. I wasn’t sure how, but Mom knew that Lucille remembered. That was the reason she didn’t want to talk to me about the hunt; why she looked worried when I told her I remembered my changing. I wanted to run home and demand answers, but I knew she wouldn’t tell me.

Doubt crept into my mind. Lucille had told me she couldn’t remember her changes. Time and time again I would ask, beg, plead and she would apologize and insist that she couldn’t tell me. The words stuck in my head: couldn’t tell me. I looked again at Rally. She was the closest I had to a best friend and I hadn’t even considered telling her I remembered my change.

“So,” I asked, “Are you going to tell me what you know about the hunt?”

Rally pulled her hand away and sat up, curling her knees to her chest. “Sure. Why not?”

After she bloomed her mom sat her down and told her everything, including what she could remember of her changings and her hunt. Rally’s mom even told her about her birth. She was a twin, but the other baby was a boy.

“You’re mom remembers her hunt? I didn’t think that was possible.” Now that I knew the truth about Lucille, I wondered how many women did remember, but were too shaken to admit it. I wasn’t ready to talk about my change. If I remembered hunting, I was sure I would never talk about it to anyone.

“She remembers setting out with her compass and walking into our house bloodied from the hunt. She says everything else was a red blur.” Rally explained.

“Oh.” I had hoped there was more, maybe something about remembering her change.

Soon, Beth stepped into her room. “We’re having dinner in the garden with my family.”

Rally sat up. “Okay. We’ll be there in a few.”

Beth looked at me. “Lea, you’re not going home are you? Sorry about what happened.” She studied the floor.

I sat up. “No, I’m not going home. I need a minute though.” I had one more question to ask Rally.

Beth turned and walked down the hall. I faced Rally.

“Do you think hunting is the right thing to do? I mean, do you really want to kill a person just because, well to have a baby?”

“Are you asking me if I want a baby? Because the answer is yes. I hate going through the change every month. Waking up after two days feeling weak, wondering how I bruised and cut myself so badly. Seeing the scratches on the door that I know I made. And that deep hunger that lingers for days.” She shuddered. “I want to stop going through that.” She paused and added, “I want to feel a little life growing inside me. I want to cuddle a chubby little baby and teach her to grow strong and proud.” Rally stood and started to leave. “I think all of that is worth the life of one boy. He’s just a man, a savage.”

“But he’s still a human.” I countered.

Rally stopped walking and turned back to me. “Barely. Why do you think we have to wear costumes? It makes us look like them.” She paused. “Besides, my mom said they volunteer for the hunt. I’m not sure how the girl who told her knew. I doubt they are capable of using language. Anyway, going through changings is awful, and I’m sure the hunt will be just as bad. I want a daughter and am willing to go through whatever it takes to have one.” She left without a single glance back.

I stared after her. She was so young, yet so sure of herself. I wondered about her changings. I certainly hadn’t hurt myself unintentionally or clawed at the door. How long did I have before everyone realized I was different?

Chapter 6

~Requisition~

I left Beth’s before Mom could show up to collect me.  When I got home, she was in the kitchen talking to Nana. The room smelled of fish and lemon; I crinkled my nose. Their conversation faltered when I arrived.

“Mom I need to talk to you.”

“Sure, sweetie, how was the sleep over?” She nodded to Nana and steered me toward the door.

“Fine. Where are we going?”

“My room. I need to take measurements for the hunting costume. I’m sure it will need some adjustments.” She smiled, but her hands fluttered nervously.

“I’m sorry about yesterday. I’m sort of glad I went.”

White fur was strewn across her bed.  A kitchen chair was in the middle of the room, and her bedside table had been pulled up next to it.  There were needles, thick thread and leather straps arranged on it.  Several pairs of fur boots were lined up along the wall.

“Change into the fur and stand on the chair. I need to fit you.”  Mom picked up a box of pins.

“Already? Next week is the May hunt, and we have six months after that. Maybe more.” I glanced at her. She didn’t seem to be listening. I ran my hand over the soft fur.  Its smell of dust and lavender had a tranquilizing effect.  I wanted to lie down and bury myself in it; forget the world and live in my cocoon of rabbit fur.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? It’s one of the few remaining original costumes.  Every woman in our family has hunted in it.  Now that honor will be bestowed upon you.” She sighed.  I envisioned her wearing this same outfit, excited to hunt.  I could almost see her as a young girl, dancing and twirling in the costume.  Giggling as Grandmother chastised her and told her to calm down.  I shook the made up memory away. 

Mom laughed when the skirt would only pull up to my thighs.

“Hold on sweetie, I was much younger than you.  I didn’t have hips just yet.” She tugged at the back and made some snips.  The skirt loosened and fell back to the floor.  When I pulled it on the second time, it was much too large and I had to hold it up.  She pinched fur here and there, pinning as she went.  Once she finished, the skirt sat snug just below my belly button.