Read Under My Skin Online

Authors: Shawntelle Madison

Under My Skin (3 page)

BOOK: Under My Skin
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Silence folded over us like a heavy cowl. From the way Astrid’s empty eyes peered at us from across the cabin, I wondered if we should be excited. Fear clenched my belly and Astrid’s words echoed through my skull. We were Aspirants now. And, as such, all Eva’s talk of glamorous living may mean nothing.

It was Casper who ended the silence. “Then what makes us so valuable? Why pay us?”

Astrid gestured to everything around us. “Someone has to pay for the testing centers. The transport ships for the Water Bearers. The Guild are very particular about who they invite into their inner circle to work for them.”

Ten minutes later, our transport ship landed at one of the many buildings on the edge of the city. Our chipper guide reappeared. “Welcome to the Training Facility.”

No one looked our way or attempted to talk to us.

“Keep moving, Aspirants. We have a schedule to maintain.” The ushers, who took our bags, kept their eyes downcast. There was nothing special about them, simply men and women in the same lime green uniform I wore.

I tapped Astrid on the arm. “Can I send a network message to my parents? I want to know if they made it back home.”

“Don’t worry. Once you become a Water Bearer, your family will receive your stipend and any problems they have will be a memory.” From the way she plastered a smile on her face, I suspected she’d said this thing to everyone with the same glassy eyes. Maybe she meant to shut me up, but I couldn’t ignore my growing suspicions.

After a few twists and turns, the boys followed Astrid’s assistant while we followed her. The hallways had fine carpets and sleek walls of metal. But, as we ventured deeper into the bowels of the building, everything darkened. Walls were in need of fresh paint, there were stains on worn carpets, and, worst of all, an underlying musty odor of mold permeated everything.
 

Eventually, we reached a wide room with a seemingly endless ceiling. But we weren’t the only ones inside. Other girls peered at us from behind rows of bunk beds. The bunks ran from the center of the room to the barren gray walls.

“This place has welcome written all over it,” I whispered.

Astrid pointed to the bunks as the usher handed Eva her bag. “Find a bunk. Beside each bed’s a locker. Good luck finding one that locks, though.”

Then Astrid left without a backward glance. Eva went to search for a bed.

“Might as well get comfortable. You see anything free?” I asked Zoe.

“We won’t know unless we look.” Zoe and I wove through the crowd of girls, who stared down the newcomer Aspirants. The girls came in every shape and shade, most likely, from all over Myria. Getting through the crowd who blocked a narrow path between bunks got harder.

“Excuse me,” I announced. When no one moved, Zoe shouldered her way through with me trailing behind.

One girl behind us snorted while another one giggled. “If the competition’s got a face like that, I’ll be sure to get a job with the Guild.”

“Ha! Which one are you talking about?” another replied.

“You got a problem?” Before I could say more, Zoe pulled me away, hissing, “Don’t bother with those scamps.”

There went using response number two:
When nice fails, you stand up for yourself. Just don’t hit them over the head with a rock.

As we searched for a bunk, I checked for windows—any means to get out of here. There weren’t any.

By the time we reached the back of the room, we spotted two empty bunks. Neither one was in good shape. The bunk used the wall for support due to a missing leg. A strange stench came from the tattered mattresses. It was most likely the government-issued antibiotic spray to kill germs.
 

We weren’t the only unlucky souls to get the poorest accommodations. The lockers around us appeared dilapidated with missing locks and doors hanging on hinges.

“I have nothing worth locking anyway,” I muttered. With a sigh, I settled on the bottom bunk while Zoe fumbled around with her locker.

“Don’t bother,” I told her. “The front panel isn’t lit.” In our village, we had lockers like these for the kids who lived at school.

Zoe slammed the door shut for good measure. “Whatever. It’s practically growing more prehistoric by the second.”

She found a spot to sit next to me. “This place is depressing but livable.”

Something must’ve caught Zoe’s eye. She leaned forward with a frown. “Looks like Eva’s pitching a tent in Scampsville.”

I shrugged. She had the same clothing like the girls we’d passed. Thicker clothes with ribbons and lace. Handmade boots made from real leather instead of the faux-leather shoes we had. A few girls had bracelets with built-in vidphones. Any of them could contact friends or family as often as they pleased.

On nights when the power was on, Zoe and I watched girls who looked like Eva on the communications console. They had their holo-video shows and interactive vid-games. A world completely different from ours.

A loud voice filled the air through an intercom system. “Aspirants have ten minutes to report to the assembly hall for the initiation.” Following the announcement, a swarm of older girls in light blue uniforms burst down the aisles holding bundles. One girl tossed us two bundles with a terse, “Put them on!”

Zoe tore through her plastic-wrapped bundle much faster than I did. Others around us flipped open light blue robes and squealed with delight. Not a uniform, but one step closer to acceptance.

I tossed the soft garment over my head. As the material fell to the floor, I stared at the other girls who put on theirs. Did they appreciate it as much as I did?
 

Zoe had already dressed. From her pocket, she pulled out a few things: hair bands and a palm-sized book. Uncle Nathan’s prayer book was the only thing the muggers had left on him after they’d killed him. After he’d died, she always carried his book around with her. My fingers itched to touch the tiny leatherback, but I paused. She shouldn’t have brought that kind of thing in here. If one of the enforcers found it, our family could get into big trouble.

The book was quickly stowed away back into her pocket.

None of the Water Bearers at the entrance moved our way so I relaxed a bit. “I wonder what will happen to us.”

Zoe did a half-shrug. “For all we know, they give us some dumb certificate and then put us to work, scrubbing floors for the Guild.”

She’d said that far too loud. One of the other girls in a nearby bunk cast a wary eye in our direction. In Myria, everyone paid attention to their words. No one wanted an enforcer suddenly knocking on their door.

 
“I don’t think it’ll be that simple,” I mumbled.

“With rich people, it’s always that simple.” She touched the delicate material of her robe. “Who needs all this primping to be a handmaid to some Guild lady?”

Whether we were destined to be floor scrubbers or attendants, the current class of Water Bearer Aspirants made their way from the dormitory into a part of the building that dazzled. The scratched wooden floor turned into marble. Instead of plastic plants, the planters along the wall boasted vibrant greenery. Ahead of us, one Water Bearer attempted to corral the wayward rattails from a frail and gangly Aspirant while yet another wiped the girl’s face.

“On what street corner do they find them?” one of the Water Bearers asked the other.

“Oh, be quiet.” Her cohort nervously glanced over her shoulder.
 

“We should leave this poor girl alone. If she knew what they planned to do to her, she wouldn’t want our help.”

“Not today. If they’re not looking their best, we lose a full day’s ration.”

What were they saying?
I opened my mouth to speak, but another girl behind us elbowed her way past Zoe and me. She shoved Zoe in the shoulder and pushed me aside. Like Eva, she was olive-skinned and her jewelry exuded wealth.

“Hey!” I blurted.

Zoe snapped, “The words are ‘Excuse me.’”
 

The girl brushed off our remarks with a smirk and addressed the Water Bearer. “Why doesn’t my vid-phone work anymore?”

The two Water Bearers exchanged a quick glance. They slowed and the other girls kept going. Before they went out of earshot, one of them replied, “Aspirants aren’t allowed—”

So even the rich girls followed the same rules.

Once we entered the assembly room, I could barely make out the people standing in front of me. But above us was a different story. The vast space above us formed a wide circle with multiple tiered floors. Floating lights cast a starry glow to illuminate them.

As I ambled forward, the patter of the Aspirants’ footsteps on the stone floor echoed along the walls. Shadows filled the room, but I could make out the robed figures of the Aspirants. We resembled droplets of water surrounding the single well. An older man, clad in the same robe, stood next to the well with his hands raised. Around his neck, he wore many silver and gold necklaces.
 

“Quiet everyone. The ceremony will begin soon.” His voice carried and rose into the far reaches of the room. I peered around me. How many of us were there? Why had Astrid been worried? There had to be more than enough Aspirants here to fill the needs of the Guild.

The man spoke again, ending our chatter. “Welcome Aspirants! I am Valentin, the headmaster of the Water Bearers.”

He left the well to stroll through the throng of Aspirants. They parted to give him passage.

“By the end of the day today, you’ll be initiated as a Water Bearer. You’ll also meet your future patrons.” He paused to make sure we listened. Then he held up a red card for everyone to see. “Make sure you are on your best behavior. Their sponsorship is important.”
 

Valentin stopped between another row of Aspirants. His robes swished against the floor. “No sponsor card means less desirable clothing and quarters. We don’t run an orphanage here. The Water Bearers are trained to serve the Guild. With luck and perseverance, one day in the future, you might become one of them.”

Whispers stirred through the crowd. The thought of becoming like that woman I’d met in the booth at the Testing Center made my head ache. I wanted nothing she had.

A Water Bearer rushed into the room and spoke quietly with Valentin.

“The guests of honor are arriving.” Valentin hurried to the well. By the time he reached it, two Water Bearers in dark blue robes waited with large clay urns.

The guests Valentin had told us about began to fill the balconies above us. Every size and shape of man and woman took us in. From girls my age wearing elaborate gowns to middle-aged men with stern faces. An overweight older man munched on a piece of cake. A Water Bearer at his side offered him more from a silver plate. So many faces, all of them powdered and reeking of wealth and privilege.

With the Guild settled, Valentin began our initiation. I craned my neck over the others to watch him take a bucket of water from the well and fill the urn. He murmured, “With this water, I shall bless the Water Bearers. The fruit of the future.” He whispered additional words, which I couldn’t hear.

He gestured to the nearest Aspirant who happened to be Eva. His Water Bearer assistants positioned her to kneel. With a solemn smile, she tilted her head back. Everyone else followed suit.

Valentin poured water from the urn back into the well. “With this first offering, we bring you into the fold as a Water Bearer.”

He poured again, the clear water sloshing into the well’s depths with an ominous echo.

“With this second offering, you will come willing into the folds of your destiny, ready and eager to serve.”

The others around me trembled. One or two sniffed. The laughter had ended and now came the real ceremony. Eva, who knelt near the front, practically glowed.
 

Valentin gestured to Eva. “Come, child. Accept your blessing as a Water Bearer.”

The Guild continued to stand in the rafters above us, silent and stony. Eyes—both young and old—didn’t waver.
 

Valentin dipped his ladle into the water. With steady hands, he gave Eva a drink. After that, we all received our blessing. As I approached the well, I hoped a drink would take all my apprehension away. Once I became a Water Bearer, I’d be more than just Tate Sullivan. Maybe my new job would lead to new things—like adventures in the cities I’d always wanted to visit. In the end, I’d accept my fate and leave this room prepared to face whatever obstacles they’d throw at me. But my blessing tasted awful: warm and laden with chemicals with a hint of salty sea water. My stomach lurched. Ugh. The urge to spit hit hard. Of course, with my luck, the Guild would see me. When I looked up, though, they had left.

I reluctantly swallowed the water and followed the line. Eventually, I ended up back against the wall. Zoe and I had been separated during the ceremony. Before I could leave the line to join her, a set of double doors behind me opened. Dozens of Water Bearers ran into the room carrying brown boxes. One of them shoved a box into my hands before moving on to the next person. I poked my fingers into the box’s narrow opening.

Suddenly, enforcers with guns marched through the doors. Everyone around me spilled backward. My breath caught in my throat. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t seen armed men before. Everyone had. We respected them like our parents. But it was the people who strolled behind them that set my heart pounding.
 

A Water Bearer girl, pushing a wheelchair entered first. A man, or perhaps the shell of what had been a man, perched in the seat. He wore a gown of woven gold. More entered with Water Bearers, dressed in their light blue uniforms, along with other servants who obediently followed them. Those who could not walk rode in mechanical chairs or someone pushed them. They all appeared different, except in one way. They all looked at us with eager anticipation.

So these were the Guild, the men and women the Water Bearers served.

With the armed guards watching us for any strange movements, the Guild swept through the crowd. They touched our hands, grabbed at our wrists. One girl cried when the fat man I’d seen earlier tried to touch her. An awkward moment passed as the Water Bearers sprang into action to haul her away.

BOOK: Under My Skin
5.33Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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