Fallen

Chapter Twenty-Four

The rest of April's tour consisted of walking down the streets of the other houses, she pointed out houses where a few of her close friends lived. We went past the fields where the Settlement grew their own crops. I searched for Alec and Ben as we passed. If anywhere, they would be there. I spotted Ben in the back near the wooden fence that encased the Settlement, but Alec was nowhere in sight.

We walked past the stables that had the sound of horses nickering through the open doors and windows. From there she showed me the far back corner where the cemetery was located on the other side of a cluster of trees.

Returning back to the main street, April and I walked up to one building that sat between the fabric store and a hat store. There was no sign above the door indicating what the building was.

April walked in and I followed. "This is Morgan's office," she said. The front room was a reception area. The place looked like a police station of sorts. To the right was an empty desk with filing cabinets behind it and chairs lining the wall on the opposite side of the room. At the back of the room, a door led to a room to the left. To the right, was an open area with bar cells in the back.

"I thought Morgan was a Keeper or whatever," I said to April, my voice quiet. If Morgan was in here, I didn't want him to overhear me,

"He is." April nodded.

"Then why are there cells in the back?"

"Oh, those?" April rolled her eyes. "They haven't been used in years. There is no police force here. There is no need because no one causes trouble."

I glanced at April who walked to the door to the left. It seemed strange that no one got in trouble. It was possible the people lived in peace. Georgetown was peaceful as far as I knew, but Georgetown was unique. It was made up of people who survived Murphy's dark rule in Denver.

April knocked on the door and a voice on the other side welcomed us in. She waved me to her side when she opened the door.

Morgan sat at a desk in the center of the room. Behind him were open windows to reveal the cluster of trees near the wooden fence. Bookcases and filing cabinets snuggled up against the walls. A single chair sat on this side of the desk facing Morgan.

"Thank you, April you may go. Mel, take a seat." He waved to the wooden chair. I sat as April closed the door behind me.

Morgan pushed some books and papers aside before he looked up. "April may have told you, we are self-standing here. We grow our own food, we make our own clothes, and what we cannot make ourselves we go into the city and retrieve. Every person has a job for our survival. So, you will have one too. Luckily I have a job here in the office."

I watched Morgan. He was relaxed with his hands folded in front of him on the desk. He spoke with ease and his eyes were just as calculating as mine.

"Do you know how to read?" Morgan asked.

I thought over the question only for a second because if I hesitated it would be suspicious. There was no reason why I should lie. "Yes, I know how to read and write."

Morgan nodded, that charismatic smile returning to his face. "Good. Only a few women in the Settlement are taught to read. April is one because of her work in the hospital, but most girls do not learn what is not relevant to their lives."

Did that mean boys went to school? And what were they taught? I wanted to ask the questions, but I wouldn't ask Morgan.

April was a safer person to ask. I would talk to her later because there was something about Morgan's charismatic smile I did not trust. Morgan looked like a trustworthy person, but there was something in his eyes. Something was hidden behind his personality or charm. It was just a bad feeling.