The Lands of the Rising Sun

A New Life

I woke up to the smell of more coffee and Ruby's father riffling through the kitchen behind me. He looked over, "good, you're up." He grabbed some clothes off the counter and threw them at me. "Wash yourself and change, you smell like shit." I held the clothes with a confused look. "Oh right, you've probably never washed yourself before."

"No I have."

"Good, so I don't have to step you through it, go out back and use the shower."

He turned and continued his activities as if he were alone. I slowly rose off the couch pushing with all my arm's strength to get my legs under me; I struggled to the back door. "What about my bandages?"

"Hmm? Oh, just take' em off, you'll be alright."

I limped out the back door; the sky lit up with sunlight bouncing from every metal roof. I looked over to the hill that all the homes had their backs to. Some children were climbing the tree and boulder atop it. Across the way I could see a mother hanging up laundry and to my left was a large bucket. Large enough to stand in and above it was a rugged metal pipe with a knob on the side. The bucket was lined with a blanket that attached to metal rings above my head. I placed the clothes down on a chair, unwrapped my bandages and stepped in. I undressed and turned the knob. After a bit of rattling cold, soothing water poured from the pipe. I closed my eyes. Dan'te's voice echoed through my head, "See this is why you needed to count the clicks on the bombs you fuckin' idiot!"

I flinched at the memory. Those deaths were all my fault. If I had just paid attention to the clicks maybe we could've taken the camp. They all died because of me. Being the only survivor, they all died for me.

After I dressed I limped back into the kitchen. Ruby's father was licking his plate clean, eyeballing the other meal in front of him. "Eat," he said. I was a bit hesitant, I caught the feeling he didn't want me here. I shoved the meal in me as fast as I could trying to find things around the room to focus on to avoid eye contact as he studied me through occasional glances. "Since you're my nephew now lets get some things straight, one," he leaned in, "my daughter is off limits, no touching-"

"You don't have to wor-"

"Don't cut me off," his voice grew stern. "I'm not an idiot, and when I speak I don't expect to be interrupted."

I swallowed the last bite. "Two, when someone asks where you're from you tell them Mercy Falls, it's a town in the Statone district up north where you picked daisies and jerked off all day until your parents died, one being my sister," he said through hand quotations. I held back a laugh so I wouldn't start another commotion. "It's okay to laugh at my jokes," he said. I spurted out an obligated chuckle. "Three, you will either help build houses all day, or come with me to the Hunter's Hall, no getting wrapped up with the merchants in the market, if they find out you're a slave they'll sell you away... But anyways I can teach you to hunt, but you are not allowed under any circumstances to talk about your slavery to anyone there, most of them will turn you in, do you understand?"

"I understand."

"Good," he said throwing rolled up wraps at me, "four, you'll always wear these wraps around your arms and legs, no one can see your mark."

"Okay, but why my legs?" I asked. "Because it would seem a little suspicious to just have your arm or both arms wrapped, this way people will think you're just keeping the sand out; besides that most people wear wraps around here anyways." I thought he was being overly precautious but I had no idea what to expect.

He stood, grabbed his rifle and a bag then exited through the front door. I followed him out limping into the bright sunlight. I remembered my father telling me about his hunts as he showed off his guns and skulls, though I was taken before I came of age to shoot a gun.