Sunset Rising

“I promise I won’t say anything. I feel sorry for your friend. The president is really crazy, and he seems obsessed with her. Don’t get me wrong, I hate being touched by Malcolm, but at least he’s not insane like Holt. There’s no way out for her.”

“What do you mean there’s no way out for her?”

“President Holt has killed every mistress he’s ever had. He’s fanatical about keeping the bloodlines clean—you know, bourge and urchins. As soon as he convinces himself she’s pregnant, he’ll kill her.”

“What?” In my utter shock and disbelief, I couldn’t even process the information she’d just given me. “Convinces himself? You mean she doesn’t even need to be pregnant?”

“None of the girls he’s killed has ever been pregnant. Rumour has it he’s not capable of having children. And if the rumours are true, Leisel’s mother took an urchin lover and Holt killed her for it, but kept the baby as his own.”

“Is Summer in any danger yet?”

“No. It usually takes a year or two before he turns on his mistress. It depends how long he stays obsessed with her.”

President Holt was a bigger monster than I had ever imagined. The rebellion became that much more important to me in that moment. I had to find a way to get Summer away from him before he turned.

“Do you see Summer a lot?”

“At least once a week Holt and Malcolm have di

“If you talk to her, can you tell her I think about her all the time? That I miss her horribly?”

“We don’t get much of a chance to talk.” A sad, scared look came over Crystal’s face. “When the president and Malcolm are alone, they talk, and… well… Summer and I hear things. Things we shouldn’t hear.”

“Like what?” Crystal looked scared and I wanted to know why.

“Forget it. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I would be killed if I ever repeated what I heard.” Crystal shook her head. “Is it true you and Jack are organizing a rebellion?”

“Yes, but it’s hard to start a rebellion with only fifty people. Not enough people are interested.”

“They’re interested. They’re just scared.”

“About the things you’ve heard,” I began, but Madi walked around the corner, and I cut off my words.

“Conspiring again? Don’t let me interrupt,” Madi said sarcastically. She unlocked the door and walked into the laundry room, letting the door slam in our faces.

I tried not to let Madi irritate me, but already my hand was itching to slap her across the face. It was going to be a long day in my current mood. I sca

I was feeling better about Crystal now that we had talked. I thought someone in the Dome was using her, but it still surprised me to learn that she knew Summer. I felt closer to Crystal now. I understood her better.

I took a cart full of dirty laundry and started sorting it. I tried to shut everything else from my mind and concentrate only on the clothes. I didn’t want a repeat of the day before. I needed water in order to work in this hell.

“Good morning, Autumn,” Di said cheerfully as she came to stand beside me. I guess she knew that wasn’t my real name, too.

“Good morning, Di.”

“News travels fast around here.”

“So I see. Are you going to turn me in?” I almost didn’t care at this point. At least they would put me in a cool apartment with ru

“Don’t you worry.” Di patted my hand. “Anyone down here that turns you in is asking for a slow and painful death. We all agree about that!”

“Hey, Di,” Madi yelled as she walked toward us. “No reason for you to help Jones any more. If she doesn’t know how to do her job yet, I’ll beat it into her by the end of the day.”

Di took off. Our supervisor came to stand behind me. “You know how to be a good worker, right, Jones?” she said in a threatening voice.

“Yes, Supervisor Madi.” How long could I put up with this woman?

She slapped the back of my head then walked over to Crystal’s station and watched her in a menacing way. I saw the threatening look she gave Crystal before she went back to her desk. Supervisor Madi was a problem that just wouldn’t go away.

I finished sorting my cart and took each load to a machine for washing. I had a small pile of hand washing that I was afraid to give Crystal. Any contact with her might provoke Madi in the mood she was in, but I didn’t want to give it to Di either, in case she was discovered doing my job. I swallowed my fear, picked up the few articles of clothing and started walking toward Crystal. I saw Madi look at me, her brows drawing together in anger. I held up the clothes for her to see.

“Supervisor Madi, may I take these to Crystal to be hand washed?” I asked as respectfully as I could. Madi gave me a reluctant nod.

I put the clothes on the counter beside Crystal and retreated quickly back to my table. My first wash was done, and I sorted it. I spent the rest of the morning painfully conscious of Madi’s stares but managed to finish two carts of laundry before lunch. I was already hot and knew I needed the water badly. I prayed Madi wasn’t going to prevent me from having it again.

I was grateful when I was given water and food. I drained the glass right away, worried that Madi might change her mind and take it from me. I was halfway through my stew when I noticed Di staring at me.

“Have mine, too,” she said, offering me her water.

“No. You need it. It would only provoke Madi if she saw you give it to me anyway.”

Madi’s head came up, and she looked at us when she heard Di and me chatting. I put my head down and finished my lunch.

“Back to work!” Madi yelled before the lunch break was over.

Di groaned as she got back on her feet. I hadn’t seen Kai off in the corner by himself. He walked over to us with a sweet smile on his face.

“Is that cart finished, Miss Autumn?” he asked

“Yes, it is, Kai. Thank you.” I returned his smile. He was the first person I talked with that day that didn’t make it clear he knew I was Su

The afternoon got hotter and hotter, and I tried to think of other things besides my need for cold water. Madi kept cruising between Crystal and me, trying to find fault with our work. Crystal had a lot of hand washing and ironing to do. She was having trouble keeping up, and it didn’t go u

As the day wore on, I could tell Crystal was getting anxious. She hurried through her work, which made her sloppy. Water splashed over the sink a few times, and Madi screamed at her to be more careful. The bong bongs sounded, and Crystal still had a lot of work to do. I saw her look of panic. Then I remembered she told me she had to be upstairs for the president’s birthday di

“You have to finish, Crystal. Those shirts and dresses still need to be pressed. They came down here with specific instructions to be done in time for this evening,” Madi said.

I wished I could go over and volunteer to finish Crystal’s work, but I knew that would send Madi over the edge. Crystal was doing her best to finish, but Madi was standing over her watching her every move. Tears were starting to fall from Crystal’s eyes. She was in an impossible predicament. She had to finish pressing the clothes for the people who were attending the president’s party, even though she had to be at the party herself. She couldn’t leave this job, and she couldn’t be late for that one.

“Cry one more time on that shirt, and I’ll make you wash it again!” Madi yelled.

Everyone had left for the day, save for myself, Di, and Kai. I could tell Crystal was about to break. I felt my own anxiety rise as I watched her in distress. The more Madi screamed at her, the harder Crystal cried and the more I cringed.