The Wall

“Can I speak with you?” The others were walking on ahead, only Joseph hung in the doorway waiting for me.

“What do you want?” I said tersely.

Matthew grabbed my wrist and opened my fingers, pressing something into my palm. My fingers closed around four small, plastic wheels, pills radiated around the outer edges, the days of the week in tiny writing below them. I looked at Matthew confused.

“Am I sick? Did the tests show something?” I whispered. Joseph caught the concern in my face and started towards me.

Matthew laughed quietly, “No, no. It’s just… I don’t know what your plans are in terms of adding to your family but if you take these every day on the day specified, well, you can control when you want to have another baby.”

My face bloomed crimson. Who knew such a thing existed? “You mean I won’t get pregnant?”

Matthew nodded. I closed my hand around the discs and slipped them into my pocket. This really was a strange new world. Joseph and I weren’t even close to having to worry about another baby, but a choice would be nice.

“Thank you,” I managed.

I caught up with Joseph and we were ushered down a hall and then… sunlight. It was cold but the air had the promise of spring in it. I stood and breathed it in. My lungs danced, reaching out to grab more, more air. My eyes instantly skimmed back towards the Great Wall, back to the simple, wooden shacks. They were there. I hadn’t imagined them.

When I returned my eyes to what was in front of us, I could see the city was just as Matthew had described the Survivors’ whole lifestyle—pieced together.

The roads were narrow and grey asphalt. It was cracked and you could see the well-worn paths people used to avoid the bigger potholes. There were spi

“Since the sun is out, we’ll walk,” Matthew a

The whole town sloped downwards like it was tilted towards something. Up ahead, people were walking downhill, dressed in all ma

As we walked, we could see most of the buildings in this area were once shop fronts. Some were still used as such but most had been turned into homes. Colorful, painted flowerboxes filled with dirt hung out of windows ready for warmer weather. I imagined flowers spilling over the edges, dripping with vibrant petals. Brightly sewn curtains hung in the windows. I peered through the panes and saw a small display of miniature models of the Great Wall behind us, some carved from wood, some set in plaster, all with little, metal placards glinting in the sunlight that read: The Great Wall of China.

This place was a standing contradiction. Amazing technology set amongst a self-made mishmash. It boggled the mind. I was in awe of what they had managed to do.

“We’ll sneak in the back. This used to be an old movie theater. It seats about four hundred. The rest will probably be standing.”

The rest? I stifled an eek.

We stared at him like he was speaking a foreign language. None of us knew what the words ‘movie’ or ‘theater’ meant. I was aching to find out though.

We ducked into a side street before the theater and Matthew guided us through a door, into a dark space. I walked straight into heavy material, hanging from a very high ceiling. It was shedding bits of red fluff and smelled like dust. Velvet. Very extravagant for curtains, my mother would have said. All the while, Joseph kept his hand on me, leaning in to smell my hair. When we stopped, he placed his chin on my head, making it hard to think of anything other than unbuttoning his shirt and laying my head on his muscled chest. I sighed but it came out more like a grunt as I pushed the air out and forced myself to concentrate.

We could all hear the voices. They melded together into one collective hum. Odd smells of rancid butter and heat from too many bodies wafted through the air. Exchanging glances nervously, we shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, like we were stretching for a race. The unfamiliarity of it, the noise, and the oppressive heat hovered over us like a starter gun poised to fire. We were used to ru

Matthew looked at us sympathetically. “It’s all right. They just want to meet you.”

Oh God. I really didn’t want to go first.

Joseph took a deep breath and spoke, his voice deep and calming, “Let’s all go out together.” Then he gri

Deshi punched him lightly. “Nice.”

“No one’s going to turn on you. They’re just curious,” Matthew said. He strolled through the curtains and out onto a dark, wooden stage. I peered after him. My heart pounded in my chest as I saw at least a few hundred pairs of eyes following him as he walked to the center. The voices settled down and they waited for him to speak. “Ok, they’re here. Be nice…” He beckoned with his arm. The crowd started making noise again. Maybe they weren’t that interested in us anyway. Joseph walked out and Matthew introduced him, then Deshi, and Alexei. Apella was standing next to me holding Hessa, her feet stuck in the same glue as mine. Then those dried-up old hands started shoving me ineffectually. “Just get on with it, dear.” The crowd still hummed. Not really paying attention. Someone yelled out, confused, “I thought there were more?”

All right, I thought, one, two, three. I stepped out with Orry in my arms and dragged Apella with me.

I don’t know what I was expecting. Not this.

They looked impressed. People clapped and cheered. I recognized some faces. Gwen, Gus, Cal, all smiling, with admiring expressions everywhere.

I felt ridiculous standing there on show. I waved at the ones I knew and sat down on the stage, my legs dangling over the edge. I looked up at Matthew as if to say, What is this all about? He leaned down and whispered, “You’re the first escapees from the Woodlands. They’re impressed.”

People started approaching us, offering clothing, food, someone mentioned a vacant house they would help us fix up if we were interested. They also asked for help. Asked us what skills we had. A lot of people just wanted to touch Orry and Hessa, leaning over them cooing and fussing like they’d never seen a baby before. It was too much and I found my eyes tearing up. Kindness. Was this how people were supposed to behave?

Joseph was smiling but he looked tired. This was overwhelming, even for him. He held out his hand and I took it. Cal was staring at me again, looking back and forth between my face and our joined hands. I hoped it was a friendly stare but it made me feel uneasy.

The way they were all fussing over Orry and Hessa made me think. I sca