Among the Enemy

Chapter Ten

Matthias fed his friends before he left. He changed the makeshift bandages over their wounds — Percy's was soaked with blood, Alia's with yellowish pus. He tried to shake each of them awake, in turn, so he could explain what he was doing.

"It's too cold out there for the two of you," he choked out, trying to sound matter-of-fact. Trying to sound cheerful. "You get to stay in this nice, warm room and sleep all you want. Isn't that nice? I cut up some food and left it right here beside your beds. So you won't have to get up when you're hungry. And I'll leave the lantern burning. There's plenty of oil. Don't worry about anything — I'll be back soon. Very soon. With help."

Alia winced as if the sound of his voice pained her. Percy stared up glassy-eyed, then let his eyelids slip slowly down. Matthias couldn't be sure that either of them understood what he'd told them, but he didn't have time to wait around and try to explain some more. He didn't have the voice for it either. A huge lump seemed to have grown in his throat. He could barely breathe, let alone speak.

He ripped off a square section of a sheet, wrapped some of the remaining food in it, tied the corners together, and slung it over his shoulder. He climbed the ladder on unsteady legs. He carefully latched the trapdoor behind him, pausing only to admire the way the planks of the trapdoor fit perfectly into the rest of the floor. Invisibly.

Nobody could know the room is down there, he told himself. It was just luck that I found it. Nobody will find Percy and Alia.

He meant to run as soon as he got out of the door of the cabin, but he couldn't make himself hurry past the pile of dead bodies. The rattle of the enemies of the people sign against its post was too hypnotic and sad.

"You weren't enemies of the people, were you?" he whispered. The dead bodies stared back at him.

After a few seconds, Matthias jerked the sign down. He turned it over and went back into the cabin to get a pen. On the back of the sign, he wrote in big letters, THE POPULATION POLICE DID THIS.

He propped the sign up against the pile of dead bodies and slipped into the shadowy woods.