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</div></div><br/><div style="text-align: justify"><i><span style="font-size: 12px">Location: Abendblume Community</span></i><br/>
<br/>
The sound of running shoes pounding against pavement and the audible pattern of rhythmic breathing took over the stillness of the air. For many, especially in this day and age, the calm could only elicit fear. Silence could conceal so much and absolutely nothing at all. It was not hard for the enemy to hide oneself amongst the thicket of trees, or even on the hillside, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. To combat the panic that was created in an idle brain, Rachel Strickland spent the early morning running laps around the property. She finished her quick seven mile jog and re-tied her hair atop her head as she walked the path back to the resort.<br/>
<br/>
“I thought Hale told you to run after dawn.” Rachel hardly paid the <a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=http%3A%2F%2F68.media.tumblr.com%2F17d4c4c8834ef4315156f6f735c44037%2Ftumblr_ogck3fnmk41qh6y6po1_1280.jpg&amp;hash=d70aea8d9518f467d141894a9a448e99" href="http://68.media.tumblr.com/17d4c4c8834ef4315156f6f735c44037/tumblr_ogck3fnmk41qh6y6po1_1280.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">tall, dark-skinned man</a> any attention as he fell into line beside her, his legs taking one step for every two of hers. She had spotted him minutes before, standing on the front porch of the resort. Even across the property, Rachel knew he disapproved.<br/>
<br/>
“It is after dawn.” She stripped her shirt off and dabbed at the perspiration that prickled along her skin.<br/>
<br/>
Ayokunle sighed and shook his head. “It is dawn now, Rachel. We both know you don’t run a three minute mile. The sun came up fifteen minutes ago and you’ve been out here for forty-five.”<br/>
<br/>
Rachel paused her stride and turned to face him, one hand on her hip while the other shaded her eyes while she gazed up at him. Ayo was a beautiful man with dark chocolate skin. He donned his khaki guard uniform, the fabric stretched taut across his broad shoulders. If she wasn’t offended by his poor attempt to reprimand her, she may have flirted while she was sweaty and wearing little more than a sports bra.<br/>
<br/>
“I understand your concern, but it is unnecessary. I run within the property line. There are at least twelve guards along my path. Probably more that I can’t see. This is not abnormal for me, you know that.”<br/>
<br/>
She could sense that there was something else on his mind, something that he wasn’t communicating to her. Discomfort radiated off of his body in waves while he stood with his arms crossed over his chest. Hard lines formed over his once gentle features. He kept his attention on the resort towering above them, even as Rachel stood before him. Upon realizing that their conversation was over until Rachel did as he was silently requesting, she led him up the stairs with a gentle touch. She relented as Ayo took her hand from the small of his back and held it firmly in his, guiding her into the safety of the resort.<br/>
<br/>
Rachel rinsed off using her daily allotment of water and dressed in scrubs. Aurora, a sweet girl a few years younger than Rachel, was nearing the end of her pregnancy and Rachel knew it wouldn’t be much longer, maybe even that day. She spent most of the last week beside Aurora, distracting her with stories and tales of her life from Before and easing her pain by massaging caraway oil into her hips and back.<br/>
<br/>
She was dying to see the young girl and check her progress. There was a night nurse that sat with Aurora while Rachel was off-shift. The worker had not called for her, so she supposed she had enough time to sit and listen to what Hale had to say. Aurora had mentioned the meeting the afternoon before. She had wanted to attend, but her current discomfort and rounded belly kept her from joining the others.<br/>
<br/>
Most of the seats were already taken by people that seemed to have no other hobbies or duties at Abendblume. The elderly sat along the front row, their walkers and canes propped against their chairs. She found an open chair towards the back of the room and smiled as she sat down, chatting idly with the familiar faces sitting amongst her. Rachel had been a Labor and Delivery nurse in her prior life but served primarily as an infirmary nurse here within the resort. Many of these young children had been her patients, as well as their parents and oftentimes even their parents’ parents.<br/>
<br/>
Silence fell over the lobby like a heavy, low-lying cloud. Rachel crossed her legs and watched as Hale approached the podium to address his people. She didn’t expect much to come from this gathering. Maybe he would announce that they planned to add more crops to the property? Perhaps they had located a local tradesman that would barter a cow or two for some sort of Goods they were in excess of.<br/>
<br/>
Her guess could not have been any more the opposite had she tried.<br/>
<br/>
Instead of making moves and decisions to improve the quality of life of everyone that lived at Abendblume, Hale instead selected to reduce the population by a small percentage of individuals. Rachel felt her heart drop to her feet and she anxiously re-crossed her legs. Neither she or Tobias had family members outside of one another. Tobias was not one to settle down and Rachel was more or less married to her career. How was this fair? How did this make sense?<br/>
<br/>
“Your selection process is barbaric, Hale.” Rachel was on her feet before she realized what she was doing. She had thought herself a friend to Hale as one of the physicians to his family. “We are being penalized because we chose not to marry or reproduce? The very people you have chosen to banish have only wanted the best for our friends and family here, Hale. Do you not realize how much more food is needed to feed these young children and babies? We are doing you a favor by not increasing the population and you decide to push us out?” In her peripheral, Rachel saw Ayo approach her, but her outstretched arm kept him at bay. “What is your next step, Hale? Poisoning the water supply so you can kill off the <i>established </i>families without the guilt of evicting women and children into the wilderness weighing on your <i>traitorous </i>conscience? If you wanted Abendblume all to yourself, that was all you needed to say! Don't lie to these innocent people."<br/>
<br/>
“I’ve got her, Mr. Hale.” Ayo spoke without infliction in his voice, his face stoic as he approached her. He took her by the arm and began leading her down the row of seats. Slowly but surely, others were hauled from their seats and guided away. Rachel had never seen such a blatant example of literally being ‘shown the door’ ever in her life. Why was this happening? There was absolutely no warning.<br/>
<br/>
“You knew about this, Ayo. You knew this was going to happen and you didn’t tell me! You kept this from me, Tobias, Kennedy.” Rachel allowed Ayo to pull her into the hallway and then further down until she spat her accusation at him. Her mind reeled. “You work with Ezra! I thought you were friends with him. He didn’t look any less shocked than I did. How could you do this to him? To Anise?”<br/>
<br/>
“I asked you to marry me, Rachel.” Ayo pleaded.<br/>
<br/>
Rachel whipped around, tugging her arm free from his gentle grasp. Ayo did nothing to stop her. He was a smart man when it counted. “You asked me to marry you out of necessity, Ayo. You knew of Hale’s plans and you did nothing to change his mind. Instead, you stood by while he so <i>graciously </i>informed over thirty <i>human-beings </i>that they were being tossed from the only home they’ve known for years.”<br/>
<br/>
“Rachel…”<br/>
<br/>
“Don’t talk to me. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. You only have sorry excuses.” Her piercing blue eyes flashed a glance at him before she wiped her tears away. She wasn’t upset - not in that way. Rachel was <i>furious</i>. She was frustrated and confused. She was stuck with her back against the wall with no way out. “These people are defenseless and sick and they’re your family, Ayo. They’re family.” Rachel curled her hands so tightly into fists that her arms quivered. “You are pathetic.”<br/>
<br/>
She had only taken a few steps towards the infirmary when she felt Ayo’s hand again on her arm. “You need to leave the premises, Rachel.” Ayo wasn’t strong enough this time to hide the sadness from his voice. Rachel considered for a moment the amount of pleasure it brought her to hear his pain. It was nothing compared to the pain that he had brought unto her and her friends and family. He could suffer.<br/>
<br/>
“I told Aurora I would deliver her baby and I swear to god if you do not let me keep my promise, Ayokunle.” Rachel shot him a warning glance and reached to place her hand on the door knob. “You can drag me out of here by my hair, but it won’t be before I hear that baby’s first cry.” Her last stare was pointed before she took a second to compose herself for Aurora. The young girl would be safe to stay within Abendblume’s walls once she had a sweet, pink baby in her arms. She need not know what was in the process of happening. All she needed to concern herself with was having a healthy baby. “Make yourself useful and bring Tobias to me. I promise not to stay here any longer than I have to.”<br/>
<br/>
Rachel stepped into the room and felt the door shut firmly against her back.​</div>