Genre: General
“They suck you dry and take everything you have.”
Her eyes glazed over as silent tears rolled down her chin.
“But you give it freely...with no reservations, because they’re bundles of pure joy, and you would give your life without question if it meant that they would live. So I don’t care how.”
A power erupted in her voice that wasn’t there before.
“But my son is getting on that ship.”
“Once you’re in with us, there’s no going back.”
“I know.”
“Okay Ms Byron,” The woman took the signed papers and shook Allison’s hand.
“We’ll be in touch.”
Allison stormed out of the building. Shaky hands and a heart pounding thirty beats too fast forced her to stop on the corner to catch her breath. She could only afford one air purifier mask, and of course, it went straight to Aiden. As soon as she could spare it, she had planned to get one for herself, but now there was a much more pressing matter at hand. She coughed, clearing her lungs as best as she could and wrapped her scarf around her mouth and nose. The air was getting worse every day, more and more people were getting sick, less were recovering. Aiden was only four years old, and his asthma had already taken a turn for the worst more times than she wished to remember. She would get him on that ship, no matter the cost.
It wasn’t actually a ship, it was more like a bubble city in the clouds, “Life Ship”, they called it. The air was cleaner up there, so they said, filtered within the bubble. Allison determined it had to be better than this. Anything was better than this. Besides, Life Ship was built for the rich. That meant it had to be fancy, high tech and just about exceptional in every way. The cost of one ticket was more than she made in her twenty-six years of life. The bank had denied her loan. After the foreclosure on the house five months ago, the chance was slim. This was the only way. Closing her shaky hands into a fist, Allison walked on.
The first assignment came two days later wrapped in silk. A slippery pink champagne coloured dress was left in a box by her front door, nude heels to match. She’d never even glimpsed at anything so expensive. A note sat comfortably inside the folds.
She turned it over three times running her fingers along the surface, but that was all it said. Nothing more. She tucked Aiden into bed and asked Natalie next door to check in on him every now and again. As instructed, she donned a pin-straight ponytail wig with Chinese bangs and slipped in hazel contacts. Then she went through the door looking, rather than feeling, much more confident than she would ever be.
“Excuse me, M’am?” Allison glanced up at the waiter. She sat at the bar, trying not to squirm and prove that she was as out of place as she felt.
“Yes?” Her voice came out as a squeak, and she bit her lip at the internal cringe.
He held a slim rectangular jewellery box out on a platter.
“I believe this is for you.”
“For me?”
He pointedly searched around the room.
“I believe so, yes. I was told to give it to the lady in the champagne coloured dress.”
“Well, I guess you’re right, that is me,” she glanced around chuckling awkwardly.
A polite smile accompanied amused eyes, “Yes, that was the conclusion I came to as well.”
The box was opened the second the waiter left. Anxious fingers twitched with nervous curiosity. Okay… Another expensive item to potentially pawn, she made a mental note. A ruby crystal necklace glittered up at her. It would definitely sell for a pretty good amount, but one night wearing it couldn’t hurt. She picked it up to clasp it behind her neck, and then she saw it. A picture, no larger than the size of a stamp, laid comfortably on the velvet cushion of the jewellery box. She knew that face. A parent at school? No, someone more important than that. An ad on TV, maybe? Absent-mindedly, she twirled the ruby in her hand, the smooth crystal edges a cooling glass beneath her fingertips. Her mind ticked as she stared at the miniature-sized photo. Who was he, and why was she given his picture?
“What am I supposed to do with this?” She spoke aloud, albeit quietly to herself. Movement caught the corner of her eye, liquid.
Why was there liquid sloshing around inside a ruby- Her fingers stilled. She understood.
She’d only caught whispers about the network of women, but if you asked questions loud enough, someone was bound to hear you. Allison stared at the ruby, if she went through with this, she would officially become one of them. A honey bee - poison darts dripped in sweet nectar. Could she really do it? A secretary during the day, a bartender every other night, and a nanny on weekends. By her calculations, she would be able to afford only one Life Ship ticket in precisely 17.4 years. That just won’t do. Allison all but ran across the room, feeling eyes on her despite the dim bar lighting. Not that she cared anymore, she needed space to think.
Barging through the bathroom door, she leapt five feet in the air. Who was that? The reflection in the mirror was not hers. These weren’t her eyes, this wasn’t her hair, these weren’t her clothes. She put a hand up to the glass, wiggling her fingers around to make sure that yes, those at least, were hers. Hazel eyes blinked quizzically at her. Who are you, they asked. The answer washed over her like an old forgotten song coming over the radio. Her mind latched onto the nostalgic tune. You are a doll, it sang. Snapshots of herself as a child flicked across her mind. For hours, she would sit on the floor playing pretend with one of her dress up dolls. Changing their clothes, styling their hair, controlling their every move. Now, she was the doll. That was easier, wasn’t it? Dolls had no mind of their own. They were no more than puppets with an invisible string, bending to their master’s whim. Her eyes locked with the target as soon as she re-entered the room, and she smiled. The script was already written.
Dolls do what they’re told.
“Oh, my word! I’m mortified.” A honey bee slid into the booth with its unsuspecting prey.
“I thought you were someone else, I’m so sorry.” Allison made to get up.
A throaty chuckle washed the embarrassment away.
“I assume you’re waiting for someone?”
She huffed a breath, “Well, I was, but I think I’m tired of waiting.”
“You’re welcomed to stay. You’re here already anyway.”
“How gallant of you.” A grin added a luring spark to full lips.
A week later Allison watched the news, while Aiden played with his favourite stuffed animal, making the bunny hop across the floor. A headline flashed across the bottom of the screen:
“Petroleum Corp CEO dies unexpectedly, doctors declare cause of death as a heart attack.”
Oh, that’s where I knew him from!
Her paycheque came later the same day. It sat in an envelope, stuck to a jar of honey. A note was scribbled on the top:
"Mothers are a different kind of superhero"
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