Part 13: White Dove

The Promised Land:
(Part 13) White Dove

When Teknia woke up, light was streaming through the window above her head. Eden sat up and stretched with a yawn. The beds around her were empty, sheets and covers abandoned in crumpled piles, but she could hear children laughing outside. The events from yesterday seemed like merely a dream. Were it not for the splotches of dried blood on her dirty jeans, she wouldn’t have believed they really happened at all.

Eden wiped the sleep from her eyes and stood up. After another long stretch, she left the room and headed down the hall in the direction she thought she came down last night. With some wandering, Eden found the room Shiloh was resting in. He was still sleeping, no change from the night before. Caden was sitting in the same chair from last night, probably having fallen asleep at some point by his brother’s side. For once, they both looked completely content. Cay’s head, resting by his twin’s shoulder, moved slightly as he breathed. Though both twins were covered in grime, a stark contrast to the clean sheets, Eden found the overall scene adorable. She dug her phone out of a jean pocket and quickly snapped a picture. The simulated “click” of her phone’s camera was loud enough to wake Caden. He jolted upright and reached for his gun. In his haste, he knocked over his own chair and found himself sprawled on the ground, eyes red and gun poised. His expression of controlled wrath turned to one of confusion as his mind grasped the situation.

“Whoa there, quick draw,” Eden said as she put her phone away and walked toward him with her hands in the air. “Slow down before you hurt someone.” She offered a hand to help him up.

“Heh, sorry. Habit.” Caden grasped Eden’s hand firmly as she pulled him to his feet. “Thanks.”

“No prob.”

Putting away his weapon Caden stretched with a grunt. He ran both hands through his hair, rubbed his stiff back, and then switched to rubbing his eyes.

“You all right?” Eden asked as she picked up the chair.

He stopped rubbing and blinked a few times as his eyes returned to their original color. “Tired.”

“I can tell,” she stood back with her arms folded and looked him up and down. “You should try to get some more sleep while you can.”

“I’d love to, but I have things I need to take care of.” Caden scooped his windbreaker and sack from the cold floor and hung them on the chair.

“Dude, you seriously need to relax. You’re killing yourself here.”

“I’ll live.” Leaving it at that, Caden glanced at his sleeping brother then left the room.

Eden plopped into the chair beside the bed with a sigh. “He takes life way too seriously.”

Turning her attention to Shiloh, she patted the covers and said, “Hang in there, kid. Someone’s got to take care of that boy and it’s not going to be me.”

~

Caden continued down the halls until he came across an old cafeteria. Hope was stacking dirty plates at one of the tables. Streams of filtered light shone on the sparkly pink butterfly pinned to her white hat. When she noticed him, her face lit up with a bright smile.

“Oh, hi Cay! Did you rest well? Is Shy doing better?”

“He’s fine. Grace did a good job healing him last night.” Caden muttered as he watched her finish stacking plates then attempt to lift them. “I’ll get those for you.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Hope said, but moved aside as Caden came and lifted the entire stack of thirty-eight china plates.

“Where do these go?”

“Oh, just over here. Follow me.” Hope led him to the back of the room and through an opening into the kitchen. “You must be hungry. I’ll fix some lunch for you,” Hope said as she started pulling food out of a large silver refrigerator. Her yellow dress swirled around her knees as she moved from the counter to the fridge and back. Caden, as gently as he could, set the heavy stack of plates into a deep, metal sink. He turned to lean against the sink and shoved his hands into his pockets.

Hope filled a clean plate with fried rice, mixed vegetables, and a slice of bread.

“It’s a little cold. We can heat it up in the microwave real quick if you want.” She was in the process of putting the food away when she realized Caden hadn’t moved or said anything. “Cay?”

After a moment of silence and staring at the ground, he looked up and asked, “How long have you been here?”

Hope detected the somberness in his voice. “Almost a year now. They banned Diseased in Alcor not long after you left.”

“I never knew.” His face turned downward.

“Don’t feel bad about it.” Hope’s smile and cheery voice returned. “Hey! I have something for you! You can eat first though. And I have to finish these dishes. Why don’t you go eat outside? It’s such a lovely day. I’ll come join you when I’m finished.”

“But I-”

“Hush, now take your food and go outside.” Hope said as she brought the plate and a fork to Caden, pressed them into his hands, and hurried him out the side door.

The 16 year old exhaled loudly before chuckling to himself. There was no stopping Hope once she had her mind set on something. As pushy and talkative as she could get every now and then, he knew she meant well. There were very few people in this world Caden could ever call his friends and she was one of the best. She and Shiloh both always looked for the best in people, even when Caden didn’t believe there was any to be found. No matter what happened, Caden knew he could trust them.

Emerging from the shadowy overhang, he carried his plate down a set of concrete stairs. Once he reached the bottom, Caden sat on the second to last step and enjoyed his food. As Hope had said, it was a nice day. The sun was actually shining through various gaps in the gray clouds, providing warmth to the cold earth below. All of the children were on the playground. Little kids were swinging, sliding, and climbing on the jungle gym. A group of girls sat in a circle and played with dolls. A number of the older boys had a game of soccer and football going on at the same time. One of the boys accidentally kicked the soccer ball harder than intended and it wound up three feet from where Caden sat. The boys stopped playing and watched him expectantly.