9. All Hat, No Cattle

[gunwithoutmusic]

Monday, February 13th—2:36 a.m.

1,124 words. Approximate reading time: 5 minutes, 37 seconds.

Caleb snuck down the stairs quietly, taking extra care to step over the stair that always creaked. The last thing that he needed at that moment was for his parents to wake up and find out what he was doing. He made it to the first floor without incident, and breathed a small sigh of relief when he realized that he was pretty much in the clear. He adjusted his backpack on his shoulders and silently moved toward the front door.

As soon as his hand touched the knob, a light turned on, temporarily disorienting Caleb, whose eyes had grown accustomed to the dark house. He immediately felt a pang of fear, and spun around to find his aunt Cara sitting in the plush armchair opposite the living room from the front door.

“Going somewhere?” Cara asked softly, with a hint of a smile.

Caleb gaped. “I... uh—”

“It’s okay, Caleb,” Cara said. “I know what’s going on. Your parents might be oblivious, but I’m not. Sit down for a sec.” She gestured to the sofa next to her chair. Caleb, still nervous and unsure about what was going to happen, cautiously approached the sofa and sat down.

“Aunt Cara,” Caleb started, but Cara raised a hand to stop him.

“Shh,” she said. “Let’s not wake up your parents; just listen to what I have to say. You’re not in trouble. At least, not with me, okay?” Caleb nodded. “Good. So you’re trying to make your way out to the Free States, is that right?”

Caleb hesitated, but Cara smiled at him, and he slowly nodded.

“Do you have any plan of how you’re going to get there?” Cara asked. “Stow away on one of the trains, perhaps?”

Caleb shrugged. “I... I guess I don’t really know,” he said, keeping his voice just above a whisper. “I figured I’ll sneak out to the train station and just... figure it out from there?”

“Oh, Caleb,” Cara sighed. “What I wouldn’t give to be nineteen years old again. All talk and no brains. That’s incredibly reckless you know.”

“I know,” Caleb said. “I just... I gotta get out of here. The thought of spending the rest of my life here in this house and being stuck with my parents... You get it, right?”

“I get it,” Cara said with a nod. “Look, you were only four years old when everyone locked down. You don’t really know what life was like before. I remember it. When I was your age, everything was so different. Life was full of possibilities. The Free States... well, they aren’t exactly like that, but they’re closer than this, maybe.

“When you get to my age, Caleb, it’s really easy to just accept that things are the way they are and that they won’t change. Did you ever wonder why I’ve been living here for the past fifteen years? It isn’t because I didn’t have a home of my own. I was just visiting your dad when the quarantines happened.”

Caleb wasn’t sure what to say. He only had a vague idea of what Cara was even talking about.

“Eh, but you don’t know what I’m talking about anyway. The stuff they teach in schools these days. Nothing important. Look, you’re about to do something crazy. You’re nineteen. I get it. I want to help.” Cara slid her hand into her pocket and pulled out a small plastic card and a folded up piece of paper. “This right here is your golden ticket to a new life, young man.” She reached out to hand him the card.

Caleb took the card from Cara’s hand and looked at it. It was an ID card that looked just like the one that was already in his wallet, right down to the photograph. “I already have an ID card, Aunt Cara,” Caleb said.

“Look closer,” she replied, reaching out and tapping her finger on the top-right corner, where a small red star was emblazoned. “This is a special ID card. This one will get you onto the train, legitimately.”

Caleb’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening. “How did you get this?” he asked her. “Why?”

Cara shook her head gently. “Let’s just say that I know some people. Really, for your safety and for mine, the less you know, the better.” She handed him the folded piece of paper. “When you get off of the train, you’ll want to look up the person that’s on this piece of paper. He’s expecting you, and he’ll help you get off to a good start down there.”

Caleb unfolded the paper. On it was a name, Allan Standard, followed by what looked like an address, but the format was different than what he was used to.

“When you get to the train station, just act natural and do your best to blend in,” Cara continued. “If anyone asks, you’re being sent over to the Free States on a work visa. Don’t act like you’re excited about it; most people that are sent over on work visas are being sent over as a punishment. You shouldn’t run into too many people this early in the morning; the Schedule is pretty light right about now. Just be on your guard.”

Caleb nodded. “Okay, Aunt Cara.”

“You alright, Caleb?”

“Yeah, it’s just... I didn’t realize this was going to be so much. Why are you doing all this?”

“One, you are my nephew and I love you,” Cara said. “The last thing I want is for you to get hurt or thrown in jail because of a half-baked plan. And two... I remember what it was like when I was your age. The world was my oyster and I had choices and I was going to be great. I was going to grab life by the horns and never let go.

“That never happened for me. It might not happen for you. Maybe that’s just a part of being human, living in a world of ideals when you’re young and living in a world of bitter resignation when you’re older. I don’t know. All I know is that, in this place, you aren’t going to be afforded that opportunity. You’ve got a slim window to try and get out of here and make something of yourself. I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t do what I could to help you take that chance.”

Unsure of what exactly to say, Caleb stared at Cara for a short moment. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Cara stood up and motioned for him to be quiet. “You don’t have to say anything,” she whispered as she helped him stand up and ushered him toward the door.

Cara soundlessly opened the front door, and Caleb stepped outside onto the porch. He turned to look at his aunt one last time. She smiled sadly and said, “And I won’t say anything, either.”

Comments

[erulissedances]

This was strong and hopeful in so many ways. It makes me wonder what happened to cause the Free States to arise and the borders to close down. Hints are given, but not the full story. I really liked this.

- Erulisse (one L)

[gunwithoutmusic]

Thank you! I really would love to get into The Split, as I have a lot of ideas in my head about it, but it's hard to articulate and fit into this format, so it's almost easier for me to just give little hints here and there. Hopefully we'll get a prompt that will lend itself to a more in-depth look soon. :)