Once back in her apartment, Kassi eyed the large stack of paintings. She didn't know enough people to give them all away properly. Perhaps she should just put them in a box outside and write 'free' on it. Or maybe she should just chuck them in the garbage bin and be done with it. She doubted anybody would really be interested anyway, apart from Mikel. Milliane had become home and she didn't want to leave, but.. if that Markings Act or whatever it was called did pass, what was she supposed to do? Live like a fugitive? She blinked, realizing it would be little different than what she did now. Stay home almost constantly, leave only for food and fresh air. She was already a prisoner thanks to her own body. Why couldn't she be normal and have some wonderful man interested in her because to him, she was perfect? It seemed so unfair.
She recalled a memory from her childhood, when she had still been in school. Her seat was at the back of the class, where she could not cause chaos. Her teacher had been speaking about Markings and she hadn't been listening, but then a little jerk of a boy had piped up and asked what was wrong with the Unmarked. Everybody had turned to stare at her, she remembered. Oh, it had made her cheeks burn. So humiliating.. Instead of scolding the children for their silent mockery, the teacher had given her own version of the truth. The Unmarked did not deserve soul mates, she had said. They were not capable of loving, so nobody had to be forced to deal with them for their entire lives. Kassi had left school early that day and hidden out in the woods, too ashamed to continue with her classes. Her parents had been furious when the school called to tell them she was skipping..
She shook her head and pulled on her jacket, stuffing her key and wallet in her pocket before going outside. Might as well enjoy the fresh air while she could. She avoided the park, not wanting to see any dried blood or evidence of the earlier violence there today. A pregnant woman, dead. She doubted the woman had really attacked the man. It seemed ridiculous, but what sane person would believe an Unmarked? She couldn't defend herself on the stand now that she was dead anyway. It was his word, and Milliane was rallying to his cause. Josiah Davies would go down as a hero with a room full of flowers and get well cards, while the nameless Unmarked would get a cold grave and no mourners.
That made her change course.
It was a cut and dry situation, and she knew the city wouldn't bother with an autopsy. The woman would probably be buried the next day if she hadn't already. Kassi swore to herself to visit the grave, but in the meantime, she was walking to the cemetery anyway. There was a section there for Unmarked people, because they tended not to have anybody to speak up for them. So they were clustered together, abandoned and forgotten. She liked to visit, to let them know that somebody in the city cared, though she didn't dare go often. Head down, she entered the cemetery gates and wandered through the rows until she heard voices.
"Ooh, look! A chick! Hey, you, girl. Come here."
"Yeah, come here! We're bored!"
"I could use some pretty company.."
"Where's your man, huh?"
Kassi blinked and looked up, her steps coming to a halt as she realized four men were standing in the cemetery, leaning against a few of the stones as they smirked at each other. They looked about nineteen or twenty, if she had to guess. Even from here she could see the markings on their arms. Obviously none of them had felt the Calling yet. She frowned, decidedly uncomfortable with the way they were looking at her. Perhaps it would be best to ignore them. She looked away, turning her steps to the side to continue on, but they weren't about to drop the subject that easily. One came up beside her, smelling strongly of cigarettes.
"Hey, pretty lady. I think I feel a connection here. Show me your Marking, I think we match," he invited, grinning at her.
"Uh.. no," she denied quickly, her voice quiet. Oh dear. This could get bad. "We don't match," she attempted.
"Are you sure?" he pressed, amused. "No way to know unless we look, unless you're one of those diseased Unmarked scum!"
She hesitated, then turned and ran for it, ignoring the shouts behind her as she picked a route at random and looped around back the way she had come. All she had to do was outrun them and find a place to hide. Simple.
She recalled a memory from her childhood, when she had still been in school. Her seat was at the back of the class, where she could not cause chaos. Her teacher had been speaking about Markings and she hadn't been listening, but then a little jerk of a boy had piped up and asked what was wrong with the Unmarked. Everybody had turned to stare at her, she remembered. Oh, it had made her cheeks burn. So humiliating.. Instead of scolding the children for their silent mockery, the teacher had given her own version of the truth. The Unmarked did not deserve soul mates, she had said. They were not capable of loving, so nobody had to be forced to deal with them for their entire lives. Kassi had left school early that day and hidden out in the woods, too ashamed to continue with her classes. Her parents had been furious when the school called to tell them she was skipping..
She shook her head and pulled on her jacket, stuffing her key and wallet in her pocket before going outside. Might as well enjoy the fresh air while she could. She avoided the park, not wanting to see any dried blood or evidence of the earlier violence there today. A pregnant woman, dead. She doubted the woman had really attacked the man. It seemed ridiculous, but what sane person would believe an Unmarked? She couldn't defend herself on the stand now that she was dead anyway. It was his word, and Milliane was rallying to his cause. Josiah Davies would go down as a hero with a room full of flowers and get well cards, while the nameless Unmarked would get a cold grave and no mourners.
That made her change course.
It was a cut and dry situation, and she knew the city wouldn't bother with an autopsy. The woman would probably be buried the next day if she hadn't already. Kassi swore to herself to visit the grave, but in the meantime, she was walking to the cemetery anyway. There was a section there for Unmarked people, because they tended not to have anybody to speak up for them. So they were clustered together, abandoned and forgotten. She liked to visit, to let them know that somebody in the city cared, though she didn't dare go often. Head down, she entered the cemetery gates and wandered through the rows until she heard voices.
"Ooh, look! A chick! Hey, you, girl. Come here."
"Yeah, come here! We're bored!"
"I could use some pretty company.."
"Where's your man, huh?"
Kassi blinked and looked up, her steps coming to a halt as she realized four men were standing in the cemetery, leaning against a few of the stones as they smirked at each other. They looked about nineteen or twenty, if she had to guess. Even from here she could see the markings on their arms. Obviously none of them had felt the Calling yet. She frowned, decidedly uncomfortable with the way they were looking at her. Perhaps it would be best to ignore them. She looked away, turning her steps to the side to continue on, but they weren't about to drop the subject that easily. One came up beside her, smelling strongly of cigarettes.
"Hey, pretty lady. I think I feel a connection here. Show me your Marking, I think we match," he invited, grinning at her.
"Uh.. no," she denied quickly, her voice quiet. Oh dear. This could get bad. "We don't match," she attempted.
"Are you sure?" he pressed, amused. "No way to know unless we look, unless you're one of those diseased Unmarked scum!"
She hesitated, then turned and ran for it, ignoring the shouts behind her as she picked a route at random and looped around back the way she had come. All she had to do was outrun them and find a place to hide. Simple.