Mother’s eyes widen when she sees us. “What are you doing here?"
“What are you?” I yell back. “You said you were done! You said no more!”
My mother stutters, “I was just…Browsing.”
“Browsing?” Liza says, crossing the street. “You’re lying!”
“I’m not!”
“You are! Because it’s never just browsing with you, is it Mother?” My sister says, her jaw clenched.
“Demeter, did you leave the house like this?” Mother asks. She comes over and starts fixing my perfectly fine collar.
I bat her hands away. “Stop trying to change the subject.”
The receptionist inside the clinic pokes her head out. I shoot her and she cowardly retreats. Why are people so bloody nosy?
“Girls,” my mother says. “There’s no need to cause a commotion. We shall discuss this at home.” She grabs us both by the arms and drags us down Elrose.
Mother navigates the streets with ease now the rush hour traffic has calmed down. She still hasn’t let go of us. We’re starting to get some funny looks, but that could be for many reasons. I lock eyes with a man walking past us. The look of disgust he gives me, gives us, fuels me with anger. You’d think I’d be used to all the looks by now but I’m not. That’s why I always walk with my eyes glued to the ground. I can walk around without being recognised.
Up ahead, I spot two Establishment officers, a man or should I say a disposable wedged between them. I watch as they launch him into a wall. He smacks his head and tumbles to the ground. The officers bark untranslatable orders at him. Soon, he’s back on his feet, but not before they get a few kicks and punches in.
I already know what will happen next, it’s what always happens next. The Establishment officer gets out his zapper, zapping the disposable five times. A tad excessive if you ask me. The disposable jerks and convulses from the electricity that’s been shot at him. Next…Well, next he’s dead. One bullet right through the head as always.
Good. I don’t even want to imagine all the vile things that disposable must’ve done and all for him to get caught in the end.
The once plain white wall is now splattered with blood. Its purity stripped away from it in a split second. I watch as The Establishment officers grab an arm each of the dead disposable. They don’t bother picking him up, they drag him through the streets to a van I’m sure is waiting for them.
My eyes are back on the tainted white wall. That blood won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. It’ll serve as a warning for the many disposables I know are crawling about the city. Plaguing us with their presence. They attack, steal, kill. And yet they look exactly like us. Their only tell is the tattoo they are given at birth – a circle with an X around it on their right wrist.
The Establishment should give them something more identifiable if you ask me. My family have it written all over our faces. Why shouldn’t they?
My mother’s grip tightens as we turn a corner. I’d almost forgotten about her and this new baby she’s designing. What reason did she have to have another one? None. It’s been eleven years since she had Una, why now? Especially with everything that’s going on at home. We don’t have food. Any explanation she has for wanting another child must be justifiable, which I doubt it is. If she misses the thrill of filling out design forms so much, she could ask me for one. Professor Smite gives me fake forms in almost every science lesson.
Our white house comes into view. I feel like an ant in comparison to it, with its tall columns that surround it and its large windows. Mother yanks Liza and me up our granite steps. My foot catches on the fifth one making me trip. Mother glares at me like I’ve just caused her a massive inconvenience for tripping. I narrow my eyes at her and in response, she shakes her head. She pushes on our door with great force before it opens. I’m surprised when it does, assuming Liza was the last one to leave, I thought it would be locked. She always locks it.
“Sit down around the table, please,” mother says once we’re in the kitchen.
“I don’t really feel like sitting, thanks, Mother.” I spit out.
“Demeter,” she says through gritted teeth. “Sit. Down.”
Reluctantly, I obey.
Mother sighs. “Well. I wasn’t going to tell you until he arrived but, yes. I am having another child – a boy.”
Liza and I glance at each other. Her face burns red with fury, and I imagine mine would too if we shared the same pale complexion.
“You don’t need another child. It’s been eleven years since you had the last one. Is- is thirteen not enough?” Liza says.
“No. It isn’t. I love children! I wanted another one…So why shouldn’t I?”
“Because you don’t look after the ones you have!” I blurt out.
Mother looks at me as if I’ve just shot her in the head. Even Liza’s shocked by my bluntness. Truth is, at this point, I don’t care. I knew her reasoning for wanting another child wouldn’t be justifiable. “It’s true,” I whisper. “And just because you can have another child, doesn’t mean you should. I mean, isn’t Pelegon overpopulated enough? And just because...”
“Demeter,” mother says slowly. “Go to your room.”
Her words catch me off guard. “What?”
“You heard me.”
I haven’t been sent to my room since I was ten.
I scoff. “Are you serious?”
“Dem…Just…Do it,” Liza urges, her gaze soft and reassuring.
I can’t believe this. Why is she siding with mother? We’re supposed to have each other’s backs when it comes to her and her child addiction because let’s face it, that’s what it is.
I glare at her. “Fine! But I’m not looking after this one. I mean it, Mother,” I say, leaving the table.
“And,” mother’s voice stops me. “You’re not to tell anyone about the new baby. Understood?”
I stomp upstairs leaving her question unanswered.
Feature image of Demeter by Marzanna,
@panna_marzanna on Tiktok
