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the fight. But he was just lying there…” Her tears
began again in earnest.
    “Do you know where he was taken?” Asked his
father. Gabrielle shook her head, no.
    “That’s why we woke you up.” Rebecca spoke
up. “We thought you would want to go by the control center and find
out before you had to go to the factory.”
    “Good. I’m glad you did.” He said, as he
quickly regained his composure. “Yes, you did the right thing,
Rebecca.” He turned to Gabrielle. “Thank you.” He said.
    “Can we come with you?” Gabrielle asked.
    “Aren’t you supposed to be home? It’s almost
eight.” He said.
    “I know my parents will be worried if I’m not
there when they get up, but I’ve got to know about Jericho.” She
said.
    “I understand, honey, but we don’t need to
upset your parents, either, and you do not want to be out after
curfew. You’re morning shift.” The look of disappointment in her
face must have been response enough. “I tell you what. I’ll come
back and let Rebecca know what’s going on, and she’ll let you know
first thing in the morning.” He said, wrapping his arm around her
to comfort her. “Now, get your butt moving, and get home before
curfew kicks in, or you’ll be the one getting controlled.” She
nodded, and stepped towards the door.
    “Thank you.” She said.
    “Now, hurry home, before your parents wake
up. We don’t want them upset at all.” He said as he unlocked the
series of locks on the door. “And don’t worry. I’m sure everything
will be okay.” He said and opened the door for her. She stepped
into the narrow hallway and thanked him again, gave a quick look to
Rebecca and headed back towards the stairway. She knew that she
would have to hurry to make it home before her parents got up, so
when she hit the stairway, she took the stairs two at a time. As
she passed the landing where the children had been playing earlier,
it was deserted. No one wanted to be caught out after curfew, and
she was glad that she didn’t have to slow down to go around them.
She hoped that if she really hurried, she might still make it in
time.
    As she ran through the narrow streets of the
village, she ignored the few passers by. Gabrielle was careful not
to talk to anyone that she didn’t recognize. But she was even more
careful not to run into anyone and knock them to the ground. She
was all too aware what the punishment for hurting another could be.
Death. And not a quick silent death, a horrid public display. To be
carried out in the square, of course, for all to see. It didn’t
happen often, but it did happen. She thought about the story that
had been passed down over the years about the man who had thought
that he had the plague. He had run through the streets and stabbed
several people with a homemade knife. When they caught him, the
story went that he had been controlled, and the very next day his
punishment had begun. A Guardian had slowly, patiently, and
systematically disemboweled him at the center of the village square
over the course of two days. And at last, near the end of the
second day, he had screamed his last breath and could hurt no one
else. She shuddered at the thought of such a painful death, and
hoped beyond all hopes that Jericho would be released without any
punishment. Deep in thought she almost ran into a young man as he
stepped in front of her.
    “Excuse me.” He said, as he hurried past her.
“Curfew, you know.” She glanced back at him, and quickly lost him
as he rounded the corner between buildings. She thought how
everyone looked the same. How everyone wore the same thing, the
same drab color. Even the stone buildings were made of the same
dull hue. But Jericho had changed that. He had taught her that
there was color in the world. So much more color than she had ever
seen before.
    The way to Gabrielle’s building took her
right past her assigned mealtime building. Already, those that
worked the dark shift were in line for their early meal. She