Jenny began wading through the tall grass.
The wide leaves were clinging to her clothes and slapping her in the face; the resentment and anger was gurgling up in Jenny’s throat - the gems were too good to leave behind, most likely they were rare and expensive - she was almost howling that she had to get out without them. But there was no choice – most likely in the morning she’ll have to face an execution or a penal servitude, and if she comes across Greg first, she may not even see the morning.
Finally, after the painfully long last thirty meters, with cut hands and legs, Jenny ended up on a deserted moonlit road - there were trees growing on the other side.
Phew! She’s pulled it off so far! It wasn’t easy, but still....
Suppressing a strong desire to scratch her itchy skin, she quickly ran across the dusty path, and almost fell into a ditch on the other side of the road, rolled on her stomach and settled there quietly. This place was in the shade - the foliage wouldn’t let the moonlight through - so Jenny could relax for a second. She rubbed her sore skin covered with grazes and grimaced - damn grass! Even her t-shirt looked a total mess now. But her appearance was not as significant as the other problem at hand - how can she get over the fence?
Having walked on this road a few times before, Jenny knew there was an old gate there, which was previously used for big trucks, but then they built new shiny gates much closer to the house and this one was abandoned. Even though the old dusty metal gate was now rusty and lopsided it still had electricity running through it twenty-four hours a day, like it was designed for the rest of the perimeter. But there was, however, one "but" that made this place different from the others, and this "but" was a chain that was holding the gate’s doors together.
A few times in the past Jenny thought that this chain was long enough to allow the doors to separate adequately in order for a human body to squeeze through the existing hole. It remained unclear why Hulk didn’t pay attention to this bit, but did it really matter now? The only important thing at this very moment was that she doesn’t find a new shorter chain here and that the gap is still wide enough.
Jenny swallowed.
She didn’t really want to go through this - if she touches the metal, she’ll roast and become a dish called “made out of Jenny”. But if she doesn’t try, then she might as well forget about ever getting out of this ranch. The rest of the perimeter had a few rows of twisted barbed wire around it, which you would not want to mess with as it carried a significant risk to one’s life.
So what would the right choice be? Should she try or not?
Either because of the long run or her fear, Jenny felt the sweat running down her back. She wiped the droplets from her temple, buried her face in her hands and halted in doubt.
What if she gets killed? What if she is not slim enough to squeeze through the gates? It was damn scary to even think about that. Jenny closed her eyes for a moment, but then aroused. She must look at the gap once again and then decide what she is going to do before the panic takes over her. She reluctantly got up from the ground and looked around - it was quiet. Wherever Greg was at the moment, he still wasn’t here which meant she’s got a chance to give the fence a closer look.
Trying to prop herself with her heels, Jenny slid down to the bottom of the ravine, and climbed up on another side of it - there was a narrow path behind the trees. On the other side of the path, there was an electric fence smelling distinctly of death.
Jenny shuddered as she saw it.
In fact, there wasn’t any unusual odour around - the air smelled of dust and pollen from the rare flowers, but her imagination was going wild, forcing Jenny’s nostrils to tremble from the non-existent electrical smell.
Trying to keep in the shade, Jenny was walking along the fence until she reached her destination - the old rusty gate. The doors were high and heavy, with cage-like bars, which could be used for animals in a zoo. There was a chain there - like a fat dead python, it sagged in the middle, holding the iron "ears” together on both sides, and the gap was exactly the same as Jenny remembered it.
With her breath bated and eyes glued to the metal that could cause an immediate death, Jenny approached the gate. Is the gap wide enough? Will it be possible to slip through it sideways and not touch it? If she inhales and goes through very carefully, it might work out.
Jenny listened to the sounds around again.
At first it seemed that there was the same silence, but after a few seconds, she heard something that made her shiver - male voices. Was this area also being patrolled?
Like a hunted animal she was shifting her gaze from the gate to the empty road behind the trees. They will be here soon - either the guards or Greg, and if she stays here, then her last chance to break free will fade away as if it never existed.
This thought forced her to make the final decision - Jenny started moving slowly and cautiously, and then froze right in front of the gate with her nose almost touching the rusty bar. She thought she must bend her legs and kneel to make sure that they won’t touch the iron. Damn, that will be hard! But she can only do it once - it may not work. This is it - life or death.
She took a deep breath, filled her lungs with as much air as possible, then breathed out and made a step forward - turned sideways, pressed her hands against her body, pulled every little bit of herself in, and began carefully squeezing through the gap.
First the iron bar went past her left eye, and now it was exactly in the centre of her face - opposite her nose. For a moment it seemed that Jenny’s hair touched the chain and her back was almost pressing against the rear rack, but judging by the fact that she was still alive, it has not yet happened. By this time the sweat was pouring like hell - running down her neck, sides, and thighs, but that was the last thing Jenny cared about. She was slowly crawling to the other side - the freedom side.
The left knee successfully passed the danger area without touching the macabre metal pipe and now it was before her right eye. Then the right ear... Hand... Right knee...
Don’t touch... please, don’t touch it, just don’t touch...
I’ve gone through!
It’s worked!
Jenny took a step away from the gate, looked at her limbs still in place and fell on the grass - on the other side of the fence.
She did it! She didn’t even notice that she was lying in the grass and laughing.
It worked! She squeezed through the hole without being noticed! Could anything be better than this? Greg didn’t find her, the patrol didn’t surface, the night had just begun and she was still alive!
Life had presented her with a lucky lottery ticket and there was justice in this world. Not willing to spend another minute by the ill-fated gate, she got up off of the ground feeling a new wave of energy after the successful implementation of the plan; briefly looked around and decided to run towards the weald, which stood, like a dark wall, a hundred meters away. The moon coated the tree crowns with silver light - this place will become her shelter until she decides where to move next. To get to the trees, she had to cross a dry grassy meadow - Jenny grimaced, knowing that her irritated skin will not be pleased with new scratches, but that’s alright. They’ll heal. The most important thing was that she was out of the ranch’s territory and from now on there was only freedom ahead.
Encouraged by her success, she bravely stepped into the grass, then took another step and then... stopped. The feeling of calamity close by suddenly loomed in her mind – a very bad, heavy and dark premonition that something terrible is about to happen.
What’s wrong? There was nobody after her, so why has this feeling come over her all of a sudden?
After standing motionless for a minute, Jenny shook her head.
What a dope she is, imagining something and ready to shit her pants for no reason.
She took a step forward - and this step was to become her last one.
The ankle burst with pain, as if someone dug their teeth into it, to chewing it in half. Her body jolted with such a force that Jenny got flew backwards, but she did not feel anything anymore. She fell on the grass, like a heavy sack. She did not see the sky or the moon; she no longer felt the dry grass poking her skin.
It took just a second for the electric current to rapidly run through her muscles, organs, blood and nervous system and go back to the ground. But not before it stopped her heart beating.
That was one of those moments when everything seems surreal - when you look at what’s happening in your life and think "No, all this is not happening to me..." and it feels like a play, written by a crazy writer.
This evening reminded me about the one when Alex went, and instead of him returning home, I received a ransom note. Just as it was then, now it seemed that no matter what I do or say - someone else is pulling the strings and calling all the shots, and all my attempts to influence the events of life, was nothing but a false illusion about my own abilities.
First there was an apologetic Greg, malicious Jenny and angry Hulk. Then the first two were gone, and there was only Hulk left, not angry anymore, but rather concerned. He apologised and quickly left the office to talk to the guards about the vacant position of the senior warden.
The rush regarding this matter was understandable, and I was patiently sitting on the sofa, waiting for his return, going through all the Tueric words in my mind that I could remember.
Later on, a maid, whose voice I didn’t recognise entered the room. She greeted me and started serving dinner on the balcony table. I was listening to the tinkling plates and cutlery, inhaling the smell of the dishes that the wind was bringing into the room. After a while the maid finished her task and went away. Once again I was left alone, wondering what this evening is going to bring when Hulk returns.
Tired from the silence, interrupted only by a monotonous clock ticking, I fell asleep, but soon woke up, from the sound of a slamming door - Hulk returned. As it turned out, not for long. We were about to have our dinner then stamping feet and men's voices burst into the room.
“Mr Conrad! We’ve found the body of one of the prisoners who tried to escape, and...”
“I got it.” Hulk replied sharply, “Let’s go.”
Jenny, instantly flashed in my mind.
The room was quiet again.
My hope for a pleasant evening was replaced with a melancholic silence, filled with anxious thoughts. Almost enchanted I was sitting alone on the balcony, on a wicker chair, feeling a warm night breeze, looking into the darkness. No, not into the darkness, but into myself, where the pictures of my friendship with Jenny were beginning to appear. Well, at least, some time ago I truly believed that it could grow into a real friendship, if things could’ve in turned out differently...
Was she really that desperate? And decided to run? Did she not remember that the fence was electrified? There was no way she would have forgotten that, so yes, she must have been desperate. I didn’t know much about the Supreme Court, but obviously it was something that Jenny wanted to avoid at all costs.
I had a heavy heart now.
I didn’t want to believe that someone, whose voice I heard just a couple of hours ago, suddenly turned from an living, breathing person into what could only be described by a hollow word - "body". Even if this person was your enemy it was somehow devastatingly wrong and I didn’t feel any relief after this news.
Yes, Jenny betrayed me not just once, but twice and yes, we were never real friends. Sometimes I’d get angry or wouldn’t understand her, but I never wished her or any other person any harm, and especially a death like this. And still, she was the first person who I could talk to, share my problems with, and since she was the first one who supported me, she became symbolic.
I was always grateful for the helping hand she gave me in the first days in Tally. The days when I was like a blind puppy, not knowing where to go or what to do. Jenny explained the rules to me gave me advice, helped me to find work at “Polo Grand” and somewhere deep inside, I’ve always regretted that the circumstances forced us to choose different ways of life. Where I’d hope for a miracle from above, trying not to compromise my own principles, she’d grab everything she could reach for, using any opportunity to get out from the dumps, to survive, to make her own life a little better. Even if at times there were dirty methods.
I was aimlessly drawing doodles on the table, lost in heavy thoughts.
What would I do if I’d known that a couple of hours later she’ll be found dead by the fence? Would I have interfered when she was here earlier? She wasn’t perfect but least she was alive and trying to justify herself for what she’d done? Would I have taken her side and try to affect Hulk’s decision to pass her to the Supreme Court? And would Hulk have understood me then?
No, I don’t think he would have done. Nobody would have done.
It was always very challenging for me to explain to someone that it just was not right to respond to one’s aggression with anger. I’d rather try and find a more forgiving way to solve the problem other than stoop to their level. That’s just how I was - I always believed that a kind word would do more good than bad, but not too many people followed the same logic. Not every story has a happy ending and it was naive to believe in fairy-tales. And yet, I believed - secretly, silently, without telling anyone.
But the reality was teaching me to see what others saw - pain, dirt, injustice, and my own powerlessness. Sometimes I was able to resist it, and sometimes - as it was now, I couldn’t. The terror of what had just happened came over me once again - Jenny was dead. She was no longer good or bad, she was just dead.
I suddenly became indifferent to the smell of food, to the warm evening breeze; I stopped listening to the distant voices, covered my face with my palms and started to cry.
“Are you crying because of her? Her, who gave you so much grief?”
Hulk’s question was logical.
He came back a few minutes ago and was now standing beside me on the balcony. I wiped my wet cheeks and didn’t reply, because I just didn’t know what to say. But then I tried to explain, “Maybe she wasn’t that nice. It’s very hard to be nice in Tally. But death, any death - is something horrible. How did it happen?”
For a while Hulk kept silent as if thinking of something.
“Jenny was trying to escape using the old gate. For some reason, the gap between the doors was not fixed and it was wide enough for her to squeeze through it.”
“And did she?” This picture was so vivid and clear before my eyes that I involuntarily shivered.
“Yes.”
“But then why did she die?”
“She couldn’t know that there is a three-tier protection laid out around the ranch and the fence you see is just the first obstacle. There are also wires stretched out on the ground which are very hard to notice in the daytime and not at all possible in the dark.”
“Did she step on one of them?”
“Yes. Looks like she decided to move on to the grove and hide in there, but almost immediately stepped on one of the wires.”
I didn’t know what to say - the heaviness on my heart was not going. There was only one question, which for some reason I wanted to ask, even though this information was useless for me.
“Is that quick? When you touch the wire, do you die quickly?”
“In most cases, yes.” I heard Hulk walking around the table and sit on his chair. The fabric of his shirt rustled, “Usually the voltage is high enough to kill in seconds. But sometimes there are exceptions.”
“What do you mean?” My heart missed a beat.
“Electricity flushed through her body, threw it backwards and her heart didn’t stop completely. I could trace a very weak pulse, which gives a hope that one day she might regain her consciousness.”
Stunned with the news, I could not speak.
So, Jenny is alive? And she might recover? Well, in that case not all the stories have bad endings; perhaps it was strange, but I felt relieved. Let Jenny’s life be whatever she wants to be in the future, but at least she’s got another chance to fight for it. Life is always better than death, because death would never let you to fix any mistakes.
Hulk predicted my next question before I could ask it.
“She is in the infirmary now, in a coma. She has a 50/50 chance of recovery. I can’t give you a prognosis.”
Something in his last sentence made me realise how tired he was. So I wasn’t the only one exhausted by the latest events and today’s hassle.
“We should eat and then get some rest. Both of us.”
I couldn’t see the look that Hulk gave me after these words – I felt as though it was long, thoughtful and warm.
“Okay.” He agreed finally and put the fork into my hand, “What does the lady prefer to start a cold dinner with?”
I certainly managed to sleep for some time.
The unpleasant images were disturbing me now and then, coming back and forth, but at least my memory wasn’t disappearing for too long, which was a good sign.
Waking up from the slumber, I felt Hulk’s warm hand hugging me through the blanket, and it was calming me down. Listening to his deep breathing I would fall asleep again.
Finally I woke up early that morning and worked out what the time was by my internal clock. The dawn probably wasn’t here yet as there were no birds chirping that loved sitting on the trees as soon as the first sunbeams would pierce the chilly morning air.
It was quiet and dark around.
Hulk - silent and motionless - was fast asleep. Somehow I knew he wasn’t awake yet. Because of my restless tossing and turning I rolled over to one side and wasn’t touching him. Good. Less chances to wake him up.
Listening to the silence, I was pondering about the ranch, about yesterday, about my life, but most of all about Hulk.
What is he like deep down? Does he really believe it’s all serious about us, and if so, would he be willing to open up? I desperately wanted to know more - what he did in the past that led him to this ranch and forced to settle down here, in Tally. He was not the type of person to voluntarily grow wheat. He’s got an enormous strength in his personality and such an adamant will, which most could only wish for, as well as some internal barriers, which couldn’t be opened, no matter how hard you tried, unless he gives you his permission to see more.
Which secrets is he hiding? Where did he get such nerves of steel and those strange abilities, which no one knew anything about? If Hulk could so easily deal with the memory of another person, what else could he do? This trick with the “Blind” could not be learned on its own… but what other knowledge did he have?
“The Commission” must be involved.
I didn’t know much about it, really, at least, no more than others. They bounded authorities of all cities - those strange people in silver uniforms with two white stripes on their sleeves. They didn’t have an office building with The Commission title on it, where one could go to with a complaint or suggestion, but, nevertheless, they kept their eye on everything. Another strange thing about them was that they hardly ever interfered into any situations unless they wanted to. Some people were scared of them, some were worshiping them, as for me, I’ve never seen any of them.
Some said that the first meeting would always be the last, while others hoped to sniff out more information after getting closer to them, except no one could say exactly what one must do in order for such a meeting to take place.
Some people were confused and wondering, some anticipated who knows what; some feared and respected them whilst trying to keep their distance.
It’s not possible to understand more about something you don’t know and you don’t see.
The Commission would never fine for any violations, they never broadcasted anything on TV, or proposed to elect their own members, and generally never exposed themselves, apart from some exceptional cases. But yet, it existed and everyone knew that for sure.
I could bet my right arm that the Commission taught Hulk what he knew. So who is he really? Maybe it was too naive to think that nobody would want to live in Tally out of free will? Maybe it was Hulk who chose this place, knowing that he could earn good money and not be deprived of power over the others? After all, he was visiting the local clubs, drinking with other “owners”; he let his guards beat the prisoners and looked calm and collected whilst watching such atrocities, overall, he seemed quite content living on this ranch.
It was strange, even absurd.
Thinking logically, it was fairly natural - any person who wanted to get a respectable income and a high status in society (even society here) could get the relevant documents, come to Tally and settle down here, enjoying the cruelty of the local laws that allowed to ruthlessly exploit the labour of prisoners to your own benefit.
But was Hulk really like that?
Did he really take pleasure from the beating of the prisoners, this forsaken ranch and could he really live happily ever after, managing the guards and collecting profit from the countless harvests? Something inside of me refused to believe it. He wasn’t that type of person. He demonstrated too much fairness in some situations, where (if he was really selfish) he could have just turned the blind eye.
Yes, occasionally, some prisoners were still dying from the beatings. Hence, for some reason, Hulk needed to maintain this appearance of a "cruel owner", but he wasn’t cruel inside, I could have sworn on it.
Then who was he - the man sleeping by my side within a hand reach? Why was he here? Why does he do what he does even though it’s not logical?
“What are you thinking about?”
The sound of his voice made me startle.
“Do you have a headache?” Hulk sounded worried and touched my forehead.
I unwittingly pulled the blanket over my chin, as if it could help me to hide my recent thoughts and doubts.
“No, I don’t have a headache. I was just... reflecting.”
“On what?”
I chuckled - he just woke up and he wants to know everything! But should I say it aloud or not? Or should I lie that I was thinking about myself or tell the truth that all my thoughts were about him? What will be will be!
“About you.”
The sheets rustled and the mattress sagged - Hulk leaned on his elbow and now was much closer to me. In a second he carefully stroked my cheek with his fingers and his warm breath touched my forehead.
“What exactly?”
I hesitated. I didn’t know how to combine the words into a single structure that would accurately and unobtrusively express my thoughts. I either must be honest from start to end, be ready to hear the truth, or beat around the bush, trying to gather the information bit by bit, without being scared to hear a response, which I might not like.
His fingers began gently stroking my cheek, distracting me from my dilemma.
But I didn’t want to play any games. If he refuses to answer my direct questions, so be it, but I’ll know now and not later. I decided to get straight to the point.
“I was thinking that everything that’s going on between us means that we are getting closer...”