The dusty orange sun rose slowly into the sky awakening the early risers of the world, and sending the mischief workers to sleep. The farmers had to start their mornings at the first light of dawn to squeeze the fullest out of the day. On a small farm, a large family began their morning routine.

“Alright, everyone. Line up for roll call,” Aesha - the mother, called. The family rushed to comply. They stood in age order from youngest to oldest and waited for the name to be called. “Papa?”

“Present but probably not for much longer.” Aesha’s father replied. “I don’t think the Good Maker has much more use for me here. And I can’t wait for the day He calls me home.” 

“Thank you, Papa,” Aesha said with a pasted-on smile. “May the Maker keep Mama…”

“...and bless her soul.” The family replied. They said that every morning in honor of Aesha's mother.

“Mateo, Austyn, and Jazen should return from the market soon.” She was talking about her husband and two oldest sons. “Milo? Where’s Milo?” 

“He’s outside. Reading.” Eleana the youngest and only daughter tattled.

“Of course he is.” Milo devoured any book he could get his hands on, which weren’t very many since books were forbidden. “Well everyone we have a busy day today. We have to prepare the animals for The Keeper.” Everyone groaned. “They have to look their very best. If not… he’ll take a sacrifice for our incompetence. And nobody wants that.” The Keeper was a man who had fought to lead the world with his evil deeds. He sent his men - The Seekers, to gather up whatever his heart desired.

“We get the point, daughter. Let us get to work.” Papa said gruffly.

“Yes sir. Off to work everyone. And be careful.” Aesha watched her family go off to their different jobs with a small sense of fear. A healthy fear one might say. There was danger lurking at every corner in every shadow even in their remote farm. After the Great War, the entire world was virtually destroyed and people had to make a living out of the ruins. The most evil people were those in the place of power and that made the world a vile place. Creatures arose from the ashes like never seen before. Some were able to be tamed and raised into farm animals and meat. Others lurked in the woods and dark places like monsters under your bed. And others were used to instill fear into the hearts of the people who believed there was even an ounce of good in the world. Aesha walked outside into the tainted air, a feeling that one got used to over time. She was only a baby when the War took place, but her lungs still remembered the feeling of clean oxygen. “Milo? Son?”

“Yes, Mama?” Milo replied, appearing from under a pile of grass. To call it grass is a grand understatement. Nothing green had grown since the War, and anything that did grow looked dead. But they had learned how to use what they had and found that humans and animals could eat the grass-like thing like wheat. 

“Why are you reading right now, love? We have a lot of work to do,” She asked, gently picking the dirt from his hair.

“Well, I remembered that the… The Seekers are coming and they might find my book again, so I thought that if I finished it quickly I could… I could…” He hesitated looking down at his bare feet.

“You could what?”

“I could… burn it.” The words hurt his little heart, and Aesha could tell by the tears in his eyes. The thought of harming a book or even accidentally tearing a page wrecked him.

“Oh, baby,” Aesha murmured, pulling him into a hug. “I know it will be hard, but you have to burn it. We can’t have them finding it like they did last time.” A few months ago when The Seekers came to gather the animals they had searched the house and found a book in the room Milo shared with his older brothers. They were very harsh as they questioned the boys and Austyn - the oldest son willingly took the blame so that Milo wouldn’t be punished. Austyn still had the scars from that day. 

“Yes, Mama.”

“Finish the book quickly son and then come help us.” She kissed the top of his head and walked over to the barn. The daily routine was very similar and there was always work to be done. The children cleaned up after the animals, and it was Aeshas’ job - along with the older boys and her husband, to feed all the beasts.

“AESHA?!” Mateo's voice came booming into the barn. Aesha turned from the animals and, dropping the feed bucket, ran outside to greet her husband.

“Mateo,” She murmured into his shoulder. “Where are the boys?” The joy she felt was spoiled by a tingle of fear.

“They’re fine. Bringing in a load of animals we got cheap. They’re different than the usual ones we get, but they’re supposed to be real good to eat,” Mateo soothed.

“Oh thank the Maker,” Aesha sighed. A sound similar to a cow’s mooing mixed with a lion's roar filled the air as Austyn and Jazen herded the beasts in. 

“Where do you want them, Ma?” Austyn asked. 

“Put them in the front pasture. I want to give them a good look over before we send them out with the other animals.”

“Yes’m.” 

“Mateo. Milo found another book,” Aesha reported as they finished the feeding.

“Good for him.” 

“You’re not supposed to be happy about that. He shouldn’t be reading.”

“He should be able to read whatever book he wants whenever he wants. Without having to worry about anyone finding him. And one day he will.” Mateo’s voice lowered as he leaned in closer to Aesha. “I heard there’s a rebel leader recruiting. He’s gathering to himself a large force and together we’re going to take over the Keeper and his Enforcers, and place a good Keeper in his place.”

“We? We? You are not going to help those rebels. Our family relies on us… on you to provide. If you run off with those rebels we are left without our leader. And if they find out you’re with them then we will be punished. You can’t do that to us.”

“We’ll talk about this later. Check on the new animals. I want them in the back pastures before the Seekers come.”

“Yes, Mateo,” She complied, walking over to the pasture. There was something strange about these beasts and she could feel it. It felt like a cloud covered them and tainted the already spoiled air. “Austyn?! Jazen?!”

“Yes, Ma?” They ran over their stride in unison. 

“Do these animals seem strange to you?” 

“They do. I told Da that we shouldn’t buy them, but he was…” Jazen was cut off by an elbow in the ribs by Austyn.

“He was what?” Aesha asked, giving them a motherly ‘you tell me now’ look.

“He thought they were good,” Austyn finished.

“Tell me the truth, Austyn. Now.” 

“Yes’m,” He sighed. “The man who was selling them was talking to Da about the rebels. And then some Seekers came around and asked why they’d been talking for such a long time. Da’s first excuse was that they were trying to decide a price for the beasts. We told him that there was something wrong with them, but the man convinced him that they were perfectly fine, and since he was a rebel man Da believed him over his own very experienced sons.” His voice had a layer of roughness on it as he recounted the events.

“We can’t keep these here. They’re surely diseased,” Aesha said, backing out of the pasture.

“Maybe Papa knows what it is. He’s good at deciphering diseases.” 

“That’s true. Run and fetch him for me and tell your sister to stay away from here if you see her.”

“Yes ma’am,” Austyn sprinted off since he was the faster of the two leaving Jazen and Aesha alone.

“Tell me, Jazen. How many Seekers are there in the city now?”

“Too many to count, Mama. I don’t like it though. They’re always watching everyone and everything and every week we go there are more and more of them. It scares me. But Da says that I have to go and he tells me that I’ll become more of a man because of it. But I don’t believe that. I don’t want to keep going.”

“I know, son. But if you don’t go, who will?”

“Austyn can do the work of both of us. Everyone knows that.”

“That’s not true. And everyone knows that. We know that you are just as helpful and needed as your brother and I bet that if you ask him- and he’s being honest, you’ll find that he’s just as scared as you are.”

“Here’s Papa,” Austyn panted, throwing his hands to his knees in an attempt to catch his breath. 

“What’s the matter, Aesha?”

“It’s the new animals, Papa. I think they’re diseased.”

“Well, you can see that by just looking at them. What possessed that husband of yours to purchase these lumps of uselessness? You have to kill them all.”

“I’ll tell Mateo. Thank you, Papa. Now please get away from here. I don’t want you to get what they have. If that’s even possible.” 

“No need to worry about that. Their disease can’t spread. No animal of this day can give us humans any diseases.”

“Oh, that’s comforting. So if we leave them here for now we can prepare the other animals for the Seekers?”

“I suppose, just do get rid of them as soon as possible. They stink,” Papa said with a twitch of his nose and mustache. They all laughed as they continued their work.  Six groups of well fed healthy animals were brought to the front to be ready for the arrival of the Seekers.

“Milo?” Aesha called looking all over for him. 

“Yes, Mama?” 

“Have you finished your book?” She asked. There was no response. “Answer me, son.”

“Yes.”

“Come now. We have to burn it. The Seekers are almost here.” She pulled the grass covering off Milo and gently helped him out.

“Mama, please. Don’t make me burn it,” He sobbed fat little tears rolling down his face.

“Hey now. What’s the matter, Milo?” Austyn asked, seeing his brother's distress.

“Mama wants me to… to… to burn my book.”

“Here. I’ll do it for you. You go inside and clean your face. Okay?” Milo nodded, wiping the tears from his face and handed the book to Austyn.

“Thank you,” Aesha mouthed to Austyn as she led Milo inside. Austyn took the little book and hid it in a floorboard in the barn under the piles of stinky feed. He knew that the smell would mask the common book scent and that no one would go searching through the feed.

“Here they come!” Mateo yelled, calling his family to him. They all ran over straightening their clothes and putting on their most somber faces. The Seekers didn’t like joy and anyone who seemed happy was punished.

“Mateo… Enrith?” The Seeker called through his dark black suit. Not an inch of skin was seen through the metal-looking suit.

“That’s me, sir.” 

“You should have eight groups for us to take today.”

“Six, sir,” Mateo corrected.

“Pardon?”

“I was told that I needed to have six groups ready, sir.” Mateo’s voice shook only a little bit as he explained.

“I told you eight just now didn’t I?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then how many should you have?”

“Eight, sir, but I don’t have eight, sir.”

“Then we have a problem don’t we?”

“No, sir. I can get two more groups ready right now.”

“What about those animals there? Are you holding them out for yourself? Why don’t you give us those?”

“They’re sick, sir,” Aesha explained. “We have to put them down.”

“Is that just a ploy for you to be able to keep them?”

“No, sir. We will give you some from our very best, but those are diseased,” Aesha said.

“My wife speaks the truth, sir.”

“I don’t believe you. We’ll take the whole group.” Eight of the twenty Enforcers pushed past the family and let the animals out of the pasture. They herded them to where they were standing. 

“Our business is done here for today. Next time I’ll be expecting, nine.”

“Yes, sir.” Mateo agreed through clenched teeth.

“Good.” He turned around and led the Seekers and all the animals away. Once they were out of sight Mateo let out a roar of anger.

“Those thieving conniving… ugh.” He stopped himself from saying any more and growling, hurried off to the barn.

“Mama?”

“Yes, Jazen?”

“I don’t feel too good.” His face was pale and his skin had many tiny little bumps.

“I wasn’t going to say anything, but neither am I,” Austyn agreed.

“Oh dear. Let’s get you inside.” Aesha hurried them inside and laid them on the couches.

“Eleana? Go get your father.” Aesha told her five-year-old.

“Okay, mama.” Eleana skipped out of the house and towards the barn. A few moments later she returned. “He’s lying on the floor in the barn.” Aesha’s eyes widened with fear as she ran out to the barn.

“Mateo? Mateo?!” He was indeed lying on the floor, his body pale and covered in the same bumps as the boys. “It’s the animals. It’s contagious!” She ran back to the house and half lifted and half dragged Jazen into the barn. When Aesha returned for Austyn she said to Eleana “Stay away from the barn you hear? Stay in your room.” The harsh tone of her voice compelled the usually disobedient Eleana to hurry to her room and stay there. 

“Mom?” Austyn groaned, trying to sit up.

“Stay there, son. It’s going to be alright.” She wiped the sweat that dripped from her burning face and placed a wet rag on Austyn. 

“Mama? I don’t feel very well, and neither does Papa,” Eleana whined as she walked into the barn holding her grandfather's hand.

“Just lay down, baby. I’ll take care of you.”

“Doesn’t look like you’re in the position to care for anybody.” Papa took the rag from her hand and laid it on Eleana’s head. 

“I have to.” She moaned

“I’m sorry. It was all my fault. They were contagious.”

“It’s alright Papa. We’ll get through this. We’re all strong.”

“Ellie isn’t. I don’t think…”

“Don’t say that Papa. Don’t say that my daughter will die. Don’t…” Aesha fell back to the floor- the sickness taking over. 

“I’m sorry Aesha. I’m sorry.” And then he too passed out.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” Milo called. He had just finished cleaning up and playing a little and had walked into the barn to help with whatever chore was happening next. His little green eyes opened wide when he found his entire family lying on the floor, ashen and shaking. “Mama? Da? Papa? Austyn? Jazen? Ellie? Someone answer me! Please?!” His voice trembled.

“Milo,” Austyn rasped.

“Austyn!” Milo hurried over to his side.

“Go get help.” 

“Where do I go?” 

“Get the doctor. Go into town and find the doctor. But don’t talk to anyone. It’s contagious.” Milo nodded passionately. 

“I’ll get help, Austyn. I promise,” He said as he squeezed his brother's hand. Milo stood and looked around the barn wondering what to do next. Running inside he put on a pair of walking boots, grabbed a sackful of food, and raced back outside. He had seen the path that his father and brothers had taken to go into town and he set out at a slow run down the path. His little body moved rhythmically as he matched his breathing to his pace. The sun which had been straight above slowly moved to directly in front of him signaling the day coming close to it’s end.

“I need to get the doctor,” He panted. “One foot in front of the other Milo. One front in front of the other.” The sound of footsteps other than his own startled him so badly that he dove from the path into the brush.

“The wind it breathes 

over flower and tree, it’s

gentle touch warm”

A voice called out above the clopping of his steed hooves. “Oh yes, that’s a very good poem. If I wasn’t a doctor I’d be a poet. That would be a good profession wouldn’t it, Faye?” Milo’s mind was so out of it that he didn’t even realize that the person passing him was the doctor until he was out of sight and earshot.

“Oh wait!! Please wait! I need help!” Milo scrambled out of the bushes and raced after the doctor, willing his exhausted legs to keep moving. He followed the animal tracks and ended up right outside of town. “Keep going, Milo. Don’t give up now. Your family needs you,” He encouraged himself. “It’s okay to be scared, but you have to find the doctor. Just look for something that says doctor.” He hesitantly proceeded through the town staying away from groups of Seekers and trying not to look lost. “I can’t go any further.” Milo’s legs gave out from underneath him and he fell onto the porch of a small house his arm banging against the door. 

“Who is it? Oh dear! The poor boy.” An older lady said as she gently lifted Milo into the house. 

“Don’t touch me,” Milo murmured, “I’m contagious.” The lady sat him down on the couch and stepped back. 

“I’ll get the doctor. Liam! Come quick. There’s a sick boy and he says that he’s contagious.” The doctor hurried into the room, a pen and paper in his hands. He set those down on the arm of the couch and bent down beside Milo. 

“Where does it hurt?” Liam asked, feeling for a pulse.

“You have to help my family. They’re all sick. The animals made them sick.”

“The animals? Did they come from the market?” Milo nodded in response. “I told that farmer not to sell those animals. Luckily I have the cure. Hold still son and don’t go anywhere.” Liam went into the adjacent doctor's shop and grabbed his doctor's bag. “Kiddo, I’m warning you that this is going to hurt. Very badly. But I need you to be strong and don’t wiggle or scream. Got it?”

“Mmm.” Milo couldn’t open his mouth to say anything.

“I’m inserting the shot on the count of three. One… two… three!” The pain of the shot shocked Milo to the point that he couldn’t move, or scream which solved the doctor's problem. Instantly Milo felt relief and he sat up.

“You have to help my family. Please!”

“Of course." They hopped onto the horse-like creature called Faye and galloped off to the farm. The doctor made Milo stay outside while he injected each of the family members. When it was finished the doctor walked outside to where Milo stood.

“Are they okay? Can I see them?” Milo begged

“They’re fine. And yes you may see them. If anyone gets sick again you come get me, okay?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’ll be back to check on your family in a couple of days.”

“Thank you, sir. Thank you.” Milo wrapped his arms around the doctor and then ran into the barn. “MAMA!!” 

“Oh, my baby. I was so scared.”

“It was the animals. They’re contagious.”

“We should’ve killed them when you said, Papa.” Aesha acknowledged.

“It’s too late now. The Keeper has them, and when he figures out they came from here… ”

“Papa. Not in front of the kids.”

“They’re old enough.” Papa retorted. “He’ll kill us all for making him sick.”

“I know someone who will give us refuge. And I know of a job I can get. If you approve, Aesha.” Mateo looked at her with knowing eyes, willing her to say yes.

“You want us to join them?”

“It’s either that or die.”

“Fine. We’ll go to the rebels.”