Note: Please don’t feel obligated to read this. The writing is a little rough because I haven’t placed my final edits from last week. 🙂 Also, I still haven’t finished forming Fredrick’s character and the spelling of his name which you have probably seen 😛 (no judgement plz)
Chapter 1
“When offered a hand by a child, those who are older and wiser should accept the favor as to teach the children to be grateful for what they have…”
-Excerpt from page 296 in the Handbook
Everyone filed into the plane, insisting the person behind them enter first. They all slid into their seats, politely introducing themselves to the person beside them and stowing away their carry-on items. They smiled as someone went past them, making sure to ask how their day was. The plane was almost full and ready to take off when a woman rushed in, saying nothing as she stumbled down the aisle with her huge rolly bag. Everyone was shocked but only said “how do you do?” or introducing themselves. The woman was unfamiliar and looked different compared to everyone else on the plane. Her hair was grey and messy, and her outfit was put together poorly. Magdalena Evensbee patted the seat next to her and gestured for the woman to sit by her- as any child around twelve was taught to do. The woman pursed her lips and plopped herself down, attempting to shove her bulky bag under the seat in front of her.
“How do you do?” Magdalena Evensbee asked, her eyes twinkling. She found the woman to be quite different. Different was strange. And she liked strange. The woman heaved a sigh and kicked her bag under the seat in front of her.
“By golly!” exclaimed the woman sitting in front of her whom Magdalena recognized to be the mayor’s wife Eleanor. Eleanor caught everyone off guard. No one was prone to the rudeness Eleanor had just shown. The man sitting in seat 23B dropped his laptop, which he hastily scooped up. Eleanor cleared her throat. “My apologizes but would you mind not kicking my seat?”
The odd woman glanced up.
“I’m not trying to kick your seat. I just can’t seem to get the blasted bag to go under.”
“I can help,” Magdalena Evensbee chimed. She smiled and the mayor’s wife grinned, impressed by her politeness.
“That’s okay,” the woman replied almost before Magdalena could get the words out of her mouth. Magdalena was taken aback. This was the first time someone rejected her offer and she wasn’t sure what to do. The handbook prepared her for everything but this.
She heard the person behind her flipping through the pages to see if there was an explanation. There wasn’t. Magdalena’s mom, Poppy Evensbee, put a hand on her shoulder. Poppy was just as disturbed as Magdalena and the rest of the people on the plane. She wondered what exactly it could mean. Magdalena pushed her toffee brown hair out of her eyes and scooted closer to her mom.
“Everyone on board, we would like to welcome you to Whimsical Airlines. My name is Brandon Smith and I would love to get to know all of you on your ride to Hawaii. Of course I can’t because I’m flying,” joked the person on the intercom speaker. Everyone laughed in unison except the strange woman next to Magdalena Evensbeee. Everyone stole a glance at her and then quickly got back to whatever they were doing when the woman looked at them.
Magdalena felt the plane rumble beneath her as it began to take off. She squinted her eyes as if she thought by doing so the plane would stop. Magdalena hated airplanes-of course she would never say a word as foul as such to anyone but herself. She felt the wheels of the plane gently escape the ground and the plane steadily move towards the clouds. She opened her eyes and clenched her hands from the armrest of her chair. Her knuckles were white and her face was pale. Beads of sweat ran down her face.
“It’s okay Magdalena,” Poppy Evensbee assured her like she did every plane ride they took. She patted Magdalena’s shoulder and glanced out the window. Clouds parted for an unusually brilliant sky. Poppy Evensbee smiled, the light from outside casting shadows upon her ivory skin. “Look outside.”
Magdalena looked outside and in an instant she recoiled, feeling an odd jolt in her stomach she had never felt before. She dismissed the feeling and thought that everyone on the plane was feeling the same way. Poppy closed the window, a pool of darkness surrounding their chairs.
“Can I draw?” Magdalena asked excitedly.
“If you look in the handbook I’m sure you’ll find something new.”
“Seriously, can’t I draw something new-” Magdalena began, groaning. Her mother shushed her and drew out a copy of the handbook which everyone had by them at all times. She flipped through the pages and landed on a picture Magdalena had only drawn 367 times. “Why can’t I draw something new?”
“You know,” Poppy replied, smoothing out the wrinkles in her rose colored dress. Magdalena Evensbee did know why. It was a whole unit she studied in school. The government didn’t want to start corruption or disloyalty so the only images that were allowed to be drawn were ones from the Handbook. Magdalena had heard people in the olden days drew for fun but some of their drawings disrespected the government, leading the government to stop free drawings in general. Magdalena was handed the book. She shook her head. Poppy Evensbee sighed, placing the book back in her purse. Magdalena wished she could just be free to do as she wished, she felt as if there were invisible chains that bound her.
“Would you like any beverages?” one of the flight attendants asked, stopping Magdalena’s train of thought. She wheeled by a small cart filled with food and drinks. Little sandwiches with bright lettuce leaves poked out from the back of the cart and Magdalena caught her mouth watering. She glanced at the assortment of herbal teas which steamed to the roof of the airplane, the small chocolates, and the nasty looking salads. Magdalena peered up at the woman. Her name tag said Anne. Anne was one of the few names that did not appeal to Magdalena Evensbee’s liking. It sounded like the name of a seventy year old woman who had just bought a new pair of dentures. But, she would never say such a thing, it was merely a thought which popped into her head. Most people preferred the name Anne because it was a simple name. The woman smiled an overly cheery smile for a flight attendant.
“We will have two salads and iced waters please,” Poppy Evensbee stated. She looked at the odd woman. “Do you want anything?”
The woman shook her head and said “thank you”, which was the most polite thing she had done the whole flight. Poppy nodded her head and reached out to grab her meal, thanking the flight attendant and paying her. Magdalena pushed her fork against her salad, hoping her mother wouldn’t call her out on it.
“Magdalena, don’t play with your food.”
Magdalena rolled her eyes and started eating her salad. Each piece of lettuce tasted more and more like cardboard. The woman beside her started having a coughing fit. Magdalena froze and everyone on the plane gasped.
Sicknesses were an old folk tale. At least that’s what she was told. Poppy Evensbee scanned the plane to see if there was anywhere she and Magdalena could move to, but there was no open seat. Magdalena watched in horror as the woman coughed into her elbow. Poppy’s face was grave and her normally ivory skin turned a ghost white.
Before Magdalena knew it, hours had swept by and the plane landed with an uneasy stumble. She unbuckled quickly and took a deep breath of air.
“Hello everybody, I would like to inform you we are here in Hawaii. I hope you have an amazing vacation and a spectacular day. Thanks for joining me on Whimsical Airlines,” the person on the intercom said. Everyone hastily got up with a plastered smile and darted out of the plane. The odd woman hobbled out and Magdalena never saw her again.
Chapter 2
“The names which may be used for girls consist of Anne, Magdalena, Poppy, Amber, Eleanor, Susan, Margaret, and Isabella. Names which may be used for boys are Brandon, Alex, Curtis, Dominic, Charles, Fredrick, Jake, and Gregory. Other names shall not be allowed as to not make one feel less special than another…”
-Excerpt from page 106 in the Handbook
There used to be a Susan spelled like Suzan instead of Susan in Magdalena’s fourth grade class. Suzan Ackle was the smallest in the class with golden blonde pigtails and a cute baby face. She was likable. Magdalena didn’t like when Suzan stole her lollipop but besides that, she liked her. Suzan wasn’t out the ordinary so Magdalena couldn’t remember much of her.
Suzan Ackle used to be Magdalena’s neighbor. Poppy and Suzan’s mom seemed to be close friends, they hosted their own book club where anyone was invited to make sure no one was excluded. But, one day when Magdalena went over to her house to play, with a brand new set of legos, Suzan wasn’t their. Poppy said they went on Vacation, but Magdalena thought it was awfully weird they didn’t say goodbye. Not one reminiscent was left behind in their house except Suzan’s heart locket which she always had around her neck. Magdalena scooped it up in her hands and kept it around her neck, hoping her old childhood friend would come back.
“The scanners are coming today Poppy,” Curtis Evensbee announced as he skimmed the daily paper. He took a swig of coffee and glanced up at his wife from his spectacles. Poppy Evensbee hurridley rushed around the room, snatching trash off the floor, fluffing the pillows, dusting, sweeping, and doing as much as she could before the scanners arrived.
The scanners were a group of people whom every week checked upon each house to see if they were in order and following the guidelines of the Handbook. The scanners reminded Magdalena of modern day storm troopers. They all worn blue caps and suits and had little handguns buried deep into their pockets to make sure people didn’t see. Magdalena Evensbee saw. She saw it alright and when she told her parents they shushed her and told her not to speak of such things. The scanners scared the living bejeezus out of Magdalena’s little brother Dominic so much so that the Evensbee family had to take him to multiple therapists in hopes of “fixing” him. Magdalena completely understood where he was coming from. The scanners were creepy, they walked around the Evensbee household like lifeless robots searching for insecurities.
There was a rap at the door and Poppy darted towards it, hastily straightening stray hairs. When she flung open the door, she smiled nervously. The group stood before her, all baring eery smiles as they stepped inside.
“Come in, come in,” Poppy said out of breath. Although, there was no need to, they had permission to go into anyones house at any given time. Poppy shut the door. The scanners straightened the collars of their blue suits. The woman in front showed no effort to smile. Dominic walked over to the kitchen table, shaking each step. The woman took off her big shaded sunglasses and placed them on the counter, revealing big bug-like brown eyes. The rest of the group kept their glasses on and ran their eyes over the room. Curtis grinned and set down the paper.
“How do you do?” he asked the woman with the bug eyes. She didn’t respond with a smile.
“Is this the Evensbee household?” she asked, ignoring his question. Curtis was used to it, he just sat back down and pretended like he said nothing. She folded her arms.
“Yes,” Poppy replied, nodding her head. Her blonde curls bounced up and down. Magdalena took a seat by her brother and reached out for his hand. They were both equally terrified.
“So you must be Poppy?” she asked, pronouncing “Poppy” in a dislikable manner. Magdalena glanced at Dominic who had his eyes set on the table. Poppy nodded. The woman drummed her long blue nails against the countertop. “Who are you planning to give the baby up to? There are twenty options.”
Poppy saw this coming. She peered down at her pregnancy bump and sighed. She desperately wanted to keep her baby, but knew it would never happen. Having three babies was unspeakable. She knew the Handbook only permitted one girl and one boy and it would not make an exception for her. Poppy had been able to hide her pregnancy for two weeks before the scanners realized it, and they were not happy. Curtis and Poppy both exchanged sad smiles.
“I’m thinking about handing it over to Margaret next door,” Poppy said. She regretted it immediately. The scanners had astonished faces.
“We haven’t paired her up with a husband yet so that will not be an option miss,” the bug-eyed lady said with a stony gaze. Dominic looked up, surprised at the commotion. Magdalena half expected her to glare but it wouldn’t be professional.
“I’ll give it to the Walsh family in sector 2a,” Poppy said, tapping her foot anxiously from behind the counter. The woman handed Poppy a set of papers and glanced around the room in hopes of finding something out of place but the Evensbee house was perfect.
“Fill out these papers by tomorrow and we will give your baby away in three weeks.”
“Three weeks?” Poppy asked. She tried showing no emotion.
“You will be using the speed serum won’t you?” the woman questioned. Poppy nodded. The speed serum sped up pregnancy and made it end it weeks. “Well, we have a slot open for you in the hospital approximately two miles east. Your baby will be given away that day.”
“Do I get to name him?” Poppy asked, anticipating the answer. She bit her lip.
“No,” the woman replied blankly. She slipped her sunglasses back on her skinny face, making her look more and more like a bug in Magdalena’s eyes. “His name is Fredrick Walsh. That’s that. Don’t argue with us.”
She swiftly turned around and the scanners went out the door.
“Have a good day Poppy Evensbee,” the woman said flatly. She shut the door and the Evensbee family loosened up. Tears rolled down Poppy’s face and she gently wiped them off and brushed her hands against her rose colored dress.
“Curtis, can I have a word?” she asked. Magdalena got up from her chair and let go of Dominic’s hand.
“Mom, I didn’t know you were pregnant,” Magdalena Evensbee stated, looking up at her mother’s tear stained face. Magdalena felt as if she had been kept from this secret for a long time.
“Take your brother upstairs Mag. Your father and I need to talk.”
Magdalena didn’t question her mother.
Chapter 3
“Curfew will be from 8:00 pm to precisely 6:00 am as to not disturb neighbors or anyone for that matter. No one should be awake by these times or at least if you are, please stay in your homes. If anything out of the ordinary happens to you, it will not be our fault. Thank you.”
-Excerpt from page 05 of the Handbook
Governor Alex Bernard (230-2100)
Magdalena awoke with a start, her palms were clammy and she felt dizzy. She rolled out of her neatly made bed, gently placing her feet on the cold wooden floor, and glancing at the clock. It read 9:00, which was a time where no one was allowed outside. Magdalena wondered exactly why the Handbook had a curfew for the whole town. Compared to the other girls and boys in town, she was the most curious. Although there was the saying “curiosity killed the cat” that her teachers thoroughly sunk into her head, Magdalena was not scared at all to be seeking out answers.
“Damn that cat,” she muttered. She walked towards her window as if she were magnetically draw to it. Magdalena slid it open and a breeze of cool air whipped her auburn hair, she placed a lock of hair behind her ear revealing a set of baby blue eyes. She sighed. Her mother and father would kill her if the curiosity hadn’t. But, there was just something drawing her outside. She slipped her leg out the window, peering at the grass down below. The Evensbee house was one story, easily making Magdalena fall two inches. Her bare feet grazed the cool grass and she wiggled her toes.
Magdalena shut the window hastily and began walking towards the street. All the lights were out in the houses but Magdalena still felt as though she were being watched. Chills ran down her spine and she shivered. Her feet began to move as if to on their own. She passed all the houses in the neighborhood, each being the exact same as her own. Little daffodils sprouted near the entryway to small little cabin-like homes. The wind blew fiercely towards Magdalena but she didn’t mind it. She prefered weather other than bright clear skies without clouds. Night time was her favorite and there was no use trying to fight it. She rubbed her shoulders which were covered in tiny goosebumps.
“Yes I want the money,” she heard a voice say. Magdalena’s heart pounded to the beat of a million drums. She darted to a nearby plant and knelt behind it, squinting her eyes. She shook knowing if the scanners found her she would be known as the town psychopath. The worst part about being known as the town psychopath is no one admits it, they just act super cheery and behind your back, make sure to avoid you as much as possible. Flecks of dirt coated her dirty feet. The sounds stopped and she gingerly got up from behind the bush. It was as if nothing happened. Every house looked the same, nothing was out of place, and certainly no one was out and about like she was. She knew that for sure, yet she felt something odd in her stomach. It felt as if her insides were being twisted. The streetlight shone eerily down on the street and she saw it differently than she had before.
Footsteps hit the gravel streets and Magdalena found herself on the soily dirt once more. The dark sky gave shed no mercy. Magdalena could barely see anything due to the sky being pitch dark and the street lights shining nothing more than an amount of a reading light. She gripped her hands onto the bush in front of her, breathing heavily until the footsteps stopped. Her heart pounded as she forced herself up, as she did so, a boy about her age did the same. He emerged from the shrubbery across from her. Instead of screaming like any girl or boy would do, they both looked at eachother confused. Magdalena walked over to the bush across the street from her and the boy did the same until they met up in the middle of the street. The boy was a little taller than her, with golden blonde hair that her pushed away from his face. Millions of freckles dotted his face like stars. His almond shaped eyes stared down at her. She recognized him somewhere but couldn’t remember exactly who he was.
“What are you doing up so late?” Magdalena asked, breaking the silence. He ran his hands through his hair and glanced back down at her.
“What am I doing up this late? What are you doing up this late?” he asked almost angrily. Magdalena exhaled and she watched her breath turn into a cloud of air. She shivered.
“I asked first,” she said blankly. The corners of the boy’s mouth curled into a smile.
“Same as you,” he replied so briefly Magdalena couldn’t help but look up questionably. She nodded and rubbed her numb fingers together. The boy swayed as if awkwardly not knowing what to say next.
“Uh huh.”
“How do you do?” he joked. Magdalena laughed for the first time in five years. She rarely heard someone make a joke about the handbook. The boy smiled.
“I’m Magdalena,” she added, slipping her hand out of her coat pocket. He shook it happily.
“Wow, don’t hear that name often.”
Magdalena laughed again. She had never met someone quite so funny. Most jokes were passed around from the handbook and got old. Magdalena had a huge pet peeve of people reciting the handbook and not speaking for themselves
“I’m Fredrick.”
“So what are you actually doing here?”
“Same as you?”
“What do you think I’m doing?”
Frederick shrugged.
“Seriously.”
“Well, I think you’re snooping around trying to figure out why there’s a curfew?” Frederick said as if he read Magdalena’s mind. He seemed snarky by asking a question he already knew the answer too. The streetlight casted shadows on his pale skin. He shrugged and looked up at the sky.
“How’d you-”
“Honey please. Like I had to guess.”
“I thought I was the only one,” she stated, her head spinning. Were there others searching for answers? She stared at her black boots and took a heavy inhale.
“No.”
“Excuse me?” Magdalena asked looking up at him. His eyes seemed to glow from the incredibly bright moon.
“There aren’t others.”
Magdalena was suddenly irked by his mind reading.
“I didn’t ask,” she retorted, spinning around and beginning to walk back home. She clenched her fists, her confusion transforming into anger. She felt a tug at her shoulder and she turned around.
“Can’t we at least be friends?” he questioned.
“Sure,” was all Magdalena could say. It was getting too late for her comfort and her mind was getting hazy. She figured she would probably never see the boy-Fredrick was his name-again. So she sighed and nodded, becoming more and more tired. She waved and then was off to her house, becoming smaller and smaller in Fredrick’s vision.
Chapter 4
“…scanners are for keeping law in order and to obtain loyalty between the people and the government. Without scanners we are lost. They face each act of treason and help us become the better people we are.”
-Excerpt from page 2660 of the Handbook
(Animagus Leang B.W. – Before the War)
Dark blood spilled onto the rocks at West Front Pointe. Foam from the waves gently washed over it, leaving behind a red mark. Up on the cliffs a scanner could be spotted, eyeing the rocks and quickly pulling an odd mask onto his face. It looked somewhat like a gas mask. He darted towards shore as the sun rose over the glassy waves. He jumped off the cliff, the sand broke his fall making him land flat on his feet like he always had. The cliff was quite steep and anyone who was not a scanner would have perished from a fall as hard. He rushed to the blood covered rock. Little stains covered the sand around it. The scanner grunted and got on his hands and knees. He grabbed a vacuum-like machine out of his suit and turned it on with a flip of a switch. It vibrated and made a loud sound as all the blood stained sand was quickly sucked into it. The scanner turned the vacuum machine off abruptly and pushed it back into his suit with ease. He quickly grabbed the rock and plastered a strange green substance on it which made all the blood disappear into the rock’s core. The scanner glanced at the rock before heaving a sigh and slowly taking off his mask and enfolding it in his arms. He pushed back a lock of golden blonde hair, revealing a face that was covered in millions of freckles. He looked around the pristine beach once more to make sure his work was finished. Than, without even a look more, he ran towards the cliffs and jumped. The scanner jumped so high that he was on the top of the cliff in seconds.
“I’ve done it,” he muttered into a small golden band on his wrist. His eyes met the golden sun which seemed to almost erupt from the ocean. “Citizen 404 is gone and no trace is left behind.”
Chapter 5
“…sicknesses are a myth spread by many citizens. It is nothing to worry about considering the fact that it is as unlikely as getting struck lightning, eaten by a mermaid, and burning all at the same time. Overall, the point I am trying to make is there are no sicknesses, it is merely a myth and should not be worried about…”
-Excerpt from page 296 of the Handbook
(Written by Gregory Theri, 2999-3049)
Magdalena’s head spun so fast, she could barely take a breath. She had been feeling odd the last couple of days. Her throat was scratchy and her sinuses felt like someone was pounding in her nose with a sledge hammer. Nonetheless, she dismissed how bad she felt and continued along her day.
Today was the day Magdalena was dreading. The moment she slipped out of bed and her feet collided with the cold wooden floor, she knew nothing would be the same. Poppy Evensbee was going to go into labor at precisely 7:00 am that day. Or at least the scanners presumed and did they ever presume wrong? No, was the only answer Magdalena had in mind. She bounded down the stairs, her hand grazing the banister. As soon as she got downstairs the clock struck 7:00.
“Curtis!” Magdalena heard her mother yelp from the other room. Her voice sounded less like the honey tone it usually was and more raspy. Magdalena recoiled and took a few steps back before entering the kitchen. Curtis Evensbee darted into the room in his blue blazer and jeans. He grabbed her elbows.
“It’s going to be okay,” he replied as he slipped on his shoes. He seemed a bit less energetic than usual. Poppy hyperventilated, taking in sharp breaths in a row. “It’s okay. Let’s go to the hospital.”
Poppy’s eyes shifted to the little alarm clock on the stove. 7:01, one minute after her water was supposed to have broken.
“We can’t,” she responded shakily. Curtis rubbed his eyes used to his wife’s second thoughts about having a baby.
“And why can’t we?” he asked, expecting no answer.
“Because my water didn’t break!” she replied loudly. She shook and bit her lip. Poppy stomped her foot, the ties on her robes coming loose. “My damn water didn’t break!”
“What?” Curtis questioned, his eyes widened and he looked his wife over to make sure she wasn’t just in shock. His eyes made it to the clock that read 7:02. Two minutes. Magdalena froze, her feet planted to the staircase. Her heart pounded so hard she thought it would burst out of her chest. She held her breath and listened to the deafening silence. There was absolutely, positively nothing her parents could do, or she for that matter. Her eyes glazed over in a hazy stance. Her feet wobbled and broke out beneath her, sending Magdalena flying down the staircase, hitting each stair with a painful smack. And then she was out like a light, her vision rapidly fading to black.
Chapter 5
“…lying is one of the worst acts one can commit. Tell the truth and you’ll be spared the consequences…”
-Excerpt from page 345 of the Handbook
A clicking noise woke Magdalena up almost immediately. When her eyes opened she tensed up, holding her breath like she usually did when she was nervous. Except she was more than nervous. She observed the small claustrophobic room she was in, the dark grey walls seeming to almost close in on her. Magdalena’s eyes widened as she tried to comprehend where she was, racking her brain helplessly for an answer. She jumped up from the ground instantly being forced back to the damp floor. Her head smashing against the wall.
“Owww,” she muttered. She rubbed her head and as soon as she did so she froze. Shackles bounded her wrists, chaining her to the wall. She tried to let out scream but instead got a raspy cough. Her throat burned as she coughed into her elbow, chains clinking on the tile floor. Her eyes squinted in the dim lighting. Huge metal bars enclosed her in the tiny jail-like room.
She slumped against the wall, her auburn hair pressing into it. She glanced around the room, looking for a way to escape but the only source of light was from a little crack in the wall near her. Light from outside seeping through it and sending a long line of sunlight across the room. Magdalena sighed, rubbing her eyes and gritting her teeth.
“562?” came a familiar voice. Magdalena sprung up, lunging towards the metal rods. The chains held her back inches from the bar. They tugged but she ignored them.
“Frederick!” she exclaimed. Her breathing sped up. “Where am I?”
“562, please remain silent,” he stated blankly, avoiding eye contact. He had on a dark blue suit and Magdalena instantly knew what he was. She sneered and backed up into her corner angrily.
“Scanner in training? Really?” she asked, trying to dispatch the sadness in her raspy voice. Her throat tingled and she coughed into her wrist. Frederick flinched and shuddered. Magdalena glared, and then quickly looked at the floor which was covered in millions of grubby puddles.
“I hate to tell you this way. I actually wanted to be friends. I really did-” he began, his voice breaking as he said friends. He clasped his hands around the rods and glanced at the floor, obviously disappointed in himself. There was an eerie silence before Magdalena spoke.
“Sure, yeah I believe you,” she responded sarcastically. Her eyes shifted to the little spot of light and she focused in on it because looking at Frederick would be too hard. A tear rolled down her cheek. “I knew it was too good to be true. The jokes, the smile. You’re quite an actor aren’t you?”
“I’m not an actor!” he replied angrily, his voice echoing through her little chamber. She fidgeted with the shackles, they pressed against her wrists so hard, a purple color draining down her fingers. He breathed heavily and pushed a lock of golden hair out of his eyes. When their eyes met Magdalena pursed her lips.
“You’re not my friend, so cut your act. What am I doing here?” Magdalena asked.
“You’re…” Frederick squinted his eyes shut like Magdalena. “You’re sick.”
Magdalena gulped, her head spinning. She let out a cough and blood spattered on the tile floor.
“Oh my god!” Magdalena exclaimed, shifting away from the blood. She had never bled in her lifetime. Nor had she been sick for that matter. Her eyes widened so large, Frederick considered unlocking the door, until that is, he remembered his duties. Magdalena wiped her mouth with her shirt and quickly made eye contact with Fredrick. “I’m…sick?”
How could she be sick? Magdalena’s eyes shut when she found the answer. It was as if she were struck so suddenly she needed time to cope. When she finally opened her eyes again she said in a hoarse tone, “The strange woman.”
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