CELESTINA

Chapter 6: THE UNKNOWN FUTURE.

“It is been three months of testing, Vivian. I can’t take it anymore,” I whined throwing my head back “I do not want to see another classroom or another medical center again, as loooooong as I live!”

“Tina! Shut up, get up and get over it!” Vivian commanded.

I had just slumped down onto the floor in the hallway between classes. We had been in Coalesce for a little over three months and I was losing all my energy. The daily classes, and personality tests, and medical tests, and future occupation tests, and… it all made me want to pull my hair out; one single strand at a time. Actually… no, that would have taken too long, and I just wanted the next couple of months to pass by as quickly as possible.

“I am over it! That is the problem. And I am so tired” I yawned for emphasis.

It was the dreams again. That lady was screaming at me so often now. Get up, Celestina! Run! I woke up in the middle of the night, every night, and spent at least an hour trying to coax my body back to sleep. It seemed like it took forever just to slow my heartbeat after I woke from one of those dreams.

“That is exactly the problem. You are overtired. You should tell Dr. Zena about how you wake up every night. Maybe she can give you something to help you sleep,” Vivian suggested.

I shook my head and put my hands out to her. I needed help standing back up. “Goodness no. She had put me through even more tests.”

Vivian grabbed my hands and pulled me up. “You cry out sometimes, you know? How bad are the dreams?”

I pondered over trying to remember but I could not remember a thing “I do not really remember them. I just feel like I need to run away from something when I wake up. They are not exactly scary or anything. They make me feel frantic. That sounds crazy. Please do not tell anyone. Promise me.”

“What’s the big news there? Oooh, Tina has dreams,” she teased “We all do. I woke up this morning just as I landed on a pile of purple satin, feather pillows that were at the bottom of a deep dark hole that I would trip into. Who wants to hear about that dream? Do not worry about it, Tina”.

She took a step behind me and pushed my shoulders, propelling me forward. “Come on we are late for Family Planning. This late pass expires in two minutes and I do not want Trainer Alpha docking our points. My father is giving me bonus money for every perfect score I graduate with”.

I smoothed out my skirt. “Okay… okay… I am up. Let's go.”

We scanned our pass at the door as we entered and slipped into the empty chairs at the back of the room. Trainer Alpha looked up as the green light flashed on the door scanner and gave us a nod to let us know she had seen it. We looked up at the wall screen to see the words Marriage Contracts.

“Marriage Contracts,” Alpha began, “are not to be entered into lightly. Once the details have been decided upon and agreed upon by both parties, contracts are signed, and cohabitation begins. If the contract is not contested within twelve months, then the Marriage Contract is considered secured. A secured contract is unbreakable under Committee Mandates. The two parties may choose not to cohabitate, but they may never enter another contract for the rest of their lives.”

Rosaline, the tallest girl in our year, raised her hand. She had the brightest red hair and the pinkest cheeks. Which was probably why her parents decided to name her Rosaline. We started calling her Rosy when we were quite little. She always used to laugh so hard that her cheeks would almost glow. But that was a long time ago. She had become quiet and kept to herself. She just withdrew herself from everyone and everything sometime during Year Eight, the same year her father stopped coming to Visitation Days. After that, her mother rarely came at all.

Trainer Alpha pointed at her. “Yes, Rosaline?”

“What about when a death occurs? Can a second Marriage Contract be secured at that time?” Rosaline asked.

“Excellent question. Yes, that is the one and only exception.”

“Are there ways to help someone find a second husband?”

“Of course, there are. But even though The Chapter prefers it, not all people wish to enter into a Contract for a second time,” Alpha explained.

“But she might smile again. She might be happy again and stop looking at me with regret,” Rosaline whispered. “If she could love someone else, maybe she could look at me lovingly again.”

Rosaline had inherited her father’s red hair and a fair complexion. Her mother rarely visited because every time she looked at Rosaline, she saw her dead husband and was filled with despair. It took Rosy a year to admit to us that her father had stopped coming to Visitation because he had died. I had tried to comfort her then, but she never let any of us close enough to do it.

“Maybe that is something you could help her with when you move back home,” Meg suggested and reached over to rub Rosaline’s shoulder.

“Yes, maybe,” Rosaline smiled. She looked almost hopeful.

“But you young men and women do not need to worry yourselves with Second Contracts,” Alpha raised her voice, bringing everyone’s attention back to her. “Upon graduation, you will know what track you are on. When you enter the Career Education Centre you will know if a Marriage Contract is something that should be secured quickly, or if you must wait until you are allowed to enter into one. Not everyone will choose to marry. I did not. I chose a strictly career driven path when I was eighteen, once I was told that I would not be able to secure a contract for many years.”

“So, what are the determining factors?” Cameron asked.

Alpha clicked a button, the wall screen flashed, and a list appeared. “Financial portfolio, social clout, career choice, and, of course, the results of your Citizen Brand.” Each line was highlighted as she read from the list. “They are listed in no particular order. Each has its own way of influencing your life and determining your path.”

I knew that her statement was not completely true. “Money is a great determining factor,” I blurted out. Gloriana had mentioned that to me often enough. Money and Council influence – Gloriana said that life was bound to be a dredge of mundane tasks without those two things on your side.

“This is true, Celestina. If you are infertile and lack the financial or social influence to secure an early Marriage Contract, then you must choose a job training track. Depending upon what your skills are, you could become a Trainer, like me, a Doctor, like Dr. Zena, a Protector, or any other profession that requires so much of your time. Fertile women with money are expected to marry early and have a child right away while they have a higher chance of successfully producing offspring. Then they can begin to work in their field if they so choose.

“Conversely, fertile women without financial means must find a wealthy partner. If that does not happen, they must first produce one child as a surrogate, and then they are allowed to marry a man with a similar financial background. Men in the same situation must make donations to the fertility clinics before they can marry. But even then, after a single child is born to an underprivileged couple, subsequent children are usually placed up for a compensated “adoption” unless the couple can afford the Grooming Tech fees that are deducted from their wages for multiple children.”

Alanzo raised his hand but impatience caused him to speak out before Alpha had a chance to call on him. “Why does our ability to, or not to, have a child weigh so heavily on our futures?”

“Alanzo, please wait until you are called upon,” Alpha lightly scolded.

“I apologize.”

“With declining fertility rates, the advancement of our society is vital. We cannot have a future for Committee without a future generation. Controlled population growth and an orderly society are the keys to a successful and peaceful existence. The Chapter has mandated what is best for us individually and also collectively. We must trust their judgment.”

“Like outlawing the Second Wife Policy?” Vivian said. “My mother told me that her father had two wives, but nobody does it anymore.”

“It seems that waiting to be called upon is a virtue that you young people are sorely lacking,” Alpha laughed softly. “Actually, Vivian, the practice is a rarity now but still in practice by some. In the past, occasionally, a fertile woman of meager means would choose to enter a marriage as a second wife. Second wives could only be taken if the first wife was barren. The situation provided a stable and secure home for wife number two and a child for the family. For a little while, they became quite popular, but about ten years ago the practice of taking a second wife became severely frowned upon.”

I raised my hand and waited for Alpha to glance my way and give me a nod before I spoke.

“I know about this. Gloriana, my mother, well, she was on the committee to end the practice. She said that it was never officially outlawed but the committee managed to attach a social stigma to the practice. Hardly anyone wanted to be known as a second wife after that,” I said. “I do not think I would like to be in a marriage with more than one person. Sharing one’s husband or wife would be quite hard.”

Ending the practice of second wives was probably the one and only thing that I completely agreed with Gloriana about.

Alpha sat down on the stool that was beside her “I think it was and still is, awfully hard for some people. It created tension in quite a few homes. Trainer Beta is a child from a home with a second wife. He has told me that although it worked well for his parents, it is not always an ideal situation for others.”

***

That day at lunch, Vivian, Alanzo, Steven, and I sat at a table by ourselves. The four of us were usually seen in one another’s company. In fact, we had begun to be labeled The Fearsome Foursome, although I did not think of myself as very fearsome.

“We are seventeen years old. I can’t believe that we are expected to start thinking about procreating already,” Alanzo scoffed.

“You are supposed to think about it, not actually do it,” Vivian laughed at him.

“I know, but…”

I interrupted him. “But nothing, Alonzo, we are simply expected to know how to properly plan our future family.”

“Tina, I have entirely too much on my mind to possibly think about who I am going to be able to secure a Marriage Contract with and how many offspring I might be able to successfully create.”

“Like what?” I challenged him. “What could possibly be rolling around in that busy little brain of yours?”

In the past few months, I had discovered that Alanzo did indeed fiercely contemplate a plethora of subjects. Just talking to him was enough to tire me out sometimes.

“Like architecture. Have you downloaded the study of architectural drawings onto your tablet? I find it immensely fascinating.”

“Immensely fascinating,” Vivian mimicked his tone exactly.

Steven released his cheek full of air. “Alonzo has had a thing for buildings since we were asked to draw a house in Year Two. You should see some of his drawings.”

“By the way, we are not all permitted to download the same studies. I haven’t tested for an aptitude in architecture and neither has Vivian,” I pointed out.

“And neither have I,” Steven added.

“So, Mr. Alanzo, none of us,” I pointed from myself to Vivian and then to Steven, “are contemplating the intricacies of architecture.”

“You should,” Alanzo shook his head “You really should.”

Vivian tapped his hand as he was scrolling through his tablet, looking at architectural photographs. “Have you been approved to download the study of defensive vs. offensive armory? Because I have,” she smiled. “Vivian!” I exclaimed. “Have you really?”

“Yes. I got a message this morning that the download was pending.” “Your father will be so excited!” I smiled.

Vivian beamed. “I know. I am an only child, you know, and my father always hoped that one day we could work together.”

“Not if you’re branded Fertile,” Alanzo smirked “It would be your duty to produce a child for the Committee first”.

“So, I start my Career training, then have a child, and later I enter the Armory development field. Women do work, you know,” Vivian scoffed.

I turned my attention to Steven “And what about you Steven, have you found out what the future has in store for you?”

Steven shook his head “Inconclusive. Further tests are needed,” he replied before posing a question to me “What about you, Tina?”

I shrugged my shoulders “The same” I felt lighter after hearing Steven say that. I hated knowing that I was not showing an aptitude for anything yet “More tests required” I grumbled.

“Tina, you will be fine,” Vivian squeezed my hand. She looked at Steven. “She has been having a hard time with all this testing and she is not sleeping well,” Vivian whispered the last part.

“Vivian!” I glared at her.

Vivian gave a sheepish smile “What? I just said you are not sleeping well. I did not say anything else.”

“Anything else? What else is there to say?” Alanzo asked. His eyes glittered with interest.

Steven blew out his air bubble. “Yes. Do tell.”

“Nothing.” Vivian averted her eyes, afraid to look at either of the boys or at me.

Alanzo stared at me. “Oh, no. Something is going on here. ”

I just stared back at him, letting a few moments pass, hoping that my silence would be taken as a refusal and they would just give up and start talking about something else. But within a few moments, I had Steven looking at me with hopeful eyes. Then Vivian finally turned to face me with a guilty look on her face.

“Ugh! It is not that big of a deal. I just asked Vivian, my BEST friend, not to tell anyone about some bad dreams I have been having.” “And I did not say anything about the dreams,” Vivian countered.

“True statement,” Steven said.

“Your reaction is the only thing that made us take an interest,” Alanzo informed me.

Steven tapped his finger on his cheek. “Bad dreams that are interrupting your sleep and making you uncharacteristically irritable…”

“Have I been that irritable?” I asked.

“A little. But then we have only known you for a few months; maybe you get this way quite often. It could be your norm,” Alanzo said.

Vivian shook her head. “Oh no, it is not her norm.”

“What’s so bad about the dream? Come on you can tell your good friend Steven.”

“Now we are blowing this up into something more interesting than it really is. Does not anybody else have recurring dreams?” I asked.

“Sure. I have dreamt that Beta’s face cracks down the left side and little Betas come hopping out. I am on six times now, I think,” Steven said.

“Okay, that is just bizarre. Little Betas?” I laughed, louder than I expected, drawing a few glances our way.

“It was after I watched some video about a little boy that dropped his sister’s doll the day before he left for Grooming Tech, and the face cracked. The doll’s face was so smooth. It reminded me of Beta. I do not think anything came out of the doll’s face though. That is purely my doing, I am sure.” Steven shrugged.

“I have dreamt of myself building a house shaped like an H, a few times a year for a while now. It is like two rectangular houses connected by a central meeting area. It gets more detailed with each dream. I swear I am going to build that house one day,” Alanzo said.

I looked at Vivian “Sorry. I hardly ever remember my dreams. Except for those falling ones where you wake up before you hit the ground. But, nope, nothing recurring. Sorry, Tina.”

Steven pointed at me “Okay, Celestina. Your turn.”

“I am in a really green area outside, lush with flowers, tall grass, and trees. A woman is holding my hand, gripping it really tight. We are running. Fast. I am not sure if I can keep up. I yank my arm free but keep running. I start to lag behind. We are running toward a bridge. It is made of planks of wood and ropes, all strung together. We have to cross it. I am not sure I want to. I stumble and fall, but she does not see that I have fallen, and she steps onto the bridge without me. Then she turns around and sees me on the ground.

“She calls out, ‘Get up, Celestina.’ But I can’t get up. My ankle hurts. The woman looks behind me. She focuses on something, and her eyes grow big with fear. ‘Get up, Celestina!” She screams. I shake my head. ‘Get up, Celestina!’ She screams again. It is so loud. I am frozen. I can’t move.

Something grabs me from behind. And I wake up. There. That is the whole thing. I do not always dream it all from start to finish; sometimes It is just her yelling at me. And it used to be only a few times a year. But lately, and I mean for about the last five or six months, it has been like this almost every night,” I confessed the whole thing. More than I would ever even tell Vivian. It felt really good to say it out loud, to admit to the entire dream.

“Wow, Tina,” Vivian breathed.

“When did it start?” Alanzo asked

I tugged at my lower lip, trying to remember. “I am not sure. Year Eight maybe.”

“You probably read a weird story or watched a video that had somebody falling in it, and you identified with some part of it,” Steven suggested.

“That is how mine started. Dumb cracked doll’s face.”

Vivian picked up a chunk of pineapple from her plate. “That could absolutely be the case,” she said then popped the fruit into her mouth.

“I do not know…” I frowned.

“No, really, Tina,” she said through a mouthful.

“Swallow your food, Vivian, you will choke.”

She swallowed. “Happy, Tina? Look, you are always reading, and you have told me before that sometimes you make up a new ending to the stories. So, maybe this is just your mind working overtime. Ooooh, maybe that is the field that you are going to test into… Creative Storytelling. I can absolutely see you doing that!”

“Sure, why not.” I shrugged in agreement. “It makes sense, except for the fact that in my head I do not make up entire stories, I just change the ending of approved stories.”

“You make up new endings?” Alanzo asked. “You are the first person I have ever come across that does that. Interesting.”

Steven pointed a finger at me. “You, rebel, you.”

I shook my head. “No. Not at all. I am not rebellious in any way. It is just that… well, by the end of Coalesce our lives will be completely mapped out for us. Which is good, The Chapter has created a structured and surefire way to guarantee that society will be successful and carry on in the best way possible. We will be expected to do our duty and exclaim Reign with Committee and Committee Reigns and all of that… which I will. So, I guess It is just my one way to do something completely unexpected, in my head, where it does no harm.” I tried to explain.

Steven laughed. “I am kidding, Celestina. Make your own stories. I believe in being creative.”

“Maybe you will do something creative too?” Vivian suggested.

“One can only hope,” Steven shrugged. “I do not think I could survive in one of those desk jobs, staring at a tablet all day, analyzing facts. Nope. Mr. Steven would go crazy.” He punctuated his sentence by blowing up both cheeks with air. His eyes bulged, wild and wide.

“I think Mr. Steven might already be crazy,” I laughed.

The bell rang, signaling the end of our lunch. It was time to go to the medical center. Another vial of blood was needed… another test had to be taken, another duty to perform.