The Disappearances Read Free

muscular, a man not to be challenged lightly. But his eyes were kind, his face genuine. Immediately Evie knew that she would do everything she could to make him like her, to like them both, to make sure that he let them stay here.
    They both nodded fervently.
    Benjamin smiled. ‘You know, when we started to build this place, I was angry. Very angry at what had happened, at the destruction, the devastation that the Horrors had created. But I knew that anger is itself a destructive force, that I had to let it go if we were going to build a truly good place to live.’
    He looked at Raffy, then at Evie; they both blanched. It was as if Benjamin was looking deep inside them and seeing the anger within, the frustration, the resentment.
    Evie opened her mouth to reassure Benjamin that they, too, were ready to let their anger go, but to her surprise, Raffy got there first. ‘Anger serves a purpose when there is something to direct it on,’ he said, stepping forwards. ‘Now we are both ready to let go of our anger. We want to be happy. We want to be here.’
    As he spoke, Evie’s mouth fell open because she had never heard him sound so earnest; there was no undertone of sarcasm, no knowing look. He felt her gaze; turned towards her. And she’d felt a surge of happiness, because for the first time in her life she saw Raffy looking like he had found his path. He didn’t look tortured; he wasn’t angry, nor sullen. Instead his face was full of determination and focus, and it was infectious.
    Benjamin smiled again. ‘I’m glad to hear it. You see, what we’re doing here is building a new life, a new future. The past is another place. Your past, my past, everyone’s past. Our pasts cannot be changed. But we do not have to dwell on them either. We can learn from what has happened and we can move on, look to the future. Out of the worst pain can come strength; out of suffering can come resolve, out of desperation can come love and community. And that is what we have here. A community. A place owned by those within it, ruled by them, organised by them. A place where everyone has a role, where everyone contributes. Does that sound like a place you’d like to live?’
    ‘Yes,’ Raffy said immediately. Evie nodded too.
    ‘Good,’ Benjamin said. ‘So let me tell you a little bit about the Settlement. You see, many years ago, there was nothing much here. But there was the river to the north and hills around us for protection; I knew it would be a good place for a new start. There was just a few of us at first, about ten families. We built the first houses, and ploughed the first fields about thirty years ago. We wanted to build a safe community, a peaceful one where no one would go hungry, where no one would be afraid. But more than that, I wanted to build a settlement where people could reach their potential, where they could learn, and discover new things, where no one would be held back. Where children would be the responsibility of everyone, not just their parents. Where everyone would be encouraged to find their purpose, to find fulfilment. Life is nothing if we are not fulfilled, if we don’t feel valued, wouldn’t you agree?
    Evie nodded, but again it was Raffy who spoke, who said a resounding ‘yes’. And as Benjamin continued to talk, Evie had watched in wonderment as Raffy transformed in front of her, his cynicism replaced by wide-eyed adoration. He had listened to Benjamin talk, transfixed by his story, by his hopes for the Settlement, for its people. He had listened in silence, not looking down, not shuffling from foot to foot as he usually did, but eyes wide, looking intently into Benjamin’s. Like a hound, Evie had found herself thinking. Like the farm dogs that followed their masters around the City, never leaving their side, waiting patiently at their feet for the smallest scrap of food.
    ‘So,’ Benjamin had said eventually, after he had told them about the Settlement’s foundations, about its egalitarian