The Unfortunates (Unfortunate #1) Read Free

I snap it shut instead. These girls aren’t my enemy. It’s not their fault they’re broken. Most of them already are by the time they leave here. I wouldn’t say I’m broken… I’ve always had hope. I can’t put it into words… but I know I see the world in a way that is all my own. One night, a little while ago when I was lying awake alone in bed, I decided I didn’t want to be an Unfortunate for the rest of my life. I don’t want to be a Fortunate, either. I want to be human and I want to be equal with every other human—and animal. That’s that. These girls are broken because they see their life laid out for them, like robes on the end of their beds. Not me. With every second that passes, I have the feeling something great is going to happen to me. This is not my purpose, I tell myself over and over. The thought lingers on my shoulder like a repetitive parrot, echoing the same words. I go back to looking at the grass and make mental notes of all of the different shades, promising to come back and touch each and every single one.
    We leave the gates and ride along the concrete path. As the realisation sets in, I get it and I drop my eyes to the floor of the cart. I follow a small crack from one rusty nail to the other. I shouldn’t celebrate this day or force others to enjoy it with me because just over the next hill is our destination—an entire city filled with the humans we are forced to serve.
    This is not my purpose. My mind chides me again and I nod my head subtly. It might not be my purpose in the long ru n, but for now it’s all I have.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Two
     

     
    Nine
     
    The large, wrought iron gates of the town open and allow us through. The town is caged behind a fence for the same reason the Unfortunate camp is, to prevent us from running. Even the Fortunates live like prisoners, closed off from the outside world to keep what they believe they’re owed. I wonder how many Unfortunates have run? I wonder how many have successfully broken out of here and never looked back? We are situated—on two separate hills up high away from the thick forest to the left and the never ending abyss of sand and water to the right. They couldn’t have made it too far and the chance of them surviving on their own is slim to none, and yet, I still envy them. I wonder if they’ve slept under the stars at night or napped under the shade of a tree during the day... I’d die happy if I could do that at least once in my life.
    The horses pull us through the very outskirts of Freeport (how ironic). I’ve never been to the town before—obviously—and strangely, I find the clacking of the horse shoes over the cobblestone pavement soothing. After a solid ten seconds in the town, I can no longer keep my eyes on the dull cart and I let them flick all over the place—over the impossibly tall skyscrapers in the distance and over the Fortunates in their fine suits and pretty gowns that spatter the walkway. They stare back at me, admiring me closely. It hits me then that I’ve never been in the presence of a Fortunate before and seeing them so close is absolutely terrifying. I quickly drop my gaze, remembering one of the many, many rules that govern how I live my life. Don’t make eye contact with a Fortunate unless they address you directly. I’m quite curious by nature—even more so now I’m looking at something other than a dull brick wall or scuffed floor boards. In class, they told us that curiosity is wrong and will get us killed. Personally, I don’t see the harm in it.
    The air is warm, offering a very nice medium between hot and cold. I peer through large s hop windows and see Unfortunates in their plain, worn tunics running stores—all with tired looks on their faces. I wonder if I’ll be sent to the town to work? I’d like that, to be out and about and in charge of something.
    We pass through the almost rural outskirts quickly and the closer we draw to the large estates