The Wall (The Woodlands) Read Free Page A

We all wanted to hear his plan. I jolted up once the others had cleared the room, pumping my legs, jiggling the baby to keep him sleeping.
    My heart sank and then jumped up in my chest repeatedly. Hope. It’s a strange feeling, and one I’ve had very little experience with. It made you feel buoyant, like you were pulling the clouds down to meet you.
    “ What are you planning?” Apella asked, her voice vibrating, face still green. Alexei was patting her back too hard, in a distracted way like he was trying to dislodge something she was choking on.
    “ A broken heart operation,” he said, like we should all know what he was talking about. “But we’ll need blood.”
    She nodded, somehow she knew , or could guess. “Blood type?”
    “ O,” Mathew replied
    Apella frowned. “What have you got?” Hope was bleeding out. Something was wrong.
    “ None. We need to ask people to get tested and donate.”
    I stuck my arm under his nose. “Take as much as you need,” I said enthusiastically, pointing to a nice, big vein that wanted to volunteer.
    Matthew smiled and pushed my hand aside. “Sorry, Rosa. You’re not compatible.”
    I frowned. Of course. Our differences included our blood.
    They started to make plans. There were only twenty people left. The rest had already moved back to wherever they came from. We would divide those people between us, send them to the clinic to be tested, and hopefully have their blood collected.
    I made my excuses and ran back to my room. The corridors looked brighter, glossier than before, like a light was shining behind them, like the building was swelling with hope for Joseph. I skipped down the halls, imagining those beautiful eyes. Totally distracted. I thudded into a soft but solid mass. I looked up to see the boy who had helped buy us some time staring down at me awkwardly.
    “ Sorry,” I muttered, attempting to walk past him. The baby would be hungry soon. I wanted to get back.
    He put his hand to my shoulder. “Your shoelace is untied,” he said, smiling kindly. Warm hazel eyes looked from my shoes to my face.
    “ Oh. Here, hold this,” I handed him the baby and knelt down to tie them, ignoring his surprised expression at my use of the word ‘this’. The boy gazed at my child, rocking him back and forth as he held him.
    “ He’s cute. What’s his name?”
    I fought back my suspiciousness. “He doesn’t have one yet.”
    “ Oh.” Was he looking at me with pity? No, it was something else, sympathy and camaraderie, like he got it.
    “ What blood type are you?” I blurted out. Standing before him, all I could see was blood. He was a walking bag of blood.
    “ O,” he answered warily.
    Our eyes connected and I smiled at him. A real, full smile, my teeth catching on my lips, not used to the ascension. He returned my grin, his eyes sweeping over me. I stiffened. That made me a little uncomfortable. I thanked him hastily and snatched the baby back, brushing his hands lightly as I did so. I ran back to our room. I had to tell him.
    “ My name’s Cal!” he called after me.
    O. O. O. O.
    I could see him again. It could work out. Please, please, please, let this work .

    I barreled into our room and the baby cried. He didn’t seem to share my elation. I sat down on the bed and fed him. He looked dreamy and satisfied after. Lit by the fluorescence and reflective black rock ceiling, his little face was so pale compared to my own. His defective eyes twinkled as he watched the changes in the light. I wrapped him up tightly in a blanket and held him. Hurry up, I thought. Sleep. He closed his eyes and then opened them again, peering at me, making sure I was still there. I smirked, thinking my suspicious nature had been passed to this tiny bundle. “You trust me about as much as I trust myself, don’t you?” I whispered, rolling my eyes.
    Finally, he stopped checking for my presence and I took him to his room. Creeping across the hall like I had stolen the child, I laid him