The Fragrant City

The boy was small. His skin was pale. His eyes were green. Green like Ashley's.
Ashley only knew one other person with green eyes. Her father. Her mother's were blue. Everyone else she knew had brown eyes.
         The teacher's name was Mrs. Yeung. She was tall and thin, and old. She had taught before the hard times began. She took her cell phone down the rows of desks, scanning foreheads. She stopped at the boy. Ashley heard her hold her breath. She sighed. "Normal," she said softly.
         During break, the boy came to Ashley. He sat next to her. Ashley looked up from the book she was reading. The one about a time before there was so much fear of sickness.
         "I am Tom Brown," the boy said. He spoke softly, like he was in the library.
         "I am Ashley Young," Ashley said. "You talk like me. You use English words." She thought somehow it would be wrong to say her eyes were like his. She didn't know why.
         The boy nodded. "I am from the beautiful land. But not so beautiful now. Everyone is sick."
         Ashley nodded. "My mom and dad were from there," she said. "But I was born here. I am the only one who speaks English at this school. Until now."
         "Until now," Tom said.
         School was hard for Tom. He did not understand what people said. He did not understand what the words in the book said. Mrs. Yeung lost her patience. She yelled at Tom. Ashley tried to help Tom. But it was very hard.
         Ashley showed Tom how to do the virus check. You had to do it before you came to school every day. Then again when you left. You had to test every day. It wasn't enough to test inside the classroom. The test was a robot. You spit into its hands. And every day it turned green.
         They started walking to school together, early. And one day, the machine turned red. "Infected," It said. An alarm sounded.
         "What do I do?" Tom asked. Ashley looked at him. They were both wearing masks. But they would still be in trouble. He because he was infected. She because she spent time with him. Red meant people left. They never came back.
         "We have to go," she said. "Leave your phone here."
         "I need to call my dad."
         "You can't. They will find us. We have to go now."
         The robot grabbed Tom's arms. Tom yelled "help!" Ashley ran behind the robot. She pulled. She got the robot off. She took Tom's hand. "Follow me!"
         They ran to a side street. It was small. They were sweaty. It was hot. They heard sirens. Police were coming.
         "We have to hide!" Ashley said.
         "Come inside here," a voice said. It was an old man. He stood at a store. They ran inside.
         It was a store. There were lots of old things. There were many boxes.
         "Hide here!" the man said. He showed them a ladder. They went up the ladder. It was a room with many boxes. They hid behind a box.
         The police knocked on the door. The old man came to the door. He spoke to them. The police asked if the old man had seen 2 children. They had green eyes. The old man said no. The police left.
         The old man came up. He brought the children food. "Eat," he said. The children ate quickly.
         "You must leave at night," the old man said. "You will be safe."
         They waited all day. The old man brought more food. He brought blankets. At night, he brought them water and a lamp.
         "The Fragrant City is free," he said. "Go south to the river. Find an empty boat. Go there."
         "I am 12," said Ashley. "I cannot drive a boat."
         "You can," the old man said. "But you must be brave."
         "Why are you helping us?" Tom asked. Ashley asked the question in the language of the place they were.
         "My wife was taken," the old man said. "I never got sick. I don't think the virus can make me sick. And I want to help. It is wrong to take people. Even if they are sick."
         At night, they left. They walked. And walked. And walked. They passed many buildings. Most lights were off. People were sleeping. But then they saw a small building. Its lights were on. A dirty-looking man was on the porch. He was smoking a cigarette.
          "Pale children!" he yelled. "These are the ones on the run! I must call the police!"
         A thin woman came outside. She was pretty. She had curly hair and a lot of makeup. She wore a short skirt.
         "You drank too much," the woman said. "These are not pale children. These are just shadows. Go inside. I will be there soon."          
         The man went inside. The woman told them to go around the building. "I will let you in the back door," she said.
         "Should we go?" Tom asked.
         "I think we should," Ashley said. "I don't know why, but it feels right.
         They went around. The woman opened the door. "Come in here," she said. It was an office. There was a desk and many wine bottles. It was loud outside. Many people talking loudly. "My name is Lialong," the woman said. "You are safe here. I know you are in trouble. But I will help you."
         "Thank you," said Ashley. "But how did you know we were in trouble?"
         Lialong touched her phone. There was a story.
                   Missing Infected
                   Ashley Smith and Tom Brown
                   North American Nationals
                   Pale Skin
                   Green Eyes
                   Brown Hair
                   Aged 12
                   Suspected to be contagious.
                   Call the police if found.
                   Reward offered.
         There was a video. It was Tom's parents. They looked very tired and pale.
         "Tom, if you can hear us, please come home. We will help you get better. We miss you. So do Chad and Ann," the parents said in English.
         "Who are Chad and Ann?" Ashley asked.
         "My brother and sister," Tom said. "Why would my parents say those things? They must know I would be captured."
         "They may not know," Lialong said. "Or the police may have made them say that. The police could hurt your parents, or your brother and sister."
         "But they love me," Tom said.
         "People sometimes hurt those they love. They have to. It is part of living," said Lialong. Ashley realized she was speaking English. "I am going to call my friend. He has a car. He can take you to the river."
         "No one has cars anymore," said Tom.
         "Police do. Wait here," Lialong said.
         "How can we trust her?" Tom asked when she left.
         "We don't have a choice," said Ashley.
         "We can run."
         "She will find us. She knows the police."
         The policeman was there a few minutes later. "This is Jingping," Lialong said. "He does not speak English. But he is a good man. He does not like the virus laws."
         "Thank you," Ashley told him, in his language. He nodded. "Let's go."
         In the car, they sat silently. Then Tom said, "what about your parents?"
         "What about them?" Ashley asked.
         "They did not talk. Mine did."
         "They have been here a long time," said Ashley. "They know what happens to the infected."
         "What happens, exactly?" Tom asked.
         "They go away. No one sees them again. The police say they go to new towns, to live there with other people who are also infected. But the new towns are not on a map. They are not able to talk to family. Many people say they die."
         "Of the virus?"
         "No. The virus is not that bad," said Ashley. "Not when you have the shots. And we all have that. You just feel sick for a few days. I am not supposed to know that, but I do."
         "The beautiful place doesn't have the shots," Tom said. "And it is terrible."
         "I know," said Ashley. "That is why my parents stayed here."
         "Will we stay in the Fragrant City?" asked Tom. "If we live. If this is not a trap?"
         "The Fragrant City will not let people stay," said Ashley. "We will have to go somewhere else. I don't know where."
         "It isn't fair," Tom said.
         "What?" Ashley said.
         "All of this. The world. Everyone should be safe. But we're not."
         "It isn't fair," said Ashley, "but it is how it is." She paused. "I miss my family."
         "Me, too," said Tom.
         They sat quietly. After what seemed like forever, Jingpeng said, "we're there!"
         They got out of the car. Jingping stood, smoking a cigarette. "I have to go," he said. "Choose any boat. Be careful. It looks like rain."
         "Won't people see us?" Ashley asked.
         "This is where people fish," Jingping said. "The river belongs to the Hu So, there are no cameras." The Hu were a special people. They did not believe in modern technology. The police left them alone.
         "But stealing is wrong," Ashley said.
         "So is taking children away from their families," Jingping said. "Do you want to live?"
         "Yes."
         "Then you take a boat. Best of luck." He got back in the car and drove away.
         They found a canoe. They began to paddle.
         "My arms are tired," said Tom.
         "We have to work hard," said Ashley." They sweated. It was very hard work.
         They saw a cloud ahead. Then another. Then they heard a noise. Thunder. The sky flashed. Lightning.
         "This is scary," said Tom. "Should we go on the land?"
         "No," Ashley said. "Only the river belongs to the Hu. The land does not. There will be people. There will be cameras."
         The rain began. It was so wet. It was so cold. The lamps went out. The boat shook.
         "We need land!" said Tom.
         "We will die if we land!" Ashley said. "If we stay here, we have a chance."
         Ashley heard Tom crying. Then she heard praying. No one else she knew prayed. Her mom said her grandma had. But Ashley had never met her. She had died before Ashley was born, in the sick times. But the prayers somehow calmed her.
         Then she heard a big noise. And was in the water. Tom screamed. The boat had flipped.
         "Hold on!" Ashley said. There were some rocks nearby. They were in the river. They could go there. They could be safe.
         "I can't hold on!" Tom said. He reached for her. He pulled them under the water. She pulled them both up.
         "I can't swim!" Tom said.
         "Hold onto my back!" said Ashley.
         She pulled the boat and them onto the rocks. They waited for a long time.
         The storm stopped. It was still cold. It was still dark.
         "I don't feel good," Tom said.
         "Me neither," said Ashley. "My throat hurts. My head hurts."
         "My legs hurt," said Tom.
         "it is the virus," said Ashley. "But we have to go. It will be light soon."
         "I can't make it," said Tom.
         "You have to," said Ashley. "You can't stop now."
         They looked to the moon for light. They rowed. They sweated. They hurt. Ashley threw up. Tom had to put his head down. He was dizzy. But they kept on.
         Then the sun came up. It was day. They could see better. The trees were different. They saw a sign.
         "What does it say?" Tom asked.
         "Welcome to the Fragrant City," Ashley said. "We are almost there!"
         They saw people. They were on the dock. They wore white suits. The suits covered their bodies. And they were cheering.
         One held out a gloved hand. He helped Tom up. Then another helped Ashley up. They said, "welcome."
         The people put Ashley and Tom on beds with wheels. The beds felt nice. But then the people put straps on them. Tom yelled. "What are you doing?"
         The woman answered in the language of the place. "A doctor will see you. We will take care of you," the woman said. They put them in a van. The van went down the road.
         "What if they hurt us?" Tom asked.
         "We have to trust them," Ashley said. But she wasn't sure, either.
         And they went down the road, into the unknown.