"Leader?" Caleb questioned. "Leader of what?"
Jeremiah cocked his head and a quizzical expression arose on his face. Not a moment later, a sick smile crept along his lips. "They never told you."
"Who never told us what?" Caleb shouted impatiently.
"Tell me, what do you know of your ancestors?" Jeremiah leaned back in his chair, rested his right foot on his left knee, and carefully folded his hands across his stomach.
"I know that they escaped from this cesspit," Caleb spat. "This disgusting civilisation, and they created their own."
Jeremiah threw his head back and cackled. "Oh, this is simply marvelous!" The man leaped out of his seat, his eyes glinting, and twisted his chair around so that the back was facing Caleb. Jeremiah straddled the seat, his eyes dancing with excitement. "Bring me the girl!"
Tanya's captor dragged her over to Jeremiah and stood her beside his chair, his firm grip still remaining on her shoulders. Jeremiah grabbed the sleeve of Tanya's cloak and yanked it up her arm, revealing the black writing that was forever imprinted on her arm. Caleb squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to look at it.
"I assume you all know what this is?" Jeremiah said.
"Of course we do," Caleb said, keeping his eyes shut. "It doesn't take a fool to work it out."
"Why won't you look at it?"
"We never look at each other's writing," Caleb said. "Our last words are precious. We have the right to have the sole knowledge of them until our hearts stop beating."
"I've covered her writing," Jeremiah informed him nonchalantly. Caleb peeked through one eye to see that he was telling the truth before opening both eyes fully. "Have you ever wondered why you are born with them?"
Caleb blinked, clearly confused by the question. "It's...just a part of us. Just like we're born with a heart and two lungs."
The sick smile returned to Jeremiah's lips as he pulled up both of his own sleeves. Caleb's face fell and eyes widened as he scanned the man's arms. For the first time in his life, he saw two bare human arms...with no writing.
Jeremiah cocked his head and a quizzical expression arose on his face. Not a moment later, a sick smile crept along his lips. "They never told you."
"Who never told us what?" Caleb shouted impatiently.
"Tell me, what do you know of your ancestors?" Jeremiah leaned back in his chair, rested his right foot on his left knee, and carefully folded his hands across his stomach.
"I know that they escaped from this cesspit," Caleb spat. "This disgusting civilisation, and they created their own."
Jeremiah threw his head back and cackled. "Oh, this is simply marvelous!" The man leaped out of his seat, his eyes glinting, and twisted his chair around so that the back was facing Caleb. Jeremiah straddled the seat, his eyes dancing with excitement. "Bring me the girl!"
Tanya's captor dragged her over to Jeremiah and stood her beside his chair, his firm grip still remaining on her shoulders. Jeremiah grabbed the sleeve of Tanya's cloak and yanked it up her arm, revealing the black writing that was forever imprinted on her arm. Caleb squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to look at it.
"I assume you all know what this is?" Jeremiah said.
"Of course we do," Caleb said, keeping his eyes shut. "It doesn't take a fool to work it out."
"Why won't you look at it?"
"We never look at each other's writing," Caleb said. "Our last words are precious. We have the right to have the sole knowledge of them until our hearts stop beating."
"I've covered her writing," Jeremiah informed him nonchalantly. Caleb peeked through one eye to see that he was telling the truth before opening both eyes fully. "Have you ever wondered why you are born with them?"
Caleb blinked, clearly confused by the question. "It's...just a part of us. Just like we're born with a heart and two lungs."
The sick smile returned to Jeremiah's lips as he pulled up both of his own sleeves. Caleb's face fell and eyes widened as he scanned the man's arms. For the first time in his life, he saw two bare human arms...with no writing.
