The Marked Children - kindle by Booysen Thea

Author:Booysen, Thea
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-08-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

India, Maharashtra: One hour before abduction

Magic seeds. She pierces the barren soil with her hoe and wipes the sweat from her brow. If she had the good fortune of attending school, she would be able to tell her parents that these were GM seeds. Promised to be entirely immune to disease and free of pests, the Western travellers made promises too good to ignore. If only she could explain to her starving parents that even genetically modified seeds were not entirely free from fault.

To the contrary, the air now smells of pesticide, used to rid the fields of new and even worse pests. Unfortunately, this is not the only reason homes are filled with its stench, for in these dark times many farmers see it as an answer to troubles much greater than an unsuccessful harvest. One use for pesticides proves a lot more morbid. It’s no wonder that children are being orphaned throughout the village.

At the first sign of a discoloured stalk, Aiesha had secretly snuck away in the dead of night. Knowing better and aware of her parents’ ignorance, she bought normal cotton seeds and began to plant them sparsely, yet thoroughly. Not enough to raise suspicions, but an adequate portion to ensure a successful harvest when it would be needed most.

It had been twelve hours since they left home to work the fields. The polluted, overcast sky blocks the Sun’s diminishing light and the children decide to call it a day.

“You should go,” Aiesha tells her younger brothers. “I’m not done with my plot.”

“Are you sure?” the youngest of the four asks. “I can help?”

“No, Khalif.” She pushes him into the direction of the others. “Mother will worry.”

He seems reluctant to leave her, but hurries onwards to catch up with his siblings. Once they are out of sight, Aiesha retrieves the pouch hidden around her waist and begins to plant the cotton seeds. She struggles in the dimming light and uses her hands to scratch around in the loosened soil.

Soon, steps become audible from the direction of the village. She sighs. The little one always comes back when he falls behind with the others. The plants before her shake.

“Khalif?” she calls out into the darkness.

Nobody answers, but there’s another rustle, and the stems sway forward.

The girl slowly lowers herself to the ground until her chest grazes the soil. She abandons the bag of wheat and reaches for the sharpened metal tool instead.

The movements have stopped now. She knows she’s being watched. The only question troubling her is by what. Fight or flight? She must choose quickly, for the only thing worse than picking the wrong option is executing neither of them.

Her sympathetic nervous system causes her heart to race, readying her for action. She listens to the noises of the night but doesn’t hear anything. She draws a fast conclusion and her eyes dilate. If she isn’t able to detect the entity with any of her trained senses, then it can only mean one thing. It’s not human.

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