Undone (Unreal Book 3) by Cindy Gunderson

Author:Cindy Gunderson [Gunderson, Cindy]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: LMBPN Publishing
Published: 2022-11-24T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

My mouth went dry, and I glanced frantically at Zayn. He shrugged and seemed as blindsided and confused as I was.

“I’ll come up with you if you want,” he whispered, but I shook my head. What would that accomplish? Would he stand beside me awkwardly for moral support? There was only one open seat next to Sean and Lily, which I assumed Tom would take as soon as I filled his spot on stage.

I stood slowly. My legs moved of their own volition toward the front of the room as I internally screamed for them to stop.

What was I supposed to say to these people? Especially after hearing Sloan’s story. How many had been like Sean and escaped Community forces in the past? At least I knew that meant they’d likely be on our side.

Before I could come close to forming a coherent plan, I was standing beside Tom. He motioned for me to take the floor, then retreated to the bench as expected. I turned to face the audience, and my hands shook harder than they had this morning.

Rows of people sat with their eyes fixed forward and watched me with skeptical eyes. Their dress was like ours. Different fabrics and colors, and less coverage, but it was familiar in style. There was a temperature difference here, but the way we made our clothing was practical and efficient. It was comforting to see that despite the land between us, we Reals were on the same page.

Clothing. Empty chairs. These were the types of frivolous details my brain latched onto to avoid thinking about my current predicament. Talking to a large group of people was on my short list of personal nightmares.

Zayn caught my eye and nodded encouragingly. It was enough of a push to help me swallow and open my mouth.

“H-hello,” I stammered. “I’m Mila…”

“Speak up!” someone called from the back.

My head swam, and I blinked to clear my vision. “Right.” I projected my voice as much as possible without hurting my throat. “I’m Mila. My friend Zayn and I are from Southwest Territory.” A few whispers broke out, and I assumed this meant not everyone had heard the details surrounding our unexpected arrival. “We’re a Real society like yours.” My voice caught on the last syllable.

I swallowed again and drew a breath. “Unlike yours, we aren’t thriving.” The whispers stopped, and all eyes fixed on me. This subject and their response gave me courage. I clenched my fists and stood straight. “For the last few years, most people in our area have left to join the Communities. Out of close to three thousand people, we’re down to approximately a hundred and fifty, with no children under ten.”

There was so much information in my head, swirling incoherently, that I struggled to grasp any obvious organization. How could I explain everything about my home? Or the reason I’d been so driven to leave? I closed my eyes, inhaled, and shoved my hands into the back pockets of my pants before I began rambling.

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