The World Without Flags

When I reach the Village, people are gathered. Everyone is talking and shouting at once. When they see me, they all go quiet. I hold up my hand while I catch my breath. “The Lodge,” I tell them finally. Only Artemis stays, with her hand on my shoulder. “You all right?” she asks.

I nod quickly and shrug her hand off my shoulder. I don’t like to be touched.

Artemis knows me well enough not to be offended. She’s practically my best friend. “What’s happening?” she asks. I shrug. “You don’t know anything?” She looks at me doubtfully. “Well,” she continues, “we’ll know soon enough, I guess.”

She stands there, waiting, and I realize that she’s waiting for me to come with her. I take a deep breath and then another. I feel happy that she’s waiting, but at the same time, it annoys me. I don’t like when people expect me to do things. But Artemis waits because she likes me and I appreciate that. I don’t have many friends, not really. It worries Eric, I can tell, but there’s no reason to worry. I’m just not much of a people person.

But I do appreciate Artemis. Her real name is Patty. You can see why she’d want to change that. Who’s scared of Patty? She got her new name out of a book from the second floor of the farmhouse. Eric calls it the library. Once it was the name of a goddess, a goddess of hunting, she explained, really good with a bow. The ironic thing is Artemis can’t use a bow. She tried to learn, but she couldn’t. Her arms would shake so much, the arrow would go flying in the wrong direction. She’s always been better at cooking and chatting. Also, unlike the goddess of hunting, she doesn’t really like to go out into the forest. She just likes to think she does.

Artemis crosses her arms over her breasts while she waits for me. She has much bigger breasts than I do. Not that that’s difficult, I’m like a beanpole, but it’s weird. I mean just a few years ago, we weren’t that different, and now she’s like, I don’t know, a woman, and I haven’t changed. If anything, I’ve become more wiry. I’m all bone and muscle. I don’t mind though. I know it sounds like I do, but I don’t. You should see all the trouble those breasts cause her. Sometimes I think Artemis and I are like opposites: she’s white with blonde hair and everyone likes her. I’m skinny and my hair is like steel wool, my eyes are brown as dirt, and not many people pay me much attention. She smells like candy and I, well, I just stink. Artemis steps forward and puts her hand on my shoulder. “Come on, Kestrel,” she says. “Rest inside.” She takes her hand and ruffles my hair.

That’s the one thing I really hate. Everyone wants to touch my hair.

“Quit it,” I tell her, jerking my head away. Artemis laughs. She likes to tease me.

Just then Randal comes around the corner. He’s about ready to go into the Lodge, but he sees us. Both Artemis and I stop and look at him and he looks back. It’s like he’s not the same guy we knew. He looks worried. He looks sad. He’s full of feelings I’ve never seen in him before. Randal doesn’t even try to smile at us. This is really weird because Randal likes to flirt and Artemis thinks he likes her. He just turns away and follows people inside.

“Shit,” Artemis whispers to me. “That isn’t good.” No, it’s not, I think. But I don’t say anything. We walk inside and take the first seats we can, in the back.

As we settle into our seats on the wooden benches, I have a strong feeling. It’s like today was the last day of something. Right up until now my life had been one thing and it’s about to be something else. I feel afraid. I feel sad. Life is pretty good here. I mean, it’s boring sometimes, but we’re safe, we’re together. I have a terrible feeling it’s all over, and I wish Eric was beside me. I wish I could make it stop. I don’t want this to end.

But in my heart I know it has. It’s gone already.

6

There are three rows of benches in the Lodge that face each other across a wooden stage. On the stage is a table and four chairs. Sitting at the table is Randal. When Eric comes in, everyone stands, their clothes rustling like anxious whispers. Eric hates when people do this. He puts his head down and walks to the table while everyone watches, and then Eric shakes Randal’s hand. Eric looks over us all.

“Is everyone here?”

Finally, Franky speaks up. “I think Fiona and Patrick went out to check on the fiddleheads. But other than that, yeah.” Just as he says it, I see Fiona and Patrick come in the door, looking concerned. Everyone watches them as they find a seat.

Eric looks around and then nods and sits down. Everyone else sits down too. Even the children are quiet. You could hear a dust mite scratch its ear. Eric looks around and then turns toward Randal. “Go ahead,” he tells Randal. Randal looks around nervously. I can tell, probably all of us can, that he would rather do this in private, but Eric doesn't do things like that.