"It's a farce!" The old lady shouted.

The building descends into chaos, the whispers become protests, as Lacey's touch failed to cure the old lady. Jhon stood up, trying to tame the rabid crowd, understanding, that we failed to change their minds.

"Calm down! Calm down everyone."

With his words, the crowd returned to their seats, staring with disgust at the baby I held in my hands.

"Now, we will vote, in accordance with our rules. All in favor for the baby to stay, please raise your hand."

The results were disheartening. Only one lady was in favor of Laney's integration.

"All against raise your hand."

At that point, I didn't look. I walked away with my brother, understanding that was the most probable outcome. Once at our place, I left the sleeping baby in the bed and began to gather all my things.

"You don't think they will kick us out in the middle of the night, right?" Julious asked.

"Please get ready. I'm not sure what to expect from now on. Leaving us alone until the morning will be the best-case scenario, but I want to be prepared for the worst."

Immediately, a knock is heard at our door. Jhon walks in, with a hint of remorse in his face. "I'm sorry, Farris. You knew this will be a difficult decision."

I turned around, furious at his implication. "You knew my father! You know how he raised us. And even with me doubling my efforts to find more food and supplies, you let them gang up against us. You should be ashamed on how weak you have become."

"Please understand. I am fragile, is not what used to be ten years ago. If I don't oblige to the majority, I fear we all be dead in no time. At least, this keeps the peace between them and me."

"At the expense of her life? Tell me, how many of them can stand half an hour outside under the blazing sun looking for supplies?" I paused, waiting for him to answer my question. "Do you want me to answer the question for you?... None of them. Without young people, this village is doomed. You all be dead in a matter of weeks."

I turned around ignoring the old man. I saw Jhon as a father figure for us, when my parents died. I knew my frustration was the one speaking, not what I really felt in my heart.

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"You don't need to pack immediately. You can leave in the morning." Jhon said.

I walked towards the door and held it open for him, assuming he would get the hint of me not welcoming his presence inside my house any longer.

With saying any words, the old man understood what I wanted to say. "Good night, Farris." Jhon said, walking away.

I felt a great deal of remorse, flooding my frustration onto him. I stood in front of my brother, his expression waiting for an explanation of my behavior towards Jhon.

"I didn't mean to end up like that. I was furious he didn't stand by my father's beliefs." I said, packing the last bag. "I'm sorry if you think I was unfair, but I want you understand, our father was the leader of this village, and he will do anything to rescue anyone in need."

My brother lay down next to Lacey, covering his head with a blanket. "Unfortunately, he is not here right now, and there's nothing you can do to change that." Julious said.

Early in the morning, I woke up to the cooing sounds of Laney. I stood up from my improvised bed on the floor, as I let Lacey sleep comfortably on my side of the bed.

"I bet you're starving." I said to her. "I will make us a quick bite to eat."

I took one of the cans and removed the top lid, revealing the intense aroma of black beans in brine. "They smell ok." I took some of the beans and smashed them until turned them into puree. I grabbed a little portion in a spoon and brought it to Lacey.

"Common little sister, open up! Here comes the plane!"

But her reaction was disliked. With her hand, she knocked the spoon off my hand. "You don't like it? It tasted ok to me."

She moved her head towards the bottle of water left by me last night in a box next to our bed. "Water? That's what you want? How can you survive only on water?"

I took the bottlecap, filling it to the brim and placing it on Lacey's lips. Suddenly, the front door opened, and one of the guards entered the room.

"I have been instructed to escort you out to the gates." The guard said.

"Good morning to you too, Nathan. We will be ready in ten minutes." The guard nodded and exited our home.

I shook my brother's leg, waking him up. "Hey, it's time to get up. I got some black beans on the table, eat up and let's go."

We finished packing our bags, leaving them in front of the entrance. I helped my brother with the bow and the quiver, our only weapon to defend ourselves against anything that threatened us while we explored around for shelter.

"Are you ready?" I asked Julious.

"I'm nervous. I've never been outside of this building for a long period of time."

"You have me, your big brother. I promise, nothing will happen to you."

My brother nodded, grabbing the bags and leaving our humble abode. Outside, the guard waited patiently, resting under an old store sign. "We're ready, Nathan."

The guard walked with us until we reached the man-made gate. Once outside, a woman ran towards us, the only person who had voted for Lacey to stay. She handed me a basket, full of baby goods.

"I found those a while back. I'm not sure if they'll be of any use, but they're of no use to me. I thought you might need them more than I do."

"Thank you." I said, turning around, holding my brother's hand.