Now I Understand.

Mia had been brought up to think this island was the only place that existed. It was all she had ever known. She’d had vague childhood memories of living elsewhere, mentioned them to a Leader once, only to be told that she was a very bad citizen to even say such a thing.

Now she was hiding in a cupboard, listening to The Leader telling his men that his supplies would be dropped off at Quern island. They were to fetch them the next day. They had to be certain, as usual, not to be followed back. So there was another island somewhere! Mia was just taking that in when he added,

“We have enough citizens, don’t bring any more children back. Leader Ten, you have been loyal for the standard number of years. Citizen Susan is now of age and will become yours on your return.”

“Thank you Leader.” He laughed. It was a strange sort of laugh, that made Mia feel uncomfortable.

“Leader Nine, you are just coming up to the standard number of years and Citizen Mia will be yours.”

“Thank you Leader. I’m looking forward to that.”

More laughs from the leaders, and they clinked their drinking glasses together. They were drinking the funny stuff they always had during meetings.

Mia’s heart was pounding. She thought she had years to go before there was any fear of that. She didn’t know the details of what being a Leaders woman were. Only one of the women had ever spoken about it. She said that what happened was painful, for the first few times, and that she was made to keep doing it whenever her Leader wanted, as well as still doing her usual daily work. Then she had carried a baby, still worked hard, until the baby arrived. The woman had never been seen again. The citizens thought she had died. That Leader had been given a new woman, who had raised the baby and carried on with her usual work.

Mia had heard so many strange and frightening things that she shouldn’t have. If they found out she could hear them she would disappear, as other citizens had if they’d broken the strict rules. She hadn’t intended to listen in to the conversation. She had just been flogged and sent to clean the rooms of The Leader. It was a punishment for not growing enough vegetables, which was ridiculous because while she was cleaning, she wasn’t gardening.

Mia had cleaned the main room and then gone into the cupboard looking for a bottle of the strong smelling fluid she cleaned toilets with. The cupboard door had swung shut. Before she could pick up the bottle and other things she needed, the Leaders had arrived and started their meeting. To be caught in The Leaders rooms when he was present was a crime. To be caught during a meeting would most likely mean she would to be flogged until she passed out and was left to die.

Mia stood still, terrified one of The Leaders would open the cupboard door and find her. Eventually she heard them leaving, saying they would have to set sail early. The Leader was most likely still there. Someone shut a door close by. Soon after, the toilet was flushed. Mia crept out, closed the door quietly and headed for the outer door. The Leader opened the bathroom door just before she made her escape. She swung around and faced him as she saw him looking around.

“Oh, sorry Leader. I was sent to clean, but there was none of this for the toilet. I went to fetch some.”

What would he do? She had already said far than was allowed.

“Clean the smelly thing and then get out of here.” He bawled at her, staggering about.

She’d noticed the drink had a funny effect on them. Mia cleaned the toilet and left quickly.

She had been brought up to believe that there were no other beings out there. Many questions had come into her thoughts even before the things she had just heard. If she had ever spoken of them she had been told off, she was being ridiculous and would be flogged. Her head was full of all the unknown things they’d talked of.

She had once seen something going by in the sea, climbed up on the rocks to get a better view of it and been caught by a leader. She had been told that there was nothing there and if she climbed the rocks again she would crash to the ground, break every bone in her body and no one would come to help her. She would die in the greatest of pain and take days to do so.

At the end of her working day, Mia climbed into her corner of the shed and wrapped up in her blanket. She had so much going through her head. She decided she had to escape. She would likely get caught and killed, but she had to take the chance, anything than become Leader Nine’s woman. She had noticed him looking at her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable.

Mia couldn’t sleep. How did she get away? She had no idea what was out there, apart from sea, and some other island, now. Was that island any better? Well the leaders were going to get there somehow. Mia had always wondered where some things came from. That bottle of liquid she cleaned toilets with, the drink that made the Leaders go strange, tools she used in the garden. No one on the island made them.

There was a part of the island, citizens were not allowed on. Mia had wandered that way as a small child and been told to go back and never go that way again. That must be where the Leaders left the island, how, she didn’t have a clue. Could she make it to the forbidden part of the island if she went while it was dark? Mia slid quietly out, wrapping her blanket around her. There was no one around. The citizens made the most of what ever sleep they were allowed, which was not much. Where all the leaders still effected by the drink from meeting? Mia crept towards the forbidden part of the island. She eventually reached the rocks that surrounded the forbidden area and began to climb them. She saw several large floating objects tied to the rocks. As she stared at them, Mia heard voices and hid quickly.

“Get the barrel on the boat first. We gotta have some drink.”

Mia saw them carry a container on, then they returned and picked up some other things.

“Right, we’ve got the important things on. Time to go get the money to pay for the supplies.”

The Two Leaders set off back across the rocks. Mia got up and made her way to what she had now learned was called a boat. Was there a place she could hide on it?

She opened the door they had carried the drink container through. There was a room, with the container up on a table, and boxes of food. She couldn’t resist grabbing a package of food. There was another door, a place to sleep, then another one. She opened it and saw with steps leading down. Mia saw several areas down there, boarded off but with gaps she could slip into and keep hidden. She went down and tucked herself away.

Then the Leaders returned and soon the boat was moving. Mia had such mixed feelings, mostly fear of being found, but she couldn’t help wondering what she might discover. She could hear some of the Leaders conversation.

“Lets have a drink now we’re off.”

“I need a hair of the dog wot bit me.”

Mia didn’t know what that meant, but they did sound like that when they had been on the funny drink. She was hungry and took the food out and eat it all. She was very tired too and soon had a short sleep. The boat moved around, making her feel odd. The boat kept moving about for a very long time. Then she heard one of the Leaders say they should drop anchor and go to bed. She had no clue about dropping anchor. If they were going to bed she would be safe for a few hours surly. The boat was still moving, not as much. She would have liked to go and find food and water, too dangerous. She stayed put. After what could have been all night, the leaders were about again, talking, and the boat was moving more. After quite a long time, Mia heard one of them shout,

“Slow down, we’re there.”

“Oh, so we are.”

There was a big jolt, and the boat stopped. Mia heard the Leaders say they would go and eat and have a pint at the pub. Pint and pub meant nothing to her, it did sound as if she had some time to get off without them seeing her. She had been afraid that they would get those supplies and head back to the island straight away. When all was quiet she squeezed out of her hiding place and crept up the steps. She felt weak and wobbly, hunger, thirst and sitting in that small space for a long time. She opened the door, there was food and water there on a table and Mia grabbed as much as she could, wrapping it up in her blanket. She opened the door cautiously. There was a lot of things she had never seen before and Mia just stared at everything. Then she shook herself and concentrated on getting off the boat and hiding away from the Leaders.

She climbed out and hurried away, walking towards some buildings, crossing a lane. A strang noisy thing whizzed towards her, making aneven loader noise.

“Mind the cars dear.” A friendly looking lady told her.

“Sorry.”

“No need to say sorry. He missed you fortunately.” The lady smiled and entered one of the buildings.

Mia walked on. No one seemed to be working, no one being flogged. Many of the buildings had huge glass windows with things in them. There was one with food. How did this work?. As she stood, looking, a woman walked in, chose some food and handed something small over in exchange for it. She had actually chosen what she wanted.

Mia was totally confused by everything she saw. There was an area with grass, and seats, people sat there eating and watching children play. Mia sat in the quietest corner she could find and ate her food. Then the lady who had told her to look out for cars walked by. She saw Mia.

“Oh hello dear. Can I join you?”

She sat on the bench beside Mia.

“You look frightened. I don’t mean to be noisy; I saw you get off the boat after two men left. You looked terrified. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. I’m Mrs. Wilson.”

Mia had a think. She certainly needed help.

“I’m Mia, I do need help, but I have already been flogged so much recently, please don’t tell the Leaders.”

“You’ve been flogged! My dear, you sound as if you have been very wrongly treated. Now don’t be afraid, you’ve done nothing wrong. I should call the police. They will help you.”

“Police, who are they?”

The lady looked puzzled,

“We should go to my house. No, it’s close to where their boat is moored. I’ll have to call them from here.”

She took something out of her bag, pressed buttons and began to speak to someone, telling them she was with a very frightened girl who had managed to escape from two men whose boat had been in the harbour a little while ago. She told them about floggings, said the girl looked too thin and was very confused about her surroundings, as if she had been isolated for a long time. She finished by telling them where they were, now.

“It’s alright my dear. You have nothing to fear, unless those men from the boat should see you.”

Mia was very frightened. Could she trust this lady? She seemed very nice and friendly.

Shortly after, two people in dark clothing came up to them.

“Hello officers, this is Mia, the young lady I was telling you about.”

One was a woman, the other a man. They asked Mia some questions and seemed puzzled when she couldn’t answer most of them, like what was her last name, what was the island called, what were the men called.

She had always been called Mia. They looked shocked when she said she had never known there was another island. They had always been told that island was the only one. Mia had to go back to the beach to show them which boat it was After some discussion with Mrs. Wilson, they decided to take Mia to what they called the station. Mrs. Wilson went with them, to make Mia feel safe.

“We will get someone to watch the boat

“They were told to make sure they weren’t followed back.” Mia told them.

“Thank you for that Miss. We’ll use various means to follow them so that they don’t know we are doing so.”

More questions, many of which Mia couldn’t answer. She didn’t know how old she was, how long she had been on the island, names of the people who ran the place, or how old she was when she was taken there.

Mia was given a place to live in, and to have some help to get over her fears and all the many things she didn’t understand about this new island. She was shocked and fascinated when she was shown something called a globe, and it was explained to her just how many islands there were, and how large some of them were too.

Then days later the Police Officers, as she had now learnt they were called, told her that the boat had been tracked back to the island, the leaders arrested. The people they had been holding there were freed. Some would be joining her so they could be given help too. There was still no trace of her family, made more difficult because of lack of surname, or date for when she would have gone missing.

Mia was beginning to relax, to understand that she would not be flogged ever again, that she didn’t have to work, at least not then. In the future she would have to get a job, to earn her keep. All of that had been explained. There was still a lot to learn.

One day, most of the women from the island joined her. They were as confused and uncertain as she had been, but so very thankful to Mia for managing to escape and get them freed.

When Mia felt confident enough, she walked to Mrs. Wilson’s house, to thank her for the help she’d been, let her know how she was getting on. The old lady was in her garden, struggling to dig a big bramble out.

“Hello Mrs. Wilson, I can help with that.” Mia dug the bramble out by the roots and pulled up some other weeds.

“You certainly know what you’re doing there.” Mrs. Wilson said.

“I was one of the gardeners at that place” Mia didn’t like to say The Island. “I used to be glad that was my job. I was in trouble if I didn’t grow enough, but I liked being outdoors, far better than being stuck in the laundry room or the kitchen all day. I’ll have to find a job soon, I think. I still can’t read or write. We’re all being given lessons.”

“You could work as a gardener. No need to read or write.”

“I did wonder. They think I’m not be old enough yet, I should still be at school. I didn’t have a clue what they were talking about until they explained. ”

Mrs. Wilson asked Mia if she would like a tea or coffee.

“Water please. I have tried the other drinks, I’m not too keen on them.”

Mrs. Wilson brought cakes out and water for Mia and a coffee for herself.

“I had an idea Mia, no need to make a decision right away, but if you wanted to, you could come and live with me. I would be glad of the company and you would have a home. I don’t need looking after or anything. Your family could still be found, and you might want to go to them,ofcourse.”

“Mrs. Wilson! That sounds fantastic. You are so kind. Are you sure I wouldn’t be putting on you? I have none of that money that people buy things with.”

“I have enough of that. My dear husband left me plenty and I have a good pension. If I do need care, I can pay someone. I don’t want to put on you.”

“I would be happy to care for you.” Mia got up and gave Mrs. Wilson a hug.

“Oh Mrs. Wilson, are you sure you want me here?”

“Time for you to start and call me Molly.” Molly Wilson sad, with a big smile.