On the other side

As I sit here in the cool Autumn breeze, I cannot help but wonder about life on the other side of the wall, as we struggle to survive, it has not rained in months, the lands remained barren throughout spring and summer, we now fast approaching winter with no food in stock. My family are farmers, born into the trade but we may need to change our roots, if things don’t look up, I am Eva the last born in my family, and I must change my family’s fate. Eva’s POV As the sun sets, I turn to make my way down the hill towards home, giving the wall one last look. Many years have passed since they have been built; according to father it was the beast’s way to separate themselves from the humans like us. When mother and father talk about the past, it seems more like another world and I would have believed that it is one if it were not for the ruins as evidence, before if we had enough coin, we would buy clothes from the scavengers. The scavengers are the people who are willing to take the risk and go into the ruins to bring back many great objects and sell them to make money. As I continue to walk towards the house, dust picks up, it seems like that’s all there is, and a few trees with no leaves left on them. When I near I hear my mom calling my name, so I run towards the kitchen door, yes mom, I say as I enter, where have you been she demands, shaking her head, I was up on the hill I tell her, Dreaming again are you, you should be more like your brother, look he was able to catch a rabbit, at least we will have some food to keep us going, she responds. And maybe if we got on the other sides of that wall we will better off, I don’t say this out loud knowing that I will only get reprimanded. Mother hung the rabbit outside as I get the knives to clean it, as we start to clean of the fur my brother Luke runs up to us, mom he say out of breath, Men come from the other side, Father says to come quick this could change our lives, that got both me and my mother following him as quick as possible, when we get there, there are men standing with tents surrounding the sides of them, on a makeshift stage, there is a tall, greying man in a suit that is try to silence everyone, with no luck the man next to him steps up and everyone goes silent. I don’t blame any of them even I can’t form a thought as I look at him, his much taller than the other man, with more muscles, not as old either but he has a deadly look about him, he moves off stage again and the old man starts to talk again, everyone that is gathered here today, we are here to make you an offer, give us your children, all sixteen or younger and we will pay you and provide enough food to get you through the winter, he says. Everyone starts to speak again, some are asking how much, how many do you need, but all I think of is why do you need us, enough the old man says, if you willing to give up your children stand in line fill the forms, and we will make an offer, many start to form a line with their children in tow, even a lady with a new born baby, I look at my parents and see the looks in their eyes, I tell them it’s okay if they want me to go with the men, if you don’t we all might not make it through the winter , I smile to reassure them. They look at each other and then at me, we sorry they both say, we wish there was another way, my brother stood there realizing what we were talking about, no, you’ll can’t do that we will find another way he says, it will be fine I tell him, I will come back, I promise. I wish it could be me and not you he says but I am too old, I laugh you are not old you only eighteen, I am at the right age, going to be sixteen very soon in fact in just three days. We quickly join the fast moving line and soon reach the front, there is another man sitting at a table, name, and identification he states, my parents quickly hand him the documents, he looks at me and says go into the tent on the right, I turn towards my parents, but jump when the man start’s yelling for me to move along before he changes his mind, I hurry towards the tent giving my family one last look.