The Forsaken

job.”
    Meira turns to me. “Only members of this village get buried here. It’s an honor that drones don’t deserve.” Her eyes have gone cold and glassy, like a doll’s eyes.
    More villagers stumble out of the trees. The battle is over. It’s clear to me the drones just came to burn down the kennels. And either free or recapture David Aberley.
    I’m overwhelmed with questions. What if the Monk somehow knew that David would tell me, or other villagers, secret things? I don’t want to tell anyone what the dying prisoner said to me, in case they start suspecting that I’m involved with the Monk somehow.
    “We’ll convene at the fire pit tonight,” Veidman calls out sharply, turning on his heel to leave. “Spread the word.”
    Meira follows without a backward glance.
    Gadya sighs. “Now you know why I have to leave the village and go into the gray zone. We can’t live like this much longer. Things are getting too crazy. The drones aren’t just killing us—they’re killing each other.” She looks me hard in the eyes. “And for the record, I think David tricked you. I think he’s been working for the Monk all along. He’s probably been on the wheel for months.”
    I just can’t accept that. “He’s done nothing but try to help us and be part of this village.”
    “Yeah, probably so he could get invited inside and spy on us! You’re too trusting, Alenna.”
    I don’t want to argue, so I stop talking. I look down at the drone’s corpse a final time. Despite his burns, he seems oddly peaceful. He’s not in pain anymore.
    I pull my hair back from my face. Gadya shoulders her bow and arrow. I sense the tension between us. Other kids are heading our way, but I don’t feel too sociable.
    “I need some water,” I tell Gadya.
    “Go get some, then,” she retorts.
    I walk away from the drone’s body, giving both Gadya and the ruined kennels a wide berth. So many kids died here, burned alive while Gadya and I battled the giant girl. Life on the wheel is beyond cheap, I realize. It’s meaningless.
    I’m reminded of Sisyphus again. The trick is to find meaning in such pointless, repetitive suffering. Maybe that’s impossible.
    Now that David is gone, I know that the only way to find answers about my parents is to leave this village. The dying drone said that my mom and dad left messages for me. And David even knew my parents’ names and that they were dissidents. No matter what, I need to try to find those messages—assuming they actually exist and I’m not just a pawn in the war between the villagers and the drones. I must become part of Operation Tiger Strike and plunge into the gray zone looking for answers, with Liam, Gadya, and all the other hunters at my side.

THE DECISION
    HOURS LATER, THE ENTIRE camp—except for some perimeter guards and the Ones Who Suffer—is gathered around the fire pit. Low flames crackle as damp branches pop in the fire. Some kids hold out sticks, roasting chunks of hoofer meat. Others just bask in the warmth. It’s nearing twilight now, and the air is getting cooler.
    Torches are set up around the edge of the clearing, casting flickering yellow shadows. I wrap an old shawl from the clothes pile around me, curling myself into its cocoon.
    Liam is sitting with the other hunters. They’re gathered in a group on one side of the fire pit. I’ve noticed they close ranks after an attack. I wonder if Liam killed any drones today. Probably.
    Veidman gets up on his tree stump. As always, Meira is nearby, his second pair of eyes and ears.
    “You all know why we’re here,” Veidman says as everyone falls silent. “We’ve been facing this decision for a long while. But now it’s time to stop thinking and take action.” Some voices rise up, but he keeps talking. “Today the Monk sent his drones to attack us in daylight, for the first time. He killed the prisoners—his own people—and rescued one of them. The drone who called himself David Aberley.” He pauses. “I have no doubt David was sent here as a spy, and that when we suspected and imprisoned him, the drones came here to set him free. He was probably too valuable to lose.” The crowd rumbles. “I’ve heard that other villages are crumbling one by one, overcome by chaos and destroyed from within by interlopers. It doesn’t matter how many drones we scare off or kill. More will arrive tomorrow. And even more the day after that.” He stares around at the assembled throng.
    “Tell ’em!” one of