A Song of Change

Chapter 47
Bed time stories:
After we had dried off and were dressed, me in a fluffy pair of pajama pants and a baggy sweatshirt and Julian in a long sleeved T-shirt and checkered pajama pants, we made hot chocolate with tiny white marshmallows on top. We carried the mugs into our bedroom, wrapping up in the comforter as I leaned into Julian's side. "Are you sure you want to know now, we can always wait a little bit?" Julian asked after taking a sip of his drink. "Yes," I said with a nod of my head, completely sure with my choice.
Julian placed his half empty mug on the night stand next to our bed before pulling me in closer to his chest and wrapping his arms around my body. He rested his chin atop my head, taking in a breath of air before he spoke, "I'm going to tell you a story, Annabell. A story about a little boy who didn't understand what he had until it was taken away from him. He was born about eighteen years ago, outside of here. He was raised on a small countryside with his loving parents and his older brother." I sat up at that, about to ask a question when Julian spoke again. "Please wait until the end, I'll explain everything, okay?" Julian whispered as he waited for my answer.
After I had nodded my head, he continued with his story, "The two brother's were far apart in age, ten years to be exact, yet they still managed to get along. Where you found one brother, the other was sure to be close behind. Their parents always told them that they could play outside but never to go into the far woods, their parents never gave the boys a sure reason so they never thought the woods would be a bad place. The younger brother always managed to wander around the edge of the woods, half in half out, but his brother would always draw him out before he got too far in.
One day, while the brothers were playing outside, the younger brother snuck off into the woods and the older brother ran after him. They had just about made it out of the woods when a large man appeared in front of them, reaching to drag them away. The older brother pushed his brother out of the way and told him to run… and so he did. He ran screaming and crying for his parents the whole way. His parents had come out just as the young boy reached the porch and his mother dragged him inside while his father ran out after the second son. The young boy packed a small bag of clothes for himself and his brother, just as his mother had said, and the two went out to the family car. The boy's father came running up, without the second son, and drove off with his family. Every time the boy tried to ask about his brother, his parents would avoid the question. That was the very last day the young boy ever saw his childhood home and his brother."
I could feel how tense and rigged Julian had gotten throughout this sad story. His grip around me tightened as he took in calming breaths. "That little boy was me. I was born outside of this place, where music flows freely, art is created, and families are whole. I was five when we left and yet I remember it all clearly," Julian slowly started to loosen his grip, gently rubbing his hand up and down my arm as if he were trying to ground himself back to reality. "What happened to your brother?" I asked. The word sounded so foreign and strange on my tongue. "Andrew. My brother Andy was only fifteen. The Society members sent their 'dogs' to 'retrieve' him," Julian spat out the words with venom, "The Society had made a deal with everyone who lived outside of their reaches. We couldn't communicate or interact with their people and we had to stay off of their land. Those woods were the beginning of their land. They had sensors and cameras set up, but I… I didn't know, how could I."
I could feel the rapid beat of Julian's heart against my back as he continued, "They took my brother as an example to the other towns people. To show that they had more power. They were going to take me too, but my Father negotiated with them. The Society would keep my brother, but let me go, and what was left of my family had to give in to the Society. They forced us to move here and become like the others. It was all my fault, all of it! But they punished Andy instead… the hardest part of all of it is not knowing. He is twenty-eight right now, or should be."
"Julian," I whispered, turning to face my heart broken husband. He was shaking his head, tears in his eyes, "I don't want this life for you and if we ever have a family…" Julian trailed off as he gently placed one of his hands on my stomach, "If we ever start a family I want us to be able to decide how many, to be able to let them decide how to live their life. I want for us to be free," Julian whispered as he held onto my hand. "Annabell, everything is set up and ready. All I have to do is give the signal and the others will have us out in two days tops, but… I need to know if you want this. If you don't, I will stay here with you and we can pretend that none of this conversation happened, but if you do…" Julian trailed off as he looked into my eyes.
"But what about everyone else here? I don't know," I said as I thought of Nole and Sonya, of Lucille and Ethan, of my parents. "I'd love to give you all the time in world, believe me, but we don't have that luxury. I need your answer by tomorrow night or they will think the plan is still on and take us anyway," Julian stared up at me with hope filled eyes and I knew that he would do all of this. He would give up everything he wanted and believed just to stay with me here, he would give up his own freedom. How could I do that to him, I mean everything he has told me of this other place sounds nice, but would I be making a mistake if I went or would it be wrong to stay?