II

                                    

                                          

 It was a cold morning in February 2022 and Tatum has been up for almost four hours. 
The plans for next spring have been keeping her up the last days and if she caught some sleep, she dreamt of droughts and famines.
The winter had killed most of the plants they planted the last year and how they are going to provide for the almost 300 people in Hiddentown was still a mystery to her.
Also why she agreed to be the right hand of Granma Bell, the ‚mayor' of the town has been a mystery when she thought about the little bother Bell had shown concerning the plants and fields.
                          
 The estate of her family, once bright white and imposing, has turned into a grey ruin now inhabited by nearly 15 people.
The sun was rising behind the hill and Tatum sped up her pace, concentrated on the end of the driveway.
Her car was in the garage and nearly never used to save the gasoline.
                          
 As she reached the end of her property she checked the mailbox out of habit, even though she knew that there wasn't anything in it.
She passed the street without even looking for cars- she knew every single person by name in the town and she could say that, if anyone were to drive their car, which was very unlikely, they would not do it at seven in the morning.
The market place of the town wasn't even ten minutes away and Tatum kept her speed, once again babbling to herself.
She knew that it wasn't her responsibility but the lack of interest of the mayor troubled her  more and more.
She had to talk to Granma Bell again and was sure, that she was awake.
The house, little with a small front garden, was exactly seventeen steps away from the market space of Hiddentown, and also the only house in which someone lived around the block.
                          
 The people in the town had formed little communities and moved in together so that most of the houses in Hiddentown were ghosts, reflecting the bad situation in which they lived.
                          
Tatum took the three steps with a strong foot and knocked twice at the door.
She heard the steps of Bell very clearly and put her face mask on.
The door was swung open abruptly and the tall, old woman was looking down at her.
„Tatum. Whats happening?", she asked and waved her into the house.
Tatum followed her with enough distance and answered „We have to discuss the resources. I come here every morning to talk to you about it. By now you should know". 
                          
 The mornings in Tatum's life have been pretty much the same the whole winter long and the cluelessness Granma Bell pretended to have was annoying her a lot.
The old lady shook her head and sat down on her white couch in the little living room.
It was fairly modern for an elderly woman, with white walls and big windows.
A big TV was situated on the wall facing the door and the furniture was arranged around it. The floors were dark, a big contrast to the white furniture. The paintings on the wall were self-made and showed her and her family throughout the years.
Her husband, Billy, has passed away nearly 20 years ago. Her children lived in Chicago. 
                          
 Bell wore plain colours, a black skirt and a light grey sweater, and she fit perfectly into the the colour scheme of her living room.
While Granma Bell was taking a sip of her coffee, Tatum sat down in one of the seats,grabbing the plans from her bag.
„You have lost weight again. How's Priscilla?" the old woman asked and looked at her.
It seemed ironic to Tatum to actually answer since she had answered the same question yesterday, the day before yesterday and so on...
„She's fine. Could be better, I guess", Tatum answered distracted as she spread the sheets of paper on the big coffee table.
Bell once again shook her head and sighed.
„The poor thing. I don't think she is going to make it."
 Tatum was angry with Bell for always making such insensitive comments, but was more focused on the plans she brought.
„Yeah, well... GB, listen, we have to talk about this. Because I don't think we will be able to plant as many wheats as we aspire to. We don't have enough, even if we bred."     Granma Bell, kindly called GB, took the plans from the table and looked at the numbers.
„I think our prognosis is excellent. Why wouldn't we have enough? I certainly counted the wheat two weeks ago and it fits exactly into the plan", she said as she raised one of the papers filled with little sketches and calculations.
„Yes, I know that you counted. But I fear that it still won't be enough. I just figure that more is better than less."
Tatum sighed loudly because this was exactly the reaction she had expected. Bell was a strong person with a strong opinion that wasn't so easy to change.
Tatum had to know.
She was sure that her patience would not stay intact much longer and she feared the day, she would finally stand up to GB.
The conversation went on and as always Tatum left the small house without real progress.
She shouldered her bag and continued the morning walk in direction of the fields.
She knew that Chris was  already there and wanted to talk to him about the inappropriate remarks Granma Bell has made this morning.
Tatum knew very well that the life of her older sister Priscilla was in danger, she didn't  need another person telling her.
It wasn't  enough that she couldn't even talk to her because of the risk of infection, no, GB always had to push her buttons a little more.
Priscilla has been infected for nearly four months now and it was a mystery why she didn't recover. Before, she had taken care of all this stuff, but after becoming sick Tatum had to take her place.
Since then she has been isolated and couldn't really talk to or touch anyone
She was alone most of the time, in a room in the basement of their house.
                          
 When Tatum visited her, she always told her about the town and the people, always avoiding the most obvious fact: Priscilla was dying. If she didn't get the vaccine. She needed Venom- free vaccine or she would die in the next months.
                          
 Chris was standing at the edge of one of the big fields and looked like he was already waiting for Tatum to arrive.
Every morning she looked at him and thought about the time they were a couple; both young and naive they thought, they were meant to be together. But the virus tore them apart, leaving them as really good friends. 
She smiled and put her mask back on.
He spotted her and did the same.
„Hey, how are you?", she asked as she stopped in front of him and looked up to see his face. He nodded. 
„I'm okay. You? How was GB?" He smiled while asking the question, knowing that Tatum was probably upset with her like every morning.
„Yeah, I'm fine. She annoys me a lot. She thinks, we have enough wheat to plant next year. I don't think so."
„I know. It's the same every morning", he smiled.
„Is it still frozen?" Tatum asked and bent over to touch the hard earth of the field.
„Yeah, probably. Cant get through the first layers, even if I use all my strength. We have to wait a little longer", he answered and shook his head.
„Fuck!", Tatum exclaimed.
The frozen fields, the confrontation of Granma Bell and the thought of her ill sister stressed her every morning, but this morning her inner peace was even more disrupted, even though she couldn't  tell why.
„It'll be fine, you know that. It was fine last year."
„Yeah but last year it was Priscilla  Bell, and not me and her. She always liked Pris more and you know that", Tatum answered.
He held his handy up like he was protecting himself and laughed once again.
„Yeah fine, can't argue with that", he smiled.
Tatum looked at him.
He was standing with the back to the sun so his facial features were darkened.
But that didn't matter, she could tell exactly how he looked: The big, brown eyes with the long lashes, the thick, defined eyebrows, the dark, short hair and the dark skin.
He was tall and always had to look down on her.
He was one of the most popular boys in school. Not that it mattered anymore.
„Okay Chris, I'll go home. Wake up the roommates."
He waved goodbye and Tatum turned around to go back home, up the driveway where her childhood house looked at her in discontent.
                          
 The faded, dark green door opened easily and presented the little foyer with the big staircase across from the entrance.
Tatum remembered all the times she ran through that door, playing with Priscilla, hearing the laughter of her parents.
Her daydreaming was disrupted by Luna, one of her friends living with her.
„You okay?", she asked and yawned.
Tatum nodded and finally entered the house, closing the massive front door.
She walked straight into the kitchen, checking the stocks and sighing loudly, as she realised, that it just wasn't enough.
Luna followed her and looked at her curiously.
"If I ask, how many hours you've slept tonight, will you tell me the truth?", she joked.
"Probably not", Tatum whispered, still occupied with the viands in the cupboard.
The stairs were creaking as her other friend, Violet, walked into the kitchen and yelled one loud "Good Morning!".
The two other girls flinched and turned their heads to the kitchen door.
The girl was little, almost tiny and was smiling widely.
„What is going on?", Olivia asked, sitting at the counter with a cup of tea.
„I don't know", Violet answered and made her way to the fridge," I'm simply in a good mood."
Tatum finished inspecting the cupboard and sat on the other side of the counter, finally smiling too.
The conversations with her friends always helped her to loosen up, even when she had such stress with everything.
They were helping whenever they could, knowing that Tatum liked things done in her own way.
„Bell was a disaster again", Tatum said, but started laughing with the others.
She complained every morning, knowing that they'd expect it.
„I dont even know why you worry so much. Its not your responsibility. Maybe if you just stopped talking about it she notices that she has to do it on her own...", Luna said.
Tatum shook her head. „I know that she wouldn't care. She seems to think that everything will be fine."
Violet made coffee and turned around.
„If I were you I would give her a piece of my mind. I mean you're still the mayors daughter", she said in her normal voice and put milk in her cup.
Tatum nodded and looked out the window.
She didn't like talking about her parents. 
Their death came abruptly and unexpected since everybody before got healthy again.
That's why Tatum is scared for her sister. She didn't want the same thing happening to her.
And she also selfishly didn't want to deal with all the people, all the sorry's and the cakes and noodle dishes that they received the last time.
                          
Hello friends,
New chapter:)