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    Zoe
    Zoe
    Zoe
    Ebook75 pages59 minutes

    Zoe

    By Holly Barbo

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Dystopian tale of a possible future.

    The Tin of Honey

    ScreenCraft Cinematic Short Stories Semi-Finalist

    Life is tough for Zoe in her changing world. As a small child, her voice can never be heard. She may as well be invisible… Except as a slave.

    The Oath of the Bee

    It's been nine years and the war that made Zoe an orphan and slave is finally over. Now fifteen, the silent girl journeys through the battle scarred land on a path she can barely remember, to a place that may not exist… home.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPaper Gold Publishing OLD
    Release dateNov 8, 2022
    ISBN9798215950166
    Zoe
    Author

    Holly Barbo

    Holly's world is shaped by her love of family, the beauty of the nature and an irrepressible curiosity that frequently has her turning over rocks and questioning what she finds. This sometimes sends the reader down a rabbit hole into an alternate view of the world than what they expected. Holly’s mind can be an interesting place. To get the latest news just subscribe to Holly's newsletter. The button is on the right of the page.: http://hollybarbo-books.com

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      Book preview

      Zoe - Holly Barbo

      Copyright © 2016 - Holly Barbo

      License Notes

      This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

      Cover design copyright Darkmantle Designs

      All rights reserved. Paper Gold Publishing.

      No part of this book may be reproduced in any form of by any electronic or mechanical means, including information and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. This is a work of fiction, names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

      Contents

      The Tin of Honey

      The Dream

      Five Months Later

      The Oath of The Bee

      The Life Changing News

      Beyond the Warm Climes

      Going into the Wound

      The Mainland

      Home

      The Tale

      The Oath of the Bee

      About the Author

      Also by Holly Barbo

      VORTEXES

      The Tin of Honey

      by

      Holly Barbo

      The Dream

      Exhausted from the long day, the little girl welcomed the sight of her cot, but she made herself stop before the industrial sink at the end of the dormitory and do a quick wash. Zoe knew she would sleep better if the dust and sweat were off her skin.

      Besides, she didn’t want to soil her sheets. It would just make cleaning them more difficult. With that little chore complete, she stretched out on the mattress, and almost as soon as her eyes closed, she melted boneless into sleep. So deep was her weariness, the child didn’t even stir as the lights went out and others of her team settled down for the night. No one saw Zoe flinch as the dream sunk its powerful claws into her helpless subconscious.

      Her pretty mother leaned over her bed. Wake up, Zoe. Leave your snug bed in the loft and come downstairs. I’ve got your breakfast ready. We need to hurry. Your father is already in the garden harvesting our vegetables. I’m finishing up the preserves and need you to take them to the root cellar. It is a busy day, but we will eat well this fall and winter with the fruits of our labor.

      Zoe giggled as she got up and pulled on the clothes her mother had set at the foot of the bed. You made a pun, mama.

      The blonde woman grinned and tousled her daughter’s tawny curls. And you are smart, my little chick. Are you sure you are only five?

      I’m five and a half, Zoe said with a grin.

      In the wisps of the dream, the happy laughter faded and mutated to become the squeak of hinges as her mother lifted the trapdoor to the root cellar. I’m so glad we have access to this from inside the house. In the cold or rainy season, we don’t need to step out into the wet. Your father helped me move the table earlier, so we have a clear path. I’ll carry the jars to the top step. Just put them on the shelves. If you need any help, let me know.

      Zoe reached up and patted her mama on the arm. I’m a big girl, mama. Don’t worry. I won’t break any jars.

      The breeze outside the dormitory tapped a tree branch against the window, but in Zoe’s mind it was the clink of jars in the shadowed recesses of the root cellar. She dropped deeper into sleep, where outside sounds weren’t needed, and in abrupt contrast to her relaxed pose, Zoe stiffened, and her arms drew tight against her chest. On her cot, the child’s heart raced, and her little fists clenched, but she was trapped as the nightmare unfolded, replaying the past.

      There were sounds of a jeep engine and several raised voices. Zoe and her mama could hear men were arguing with her father. The child could tell he was trying to stay calm, but the voices just got louder. Her mother’s face appeared at the top of the stairs to the root cellar as she placed another full basket of preserves into the gloomy storage room. Zoe. Don’t make a sound! Not one tiny squeak! Promise me!

      Yes, mama. I promise, the little girl whispered as her mother grabbed the edge of the hatch.

      Stay here until we open the trapdoor, and with that admonition, the light from the room above got cut

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