Free Underwood by Colin Griffiths Page A

school, I just want my dad and go home’ she leaned forward in her chair, she showed her teeth,’ now go get my dad’ she demanded. Her outburst took Eileen by shock as she sat opened mouthed, Nathan cowered in his chair, hating his big sister at that particular moment.
    In a flash Andy leant over the table, grabbed Lily’s arm and squeezed it, Lily screamed in pain,
    ‘You bastard’ she screamed, trying to release his hand, however he was far too strong.
    ‘Do not talk to a man of god in that manner, young lady he told her, he released his grip, Lily rubbed her arm, tears flowed down both cheeks, she just wanted her dad, he would sort it, Andy sat back down,
    ‘Here are the rules, the husband shall work for his provision, and can you tell me what he does for a living?’
    ‘He’s a plumber’ answered Eileen,
    ‘Excellent’ we do so need plumbers, he will be well provided’
    ‘He has a job in Sheffield’ Eileen could not think of anything else to say,
    ‘But I’m afraid you do not live in Sheffield now, you live in Underwood, and a fine place it is to’
    Eileen shivered at that, Lily was still rubbing her arm, and Nathan sat terrified, they didn’t want to live in Underwood, for Underwood seemed like the place from hell.
    ‘I will leave you the list of rules, but here are the main ones, the currency in Underwood is vouchers, we do not use money, money has no purpose in Underwood, there are no banks, everyone has a role in Underwood, that’s how you earn your vouchers, no vouchers, no provisions, do you understand?’,
    They didn’t but they all nodded anyway, they shuddered to think of the consequences of not understanding, he continued,
    ‘On their sixteenth birthday all women are to be impregnated, a suitable father will be chosen, they will bear a total of five children’
    ‘I will not have my children used as a piece of meat’ Eileen shouted, it was the most ridiculous thing she had heard, but somehow the scariest,
    ‘I won’t do it’ Lily screamed ‘you can’t make me, it’s against the law’
    For the first time Andy laughed, he quite liked this girl, she was spunky, she would make a fine mother and resident, he thought, ‘that is the law’ he laughed,
    ‘We will see about that Lily thought’ she always thought her first time would be with someone special, someone she loved, she wouldn’t do it, and she made that decision there and then.
    ‘We need to build the population of Underwood, particularly women, in order to bear our children’ no woman belongs to any man’ he continued, ‘any man can choose to sleep with whom he desires, however the woman has the right to refuse’
    ‘And if they refuse’ asked Eileen, not really wanting to know the answer,
    ‘The punishment shall be chosen by the man whose request she refused’
    ‘This is some crazy fucked up place ’ thought Eileen,
    ‘on no account go into the woods, it is strictly forbidden’ the shops do not open on a Sunday, I trust you have provisions for today’ he asked.
    ‘Yes’ said Eileen, but we have no power’ she really could not believe she was answering his questions, the whole situation felt surreal, she wanted to scream and shout at him, but she dare not, Peter would sort it, Peter sorted everything.
    ‘Did the caretaker not give you any power?’
    ‘He wanted sex’ she could not believe she had just said those words but somehow she thought that it would have no bearing on her current position, the vicar did not show no reaction to her words.
    Andy put his hand inside his coat pocket, took out a voucher, he handed it to Eileen, she hesitantly took it off him, as if doing so would make her one of them.
    ‘This one’s free’ he told her, ‘just put it in the meter, next time you need to think about taking him up on his offer’ Eileen shivered ‘should last you a few days’ he added.
     
    The vicar got up, put his clipboard under his arm, he held his hat with the other and started to leave, ‘that