by Y A Marks
“So it’s like that,” he said.
“Yeah… sorry.”
At any moment tears would spring up in my eyes, and I wouldn’t be able to control them. My worst fears were coming true. I could only imagine Mari and Miko’s frightened faces. My chest emptied. My heart shattered into a million micro pieces and blew away on the morning breeze.
I needed some time alone to think and figure this thing out.
“Look, it’s not you its…” I spun around, my explanation like acid my lips.
After mounting the hoverbike, he glanced back at me. His eyes cut though my skin like molten knives.
Neither one of us said anything else. With electric arcs circling the ground, the hoverdiscs energized. A few moments later, he lifted from the rooftop and blurred away into the sky.
Chest aching, I climbed down from the roof to the ground. Even as I turned up Fair Street, the weight of his stare lingered on me. He wasn’t a bad guy. He just had bad timing. Even if his timing had been great, a handsome guy was not what I needed. To have someone, I had to have something to give, and I didn’t have anything that wasn’t already spoken for. The fact that he was in Escerica only made things worse. As I had already learned, just talking with one of them was a crime.
I made it to the train station a half hour later. With my scanner, I avoided detection and took the train north, watching Atlanta pass behind me.
The trip was eighteen minutes, and I used at least a few of them to take a nap. I was sluggish from the morning’s activities and from being sleep deprived.
It was hard not to think about the Gray-Eyed Fox. When he had touched me and had held me, was he trying to calm me down or was he just messing with me? It seemed genuine, but his crooked grin appeared sporadically through both conversations.
I didn’t understand boys. I stayed away from them and from all teenagers for that matter. I couldn’t let myself get caught up in angst and emotion. Not to mention the gangs, drugs, and prostitution in which they frequently found themselves.
The Perimeter Market was deserted except for a few homeless folks. I wasn’t sure what the security would be like without the two drones, but I didn’t want to take any chances. The local D-Tag sensors would still register my ID and try to send it to whatever system was listening. It would be better for me to be mixed in a jumble of people moving around. With just a few people, the computers wouldn’t have as much to process and cross reference. I just hoped I could get in and get out before any authorities were notified.
When I made it to the other side of Perimeter Market, I entered the grassy area that led to Dhyla’s. I took a few steps and heard the crisp popping sounds of electricity in midair. From years of staying away from corrupt law enforcement, I changed the angle of my approach just enough to make it appear like I was walking through the field but not toward Café Lanta. I touched my headband which still covered my neck and turned on my scanner to send out a fake frequency.
A scrapper rotated its body after passing in front of the shop. I pulled my hoodie down to cover my eyes and kept walking.
Being so close to the robot started to put me into panic mode. My muscles tightened and my joints locked. I didn’t want my heartrate to get out of control, but I rose with every step I took.
The scrapper’s motors vibrated to life. I didn’t dare turn back toward it, but I was sure that it was listening to my heartbeat. This knowledge bounced around in my head and made the situation worse. My breathing increased and sweat formed at my temples. I just kept thinking about my fears for Mari and Miko and for myself. Every step was agony. It was one thing to have a phobia, quite another thing when your phobia was always close by.
When I felt I could no longer contain the pounding in my chest, and I would just have a panic attack right there in the middle of the field, a warm hand fell over mine. I glanced over, and it was Sun Hi. An encouraging smile lifted her cheeks before her arm wrapped around my shoulders. My body immediately calmed.
A second later, the scrapper whined as it changed back into hibernation mode. Sun Hi glanced back, just to make sure.
“Just keep walking,” she said. “When we’re safe, I’ll make you the best chocolate mocha ever.”
Thank God for Sun Hi. A few tears fell down my face from the stress. She wiped them away with her fingers. I could’ve—should’ve broken down right there. My knees were so weak. Even with her near me, it was hard for me to hold it all in.
“Remember that chocolate mocha.”
I nodded and took a few deep breaths to calm myself.
I had no idea where Sun Hi was taking me, so I just followed her lead. She led me down a few random streets and up a few more. Sky-high apartments grew up around us as we continued for what had to be at least three miles. The sun was high and warmed the cold air quickly.
We spun around in front of a reelection sign for Governor Read. After releasing a few curse words at the sign, Sun Hi propositioned the glowing face of Governor Read with her middle finger.
“Upper-C power,” she complained. “The things people will do for credits.”
My brain was too out of it to concentrate on her words. I was doing my best just to keep my shakes under control.
We continued down the sidewalk. The apartments faded away and in their place was a field of dilapidated mobile homes. I was so tired from everything that had happened. My body was going to collapse, but Sun Hi held my shoulders and aided me forward. We had never been close, but she knew exactly what to do to keep me calm and moving.
After continuing into a new maze of doublewides and old-fashioned cars, we came to a concrete sewer pipe. She nodded, reassuring me. I ducked down and entered. I walked down at an angle for about fifty yards before a tiny, blue light allowed me to see a doorway. The area opened up enough for me to stand, and Sun Hi moved to my side.
She knocked on the door, and it swung open. My heart jumped in my chest.
CHAPTER 12
A second later, Dhyla’s smiling face and thoughtful eyes stared at me. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders before guiding me inside. For the first time today, I was safe. Tears burned the edges of my eyes, but I blinked them away. Everything: the police officer, Mari and Miko, the Gray-Eyed Fox, the scrapper, it was all too much. I couldn’t handle it.
Sun Hi quickstepped into what appeared to be a tiny kitchen and washed her hands. Dhyla sat me down on a dilapidated, rust-colored futon.
I tightened my hands over my backpack straps, trying to get myself together. “Where are we?”
“We’re still in the trailer park,” Sun Hi said. “This is just a… well, a hidden entrance to one of the trailers.”
“Why?”
Sun Hi’s face pruned as though she didn’t understand my question. She glanced at Dhyla who smiled at me.
“I was worried sick about you,” Dhyla said.
My arms shivered as I reached out for her. My heart continued to rumble inside me. I wanted to say something, but my mind was still too lost in everything. She squeezed my torso as if some of her comfort would release itself into me. It helped being near her. My heart slowed from its frantic pace. Something inside of me knew everything would be okay now. Dhyla would know what to do. She would have answers for everything.
She pulled away from me. Our gazes locked.
“We saw you on TV this morning.” She made it sound like it was a joke or something to be proud of.
I nodded, but didn’t say anything. Shame rubbed its tiny hands all over me.
“I mean, I wanted to find something else to watch on TV, but your show seemed much more interesting.”
She should’ve scolded me for being stupid—for being seen talking to a rebel, someone from Escerica. She didn’t, and not being lectured made me feel worse.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“For what?”
“For being dumb.”
“You weren’t dumb. And I saw the wide gap between you and Rylan.” She laughed. “Things happen. You can’t
help that. You went through what many girls go through. A boy sees you and wants to talk and—”
Something stirred within me, but my mind was still piecing it together. Did she just say Rylan? Who was Rylan?
“No, I… I could have made it,” I said. “I saw the explosion and was curious. And then I came to my senses and ran home, but the cops tried to stop me. Then superhero Gray-Eyed Fox comes and rescues me. But he wouldn’t stop talking, and I’m like, trying to get back to the Stadium.”
“Gray-Eyed Fox?” Sun Hi asked as she passed me the chocolate mocha. I wrapped my fingers around the glass mug as she sat down on the edge of an adjacent chair.
“My mental nickname for him—the guy from last night,” I said. “I don’t know his real name, but he has these intense gray eyes.”
Sun Hi mumbled a few curses under her breath as though she knew the person I was referring to. Dhyla glanced at Sun Hi, and slightly shook her head. For a moment, I wondered why she would be so upset about Gray-Eyed Fox, but I decided not to worry about it. I was frazzled enough already.
“What happened with your shop?” I asked, remembering the scrapper outside Café Lanta. I didn’t want to hurt Dhyla, especially not her business. Credits were everything—they were life.
“Jacob,” she said.
I pulled away from her and turned to see her expression. Her mouth was tight, and her eyes were sad.
Jacob loved Dhyla; everyone did. She gave him a job when his son was starving. How could he do that? The government would never let her reopen it. She’d be worse off than before, even if the charges against her were withdrawn.
“No, he wouldn’t,” I said.
“There’s a reward. Two drones are down. He spotted you on the news feed and told the police you come to the shop a couple of times a week.”
“I’m sorry, Dhyla. Crix!” I cursed myself over and over, my vision fluttering back and forth. I couldn’t think. I had hurt her. I was hurting everybody.
She grabbed my hands to steady them. “It was all a matter of time. Since the Five-Day Restitution, I knew something was bound to set a few wheels in motion. I just didn’t want you to get caught up in it.”
Dhyla’s words confused me. Get me caught up in what? There were too many things happening, and I didn’t have any answers, only questions. “What do you mean?”
Dhyla and Sun Hi exchanged glances again, but this time it was as if they were holding something back. The secrecy flared my temper.
“What? Tell me,” I demanded.
“There’s no easy way to say this. So I’ll get right to it. The guy you met last night, his name is Rylan.”
“What?” I asked and pulled away from Dhyla. It was weird. I was so emotionally close to her, but at that moment, an invisible wall formed between us. She almost seemed like a different person. “How—How do you know that?”
“Because…” She squeezed my hands. “Paeton, I’m a rebel. I’m a part of Escerica.”
“You’re in Escerica?” The words seemed so distant coming from my mouth. I stared into her eyes then into the darkness of my chocolate mocha trying to make sense of it all. This couldn’t be. This wasn’t Dhyla. Who was this person?
A storm of anger and frustration swept over me. “But you… But you said never to get close to Escerica, to stay away from them. Yet all this time, you were one of them?”
“I wanted to protect you.” Dhyla rubbed my arm. Her eyes looked sincere, but I couldn’t imagine this was the same woman I had spent countless hours confessing my whole life to.
“How was I safe? I stole every week. Each time taking a chance that I would be caught and thrown in jail or worse. I’ve been living like this for two whole years,” I said.
She leaned forward. Her eyes pleaded with me. “We’ve lost so many during that same time. Strongholds we thought were secure were found by the police and obliterated. Thousands of kids your age, some younger, were killed mercilessly. There was no place to gather safely. The security systems were too strong.”
“So the drones…” My words fell away.
Sun Hi leaned over and touched my leg. “Yes, we had to find a way to take them down. Three days ago, we got the first one, and last night we destroyed the second.”
“There is at least one more, and we speculate there could be another secret one up there as well,” Dhyla said.
“But… but...” This was all happening so fast. I tried to think. It couldn’t be that easy. Destroy four drones and free the city. The government controlled the country. “How will four drones help? You may be able to reach the Summit, but there is no way in. And even if you did take it down, what about the other states?”
“There are similar plans being executed throughout the country, but the window of time is short,” Sun Hi said.
Dhyla leaned over and brushed a few hairs from my face. “This has been in motion for a long time, Paeton.”
My head swam. This couldn’t be true. I trusted Dhyla. I trusted Sun Hi. Everything I believed in was crumbling. Who were these people? Oh my God, this would mean more trouble—for me—for Mari and Miko. I wasn’t a rebel. I was good… right?
“I know this is hard,” Dhyla said.
I stared at her, my mind a blank canvas.
“But we want you to join us. You can be a part of us now.”
“What?” I shrieked. I didn’t want to be a part of anything. I barely understood what Escerica was fighting for. If I was caught now, I’d be facing prison in one of the death camps where they allowed prisoners to rape and murder. I didn’t want to consider what would happen to someone who was a rebel.
“With the power you have you may be the key—” Sun Hi started, but Dhyla put up a hand to cut her off. Sun Hi’s face scrunched.
“Power? What power?” I asked.
“I think we should talk about that later,” Dhyla said.
“No… No more lies or small talk or protecting me. If my brain is going to be rattled, I just want it all at one time. I can’t take this. I can’t…”
The words came out cracked. My head felt like it was about to explode. It throbbed from the crown to behind my eyes. There could be no more lies, no more protecting Paeton. I had to know everything. I wasn’t worried about me. I could survive. I could always leave the city and start over somewhere else. It would be dangerous, but I could get by. What I didn’t know was what was going to happen to Mari and Miko. I needed to understand my options.
“Paeton, you have a gift. A very powerful one I’m not sure you fully understand yet. Your imitation game can be used to bypass security checkpoints at the tier borders without the use of visas. Escerica could use that power to get into the Summit and send a powerful message to the heads of state.”
“Is that what you want me to do?” A ton of rocks had been piled onto my chest and arms. I could barely breathe, let alone think. I sat back further on the futon, staring into her face hoping for a sign that let me know everything would be okay.
“From the moment I met you, Paeton, I knew you were special. At first, I wondered how a tiny, Lower-C teenager could show up week after week, not a bruise on her body, every week looking slightly better, feeling more confident, with no tattoos or affiliations. Someone who was an anomaly. Then, when you finally told me about the imitation game with the ATMs—”
I cut her off. “Is that why you were nice to me? Did you have this planned from the start? Did you send Gray-Eyes, or Rylan, or whatever-his-name-is to spy on me?” I wanted to squeeze into my backpack and just shut everyone out.
“No, no, not at all. I never forced you to come to the shop. I wanted you to have your own life. It was hard for me after my husband and daughter died. I vowed revenge on the government for what they had done, and as soon as I found a group with strong enough leadership, I joined. When you came into my life, I was a shell of myself, and by the time I figured out your power, I’ll admit I wanted to use you to get what I wanted. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Every day, I fought with mysel
f, part of me wanting to talk you into joining Escerica, and another part of me wanting you to have no part of it.”
She took a deep breath and slowed her words. “But when you were seen with Rylan last night, everything changed. Nothing can go back the way it was. I couldn’t keep you oblivious anymore.”
“So you want me to join so I can get you past some checkpoint?” My chest deflated. The one thing I wanted her to say, she didn’t. Maybe I was just being a silly teenager. Maybe I was being stubborn, but my life and those I cared about were at stake and all she could tell me was she wanted me to join some rebel organization so I could be an electronic lock pick.
Dhyla didn’t say anything. Her hands stayed on mine, but they loosened.
I stood up. “Do you have a bathroom? I just need a place where I can be alone for a second.”
Sun Hi pointed toward a brown door on the other side of the kitchen. I walked over with my fingers tightening around my backpack straps.
I went into the bathroom and locked the door behind me. There was a little mirror, and I glanced at my face. I picked at the scabs that had formed on my chin and used my palm to wipe away a few dried tears.
For the last seven years, I had felt invisible. When I met Dhyla, I had found someone who saw me. All I wanted was for her to just say she wanted me to help Escerica because she loved me. Maybe that was something I’d never have. Maybe as a Lower-C, I could never find that. It’s why I cared so much for Mari and Miko. I loved them. The same love I had for them, I wanted someone to have for me. I wanted so much to be a daughter or just to be a teenager. I was tired of being an adult when everything within me fought against it. I liked boys. I liked pretty dresses, nice shoes, and jewelry. I wanted to sit, paint my toenails, and drool over some heartthrob on cable.
When my mother was alive, I had a few things. I remembered a blue, Sunday dress that I had with white shoes and lace socks. I remembered having a dog named Doughty. I remembered my mother telling me she loved me every night before I went to bed.
Everything was snatched away from me too fast. I didn’t get a chance to really understand it all. I was torn, telling myself material things didn’t matter and that being close to someone was impossible. Sometimes it would have been better if I had never known love, because every day, I ached for it.