by Jess Petosa
“Want to go for a run through the woods?” she asked as he plopped down next to her on the sofa.
“Didn’t we just do that?” he asked.
“Yes,” she smiled.
“What are you up to?”
“I was thinking.” Ally picked at a frayed seam on the sofa. “Maybe today we could jump the boundary. We’re going to be eighteen tomorrow and almost everyone has jumped it before eighteen.”
“No way.” Stosh looked disgusted that she had even mentioned it. He was such a rule follower. “Not on caravan day. More Exceptionals will be patrolling the woods.”
“Oh come on. Tomorrow you can brag to your friends about how you stepped over the boundary. It is almost a right of passage!”
Ally couldn’t help but be enthusiastic. She had always wanted to take that fateful leap over the boundary line but had wanted Stosh to be the one to go with her. Of course there were risks involved. If she were caught by an Exceptional, she would be in big trouble. But no one was ever caught, and even if the Guards were near by, they didn’t have time to mess around with silly Ordinary games.
“I’m going whether you go or not,” she said, standing and walking toward the door.
“Fine,” Stosh said.
Ally could tell by his body language that he was really annoyed with her. He would probably seethe about it until they got home, and then in the morning would recall how he hadn’t had such an interesting night in awhile.
“That’s the brother I know and love.” She looped her arm through his, leading him out of the house and into the woods.
Chapter Two
The walk to the boundary was about twenty minutes, which gave them just enough time to do the jump and then run back to the settlement for the feast. Their mother was helping the other women prepare for the feast, so she hadn’t even been home when they left the house. She probably wouldn’t even realize they had gone as long as they weren’t overly late for the meal; and as long as Ally managed to keep her newly brushed hair unknotted. They took the familiar path through woods and walked a good portion of the trip in silence.
“Were you planning on doing this with Willow?” Stosh spoke up when they were finally nearing the boundary line.
Ally froze in her tracks, focusing her gaze on the tree in front of her. Since it was summer the sun would not set for another hour or two, but it had already started it’s decent and was washing the woods in a beautiful orange glow.
“Why would you ask that?” Her voice was more of a breath.
After a few moments of silence Stosh spoke again. “Sorry.”
She pointed to a large tree marked with a purple X. Someone from the settlement had marked it long ago and every year someone would paint over it again, making sure weather or other hazards didn’t wash it away. This meant that they would step off the path and head down the slope toward the boundary line, which would less than a hundred yards away.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Ally peered back at Stosh, trying to forget his previous question. “You can back out at any moment.”
Stosh rolled his eyes. “I’m not the downer you always make me out to be. We are here now, let’s get this over with so that we aren’t late to the feast.”
He brushed past her and stepped around the marked tree, moving carefully as the ground sloped down. The boundary line was actually a small creek, small enough that with a running leap you could jump from one side to the other. Hence the term jumping the boundary line. As far as they could tell, the creek ran around the whole perimeter of the city limits. In order to reach the crowded suburbs and bustling city there was still a good mile or so to walk.
“I can see it,” Stosh whispered to her. There was always an unspoken rule of being quiet around the boundary line.
Ally had been so focused on watching her step that she bumped right into Stosh when he stopped in his tracks.
“St…” She stopped speaking mid-word when he raised a hand to silence her.
She peered around his body and saw what made him stop. Three boys stood on the other side of the creek, forming a semi-circle and talking in hushed voices.
“Dang,” Ally whispered. Even though plenty of Ordinarys had jumped the boundary before, it was always considered insulting if someone arrived and did it right before you did, and then were still there to take jabs at you about it.
The boys were dressed in a muted gray color, which meant they were not from her settlement. Ally had heard other settlements received different color textiles to make their clothes, but she had no idea which one they might be from. At this distance, she couldn’t tell what markings were on their wrists. They appeared to be her and Stosh’s age, and well built. They could easily pass as woodcutters. One of the boys turned slightly toward the creek and Ally could tell he was grinning. He took one step back and then ran forward three strides before leaping over the creek. She cocked her head in confusion. You were only supposed to leap across the boundary, and then step back across. It symbolized the excitement of taking the risk and the shame of crossing back because you knew you didn’t belong on the Exceptional side.
The boy stuck his landing and for added effect he dropped to one knee and placed one hand on the ground in front of him, and stretched the other out behind him. At that moment he raised his head, suddenly noticing Stosh and Ally. She would have realized it sooner had she really paid attention to the boy that had jumped through the air. The buzzed head. The precision of his jump. The grace with which he landed. And the violet eyes…
“Exceptionals.” Stosh whispered.
He turned and tried to push Ally backward, but she stood her ground.
“No, not until I’ve made the leap.”
The other two Exceptionals landed beside the first boy and stood on either side of him. Ally had never seen an Exceptional that wasn’t a Guard, except for the posters of the City leader. They were still taller than an average Ordinary, but they didn’t seem threatening at all. Their violet eyes threw her confidence off for a moment, but the boys didn’t appear to pose any danger.
Ally stepped around her brother and started toward the creek.
The first boy to jump over the boundary line came and stood by her side, facing the creek with her.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” His voice was much gentler than she was expecting. The Exceptional Guards had such deep, rough voices. This boy sounded just like any Ordinary boy she had spent time around.
“More then ever.” Ally glanced at him quickly before turning back to the creek.
He had the same standout violet eyes of the other Exceptionals, his buzzed hair looked thick and dark, and his facial features were very defined. He stood a foot taller than her, but considering the Guards had at least two feet on her, this felt like normal.
Ally could feel his gaze boring in to her as she prepared to make the leap. The Exceptional side of the creek had been worn down and trampled from years of Ordinarys making the jump. They chose this spot because it was where the creek was at it’s narrowest, making for an easy crossing
“Will you stop staring at me?” she huffed at the Exceptional.
“Just waiting to see if you chicken out.” He crossed his arms over his chest and took on a more relaxed stance. The gesture made Ally furious for some reason. She didn’t normally get so worked up around boys, but this one set her mood on fire.
Her hesitation seemed to raise the boy’s amusement in her. He let out a small laugh and then walked toward the creek, stepping through the shallow water and onto the other side. The two boys he came with did the same. They all turned to face her and watched for a moment before taking off into the woods at a jog.
Stosh stepped up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.
“Who should go first?”
Ally shrugged his hand off. “Me.”
She stepped back and got a running start toward the creek. When she reached the edge she leaped into the air and just cleared the other side, the heels of her boots
just touching the edge of the water.
“Ha!” Ally yelled out, hoping the boys heard her as they jogged through the woods.
She turned to face Stosh, who was staring at her with his mouth open wide. He almost looked like he was shock, which made her wonder if he had expected she would chicken out.
“Stosh, hurry up and get over here so we can go home. We wasted enough time on those Exceptionals.”
Stosh continued to stare and very slowly raised his hand from his side, pointing at something behind her. Ally expected the Exceptional boys to be standing behind her, back to jab at her for something meager, like the length of her jump. But when she turned around she came face to face with two Exceptional Guards. She ran toward the creek, trying to get back to the other side, but two hands grabbed her from behind and threw her to the ground.
She rolled to her back and stared up at the two Guards. They were impossible to tell apart, which frightened her even more. One of them leaned over and sneered down at her.
“Ordinarys are not permitted on this side of the boundary line,” his unnaturally deep voice growled at her.
Ally chose to try a plea of innocence. “I’m sorry, sir. I stopped at this creek to get a drink of water and saw a rabbit on this side. I thought I might be able to catch it if I snuck up on it. Please, I meant no harm.”
The Guard laughed.
“I don’t care why you are over here. It only matters that you are. You are now in the custody of the City, and you’ll be coming with us.”
Ally’s breath caught in her throat. She had always thought that if they caught you, you received a warning and were sent home. She had never expected that they would actually take her into custody.
“No!” Stosh yelled from the other side of the creek, making his presence known for the first time.
The Guard’s head whipped up. “Quiet Ordinary. Be grateful you are on the correct side of the boundary, or we would take you as well.”
Ally watched in horror as her brother ran toward the creek.
“Stop!” she screamed, the desperation in her voice causing him to halt mid-run. The front of this boots splashed in the creek water. “Please. Don’t. Go home to mother, Stosh, go home.”
She swallowed back the lump that was growing in her throat. Stosh ran his hands through his hair in frustration, hard enough that Ally was sure he pulled clumps of it out. He paced for a few moments and then cursed, turning and sprinting back up the hill and into the woods.
She breathed a sigh of relief, but that relief was short lived as one of the Guards grabbed on to her hair and yanked her to her feet. With out another word they took their place on either side of her and marched her forward into the woods. Ally could see the big bridge through the trees, which meant the main road was up ahead. The bridge stretched over an area of the creek that was three times the width of the spot they were at now.
They walked for ten minutes before the large military truck came into view. Ally could see several more Guards standing at attention around it, bored looks on their faces. She wondered if this were the same truck that came through their settlement a short while ago.
“Hey, wait!” a voice called from behind them.
The Guards spun around and since their hands were on each of Ally’s arms, she ended up facing the opposite direction with them. The boy from the boundary line stood several yards in front of them, his friends on either side of him.
The Guard to Ally’s right sighed and rubbed his head with his large, calloused hand. “What are you doing out here Lukin?”
She recognized that tone. It was the same tone she used with Stosh when she questioned the method with which he chose to do simple tasks, or when he crashed through the woods loudly on hunting days. This Guard knew this boy personally somehow
“She’s mine,” the boy said as he pointed at Ally. “I claimed her.”
The Guard eyed Ally carefully. “This one?”
The boy just nodded.
“How did she end up at the boundary? And with another Ordinary?”
“I didn’t say I claimed her under normal circumstances.”
There was a pause as the Guard glared at the boy. Ally had never seen such a furious face. The boy didn’t stand down though, but instead stepped forward and put a possessive hand on her shoulder.
“Very well.” The solider pushed her forward and the boy grabbed her arm. He dragged her back to his friends, keeping a tight hold on her.
“In front of the caravan, Lukin. Now,” the Guard growled.
His friends took the lead and the boy that held her arm pulled Ally to the front of the truck, putting a decent distance between them and vehicle.
“Just follow my lead,” the boy whispered in her direction.
A moment ago she had been afraid he would turn out to be as mean as the Guards that had taken her at the creek, but the tone of his voice had a soothing quality to it. Could he possibly be trying to help her out of this situation? Perhaps once they were near the City, the caravan would pass through and he would let her go.
Ally stopped this thought process. Stosh always said that she had a weakness toward wishful thinking, and he was right. Once they had gained a good distance on the caravan, which had apparently stopped to give the Ordinarys on board a bathroom break, the boy and his friends relaxed a little.
“What’s your name?” the boy who had claimed her, whatever that meant, asked.
“Ally,” her answer came out as a squeak. She looked down at her hands and realized that they were shaking.
“Ally.” The boy repeated. “I’m Luke, and this is Pax and Maver.” He motioned to the boys beside him.
The boy immediately to his right looked almost bald, his hair was such a fair color. Ally couldn’t even be sure he had eyebrows. He was taller than Luke and despite his lean frame; he had plump cheeks that reminded her of the toddlers back in her settlement. He gave her a slight nod and a smile. The boy at the end had dark hair like Luke’s, but his features were much different. He had a round face, almond shaped eyes, and pale skin. He avoided Ally’s gaze, seemingly annoyed by her presence.
“Which settlement do you come from?” Luke asked.
“Oakwood,” Ally responded, wondering if it was smart to hold a conversation with these boys, especially one that gave out any sort of information. She pulled back her sleeve and showed them the marking on her wrist. The Ordinarys in her settlement were all marked with the image of a large Oak tree. If she flexed the muscles in her arm, it almost appeared as though the branches were blowing in the wind.
It seemed impossible that just this afternoon she was sitting up in a similar looking tree with Stosh, watching a caravan pass below them. She should be back at the settlement, enjoying the feast with her family. Surely Stosh had made it back home by now and had told everyone what happened. She wondered if her mother was mourning right now, or maybe cursing her for being so ignorant. She hoped Stosh could hold the family together until she could get home. He had always been more fragile than her, more open to emotions. But that also made him great with support, and more understanding when it came to people’s needs.
Ally spent the next twenty minutes watching her feet. Her black boots were worn down so much that it almost felt as if she were walking on the packed dirt with bare feet. The bottom of her pants had a rip in it, probably from walking through the woods to the creek, so she would need to have her mother repair it later that night. Again, hopeful thinking.
A clanging filled her ears and the faint smell of metal filled her nose. Ally lifted her head and fought the urge to gasp out loud. They had reached the City, and few hundred yards in front of them stood a two-story wall made of large stones. She had heard of the wall before, but never had it been described in this grandeur. It was said that the first generations of Ordinarys were forced to build this wall around the city, and that it took a full century to complete. Everything about it screamed security at Ally, and she was amazed that the boys she stood next to had even manage
d to escape the City. She knew that she would never be able to.
The clanging and metallic smell came from the machinery that was opening the large double doors that would give them entrance to the City. The doors were wide enough and tall enough that the caravan could pass through with ease. A dozen guards stood out side the door, and the amount of them was probably more for effect as Ordinarys were brought in. Ally knew they were no real danger for the Exceptionals. Exceptionals were ten times stronger and faster than them all.
As they drew closer to the door, Luke took a firm grip on her arm. It was then that Ally realized she would not be released into the woods to run home. Luke and his friends were not here to aid her escape. Whatever claim Luke had on her, he meant to keep it. As they passed through the doors and into a stone tunnel, Ally closed her eyes and whispered out an apology to her family. She had a sinking feeling in her gut, one that told her she would never see outside these walls again.
Chapter Three
The afternoon had been as normal as any other for Luke. He and his friends were always looking for the next big adventure, and with their eighteenth birthdays and graduation looming before them; it was the perfect time to cross the boundary line. The idea had come from Pax’s older brother, who had taken an Ordinary as his wife. She had told stories about how some Ordinary teens jumped the creek in the woods before their eighteenth birthday. It served as the boundary line between the Ordinary settlements and the City limit. While Ordinarys were forbidden to cross the line, Exceptionals were permitted to go back and forth as they pleased. That is, Exceptional Guards. Luke and his friends were not technically allowed to leave the City, but that hadn’t stopped them.
What he hadn’t expected was to run into the Ordinary girl and her male friend. At first he had just teased her as she prepared to jump the boundary line. It was obviously a much bigger deal to her than it would ever be to he and his friends. But after they had jogged into the woods he decided to stop and watch from a distance. His Exceptional eyes could see far, so there was little chance she would spot him. Pax and Maver had complained but when Luke had told them to go on alone back to the City, they had decided to stick around.
