by Dylan Steel
Unable to hide her surprise, she crinkled her forehead and spun back around, catching a brief glimpse of Sam before he disappeared behind the closing Transfer door. She swallowed and blinked in disbelief. She hadn’t really let herself believe that this could happen. It hadn’t seemed possible.
She was alone.
A voice inside her head was screaming at her, telling her to move while she had a chance, but her feet were cemented to the roof.
Frozen in place for far too long, Sage finally shook her head, clearing the thoughts that were competing for attention until only one thing remained. Get to the top of the Transfer.
Stumbling forward, she placed an ear against the wall, listening for any hint of Sam’s return. She hoped he wouldn’t be back before she completed her mission.
Hearing nothing, she figured that she had some time alone and unzipped her coat. Dropping it on the ground, she dug the end of the rope out and began unwrapping it from around her midsection.
A burst of cold air slammed into her just as the last bit of rope fell to the ground. She shivered. Fortunately, today was quite a bit warmer than a few days ago when she’d initially planned to climb on top of the Transfer—not that it was anywhere close to summer, but at least now she was less worried about freezing to death if she did manage to escape.
All the same, she pulled her coat back on quickly before picking up the end of the rope again. Her eyes landed on the Transfer’s hand-scan pad. She bit her lip, hoping the pad really would hold her weight.
Pushing all doubts from her mind, she looped the end of rope around the back of the pad, where it was mounted to the wall. She tied off the end carefully, giving it a few solid tugs to make sure the knot would hold. Satisfied, she bunched the remaining rope up in a wad and took a step back before launching it into the air.
She watched the rope uncurl and soar upward, then fall in a narrow arc back down on top of the Transfer. Frowning, she hurriedly reeled in the rope for another attempt.
This time, she tried to throw it in a wider arc. She desperately needed it to clear the other edge of the Transfer.
Squinting, she watched as the rope disappeared farther over the Transfer roof this time. Her brows furrowed. She couldn’t tell if it had made it over the end. Sprinting around the back, she searched the wall for the rope. Nothing. Her heart pounded as she rushed back to the entrance and pulled the rope back again.
Three more attempts got the rope just far enough to dangle a short loop just inches below the roof. Useless. It only succeeded in taunting her.
Sage was fuming as she stared at the Transfer. Mostly, she was mad at herself for not thinking this part through better and practicing more. Not that she could have, she reminded herself, since she’d only managed to come up with a rope for the first time this week.
Clenching her jaw, she glared at the wall for a few moments longer, willing it to give her answers. Then, her eyes widened as an idea suddenly formed.
She dropped to her knees and tore off her coat as quickly as she could. Grabbing the end of the rope again, she scrunched up her coat into a ball and looped the rope around it a few times, tying it off when she’d formed a sort of lumpy ball. A mixture of excitement and dread flooded her as she stood back up, took aim, and lobbed her coat over the Transfer.
A satisfying thwump sounded on the other side of the wall, and she raced over to see if her idea had worked.
It had.
Her coat fell within an easy reach, and she had it untied and zipped back around herself in under ten seconds. Grinning widely, she grabbed the rope and gave it a slight tug again, making sure it hadn’t come loose from the effort.
Confident that it would hold, she reached over her head and wrapped a section around her hand and grasped another slightly higher section with her other hand. Planting her feet against the wall, she used their support to move her hands up a few more inches, slowly beginning to climb up the bricks.
The whole process was taking much longer than she’d anticipated. At this rate, she’d only have a couple minutes on top of the Transfer before having to climb back down and wrap herself back up in the rope. And knowing that they would discover what she’d done to her sheets by tomorrow, she’d have to figure out a way to attempt some sort of escape, no matter how desperate or unsuccessful it might be.
Sage gritted her teeth, pulling against the rope as she scooted her feet up the wall once more. She was nearly to the edge. Another forward reach or two, and she’d be able to grab the ledge.
Careful not to slip, she bounced her feet along the wall. Arching her back with the effort, she reached forward again, first planting one hand on the rope and then reaching for the ledge with the other.
Her eyes widened as she heard a sudden loud popping noise and the rope went slack in her hand.
Time seemed to slow down for an instant before rushing forward again at double speed.
Sage’s free hand slammed down on the ledge as her other hand dropped backward, still holding the rope that was now flung uselessly over her shoulder.
“Ooof.”
Her body slammed against the wall. She grimaced as she held on to the top of the Transfer with only the strength of a few fingers. She couldn’t afford to give up and let go—not now. She’d come too far, and she’d run out of time.
With a low grunt of exertion, Sage reached up for the ledge with her other hand, her fingers stretching as far as they could to manage any sort of hold. After several tries, she managed to hook the tips of her fingers over the edge. Another few seconds of struggle passed, feeling more like a lifetime, and she’d wiggled her hands into a better hold.
Dangling limply against the wall, she paused to take a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to attempt.
With a heavy groan of bodily protest, she bent her elbows and dug her toes into the wall, mustering every bit of strength she could to scramble upward.
Hooking her arm over the ledge, she gulped for air before pushing herself upward again. With another sharp cry, she straightened her arms, locking her elbows beneath her as she leaned forward and swung a leg over the edge. She felt her balance shifting backward, so she dropped the weight of her body against the lip at the top of the wall, hugging it as she edged farther onto the small roof. Only one of her legs remained against the wall now, and she quickly pulled it up, rolling herself onto her back.
She stared at the clouds above her as she gasped for breath. Even under layers of clothing, her shins and arms burned from being scraped against the bricks. With great effort, she lifted her arm over her face, examining the damage she’d caused to her coat. No wonder her arms felt like they were on fire. It looked almost like someone had let a flock of birds loose on her coat, allowing them to rip it to shreds.
Groaning, she squeezed her eyes shut as she caught her breath. There was no way Sam wouldn’t notice that. She’d need to come up with a really good explanation.
Her eyes jolted open. She didn’t have time to lie here. She hadn’t even looked over the rooftop’s walls yet. Scrambling to her feet, she stood and peered over the walls of her prison for the first time.
11. THE VIEW
At her new height, Sage could now feel a steady light breeze against her face. Although it should have chilled her, a strange warmth spread throughout her limbs as she stood on top of the Transfer, overlooking her little slice of the world for the first time.
Directly in front of her, she could see the tops of trees stretching across her entire field of vision. If she looked to either side, she could just barely make out the tops of a few other buildings around her, and immediately behind her lay a long empty expanse that faded into a hazy fog. She couldn’t be sure what was in that direction, but it didn’t look terribly promising.
As she took in her surroundings, hope surged within her. She had to be far enough outside of the city that she could avoid going back.
Excitement bubbled in her belly. She quickly decided she’d head for the tree line when s
he got free of the building. That would offer her cover and some protection from the cold—possibly even some food. She was pretty confident she still remembered how to identify edible plants from her time with her parents.
Her parents.
An unexpected tear slid down her cheek as her stomach twisted into a painful knot. She still missed them every time she thought of them, though she now managed to go days—sometimes even a week or more—without thinking of them.
Pursing her lips, she forced herself to focus on studying everything she could about her surroundings. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to see. The building was even higher than she’d expected, which meant her idea of using the rope to make her way down the outside of the wall wasn’t going to work. It wasn’t nearly long enough for that. She’d have to come up with another plan.
She felt a small thud on the top of her head. Frowning, she looked up just in time to have another raindrop land squarely in her eye. Blinking furiously, she whipped her head back down and rubbed her eyelid with her fist, annoyed at the amount of pain that a tiny drop of water could inflict.
By the time she opened her eyes again, drops were coming down steadily. The rain pelted her shoulders, quickly soaking into her coat. Her teeth began chattering. This was definitely not part of her plan. Rain would make escaping even more challenging, and that was assuming she had a plan at all. She still hadn’t been able to come up with any ideas.
As the rain started falling harder, Sage noticed a tinny sound. Her face screwed up in confusion as she looked around the roof. There was nothing else up there with her. She couldn’t figure out where the noise was coming from.
Another noise, almost a whine, suddenly caught her attention. The Transfer below her was whirring. Sam must be coming up early to get her because of the rain. Panic gripped her.
There wasn’t enough time to climb back down and hide the rope around herself. Besides, she’d have to come up with some excuse for what had happened to her clothes. They were a complete wreck, and even a really bad fall wouldn’t explain how they were so badly torn up.
Sucking in her breath, she looked down at the rope still draped over her shoulder. Terrified of the choice she was about to make, she quickly pulled in the remaining slack, not leaving anything hanging over the side wall of the Transfer.
She held her breath and started to crouch down. It was doubtful Sam would be able to see all the way over the top of it, but she was grateful for the small lip on the top edge anyway. Between that and the height of the roof, she had to hope that it would be enough to hide her. She swallowed a few times, trying to coax her heart back from her throat to its rightful place in her chest.
No sooner had she flattened herself against the top of the Transfer than she heard the door slide open. Sam’s footsteps emerging, falling in rhythm with the rain that was now pounding angrily across the roof.
“Sage?” His feet scuffed along the roof, making a quick circle around the Transfer. It didn’t take him long to realize she wasn’t there.
She wanted nothing more than to knock him unconscious and ride the Transfer to the ground floor of wherever she was. Then, she’d leave. She’d be free. Free from the Institution, free from this place, free from Eprah and all its horrors.
Pushing those urges aside, she stayed frozen in her spot, silently waiting just a few feet above his head.
“Sage!” A hint of desperation was in his voice as he repeated her name. “Where are you?”
She couldn’t hold back a smug grin. For once, she knew more than he did. That’s right, she thought, keep thinking I’m not here.
He cursed under his breath.
“We waited too long,” he said sharply, barely loud enough for her to hear over the rain crashing against her ears.
Her eyes widened. Too long for what? Too long to kill her? She felt her heart pounding faster in her chest.
She listened as Sam raced in a circle a few more times. He seemed to be hoping to find her hiding just around the corner.
“Sage?” Sam paused. “If you’re here, you need to show yourself right now,” he demanded. “I’m willing to overlook this act of defiance this one time, but only if you come forward now.”
With her stomach twisting into a mess of knots, Sage briefly considered Sam’s offer. But only for a moment. Logic prevailed when she remembered how much trouble she would be in for what she’d done already. It wasn’t like she was just playing a game and hiding from Sam. No, she was in the middle of actively scouting and trying to escape.
Escape.
How was she going to do that? She had no choice—she had to try now.
Cocking her head to the side, she listened intently as Sam cursed under his breath again before rushing into the Transfer and leaving. He was probably in a hurry to catch her, wherever he thought she’d escaped to.
She smirked. Little did he know she was still right where he’d left her. More or less.
Realizing she didn’t have to hide and stay plastered to the ground anymore, she pushed herself up. She frowned and looked down. For the first time, she noticed that her hands had brushed against two different surfaces. One was the familiar rough concrete—the same one that lined the rest of the roof. The other was a smooth, cool metal in the shape of a square. And it had a ringed metal loop on one side.
Her breathing suddenly turned shallow. Was it possible?
She stepped off the square and hooked two fingers through the loop, heaving it upward. She cringed at the high-pitched screech it made before slamming even more loudly against the roof.
Poking her head into the hole she’d just opened, she squinted, peering into the darkness below. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust, but she soon saw exactly what she’d hoped for.
12. GUEST
“Uummphf.”
Sage grunted as she tugged on the end of the rope. She’d threaded it through the metal loop that served as a handle for the Transfer’s trap door. This time, she made doubly sure that the knot would hold. If it came undone this time, she wouldn’t be just dropping a few feet to the ground and risking getting caught. If it came loose this time, she’d almost certainly plummet to her death.
Dangling her legs over the edge of the hole, she released the free end of the rope, sending it tumbling down into the shaft. She watched as it bounced against its own weight and settled, hanging limply beside her. Exhaling slowly, she eased herself forward, holding tightly to the edges of the opening.
Just do it.
Nodding to herself, she lowered herself into the hole, still pinching the edge of the trapdoor. She reached one of her legs out, feeling for the rope. Confident she’d found it, she moved her leg in a circle a few times, wrapping it around herself and then drawing it back to herself. She pressed her legs together tightly, making sure they had a solid hold on the rope.
Reminding herself that she really should be sure she had found the rope, she convinced herself to look down into the darkness. Her stomach dropped, and she thought she was about to lose her lunch all over the interior of the shaft. She was higher up than she’d realized. The Transfer room was down low enough that she couldn’t even see it.
She shut her eyes tightly enough that stars began whirling about in the blackness of her vision. Taking another deep breath to steady herself, she glanced down again, this time trying to focus on whether or not she’d managed to wrap the rope around her leg. Peeking quickly, she was relieved to see that she had indeed wrapped her leg around the length of now-drenched fabric.
Before she could talk herself out of what she was about to do, she dropped one of her hands off the ledge and reached toward the rope. As soon as her fingers brushed against it, she grabbed ahold of it with every ounce of strength she had.
Taking three quick breaths, she pulled her hand off the roof, instantly reaching forward to get a second good grasp on the rope.
Her body tumbled downward in a freefall.
A fraction of a second later, the door slammed shut above her, a
massive boom exploding in her ears as it immediately echoed in the small chamber. The rope jerked to a stop almost as soon as it had begun dropping, falling just a few feet and jarring Sage, sending her legs splaying wildly beneath her as one of her hands slipped off the rope.
She grunted, whimpering as her other hand desperately grabbed at the rope again. It took her a few moments to realize how much noise she was making, but once she did, she quickly clammed up.
“That probably wasn’t the smartest thing you’ve ever done, Sage,” she muttered to herself as soon as she caught her breath again. “You probably just told Sam where you were hiding. Good job.”
Somehow, the self-berating helped to calm her nerves a bit. Adrenaline still coursed through her veins, and it felt like her heart was going to pound out of her chest at any moment, but she soon found the resolve to keep going.
Blinking in the darkness, she willed her eyes to adjust to the now-minute streams of light. The trap door’s edges provided the only source of light in the chamber now, and it was even less than she’d expected. Not that she’d had much time to think it through.
Wrapping her leg around the tail again, she gritted her teeth and eased herself down the rope until she was a good distance from the top of the shaft.
Now for the hard part.
Making sure she had a good overhead grip, she coaxed some slack into the rope around her legs and began swinging them forward and backward, adjusting her reach as her body began to sway. After about thirty seconds of treating herself like a human pendulum, Sage was just out of reach from the wall—and the rungs of the recessed ladder that ran along its length.
Narrowing her eyes as she swung closer, she tried desperately to gauge the remaining distance accurately. She really didn’t want to wind up splattered against the bottom of the shaft.
Probably just three or four more swings, she thought, then I can grab it.
She rocked herself backward, then forward again.
