by Sara Daniell
“Okay. So what did he tell you?” I spend the next half hour explaining what Plath told me about our Sphere wanting to remain anonymous to Earth and not be corrupted by their ways here. I also explain that we are being hunted because we now have seen and know too much about life here. I then tell her that there is a way home, but we are forbidden to go back.
My voice full of determination, I say, “I’m going to find a way back, Sage.”
She rubs the back of her neck and sighs. “If we did find a way back…how could we have a normal life there again? We have been gone for four years now. A lot changes in four years. Plus, the Constable isn’t going to accept our return. Or at least it doesn’t sound like it. Definitely not a warm welcome…more like nooses tied around our necks and hanged in front of every Dweller in Dandux.”
“Then what do you suggest we do? Fight for the rest of our lives? Plath made it very clear that we will be hunted until we are dead. I don’t know about you, but that is not the life I want to live.” I’m irritated and overwhelmed. There is no way out of this mess, and I’m feeling suffocated by my own life.
Sage looks thoughtful for a moment, then frowns. “I hate to say this, but it looks like we are stuck here. It’s sort of like the story of Adam and Eve, isn’t it?
I laugh and lay my head against the back of the couch. “How so?”
“They ate fruit from the forbidden tree and were cursed. We ate forbidden fruit. We had no business being past safe grounds in Dandux.”
I laugh again at her metaphor, although, she makes a good point. “If I could do it all over again, I would have never followed those men that night. I’m sorry I got us into this.”
“I chose to come. I didn’t have to come find you that night. Oh well. It is what it is. We might as well live like there is no tomorrow. Enjoy what little bit of our lives we have left.” She smiles weakly and looks at me for a response.
I shrug my shoulders and close my eyes. I can’t accept never seeing Felix or my parents again. I wonder what they’re thinking this very second. I wonder if Felix told them what I told him about that night. I start to feel sick at the realization that I will probably never see them again.
Sage has already fallen back asleep. I take off my shoes then change my mind and put them back on. I probably need to wear them - just in case. I put my knife in one shoe and my gun in my pocket. I walk around to make sure all of the doors are locked, and once I’m satisfied, I lay down on the smaller couch in the living room.
I think about all of the things I need to do. Since we pretty much have no other option, other than staying here, I need to get my job back. I also need to talk to my adviser and make up a lame excuse for being absent before all of my classes are dropped. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. If we plan on making a life here, we need to have a plan.
Sage looks up from her laptop. With raised eyebrows, she asks, “Where are you going looking all spiffy? I haven’t seen you with your hair down or even brushed in…forever.”
“I need to go talk to my adviser. He has been blowing up my phone and email, asking why I haven’t been to my classes. I also need to go talk to Kate about keeping my job.”
“So we are staying?” She asks as she types loudly on the keyboard.
“Isn’t that what we decided last night?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “Yeah, I guess.”
I grab my messenger bag. “Do you want to do something fun tonight? Besides murdering the bad guys?”
She laughs. “Hell yeah! I will call you later.”
I smile inwardly at my plans to get totally wasted tonight. Normally, I have a few drinks but never get drunk. I always try to stay sober so if I do find myself fighting for my life, I won’t be an easy target. Not tonight though. I’m finally going to let loose and have fun.
I make it to the college and hope Marshall will be forgiving. I have a story planned out, but I’m not sure if he will fall for it. I walk into his office and sit down in a metal chair.
Marshall’s understanding expression tells me he is buying into my lame story about losing family members. It’s halfway true. I lost my parents and brother, just not in the way I explained.
“I’m so sorry to hear the news. I will get with financial aid and explain your situation. They may call you in to sign new papers; is that okay?” I nod my head, and he smiles. Placing a sympathetic hand on my shoulder, he adds, “I will also talk with your professors.”
I smile weakly. “Thank you. I really appreciate this.”
“No problem. I’m glad you came and talked to me. I was worried about you.” He rummages through a few papers and then hands me one. “Here is your new schedule. Classes start back on Monday.”
I look at the paper and notice I will be in classes from 8:00am to 12:00pm every day of the week. That leaves the rest of the day to put hours in at the movie store and still have time for fun at night. I smile and thank him again.
On my way out, I run into Liam. He looks shocked to see me. “Well look who decided to come back and make something of her life!”
“Shut up.” I laugh and start to walk away.
“What happened to you? I see Sage at the club sometimes but never you.”
“I work.”
“And Sage doesn’t?”
I roll my eyes. “Her parents left her with a lot of money.” I lie. The truth is she worked damn hard for her money and actually saved a lot more than she originally told me. She is set for a while without a job.
He smiles. “That must be nice. Well, I better get going. Good to see you back!”
“Thanks and good to see you too.” Liam seems like he is not on any drugs today. Good for him.
I’m looking at my schedule as I walk to my car, seeing if I know any of the professors from my last classes and almost trip and fall from not paying attention.
“You should really be watching where you are going. I hear there are crazy killers on the loose looking for girls like you.”
I cringe at the sound of his voice. I fold my paper and place it neatly into my messenger bag. I look up and give Plath a half-assed smile. Ignoring him, I push past him and continue walking.
Following close behind me, he says, “You are not going to welcome me with your pistol today? I’m shocked.”
I shake my head and laugh. I continue walking, trying to ignore him. He’s walking beside me now, and it’s pissing me off.
I stop, turn to look at him, and say, “Whose side are you on?”
“What do you mean?” He asks with a confused expression.
I sigh in frustration. “One minute you want to kill me, the next you want to help me, the next you say you are risking everything by being near me…then you knock over trash cans to help me again?”
He laughs and leans against a random vehicle. “At this moment, I’m on your side.”
Anger fills me like a flood. I want to scream at him, but I don’t. I continue walking to find my car. To my disappointment, he follows. I turn to look at him as I unlock my car and say, “You should really go see my therapist back in Dandux. He may be able to help you with your narcissistic personality traits.”
“I don’t think he could help me. He obviously didn’t help you with your anger issues.”
I hesitate before opening my door. “How do you know about that?”
A half grin plays at the corner of his mouth as he says, “We must know everything about the ones we hunt.” He pulls out something that looks familiar from his pocket. “Here. I believe this is yours.”
My heart speeds up as I see my bouncy ball. It speeds up even faster when I realize the only way he could have gotten it was from my house. I have always had a weird obsession with bouncy balls, and this is my favorite one.
“How did you get this?” I snatch it from his hand and make a fist around it.
“That is classified information.”
“Not fair. You can’t just get something like this and then not tell me how!” I get in my car and motion
for him to get in on the passenger side.
He sits down and closes the door. “I can’t stay. I only came to give this to you. I thought it may give you some closure. Felix said he loves you, by the way.”
I try to remain calm and emotionless, but I fail. Tears start streaming down my face, and I punch my steering wheel. “He said that?”
He nods his head and for a moment looks sympathetic. It doesn’t last long, though. Now his face is hard and emotionless again. “I need to go. If they find me with you-”
I cut him off. “So, are we friends or enemies now?”
He doesn’t reply. He hurries out of my car and is gone. I wipe tears from my eyes and lock my doors. I put the bouncy ball in my messenger bag and am thankful, even if he is psychotic and strange, that he did this for me. I pull out of the parking lot and head to talk to Kate.
I WALK INTO the store and wave at Kate who is behind the counter helping a line of customers. I hop over the counter to help her, hoping the extra hand will make her forgiving and hire me back. I open the second register and wave customers over.
Once the rush is over, I smile at Kate. “So . . .”
“You didn’t have to do that, you know.”
I shrug. “I know I didn’t, but you were swamped.”
“Okay, what do you want, Ana?”
Hearing my fake name still takes me aback sometimes. I refrain from correcting her and smile bigger. “Can I have my job back, please? I know I quit, but I had a heart-to-heart with myself, and this is where I need to be right now. And I need money so I don’t starve. You wouldn’t want me to starve, would you? That’d be bad news. Imagine hearing of my slow and horrific death because-”
She bursts into laughter. “Stop your begging! Of course you can have your job back! You just quit last night. I haven’t even had time to look for anyone else. But you can only have it back under one condition.”
“Anything.”
She shoves my apron and name tag at me. “You put in some hours tonight.”
“Of course!” I throw on my apron and adjust my name tag. Before I grab movies to start shelving, I hug Kate. “Thank you.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now get your ass to work.”
As I set a movie back on the shelf, I realize it’s the one when I first met Plath. I catch myself blushing at the thought of him and curse out loud, “What the hell?” I hate myself for allowing that brief moment of attraction to him. I refocus on the movies to be put away and not on mindless things like him.
I make my way off the dance floor and order more drinks. I won’t be happy until my words are slurring, and I can barely walk. I take a hit off my cigarette and exhale slowly, making designs with the smoke. The bartender hands me my drinks, and I head to the table where Sage is making out with some random guy.
I kick my feet up in an empty chair and down my shots. I let the alcohol flow to every inch of me before getting up to go back out to the dance floor.
“Oreo!” Sage yells over the loud music, taking a break from being close to having this douche bag’s baby.
“Yeah?” I yell back.
“I think you have had enough to drink!” She gives me that knowing look. That look that tells me to keep a level head.
I smile sweetly, hike my skirt up to show more skin, and make my way to the dance floor. As I’m dancing, letting the music and alcohol have their way, I feel a hand on my leg moving its way to my inner thigh. I grab the hand and bend it backward. The guy is on the floor begging for me to let go.
Plath unexpectedly shows up and punches the guy in the face and drags him off the dance floor. I chase after them, tripping and running into every person as I make my way out of the club. I follow them into the dark alley behind the club and jump when I see Plath slit his throat. Blood spilling from his neck, his body slumps, and he falls to the ground dead.
I place both of my hands on my head and scream, “What the hell! Are you insane? He was just-“
“Just about to kill your drunken ass! Dammit, Orion!” He yells, cutting me off. He wipes the blade of his knife on the guy’s shirt and sticks it back into his pocket. He starts to walk but I chase after him.
“Plath!”
He turns around, anger brewing in his eyes, and says, “Go home. It’s not safe out here tonight.”
He continues to walk away, but I keep following him. “Why did you do that? For me, I mean?”
He stops and pulls the hood of his jacket over his head. He looks over his shoulder, then back at me. “Don’t flatter yourself. I didn’t do that for you.”
I lose my balance before responding and lean against a nearby wall. “Damn, I’m drunk.”
A hint of a smile appears on his face, but as quickly as it appeared, it disappears. “Do you need me to take you home?”
“No, Sage is driving tonight. And what do you mean you didn’t do that for me? If not for me, then who?”
He looks behind his shoulder again and says, “It doesn’t matter. Since you don’t need a ride home, I should be leaving. More Dwellers escaped. I have business to take care of.”
“You mean you are going to kill innocent Dwellers?”
“That is my job. Why are you acting surprised?”
I close my eyes and try to wrap my mind around his insanity. “But you just helped me? I don’t get it!”
“Dwellers who escape can’t be trusted.”
“But you trust me?”
“I have never said that I trust you. Stop making assumptions.”
“But… You helped me? I’m so damn confused! Would you please just explain?”
“There is nothing to explain. I saved your ass tonight, end of story.” He looks behind his shoulder again, for the hundredth time. He then looks back at me, once again no emotion on his face.
“But-“
He cuts me off. “But nothing. Look, I have to go, or we will both be dead in just a matter of minutes. Leave if you want to live.”
When he turns to leave I do the same. I run into the club to find Sage to tell her we need to get home. I find her dancing and quickly get her attention.
“Time to go!” I yell. The music is so loud, and everyone is dancing so close, that I’m being pushed in every direction. Sage nods her head, and we make our way out of the club. We run to the car and quickly get in.
“Is everything okay?” She puts the car into drive.
“I hope so. We may have trouble tonight. I need to sober up. Just drive around for a bit until my head stops spinning.” I place both of my hands on my head and close my eyes.
We drive around for about an hour until my alcohol high wears off. We head towards our apartment, and I explain what happened with Plath tonight.
“I think he has a thing for you.” Sage laughs.
I scoff at the thought. I can’t believe she just said that. I laugh and say, “Highly doubt it. Something is weird about him, though. In a mental way I mean. I think he has a bit of narcissism and bipolar qualities. He needs serious help.”
“Do you know what is really bad?” She parks the car in front of our apartment.
“What?” I ask before taking off my seatbelt.
“You said he slit that guy’s throat, right?”
I raise my eyebrows and say, “Yeah?”
“Did it bother you?”
I think about her question for a moment and then answer. “No. No it didn’t.”
“Exactly. It’s horrible that we’re not even fazed by someone dying right before our eyes. Are we the bad guys now too?”
I haven’t thought about it like that before. We have killed so many Hunters who are Dwellers just like ourselves. The only difference is that they are fighting for something they believe in, and we are fighting for our lives. We get out of the car and go into the apartment.
I take a quick shower and put on something comfortable to sleep in. When I walk into the living room, I see Sage staring at Plath who is leaning against the wall and smiling.
“What is he doing here
?” I ask Sage.
“He won’t tell me.” She has her gun pointed at him.
I laugh. “Put the gun down. I’m sure he is just having one of his nice moments. Don’t worry; he will be the narcissistic jack-ass I hate in a minute.” I walk to the kitchen and fix myself a glass of water. When I turn around he is standing behind me.
“I don’t think your friend likes me,” he says while opening and closing his pocket knife.
“I don’t think there is anyone who likes you.” I pop a few Tylenol in my mouth and chug water behind it. After I’m sure the pill made its way down my throat, I say, “What are you doing here, anyways?”
I hate the way his steel eyes hold this sexual gaze. Their shiny darkness is intoxicating in good, lustful ways, and it frightens me how I struggle to look away from them. I take another drink of my water, wishing I could have an extra cup to wash these thoughts from my brain.
He leans against the counter and laughs. “What do you think I’m doing here?”
I roll my eyes. “How about you don’t make this a guessing game and just tell me?”
“I came to warn you and your friend.”
I cut my eyes at him and say, “Her name is Sage.”
He smiles. “Yes, I know that.”
“So, you were saying that you came to warn me...” I start walking into the living room, and he follows. We sit down on the couch, and Sage is sitting on the other couch half asleep.
I throw a pillow at her and say, “Wake up. Psycho over here has to warn us about something.” She yawns and sits up straighter. I notice she still has her gun gripped firmly in her hand which makes me smile.
I look at Plath, and he says, “The Hunters are getting wiser. Make sure you are aware of your surroundings all of the time. There are more of us now as well.”
“I’m aware that there is a Hunter that I may or may not trust, sitting beside me. What shall I do about that?”
He looks at me with ominous eyes. “Trust no one.”
I laugh and say, “I don’t. Now, could you please leave? We need our beauty rest.”
