Survive for Me

by Karin Dahan

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  shouting is carried in the wind. “Faster,” Ryker gives the command in a whisper and our speed increases. Suddenly I recognize one of my traps hidden in the bush to my right and within a second I know exactly where we are.

  There’s a sense of clarity as the fog disappears from my mind and my heart rate picks up in response to the joy of being so close to my home. I will be safe there, no one will find me.

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  Chapter 6

  Realization hits me next. I have two choices; run with this crew and try to find a hiding place or bring them with me to the treehouse. I know I can’t leave them; they wouldn’t let me.

  “I know where we should go … this way,” I deviate from the group, running slightly to our right. In an instant Ryker is by my side, holding my arm, “What are you doing?”

  “I live here, I have a place for us to hide. Trust me.” I see him pondering over his alternatives and within a second he has made up his mind. “Lead the way.”

  I run with ease now, jumping over the recognizable mossy roots covering the ground. My breath is coming in heavy as I reach my tree and start climbing up the ladder. I don’t have to look over my shoulder to know the rest of the group is behind me. I hear Boston curse under his breath. For me this is easy, it’s familiar ground. But for them, this must be foreign and even a bit terrifying if they are not used to these types of heights.

  My eyes begin to water as I reach my house; I’m home. I push the tears away. I don’t want to look weak in front of these people. I

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  have done that plenty already. I see awe in everyone’s eyes as one by one they climb in through the latch in the floor. Boston is the last one in. “What is this place?” His energetic eyes bounce around the room, trying to take in everything at once.

  “My home.” I walk past him to bring up the rope ladder. “They can’t find us here. It’s barely visible from the ground if you don’t know what you are looking for.”

  My otherwise spacious house is now cramped, I haven’t had any visitors since I came here two years ago. I’m suddenly nervous. Having them here is too personal, it shows so much of me, so much of how I live my life. No one has ever seen this. When I was here with my parents I was just a teenager, this was our home. Now I have been taking care of myself for so long I’m no longer a child. I’m an adult and everything in here is mine.

  I walk over to the kitchen to get away from the questioning stares. Phoenix follows me, “Thanks for taking us here.”

  “Not like I had much of a choice. You wouldn’t have let me go by myself.”

  He doesn’t answer, but instead offers a sorry smile and lifts his broad shoulders.

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  Ryker is all business again. “Gwennie, Phoenix and Orland, all of you find a window and keep a look out. Eddie, do you have any bandages? We need to see too Boston’s cut.”

  Happy with a task, I stride over to my medical cabinet that hangs on the tree trunk. I find a bandage and some antiseptic and walk over to where Boston is sitting. He looks a bit gruesome with blood covering the side of his face, but it doesn’t seem to bother him.

  “I can show you where the mirror is if you want to put this on?” Helping him with his wound feels a bit too personal. I know nothing more than his name.

  His smile shows his white teeth, “Thank you.” He follows me over to the bathroom, marveling at everything around him. “Who built this?”

  “My parents,” I say with pride in my voice.

  “I guess they took the saying ‘build castles in the air’, literally, huh?” He laughs as he takes the bandages from my hands. “Eddie is a bit of an unusual name for a girl, isn’t it?”

  I can’t help but smile over how fitting it is that a man named Boston is finding my name odd. “My mother named me after my uncle, Edward. She always said she wanted my name to have meaning and

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  strength. So, she and my Dad picked my name after a person important to them, someone they looked up to. Dad always said it was a plus that I had a boy’s name; it would keep the suiters away.” A genuine smile covers my face as I remember my family. I look up and notice that Boston has stopped what he was doing, instead he observes me with a hint of sadness in his eyes. “Losing someone close to you is never easy.”

  My smile fades in an instant, the happy memory chased away. “No. No it’s not.” I don’t want to talk about the people I have lost. That’s a can of worms I don’t want to open around these strangers. “You have a pretty interesting name yourself. Why Boston?”

  He returns to cleaning up his wound with a smile on his face again. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m named after the greatest band of all times.” He then proceeds to belt out a loud song I don’t recognize, “IT’S MORE THAN A FEELING! MORE THAN A FEELING!! WHEN I HEAR THAT SONG THEY USED TO PLAY! MORE THAN A…oh…you don’t know who that is…. It doesn’t matter. I’m named after the city Boston because that’s where generations of my family lived before the water levels rose so much it put it under water. So, in a sense my parents named me after something they loved as well.” He pauses

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  and then looks up. “Although, Boston the band was pretty damn awesome.” He puts the bandage over the cut. “There, all done. Thanks for the supplies.”

  “No worries.”

  Boston walks over to Ryker to get his assignment and I’m left alone, the only one without a task. I remember the note in my pocket. Now would be the perfect time to study it more closely. I start up the stairs, heading for the roof where I can be alone.

  “Where’re you going?” Ryker is looking at me with a questioning stare.

  Does he always have to know everything? “Just up to the roof for a second.”

  “I’ll come with you, it might offer a better view of our surroundings.”

  I force a smile. Damn it! Can’t they leave me alone for a second?

  Ryker follows me and I lead the way to the roof. There’s a sense of calm as I climb the familiar stairs. As always, the wind hits me as soon as I open the latch and I struggle a bit to get it open. The wind is trying to force it shut. Finally, up on the roof I close my eyes for a

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  second, letting the cold air and the rustle of the tree fill me. When I open my eyes again, Ryker is watching me. “Well, here we are,” I gesture with my arms. “You can look around, but I need to do some work.” I stomp off towards the green house. “Don’t follow me!” I yell over my shoulder. The green house is off limits for them. Showing them that would be like showing them a gold mine. Trust like that will not be gained in a day, not even a year in the world in which we live.

  The stormy winds outside give way as soon as I step in through the door. The smell of fresh vegetables hits me. The scent of ripe tomatoes mixed with the smell of the soil is second best only to the smell of fresh rain on a spring day. I take a deep breath and make sure no one is following me. I head to the end of the building, with my back against the wall I slowly sink to the floor. Einstein peeks out from his little house, looking me over to see if I brought him any tasty treats. “Sorry friend, I don’t have anything for you.” He looks at me for a second, smelling the air to make sure I’m not lying. Then with a squeak he turns around and runs back to his house.

  I bring up my treasure, slowly running my fingers over my mother’s words. What do I do with this? Can I trust these people and the so-called Rebellion? Would you want me to give them this

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  document, Mom? I wait for an answer, a sign, anything to help me decide what to do. But the only noise is the hum from the fan in the ceiling. I open the paper, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing. I’m certain this is some kind of formula. There seems to be something missing too; a blank space in the otherwise perfect symmetry of rows.

  I play with my necklace, contemplating what my next move should to be. This Rebellion has only brought me trouble so far. They’re the reason the army is following us. They put me into this situation. Ho
w can I survive for my mother if they’re this dangerous? My gut tells me they wouldn’t hurt me but that doesn’t mean I won’t get hurt from being around them.

  No, I can’t go with them. I have to get this paper to Edward. Mom trusted this to him when she was in crises. Where was the Rebellion then? When she was fighting to save us? Or when they took my Dad? I will make sure Edward gets this and he’ll know what to do with it. I need to do this for my parents.

  The small squeak from the door opening grabs my attention, it feels like someone has thrown a cold bucket of ice over me. I scramble to get up from the floor, throwing my hands behind my back to hide the paper I’m holding. “I told you not to follow me!” A mixture of anger

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  and fear color my words.

  “I needed to know you didn’t try to run away.” Ryker walks in and shuts the door behind him, his last words are merely a whisper as he looks around the room in awe. “What is this place?”

  He is so distracted by all the colored vegetables around him that he pays no attention to me. I slip the paper back into my pocket before walking up to him. “I’m not stupid. Why would I go down when those people are looking for us? Now, get out.”

  “How is this possible, how can you grow all this food?” His full attention turns to me and I realize how close we’re standing. I won’t back away. Instead, I put a hand on his chest, meaning to push him towards the door. I push gently first, a nudge to get him to move; he doesn’t. To my dismay, he looks down at my hand, “What are you doing?”

  “Get out of here …” I grit my teeth together using all of my force. He sways a bit but won’t move. I put my other hand up and now put my whole bodyweight behind it. He takes a step backwards but swiftly moves his hands up around my wrists. “Eddie, how many times do I have to tell you. We are on your side. You are not alone in this.”

  I’m always alone. His face looks different than before. Instead

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  of the strict commander, I now see a softer version. His brown eyes are warm, and his thin mouth hold an encouraging smile. We are so close I can see a small scar run along his right cheek. I don’t know why I hadn’t noticed that before. How did he get that? I’m dying to ask but I hold my tongue. I need to focus on my mission now. I have to get this paper to Edward, then I can go back to my old life.

  “Don’t play that card with me. You don’t know me. You didn’t even know my parents. None of you care. You are following orders.” I look him dead in the eye and I see a glimmer of truth there; it stings. “I might not have your strength, but I brought you into my home. That, at least, should earn some respect. Now, get out.” For a split-second, surprise and guilt colors his face before he puts his mask up again. He loosens his grip on my hands and turns around, walking out the door without saying a word. I don’t know why but my victory isn’t as sweet as I expected it would be.

  Ryker is still standing on the roof when I join him a few minutes later. Being hard on him was a stupid move. I doubt he will tell me what he knows about Edward now. He doesn’t even acknowledge me as I move closer. I change directions, heading towards the stairs, so I can go to Phoenix.

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  I find him in the kitchen, eating an apple while looking through the window. I don’t know why they bother. You can’t see more than branches and leaves during this season up here. In the winter, when the branches are bare, they would have more luck. He turns around when I take the last step on the stairs. “Sorry, I kind of helped myself,” he says while holding up the fruit.

  “It’s okay. You are more than welcome.” Secretly I count my supplies in my head. I should be good for winter even if I feed this group for a few days. I take an apple myself, not because I’m hungry. It feels better to occupy my hands when I’m nervous. “Do you know if my uncle Edward worked for the Rebellion as well?” I can’t help but bite my tongue. Maybe a little less subtle Eddie?

  “No, at least not that know.” Phoenix takes another bite of his apple and I wait for him to continue but he doesn’t.

  “Have you met my uncle?”

  “Yeah, but it must have been over a year ago. We visited him in homes to find you. Interesting fellow that uncle of yours.”

  I nod my head remembering Edward’s unconventional way of speaking, he would always mix in scientist lingo, almost in a show-off-kind-of-way. But I always found it funny. He was so mixed up in his

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  work he didn’t have time for the social part of life. “Do you know where he is?”

  Phoenix turns his attention away from the window to look at me, studying me more carefully now than before. When his playful mannerisms are gone, he looks a bit dangerous. “Why do you want to know?”

  I take a big bite of my apple, trying to buy time to figure out how to answer. The apple tastes sour in my mouth and I find it a bit difficult to swallow as my nerves are on high alert. “Eh, it would be nice knowing he’s safe.”

  “He’s safe; still working for the government.”

  I guess I need to play the sympathy card to get more information, “You must know that both of my parents are dead. My mom’s last action alive was to save me.” I don’t have to fake the way my voice cracks when I talk about them. That comes automatically when I’m forced to relive the last moment I saw my mom alive. “Knowing exactly where Edward is would give me a sense of happiness, that I know where he is.”

  Phoenix puts a friendly hand on my shoulder, his hard exterior is gone in an instant. “Look, I don’t know if I’m supposed to tell you this,

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  but he lives in the apartment buildings located close to their office. You know the L-shaped building? He has a nice ground apartment there with a small patch of grass. He must spend a lot of time out there. The grass and small hedge shielding his apartment were perfectly trimmed.”

  “Thanks Phoenix. You have no idea how much that means to me.” Would I press my luck by asking for his apartment number? Better not to risk it.

  I grab my backpack and refill my water bottle, grabbing a few bars from my supply and stuffing it into the bag along with some boiled eggs from the fridge. I might need the supply if I’m able to get away from this crew. I go around and offer some of the homemade granola bars to the group. When I make it to Gwennie, I’m interrupted by Ryker who comes running down the stairs.

  “They are below us, everyone on high alert!”

  “Shit, how did they find us?!” Gwennie is looking at Ryker for an answer.

  “They can’t know we’re here. I couldn’t even see this treehouse until Eddie pointed it out,” Phoenix says while he walks up to the group, his gun drawn, ready to spring into action when he needs to.

  Ryker is quiet, I can see from the tense line of his jaw he’s

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  trying to make sense of the situation. Then we hear it, a load bang. It moves up through the tree like a vibration.

  “What was that?” I search the room for someone to give me an answer. But my question goes unanswered. Instead, we hear a loud voice from below. The person must be using a megaphone because the voice echoes all the way up to where we are. “WE KNOW YOU ARE UP THERE. COME DOWN NOW OR WE WILL BLOW THE TREE INTO PIECES.”

  No, no, no. This can’t be happening. Not my house; not my last piece of memory of my parents. I ramble. I know I don’t make sense, but I don’t care. “You guys have to leave, you have to go to them. They can’t take this treehouse down. It’s all I have left. You guys go down and I will stay here.” A hard slap hits me in the cheek. I don’t even see Gwennie’s palm coming towards my face, I just feel the impact and the burn it leaves behind. Ryker takes hold of her arm instantly, “Stop it!”

  “She needs to get herself together. We don’t have time to baby her anymore,” Gwennie says, no regret in her voice. Ryker turns to me and where I expect to find sympathy, I find nothing more than a cold glare. “Did you take anything from your parents’ house?”

  “No …” I scramble to try to remember. It feels
like weeks ago,

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  not hours. “I mean, yes, I took a photograph, but that’s it.”

  “Where is it?” The urgency in Ryker’s voice makes me spring into action, searching through my backpack before finding the picture frame. He grabs it from my hands as soon as I get it from the bag and brings it up to his face and smells it.

  How hard did Gwennie hit me. Am I hallucinating? I blink hard to make sure I’m seeing things correctly, but no one else is reacting to this. “It’s sprayed all right, you can still smell it.” Everyone curses and looks at me with blaming eyes.

  “What’re you talking about, sprayed with what? What does that have to do with anything?” I don’t understand any of the words coming from his mouth.

  “LGTS,” Ryker answers.

  “Can you speak English please?” I blurt out, annoyed.

  As usual, Phoenix answers my question, “It means Liquid Global Tracking System. It’s a spray the government use when they want to be able to track something. It’s like a microscopic tracking device. That’s why they followed us before, and how they found us now.”

  I did this? A numbness spreads as everything around me starts