Escape from Harrizel (11 page)

He withdraws his finger and continues to
pace in the little bit of room he has. “The human race is a young
one. We recognize this and accept it as part of your nature. But
there’s only so much we can do. Look into your past and see the
heinous crimes you’ve committed.
Remember
it. There was some
debate about whether you should even keep your memories,” he
continues to pace, as if considering the question still, “but had
we taken those images from you, what hope could there be for
change? How to learn from your mistakes if you don’t know them?
We’ve sacrificed too much time, too much energy ensuring the
survival of
your
race and for what? So you can repeat the
error of your ways?

“No,” his voice booms, “the Dofinikes have
done their part. Even Clarence continues to look for more survivors
but he can’t resurrect your race alone. It’s up to
you
now,
to ensure the survival of your species,” he stops pacing, scanning
us all one final time. “The past is gone and the present is here.
It’s time for you to act,” Beshib opens his arms, raising them,
“it’s time for your Rebirth.”

The routine melody rushes through the
darkness, giving birth to Leisure Time and the suddenly thriving
mob. The couples against the wall are already lost to each other,
doing exactly as requested but I’m stuck, unable to shake Beshib’s
words.

Had we taken those images from you, what
hope could there be for change?

I haven’t thought about home, only because
I’ve been too preoccupied with escape. But now that I try, now that
I
really
think about it, it’s clear as day… or as clear as
it
used
to be, before the sky darkened with ash. Before the
rivers and ponds swam with debris, drenched with rotting fish and
swollen, floating limbs, hair clumps and various waterlogged pieces
of flesh, all muddied together in the murky brown. Before the
yellow grass grew in places still lucky enough to see it, while
sidewalks sat littered with bones like leaves in the fall. And the
cold. I can still feel it. As though the sun’s been absent forever.
For as long as I can remember.

Is this really my old life?

I look around, a tight knot growing in my
stomach at the erotic movements surrounding me. And this is the
new? Manual labor and repopulating? Is there another choice? There
is! The ruins. I choose the ruins, whatever they mean. I’ll find a
way back to them, with or without Reid’s help. But I can’t stay
here.

I
won’t
.

Heading upstairs, I pass through the
Courtyard and am overcome with the familiar feeling of being
watched again. Looking around, I immediately find her propped
against the same black tree, the strange food in hand. Something
purchased from the Market? I stop, my eyes fixating on hers which
barrel into me with the same puzzling stare. Without a second more
to consider, she tosses me the maroon fruit and I catch it with
both hands. She peels herself from the tree and heads for the
Auditorium and I watch her go until she’s gone.

I bring the food to my nose and inhale
deeply. It smells sweet, like watermelon, with a subtle hint of
tartness. I want to rip into it right here but don’t. I race the
rest of the way to my room and once inside, I dig my teeth in,
tearing into the soft, moist flesh as red juice spills down my
chin. I don’t care. It’s so sweet, so delicious compared to the
mush I’ve been eating that all thoughts of earlier vanish with the
honey nectar sliding down my throat. I take another bite, and
another, completely insatiable.

That’s it.

Tomorrow I’ll find her. Her or Raj or Reid
or whomever can get me more of this food. It’s settled. Tomorrow
I’m going shopping.

I’m waiting in the Courtyard for her.

Jeb’s already finished Reminders and
released us for Leisure Time. This is my second full day and it’s
getting harder to talk myself out of fleeing. Just plain fleeing.
I’ve been dying to ask Raj how they tag you once you’re through the
gate, but I haven’t seen her all day. And I didn’t catch her at
Leisure Time either. I won’t leave until I get a few more answers
but two days is two days too long, and whatever’s out there
has
to be better than in here. But until I can figure it
out, I’ll have to survive and it won’t be on that mush. I need real
food.

“Looking for me?”

She’s right behind me, her golden brown
locks pulled into a sharp pony tail and her eyes, two hazel
spheres, barrel into me with the same complex stare. Up close, it’s
obvious how young she is. No more than eleven, she has to be one of
the youngest ones here. Standing with her arms crossed, she narrows
her eyes, analyzing, untrusting.

“I am, actually,” I inch forward, towering
above her. “What’s your name?”

She barely steps back. “Pratt.”

“Okay, Pratt. Why’d you give me that
food?”

“Gupple—it’s a Gupple.”

I nod. “Why’d you give me that Gupple?”

She shrugs, “You looked like you were
hungry.”

“Well perceived,” I advance another step,
keeping my voice low. “Honestly, I don’t plan on staying here long.
But I’m going to need better sustenance than what they’re
providing. I’ve already heard about the Market, so I’m well aware
of the system. I also think I’ve pissed off one of the Rogues so
I’m not sure if this is even possible…”

“Fallon—”

I hold up a finger. “But I still need to
eat. And I’m assuming you’re a Scout. I’m not sure which Clan
you’re working with but for the love of all that is good,
please
help me out.”

She takes a moment, considering my offer
before her shoulders slump in defeat. “Come with me.”

“Where?”

“I’m not sure this is going to work,” she
glances over her shoulder as she leads me back to the Auditorium,
“it probably won’t, but it’s worth a try.”

“I’m not getting you in trouble, am I?”

“Hopefully not. We’ll see how he
reacts.”

Once we’re back in the Auditorium, we make
for the West Wall where the golden scripted W hangs. Without so
much as a pause, she heads straight through the entrance and into
the darkness. My heart races, but there is no time to stop and
think or panic. There’s no time to do anything except follow her,
which is what I do.

Straight into the darkness.

Leaving the soft glow of the babeebs behind,
blackness consumes everything, my eyes struggling to adjust. But
Pratt takes off, weaving without hesitation, knowing every turn,
every alley, and I focus on her outline ahead, keeping pace, almost
to her heel.

Can’t lose her. Can’t lose her in
here
.

We move swiftly through narrow corridors,
Pratt leading us deeper into the labyrinth and after a few precise
turns, we end up at our own dead end where a shadowed body paces,
waiting. It’s too dark to make out his face but Pratt darts over,
whispering fiercely before the stranger has time to question my
appearance.

Reid is more than surprised to see me—he’s
astonished, as if I were some ghost come to haunt him. He offers me
only a moment’s consideration, immediately silencing Pratt’s rushed
ramblings to justify my presence.

“Why’d you bring her here?”

“I just thought…” she begins, fumbling.

“You know Raj’s been tailing her. She’ll
talk. No,” Reid shakes his head, silencing the matter for good. He
turns to me, hands on his hips. “Sorry, but you’ve got to forget
about this. If you’re hungry, we’ll get you something but you can’t
be back here,” he turns to
Pratt
again.
“Talk to Able…rummage something up. He usually has a few extra
tokens but don’t bring anyone back here. You know better.”

“Wait,” I move closer, a sudden urge to
protect Pratt rising. “It’s not her fault. I asked for help. She
thought you might be able to.”

“Again, she should know better.”

“Reid…” Pratt starts but he silences her
with a finger.

“I told you to let it alone,” he’s speaking
to her, his voice growing heated. “When I say no, I mean
no
.”

“But…”

Reid shakes his head and looks at me,
motioning for the exit. “Sorry but you need to leave.”

“Hey, I just want to get out of here—after
that, I’ll be out of your hair. I promise.”

“Look,” he exhales, “I don’t know you. Which
means I can’t trust you. I’d love to help out—honestly—but it’s not
something I’m able to do at the moment,” he rubs the back of his
neck. “Best I can do is get you a few Gupples. That’s it.”

“But I need the way
out
,” I move for
him and he grows rigid, his body stiffening at my approach. I stop
and bite my lip. “Please?”

He’s considering it, his eyes scanning me.
Maybe he wants to. But just as I start celebrating his change of
heart, he shakes his head. “I’m sorry, I can’t help you. Pratt,” he
turns to her, “a few Gupples, okay? And this is done.”

She reluctantly nods, offering me an
apologetic frown. “Sorry.”

“Its fine,” I glance to Reid who’s trying
his best not to see me, “thanks anyway.”

I turn from them, backing out of the
corridor. Well, I guess I’m really on my own. And now, knowing
Pratt’s on his side, I’m
really
alone. What am I going to do
after those first few Gupples? Go back to the mush? Maybe I can get
some more information out of Walker, or perhaps Raj…

Reid’s words come crashing back again. What
did he mean about Raj tailing me? Barely posing the question, she’s
here, in my face, in the darkened corridor.

“Fallon—hi!” she squeaks.

“Hi…”

“What’re you doing in here?” she peaks over
my shoulder.

Suddenly, I feel inclined to put Reid’s
words to the test. “Why are you interested?”

Her smile twitches slightly. “I just want to
make sure you’re settling in.”

“You followed me in here?”

“No, I…” and now she stumbles for a second,
glancing at the floor, trying to remind herself what she should be
saying, “…was just leaving. Got turned around,” she looks up with a
shrug, “maze and all.”

“What were you doing in here?”

She blinks.

“Raj,” I take a breath, calming myself,
“it’s okay, you can tell me. What were you doing in here?”

Her eyes give it away. Those sunken
chocolate almonds that flicker with fear. Apprehension. Questioning
if she’s ready for this. To do this. But with her eyes faulting,
she overcompensates with a tremendous toothy smile. “I got lost. I
meant to…”

“Cut it out. Tell me the truth.”

“What truth?” she frowns suddenly.

“Raj,” I exhale, annoyed with all the
secrets. Maybe it’s just my anger from Reid coming out but I’m fed
up. “Were you following me?”

“I-uh…”

But as she starts stuttering a response,
something over her shoulder catches my attention. It’s Pratt,
peeking out from the wall’s edge. She finds me and we hold focus
for a few seconds before she turns back again. I’d dismiss it
immediately if it was just a random glance. But she meant for me to
see her. There was reason in that look. A message.

Follow me.

“Never mind,” I say, abandoning Raj to obey
Pratt instead. It doesn’t matter. Whatever she was going to admit,
it’d probably be a lie. I’m a few steps away when Raj joins my side
again, rambling on as she pulls at her fingers.

“You don’t understand, Fallon. You really
don’t.”

I keep going, ignoring Raj to follow Pratt.
The swing of honey brown locks swishes past a corner up ahead and I
move for it, Raj loyally at my side.

“I’m not trying to spy, or even….”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not. You’ve been nothing but nice. And
me…”

I’m half listening, focusing instead on
keeping Pratt in view, at least until I can watch her take the next
turn. Her hair leads my way as she takes passage after passage,
navigating me deeper and deeper into this seemingly unsolvable
labyrinth. But after the fourth or fifth turn, when I swear we’ve
reached the end and can go no further, I find myself staring down
an empty dead-end alleyway.

She’s gone.

Did I miss a turn? My pulse races, my first
impulse to double back—I must have missed something. Starting to
turn, I stop, more confused than ever. No, I
saw
her go this
way, watched her short ponytail disappear beyond the wall, which
only leads here.

Spinning to the wall, I scan. There’s got to
be something. A way out. She didn’t just disappear. Raj continues
rambling on in the background as I press my fingers to the hard
black stone. It’s solid, like expected. I run my fingers over the
whole thing, not sure what I’m looking for, when Raj’s words
finally break through.

“What are you doing?”

“There’s something here,” I say, unsure why
I’m even telling her. She’s been keeping her own agenda but it
doesn’t matter now. I’ve been led here for a reason. And whether
Raj is here or not, I’m not letting this one go.

“What do you mean something’s there? It’s a
wall.”

“Yes,” I exhale, the annoyance returning, “I
know it’s a wall.”

Running my fingertips over the space again,
I reach higher until feeling a slight separation. There’s a space
as thin as a hair and I follow it to either side with both hands,
as far as I can reach. An outline! The line curves down, forming
the shape of a door. It’s here. I found it!

But how to open it?

Placing my palm flat against the outlined
wall, I push back until it locks into place, automatically sliding
to the right.

“What…” Raj steps up beside me, gawking,
“…have you found?”

We both peer into the blackness. Suddenly,
the opening in the wall starts to close again and I only have a
minute to decide. It’s now or never. I jump into the
pitch-blackness and Raj flies in behind me, the door closing with
finality.