𝑇𝑅𝐴𝑃𝑃𝐸𝐷 𝐼𝑁 𝐹𝑅𝐸𝐸𝐷𝑂𝑀

𝐹𝑂𝑈𝑅~ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑣𝑒

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We had made it.

Trembling in our dark hiding spot behind the crates, we huddled together so closely that I could feel the breath of my friends on my neck. I was extremely shaken up and adrenaline still raced through me, but relief calmed my scattered mind. Eventually, my heart began to beat at a normal pace, and my breathing slowed. I listened to the pounding rain on top of the truck, which was getting louder by the second. Just then, the truck's engine roared to life. I let my head rest on the stiff wall behind me and closed my eyes. The truck began to move, and I felt it turn around and head through the open gateway.

I opened my eyes, startled by the sound of rusted tires screeching as we chugged along. The area we crouched in was dark, but small beams of light came through small holes in the ceiling and walls, droplets of rain dripping in through them as well. From its battered appearance, I assumed that the truck was very old and had made this trip many times before. Spotting a small hole to my left, I peered through it, catching sight of the solid metal gate just as we passed through it.

We all jumped as the gate closed behind us, making a low booming sound, which was recognizable even through the raging thunderstorm. Finally calming down enough to string thoughts together, I allowed myself to become excited. We had made it through the gate and past The Wall of Mada, something that had never been accomplished successfully. I smiled to myself in pride. We, a group of clever teenagers and a small child, had outsmarted an entire army of guards, our school and teachers, and even The Prime.

We had outwitted an entire city.

Although I allowed the relief to settle, in the back of my mind I knew that we weren't out of the woods yet. We obviously couldn't let the driver discover that we were in the truck. Thinking back to our plan, I knew what we must do next.

"We should jump out soon before they hear us back here," I proposed, my voice shaking from both the cold and nerves. My friends nodded in agreement.

"Cal, can you get the door?" Arlo suggested. Callum nodded, standing up and shaking out his muscular arms. He grabbed the handle and pulled the door open, staggering backwards slightly as to not fall through the opening. The world outside was rushing by in a blur. I hadn't realized how fast we were moving until then.

"I'll go first, but you all need to follow right away, we wouldn't want baldie in there to hear us jump," Callum instructed us, referring to the driver and his balding head. We all chuckled lightly at his remark.

"See you on the other side, my friends," my brother added dramatically, flashing us his smug smile just before he lept out of the truck. My heart wrenched as I watched him disappear instantly.

"I'm next," I said, staring into the blurry new world. I took a deep breath and began running towards the door, hurling my body through the opening. The wind and water whipped past me at a sickening speed, sucking the breath from my lungs. I had no time to brace myself before landing with a thud onto the muddy ground. Laying flat on top of my backback, I quickly sat up to search for the others. Mud had sprayed up to my eyes, and I frantically tried to clear my sight with the sleeves of my shirt.

"Cammi!?" I heard my brother call from a few feet away.

"Over here, Cal," I called back in his direction, straining my eyes to see through the foggy air. I noticed that the rain had stopped for the time being, although the clouds still looked threatening overhead. I could faintly hear the truck as it rumbled away from us.