The Edge of No Tomorrow

3 | Citrine

With my legs crossed on the wrinkled bedsheets, I shove a handful of salty chips into my mouth. The cupboards in my kitchen are almost bare, so bare that I found some canned pears with an expiration date for one year ago.

A fan made of mostly white noise blows in my direction. It's the only sound in the world right about now. It dulls the sight of flashing lights drowning outside my window.

I should probably board it up like Io did. But going to the store all alone to find wood and nails might prove difficult.

Pressing my finger to the red dot against my wrist, my hologram folds into a triangle and disappears. I finish the last of the chips. My lightbulb flickers like a warning signal.

I doubt I'm going to have electricity for much longer.

A noise, sharp and repetitive, echoes in the distance. I slide into my penguin-shaped slippers and traipse out of bed as it grows into a staccato, and then, finally, a knock at my door. The blood drains from my face.

"Nina!" a cottony, vaguely baritone voice shouts. "Nina Hawthorne!"

I approach the door handle, peeking through the hole to see.

"Cates?" I yank the door open and glare at him.

He hesitates as he stands there, craning his head to look behind me. "Are you busy?"

"Are you serious?" I ease the door closer to me on instinct, crossing my arms over my chest.

Sighing, Cates' gaze pings to the dusty, carpeted floor like a patchwork of broken stitches. "Sorry." He clears his throat and glances at the door once more. And this time, I don't have the heart to block him.

I step aside, letting him enter my apartment. A sectional pale blue couch cradles the cream walls, facing a sealed window and a glass table. Empty glasses cohabitate next to mismatched coasters. My display of untouched, downloaded books bears titles reading, Coding for beginners and Guide to repairing common household items.

"I already spoke to Kayden about this," Cates starts. "He wouldn't... he wouldn't take it."

I turn to him. "What do you—"

"Please take it," Cates says, cutting me off. He takes out a white piece of paper from his pocket and flips it in my direction.

The cramped, black text on it looks like it's melting off. I can barely read the date written on it, but I know what it is. A ticket for the boat.

"How did you..." I start, but my words are smothered in my throat when Cates rolls down the sleeve of his coat.

It's stained with blood. An array of purple bruises taints his thin arms. "You don't want to know. I wanted to give this to you when I gave you both a paycheque, but I couldn't get it in time. So..."

"Cates, I can't take this." My lip trembles as I avert my eyes from his arm.

"Atlas," he corrects, so softly that I barely hear it. "Of course, you can take it. I want someone else to have it."

"Why?"

"Why?" he repeats in a baffled tone. There's a smile sprouting on his face. "You can't leave without money. I have a lot of that, now that I have nothing else. Just take it, Nina. You... you're young and—"

"Why aren't you taking it?" Dots of light collapse in my vision. A pit in my chest forms and begs to swallow me up. "Cates, you could use it. It's a ticket out of here. What... what... what about Maci? You could find her. She's out there. You could..."