Deprived

Chapter 23

She would go to the top and find an AllPill, it wasn't the AllPill-two but it would be enough to heal her father It was a risky move, but she had to do something. She wasn't going to leave him there to die. She was sure William had an AllPill in his possession. He was a Keeper. But heading to his place would be a death trap. Maize was sure agents would be keeping a close eye on William since he was her Keeper.

Maize looked through a tin can on the floor and pulled out a bottle of water. She opened it, took it to her father, and dribbled a few drops of water into his mouth. His skin was burning up, and his body was trembling. It frightened Maize to see how quickly he was deteriorating.

She sat next to him on the floor and looked over the map he drew for her. The lines representing the tunnels all crisscrossed each other. Maize would be crazy to veer off the tunnel her father told her to follow. She'd been called crazy a few times in her life. She might as well live up to her reputation.

She looked at the tunnel pointing west to Wisteria. It looked manageable.

All she had to do was go and retrieve what she needed, undetected—a pit formed in her stomach. The stress of it all had made her tired and hungry.

By now, her face would be plastered on all the giant screens. Everyone would be looking for her. She knew her chances of going undetected were slim. She whispered a word asking for protection from the desert god, and a prayer for her father as well, then headed off. Her heart was heavy, over leaving her injured father behind.

With much trepidation, Maize found the tunnel closest to the city. She climbed the ladder to the exit closest to the express.

Opening the trap door, just a hair, she scanned her surroundings, and when it was safe, she slipped through, closing the door softly behind her. She spotted a huge rock a few feet away, ran to it, and hid behind it. She stared into the darkness feeling like a wild animal, already dripping with sweat.

The towering trees, ghosts of their daylight self, stood erect and unafraid. No matter how bad things get for trees, they always have their strength.

The darkness of the night ballooned around her like a cocoon. Thank the desert god. Better to do criminal activities at night. The daylight would have exposed every inch of her plan and she'd have been captured and killed.

The wind brushed cold across her face as she speed-walked towards the express station. She stepped over fallen branches and natural earth holes, careful not to twist her ankle, and careful not to make any noise that would attract the agents who were hunting her.

The wind dancing on the branches of mature trees sounded like a mighty. To Maize, it was a sound of hope that one day she and her entire family would sit in a forest in the west and enjoy nature because they could.

The giant screen hanging on the building up ahead lit up the night sky. Maize stopped breathing a second when she saw her picture up on the screen, big, bold, and in full color. The words Fugitive Defector were written across her collar bone. She'd expected this, but the reality was daunting and added a new reality to the trouble she was in. There was no turning back now.

She heard music, deep, rhythmic, and colorful, and booming, and she remembered it was Rest Day, a day for Wisterians to be free and engage in activities of their choosing. They were also allowed to stay up as late as they wanted. The clock on one giant screen read 2:00 am, and the party was still going.

After about two minutes of walking, she stood behind a huge tree.

There was a grassy field ahead with no place to hide, a span of blackened earth, ready to deliver her to the agents looking for her. Two agents patrolled near the train. If she came out from the trees' cover, her grey uniform would glow in the dark like a light stick. And since they were already looking for her, their senses would be heightened.