Runaway

Chapter 2

Once we were out of the hospital we knew we had to run. We didn't know where or for how long but we had to just keep running. We ran past the hospital car park and into the forrest that circles the middle of the city. Where there are no sectors to define our personalities. The government believe that, just because we are poor and we are slaves to the centrecity's means that we don't have personalities. They are wrong. Over the years there has only ever been one small rebellion. When mine and Theo's family accident occurred. The centrecity put us in categories due to our parents jobs and what quarter we are in,not our aspirations for the future...

The forrest light is fading leaving the grass to glow gold and orange with the sunset. Unfortunately the forest seemed to go quite deep inward as well. I didn't mention the rest if my plan to overthrow the centercity government. Never mind about that now. No big deal.
"Laura?" He doesn't wait for a reply. "What do we do now?"
So much for telling him later.
"We need to get shelter, then I'll tell you." I say firmly but reassuringly. I hope we can find shelter and that we don't get caught while we're looking.
The next few hours of daylight were spent searching for a suitable tree to climb. Even when we did and Theo was fast asleep, held by the unstable branches of a feeble oak tree, I couldn't shut my eyes.

I woke up sweating but cold. The trees branches cradling me almost like arms, Holding me. I turn my stiff neck to the left to search for Theo. The branches that once held him were now empty. Instead he was lay on the floor surrounded by overgrown plants so he is almost completely disguised. I shuffle out of my tree and land steadily on my sore feet and begin to stir Theo.
"Wake up" I hiss
I feel like we are being watched.
He stirs momentarily and then drifts back off to sleep again.
"Theo, Now" I say louder this time.
He's on his feet in practically seconds and seems to have already packed his bag. I'll let him carry the rucksack for now.
"Good morning would have been more favourable than a kick in the ribs, you know" He snaps as we push our way through the woods.
"It was either that or I stamp on your fingers, which I managed not to do" I reply
"Glad you could condemn your excitement for breaking my fingers" he adds coldly.
The adrenaline of running away from the mental hospital had worn off and now we were both tired and on edge. Both worried about each other.
We stumbled through the forest picking apples from the odd apple tree I saw. We knew what they looked like from my days in the 2nd quarter. My dad used to pick them and bundle them into crates and on top of a massive lorry, once a year he would sneak me one from the crates. I loved apples.

"Do you think we will ever see them again" He whispers after a long time of silence that desperately needed to be broken. There it is again. Silence. This time fully expected and easily broken.
"I'm not sure" I reply truthfully " Maybe this is the best time to tell you MY theory, sometimes I'm right too!" I laugh
"Well we have lots of time on our hands, I'm guessing, anyway because I don't know where we're going!" He finally relaxes a bit and laughs with me, well as much as you can laugh when you've just escaped from a mental hospital and are on the run from the 3rd Quarters police forces. He didn't laugh much.
"I believe, that our parents are in the centrecity's hospital" If I say it just say it straight out then maybe he will believe me. His smile fades from his thin face as I continue:
" When the accident happened it was the first time in our cities history for something like an accident to occur. They probably thought there was something wrong with the way they ran the government and the city, if two 9 year olds could be put in a mental hospital for being accused for crashing the car and causing the accident in the first place then where would the actual trouble causers also known as the injured people go? Somewhere much more important and secure so they could be analysed, healed and quizzed about what happened sothey could solve the problem of the government fault.You know how The 1st quarter leaders are about having the cities government perfect" I wince as I say the word ' perfect' It still doesn't feel right that they want us all to be exactly the same as everyone else in our quarter. I could never be the same as the people in my quarter. The poverty we live in is just one thing, I don't feel like I can live like a farmer for the rest of my life. I need to find my parents.
"So, we are going to the centrecity to look. I think it's the best option we have, it's either that or return to the mental hospital. I know what I'd rather do, you?" I finish, finally. The look of pure terror registers on Theo's face for some bizarre reason.
"Theo?" I say "Hello?"
"When I say run, run."
He whispers under his breath. "For your life"
I nod but it comes across as more of a shudder as I feel several pairs of eyes trained on my back, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. We were being watched. By who, I don't know. But it looks like I'm going to find out very soon.
"Run" Someone's breathes, I've forgotten who, the only thought in mind mind is one word. Run.
We hurtle through the trees, tripping on every tree root and stumbling over every break in the path that Theo left for me as we scramble through the forest. When me and Theo were young we used to race each other to the other end of our fathers farming fields. I usually won because I could carry on to the end. I guess that the only thing I learnt from the 2nd quarter is to not give up because one day, it will get better...