In 2160 Kanatah, the grid you're born into determines everything, from your clothes to your haircut, education, and job. Avah's only way out is by becoming a doctor, but with her poor schooling, that's almost impossible.
Her life takes a turn for th...
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The elevator hurtled towards the unknown. At any moment, the doors would fly open, and I would step into the one place I had always tried to avoid. Something good came from all this; there were no rules in the labyrinth, which means there should be no problem with me being with Olivia. But first, I had to find her.
A bell dinged overhead, and the doors parted, revealing a short corridor, hoary walls, ceiling and floor. I stepped out cautiously. Either end of the hallway disappeared into a bend, and while I heard voices, I saw no one.
Though alone, I hesitated to take out my map, knowing that my surroundings could change in a second. If someone caught me with it, they might kill me to steal it. Instead of checking my guide, I went right, careful not to make too much noise.
Head craned forward, I peeked around the corner and saw a bustling group. Women sat in various states of dress, laughing or chatting. Some wore knives strapped to their legs. Others were emptyhanded but sported an easygoing expression. The words, 'Ursula's tribe,' were written on the wall in blood.
My heart hitched in my chest. Here were the women I had been warned to avoid. Thieves, liars and killers.
A girl close to the end of the adjoining hall had been adjusting her sleeve when she looked up and met my gaze. She was young and pretty with ivory skin. Her copper hair had been placed in a messy bun. Holes left behind from illegal piercings riddled her ears.
I pulled back, hiding while my heart raced.
I turned to walk the other way, hearing her draw closer.
"Hey!"
Ignoring her, I kept walking.
She jogged behind me. "If you go there, the guys there will take advantage of you. They like to use, abuse and discard women as they see fit. We always have fights with them here and there, but trust me when I say it's a lot easier to defend yourself when you're in a group."
I stopped fleeing and stared at the cheap cloth that covered my feet. Shoes that felt like they could fall apart at any second.
I knew this person. Dirt poor: she had come from the same neighbourhood and attended the same high school as me. In our eleventh year, a rumour spread that she had slept with our Geography teacher to pass the class, and she dropped out shortly after. I had heard from neighbours who liked to gossip by the mailboxes that her father had gotten in trouble with moneylenders, so she had run away.
I remembered her because she was the only person who didn't mind sitting next to me while I was going through my 'mute' phase. I had been so focused on studying, I didn't notice anyone except for the one time I heard a stomach growling next to me. It didn't stop after a few minutes, and tired of listening to it, I saw her for the first time.
She avoided looking at me as her face reddened, and she scratched the plastic desk with a pocket knife.
Without a word, I fished my grape jam sandwich from my backpack and handed it to her before returning to my book.
