End of the Suburbs

Chpt 2: Get Out of Town

Dream
I'm outside.
I have a practice sword in my hand.
I feel my grip get tighter.
Suddenly theres a wooden staff swinging directly for my head.
I have a choice; either avoid it by diving out of the way or hold up my sword and defend myself.
I choose to move.
I dive to the left and tumble bringing myself back to my feet.
Dodging is only temporary.
Immediately the staff comes back for another swing, this time at the back of my head.
Quickly I pivot.
I use the broad side of the sword to catch the attack.
The force is so strong I slide back.
I concentrate my power in my legs and core so that I don't fall.
I push back.
"Good." the person says.
I squint through the glare of the shining sun.
My eyes adjust.
I realize the person is my father.
He's standing with a smile on his face.
He whips his head back swinging his cascading blonde hair out of his face.
"Remember what I taught you."he says.
He leaps in the air bringing the staff down on me.
I spin and follow back with a backswing.
He blocks.
We exchange hits until I finally swing and this time he doesn't block.
I make contact and my practice sword goes through him as if his body was made of air.
He's gone now.
I look around.
Suddenly I feel myself sinking.
I jump up.
Reality
I sit straight up.
Looking out the window I realize I slept in late.
Casper is laying on the floor across the room.
He usually wakes me up by now.
I pick up the pillow and toss it at him.
He jumps up startled.
Something is different.
I hurry and get dressed and head downstairs.
I rush out the door and grab my bike to ride to the community hall.
Everyone is already there,
everyone except Donnie.
This is strange but I carry out the day.
I hear chatter in the building about the scavengers still not being back.
The team had left already.
Even if I were to rethink my choice I'm too late now.
Maybe it's for the better.
I continue on with the lesson.
I end it early.
Something feels wrong.
When it's over I call to Casper and he comes running up the street.
We walk home together.
We get a few houses away from home when Casper takes off running.
I hop on my bike and ride after him.
He runs up to Mrs.Landon who's walking outside.
"Hi, Alex." she says.
"Hey, Mrs.Landon," I respond "Is Donnie home?"
She looks perplexed as if she's trying to decipher my question.
"Wasn't he in class?" she asked
"No." I said with hesitation. "He didn't show up today."
Panic set in immediately.
The township wasn't large. Someone going missing inside wasn't heard of.
She raced to grab her pedal cart.
I turned and started straight for the public aide station.
That's like police, firemen, and paramedics all in one for the township.
I got there first and went straight for the desk.
Steve, the person behind the desk, was also in class with me when I was in school.
I explain what's happening with Donnie going missing.
They waste no time.
By the time Mrs.Landon gets there Steve already started to get together a search team.
The start to go door to door from one side of the townships to the other.
While they do this I get the idea to have Casper try to track his scent.
I go back to their house and grab a piece of Donnies clothing.
It works.
Casper tracks his scent all the way to the vehicle depot.
Inside the township nobody uses any gas cars.
The only time gas cars are used is on missions outside the town.
I start to worry.
An hour has passed since the search.
Nothing has come up.
Nobody has seen Donnie since he left his house this morning.
According to his mom, normally Donnie gets up early and comes outside to play with Casper before heading off to school.
This morning he didn't. He went straight there on his skateboard.
That would explain why Casper slept in.
All signs point to one thing; Donnie had somehow managed to sneak outside of the town boundary.
If that was true I need to go straight to the council.
By the time I reach the community hall everyone is gone.
I have no choice but to leave and come back the next day.
I go home and go to sleep.
I don't dream.
My body is too tense to allow my mind to wander.
As soon as I wake up I take a shower and get dressed then ride straight to the community hall.
Normally there's a protocol.
I ignore that.
I walk inside where council Teague is inside.
The guards immediately try to stop me.
I don't put up much of a fight.
I don't want to hurt anyone.
"I want to leave the township." I yell.
Teague raises her hand signaling the guards to stop.
"Why the sudden change?"she asks.
"I want to help get them back." I respond.
She pauses for a second.
"You're too late. The team left this morning."she says.
"I'll go alone." I say.
She wasn't expecting my response.
"Going alone is suicide." Councillor Vega interjects.
"I understand. That doesn't change my mind." I respond.
He starts to mutter about the danger when Teague signals him to be silent.
"Give us a moment to deliberate." she says.
I step outside.
A few minutes pass before one of the guards let me back inside.
I stand in front of the bench and Councillor Teague starts to speak.
She tells me that the council will grant my wish to go outside the boundaries if I can go without and extra resources. They'll give me weapons.
As far as food, I'll only get two days ration and I won't have access to a vehicle. Just my bike.
I accept the conditions without hesitation.
They hand me a pass to get me in and out of the boundary.
I don't mention the real reason I'm going out.
To save Donnie.
Immediately I head home to gather materials.
I pack a bag with essentials.
I grab my sword my and armor along with my pair of SQRT-750 pistols.
Mrs.Landon came over and brought me a tshirt that belongs to Donnie.
She says that hopefully it will help tracking him.
Casper can follow scents.
I leave the house and ride down to the border.
The outside is made up of a 50 foot tower stretching all around equipped with high powered aqua cannons every 70feet.
On the other side is a moat.
I show the guard my pass and they start to crank the mechanisms inside the wall.
A relatively small opening appears and a bridge lowers.
I turn and give one last look to the city before Casper and I starts across.
This might be the last time I see this place.