Separated By a Wall

The Ring

Caitlin sat idly beside me on the kitchen counter, watching as I packed to cross over the wall again. Her arms were folded, her face blank and her eyes only shifted when she saw another item go into the bag. "Why don't you stare out the window anymore?" she asks, curiosity in her tone. I move in slow motion as I put the CareBot into the bag. "Because I have no reason to. There's nothing to wonder about. I have all my answers." I say, laughing slightly. The day with Hayden, the cooking with Teresa, the grass, and the low buildings and the joy and laughter. It was so much more than I could have possibly imagined.

"You spend more time on the other side of the wall than you spend here." she states. While that was rather true, I'd been spending my time with Ryker. It's been a week since Ivana told me what she planned to do to me if she found me. I couldn't run the risk of that happening so I crossed the wall more often to see if there were places I could hide other than the obvious. Although that was supposed to be the original course of action, Ryker and I often ended up wandering in the library to read books and he pointed out what different genres were. He pointed out the different flavors of ice cream and he took me to a park. It's this place where people go to for fun or a stress reliever. There was this thing that was tilted sideways. He told me it was slide. And there was a walkway which took you through the little forest next to it. I had to beg him to come with me, seeing as he had a traumatic childhood experience in there. But I told him it would be closure and an adventure.

I showed him some of the good things that we had in the city. Which included things from the gardens. We were acting like children. And I absolutely loved it. It was like reliving my years as a five year except this time I actually knew what I was doing and... I would cherish these moments forever. I loved going to the park every day with the swings and slides. With everything that's been going with work and the Anoch, I was no longer running for my life. My bruises were gone. All my problems seemed as if they came from a whole other dimension. Ryker and I were far away from all that living in our little fantasy.

"I'm taking all the opportunities I have to sneak more Anoch over to the other side." She raises an eyebrow. "But you've only taken two Anoch." I tried to ignore the fact that she used the word 'taken' much like Ivana did instead of freed. But then I reminded myself that we were best friends on the same side and brushed it off as a mere coincidence. "I've been making a list of Anoch that are still there. I start in the order of the earliest person taken across and work by way up. It makes it easier to take more." It was becoming so much easier to lie not just to Caitlin but in general. Lying was a form of sarcasm. And with Ryker and Hayden around, it wasn't long before I grew into their ways. I was discovering myself in a way I couldn't before.

"Show me the list." Caitlin demands innocently. My heart sped up. Since when did she want proof of what I was doing? She always trusted my word. There was no such thing as lying since there were such strict rules. Nevertheless, I carefully dug into my bag knowing fully there was no list. I start digging around more frantically until I'm dumping the contents out of my bag for dramatic effect and put on a panicked look. "I must have left it on the other side with Ryker." I told Caitlin all about Ryker except for our...personal connection. Then again, Caitlin wasn't stupid. I suppose it was the way I talked about him. The fond tone of my voice and the dreamy expression in my eyes and the ridiculous grin plastered on my face.

She knew nothing about dating. People met through work and if they thought you two would produce a healthy child then you had to stick with them. Then the parents got separated so it was only the mother raising the child until the CareBots were installed and then they were left to be on their own in their new houses.

She sighed and leaned against the kitchen countertop. "I'm going to need that when you get back, okay? I'll look for them within the system and stop the tracking devices from getting inserted in their neck." I sigh. "Oh, that's okay. Apparently Annalisia had a tracking device inside. That's how they found us. But a few days ago Ryker showed me how to get them out without hurting anyone." And with that, I recollected my things, slung the bag over my back and walked out the door without another word.