Hidden Under Perfection

Chapter 29: Doran

I walk down the street and I separate from Lynn. I hide in an alleyway, there is no light and I crouch down on the road. I stare at the sky and I pray that Claire is okay. I wait for what seems like forever, my knees cramping and my back aching, but then the world flickers and then settles. At first I think that nothing has changed, but then I see that the road has holes in it and the sky no longer has stars shining through. They managed to destroy the smart matter manipulator and save the generator, the street lamps are still glowing. I grab a paint can and I run down the street.

I find a seemingly blank wall and in big letters I scrawl, The Clandestine is responsible. I grab the bag of paint and I run down the street, following the route that Claire and I planned this morning. I take off down the road, pausing every time I see a blank wall. I write the words as neat as I can, hoping that everyone will read it an understand. They have to rally against The Clandestine. This is the only way that they won't bounce back, we have to squander all of the support that they have. We need to make the people aware that they have been lied to their whole lives. I know some people will see this as a bad thing, being able to see the destruction and damage, but it just shows that we need to do something about it, not avoid it and make it worse. The environment has been decaying for a while, it is time we realize that we need to do something about it.

My feet hit the ground hard as I run down the street, the street lamps give an unequal coverage of light, pockets are still dark while others are bright. I bound from pocket to pocket, avoiding the potholes in the street. I spray the message on two walls per street. I gasp for air and I have to take a break, my heart pounding in my chest. I bend over, my hands on my knees. I catch my breath and I grab a fresh canister of paint. I have used two so far, and I still have over half of my route to go. Once I am able to breathe normally again, I start running down the street. I turn onto a side street and I write the message on a crumbling brick wall. I sprint down the street and turn onto another main road. That is when I hear the footsteps. the patterns are different and I figure there are at least two people following me down the street. I turn and I take a route that is sure to get them off my tail, but when I turn onto the street I can still hear them.

Panic rises in my chest and my heart skips a beat to catch up. I am gasping for air but I push myself to go faster, I can't get caught, the others are counting on me. I hear metal clink on his belt and my heart rises into my throat, my dream coming a reality. I sprint from light to dark and back to light, running faster where there is no street lamp. Their footsteps are persistent, I make the mistake of looking back. There are three men, all wearing black, all have a gun and knife on their belt. I trip as my ankle falls into a pothole, I scramble out of it, my foot hurting more with every jarring step. I limp down the street and I hear one of them raise their gun. I start zig-zagging down the street, like Lynn taught me in Claire's backyard. The man let's off two shots, they both bounce off of the walls. One of The Clandestine's men shouts, "hey man, if you stop running, we won't hurt you."

Yeah right, I think. These men will hurt me no matter what they say, they probably already have Claire and the others. I run even faster and I find a street that I can turn onto, the road is dark where I turn so the men just keep going straight. I run as fast as I can, knowing that my little trick won't delay them for long. I keep turning, staying away from the main streets, I don't hear the footsteps anymore and find a fire escape. I climb up the latter and I ascend to the third level. I pull up the latter and I wait. I picked this place because adults never look up, only children do. I wait there until I am sure that no one is coming this way. I climb back down the latter and I grab a spray paint can, I spray the message one more time before I continue down the route. I don't spray anything else, afraid that it will lead them to me. I get back on the route and I follow it until I get to the place where I am supposed to meet Lynn. I come to the intersection and I wait, I stare at the road across from where I am standing, waiting for Lynn. A small figure stumbles out into the intersection, bent over clutching her arm. I rush out and meet her in the middle, I catch her and I say, "Lynn, it'sme, Doran."

"Doran?" she asks, her eyes glassed over. I look down at her arm, there is a dark stain spreading out from under her fingers. I rip off the hem of my shirt and I use it as a tourniquet, to help stop the flow of blood to her arm.

I pick her up, one hand under her back and one hand under her knees. I tell her, "we are going to go to the generator and check on Claire and the others, something isn't right. I can feel it."

She nods and I take off down the road, carrying her in my arms, I feel a twinge in my ankle every time I put weight on it, it hurts more now that I am carrying Lynn, but I have to get to Claire.