Runner

Chapter 27

I woke early, just before daybreak, to the sound of Cale's long deep breaths. He was exhausted, and I hoped he wouldn't wake before I left. I couldn't bare to think of an excuse. I wanted it simple. To leave the Lake quickly, quietly, and discreetly. And I certainly didn't want anyone to know where I was going, apart from ketsia of course.

I tied the laces of my boots, and stood up, slinging my backpack over my small shoulders. I felt the cool security of my gun in my waistband, and quickly dissmissed all thoughts of the night I shot aimlessly down the other side of the wall. I needed to remember I had to do it, and I most likely didn't land any solid hits. Guilt washed through me, and I had to remind myself again it had to have happened sometime. I couldn't keep shooting targets all my life, I was a runner. Survival of the fittest. I took a deep breath, and stepped out of my room, closing the door quietly so he wouldn't wake.

Ketsia was waiting for me in the van she would take me to the borders of the lake in. I hopped in quietly to the passenger side, and mumbled a quiet greeting to Ketsia.

"Hello," she greeted me, "Ready?"

"Yes." I replied, but I knew my voice was weak with the lie.

"Well then, we should be at the border in a few minutes." She replied, her own voice portraying the hundred different other things she wanted to say to me but couldn't.

I looked out the tinted window and back to the lake, the city and people growing thinner as we made our way closer and closer to the border. I felt determined, as I looked back at the place I would probably never return to. I was going to hopefully save Alex, get him back to here, the place he and I had dreamed of. Living in the streets and on the run for years does that to you. You learn to forget what you are leaving behind, sure that when you reached the next destination, you would have to forget that too. It made you detached to places, and attached to people. But I could not afford that luxury either.

We made it to the border in what felt like record time, or maybe it just felt that way to me. The sun was nearly breaking on the horizon, and people would be awake soon, guards manning the other side of the lake, back in the dominion, would be changing shifts. This was my chance. I spared Ketsia one last nod of thanks for all she had done for me, and jumped out of the non-descript van.

I began to scale the wall, in a shorter section of it and got to the top without a problem. I spared myself one small glance back down at the lake, and I swore I saw a boy around my age with blonde hair looking up at me, his eyes rimmed in red.

And then I turned away and jumped into the black pit below me that was the dominion.