Queen

Chapter 5: The Stars

Hi again!

This chapter was honestly one of my favourite sections to write, but as always I am open to feedback and I really look forward to hearing what you all think :)

Enjoy!

Veronica

Chapter 5:

"On the count of three we are going to run, okay?" Alex looks me in the eye. He is risking everything by helping me and I wont let him down.

I breathe in. "I'm ready."

"3" He looks away from me. "2" My heart thumps. "1" he looks at me and we both run. We run maybe 10 strides and stop. We flatten ourselves up against a wall and wait until we are sure the cost is clear. Alex gestures for me to stay where I am and takes a step forward, peering around the corner.

"Clear" he whispers.

We start running again, I follow Alex through unbelievable amounts of corridors before reaching a door. I push it open without thinking and run straight through the opening. I keep running, feeling the grass between my toes, breathing in the summer night air. "Liberty! Wait up" Alex laughs, evidently finding it funny how fascinated I am with the night. I don't stop running. I jump in the air, letting out a little squeal of joy before laughing. Laughter. That's something I haven't done in a while.

Alex runs up to me but don't notice until he is almost on top of me. I fall to the ground with him on top of me. He rolls off, taking a break from squashing me, and lies down next to me. I stare up at the night sky, taking in the breath-taking view.

"Alex..." I say softly.

"Yeah?" He replies, obviously preoccupied with looking at the night sky.

"Have you ever seen the stars like this before?" I can't stop looking at them. They take my breath away. The stars are all colours the same, yet different. I watch as birthstone blue and sequin silver balls of light intersect each other, forming a pattern like none ever seen to man. They wink at me from the endless purple velvet void, dropping their daytime façade to show me their true colours during the night. I watch as they twinkle, like little pulses of light. I lift my hand to trace the symmetry of the stars. I remember being a child and doing this, with my mother and father guiding my hands. I remember feeling a sense of achievement at completing something so complex. I watch as a molten gold beam of light flashes across the night sky, sparkling, glistening and flickering as it passes earth, even if only for a split second, its beauty is undeniable. They are like small snowflakes, dancing across the night sky, talking and laughing with the moon dust in the sky, as if they were beacons of hope for the lost souls of the world.

"Liberty?" Alex says, breaking me out of my trance. "I have seen the stars like this, but, not in a long time."

I roll onto my side to look at him. The moonlights basks his face in a warm glow and I can see the flaws I didn't before. His nose is slightly bent to the side, as if it has been broken one to many times. His eyes are a green so electric they seem to glow in the night sky. My eyes are drawn to a small scar, just above his left eyebrow, near his temple.

"That's why I joined the resistance".

I look directly at him, "What?"

"The resistance, the group. That's why I joined. Because of this." He reaches his hand to touch the scar.

I feel a sudden sense of sadness for Alex. I'm not going to pry, but he seems to have had a troubled life. If he has chosen to join the resistance, maybe it isn't as bad as I thought? They seem to have helped him.

"You said you and seen the stars. How? Curfew is 09:15, how can you be out looking at the stars after that time?" I am confused.

His eyes glint with a smudge of happiness. "We're the resistance. Do you really think we follow the rules?"

The sound of his laughter reaching my ears is unlike anything I've ever heard before.t is bright, happy, like dandelions on a summer day. His laugh is contagious. I try to supress my matching laughter, but I can't hold it in. To anyone looking at as, we probably look crazy, 2 teenagers laughing their heads off in the middle of nowhere.

"Alex..." I say, after we both stop laughing.

"yeah?'

"I want to join the resistance." I look at him directly, watching is facial expressions change.

"Really?" I can hear the excitement creeping into his voice.

I think for a moment. "What do I need to do?"