"Dont. Move."

"Don't. Move" someone whispers hot breath into my face. I feel the persons full weight on me, probably to prevent me from getting up, I feel a hand on my mouth and one on my arm. "Shhh." The person keeps whispering. I want to shout "I'm not 10 you don't have to shush me!" But I know I'm in danger and I should not say anything- no matter the uncomfortable circumstance- the figures hot breathe on my face, sweat accumulating on my forehead and brow, damp moss crawling with bugs on my exposed skin, and the feeling of claustrophobia setting in. But the feeling last only a minute or two before the figure emerges off me, taking my hand, and leading me away. It's not until we're far into the dark dense green forest before the figure removes its hood and face mask before I know it's a girl. "Congrats you escaped."

"Where am I?" I question quietly comparing my clothes to hers, I wear gray sweat pants paired with a navy blue tshirt, and she wears jet black pants, long sleeve shirt, and hair tied in a bun, my hair is loose. "You far away from the city."

"But I don't remember anything!" I say, voice rising and my breath quickens, but she puts my hand to my face to show me my wrist, a single blue band occupies it. "See this? This is the sign for asthma, I don't know how it works but I can't afford to have you wheezing up for the whole forest to hear."

"Fine. But I still don't remember anything." I say my voice dropping low. "I know. When you leave the city the proper way you keep your memories, when you escape, the second you cross that border, you lose them."

"Did you escape?" I question as she starts to walk. "Yeah but i know what I need to know. I know about the city, the dangers, laws, and what it's like out here."

"How did I escape?" I whisper, "only you know. Look I saw you running from the border and then you collapsed, but I heard the blood ones coming. You looked so helpless so I lunged. I don't help very many and you looked like crap." She snorts. "What's your name?" I ask as we near a house built into the side of a hill. "Kali." She mentions, motioning me into her hut. "You can't keep walking around in those clothes, you are a walking target. If they capture you they'll force you back into the city, its extremely painful. If that doesn't kill you it'll restore your memories, and then your put into jail. So you have to blend." Kali says shutting the door behind me. "What's the city like?" I question as Kali throws clothes at me. "Crowded and dirty, running with theft and vandalism, paired with diseases and murder. Police men that murder you for even braking one single law. The air is filled with smoke. It's horrible. If you do have asthma Ill bet my house that the reason you left because of the attacks, they only allow one rescue a month with one inhaler every three- no refills. Ill have to visits the undergowers, they may have one."

"I don't get it- why is the world like this? It's so beautiful out here, but so nasty in there."

"Because city goers are afraid out here. They can't taint land they won't touch. Listen- no wants to lose there memories. It's all anyone has, but you can be pushed. You can hear stories that make you want to leave. And I guess that's what you did."