Removed

21

 A scream involuntarily escapes my lips. Luckily, the hallway is deserted, so the sound just echoes off the walls. An ear piercing scream follows mine, the sound of someone slumping to the floor with a bang complimenting it. My feet are frozen to the tile as I stare at the wooden door.

For a few moments, the air seems to still.

Ash throws open the door. Kaylee lays unconscious on the ground behind her.

"You have a lot of explaining to do," I mumble, still in shock. Hesitantly, I reach out to touch her. My hand lands on her bony arm, her flesh warm. I draw back, taking her in. She's thinner than I remember, obviously a detriment caused by malnourishment. Her plain clothes, which are dark as midnight, are slightly torn. Slivers of hair escape her braid, some clinging to her face.

She offers me a tilt of her lips before turning to check on my former friend. Still motionless. "We don't have much time, Hurricane. The cameras are off right now so the government won't catch me. We were tracking Kaylee and I noticed she was here alone. We figured it was the perfect chance to finally bring her in."

"We?" I query.

She nods, pursing her lips. "I'm part of-"

"The AntiChips," I supply to her shock. "I've found out quite a lot in the past few weeks."

She slowly nods. "You understand why I couldn't tell you, right?"

"Yes," I sigh, tightening my pony tail. "I understand, but I wish I would have heard it from you. Now, why do you have to bring her in? And to where?"

She lets out a deep breath. "Well, I'm assuming you know she's part of The Others. We warned her to stay away from you, but we realized she wasn't going to. So, we decided to take her and Harper as prisoners. It'll keep you safe and give us something to use against The Others."

"You took Kaylee that day she missed school?"

"Yes. Luckily, we're not the government. Well, maybe not so luckily. At least we won't execute them."

I cock my head. "Why do you guys want leverage against The Others? What's this while ordeal about?"

She runs a hand down her face. "It's not that simple to be part of the AntiChips. We have the government to fear. Then, we have these rebels that just want to overthrow the current government and restyle it to their liking." Her lips turn down into a frown as she scrutinizes me, placing a hand on her hip. "I hate to leave you, but I can't exactly take you with me. It's too much of a risk. Just don't tell anyone about your Chip, okay?"

I gawk at her, mouth hanging open and eyes wide. "How do you know?"

She offers me a sly grin. "Well, news like this gets around." Her smile widens. "I can't believe how much you've grown, even if it has been two years. I also just can't believe that you managed to remove your Chip! Great work, Hurricane."

A smile graces my features as I pat her on the shoulder. "I've accomplished things, Ash. Even if it was an accident."

Her eyes widen. "Accident?"

My smile drops as my gaze swings back to the bathroom door. "You better get Kaylee out of here."

Ash solemnly nods, all play drained from her expression. "Alright. You won't tell anyone you saw me, will you?"

Swiftly, I shake my head, throwing my arms around her small frame. I feel her arms loop around my back and I snuggle my face into her shoulder. A single tear drips down onto her thin shirt. My body begins to tremble as emotions overwhelm me. Ash is alive, yet she has to scurry off to her precious AntiChips.