The Reduction

CHAPTER ONE

ZARA

A girl who just wants to be free.

Zara opened her eyes to be overwhelmed with burning light. She squints to let her eyes adjust to the cloudless blue sky infinitely above her. The wind gently bypasses her nose making her shiver with delight. She inhales the comforting smell of freshly cut grass all around her, making her legs itch. She wonders if she'll ever be able to touch the sky. Was there a feeling to it? Was the edge between space and sky soft? Will she ever witness beyond space?

    This right here, right now, was the feeling of being alive. She was aware of all things at once but thinking about nothing at all. Zara hasn't felt this way in a long time, well, since before everything happened. Before she was the most wanted person on the planet. Before she put hundreds of people's lives at stake. Before her eyes were gray.

    The grass shifted next to her as Aaron sighed loudly. Zara gave a light smile and closed her eyes. Aaron's long, full breaths soothed her thoughts. Aaron twisted his fingers through her hair gently. The contrast of his rough fingers on her soft brown hair made her at ease. Zara turned her head towards Aaron and opened her eyes.

    Being this close made her focus on every detail of his face. The way his face rested making only one dimple appear. How his lips were always chapped but velvety to the touch. His hair, always kept short and clean cut to reveal a wide forehead. His teeth, bright white contrasted with his dark brown skin. His deep brown eyes hypnotizing to anyone who gazes long enough. She felt pure tranquility in that very moment. Something she can only feel with Aaron.

    When Aaron's eyes snapped back into reality from his daydream, Zara started to feel uneasy. She realized she was completely exposed. Out in the open, a sitting duck just waiting for a government plane or drone to fly over the microsociety she called home and capture her.

    As panic rushed through her body she rapidly sat up trying to calm her thoughts. Aaron, caught off guard by her sudden movement, quickly stood up pulling out the hunting knife from the leather sheath at his side. He attentively looked around the park at the people walking down the sidewalk and to the few children playing on the play set.

    "What the hell Zara?" Aaron exhaled as he put the knife back into his sheath. He turned to see her head buried between her arms and knees.

    "I'm sorry I got anxious again." she whimpered softly, her voice muffled in her beige sweater. Aaron slowly made his way over to her and towered above her, blocking the sun from her view.

    "Come on you have to get over it and live a little." Aaron said as Zara looked up. Her eyes were glossy and her brown eyebrows were furrowed making the small scar on the right one more noticeable. Aaron helped her up with disappointed look on his face.

    "You pull something like this again I'm not letting you out anymore, understand?" He says gripping her hand a little too tight for comfort. Zara nodded in agreement. Aaron was her boyfriend, he always knew what's best for her. Right?

    Aaron looked down into Zara's eyes, trying to read them. "Stop looking at me like you're scared of me. I'm your boyfriend for God's sake!" He shouted as he pulled from Zara's grip.

    "What are you talking about?" She said putting her hands on his chest to comfort him. Aaron shoved them away and Zara winced at his aggression. 'Well that escalated quickly! What is going on with him?' she thought.

    "Jesus Zara, I try and I try! I swear it's like you have no emotions other than fear. Every time I try to comfort you or even just try and be a supportive boyfriend, I get nothing in return! It's like you just expect everyone to take care of you. Well guess what? You might be just a girl, but you're not normal. You'll never be. You treat everyone who puts their life on the line for you, like scum. There's no appreciation at all." He said in the harshest tone Zara has ever heard.

    "Is this how little you think of me? I don't expect anyone to take care of me! I can take care of myself." Honestly, Zara didn't really know if that was true. She's had people to care of her all of her life. Now she was angry and defensive at the truth the she didn't want to hear.

    "You don't understand what it's like to have the biggest target in the world on your back at all times! I barely even sleep at night anymore. I can't even eat anything either, I feel so guilty! I've been locked up in this place for 3 years scared that if I leave, I will get captured and Reduced or... or even worse!" Zara started to break down, her hands rolling into fists.

"Oh so you're gonna cry now? Because you can't accept the truth? That's pathetic Zara, grow up!" Aaron shouted as he flung his arms around.

    "Not being free is the cost of being safe. Taking my protection seriously is being safe. I'm sorry that sometimes I freak out over little things, but can you blame me? I'm sorry that my eye color depicts how normal I am! And I'm sorry that I'm not allowed to get too attached to anything because it always gets taken away from me." Zara started to walk away. She had to control herself.

    "Are you serious? Every single freakin person here has a target on their back, Zara. Especially because of you! We were all happy in this little community before you showed up and messed with everything. You and your stupid 'power' that nobody has even seen before." Aaron yelled from behind. Zara kept walking and breathing to calm her nerves. She couldn't deal with this right now. 'It'll all be fine by tomorrow. We'll make up and be a happy couple by tomorrow!' She told herself.

    "You know, what? Walk away Zara, because I'm done with you! That 'power' of yours, is probably fake! If it weren't for me owing the Operator a favor, I would never be here to protect your prissy ass! " Zara stopped in her tracks. Her cheeks were wet with tears and her knuckles were white from clenching them so hard. Her heart was officially broken. It felt like the hardest pain in the world. A stinging in her chest made her exhale the breath she didn't remember holding.

    "We're done here. You are a distraction and I... I wish you the best." Zara's brittled voice broke as she said it. It wasn't shouting but Aaron could hear every word despite being on the other side of the street now. He stood there in silence watching as a broken girl, who became even more broken than before, ran back towards her house.