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Finding My Way Out

"Call Matrix," Ellie said through her earpiece. "Calling Matrix," it said back to her and then Matrix's voice came in.

"What's wrong?"

"They know we're here," Ellie said, cursing herself.

"How!?" he barked.

"I know the waiter," she said, her teeth bared.

"What? What do you mean you know him?"

Ellie flinched once Matrix started raising his voice. "I tried to eat him!" Ellie clarified, hanging up before he could say anything else.

"Ellie what the hell are you talking about!" Beta said once she was off the phone.

"We've got to move fast, he could've already told people by now."

"Fine, but my God, can you tell me why you ate the guy?" Beta said, rushing after her as she went.

Ellie looked at him, overshadowing him with her height. "I didn't eat him, I tried to. How do you think I was acting once I escaped the Syncs? Cheerful, full of light? I killed everyone Beta, or I tried to anyway. That was just one I didn't get around to finishing." She took a step back and pushed Beta forward, ushering him to cross the street with her as they rushed to find safety. They finally reached the hotel and brushed past the service desk and to the elevators. In the elevator, Beta spoke again. "But you don't even look like you, not in that form. How would he know?"

"Because he can smell me, and I can smell him," Ellie explained. The doors dinged and they rushed down their room's hallway.

Once they got to their 640-numbered, maroon-colored door, she quickly took out the key card and opened the door. Ellie collapsed on her bed, taking deep breaths.

"Don't breathe so hard, it's embarrassing," El had said before ripping the Sync apart.

Memories of that day haunted her to the point where opening her eyes and seeing Matrix was actually comforting.

"Do you need an inhaler or...?" Matrix said from the other bed, looking up from his computer.

Ellie glared at him and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "There are a bunch of Syncs out there and now they know where we are, do you really think sarcasm is a good idea right now?"

"Relax, we'll find a way out of it, that's not really the issue," Beta said, standing in the middle of the room. "We're definitely not going to that club, they'll find us."

"Whoa whoa whoa, what? So what we're just gonna run away?" Matrix argued.

"They overpower us, so yes, we're running," Beta confirmed. "They probably only dragged us here to kill us anyway," he added.

Matrix took the laptop off his lap and stood up. "I am not running," he said, standing his ground. "We haven't run so far, why should we now?"

Beta and Ellie gave him a defensive look.

Hershey continued to type on his laptop until he looked up. He did a double take and looked around at the three boys. His mouth dropped a bit and suddenly not nearly enough air was reaching his lungs. "G-guys?" he uttered.

"We can't fight them! Not without an army!" Beta yelled back at Matrix.

"Guys." Hershey's voice cracked this time, and he started hyperventilating.

"No way! How long is that gonna take you think? To get a proper army of people who can kill these things? Years? Decades?! I'm not waiting, Beta, not anymore!" the Stak argued back.