Why Should I Tell You Anything? COMPLETED

Dreams of Ever Escaping

Shiloh takes me outside with my hand held tightly. He kept me close to his side with his other hand pressed against my back pushing me forward. He had slipped on his thick black cloak to go outside, quietly telling me that his face is best not seen if someone happens to wander by. I didn't push for answers because I already knew half of it. He was a killer like Gideon and Adrien. The people here probably know about their "outings". Maybe they fear them just as much as we fear the forest.

The fresh air wasn't as sweet as I thought it would be. Dry from the hot wind, the air stuck to the sides of my throat as the heavy atmosphere was sucked down into my lungs. The sky cloud-filled and hazy. The giant trees create an overhang of branches high above our heads. A smokey grey sky filling in the spaces the leaves create. The leaves hold little color as if the trees were drained of life. Grey shadows cast on the leaf-littered ground with rotting logs hidden underneath.

Shiloh shuts the door quietly behind him, cutting off the boys' argument still raging on. Shiloh hasn't updated me in a while on the translation but as far as I know, they've changed subjects from "toying with me" to "why do you want to leave?" I watch him edgily as he turns to me with a saddened look. He continues holding my hand, probably to make sure I don't run away like I desperately want too.

He watches my hand for a moment before looking up at me. "I have some questions for you," he begins.

I slightly jump, staring at him in shock. "For me?"

He nods, "For every question I ask you, you can ask me one. That way it's fair. Okay?"

I swallow before nodding shortly. "O-Okay."

Shiloh doesn't let go of my hand but his grip loosens. I remaining standing in front of him finding myself unable to run from him. If it were Adrien or Gideon I would have ran. But with Shiloh... something keeps me here. That flicker of hope that he could be the one to change. To help me in return. The glimmer of hope keeps me rooted here like the tall trees that stand around us. My heart hammering in my chest as he watches me silently.

What could he possibly want to ask me?

"Tell me..." he trails off, looking up at the misty sky. "What is it like on the other side?"

"You mean... my home?"

"Yes."

I think about it for a moment. "What do you mean? Like... well, when were you last there...?"

"You didn't answer my question yet." His eyes narrow at me, "We had a deal, remember?"

I nod quickly not wanting to make another mistake. I have to be more careful. "Uh, well... we have cars-"

"I know that," he snaps suddenly giving me an irritated look.

"Smartphones, then. Ones that can scan your facial expressions and make an emoji out of it. Those are extremely expensive but they exist," I answer quickly trying to think of the most recent technology. "3-D printers, electric cars, some even self-driving."

His jaw slacks with surprise. Then he blushes shying from my gaze. "Um, what exactly are smartphones? I-I know what home phones are... are they still around?"

I smile a little and shrug. "Smartphones are basically phones with a large screen you can just touch and it'll open up your apps. You can call, text, play games, anything really. Do you... know what Blackberries are?" I'm hit with a bit of nostalgia from a faded memory of when my mom showed me her old electronics and brief memories in between.

He makes a face before shrugging, "Kind of... With the keypad? I-I know what flip phones are... those are kinda new... I was still young..."

"How old were you?" I ask tentatively. "When you left?"