The Higher Define (2018)

11

Everything that Ariel taught me abiut punching, about balancing and putting my weight and swinging plays in my head at a loud volume.

The world rings with her voice as I throw a punch at Hayley's stomach. She's too fast for me and takes a step back, a nasty smile now apparent on her face.

"Don't resort to such immature tatics, Aspen."

"Me? Immature? I suggest you take a look in the mirror!" I scream as I take another swing at her, aiming for her face.

She's as fast as lightning and the second my fist is supposed to come into contact with her face, she has taken a step to the side.

"Don't make me participate in such a revolting activity, please."

"Oh yeah? Did you say that just before you killed them?" I shriek, my whole body trembling with rage and still processing the shock that burns like fire through my veins.

"Goodness, of course not. I always make sure that the last words they hear are poetic. That's my M.O., you know? I-"

"I! Don't! Care!" I huff the words furiously as I slam my fist into her chest, only to miss at the last minute as she bounces between my futile swings, dancing back and forth between the movement of my arm.

"Isn't that rude? Even I don't have the heart to be that cruel when I deliver the Defines to their deaths. You see, I always make sure I live my life with sentiment."

"You're crazy!"

It's useless. I'm losing energy and my ounches keep landing on thin air. Hayley is too fast, too careful. My moves are too predictable and my movements are too flimsy to compete with her speed.

I breath shallowly, struggling to catch my breath. Heat creeps across my face as my heart bangs noisly against my ribcage.

"Why did you do it?" My sentences sounds like scattered bits of words thrown together messily as a result from my weariness. Still, Hayley seems to understand the question.

"Well, you would have known by now if you had just let me speak without trying to kill me."

"That's ironic, seeing as your victims could very well say the same thing." I return with a twisted laugh that sounds harsh and painful. I shoot her a look of disgusted amusement.

Hayley ignores my sarcastic comment and goes on, "Like I said, I live my life with sentiment. I'm a sentimental person and I judge with my heart. I don't let my code weight the advantages and disadvantages."

"What does that have got to do with anything?"

"Listen!" Hayley snaps, her tone suddenly fluctuating to an angry snap, deviating from her calm demeanor.

A shiver snakes through my body.

"Ever since I was young, I never quite understood the concepts of Defines and Corrupts. Why there had to be a system in place, a strange algorithm to have a say who deserves a good life and who deserves a bad life."

Her eyes glow with the broken parts of an old memory as she speaks.

"When I was labelled a Corrupt, my whole world fell apart. Suddenly, none of my friends wanted to talk to me. No one- not my parents, not my siblings, would look me in the eye. It was horrible."

"Corrupt? But you're a Define!" The words leave my mouth as I stare at Hayley, dumbfounded.

Hayley cackles at the expression on my face but the dark look that crosses hers makes her features look distorted, strange.

"You're not letting me complete the story."

"Fine. Go on." I hiss, folding my arms.

"I got furious. I was certain that I would be labelled Define, that I would get a good life. I was so, so angry. I hunted down every Define that I found and demanded an explanation. I searched for answers, I went through countless books to understand the algorithm used."