The 1%

Chapter 2

I sprint down the hall and turn a corner. But the kid was already gone. I sigh and keep running. I see a door shut up ahead and I run as fast as I can to it. I dodge people walking by and avoid their questioning looks as I run by. I reach the door and swing it open. The door leads to the parking lot where the kid is already halfway to the street. I sigh and tear off after him.

"Wait!" I shout across the parking lot. The kid throws a glance over his shoulder, slowing him down. "I'm like you!" I shout, stopping to catch my breath. The kid stops as well. But when he sees a car pull up he tears off again. I groan and run after him. But I hear the door to the car open and heavy boots thud on the concrete. I turn around to see some tracers staring at me. The fear takes over and I run off. I hear the tracers run after me and I run faster, pumping my legs and arms faster. The kid suddenly turns and runs down a side street leading into an alleyway. At this point, I'd rather try and not be captured by tracers so I keep running. I know where that street leads anyway. I can just go to the street that it connected to and meet up with him. If the tracers haven't gotten to me first.

I turn a corner and run faster than I ever have in my life. My lungs are burning and it is hard to keep running. But I know I have to. I know that if I stop, I can be killed or taken in for questioning. Each one equally as bad. I gasp for air as I turn another corner and put my head down as I run through a small crowd. If I can get far away from the tracers, I can use my powers to help me but I don't know if that is possible. A flaw in my powers is that I really have to focus. I have to have time to gain that focus to use them. And while running from tracers, it's hard to do that. Up ahead, I see the kid come out of the alley and scan the street. There were a few people gathered at different food carts or in front of shops. They pay us no attention. I speed up to reach the kid but I have no energy left. The kid darts into a shop and out of view. I feel myself start to slow down. No. You can't slow down. They'll catch you. I tell myself. I hear the tracers approaching. A wave of fear takes over when they reach me. I feel their hands grab me. Pull me away. I know not to scream. It would attract attention.

"Young lady, where are your parents?" The woman asks in a firm voice. Her deep brown eyes seemed to be blazing with anger. No. Not anger. Fear. Fear of being hurt or killed. She is scared of me. I have to keep that in mind. She can kill me in a second if I scare her too much.

"At home." I reply coldly. I have to let them know that I am tough. That I'm not scared. I can't let such a thing show.

"Where is home?" She asks, seeming the smallest bit at ease. Her voice still feels firm and cold but she seems a little calmer under that mask of stone.

"Far from here." I reply, trying to keep my face in a calm but cold look. Don't let them see that fear. I tell myself again. The tracer knew I won't tell her anything. She seems to give up and pulls me faster.

"Come on." He was so quiet I had forgotten about him. I forgot that there was another tracer-a man with the woman. He jams his gun into my back when I trip a little on one of the cobblestones on the road.

We reach the car that they came from and they shove me in the back. The man gets in the passenger side and the woman behind the wheel. I watch out the window as we pull away from the parking spot and leave. I sigh and put my hand in my pocket. Somehow, my phone hadn't fallen out while I was running. I smile to myself a little knowing that I can hide it from them and use it to help me. We pull over on the side of the street and the man gets out and opens my door. He approaches me and pulls a cloth from his pocket. He blindfolds me and gets back in the car.

"What was that for!" I shout at him.

"We can't have you knowing where you are. Try and take it off and I won't hesitate to kill you." He snaps at me. I sigh a sigh of frustration and think about all my possible options for escaping. I come up with nothing and lean my head on my hand. I feel so vulnerable. Not having sight is like not having life. And I can do nothing about it.

Think. What would your mom do? I tell myself. But that hardly helps. My mom is brave, but, I don't think she's ever been in a hostage crisis. I hear the man reload his gun in the front seat. It had been empty this whole time? That would have been nice to know. However, the gun is loaded now. He can kill me now if he wants to and I will have no idea.

A small wave of fear takes over and I feel my heart rate quicken. My breathing gets the slightest bit faster and my palms get sweaty. I have to calm down. I have to.

Don't let them see that fear. Whatever you do, don't let it show. I tell myself. I take a slow, deep breath and remind myself that I will find a way to get out of this alive.