Imagine [L.H]

3

LACEY'S POV:

"Come," the guard said to me, motioning for me to exit the walls.

I walked past him and through the doors, duffel bag in hand.

A group of people from the government, the scavengers of the government, were coming on a "look outside the walls," with me.

I know they're just going to cut me loose.

Kick me out.

Do I care?

Yes and no.

Yes because I'd have to live on my own with nothing but myself and nature to keep me company.

And no because, hey, who doesn't like being alone times?

I do.

Screw the people of the law.

A bunch of I-don't-give-a-shit people.

The world is ending, why make it hell when you can spend the last couple years humans have left on this earth with a smile plastered onto our faces?

See, this is what I don't understand.

In order to stop the population from over growing they don't allow reproduction or intimacy of any sort. But there is less than one-thousand of us left. Wouldn't they want the population to grow?

"Masks," one of the men reminded us.

He was tall, blonde, blue-eyed, and pretty handsome.

Oh, oops, broke the law. Can't have feelings.

I pulled my mask - gas mask to be exact - on.

They said some sort of virus was outside the walls.

I don't know what type of virus, they don't tell us anything, but they say it's pretty serious.

"Thirty-four, you stand in the front of the line," the blonde told me.

Number thirty-four, that's me.

We are defined by numbers, not names.

I walked over to the front of the line, boots clicking on the cement floors.

"Sixty-three and twenty-nine, go after her," he pointed at me, lips set in a thin line.

We were all ordered by our performance.

I was apparently the second best of the ones I was with, the blonde, number thirty-six just in front of me.

"Lets go," he ordered.

I didn't know his name.

"We'll be back before sun down!" He told the guards. They nodded in response and closed the gated.

We walked down a plain, white corridor. Exiting sliding doors. Those were there to keep the air clean and keep bacteria out.

All ten of us were told what to do, what to scavenge, our boundaries.

"Okay thirty-four, you go to the corner, over here," number thirty-six, the blonde, told me.

"That place hasn't been searched?" I asked, observing the way his eyes would avoid contact with mine.

"No," he said. "Okay, everyone meet here at half past six!"

And with that, everyone left into separate directions.

Antibiotics, pain killers, and food.

That's what I need to get.

It was about a ten mile walk, I had a long walk ahead of me.

I made my way off the dirt path and into the forest, looking at the compass I was given.

North.

Ten miles north.

I wonder what time they will actually be leaving.

What they plan to tell the people, the story of my "disappearance."

I sighed, almost tripping on the root of a tree branch.

I heard the snapping of twigs, but shook it off.

As I went deeper and deeper into the forest I kept hearing something, or someone.

The snapping of twigs teased me into thinking I was being watched.

I kept wanting to say something but stayed quiet.

Becoming a bit scared, I speed walked, making sure not to trip or fall.

I was close.

I could see the tip of the building I was supposed to scavenge.

As I got closer and closer, I heard breathing.

I turned around and met a pair pale blue eyes.

I was about to scream when the figure covered my mouth with his hand.

"Shhh," he whispered.

I tried to squirm out the man's grip but he was too strong.

I didn't know what else go do, so I licked his hand.

He flinched back, wiping his hand on his jeans.

We aren't allowed to wear that type of clothes...

"Gross!" I heard him yell as I dropped the empty duffel bag I was carrying and ran as fast as my legs could carry me, which apparently was not fast enough because he caught up to me.

"Let me go!" I yelled, kicking my legs.

He didn't let me go and pulled off my mask, I noticed he wasn't wearing one.

Is he infected with whatever virus is out here?

Most likely, and I licked his hand.

You're so smart Lacey, so smart.

"I'm exposed now, you idiot!" I yelled, trying to grab the mask that he held up over his head.

He was now straddling me, which was an awkward and uncomfortable position, for he was putting all his weight on me.

"Exposed to what?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Outside!"

"What do you mean 'outside?'"

"They said t-there's a virus and you get it if you breath in the air from outside," I said, still trying to catch my breath.

"There is no virus," he said slowly.

I shook my head, "how do you know that?"

"Because I'm perfectly fine," he said tapping his chest.

Before I could respond he gasped. From pain?

I didn't know.

He rolled off of me and took in a few breaths.

I took that precious time to grab the duffel bag I had dropped which was only a couple yards away and began slowly walking away.

He let out a quiet scream and cursed under his breath.

I paused, "what's wrong?"

Silence.

"I-I don't know. Something burns," he whispered.

"Take care of yourself?" I said, more as a question and began walking away.

"Wait!" He yelled, I heard the crunching of leaves, signifying he was following me. Again.

"What?! I have somewhere to be!" I said, a little too rude and meanly.

"I'm Luke," he said with a smile.

"Lacey," I rolled my eyes and walked away.

He seemed familiar, had a voice I thought I'd seen before.

I heard the crunching of leaves, a gasp of pain and turned around to see he was gone.

What was that all about?

Was he a runaway, a lawbreaker?