Isle of Sanctum | The Aya Thrasher Chronicles | Book 1 |[Editing]

Chapter Sixteen

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

RAYNE

It had been a while since the kidnapping, and we were getting more and more frustrated. I was okay at first. I kind of liked the quietness in the suite, but Lake pushed me to get involved. We tried to get answers from Serina regarding the release of the others, but it had seemed like an eternity of waiting. Trevor was nowhere to be found, and Ace and Issa were still sick. They had been transferred to the hospital because their pneumonia wasn't getting improving. That's why they didn't go to Trevor's party. Of course, Serina had tried to give us the runaround, making excuses for why they weren't being released. Lake and I knew none of it was true.

I thought about a way to get home, but I was still considered to be an escapee and fugitive in my hometown. That was the only area that wasn't going to participate in the dyeing lottery. Instead, they had spots up for sale, to those who could afford them. I turned on the television. It was the news. They were broadcasting a long line of people in the Woodport dyeing center. 

"Numbers 9,009, 9,010, and 9,011, please go to room 3A to claim your dyeing spots," a man announced on the television. 

It was a young family with a baby. Their faces were so cheery. It looked as if they weren't real.

"Must be nice," I muttered underneath my breath and changed the station.

Here, we got live news feeds from all the regions, so I was able to watch the live stream from my home town. When I saw it, I panicked. The president of my district had implied that if I didn't turn myself in, there would be a big fuss. He flaunted Zander's execution, and he also threatened to indict Nova on conspiracy charges, which meant she would probably spend life in prison.

Since our friends were locked up, Lake and I decided to take things into our own hands. Trevor had returned but ignored us like we didn't exist. He didn't seem trustworthy, so we left him out of the plan. 

Our plan was simple, or so it seemed. We were going to sneak into the security tower and see what they were doing with our friends. We waited until it was late because our new chaperones thought we were sleeping. There was a fire escape ladder that allowed us access to other rooms.  Hesitantly, I started my descent down the ladder. I tried not to look down. My fear of heights was all I could think about.

Lake could tell I was struggling. "It's okay, you're almost there."

I took in a deep breath and traveled down the rest of the way without thinking. Once we touched down on the balcony below us, I tossed a mangled piece of fabric to Lake. Lake stared blankly at the fabric.

"What the heck is this?" 

I pulled the second one over my head. "It's to conceal our identities. We don't need the cameras or drones recognizing us."

Lake chuckled at the way the fabric hung over my face. "You don't think we'll attract more attention, looking like this?" 

"Yeah, maybe you're right," I said, removing the fabric.

"Let's do this!" Lake pumped her fist against mine.

It was dark, but I could get a glimpse into the distance. I could see the outlines of intricate slopes curved perfectly. I had never noticed this landscape feature before. Serina had talked to us about the hinterlands, but I never really paid attention. She warned us that if we went out there alone, we could freeze to death.

We took the path that was adjacent to the sea. I had never been near water growing up. In fact, the only time I had been to the beach was when my family took a vacation to New Florida, and even that managed to go horribly wrong.