Still Burning

Chapter 2

I liked the route to the South better more than the route to the north, which was way more hilly and mossy. Every 5th step in the northern route would be into a muddy puddle hidden in the grass. It drove me wild, and Alina knew that very well, and since she got to ride piggyback on Ash, she used to tease me relentlessly about it. The route we were currently traveling, rocky with occasional vegetation here and there. The green grass growing parallel to the footpath made me wonder, who comes here to tame them. I look over to ask this question, but another look at Ashton and his irritated face, I refrained myself. Alina injuring her knee on the second day really took the toll on him. Added to less food in his diet, he was really struggling. I looked away as quickly as I could so he couldn't catch my eye. I really didn't him looking at me right now. He bought a map for us and now feelings of guilt flooded into me. I sighed as quietly as I could, just enough so that he couldn't hear me.... Fine, I'll pay in my meals too. I looked at Maple, she seemed to go without any worries, trailing just 10 steps ahead of us.

After what had been just a few minutes (which felt like forever), my legs had started to ache. Cramps slowly built up as I walked a little more. A step at a time. A groan escaped my lips, a sign that we should rest now. Ashton moved closed as Alina tried to reach for my shoulder, her arm outstretched. I smiled in what had felt like centuries.

"What is it?" I asked through my smile, and as it seems Ashton's mood had also dramatically risen. Alina's antics are infectious. She pointed back to the direction we just walked from, and sure enough, there was a torpedo truck travelling in our direction. I looked towards Ash and we were thinking the same thing. His expression of desperation seemed to match mine.

We should try and get this ride. My legs were aching every minute and I couldn't go on any longer without rest. My subconscious self, dug her hand in her pant pocket to take the Blanche card out. The white smooth texture reflected light other way, it had the government's dotted infinity symbol, which apparently represented the people supporting their rule till the end of time, embedded in the centre. I examined it over again as we waited for the truck to come closer, it looked like something the people from the past used, mum said that they stopped using those things in Grandpa's time. They were called Credit Cards. Instead to pay, money was imbedded into our bodies, in the skin between our thumbs and our index finger. A con was that they could track us. I was lucky when I ran away, since I was still young I had no access to money, otherwise I would have been caught in just a few days. Balance card for almost everything. The card almost acts like an unlimited stash of money, the card is a symbol of the government, it is provided to those who have proven themselves to the councils. My mother was one of those people fortunate enough to receive it. And since the said people have the upmost trust of the councils, they didn't bother to track them.

The card works on most things except food and some other valuables. We have to earn that ourselves. Transportation and security are the card's true purpose. It's every citizen's duty to serve the officials in any way they can without causing a loss for themselves, and they assume that we are some, too. The gangs won't attack me if I have the card, they believe that I have the guards tracking me. I can't imagine the look on their faces when they realise that the guards are after me. Well, they will soon, a small voice in me thought, you almost got caught, the guard had half of your face- and hazel eyes are rare with your skin.

They'll have to search the whole south for me, then. The truck was heading closer to us, so I looked over towards Ash and he seemed to get the message, because he pried Alina off his shoulder and extended his hand towards the road, trying to message the driver to stop. The torpedoes are smaller and faster than the usual trucks, they have an open back to keep supplies, but they can keep people like us in there. I crossed my fingers, hoping that the truck is empty, since they only have two seats in the front, and from the looks of it, they seem to be full. The truck approached us faster than I would have expected and stopped right beside Ash. I breathed a sigh of relief, after casting a look at the back, which wasn't empty, but had enough space to fit us all. Maple seemed to have caught a gist of what we were planning because she stopped as the truck did and started walking towards us.