Escape

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When I reached my house I snuck in through the window in my room miraculously undetected by my father’s guards.

The mayoral mansion is located directly on the beach. It is more like a collective of smaller homes rather than a communal living area. My parents, mainly my ever-busy father, prefer personal privacy to the cozy aspects of family living. The main area is what you see in the front of the house, and where the living room, indoor dining room, kitchen, library, and study rooms are. My part of the house is outside but attached through a thin hallway to the main living area. My area is two floors, consisting of my room, bathroom, and, upstairs, a small living area and office. Pierce’s section is next to mine and is virtually the same except, of course, he doesn’t have to share. My parents are on the other side of the living area.

   I went into my room and changed into my sleeping shorts and a loose t-shirt and threw my curly strawberry blonde locks into a loose ponytail.

   I collapsed on my bed and was rewarded with some much needed sleep. When I closed my eyes, I dreamed of the Outside.

   Secretum is the only town left on Earth, or so the story goes. After the apocalypse our town somehow survived. Our government turned the town into a prison, forbidding anyone from entering or exiting the strict city limits. The Outside begins beyond the woods surrounding Secretum. Anyone who tries to escape and is caught by the Praetoriis, is killed. There are only a few people living there; the ones who escaped.

   Aspen and I frequently sneak to the woods past the town’s curfew of ten o’clock to the woods near the Outside, but can only ever talk and hope about one day escaping to spend our lives together, away from the restraints of Secretum. Most don’t even venture a try at escaping, aside from the ever looming threat of the Praetoriis, we are told there is no life outside of Secretum, and we have no way of proving otherwise.

   The next morning I woke up at eight, as hard as I may try, I can never sleep in. As we’ve just finished our schooling, we have some time to ourselves. This free time won’t last long, soon enough we will be pushed to fulfill the plans that were laid out for us as children. My phone rang the tone told me exactly who it was.

“Morning Aspen,”

“Good Morning beautiful,” I could hear the smile in his voice.

“Coming over?”

“I’ll be there in five.”

“See you soon,” We hung up and I reluctantly dragged myself from bed. We keep our phone calls short, the public lines are closely monitored by the government.

When I went into the kitchen my dad was already at his office, and my mom was doing something to get her out of spending time with her family in one of the studies on the opposite end of the house. Pierce sat at the pristine white counter in his pajamas, staring intently into his deep coffee cup with his piercing blue eyes. His light brown hair fell just over his forehead.

“Mornin’,” I said to Pierce as I walked to the refrigerator in search of food.

He responded with a grunt and a hostile look.

“And a hello to you too jackass,” I smarted while retrieving cereal from the pantry.

“What are you making?”

“Cereal for one…”

“Don’t be a brat,” he replied with yet another one of his famous early morning glares.

He is so not a morning person.

I put my hand on my chest and opened my mouth in a mock shocked O. “Me a brat? What an utterly appalling thing to say to your dear little sister. Why I am always in the most cheery of moods,”

He grunted again and I gave him my best glare.

“Damn, your crabby in the morning. Can you be done now?”

“If you grab me a bowl?”

“Do you promise to be nice, Lazy?”

“Of course dear sister!” Pierce batted his eyelashes at me with a fake smile.

“To Aspen?” I asked and finished of the pancakes.

“Aspen’s not here,”

And, right on queue, the doorbell rang.

Pierce turned towards the direction of the door and looked back at me with raised eyebrows, “Let me guess…”

“Come in!” I yelled loudly at the door, “yup,” I slid a bowl over to Pierce, “be nice!”

Pierce rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

“Lose the morning tude’ Pierce!” I ordered in my best motherly voice.

“Yeah, yeah.”

Aspen appeared from around the corner.

“Hey Arielle!” Aspen put his hands on my waist and held me so close that I could smell the mint on his breath.

“Hi,” He moved in for a kiss, when Pierce cleared his throat. Loudly.

We both turned our heads to look at him. I gave him a dagger glare.

Pierce ignored me and looked directly at Aspen, “You do know that’s my baby sister, right?”

“Yes, I am aware of that.”

“So would you mind not sticking your tongue down her throat when I am right here.” Pierce gave Aspen his best “I’m gonna kick your ass” glare, which, of course, is useless.

“Okay, well would you prefer I stick my tongue down her throat when you are not around? Because I will either way.” Aspen joked, earning another grunt from Pierce, who suddenly became very interested in his cereal.

Aspen gently pressed his lips to my forehead, disappointingly respecting my brother’s wishes.

“I thought I told him to be nice!”

“Don’t worry, it’s just because he loves you.”

“Still annoying.”

Aspen wore khaki shorts and a white t-shirt, his tight muscles were visible through the thin material of his shirt. His dark hair was pushed back from his face, illuminating the prominent sharp edges of his jaw.

When we finished eating I left Aspen and Pierce alone in the kitchen while I changed into jean shorts and a black tank top, pulling the tie out of my long curly hair. When I finished I walked back into the living room to see Pierce and Aspen sitting on the couch playing some game on the TV.

“Want to go to the beach?” Pierce suggested.

“Sure,” Aspen replied pausing the game

“Alright, let’s go.”