2080

Chapter 12

• February 29th, 2093 •

At the crack of dawn, the sun was rising and through the blinds it blinded Addilyn and she winced as she awoke. She covered the stream of endless light with her palm and got out of bed, changing and meeting up with the growing group of people outside. They would leave at 6am once the sun was fully up. She told the community she would wait no later than that and if they decided not to come they could change their mind and use the tunnels without her.

"Hey you." A friendly and familiar voice greeted her from behind.

"Zach." She smiled lightly. "You're coming?" She slightly couldn't believe it, that he would leave people behind if they chose to stay, Addilyn couldn't do that. She's glad she left the community and didn't marry him.

"Of course. The whole community is, they just like to be right on the dot." He smiled lightly.

Addilyn smiled back. She nodded her head and looked back to the still growing, but now large group of people with suitcases and bags.

"So are you seeing anyone?" Zach looked down at her after following her eyes around at the people around them and then met her eyes in the middle after asking his premature question.

"Yes." She looked away noticing they held awkward eye contact. He cocked his eyebrow and smirked.

"I'm glad you're happy." He said, walking away to talk to some of the people in their growing group.

That's just the thing; 'their'. As if Addilyn never left this place. She still knew everybody even after all those years. They were still her people and she would be leading them to a safer place. She would be doing what Harper wanted to do all along but knew she wasn't strong enough to do.

Remembering Harper in that moment upset her. It felt like it wasn't true, she was just in the hospital recovering from her surgery and once Addilyn got back, they would spend time together and be together.

Addilyn rubbed the bridge of her nose and shook her head. It hurt not to be with her that day, but she would make it worth it.

The sun began to fully peak in the distance and Addilyn looked around, most if not all of the community was there in her group.

"Alright. Let's get going." Addilyn got up from the porch and people began to follow her as she followed Zach to the entrance to the tunnels.

Down the spiral staircase and into the eerie luminescence tunnel with no end in sight. Addilyn continued walking so everyone would be able to fit inside.

Addilyn could hear the closing of the hatch and then Zach spiraling down the staircase.

"Okay. So it should take 3 days to get there, we will stop and rest for 6 hours every night, which is all we need. Just try your best to keep up and stop me if you have any questions." Addilyn smiled and swung around on her heels, starting the journey with a purpose.

She looked like an action movie ending, holding the straps of her backpack and leading an army of people behind her, she would be doing this for her people, she would be doing this for Harper, something she wanted to do, but she didn't know if she could.

Addilyn swallowed the lump in her throat and continued on in the tunnels. The footsteps echoed through the tunnels, but somehow they felt so much different in Addilyn's head. Like a ringing that just wouldn't stopped. Nothing felt like it was real ever since Addilyn and Harper really connected as friends, but of course, that was obvious that why.

Addilyn's mother made her way through the people sitting down around the tunnels and settling down for the first night traveling. She was looking for Addilyn.