The Runner

Chapter 2

Sliding down to his knees, he fought back tears. He was so close. So close. All hope that he had left evaporated, leaving him with a sickly feeling in his stomach. No hope. He wanted to escape so bad. He could almost feel the fresh air from the outside. Fresh air. Dawson opened his eyes. He could feel a soft wind. Where is it coming from? He looked up and saw what he had missed before. Just above his head where iron rungs just like the ones he had used to lower himself into the tunnels. Of course! He was underground, he would need to climb out of the tunnels to be on land again. Dawson blamed his moment of stupidity on his sheer exhaustion. The disappointment in himself was replaced by the excitement of finding out that he won't die, at least not today. He heaved himself up, rung by rung. Almost there. Reaching the top, Dawson pushed the iron slab that covered his exit.

Fresh air filled his lungs as he collapsed on the grass, breathing heavily. He made it! Dawson couldn't help but laugh with happiness. He looked around to take in his surroundings. He was at the end of a large grass field with a forest behind him. At the other end of the field was the dome. Although he spent all his life in the dome, Dawson felt no remorse at the thought of leaving it behind.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the forest behind him. All too fast, a group of people emerged with scowls on their faces. Their leader was stomping towards Dawson with determination. Their leader was a, was a girl! Catching Dawson off guard, she had an advantage and knocking him out was easier than she expected. She couldn't help but chuckle at his confused face before he was cast into unconsciousness.

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Emlyn led the group back to the village. Their watch had ended and she couldn't help but feel a bit of excitement. It had been a long time since they got a runner. No. She can't get to ahead of herself. Maybe he isn't a runner. It could be that he was one of Them who just happened to come out of the tunnels alive. It has happened before. Emlyn grimaced when she thought of the time when that had happened. Pseudo. She missed him but when she thought of all the hurt and bloodshed he had caused she knows that their love wouldn't have lasted. They had lived in two different worlds.

She strolled into the chiefs hut and instructed the men in her group to put the runner on the floor. Milo glanced up from his work and smiled. His niece had brought a runner. It has been a very long time since the last one. He himself had been a runner. He had to escape from the dome because he knew too much. They didn't like that. He had to run from Them, he barely escaped with his life. Life outside of the dome was very different but he was a leader now. A chief. He had to help the other runners survive and plan for the Future.

“It was so easy to knock this one out cold Milo, you should have seen him. He reminded me of a scared rat or something,” Emlyn chuckled.

“I really hate when you knock out the new people. I don't really think it's necessary.” scolded Milo.

“ Yeah, well I think after Pseudo, It is necessary,” she answered pointedly.

“I'm sorry about that.”

Milo broke the silence in the end, “Well, let's see what the cat brought in”

Milo knelt near the boy's body and tilted his face to the light.

“Oh my word,” Milo stepped back. “It's Dawson.”

Emlyn looked at her uncle, his face unreadable. He knows the guy? What is going on?