Wanted

Welcome to the Out

~ Chapter 7 ~

Mallie

A single sunbeam slipped between a gap in the burlap curtains, warming the right side of my forehead just enough to rouse me from sleep. I yawned and flipped over onto my side. After a glance at the vintage analog clock on my nightstand I - Wait, there was no clock, or even a nightstand for that matter. Instead, a sun-faded, green and pink patterned reading chair rested against the wall propping up my overflowing suitcase.

"So it wasn't a dream," I said aloud to the empty bedroom once I managed to wake up enough to sit, although I was still shrouded in a fortress of white blankets. I wasn't really sure if I sounded dejected or hopeful.

I supposed I should be grateful for the whole situation, especially for Matt, considering he single-handedly snuck us both out from under the noses of Enforcement, and apparently the government, too. However, it was hard to feel any kind of gratitude while lying on a bed that was not my own in an unfamiliar house in an off-the-grid town all alone. I really was trying my hardest to look on the bright side, though, and upon further exploration of the log cabin I would be inhabiting, I discovered a pantry stocked with various imperishable and canned goods.

After an unusual - but oddly satisfying - breakfast of fruit cocktail and lukewarm tap water, I retreated back upstairs to get ready for what I hoped I could turn into a productive day. Deciding I didn't feel like changing out of my comfortable jeans just to stake out the neighborhood, I kept them on and pulled from my suitcase a plaid, fleece, button up shirt and a navy blue sweater to go over it. I ran a comb through my curly blonde hair and pulled it back into a simple, high ponytail to keep it out of my face while I explored.

"Here I go," I mumbled under my breath, turning the brass doorknob.

With that, and only a slight trace of fear, I stepped out of the house and into nature to scope out my new home.

I had no vehicle to speak of, so I was stuck walking down the winding, gravel road that led to town. Fortunately for me, it was a crisp, clear, early spring afternoon, and the towering trees that lined the lane I was traveling on had just begun to blossom with beautiful pink and purple buds, making my trek more enjoyable.

At last, I rounded a bend and the town came into view. But, even more impressive than that was the beautiful lake that sparkled in the sunlight. It was surrounded by forest and rocky outcroppings with ledges that hung over the water a little ways.

The community itself proved to be the opposite of the ghost town it seemed to have been the night before. All around me groups of friends laughed with each other, dogs barked excitedly, and children shrieked and squealed. The air smelled like a combination of pine needles and freshly-prepared food for lunch, and smoke hovered above brick chimneys.

The town center felt much more energetic than the one in Detroit had. Instead of the dull, insistent grays of the big city, there were warm, natural hues to the wood used to build all of the structures here. The new town also lacked the constant humming of AirTraffic found in most other places, which was a huge plus in my book. I didn't have to feel strange moving around on foot. In fact, it seemed that few people even bothered to use Bikes as means of travel here.

I continued to walk aimlessly down the sides of the cobblestone square, peering into shop windows and propped open café doors, marveling at how such a place could possibly function on its own like it was and keep from being discovered by the "all-seeing eye" that was the government.

The town clock chimed three o'clock, and I watched as a fair amount of people started heading toward the downward sloping, narrow path that looked like it led to the bank of the lake. For lack of anything else to do, I trailed behind, intrigued.