Locked In

October 3, 3030 Time unknown         They’re going to kill us? I wish I was more surprised than I am now. But then again, why would the President kill children if they weren’t good enough for whatever he’s planning? I don’t want the answer. I don’t want anything to do with it. I’m not going.          "We need to get out of this city," I say, raking my hand through my disheveled hair.         "We have a map," Richard says. "It’ll tell you the safest and quickest way to get out without getting caught." Layla attempts to protest, but he simply leaves the room. Moments later, he returns with a large piece of parchment and lies it out on the desk near us.         "This is where we are." He points to a spot, near our school. "I'm sure most of the guards are at and around the school, so you need to go out the back door and move west." He moves his finger down the map, following the trail we need to use. "When you're about five blocks from the Capitol, go north. There are going to be a few guards there, to make sure no one leaves the city." He looks up at us, a stern look in his eyes. "It’s extremely dangerous, so please, be careful. This might be the quickest way, but it'll still take you days. Our city isn't small. Stay vigilant. This is life or death. The guards are on a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ order."         My breath gets caught in my throat.         "Dad," Chloe says. "Aren't you coming with us?"         Layla is the one who shakes her head. "We can't. If the President or anyone from the government finds out that we are helping you, they'll throw us in prison for treason. And you know the sentence for treason."         Chloe's face paled, her hands trembling.         "Don't worry about us," Richard says softly, placing a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. "Your mother and I are going to be fine."         Chloe opens her mouth to speak, but is interrupted by a pounding at the door.          "Orders from the President!" The voice is slightly muffled from the outside. "Come out of hiding and follow us to the Capitol!"         Richard and Layla waste no time to push us through the back door. Richard thrusts the map to Chloe. She gives her parents one last hug goodbye before following us out the back. The screen closes just as the front door is knocked down and the guards enter the house.        We run.  *** Time still unknown          At this point, adrenaline is the only thing keeping me moving. Dry throat, stinging legs, burning lungs, yet I still run. Bennett still runs. Chloe still runs.          There’s only one thing on our minds: Get out of the city.         Hide behind buildings, keep a sharp eye, trust no one. Chloe leans against a brick wall, trying to catch her breath. Bennett and I follow suit. Before we could get much rest, a scuffling is heard not too far away. I peek out, nearly gasping at the sight of a few guards dragging away struggling kids.          “Go, go!” I whisper, pushing Bennett and Chloe in the opposite direction.          We quickly jump a fence, landing into someone's yard. Bennett opens the back window and we scramble inside. I glance around the house, examining the pictures on the wall. My breath hitches. This is Ryker’s house.         A low voice breaks me out of my trance. Bennett places his hand on my lower back. "Come on.”          We try to guide ourselves through the house, but the attempt is futile. It’s too dark and any hint of light would compromise our location.         "Oh, my God." Chloe weaves her hands through her black hair. "Do you think the Capitol already took Ryker?"         So, she doesn’t know. It was clear that the two had feelings for each other, but refused to make a move, not wanting to ruin their friendship.          "Chloe," my voice comes out in a whisper. "Chloe, I'm so sorry."         Even in the dark, I can feel her eyes on me. "Why are you apologizing?"         "Chloe. . ." Bennett approaches her cautiously. "Ryker. . .he’s--"         "Probably already at the Capitol," I interrupt, hoping she doesn’t detect my not-so-subtle lie and Bennett catches on.          "But-But what if he isn't chosen?" she says. "He’ll die!"         "Let's try to stay positive," Bennett replies.          Chloe just nods, mutters something under her breath, and plops onto a nearby couch.         I quietly sigh. "I'm gonna see if I can find a change of clothes for us."          I slowly make my way through the house, trying not to bump into anything that could break or make a loud noise. I finally find the master bedroom and rummage through drawers and closets. Dark clothes would probably be best, to help us hide in the shadows when necessary. I grin in victory when I find a black t-shirt and dark cargo pants. I walk past a full-length mirror, stopping in shock when I see my reflection.          The moonlight illuminates the room just enough for me to see tear-reddened eyes staring back at me. Smudges of dirt litter my face as well. My eyes travel down my body to see a large brownish-red stain on my torso. I continue down, noticing how scraped and dirty my bare legs are.          I enter the attached bathroom, grabbing a washcloth and soaking it in warm water. I scrub my face, trying to clean it as much as possible. I then change and slip my glasses back on. I return to the living room to find Chloe lying on the couch, sleeping. I want to smile at my friend's behavior but I can't bring myself to it, feeling guilty of lying to her. Why didn't I just tell her the truth?         Trying to clear my mind, I decide to head upstairs. It doesn't take long for me to find Ryker's room. I chuckle at the state of the room. It's messy, like any other teenage boy's room. In the dim light, I make out a guitar propped against his desk, which seems to have various music sheets scattered all over. His bed is disheveled and books are scattered over his floor. I can just barely make out the collage of band posters hanging on the walls. A grin creeps to my face when I see my favorite pop singer, Shawn Mendes. He may be dead now, but his music is still good. . .well, for old music, at least.         I page through his music sheets, noting the pencil markings on them. I come across a notebook. I flip it open to see it's his songbook. Ryker was an amazing singer and I would constantly tell him he would be a famous musician one day.         "Scarlett?"         I yelp and jump back at the sudden voice, turning to him. "Jesus, Bennett!" I place my hand over my heart. "Nearly gave me a heart attack."         Bennett chuckles, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."         I roll my eyes in response and go back to looking through the book.         "What are you doing in here?" Bennett asks.         I shrug. "Looking at Ryker's songbook.”         "I feel like you're doing more than that."         I sigh and close my eyes. "I may or may not also be grieving."         Bennett approaches me and places his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to look at him. My heart immediately begins to pound out of my chest. His hazel eyes seem to glow in the moonlight and I can’t help my gaze from moving down to his lips.         "You shouldn't mope around," Bennett says softly. "What happened to Ryker wasn't your fault."         "You don't know that," I say. "You weren't there."         "I didn't have to be there. I know you, Scarlett. If you knew they were going to shoot him, you would've jumped in front of that bullet."         I force myself to look away from him. "You're wrong, I'm not that kind of person." I try to walk away, but Bennett grabs my wrist.         "You were always that kind of person. Since we were kids, you always put others before yourself. People don't just change, they pretend to be something they're not because they don't want others to see their weaknesses."         His words make me freeze, hitting me like a ton of bricks. I turn back to him, taking in a deep breath.          "You're right." I look up to his eyes. "You always seem to be right." I yank my wrist from his grasp. "But you're leaving out something. I have another weakness, and it's losing the people I love." I tilt my chin up, standing tall. The thing is, I don't think I'm talking about Ryker anymore. "I'll take the first watch. You go ahead and get some sleep."         Before he can protest, I walk away.