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“I won't survive losing you, too,” she sobs. “Please, please.”
“We can’t, Leah.”
Just picturing her in prison breaks my heart more than knowing she'll be alone once I leave here, but I do have to go. I know the doorbell will ring any second. If they find us gone, they will hunt us down and throw us in prison. There are few fates worse in my quadrant than being sent to prison, especially for a woman. Well, maybe being sent down to the monster is worse, but if complying means saving my sister from prison, then I'll go.
“Leah, you take the money and-”
“I don't care about any money.” She cries harder. “I won't make it without you, Keri. I can't.”
“Don't you dare say that. You're stronger than you know. I wish I didn't have to leave you. I would never if I had a choice, but I don't. So, I need to know that you'll be okay when I'm gone, Leah. Please.”
“I won't. I can't do this again.”
I jump at the sound of the doorbell’s ominous ring and Leah screams out a sound that utterly shatters my heart. She begins trembling, her breaths coming so fast that I think she'll pass out at any moment. What will she do when I'm gone? Once I walk out that door, and she's alone, will she let herself descend until there's nothing left of the woman she is? Who will be here to stop it from happening? No one. She'll be alone. Facing this world entirely alone.
I can't leave her, but I have no choice.
The doorbell rings again and Leah drops to the floor, her cries making her back heave as I stand helplessly above her.
“Leah, please,” I beg hoarsely. “Please, don't let this be our goodbye.”
“I won't stay. I won't stay here,” she croaks. “I'll die, Keri.” She looks up at me, and my heart stops. “I willdie, Keri.”
I see the sincerity in her eyes, the hopelessness in her tear-filled gaze, and it makes up my mind for me in a split second. I know it’s stupid, dangerous, and will probably end in failure and suffering, but I cannot let them sacrifice me, and in the end, cause the sacrifice of Leah as well. I’m prepared to go to the monster if it means she’s safe and gets to live, but what is the point of me dying if it only kills her too? Damn the rest of the people in this quadrant and what the monster may do when his sacrifice isn’t delivered. All of their lives mean nothing to me if Leah’s gone.
“Get our money from my bedroom,” I tell her quickly. “We're leaving.”
Her eyes widen, but she's standing in the next blink and runs towards the hallway as someone begins pounding on the door.
“Keri Palmer,” a man shouts, “Come out now!”
Leah rushes back into the living room and I grab her hand, pulling her towards the back door, but I see men gathering there. I've taken too long to open the door and now they're preparing for me to run. And I will, from an exit they don't even know is there. I turn around and hurry down the hallway to the stairs with Leah right behind me. I can faintly hear the man beginning a countdown at the door. Just like they did with Grace, except she came out and I'm not going to.
“Hurry,” I whisper.
We reach the top of the stairs and rush down to the small room that faces the side of our house. I had always found our balcony completely useless because it only faces the house next to ours, almost butting up against our neighbor's balcony. No pretty view, no privacy, but now it's our only means of escape. I know our neighbors will be at work and their children at school. I only hope they’ve left their balcony doors unlocked.
I open our doors and go onto the balcony, the fall air crisp in my lungs. If we're caught, this will be the last time I ever smell it. I put my foot on the balcony banister, climbing up until I'm crouching on it. Then I jump, crossing the few feet between balconies and landing on our neighbor's with so much noise it scares me. Leah is right behind me, jumping onto the balcony as I turn the knob on their door. I release a relieved breath when I find it unlocked.
We enter their house just as I hear them break through the door of my house. A loud bang reverberates followed by men shouting.
We don't have a moment to waste. I practically drag Leah behind me through their house, down the stairs, and through the living room to their kitchen where a back door waits for us to make our escape. We jump over their fence to get into backyard of the house behind our neighbors’. Then another and another, getting as far away from our house as possible without going into the street.
This is it. There's no going back now.
We've committed treason, and if they catch us, we'll be sent straight to prison.
At midnight, I'm supposed to be sacrificed to a monster, but now, midnight seems so far away, and anything could happen in the hours between now and then.
Chapter 2
“Hello.”
“Edwin, it's Keri Palmer. I need to know—”
“How the hell are you calling me when you should be getting processed to die right now?”
“I…” I look over my shoulder at the people in the bar. “I didn't go to the processing center.”
