“Keep on running!” Logan calls out. “Don’t stop!”
Both Piper and Logan run. Their breaths are ragged. Their bodies feel like lead. Yet despite their exhaustion, they keep going. Eventually, Piper ducks into a dark alley, pulling Logan with her. They hear their pursuers approaching so they duck behind a dumpster.
They both watch, silent as a mouse, as the guards run past the alleyway, their combat boots thumping loudly with each step and their guns maliciously glistening in the moonlight. The two wait until they no longer hear the guards before cautiously leaving their hiding spot.
“That was close,” whispers Piper. “Yeah,” Logan replies, “we’d better go before they come back.” They both warily continue down the roughly paved road.
They cautiously look around—the city is active, even though it is nighttime. Homeless people sit beside buildings, bundled up in grubby blankets. The civilians keep their heads down and mouths shut. There are guards dressed in black, holding guns. There is the occasional sound of a scream or gunshot. This is the horrible city they had to survive. This is the horrible city they were going to escape.
As they near the city gates, they decide to take a different route. Currently, there weren’t many guards near the gates, but they decided it would be better to draw as little attention as possible.
Piper and Logan walk into a dark alley, their shadows fading away as the flickering lights from the street lamps disappear from view. After a while of walking, Logan speaks up. “I’ll go and unlock the gate and meet you there.”
“Just stay safe,” Piper says, worry written on her face. “I will,” he replies before rushing off. Piper takes a deep breath. There’s no turning back now. She resumes her trek, navigating the maze of streets.
“What are you doing here, kid?” A gruff voice calls out. Piper freezes and turns to see who it is. A guard. “Sorry, sir, I was, uh, heading home.”
He raises an eyebrow at her. “And how’d you end up near the border?” Piper was just about to make up an answer before hearing someone approach—Logan. “I unlocked the—oh, shoot,” he says, his eyes widening as he realizes they have company.
Then, out of nowhere, he bolts to the gate. Piper, although surprised, quickly follows. “Hey, come back here!” The guard yells, chasing them. They approach the ladder that leads to the automatic gates and begin to scale it.
They finally reach the top and make a run for the exit. Suddenly, Logan gets pulled back. It was the guard. “No!” Piper screams, reaching for him. “Piper, don’t! The gate is already closing. Go without me.”
“No!” Piper repeats, refusing to leave him. The gate is more than halfway closed now. Suddenly, Logan pushes her past the gate and out of the city. “Logan!” Piper desperately tries to get back in, but the gap is now too small for her to fit. She watches in horror as her friend gets grabbed by the guard.
“Keep on running!” Logan says as the gate shuts. “Don’t stop!”
About the Author
Anna is a pre-advanced BUBOTS student and is 12 years old. She is homeschooled and lives in Australia. She likes drawing, digital art, horse riding, reading, and writing, and hopes to become an author and artist.