Alice
KC and I had now been in darkness for around 48 hours. The only way I knew this was by the ray of light that penetrated through the smallest crack in the wall next to where KC was sleeping. A new day was beginning.
The piercing strip of light was the main reason why we chose this room, it was our only indication of knowing when it was day and night. It was also the closest room with beds to the toilet. It was only 13 steps which made it rather easy to navigate to when required in the pitch black. Additionally it was situated between the fire exits of the building which was ideal if we had to escape. Again, KC and I had counted how many steps it was to each one on the night we arrived. We actually came in the fire exit by the toilets. A quick jab with my fist through the glass panel in the door was the only obstacle preventing us in to what we were using as a place to hide until we had to move on.
Whilst I lay looking at the beam of light, I could just make out KC scrunching his face and turning away from it, it would not be long until I could sleep. Due to the lack of light we were enduring, that first blaze bursting through seemed to be the wake up call that prompted KC to stir, which by that look I just saw he doesn’t really appreciate it. But I know there is no doubt in our minds that we are getting the best sleep we have had in a very long time, it has been forever since I have been in a bed.
I felt very comfortable and happy knowing I finally had a friend and a protector beside me. However my strongest feeling was fear. Knowing what I knew I had to get KC and I out of that cage, and of all people I have The Guardian to thank for saving our life’s. I just now worry being found and taken back. KC thought we were only just going to be held there, however we were sent there to be wasted. If it wasn’t for that first Techno I ever spoke to I would not be none the wiser.
Even though I was still in danger of the Techno’s finding us these last couple of days it is the most free I have felt since being taken from the Mall.
I remember it like it was just yesterday, I have been trapped in a living nightmare. It all began when I was in a very sad place after losing Ned, and 2 men in black with silver masks grabbed me from the last bed I was in before this one. I remember seeing Taisan and May also being ripped out from their home, but they were put into different vehicles than I.
Until being reunited with KC, I had not seen a Mallrat since that moment. The vehicle drove many other Tribe members and I to the other side of the city. Each and every one of us was then shoved into a cargo carrying unit, and chained to a bar that ran around the whole unit except on the front. We were then left alone, the screaming and shouting stopped. I was then surrounded by many voices saying “Who are they?”, “Where did they come from?”, “Are they the adults?”. I stayed completely silent in that moment. The first time I spoke in that unit was to the enemy. There were 2 Techno’s who fed and watered us called Wizard and Stats, Stats was the nicer of the two. Everytime they entered they referred to us as ‘The Troubled’.
I wasn’t sure how long we were held in the crate, maybe a week or so and over that period of time the colour returned in my face, and I felt stronger in myself, I had finally finished my grieving. The morning the crate was lifted on to a huge shipping container was when I uttered to Stats “You remind me a little bit of a member of my Tribe, he is geeky too.” He smiled, and replied “You remind me of my ex girlfriend, but you have a bigger heart. The moment I first saw you I looked at you and thought you should not be part of ‘The Troubled’ but it was the sadness in your face that made you look like a raving fruit loop”.
Once we were on the ship we were free to roam the ship, however we were restricted as we were chained in a line to a Techno. Even though he was the enemy, I was glad when I had been assigned to Stat’s line. I was directly chained to him and after me were 4 of The Mosquito’s. The journey on the ship was tough and it wasn’t because of Stats, the Mosquito’s had certainly been categorised correctly as part of ‘The Troubled’. I completely ignored there constant moaning, screaming and crying. Stats kept me amused with some jokes along the way and had told me once we reached our destination which was Labour Island we would then be referred to as ‘The Force’, and we would have to say goodbye as he was heading straight back to the city. In that moment of saying goodbye once we stepped from the ship on to Labour Island he whispered in my ear, “If you are transported from this island to another you have been selected as part of ‘The Unwanted’. If you end up there Alice, your only being held as a deletion until you are selected to actually be wasted for real.”
My time on Labour island was hardworking, and I was determined to not be transported and I still am not sure why I was selected as one of ‘The Unwanted’ on this island I hope to get off from completely one day. I did everything on Labour island, where as there were others who didn’t and they seem to not been transported during the whole time I was in the cage. I get why The Guardian would be selected as part of ‘The Unwanted’, as he is bloody bonkers, but why me? Why KC?
I still cannot believe that The Guardian’s arrival in the cage of outrageous crazy nonsense was how we escaped. That moment of him next to my ear, I froze and fell silent and moved next to KC. He continued to ramble on and on and that’s when the guards had to intervene. The cage door opened and a guard with no mercy threw The Guardian back. I saw a opportunity and I took it. I stood up and pulled KC with me out of the cage. Others fled from the cage, it was chaos. Luckily the strength and power I had within me I let nothing stand in our way. With all my might I walloped 2 guards that came for us. KC and I just kept running.
I remember looking back and seeing all of the other prisoners failing to escape and returning to the dreaded cage. No one was in pursuit of us. But I am not sure how long it will be until someone is? We have been lucky since escaping but who knows what today may bring?
I ate a handful of berries and then took a sip of my coconut water. I could see KC had just sat up.
“Morning sleepyhead …”
