Chapter 2:

I ran and ran, and saw the bus stop, but realized the next bus wasn't arriving for another half an hour. "No time to wait that long." I whispered to myself. I pushed past businessmen, women with their children, and poor people, almost knocking some over. I wanted to turn around and apologize, but I didn't have time. I kept running on, for blocks and blocks. My lungs screamed out in pain, flattening trying to get me to stop and catch my breath, but I paid no attention. My side began to hurt reminding me how out of shape I was, from not trying in PE, or using a fake doctor's note. I rounded another corner, almost falling over from running so fast.

The fact that my domain was only three more blocks away was the only thing keeping me from falling down dead right then and there. I spotted my brown apartment building, which used to be white. I pushed through the heavy doors and spotted the stair well. "No way am I climbing seven flights of stairs after that work out." I panted.

I heard the elevator ding, and I gulped. The rusty elevator was about as old as the building itself, and about as safe as jumping off of a cliff. The slow doors opened and I walked on. It shook, startling me. I pushed the "seven" button and waited while it dinged at every floor. I tapped my leg, and closed my eyes, half expecting it to fall to my doom at any moment, but it finally dinged for my floor. I had to push the "open door" button several times before the screechy doors actually opened with great deliberation.

I walked down to my door, littered with Graffiti, 303. I stuck the key in the hole and pushed the door open with a thud. I tossed my backpack on the kitchen table, while I strode to my room. I wasn't afraid my dad would catch me he wasn't expected at home for at least another six hours. I jogged into my room panting, and shut the door behind me.

My room is pitch black even in the daytime, because I have heavy black curtains blocking anything, light and peoples nosey view, from coming through my small window. I have a little dirty mattress on the floor. I have to be careful when I actually have the chance to sleep, because there is one spring at the bottom, which has popped up. I can easily be cut by the sharp metal edge. I don't really have to worry about that though, because I rarely sleep in my bed. In fact, I rarely sleep at all. I spend most of my weekday at school. Then, for all of the rest of the time, I'm in my room, at my desk, on my computer.

I am a hacker. I hack into web-sites and government programs, trying to find information about The Matrix, and the man who can give me the answers, Morpheous. By looking at all of the files the downtown government agency keeps, I'm able to tell that Morpheous is a wanted man, he has been convicted of numerous murders of government officials. The strange thing about that is, no one has been able to catch him long enough for him to appear in a courtroom.

I don't believe that Morpheous is wanted only because of murder. I believe that he knows something the government is looking for, something that they can not find out for themselves. And I believe that it has something to do with The Matrix.

I boot up my computer, and close my eyes and smile at the familiar hum the hard drive makes as it gets warmed up for a night of searching. I put on my headphones so I can hear the audio components of my search without causing a ruckus for the neighbors. I open a file I have saved about Morpheous that I didn't get to finish reading the previous night. It had something to do with him being held in a government controlled building, but was rescued by two unknown people before the agency could get any information out of him. Practically the whole building was destroyed before the day was over.

I opened some more documents, so I could compare them with the ones I would find on the internet. Hour went by and I only found one tabloid article the government took out for the public's safety. It was kind of cheesy, so I didn't take any of it seriously. The only reason I bothered to look at it was because one of the hackers that I knew was named in it, Trinity. The article was about how she was caught in the action, and when the police came to arrest her she pulled this anti gravity shit on them, and whooped everyone's asses, killing a few with their own guns. Figures it was put in the tabloid.

After a while of searching, and hacking without any success I became tired. I looked at the glowing digital clock on the table. It was already eleven thirty at night. I squinted and opened my eyes yawning. I had not blinked in over five minutes. It's because when I get really into a search my eyes get glazed over, something that comes with anyone watching a screen too long. My eyelids become heavy and I lay my head down on the desk. I'll only rest for a minute, but when I woke up it was more than a minute. It had been hours, and it was morning, and I was late.

"Shit, shit, shit." I whispered to myself. I got up, ran into the kitchen and grabbed my backpack, without giving even a sarcastic "good morning." to my father, who was sitting at the table with his paper and coffee like every other morning. I rushed out the door and to the bus stop, just in time to see my ride driving away, leaving a puff of exhaust in my face.