Chapter two.
The Idea of Escape.
That night Lina lay in her bed, but she couldn't sleep. She turned thirteen two months ago. Only ten moths to go. Only ten months to live. Only ten months left. She didn't want to die. She wanted to live, to grow up, like the kids before the Change did. She had to escape. There was something out there, something that would save her if she could just get out of the Dorms. Ella was never brought back. And Lina didn't think Overlords will take a ten-year-old girl into the Meat Factory. She didn't even take her Creature Test yet! You take it when you turn twelve, so Overlords can find out what can your brains, muscles and organs can be used for. Lina knew most of her will be used to make a Drone, which was some small comfort. Drones looked human at least. She knew that athletic Pat will be turned into a Ferret- and that was horrible.
Lina looked at her left wrist, trying to imagine what did the tracer look like. Probably a tiny chip, located between her bone and muscle. She knew she needed something sharp to cut the tracer out. But what? She knew she wouldn't find any razors on the floor, and Drones worked hard to take any other sharp object out of kid's reach. That's why probably Night's nails where covered by those gloves, just so he didn't have anything sharp. But since the gloves where his tracer, he didn't need anything sharp. Stupid Overlords.....
Lina sat up in a flash. An idea struck her. Night had sharp nails. To escape, she needed something sharp. For Night to escape, he needed to know how do disactivate his tracer. That was it!!!! Lina quietly stoop up, and go out a piece of paper and a pen, and started to write.
***
Lina took a deep breath. She reached into the pocked of her robe, and took out the note, making sure Boring wasn't looking her way. Then she looked at Night, who seemed to be absorbed in his equations. He was till wearing his black robe. Lina looked at the clock. There was a couple seconds left in the math class. The girl took the note, and quickly stuffed it under Night's keyboard. Then she looked at her PC, trying to look like she found the equations very interesting.
Night looked at her, and then took out the note. He unfolded it and read.
"Night,
my name z Lina. i m 13, and so r u (at least i think u r).
i know about ur nails. not a lot , but i know they r lcked by those metal things. they r ur tracers. i know cause of my _b____t_.
meet mi in this room , at midnight. _s__pe
Lina.
P.S.- don't let ppl see this note. 2 dangerous.
P.S.2- if u r in slp rm 5, uz the gym 2 get here. if u r in slp rm 8, uz the yard. If u r in any other, go through the feeding rm. plz come.
see ya there.
Lina"
The boy looked, at the girl next to him. She had brown hair, and bright green eyes. Not really a beauty, she was still sort of attractive. _s__pe meant escape. Kids everywhere used the fill-in-the-blanks, as a way to confuse Creatures. Night still didn't want Drones to see the note. Sometimes they where smart enough to figure the code out. Or so he heard. Night didn't want to take any chances. He looked at the note one last time. He was in the Sleeping Room Eight, so if Lina was right, he needed to use the yard. It was smart of Lina to give him directions. He was new to this Dorm, so he would need them. No he just needed a map. But that was no trouble. He could find one at lunch. Night folded the note, and stuffed it in his pocket.
***
Lina tiptoed through an empty gym, and into the silent, dark hallway. Then she leaned against the wall, and started going forward counting the doors. When she reached the seventh one, she opened the door, careful not to make any noise, and stepped into a moonlit room, closing the door behind her.
There seemed to be no one in the room at first. Then suddenly someone grabbed Lina from behind, muffling her scream with their arm.
-Don't scream. It's me. Night.
The arm let go of Lina, and Night appeared from behind her. She jumped away from him.
-What did you do that for???
- I was hiding. Didn't want creatures to find me. And I figured you would be scared and scream, if I suddenly came out.
Lina was mad, but the matter she cam here for was much more important.
-Well,-asked Night, - First, can you tell me what is your ability? You are right about mine. I do have metal nails.
Lina took a second, trying to figure out the best way to explain.
-I..I.. I can read minds. Or hear them.. I can hear what creatures think.
-They think? Never would of guessed. Can you hear what people think too?
-It's much harder. Human mind is way too complex. But, I came here to talk about only one thing- escape. We could pair up together. I can find out how to disactivate your tracer by listening to what drones are thinking. Then you could use your nails too....cut my tracer out. Then the getting away wouldn't be that hard.
Night looked at her with his dark eyes.
-Agreed.
Then he started toward the door. Lina stopped him.
-Wait!- she whispered.
-Why are you wearing black robe?
Night's face became angry. Then he answered thought his teeth.
-Black Banner. He promised to give a couple of kids to Emerald Crown . He selected seven. Six of us were about to turn fourteen, so they went strait to Meat Factory. I have another year to wait, so I went here. They still didn't give me an emerald robe.
He turned away. Lina paused for a second, unsure if she should say anything.
-I know this might seem rude, but..... isn't our Dorm better? I mean, yours is sooo much bigger. I heard a Drone thinking about it one time.
-But I had a little brother there!!!!- Night almost screamed.
-Stelo!!! He is only nine! How could they have done it! He has no one to take care of him now.
Night turned away and left. Lina didn't try to stop him.
The Idea of Escape.
That night Lina lay in her bed, but she couldn't sleep. She turned thirteen two months ago. Only ten moths to go. Only ten months to live. Only ten months left. She didn't want to die. She wanted to live, to grow up, like the kids before the Change did. She had to escape. There was something out there, something that would save her if she could just get out of the Dorms. Ella was never brought back. And Lina didn't think Overlords will take a ten-year-old girl into the Meat Factory. She didn't even take her Creature Test yet! You take it when you turn twelve, so Overlords can find out what can your brains, muscles and organs can be used for. Lina knew most of her will be used to make a Drone, which was some small comfort. Drones looked human at least. She knew that athletic Pat will be turned into a Ferret- and that was horrible.
Lina looked at her left wrist, trying to imagine what did the tracer look like. Probably a tiny chip, located between her bone and muscle. She knew she needed something sharp to cut the tracer out. But what? She knew she wouldn't find any razors on the floor, and Drones worked hard to take any other sharp object out of kid's reach. That's why probably Night's nails where covered by those gloves, just so he didn't have anything sharp. But since the gloves where his tracer, he didn't need anything sharp. Stupid Overlords.....
Lina sat up in a flash. An idea struck her. Night had sharp nails. To escape, she needed something sharp. For Night to escape, he needed to know how do disactivate his tracer. That was it!!!! Lina quietly stoop up, and go out a piece of paper and a pen, and started to write.
***
Lina took a deep breath. She reached into the pocked of her robe, and took out the note, making sure Boring wasn't looking her way. Then she looked at Night, who seemed to be absorbed in his equations. He was till wearing his black robe. Lina looked at the clock. There was a couple seconds left in the math class. The girl took the note, and quickly stuffed it under Night's keyboard. Then she looked at her PC, trying to look like she found the equations very interesting.
Night looked at her, and then took out the note. He unfolded it and read.
"Night,
my name z Lina. i m 13, and so r u (at least i think u r).
i know about ur nails. not a lot , but i know they r lcked by those metal things. they r ur tracers. i know cause of my _b____t_.
meet mi in this room , at midnight. _s__pe
Lina.
P.S.- don't let ppl see this note. 2 dangerous.
P.S.2- if u r in slp rm 5, uz the gym 2 get here. if u r in slp rm 8, uz the yard. If u r in any other, go through the feeding rm. plz come.
see ya there.
Lina"
The boy looked, at the girl next to him. She had brown hair, and bright green eyes. Not really a beauty, she was still sort of attractive. _s__pe meant escape. Kids everywhere used the fill-in-the-blanks, as a way to confuse Creatures. Night still didn't want Drones to see the note. Sometimes they where smart enough to figure the code out. Or so he heard. Night didn't want to take any chances. He looked at the note one last time. He was in the Sleeping Room Eight, so if Lina was right, he needed to use the yard. It was smart of Lina to give him directions. He was new to this Dorm, so he would need them. No he just needed a map. But that was no trouble. He could find one at lunch. Night folded the note, and stuffed it in his pocket.
***
Lina tiptoed through an empty gym, and into the silent, dark hallway. Then she leaned against the wall, and started going forward counting the doors. When she reached the seventh one, she opened the door, careful not to make any noise, and stepped into a moonlit room, closing the door behind her.
There seemed to be no one in the room at first. Then suddenly someone grabbed Lina from behind, muffling her scream with their arm.
-Don't scream. It's me. Night.
The arm let go of Lina, and Night appeared from behind her. She jumped away from him.
-What did you do that for???
- I was hiding. Didn't want creatures to find me. And I figured you would be scared and scream, if I suddenly came out.
Lina was mad, but the matter she cam here for was much more important.
-Well,-asked Night, - First, can you tell me what is your ability? You are right about mine. I do have metal nails.
Lina took a second, trying to figure out the best way to explain.
-I..I.. I can read minds. Or hear them.. I can hear what creatures think.
-They think? Never would of guessed. Can you hear what people think too?
-It's much harder. Human mind is way too complex. But, I came here to talk about only one thing- escape. We could pair up together. I can find out how to disactivate your tracer by listening to what drones are thinking. Then you could use your nails too....cut my tracer out. Then the getting away wouldn't be that hard.
Night looked at her with his dark eyes.
-Agreed.
Then he started toward the door. Lina stopped him.
-Wait!- she whispered.
-Why are you wearing black robe?
Night's face became angry. Then he answered thought his teeth.
-Black Banner. He promised to give a couple of kids to Emerald Crown . He selected seven. Six of us were about to turn fourteen, so they went strait to Meat Factory. I have another year to wait, so I went here. They still didn't give me an emerald robe.
He turned away. Lina paused for a second, unsure if she should say anything.
-I know this might seem rude, but..... isn't our Dorm better? I mean, yours is sooo much bigger. I heard a Drone thinking about it one time.
-But I had a little brother there!!!!- Night almost screamed.
-Stelo!!! He is only nine! How could they have done it! He has no one to take care of him now.
Night turned away and left. Lina didn't try to stop him.
