Chapter 2: Running for Your Life

It was cold that night, I remember it well now. But it was January so it was to be expected. In fact, the date was January 4th, 1977. It was that fateful night where I made a mistake that could never be un-done and my life would change.

It wasn't until I heard a whistle and loud yells that I found myself running. The few people in my way rushed to step out of my way while other just looked out from their small houses. They didn't know why I was running, but I knew. The leather pouch in my pocket bounced with me, a heavy thought included with its weight. I might have been okay but my nerves hadn't gotten in the way and made me run. The infantry men behind me saw my running form and figured out that I was the culprit right away.

I pick up the pace a little finding them too close for my comfort and start to lose them down the street. Another small group of soldiers try to stop me but I take my knife and make a few quick slashes ending their lives. My breathing shifted again making me notice that a half a mile had already gone by. I wouldn't need a break for a few more miles but it was going to be dangerous if I was still trying to evade the army when I ran out of stamina.

Another blockade in front of me forms. This time they had their guns out and where prepared to shoot. I wrinkle up my nose and take a turn into a small alleyway. Looking behind I find no followers, but due to that I do not see the trash can in front of me in time. All I could do was crash into it and trip, skidding on my hands and knees and finally come to a halt with my face to the ground.

I swear quietly and try to stand up. My legs wobble a little and I realized just how much breath I had lost. My breathing is harsh and uneven. I had overestimated again in my calculations and did not take in the speed I was running. The pace I had set was not good for long distances. I wipe my bloodied hands on my bloody knees and stand finally taking in my surroundings.

To my luck I had a ring of infantry men surrounding me; even the alleyway I had come through was now blocked. I steps forward and twists my hands behind my back cuffing them tightly. He kicks my knees out and searches my pockets deftly. He finds his prize and laughs at me.

"All this just for a piece of materia a man's wallet. There has to be more, otherwise you wouldn't be so desperate to get away." He was pulling up on my arms and it was painful. I bite my lip refusing to cry out no matter what. He throws me back on the ground and I find my face on the stone again.

"Sir," the man who had cuffed me turned to someone. "Here is the object in question. What are the new orders? Will we be leaving her or taking her back to headquarters?"

Another man steps forward but all I can see if his boots. "She did steal from us, and she did kill a few of our men. I think that we will be bringing her with us. We cannot have her terrorizing the people here. Common, let's get her into the truck."

Someone pulls me up by one of my arms and sets me on my feet. I steady myself gently and then smile at them. "You just made one crucial mistake." My leg flies at the nearest soldiers and strikes the middle of his chest. Once that foot is set back down I am in motion and swinging the other around into a round house that connects with a man's head. He drops like the first and I move on. They finally catch on and try to come at me. I turn slightly and help one of my knee and another over my shoulder. Taking my chance I run head first towards their commander. All he does is step out of the way effortlessly and place a hard kick to my side. I cry out and roll onto the ground. Trying to stand up I am pushed back to the ground again. In my next attempt the commander just sets his foot firmly on my chest. I squirm but he does not budge. He gives me an odd look and swiftly kicks my head, knocking me unconscious.

I am unsure how long I actually was unconscious, but the next time I awoke I was in a van. I was tied up, hands and feet this time and I had a splitting headache. I guess they were not taking any more chances. There were a few infantry men sitting around me talking quietly to themselves. Some of them had their helmets off so I could study their faces. There were a few older men but the majority of them were young men. Probably trying to seek their fortune as a hero.

Seeing I could do nothing I decided to rest my eyes and head. I let myself drift into a light sleep so I could still be aware of my surroundings but not at the same time. I was jostled awake again then a man grabbed me gruffly and hoisted me over his shoulder. There was no talk between any one now. They bring me through the complex dreary building and take an industrial elevator up. Once on a higher floor they bring me to a strong looking door and shove me into the dark room.

For the third time that day I have my face pushed into the ground. I had managed not to get my nose crushed by the previous two but this time I found it quite broken. Cursing through gasps I roll onto my side. A small puddle forms beneath me head but I ignore it. My poor head was aching too much.

Some time later the door opens again and light spills in behind a shadow. The door closes again and I am hoisted into a chair. By that time my nose had stopped bleeding but I can still feel the blood on my face.

"So," I hear a voice close to my ear. "You are the terrorist? You are going to answer some of my questions." I nod drowsily and listen closely. "Good girl, now. What is your name and who do you work for?"

I shake my head. "My name is Lilja Koski and I don't work for anyone." I feel my hair being tugged at the back of my scalp but I can barley feel it with the other pain. "Honestly! I don't work for any person or company!" I start to get desperate. I feel like they will torture me if necessary to get the info they want to hear.

The man hmphs and steps around me. "Really now. Then why did you steal the material?"

"Because, I have read up on it. I know the dangers of it and I know that trying to use that materia would be disastrous."

"How did you hear about this materia? This has been kept under very tight wraps. Not many people know about it. It is curious how you know about it."

I sigh. "Because your executives are loud and blab. A person who can hear fairly well can know what is going on as long as they pay attention."

He says nothing but I can feel his eyes on me. I hear a little beeping and the man starts to speak. "Yes?" It must be a personal hand device. I can hear a faint voice on the other side but I cannot make it out. "Understood, I got what I needed already. I will deliver her right now." I flips his phone shut and puts it away.

"Where are we going?" I ask out of curiosity.

He simply looks at me with pity. "To the science department. Your sentence was death anyways." I stay silent as he drags me from the chair. He unlocks my feet so I can walk by myself. "Keep up." He scolds me as I stumble behind him.

I think about attacking him but something stops me. Perhaps it is the way he carries himself that warns me that he knew how to fight. We take another elevator, this time to the 67th floor. He grips my shoulder tightly and guides me through another maze of hallways. I find us standing in front of another large heavy looking door that opens itself for us.

The room is filled with many beakers, dishes, little tubes and complicated looking equipment. People in white coats run around looking at computers and comparing notes, looking at things under microscopes and mixing up different concoctions. If I wasn't so frightened it would have been cool to watch. But knowing that this would be the place of my doom did not make it enjoyable.

A man with greasy hair spots us and walks up. He has a sickening grin on and thick glasses. "Is this my new specimen?" He asks the dark haired man next to me.

"Yes. Take her now; I have other business to attend to." He pushes me forward to the man and leaves quickly. Once the door is shut I feel the doom weigh even more on me. The disgusting man in front of me summons a couple of his assistants who put me in a small cell. They take the cuffs with them but leave me alone in the cold room.

I sit down on the hard metal bed and contemplate what to do. There was really nothing I could do. Fighting them would just lead to soldiers coming that would kill me anyways. It seems like this is a lose-lose situation. I sigh heavily and ease my throbbing head onto the stiff pillow.

Death? is that how this is going to end? Because I made one mistake? Man, my older brother is going to kill me. I did not even tell him where I was going. And what will the old woman do? Will she come here and bail me out? What will Shin-Ra do to her? Will she be thought to be a "terrorist" also? I am obviously over thinking the situation. But there is nothing else to do, except sleep.

I take a deep breath and sigh heavily. Might as well get some sleep, I think as I close my eyes. The pounding in my head was getting worse. I pull the scratchy blanket around me and drop off into a deep sleep fill with black nothingness.

Some time later I am woken up by a lab assistant and brought out to a small white room. The strip me of all my clothing and spray me down with a harsh stream of water. I am immediately brought into another room leaving my clothing behind where I am shoved into a large glass tube. They hook me up to a few monitors and close the door on me. I start to feel claustrophobic and try to cover myself up but it doesn't work. I see the faces of some of the assistants just laughing at me.

I hear a small hissing sound but don't see anything. It just confirms my worst fears; they are putting me to sleep. I start to feel drowsy and sway. I feel my body collapse and press against the glass. Being aware of nothing and everything at the same time is such a weird feeling.

Some sort of liquid fills the tanks and my body starts to float upright. I try to hold my breath with my last strands of consciousness but I find myself gasping and breathing in mouthfuls of air that burns my lungs and makes my body writhe in pain. All of the pain makes me slip away into sleep but I still can feel the pain. Just what are they doing to me?