Lawless

Chapter Twelve

It'd been three days since my adventure into Lawless. No one had said a word to me about anything; I had gotten away with it. I really thought I'd feel bad for having to keep such a big secret from my family but that wasn't the case at all.

The only thing that changed from the experience is the way I view everyone in Class. It was almost as if the experience of seeing the other side had opened my eyes and made me realise that everyone in Class is walking around with their eyes closed and oblivious to the outside world.

I started questioning the motives of everyone in my family. Do they actually believe High Class is doing the right thing? Is there anyone else in Class that are having the same thoughts I am? Had anyone else successfully been over the fence before?

*

It's mid-afternoon when the alarm rings out in Class. The local farmers market I meandered through was peaceful and happy before chaos ensured.

I had just bought three sunflowers and planned to sit them on my bedroom window sill once I got home.

My head shoots up and scans the area along the fence like everyone else in the vicinity. I see nothing.

Everybody freezes where they are. This is the first time that the fence alarm had been triggered during the day. Surely it must be an animal or a fault in the line, there's no way someone would risk crossing the fence in broad daylight.

A quiet murmur of questions erupts around me. Nobody knows what to do, was this just a practice test?

"Class residents return to your houses immediately" suddenly the speakers placed throughout Class blast Sir Walters recorded voice onto the streets.

That's when everyone starts to panic. We'd had practice drills before but there had always been a warning that it wasn't an emergency beforehand, this time was different though. Parents pick up their children and run; dropping everything they hold in their hands. Store owners don't even bother to close up shop before running home.

It only takes mere seconds before the market is cleared out. It was then that I remembered that even though I didn't support their ideologies and knew that someone from Lawless coming over the fence isn't as big deal as it's made out to be, I still have to act like it is.

I run all the way home; flower's still clutched tightly in my hand.

The front door opens as I reach for it, Ma pulling me in by the arm before slamming and locking the door. The house is dark, all the curtains drawn.

"Dove! Where've you been!" she shrieks. The panic is evident on her face, worry lines forming between her brows.

Dad and Max's boots are missing from the front door. Ma walks to the basement door and holds it open for me.

"C'mon" she hisses at me. I hold up the sunflowers and shake them at her.

"I have to put them in water, hold on" I quickly jog up the stairs before she has time to say anything else. My bedroom door is slightly a jar before I barge through. I go to my closet and rise up on my toes to reach the top shelf; searching for the glass jar I know is there.

My hand skims along the top, my eyes just being able to see over the shelf. I finally feel the cold glass and grasp it in my hand.

A sudden tug on my belt loops pulls me further into the closet, the glass jar falling from my hands and smashing into pieces all over my bedroom floor.

I release a short scream before I stop myself when I see the dark figure hiding behind my hung up clothes.

"Sage?" I whisper. He says nothing, just stares.