tomorrow... (Part I of the Archai series)

2

I had packed my bags. It was time to leave this life, if you could call it that, behind. Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I turned to have one last look at the flat. It was a dump, yes, and the heating never works. But it was home. And a small part of me was sad to see the back of it. "C'mon Tes. We have to leave now." Mum sighed.
"I know." I replied, dragging my eyes away over the graffiti covered walls. Both my parents carried over-stuffed rucksacks and carrier bags full of food. I took one from Mum, flashing her a smile.

Our footsteps echoed as we hurried down the crumbling concrete stairs. "Be quiet and quick. Don't make eye contact with anyone." Dad hissed. I nodded, making my curls bounce. "Oh Tes! Your hair!" Mum squeaked.
My hand went up to feel the coarse ringlets instinctively. "What about it?"
"It's very memorable. Here, take my veil." Mum pulled off her own headscarf and handed it to me. I put it on, knotting the fabric almost exactly where my chip had been removed.

We walked quickly along the Main Street, clinging tightly to each other so we didn't get separated. Even though it was technically after curfew, there were still many people here. My teeth chattered together and my fingers turned a delightful blue as we moved. My jacket did nothing to help me stay warm. At one point, we ran across an illegal rave being broken up by the Peaceforce.  As I sheltered between my parents in a shop entrence, watching partygoers being lead away in handcuffs, it dawned on me the full danger of what we were doing.

Hours later, we stopped from a rest. My feet ached where the boots were too tight and my back was hunched from the biting wind and rain. The bags I was carrying seemed to weigh tons instead of kilos. I sat on a freezing barricade, relieved to get some weight off my feet. "How far left?" Mum asked, mimicking my movements. "Not far." Dad tried to reassure her. "Another hour or so until we are out of the Hub."
I sighed with relief. The Hub was the most dangerous part of Lower Archai, bustling with people and crime. Once we were out, it would be clear sailing until the border.

Mum started coughing, a horrible rattling sound that echoed in the night. Dad rubbed her back soothingly until she stopped. Her face was deeply lined and hollowed out. "Are you ok?" I asked.
"Yes. Just a cold, that's all." She replied. Dad didn't look convinced. I wasn't either. "We should rest somewhere for a while." I suggested. In the distance, in the slivers of sky between buildings, the sky was turning pink and orange. Looking at my watch, I saw it read 6:30 in neon green, the digital display harsh against the black metal. We had been walking for 4 hours.

"Tes is right, love. We need to rest or we will never make it out of this city alive." Dad said.
"No one ever does." Mum replied, seeming half asleep. Her eyes fluttered shut, before pinging open again. "Fine. Let's find a ruin to sleep in." She said resentfully. We got up and walked for a bit, before finding a boarded up squat. One of the boards was loose. With some help from Dad, I pulled it off and we  climbed inside. It was dirty and litter was piled in the corners, but there wasn't rats or needles. It would do for now. We laid down the tarp Mum had brought and pulled the bags over us in an attempt to keep warm.

Dad shook me awake. "Hurry, get up!" He hissed. I rolled over, pushing myself up onto my knees. My veil seemed to have rotated round, so I pulled the dark fabric straight. Mum was already on her feet, stuffing things frantically back into bags. I began helping her, my hands stinging as the sores stretched. "What's the time?" I asked.
"8 in the morning. It's past rush hour already but Peaceforce is starting to get shifty." Dad whispered. Throwing my backpack on, I picked up two of the carriers. "Let's go." I said. The light that filtered through the boards did little to prepare me for the blinding brightness of outside.

Shielding my eyes with my hand, I scanned the street. It was busy, but nothing like at night. We began walking, hurrying towards the city border.  The backs of my legs ached, but it was noticeable how the people thinned out. Stray dogs slinked back into their dingy alleys, glowering as we passed. I was shocked they even existed here. Pets were only a thing for the Regia. No one else had the money, or the time. Dad pushed me and Mum closer, keeping directly to the middle of the street where possible.

The city border came into view. A tall grey wall that stretched for miles. Barbed wire along the top. Several guard towers protruded from the skyline. I gulped. As we neared the boarder, the houses dwindled to shacks and eventually into barren soil. This was about a kilometre from the wall. "Everyone ready on the cover story?"
"Yep." Came the reply. We continued walking, the chill air biting into us. I pulled my veil tighter around my face, covering my mouth from the dust that blew into it.

"Stop there!" A Peaceforce guard, all dressed up in blue and white garb, yelled. "Who are you? This is the city border!" We drew to a halt, standing close together at the side of the highway. The guard jumped out of his car, boots hitting the ground and sending dust flying in the air. After yesterday's rainstorm, I was surprised that all the dust wasn't watered down. But rain was never enough out here. The ground had been so irradiated and damaged that it dried up in a matter of hours. All the farms were indoors.

"We wish to leave on the San-Chi highway." Dad said firmly.
"To where?" The guard uttered, the black visor showing no expression.
"Parkwood." Mum snapped back. The guard visibly recoiled. Parkwood was slap bang in between three large H-Zones, where the Kansas City and surrounding bombs dropped. He waved us through. I internally sighed and continued walking. The huge mechanical doors started creaking open. I waited in nervous anticipation. I had never seen outside the city. It was a privilege that only Regia kids got in the senior year of tutor. A crack of light started to appear.

The landscape looked... different. Than what I imagined, which... was basically a lovely green paradise. This was... utter devastation.