The Dreaming: Dark Star (Book 5)

3.2. Escape (Imorah)

Imorah left the archive vault and entered an empty white hallway that stretched on forever, curving gently to the left.

Behind her the door to the Archive Vault automatically wheeled shut, closing Imorah in the dark. Nervous, she quickly turned on her pocket light, which emitted a soft white reassuring glow.

As long as I have you, I'm not alone, she told the light. But she knew the truth - the light would only last for a few hours.

Imorah looked into the distance. She couldn't believe it - she was actually going to do it. She didn't even know what it was she was doing, but she felt compelled to keep moving forward. She felt compelled to run - to follow her instincts - or some forgotten knowledge. One thing she did know - now that she was retrieving some of her memories, and they knew she was aware of them, she wouldn't be safe in The Shelter anymore.

Shivering in fear, she thought about what Brother Thom would do to her if he found her. She just couldn't bear the thought of spending a single moment with him ever again. Now that she knew the truth, she hated him. He had always punished her, since her grandmother had disappeared, and now Imorah knew that he had lied, he had knowingly lied. He'd let Imorah believe her Grandma was dead. He'd erased her memories.

She took a deep breath, and strapped her bag over her shoulder, and started jogging down the hall, feeling her chest hurt with anger. He'd cheated her of everything.

She jogged for a few minutes and came to an emergency panel - if it was touched the entire Shelter would go into a state of emergency.

Imorah imagined what that would look like. Everyone brought to a state of panic as the alarms go off - something that happens very rarely. The Convocation would be ruined as everyone goes into lockdown to be counted for while the entire shelter is searched. Everyone would be terrified.

She paused for a moment, uncertain, catching her breath and imagining everyone's reaction, how the twins' birthday would be destroyed. For a moment she wanted to do it. There would be no concert for them, no play, no dance. She had a smile on her lips and reached out her hand, placing it just inches from the plate.

"Just like there had been no concerts, no plays, no dances for me!" she said with anger. She had always been excluded from these things - silently segregated from those who would date, find love and have children. And restore humanity to the surface when the time was right.

She took another deep breath. She wanted to touch her palm to the plate - to activate the alarm, and she would have touched it, except... Except... Imorah licked her lips. It could give away my location. As if that wasn't enough, she reasoned further, and eventually when it comes out that I've escaped, everyone will hate me for ruining the big day.

She wanted to do it but she wouldn't. She knew that the emergency exit door was not the door that was beckoning her. There was another door, another passageway to the surface. Her grandmother had found it, and Imorah would find it as well.

She turned and left the emergency panel and continued running down the hall.

She was reminded of her dream - the empty hallway with the doors - and the same feeling rushing through her body: a mix of fear and excitement at the thought of reaching the end. Terrified and hopeful. For once, hopeful.

The end of this hallway, led to the end of her life in The Family. It also meant the beginning of something new, but she had no clue what that was. There was the possibility that her grandmother was alive and well, and Imorah would find her home - her place in life, with people like her. But there was also the possibility that something horrible had happened to her grandmother, and something horrible was going to happen to Imorah as well.