Glitch (The Write Awards 2013 Winner)

Glitch - Chapter 28

It had taken Freya less than a day to claim the window seat as her haunt in the temporary accommodation. The flat was on the top floor of the building and so the entire city centre was sprawled out before her. The ledge by the window hosted the perfect amount of space for Freya to curl up in. She’d barely left it since arriving. Her head lolled against the window, her back slumped against the wall, one hand lazily dangled over the edge while the other lay strewn across her stomach; after two weeks of trial she had discovered the most comfortable position for reclining on her viewing platform.

She’d never seen a city before. At first the sheer amount of buildings and people unsettled her. She never knew where to fix her gaze first. Every building appeared to be brand new; just uniform rows of towering blocks. Offices were indistinguishable from homes. Everything a mix of greys and glass. It would have got boring very quickly if it weren’t for the protests. Ever since news of the trials had got out streams of people had filled the streets. Some bearing banners, others simply just standing in muted dissent. Most were calm. The Patrollers quickly got to the groups bustling out of control and that threat tended to keep people’s sense in tact. And yet from dawn until dusk an electric atmosphere of growing discontent lingered in the air as more news reached of every trial, without fail, ruling in the Anomalies’ favour.

“They’re back.” Alexa strode into the room and collapsed herself onto the nearby couch. Somehow she juggled her gangly limbs into a state of relaxation. It was always a marvel that Alexa managed to move in any sort of effective manner as the awkward willowy structure of her limbs often gave the impression of a puppet without strings.

It had been just the two of them for a few days. It suited Freya just fine. Alexa was the only Anomaly she had really talked to anyway.

“Again?” Freya replied while glancing towards the door.

“Again.” Alexa’s repetition wasn’t needed. The persistent knocks at the door provided answer enough as they covered over the reply. The Patrollers only waited a day before they began to pester Freya. They weren’t meant to call them that anymore. Freya internally corrected herself. Guardians. That is what they were now. Patrollers who had defected onto the side of Glitch. They adopted a different name and now served the purpose of protecting the Glitch movement and all involved. They even changed their uniforms. Discarding Albion’s traditional colours of navy and black for a cobalt blue.

Whatever they were now, they had returned. Apparently Freya would make the perfect spokesperson for the rebellion movement. Freya thought differently.

“Great.” Her eyes rolled backwards as she knocked her head against the wall in annoyance.

“Ignore them?” Alexa suggested; her voice muffled as she pressed her cheek against a cushion.

“Sounds like a plan.”

“I don’t understand why you stay here.” The knocking persisted accompanied by the occasional call of Freya’s name. The only sign Alexa showed of the interruption was a slight raise of her voice. Other than that her remark remained perfectly calm.

“Huh?” Freya lifted her gaze from the street to focus on her friend.

“You obviously hate it here. They pester you day in and day out. You were offered to go home, to find a home in the city, even to go back to the Convent. But you said no. Three times I might add. I just don’t get it.”

“I’m fed up of moving around. And I like the idea of tormenting the Government. They hate our guts, but can’t overtly cause us any harm. The situation is too volatile and they have to stay lily white. So here we are; sitting perfectly safe right under their noses. It’s all very exciting.” Freya twisted her lips into a smirk at the thought of it. Alexa offered a brief smile back; not big enough to suggest that the subject was going to be dropped. Freya was proved right.