Escape

Cade

I squint into the bright lights shining onto the stage. My hands fall onto the familiar texture of piano keys. My heart calms when the sound of the audience quieting begins. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and sing. A somber intro of minor keys plays.

Broken

That's the only way to describe some people

Broken, lost, forgotten, damned

You can't pick up the pieces

Of the broken, the lost, the forgotten, the damned

All you can do, is walk around the shattered pieces

And hope they fix themselves

They won't ever be truly fixed, but it's as close

As they'll ever get

They might look alright, maybe even great

I promise you they're not, because they're

Broken, lost, forgotten, damned

You can't pick up the pieces

Of the broken, the lost, the forgotten, the damned

All you can do is walk around the shattered pieces

And hope they fix themselves

And hope they fix themselves

And hope they fix themselves

I decrescendo the last two lines, getting softer until all that's left is the piano playing. After one final quiet note, I open my eyes as the audience cheers. "Thank you!" I smile as couples and singles clap. The emotion in their movements obvious. That's always been why I love singing. That's why my mother loved singing.

My mother taught me how to sing, well when I was little. She would sing me to sleep, her voice taking me to worlds of dragons and knights in shining armour. Soprano was where I ended up. I could sing into the stratosphere. I can even do whistle tone. But I loved to sing, because people loved to hear it. Everyone wanted to hear me. It calmed them, and it calmed me. When I was part of Project Lone, the only way for people to get rid of tension was when I sang.

So when my team was killed, I went mute. I no longer talked. I didn't talk to anybody. I couldn't. I was broken. Shattered glass. I couldn't be put back together. No matter what. So I stopped talking, and just let the music live on. Everyone knew I could still sing, but I never did for anyone, I just did in my room, cell, whatever. But the guards knew it. Back then music as stuck in the twisted Wonderland, all my roses painted red. Then I escaped, and I started to talk again because I was free.

After a few more covers of some popular songs, my performance is over, and I head to get a cup of warm coffee before I go home. As I wait in line a conversation catches my attention.

"They say it's near the river at the border."

"You can't be serious. No way. It's to close. They wouldn't let the big guys catch them."

"It's true. They say they've got weapons, men and women alike. Ready to take em down."

"Don't tell me you're thinking about joining?"

"..."

"You serious? For all you know, the rebellion isn't even real. It could a bunch of them, luring in runaways."

"But you don't know It's not true."

"Well go get your coffee, and we'll discuss this in a more private venue." The man says, looking around. His eyes flicker over mine briefly, and I look away. Were they talking about the Imperium? No. They couldn't have. The Imperium's underground, nobody knows about them. Something about a river? Whatever. I'm sure they're talking about something else. Nothing to worry about. They walk away, their heads together as they murmur in low tones.

I pay for the coffee, and head out the door. The conversation replayed in my head. It sounded like the Imperium, but yet it didn't. I'm sure it was nothing important. I shrug and continue the long walk home. I wonder how Seth's tutor lesson turned out. I made sure that Scout wouldn't be home. She would hate the idea. Let's hope nothing went to terribly wrong.

I brace myself as I step out into the cold crisp air. I hate the winter season. It's so cold and unforgiving. The sun never shines, causing the people in this city to act ruder than usual. It's also the same season that I was snatched. But that doesn't matter. Not now anyway. That's all the past, all I need to focus on now is myself and my friends, Speaking of which. I pull out my phone and hit the contact I want.

"Hey Ryker?"

"Yeah?"

"How was Seth's lesson?" I ask. There's a pause on the other end of the line before he replies.

"Fine."

"I'm on my way home. Be there in an hour." I state.

"Sounds good. See ya then. Wait, so we have an hour before you get back?"

"Yes. And please no strip poker. Remember what happened last time." I laugh.

"Damn it." I hear Ryker mutter before hanging up. Oh boy.