Hollywood's Golden Runaway

(0 1)

"And action!"

The train's whistle blows again as I shove my way through the heaving masses of dirty refugees, all of them moving towards the waiting carriages. I know that he's following me and this only makes me try to push through the crowd faster because if he gets to me it could well be game over and I won't get on that train at all.

Smog lies heavy in the air of the station and shouts and cries echo off the old brick walls of the derelict building. The steam engine chugs and the smoke from its chimney only adds to the boiling heat and choking air. The sheer mass of people creates an environment of humid desperation as people fight for spaces on the train that is going to take them to their deaths. But they don't know that. They only see the false safety they have been lied to about.

Parents are feeding their children through windows to get them on the train and one young person shoves another off the train for his own space. This chaos and distress is why I need to go with them and fix this. I pull the large hood of my borrowed silken black cape further over my head allowing me to become just another one of the aristocrats escaping to the Citadel.

I'm only a metre away from the carriages when a hand suddenly grabs my arm and spins me around. I'm caught. Whether it be a guard or him. I'm done. I yank my arm free and push forwards to the carriage in front of me but I'm only seized again and spun around, my face still hidden by my hood. I struggle in his grip to free myself and sprint onto the train, thrashing in his hold to turn around.

"Selina!" He shouts. This is worse than a guard, I would rather have been caught by the authorities and arrested, it would have been so much easier to get away. He yanks my hood off my head with his spare hand and my hateful glare meets his terrified gaze. When he confirms that it is me that he has caught he repeats my name at a relieved whisper. He relaxes but it doesn't last when I tug my arm out of his hand again, turning 180 degrees to run away but he simply seizes my arm again, holding me in place with two hands on my shoulders.

Hopeful desperation covers his dirtied face and sweat glistens on his brow. I fight to keep my expression straight and not bend to my desires to leap into his arms and abandon my plan altogether. It would have been so easy. I could forget the war, the rebellion and run away but after my brother's death and with my sister's life on the line nothing could stop me from going, they are why I am doing what I'm doing. I can't care about anyone else, and if that means risking my life to bring down the corrupt government that rules over this country and liberate the millions of the oppressed population to do so, then so be it. As long as I get my family back at the end of it.

"What do you want, Mason?" I know exactly what he wants but I ask to cover the silence. I ask so that I have an excuse to hear his voice again. My tone is bored and brings out the despair and pure shock in his expression. Like the answer is obvious, which it is.

"For you not to leave, Selina," he states, moving closer now that he's got me in one place. I sigh, struggling more and more to maintain my composure. With a shaking breath I open my eyes and look him dead in his own with utter seriousness.

"I am going, Mason and you can't stop me. I am going to find the person responsible for my brother's death and free my sister. I am going to make them pay and fix this society. I am going to kill the Minister, Mason." I recite the mantra I've been telling myself over and over to justify my suicidal actions. I have some form of plan on how to take down this society, which involved assassinating the Minister - the tyrannical ruler of this country and allowing my closest friend and ally to step into his place with her democratic views and ideas. She is rational and reasonable and will lead this country to something better. Even if I don't get to see it. He scrunches his face up like a wounded animal.