Escaping Elysia

Chapter 34 - Signal

Evita

Brandt's hand is rough against my upper right arm as he leads me down the girls' hallway. Couldn't someone else have walked me down here? I don't try to pull away. Tomorrow. Tomorrow we'll fight back. I can't wait to see that smug look wiped off his face.

He squeezes more tightly, as if daring me to resist. When I don't, he sneers. "It's just a matter of time before they're finished with the rest of you." A shudder runs through me, uncontrollable, and he grins.

We reach my door and he shoves me inside without another word, slamming the door behind me. Nadya sits on her bed, propping up a book in her lap. She looks up at my entrance, face shining. "Hey."

Her hair, once long and dull, has been cut so that it just brushes her clavicle. It shimmers under the bare fluorescent lighting, and her face is clear and bright. The sight is in stark contrast to my first night here, when the shadow of her IV stand followed her everywhere, dripping poison into her veins.

"Nice haircut," I say, and she smiles faintly.

"Thanks. Leah did it."

"Did she tell you?"

Nadya nods. "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." I get into bed as she goes back to her book. When she turns a page the light glints off her bracelet. Will we ever get these off? Or will we wear them forever like a scar, like our tattoos and the other things that you can't see on the outside?

The lights go out and Nadya places her book on the floor, just like she does every night. Not anymore. We won't fall asleep here tomorrow.

She must be thinking the same thing because she says, "This morning I picked out the three books I want to take with me. The rest are going to burn."

In this moment I want nothing more than to be able to save all those books for Nadya. I'll have to settle for getting her out alive. It's hard to believe that everything is about to change, again.

I didn't think I'd be able to sleep tonight, but I'm drifting off when her voice slips through the dark. "Goodnight, Evita."

I smile. "Goodnight."

*

Today's the day.

I take a sip of my water, alone at the cafeteria table. I wish we could rehash our plan and make sure every detail is covered, but so few of us are left that the guards seat us too far apart to talk.

I can't turn my head without catching a glimpse of a guard. There were never this many before. We didn't plan for this. Will we pull it off? Will everyone get to their places in time? I have to believe they will.

I catch Dale's gaze, a few tables away. Dark circles rim his eyes and he rubs his forehead. His shoulders are tight, but not in anger like when he found out about the pills. His face is white. He's scared. I give him a small smile, hopefully reassuring. He nods. The plan is still on.

A guard walks between us and I look down, rubbing my neck. Now more than ever I wish I didn't have to finish the food on my tray. My stomach is tangled in knots. But I choke down the food.

Finally, the guards begin dismissing us. They gather all the blues and march us to the clinic. On the way Weston sidles up next to me and squeezes my shoulder. I still haven't forgotten how long it took him to change his mind, but I'm trying to be nice for Nadya's sake, so I don't pull away.

As we separate he glances at my hand in my sling and frowns. "What—" he begins, and I realize he's looking at the green.

"Nothing," I say quickly, pulling my sleeve over my hand. "Just spilled some detergent and stained my hand, that's all."