Arcadia : The Hidden Child

Chapter 1

Run! 

I couldn't let them catch me.  I could hear their boots slapping the wet pavement as they ran, getting closer with each step.

"Get back here kid!" I heard one of them shout.

I didn't turn around but kept running as fast as I could.

Unfortunately, I was on the edge of town and there was not much left since the Great War that destroyed most of our planet.  I looked to my right and saw the usual abandoned homes with gutters falling off the roof and broken down toys in the front yard.  They wouldn't provide any shelter, so I looked to my right and saw the woods- my woods.  My dad would bring me here on the weekends to teach me how to hunt and track, and occasionally if I could sweet talk him, a few defensive techniques.  He said I was too young to learn such things, but I had to remind him I was ten years old, almost eleven and my other friends were learning it.

"Stop! In the name of the Authority, we command you to stop!"

I pressed forward harder and then made a hard cut to my left.

I heard one of the thugs shout to their buddy I was going into the woods- he must be the smart one, I thought.

The Authority runs everything- they tell us when we can eat, sleep, where to go, what to do and they also punish us if we break curfew or any other rule they make up.  I've lost too many friends in the last month to these creeps and a third was lost a year ago....James, I thought sadly.  No one knows what happens to all the missing people or where they go.  Some say they're killed, although if that were the case they would do it in the public square like they do everyone else, to make an example out of them.  No, the younger ones got sent somewhere, no one knows for sure though. 

James' parents went to the Authority's headquarters and demanded to see their son, the Authority feigned they didn't know who they were talking about and then James' dad tried to attack one of the guards and was arrested and executed in the square a week later.  I still go to visit his mom every once in a while but she doesn't talk to anyone, she just sits on her front porch when they ring the morning bell and then goes inside when they call curfew.

"Stop!" The guard shouted again.

Did they seriously think I was that dumb?

The air smelled like wet dirt with a hint of something sickly sweet, probably why many people didn't come to this side of town.  I wouldn't have either but I had to see Molvak.  He was the only one I trusted who had the Isofaric chip I desperately needed for my newest project. 

My mom and I were working on finding a way to block the transmission of our comm's device to the Authorities tower.  Every person over the age of five was gifted a comm's device by the Authority.  In reality, it was a way they could keep tabs of where you were, for how long, and what you were saying and doing.  You were never alone, not anymore.  I put my hand into my pocket and felt for the chip, giving it a little squeeze.  That's why this chip was so important.  If they found this it on me they'd surely execute me.

I started zig zagging through the trees, avoiding low hanging branches.  I ducked behind a tree and chanced a look behind me, but I didn't see them.  I tried to get control of my breathing- in through my nose, out through my mouth I repeated; make it silent.  I listened for any sign that would give their position away, but nothing.  I pulled out my comm's device and flicked the screen on.  I'd set it up so it only relayed my location to the comm's tower when the screen was powered on, so I tried to keep it off as much as possible.  I didn't want to alert the Authority I was trying to mess with the device, nor did I need it blinking on their screens like some sort of 'here I am, come get me' beacon.  I quickly cut the screen off and the red operation light in the top right corner cut off.  I turned behind me again and still did not see them.

Listen Araleigh, listen. 

A squirrel scampering up a tree to my right, a bird fluttering in a tree above, the waterfall off in the distance to my left.  What was behind me?  Nothing.  Silence.

Wait.

What was that?  A twig breaking? Another?

My heart was racing now, how did they get this close?  If they didn't know where I was I'd give them my location, but if they did, they'd be on me in minutes and then this would be all for nothing and I'd never see my parents again.

Think Araleigh, think.

I looked around and saw the open field up ahead, I'd have to cross to get back into town.  I had two minutes left until the curfew bell sounded, which is why I was a little confused I was being chased.  Then it hit me.

Molvak. 

They didn't get to him did they?  No, he'd never turn on me or my family, but did they track me to him, or worse from him to me? 

"What was that?" I heard one of the voices say off in the distance.

The fact I could hear them so clearly made me jump.

"Do you think it's her? It's a different direction than we saw her go."

I could only hear mumbling from the second guy.

"Ok, you go and I'll wait here just in case."

It wasn't me, obviously, but what had he heard?

I heard the one guard walking away to check out the sound.  His steps were getting quieter, which gave me the slightest bit of relief.

The curfew bell rang off in the distance.  Well it was now too late, all hope I had of getting back before curfew was gone.

"Mario?" The one guard whispered.

Silence.

"Mario?" The one guard said again, with hints of anger and worry in his voice.

"If you are hiding from me... this is not funny," this time with a little more anger.

He let out a moan and started moving in the direction Mario had gone.

This was it, this was my chance, they were putting distance between us.  I should give it a little longer and make a break for it, but how long should I wait?  I couldn't give too much time because he could turn around at any moment.

I waited for another minute, even though it felt like closer to an hour and slowly started creeping towards the field, careful not to step on any twigs that would alert them to my position.  Slow and steady, I reminded myself. 

'You only win, if you can get from there to here without me hearing you,' he said pointing to two trees.

My dad's words were playing over and over in my head. 

I paused for a moment but didn't hear anyone and continued.  I was almost at the edge of the field when I saw someone running away from me in the middle of the field.  He looked young, maybe a little older than me.  Is he who they heard?  Crap, if it was does that means they are close?

I had to go for it, it was now or never.  I ran towards the boy, unfortunately it was the direction I had to go.  I looked behind me but didn't see the guards, the brief amount of relief I had all vanished when I saw a bright blue light appear in the middle of the field in front of the boy. 

What in the world?

I kept running, as I had no better option at this point.  I was in the middle of the field, exposed and now had a bright blue light calling everyone in a one mile radius to my location.  I was getting closer to the blue light, but it was starting to get smaller. 
Yes!

"There she is!" Mario shouted.

I turned to see how far they were behind me, but must have tripped over something because I went flying through the air.  What was left of the blue light and the ground were getting closer and closer.  I pulled my arms up to my face and braced for impact, this was it, this was the end...All of that running for nothing, all wasted.  

I hit the ground and a feeling of warmth swept across my body.  I stayed curled up, ready for my certain death, but there was nothing... just silence.

The ground was smooth, not rough like I'd expected and there was a sound, a sound I'd never heard before.  It was like wind chimes, only the pitch was much higher and softer.  And the air... it was warm and...

I slowly moved my arms from my face.

The floor was narrow and had a golden sparkle, leading to a large house, much bigger than anything I'd ever seen.  It was white and stood in stark contrast to the night sky behind it, but it wasn't completely dark.  There were colors of greens, purples, blues dancing and swirling.  I slowly sat up and heard a gasp.

I turned my head and saw a group of people standing behind me.  They were all dressed in robes made of different colors with a woman standing there in the middle.  Her robes were made of white with golden accents and her hair was as dark as the sky.  It was pulled back in a large poof on her head, while the rest curled down around her face. She was holding a golden stick that had something wrapped around it and there was a boy standing offside of her, holding her leg with the brightest blue eyes I'd ever seen.  There were two other men standing behind the woman, urging her to do something, but she ignored them and continued staring at me.  The men's faces had panic on them, they were terrified.  But her's... it was different... I couldn't quite explain it, but I couldn't help but stare, as if held in a trance.

"You must act," one of the men urged again.

The woman waved him off and started walking over to me.

I could feel my heart quicken as she got closer to me.  My lungs began to scream out for oxygen and blackness began to creep into my vision, I felt weak.  Before the woman was standing in front of me, everything turned black.