𝒮𝑒𝒶𝓇𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝐹𝑜𝓇 𝒯𝓇𝓊𝓉𝒽

Above or a Secret Door

Tyler could tell that he had convinced James in a heartbeat. He recognized the mindset-- it was the same mindset Tyler had years ago. In fact, it was the same mindset he still had today. Both Tyler and James were the type of people who didn't need to think before making a big decision. They knew what they wanted. They were strong-willed and confident. At least, more confident than Simon.

Simon was a different case. Tyler knew he had done a good job explaining everything. He'd had enough practice to know how to read people's faces as he told them everything. He knew Simon was getting close to agreeing. But he wasn't sure yet. And Tyler couldn't blame him. The boys have no reason to trust Tyler except for the fact that the ones they used to trust are liars. That's their motive.

Tyler made sure not to force them into making a decision too fast. He'd made that mistake too many times. He couldn't be demanding.

So Tyler had invited them to visit him any nights they wanted to. He told them that people like them, people who knew, had to stick together. He told them he can help answer any questions they have. And it would help them gain trust, the more often they talked to Tyler.

He didn't tell them that he wanted the company. He didn't tell them that being an open-eyed person in a sleeper's world was lonelier than he'd imagined.

The night after they visited, Tyler didn't even try to sleep. He didn't even lay down. He didn't want to give Nico the opportunity to get into his mind, and he didn't want to listen to the thoughts that Nico planted in his brain whenever he slept.

Just join the glorified, Tyler. You will be raised high, you will be praised and loved like never before. It will make you more than what you are.

It was always the same thing, a repetitive routine, just like everything else in Dema. Over and over and over-- he made Tyler feel worthless, useless, like he was nothing. Like it wouldn't matter if he was a spec of dust or a human. Then, he urged him to join the glorified. The ones that had lost hope in being alive.

Tyler tried not to listen. But once he woke up, he couldn't tell if the thoughts were planted there by Nico or if they were Tyler's own thoughts.

Either way, as much as he hated to admit it, the thoughts were slowly eating him away.

Come to think of it, Tyler was surprised that Nico hadn't suspected that he was the spy. The Bishops had to know that there was a spy, and Nico knew that Tyler had always been a rulebreaker. He'd hated Tyler since birth, it seemed. But he hadn't yet said anything about him being the spy. None of the Bishops had talked publicly about the spy. They were trying to keep it on the down-low, even though Tyler knew they had to be trying to figure it out.

Tyler stayed awake once all his neighbors had gone to sleep. He sat at the little desk, tracing his fingers along the tiny animal figure he had carved out of wood. It was inspired by something Josh had written about in a letter one time. He said they found a creature, and it was furry and spotted and lanky. He said it was so fast it seemed to just appear from thin air. They called it a cheetah. I think you would've liked to see him, Josh had written.

He tore out a piece of paper from his notebook, and grabbed a quill. In quick scribbles, he wrote the weekly note to the Banditos (sometimes he wrote more than once a week, if something important happened), using the code words they'd agreed on, and vague terms so they wouldn't give away any of their identities. 

Banditos,

Two nights ago, news got out that two people had attempted to climb the wall. Yesterday, they came to me looking for answers. They made it to the top of the wall and saw Trench. They are only teenagers, but they were eager to learn. I explained everything to them-- they haven't made their decision yet, but I suspect you'll have at least one new Bandito soon, maybe two. I'll keep you updated. Everything okay out there?

-Blurryface

He finished signing his codename just as there was a knock on his door. He stood up, quickly folding the paper in half and slipping it into his pocket. He opened the door to find Simon and James-- both of them wearing all black and holding balaclavas at their sides. Their hair was rumpled after wearing the mask. They both looked up at Tyler (though James was around the same height as him) as if he was something more than human. As if he was a powerful entity, as if he had so much knowledge that he couldn't be stopped.

If only they knew.

Tyler pointed at the balaclavas. "Nice masks," he offered, then stepped outside his room, latching the door quietly behind him. He motioned for the boys to follow him and they crept through the hallway. Tyler knew just where to step so that the floorboards wouldn't creak, but he winced at every groan the building heaved when Simon and James stepped in the wrong spot. He didn't want to-- no, he couldn't-- be found. By anyone. Nearly everyone in Dema had heard about the escapes, and plenty of people knew there was a spy somewhere in the city. Which was Tyler and Josh's plan-- get as many people's attention as possible. That way, if someone had questions, they know there is someone who has the answers. Otherwise, they might be too scared to ever voice what they're thinking.

But Tyler's identity had to remain a secret. If too many people know, the Bishops would find out.

At the end of the hallway, a rusty ladder was attached to the wall. Tyler climbed it easily and carefully pushed up the metal trapdoor that always made Tyler feel like his building was less of a housing complex and more of a prison. The ladder and trapdoor were so blatant, so obvious, but he'd never known of anyone to go to the roof except him and Josh. The people of Dema were brainwashed and blinded. Tyler didn't understand it, and never had. He was the type of person who needs to question everything.

Not many people were like that.

He clambered to the rooftop and James and Simon popped their heads up behind him.

"Wow!" James said as he stood up, looking around at the nearly empty roof. There were only a few empty crates sitting near the middle. James rushed to the edge of the rooftop and peered over the edge. "This is so cool! Simon, you think we could've climbed up here? Look at the indent in the building-- that would be tricky."

"I'm sure you'd find a way," Simon answered, his hands in his pockets, watching his friend warily as James sat and hung his legs over the side. Simon turned to Tyler. "What are we doing up here?"

"I'll show you." Tyler said. He settled himself on an upside-down crate and pulled four objects from varying pockets-- a few pieces of meat from Tyler's dinner, a small glass jar with a wide cork stopper, the folded letter on parchment he'd ripped from his poetry notebook, and a piece of thread. He held the meat out to Simon. "Spread that out." Simon got to work without question. As he was doing that, Tyler folded the note in half again and placed it inside the jar, making sure the lid was on tightly, then set it at his feet.

"What now?" Simon asked.

"Now we wait."

"For what?"

"You'll see," Tyler said.

Simon turned one of the crates upside down and sat on it with a disgruntled look on his face. Tyler could tell he was confused and the suspense was killing him. It almost made Tyler laugh.

James was still sitting over the edge, swinging his legs back and forth.

"You guys are good at climbing, huh?" Tyler asked.

Simon shrugged. "I guess. James is better."

"Not everyone can climb the wall, Simon."

"Not everyone has tried."

Tyler wrapped his arms around himself, even though the night wasn't particularly cold. It never was, in Dema. Never too cold, never too hot. Annoyingly perfect. Josh told Tyler that the weather in Trench was unpredictable, that it changed everyday. It rained more often out there. Josh talked about the sky a lot in his letters. Dude, you should see the sky. It's insane. It's so blue. Tyler could almost hear him saying it, almost see the way his eyes light up when talking about something that excites him.

Now, Tyler turned his eyes to the gray, dreary Dema skies. Simon saw him do it and tilted his head before also looking into the sky.

Tyler suddenly spotted a familiar figure soaring through the sky towards them, silhouetted against the sky. He pointed, and Simon followed his line of sight.

"We're in business," Tyler said.