The Hamartia Project

Chapter Six- Luca (Totalitarian Communism Dictatorship)

This chapter is long overdue, so I apologize for taking such a long time. Like the other chapters, this chapter is entirely unedited, but I hope you still enjoy it! All of your support has been so amazing as I have written this book. 

This marks about halfway through Part 1. There will be one more chapter with Genesis before we move onto four new characters! 

Also, the end of this chapter gives a little more information on what is happening in the Prologue, so you now have access to another piece of the story! Once again, hope you enjoy!

Saorsa (n.) Freedom, liberty

My feet hit the dirt-- soft, earthy, and fresh. The soil is not the overworked, dry dirt in the fields we have been driving through. This dirt, the dirt closer to the fence, has no tracks tracing along its surface because it has hardly been touched by anyone, with the exception of a few guards on patrol duty.

My eyes wildly scan the area. I need to know the space well if the escape is going to be successful.

The first piece of the world that I take in is the lack of patrol guards. I know they must be somewhere close, but the terrain is clear. Next, my eyes take in the fence. It is about a hundred feet away, a towering fortress of twisted wires. It is daunting and terrifying, symbolizing the fear and terror of the unknown that exists beyond.

Through the holes between the wires, I can see the dark green trees and the thick underbrush, a color so deep and beautiful that I can hardly fathom its realness. The trees are incredibly tall, maybe even taller than the fence. They haven't been cut down in hundreds of years, so their branches stretch out long, grappling at the top of the fence.

A gust of bitter wind slaps my face, howling around me before traveling off. The leaves on the branches settle down as a complete stillness sits on the air, keeping it from blowing another cool wind at me.

"I am sure whatever you are doing is important, but I could use a little assistance," a voice says quietly from behind me.

My head snaps around. How do I keep forgetting about my 'wife'?

Her words should sting, but her voice is gentle. Hurriedly, I walk over to her, grabbing her arm and wrapping it around my neck. After a few seconds, she nods, telling me she is ready to take her first step. I know she still feels dizzy from her head being bashed against the truck, and I wince at the thought of the guard hurting her. We begin to move slowly toward the fence, which seems to be miles away.

"I don't see any guards," I point out after a moment of silence.

Even though the Selection Ceremony is tonight and many of the guards are preoccupied, I feel that something is wrong. We should see a patrol guard somewhere. The fence stretches on for miles, but there is not a single guard stationed along the wall. I can't help but think that this is too easy.

"I thought it would at least be a little harder to escape," Ara replies, echoing my thoughts. Her eyes are fixed on the fence, visually measuring the distance between us. I know she feels guilty for making the progress slow. If there was a guard, we would have no chance of making it to the fence.

"Yeah, I was imaging dozens of machine guns trained on us, hundreds of guards surrounding us in a circle, and the Chancellor asking us if running away is really best for the group," I say with a smirk.

Ara lets out a small laugh, but, inside her head, I can almost hear her counting the steps to the fence. The only sound breaking the stillness of the night is our feet hitting the ground every few seconds. Our progress is painstakingly slow, and, after a few minutes, we have hardly crossed halfway to the fence.