The Encroacher's Trilogy: Dystopia (COMPLETED)

Chapter 8

That following morning I woke up to stormy clouds and rain scratching its nails down my window. Still, the marchers never ceased to do their duty, even if their expressions were pained and they were mildly discomforted by the rain in their sodden shoes. My parents didn't wake me up and so I forced myself out of bed and slumbered to the kitchen. There before me, was mother and father; their faces like an aubergine (zucchini some say); with a letter in their hands. It formally read: Dear Mr and Mrs James.

I advanced cautiously towards my parents. I triggered their fuse and they blew.

"Flora! What the hell is this? THIS?" She waved the letter frantically in my face. "How the hell did you get expelled on the first day?"

I was about to politely answer her question to explain how everyone over reacted at the word 'basement' but as soon as I opened my mouth she shook a finger at me.

"Not. One. Word. How in God's name are we meant to protect you now? That was the only place you could be safe!" Mother clasped her hands over her mouth.

"Excuse me?" I demanded. Her face morphed into a cherry and father took over for her.

"Don't you dare take that tone with your mother! Go to your room! When we go out to work this morning you are not to leave this house." Father chided. I fought the urge to state how childish it was to send me to my room.

"You know it's really childish of you to send me to my room. I'm not 5 anymore." I crossed my arms. I failed to fight the urge.

"I. Don't. Care if you find us childish. You know nothing. Get out of our sight while we figure out how to educate you."

I swore and stuck my finger up at them.

"10 years they've shied away from me, and they don't even have the decency to understand me or tell me their secrets." I muttered this to myself before slamming the door in my room.

***

Because there was nothing else to do, I lay on my bed and thought about Noah. I couldn't believe that we had found each other again- but then I was imprisoned in my room! It was like a temptation too good to be true. You get close to it but then it slips out of your fingers and you are left with a crumb.
It wasn't fair. I had to see him again. I had to.

When I heard the front door slam shut to announce my parents had gone to work, I leapt off my bed to follow them.

Except for one thing. My door was locked.

I cursed under my breath and kicked it; but that only caused agony.
What were they thinking? After 9 years of being away from me, that was how they treated me?
Ludicrous. There was no way I was staying in that prison.

"Aldo!" I cried, "Get me out of here!" I heard him lug his body up the stairs as if he was quite contempt with my imprisonment. Eventually he stopped outside my door and whined.
"I need to leave now! Noah will be wondering where I am!" Aldo stopped whining.
"Aldo? Are you there?" No answer.

Curse this dog's intelligence.

I cried in anguish for Aldo to listen to me, yet he refused to show any sign he was listening.
There were no tail wags, no whines and not even a pant.
I kicked the door with such ferocity my bookshelf rattled, but I didn't do anything about it. I simply slumped against my door and put my head in my hands.

This is not how my meet up with Noah was planned.

I looked around my room with distaste. It suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't fully examined it earlier and now I had the chance. In doing so, I noticed a glint on my bookshelf, like sunlight reflecting off a mirror.  Filled with curiosity, I approached the bookshelf; yet there was nothing there. I returned to examining my room when I saw it again- right at the back of the bookshelf. If I tilted my head to a certain degree then I could see it. I reached out my hand and found the surface of the wall, exactly where the light was. I knocked on the wall and it sounded shallow. I knocked all the way up the wall until I heard it.
A hollow sound.

I traced my fingers up and down the wall to see if there was some sort of special door like you see in adventure films- but... there was nothing.
With my hopes up, I punched the wall.

That's how you open it...

The wall dinted and a book fell. No, wait... the wall was the book!
Someone had painted the book to match the wall as if it were full of secrets and valuable information that weren't allowed to be read.
I opened the book with delicacy in case the pages were aged and worn. They were indeed fragile and they also had mildew dampening the edges; so I returned the book to the shelf.
When it was returned to its rightful home, I examined the others.

That was when the page slipped out.

'The Enemy's' Plan by Peter Bolders'

I recognised the name Bolders so I read on.

'We have many fantastic spies in our group yet they are not 'fantastic' enough. We have asked them to identify the enemy's plans but they keep coming back empty handed. It seems that we need a new approach because they have the advantage of a tactful leader who can avoid all foes. I know this leader inside out because she was my best friend in school, and my wife. Thank goodness I didn't join her army because they kill mercilessly and they have no sympathy for the innocent. I don't know if I can ever love her again.
I must leave now because we have arranged a meeting of how to identify the enemy's hideout.
I'm going to volunteer and talk some sense into her.
Maybe our love can be renewed... maybe there is a part of me that wants to forgive her for her crimes. She is only violent from the pressures and the demands of her army. I know her too well; I only hope she will forgive me too.
My dear beloved Katherine Bolders.

One word came into my head. Noah.
It all came back to me: Katherine was Noah's mother, and she told Noah confidential information about what happened to the children and passed it to him via the newbie.

But wait... what if he didn't know about his mother? What if his dad never told him the truth?

He had to know. And I had to tell him.
I tried the window- but of course, it was locked. The keyhole was small, and so I guessed its key would be the same. As an alternative option, I got the stepladder out of my en-suite and opened the handled skylight.

Why didn't I think of this before?

I slid down my roof and climbed down the brick pillar; grazing my knees as I landed.
Now I had escaped, all I could think about was what would happen to Noah if people found out about his mother.