Ethereal

Chapter 12: Capture

          Loud voices shook me out of my sleep, early morning light peeking through the cracks of the truck door. From the absence of the motor's hum and the stillness of the truck bed I knew we had stopped. Had I already arrived at the Sacramento Providence? I racked my brain trying to think of how many days had passed since I had smuggled myself into the truck – I had slept through two nights and about a day and a half's journey. Surely, we couldn't be there already? Maybe the Citadel officials had stopped for gas. These huge trucks still needed gas to run, right?

          The voices from outside the truck got louder as they closed in on the back of the truck, and even though I tried I couldn't make out what they were saying. The walls around me were too thick or the stranger's words were too rushed; either way I knew if I didn't act quickly my trip would come to a very sudden halt.

          I looked around wildly and threw myself into the back in the tight corner where I had found the jug of water. I pressed myself between a crate and the wall, keeping my breaths small to keep my ribs from jutting angrily against the metal and wood.

          The voices turned into footsteps and bright flashlight beams that scanned around the cabin. I peered around my crate, my fingers digging into my bag as I saw two dark outlines move around the bed of the truck.

          "Did you check the corners?" said one of the officials, his voice sounded as though he had just gotten over a bad cough.

          "Not yet," said the other official, a woman. I waited as I heard her footsteps echo closer to where I was hidden. I sucked in one deep breath and then held it, not daring to move so much as an inch.

           Her flashlight glazed over the top of my crate, the shadows arching high over my head and against the wall. There was a small grunt as the woman tried and failed to fit herself into the tight space, and then a huff as she gave up. I slowly let out the breath I had been holding as I listened to her footsteps recede.

           "It's clear. Tell the driver he can enter through the city's gates." Said the woman official. Her voice sounded clipped and irritated. Not being able to fit into the corner must have really upset her.

           My heart was still pumping erratically in my chest, so loud I thought for sure the officials would hear it until they slammed the truck door shut and locked it. I waited for a moment before pushing myself out of my hiding spot and crawling back to my old wall where I slept. Letting my bag fall from my hands I leaned my head against the wall and counted my heartbeats until I felt the familiar jerk of the truck as it began to move.

             The officials must have set up checkpoint guards for the Sacramento Providence. They were checking the cabin for any stowaways before it entered the city. I thanked my lucky stars that the official hadn't been able to see all the way into my corner – if she had I don't know what would've happened.

            Gravel crunched against the tires as small bits of rock were flung up against the metal of the truck, creating what sounded like little pecking noises as we entered the Providence. The sunlight grew in intensity as we continued deeper into the Citadel, making me turn away from the back of the truck to ease the pain in my eyes.

            Not long after the truck stopped again, only this time instead of hiding I had a plan.

            I would hide near the opening of the truck, and once the back door opened, I would make a break for it. It wasn't the best plan ever, but I couldn't exactly hide in a crate and hope someone would carry me out undetected. For one thing, there was no way for me to lock myself in, and if a guard noticed one of the latches open, they might get suspicious.