Instinct

Chapter 24 -- Tracey

I looked at the large wall ahead of us. It almost looked exactly like the wall that surrounded the city but there was a divide and gears to bring it down to make it identifiable as the door. It hadn't been opened in years. The last time it opened was for Zoe.

And now it will open for us.

All around us people cheered for Anthony and I as we were about to leave the innards of the city to the hell outside.

They didn't know they were being lied to. They didn't know the truth. There would never be any data collected. We would never return. The whole city wouldn't know that we were actually being sent out to our death. I wonder how many times they've lied to us in the past.

Maybe even about the injections.

The sight of all these people surrounding us made my head spin.

"We wish you the best of luck" the announcer called to us. And that's when it happened. Almost on cue.

The gate.

Slowly the massive wall shifted downwards. Built up sand and dust shifted off making a cloud. Vines that snaked it's way on it and grew entwined with the cracks of the wall stretched and snapped. The floor and everything around us shook violently. Everyone was startled and gasped at the sudden shift.

I stood there looking at the wall in awe. My whole body trembled from the wall and my fear for what would be on the other side. My whole life was falling apart. I'm losing my family, everything I ever lived for. My mom, my dad, my brother. They must be here watching me. Their own daughter going out 'to collect data'. They'll be devastated that I'll never return home.

I would be dead.

Sweat dripped from my forehead. My heart raced, pumping what seemed like a million times a second. I could feel the blood leave my face. A tear rolled out of my eye onto my cheek. 'This is it' I told myself. After I cross the wall I would be in the land beyond.

I will die for sure.

I just wanted to be back home. With my family. I wanted to be tucked in my bed. I wanted to be a little one again. I don't want to be here. I felt something touch my hand. I looked down.

Anthony held my hand, his fingers laced through mine.

I looked up at him. He looked down at me.

I know now why I stayed. Why I went over to him when he was lying on the concrete at the injections. Why I helped him free Crimson. Why I didn't hate him after we got captured and put in that room.

I wanted to be here with him. I only knew him for a couple days but...

He was like a family to me.

He was my home.

I stayed with him this whole time because...

I love him.

We stared at each other in the eyes for what felt like hours. His purple eyes pulled me into a world I never wanted to leave.

He leaned in closer to my face, closing his eyes. I did the same. Our foreheads touched, stopping us. Our lips an inch away.

"I love you" I whispered so that only he could hear.

"I love you".

Our lips intertwined. They over lapped each other. The taste of his lips were sweet, warm. They were soft despite the constant cuts on it that bled. I tugged him closer so that our bodies touched. His arms were around the small of my back and mine were around his neck.

Suddenly I forgot everything happening around us. All of the civilians, buildings, walls, the council and Zoe just seemed to be ripped away.

"Alright that's enough" Omar said, disgusted.

I returned back to the real world. We both turned back to the wall that was now completely open to the outside.

"You ready" Anthony whispered.

"More than I'll ever be".

"Lets get a move on you two" Omar shouted.

Anthony and I started towards the opening. The civilians that stood on the left and right of us looked at us with anticipation. They were clapping and hollering at us.

Anthony gasped suddenly but didn't stop.

"What is it" I asked.

"It's Crimson, she's on the roofs" he whispered into my ear. I looked to the roofs to see Crimson standing there next to a girl. They both had shocked faces. There was nothing they could do now. This was our fate.

Before I knew it we were outside the wall. A vast wilderness stood before us. I could feel the wall shift again. I turned around to see it was closing on us.

Here we were. At our awaited death.

But it didn't matter now. We couldn't turn back. I was here with Anthony and that's all that mattered.

The door finally shut behind us.

I still held on to his hand.

"Home" Anthony breathed out.

"Home".