The Sky is Everywhere

Chapter Fourteen

Records isn't what was I was expecting. It's a small room, and painted dark green rather the usual white, with a blind covering the single window on the far wall. There's a large desk in the middle of the room, with a swivel chair behind it, and on the desk is a computer, a glass paperweight shaped like a cube, and a small stack of paper files. Lining the walls on either side are metal filing cabinets.

I feel like I've stepped into another world.

But there's no time to absorb my new surroundings.

I hurry over to the desk. There's no point trying the computer – even if I had any idea how to work the thing, Taffy's told me before that they need passwords, and I'm not even going to attempt to guess that.

So I turn my attention to the files. They're all bound in grey, but they're numbered instead of obviously labelled, which isn't helpful. Still, I suppose I couldn't expect to find all the information about the Trials just conveniently waiting on a desk for me to find.

I start flipping through the top file, scanning its contents as fast as I can. Somewhere in all this, there must be something useful. But there's nothing that I understand, no mention of Seconds, or the Trials. There are a few names, and some random sums of money, but I can't make sense of any of it. It might as well be written in another language.

I pick up the second file, but it's as meaningless as the first, and my heart starts to sink. I know that there's no guarantee of finding anything, but I've been hoping that I will with every single part of myself.

The third file, the biggest so far, just seems to contain lists of names, but I realise with a sudden jolt that I recognise them.

Amara, Amy, Anush, – they all live on the fifth floor. With me.

I read on.

Beatrice, Benny, Bianca – I know them too.

They're not my friends, but we've all lived in the CC our entire lives.

Seeing these names recorded like this isn't surprising in itself – it makes sense that the Handlers need to keep records of us as there's no telling when new Seconds will arrive – but what makes my skin prickle is the fact that every single name has a word written next to it.

Next to Amy, Anush, and Beatrice's names is the word Prey.

Next to Amara, Benny, and Bianca is the word Predator.

I read it twice to make sure that I'm seeing it right, and my stomach twists and turns because this feels all wrong.

My tongue is dry.

The lists are alphabetised, which means I'm in here too. It means that, like the others, I'll have one of these words next to my name.

I flip to the C names, while black wings flap in my chest.

My name is at the top of the list, and I close my eyes, because I don't know any of this means, but it's making me very uneasy. The file suddenly feels very heavy in my hands.

"There's no time to be nervous," I whisper to myself, trying to gather up my courage.

I'm not sure exactly how long Nurse Barrett will be asleep, and I can't afford to waste any time. Every second is precious.

I open my eyes and read what's written next to my name.

Undecided.

I frown. What does that mean?

Every single other Second has the words Prey or Predator written next to their name, but not me. I have Undecided instead.

Cole's name is three below mine – three that are all marked as Prey – and she is also marked as Undecided.