Prison Nation Part 22

"I'm... I'm okay," he answered.

He pushed himself away from me, just enough to spin and look at my face. I saw his eyes widen as he took me in. "Millie, what happened?" Reed tried to push himself to his feet, but as he started to rise he suddenly gripped his head again and fell back down. "What did he do to you?" he asked through clenched teeth.

I opened my mouth to answer, then stopped myself. I could only imagine how I looked. My entire body throbbed, the blood now coursing through me pounding at my bruises. I wanted to tell Reed everything that had just happened. But something deeper surfaced in my mind.

"He set me free."

"He... what?" Reed squinted his eyes at me. I could see his eyes focusing more. They weren't swimming around anymore, blinking for desperate focus.

A small smile spread on my lips. "I will explain it later."

Standing up, I pulled the ELIS from my pocket. I had never looked at one up close before. Smaller than a gun, the scanner consisted of a flat box with a small screen on top and a thin handle underneath. Around the screen were tiny black b.u.t.tons. I stared at the b.u.t.tons, hoping one would jump out and give me the answer I needed.

I finally saw it.

I held the scanner up to my metal bracelet then hit the b.u.t.ton simply labeled 'Detach.' The machine stayed silent a moment before it let out one long beep. I could feel the bracelet vibrate, as if fighting the command. It clicked loudly, and fell to the ground.

I picked it up, tenderly holding it between my thumb and index finger. My name, etched in the metal surface, almost seemed to glitter in the sun. I had worn this bracelet my entire life. It had always been with me, had always been a part of who I was. Now I knew the truth: It wasn't a part of me. It was a part of the Nation.

With all my strength, I heaved the bracelet into the air. It soared over the rooftops, glittering in the sun once more before diving out of sight. I stood in silence, staring at the last spot I had seen it.

"Millie?" Reed had moved to stand closer to me, his hand still holding his head tenderly. He wobbled slightly on his feet, but seemed to have most of his bearings back. Rubbing his head, he looked down at the ground. His eyes stared at the gun I had dropped when I dove for him. "What's going on?"

I glanced at the ELIS. The light still blinked. Finding the b.u.t.ton I had seen Carl push, I pressed it and watched as the light blinked once more then went dead. "We need to get out of here. Those cops will be back. Soon."

Reed gave me a single nod and hurried over to the truck. Reaching into the back, he pulled out our bags and hefted them over his shoulder. I bent down and picked up the gun. It suddenly felt heavier in my hands, foreign and deadly. I watched as Reed stared into the bed, then slowly reached in and pulled out Eddie's bag.

Eddie.

My eyes trailed over to Eddie. Deep inside, I had been hoping he would somehow be alright. That what I had seen earlier had been a nightmare. A messed-up memory. Anything. As my eyes settled on Eddie, I knew I wouldn't get that wish.

Reed lightly touched my shoulder as he pa.s.sed. He had pulled a blanket from Eddie's bag and carefully laid it over his friend's now cold body. He knelt there, watching Eddie's face, his hands hovering above Eddie's still body as if they were afraid to touch him. Reed let out a sigh, the sound of a choked sob obvious in his tired voice, and pulled the blanket over Eddie's head.

Turning to me, he held out his hand. I saw the glint of tears in his eyes. "You shouldn't be holding that. I hate seeing it in your hands." I looked down at the gun, my own eyes blurred with tears. Reed stepped forward, gently taking it from me. "It's okay." His voice was soft. He lifted a hand and gently touched my face, running his fingers along my cheek and back through my hair as a stray tear escaped and trailed down his tan cheek. "It will be alright."

Looking down at Eddie's covered body, I felt my stomach knot. "We can't just leave him here," I said, my voice almost begging.

"We have to," Reed answered softly, tucking the gun into the back of his pants. "We don't have time to take him with us, or bury him." Reed glanced up at the sky a moment, then looked back to me and smiled. "Eddie would understand."

I nodded. Took Reed's hand. He squeezed my fingers gently, then pulled me to his side as we started down the deserted road.

We walked for a good hour. The town had disappeared some time ago, turning slowly into houses that lined the road, covered in forgotten dust. I expected at any moment to hear the wail of police cars, the shots of guns as they found us. I glanced over my shoulder, antic.i.p.ating the flash of the lights as they bore us down. Everything remained calm and quiet. No one was anywhere in sight except for Reed and me.

The whale on top of the house spun slightly in the breeze. Reed and I stopped at the open gate, staring up at the house. Though it didn't seem nearly as huge as the house back at the Orchard, it was still large. A porch wrapped around the entire house, the corners covered in spider webs and debris. All of the windows were tightly boarded over. Even the door had nails driven into its hinges. No one was going in.

I pictured Jude as a young boy, his smile huge on his face, as he jumped around on the open deck. I could almost see him as he laughed and sang, disappearing around the corner to run down to the beach. I imagined him standing in front of the huge Wall, his young eyes following it up to the sky, the sound of the waves on the other side singing to him.

Following the ghost of a memory, I stepped up onto the deck. The boards creaked under my feet. With Reed close at my side, I made my way around the corner. Every window we pa.s.sed had been boarded tight some time ago. Though the outside of the house had been worn and damaged from weather, I knew that inside was a tomb of a life long since abandoned.

I reached forward and trailed my fingers along one of the boarded windows, paint chipping away under my touch. Memories of Jude flashed in my mind. He had been my friend. One of my only friends. I knew he was safe, his job and money protecting him in this dangerous world. Still, something inside ached strangely for his easy smile and musical voice.

"Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better..." I softly sang the words to the song lost in my memory, my voice cracking with the paint that fell to the old porch below.

Reed softly laid his hand on my shoulder. I leaned into it, letting his warmth fill me. I stared at the window a moment longer. Then, nodding once, I let Reed lead me around the last corner of the house.

We stopped dead in our tracks. There, only a few steps from the back porch, rose the Wall. Bushes and over grown flower beds covered what remained of the yard, scattered with weeds and fallen leaves. A cobbled path wound away from the steps, leading straight to the Wall.

Reed carefully walked down the steps, his hand lowering to wrap around mine. I followed him, glad to let someone else lead. I felt as if I were in a trance. No fog taunted me. No angry noise filled my ears. Instead, everything seemed as if a window had finally been opened. The light glittered, the edges of every object now detailed and sharp.

We walked down the cobbled path, our eyes glued to the Wall. The path ended abruptly, disappearing into the Wall. There was nothing there. Just the solid wall, not a crack or dent in sight.

"Where's the door?" Reed asked, his voice low.

I pulled the key from my shirt and stared at it. The sea gla.s.s glowed in the morning light. "It has to be here."

Reed nodded. Adjusting the bags on his shoulders, he let go of my hand and pushed into the bushes to his left. I followed his lead, making my way to the right. I inched along, the branches and thorns stabbing at my back and legs. Letting my eyes shut, my fingers guided me, feeling the wall as I pushed further into the brush.

The tips of my fingers curled around an edge. Opening my eyes, I pushed forward to look. It was the doorway, the entry a few feet deep before ending at a locked door.

"Reed!" I shouted. "I found it!"

Branches snapped and crashed as Reed pushed himself through to find me. We stepped into the doorway together. The door was solid metal. It had no handle, just a slot barely big enough for the key.

I pulled the necklace over my head and moved closer to the door. Carefully, almost afraid it would suddenly shatter to dust, I pressed the key into the slot. The door hummed. Gears whizzed inside, occasionally joined with a beep or soft buzz.

Creaking against layers of rust and time, the door swung open.

I looked over at Reed. His eyes were wide, his lips clenched so tight they were white. He was staring at the door. He let his eyes slide away, locking onto me instead. His face softened, his lips relaxing as he took me in.

"I love you, Millie." His voice was a breath.

My heart fluttered. My body inched back toward him, wanting to feel his warmth. His safety. His love. "I love you too," I whispered back.

Reed wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tight against his body. I could feel his lips press against mine, softly at first then pressing harder as he melted against me. I pushed back, breathing him in. There truly was no one else in the world. There was only Reed, his arms holding me safe. I could have lived the rest of my life in that moment, and never looked back.

A wave crashing against the sh.o.r.e pulled us out of our kiss. We turned our heads towards the door. Another wave crashed, calling to us. Hand in hand, we pushed the door open and stepped through.

It was beautiful.

We stepped down from the doorway, our eyes wide as the beach filled our vision. I pulled the key from the door as we walked away, the door swinging on its hinges as if unsure whether it should close or stay open to the salt air that breathed around us.

The sand sunk under our feet as we slowly made our way down to the water. We had to carefully step over large pieces of wood, their surfaces covered in dried sea foam and green algae. It seemed to take forever to get past the piles of driftwood. Then, as if a line had been drawn in the sandy sh.o.r.e, they suddenly disappeared.

The beach before us glittered. Waves rolled against the sh.o.r.e, catching the light and reflecting it in prisms that took my breath away. I couldn't see anything beyond the waves. They stretched on, disappearing into the distant horizon. Everything glowed green and blue and perfect.

Reed wasn't looking at the waves. He instead stared down at the sandy ground. Following his gaze, I looked down. Sea gla.s.s, scattered across the entire sh.o.r.e, shone in the dimming light. I lifted the key, letting the sun's rays shine through Orrin's sea gla.s.s. Its green glow mixed perfectly with the blues and whites and greens of the gla.s.s that covered the sh.o.r.e.

Reed glanced up to the key then lowered his eyes back to the sh.o.r.e. Letting out a slow breath, he sat down in the sand. He scooped up a handful of sea gla.s.s, sand pouring out through his fingers.

"It's just how he told me it would be," I said softly.

"Who?" Reed's voice sounded distant, his thoughts taking over.

"A friend. Back in Spokane. He gave me this piece of sea gla.s.s I have, as my birthday present." I sat down next to Reed. He glanced at me then looked away again, his fingers trailing over a small pile of sea gla.s.s in the sand. "He told me that the beach was beautiful. It really is."

Reed didn't respond. Looking over to him, I watched as he picked up a small piece of white gla.s.s, turning it between his fingers. His face had gone blank, only his eyes showing emotion as they stared at the glowing gla.s.s. "Reed, what's wrong?"

Reed, his eyes still fastened to the handful of glowing gla.s.s, let out another heavy sigh. "This is beautiful."

I nodded. "Yes, it is."

"When I was little, I think I lived near a beach. I can't really remember." Reed dropped the white piece of sea gla.s.s. It fell back into the sand, barely making a sound. "I can remember the sea gla.s.s though. There was never this much. It was a treasure hunt, just to find one piece."

Reed turned to me and softly smiled. "My mom loved this gla.s.s," he went on, lost in the memory. "My last memory, of my parents, of my family... I can remember being with my father and brother. We had been scouring the beach all day for some gla.s.s for my mother. We were so happy. I can still hear my father's booming laugh as he chased us down the beach. But... as hard as I try, I can't remember his face.

"We finally found a piece. Small. And green." Reed's eyes trailed down the key dangling from my hand. He reached forward and lightly touched the sea gla.s.s tied to it. "Just like that one you have, actually. We were so excited. But when we got back to the house, the police were waiting. They took away my father. And then the memory just stops. I can't remember anything else until I was put into my first foster home."

I couldn't breathe.

I swung the key into my hand. My fingers clutched Orrin's sea gla.s.s, the wire cutting into my flesh. I didn't feel it though. My mind had frozen at Reed's words, disbelief washing over me.

"Reed, you said once that you could remember a name." Reed nodded. I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "Was it your father's name?" As he opened his mouth to answer me, I slowly asked, "Is it Orrin?"

Reed dropped the piece of gla.s.s and turned to me. "How did you know that?" he demanded.

I held out the gla.s.s, gleaming against Jude's key. Reed's eyes trailed to it, then widened as he realized what I knew. Reed reached out, carefully, and took the key from my hand. He held it in his palm, his eyes searching the small piece of green gla.s.s.

"But... I was told he was gone," he whispered.

I swallowed hard. I could feel the sting of tears at my eyes. I didn't know why they were there, why I felt this choke inside. Looking at Reed, I could see the same shock mirrored on his own face.

Reed clenched the key in his hand. For a moment, I thought he would to throw it in to the crashing ocean. I saw his muscles tighten, his fingers whitening as they gripped it tightly. Then he sighed and opened his hand again. The key had pressed so hard into his palm that I could see a clear outline, bright red, imprinted on his flesh.

"I can't leave him," Reed said, his voice shaking.

24.

"Reed, he is in Spokane. On a life sentence."

"He is innocent."

"How do you know? You can't remember anything about him."

Reed looked at me. His eyes looked strangely calm, a stark contrast to the waves that were now pounding on the sh.o.r.e. "I know because you trusted him."

My throat tightened again. I barely managed to nod.

Reed looked down the coastline. It wound away into the distance, curving around a small rocky cliff. I followed his gaze. Past that cliff, miles away, was our escape.

"Eddie died for this," I whispered.

Reed stood, brushing the sand from his pants. "Eddie..." Reed's voice choked off. He shut his eyes, swallowing hard. When he spoke again, his voice came out rough. "Eddie died for freedom." Offering me a hand, he waited until I reached up and let him pull me to my feet. He rested a finger under my chin, raising my face to look into his. "Your parents have chosen to stay locked away. But my father "

"He wants to be free," I said, rea.s.suring Reed.

I knew what he was thinking. I could feel it in the tenseness of his body, in the strong gaze of his eyes. I turned and looked back at the rocky cliff in the distance. A fog had rolled in, covering it in a thick white. The fog thickened, the cliff slowly disappearing behind it like a lost memory.

"This Nation," Reed said, his face now watching the crashing waves, "it needs to be stopped. It needs to be freed. We... we need to be freed."

"But what can we do? We barely made it, Reed. Eddie died. Carl..."

Reed stopped me. His hand held mine, his eyes sweeping out to the ocean. "We made it though, Millie. If all we can do is show others how to do that, than we have done something." Reed looked out to the waves, his eyes shimmering in the sun. "I can't leave him"

I moved in closer to Reed. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against his warm body. I watched the waves roll in the horizon. One wave grew, rising high before suddenly crashing to the sh.o.r.e. The water sprayed high. I heard the soft thud as new pieces of sea gla.s.s fell with the water spray, landing to join the others on the glittering beach.

The ocean had made clean and beautiful another once sharp piece of gla.s.s. It now rested with its brothers and sisters, glowing in the sun. Clean. Beautiful. Perfect.

Life as we knew it was over. Life, as we knew it, was brand new and promising. Everything was about to change. From the moment I had scribbled my final journal entry, what seemed like a century ago, life had changed. Now, as I stood on the abandoned beach, Reed holding me, the wind teasing my hair, I did not dread life.

I welcomed it.

We turned and made our way back to the still swinging door. I could hear the waves crashing behind me, calling me back. They roared and rolled, reminding me that escape waited just over the horizon.

"Wait," I said.

I reached into my bag, pulling out my old journal. The edges were tattered, the pages loose and trying to fall free. I carefully pulled out the piece I wanted then shoved the notebook back into my bag.

It was wrinkled and worn, the penciled words barely readable now from the many times I had crumpled the page. I read the entry again, remembering the unsettled and unknown feelings that had made me afraid to leave the Prison. I remembered Dr. Eriks' sun sprays, the glares of the inmates. Carl's stare. The loving gaze of my mother.

Tearing up the page, I opened my fingers. A breeze, light off of the ocean, tickled my skin. It kissed my fingers, easing the throbbing in my body before it caught the torn pieces and carried them away into the distant fog.

I had thought that the freedom would be there in the waves. That it hid beyond the fog and diving birds, beyond the Nation's Wall. As we stepped into the dark doorway, I knew better now. I could feel the waves inside me, crashing against my soul.

I had always been free.

"My name is Millie Summers," I said, the words, sweet and true. "And I am free."

Closing my eyes, I let Reed pull me into the shadows of the doorway. The metal door swung once more, then slammed shut.