The Experience of Being Alive

Chapter Thirty-Seven

“I think that’s it.” Binny handed the final page to Arya, who started reading aloud to the room of typists so they could transcribe.

Katniss patted Binny on the back. “It’s really good you know.”

Binny smiled.

“Was I really such a jerk when you first got here?” Katniss asked.

“I think you were as angry as I am now, but you had no one to share it with.”

“That’s an incredibly sweet way of saying ‘yes’.” Katniss laughed.

“We’re good now. That’s all that matters.”

“It’s not quite done though right?” Katniss said hopefully.

“Aren’t thirty-six chapters enough?” Binny joked.

“Of course. Of course. It’s just, there needs to be more of an ending, no?”

“Yeah, I’m just teasing you. But we have to go make that happen tomorrow. I just hope I’m still around after tomorrow to do the writing.”

Arya had found an enormous ball of twine in one of the Hatter’s drawers and was now guiding everyone to bind the typed pages into neat bundles. Arya handed the first one, the one Binny had typed herself, back too Binny. “Here you go. The very first edition.”

Binny took it hesitatingly, and felt its weight in her hands.

“I forgot we did all that stuff. The way you tell the story, it sounds pretty exciting actually.” Arya said.

“Thanks. I really appreciate that. I’ve never done this before.”

“You seem like a natural.” Katniss said.

Binny stared at the cover and kept tracing her finger back and forth over the title printed in all capitals on the front page. Back and forth. Back and forth. It read: “THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING ALIVE”

¤

The next day passed slowly and quickly at the same time. Binny barely remembered getting up and getting to work, but at the time it seemed to go extra slowly. The butterflies were flapping around like crazy in her stomach.

On the way to work in the morning, she’d seen Michel briefly. He’d filled her in on his research. What he told her was yet another weight on her already heavy mind, but it also made sense.

They’d been over the plan several times the night before and that morning. Binny knew in most books she read that plans never quite went the way the protagonist imagined, but she couldn’t figure out what would go wrong with her plan. It seemed sound, but one never knew.

The moment Binny, Katniss, and Arya had all whooshed out of their books they launched into action. Everyone had a spot somewhere in the bottom floors of the library to wait until One was done with her regular evening visit to the room with the lectern.

It took exactly twenty-two minutes until they got the signal that the coast was clear. Twenty-two of the longest minutes Binny had ever experienced. Binny moved purposefully towards the ground floor of the library with Katniss and Arya in tow.

The Hatter, the Hare, and the Dormouse were in their usual spot. Binny had ignored them so often she barely even noticed their comments. Binny, Katniss, Arya, and roughly a dozen of their supporters entered the Hatter’s home for hopefully the last time. Everyone gathered up a stack of books. Binny just took the one. The first edition that she’d typed herself.

Binny turned to those assembled, “Is everyone ready? Once we leave Wonderland, the clock will be ticking. You each have to find your group, and then everyone branches out to distribute all hundred copies. Let’s see the Keepers try and eliminate a hundred copies all at once!” Binny said triumphantly. “Soon, everyone will know the truth.”