Traffic Jam

the nineteenth

I'm running again. Sprinting, jogging, then full on running again.

I can barely hear Kane yelling my name over my shoulder. I know he wants me to come back. But I don't want to go back.

I can't go back.

Now that I know what's going on here, and that we can't leave here, I cannot stay. We're not supposed to be able to leave, according to Dave. But if there's a way, I'll find it.

I have to find it.

I don't know if I'm faster because my adrenaline is pumping, or if Kane has stopped following me, but he hasn't caught up to me yet. I keep going until I get back to Lizzie and I's room.

When I open the door, Jill is standing in the middle of the room, seeming to be debating over what to wear to dinner, and I don't see Lizzie.

"Where's Liz?" I ask, out of breath.

Jill looks up, "She isn't back yet. She probably won't be back until the middle of dinner. She has longer days than us since she works in the kitchen." 

I walk over to the window in exasperation. I don't want to charge into the kitchens and get her, that would automatically put a spotlight on us. I guess I'll have to hold on for a second. And maybe make a plan instead of running into this thing headfirst.

Jill walks into the bathroom to change, "Are you okay?"

I drum my fingers on the windowsill as I look down at the other buildings. "Yeah, fine."

The way our room is positioned- that angle that it's at- combined with the fact that we're on a floor much higher than the other building's have, means that I can see straight into a conference room in a building that's four buildings away from us.

And it looks like the militia men didn't waste any time.

It looks like they got their orders and are already executing them.

"Jill, is there a shortcut to get to the other buildings?" I call into the bathroom, eyes still on what's happening in the conference room.

"Um yeah, actually. All the basements are interconnected. Get to the basement of this floor, and you can follow the signs to get to where you need to go. Why? What's going on?"

But at the end of her second sentence, I'm already out the door.

Running again.

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My feet are slapping against the floors of the halls, and I can't help but think this is the most running on one day than I've ever done in my entire life- combined.

I'm panting again by the time I reach the elevators.

I get in and press the last button, leaning up against the side of the box.

I can't believe what I saw in that room. I can't believe that human beings are capable of such things. That we can be so evil and full of hatred. 

That we would want to break other human beings.

I watched as a man beat a woman probably only older than me by a few years. Hit her in the side with his rifle and then kicked her in the stomach. It was still going on when I left.

And I'm afraid it's only just begun.

I can't save everyone.

In fact, this is probably the worst idea I've ever had in my entire life.

I can't save them all, I can't get rid of all the guns and people with them in this building. It's not possible.

But I might be able to save this woman.