The World We Made

Chapter 6

I found peace in the night. The markets weren't loud and lively, people weren't being punished or killed. It was simply peaceful, serene and tranquil. The nights were gradually growing warmer, the Sun stayed out for longer and the flowers started blossoming. There was talk of season changes, but I didn't know that they meant.

I skipped up the steps of the stone wall. Some of the slaves had told me that the wall was built to separate civilization from no-mans land. Beyond this point was the warzone, painted with bodies of the soldiers who served their country. If those soldiers saw our world today, would they think their sacrifice was worth it?

But beyond this wall are also the rooms. At least a dozen of them. Doors to the outside world lined the bottom of the wall and auctions to buy slaves would be held at random times.

This wall was where Jonathon was killed. I guess someone could die if they fell off this wall, even during the day it was hard to see the ground. In the distance near the market, I saw a silhouette of someone. I ducked behind the edge of the wall, hoping that no one saw me.

"What are you doing up there?" someone asked from below the steps.

"Blake?"

I sighed from relief, I didn't know what would happen if I was caught up here.

"That doesn't answer my question." Blake said in a serious tone. "What are you doing up there?"

"I... uhh..."

The quickening pace of Blake's steps up the stairs was intimidating. There was a sense of urgency and desperateness in his steps. When he arrived at the top of the stairs I could finally see the emotions on his face. A confusing blend of anger and worry was masked on his face. His eyes were fierce but his body moved desperately towards me.

"We're leaving this place right now." He said firmly, grabbing my wrist and dragging me back down the steps.

"Wait, let go off me." I demanded trying to free my wrist from his tight grip. "I was just up there for some air, calm down."

"Some air?!" Blake turned around to face me, still gripping my wrist as if he was scared to let go. "Do you know why people come up to this wall at night, Cassidy?"

"No..." I replied.

"Well let me tell you, then. People come to this wall and walk all the way to the top to jump off."

"What?"

"Does that explain everything? I barely sleep because I'm up every night supervising you, the other slaves and this wall. No one is dying on my watch."

"Did you think that I was going to jump?" I asked.

"I didn't know what to think, but better safe than sorry."

So that's why he seemed worried. He thought I was going to kill myself. The idea of that had never crossed my mind before. I didn't realise that in hard time some people resorted to death as their answer.

"Have you ever saved anyone?"

"Yeah..." he replied. "And if you're wondering how many people I couldn't save, the answer would be around one person a month."

I stayed silent for a few seconds, biting my bottom lip as I thought of something to keep the conversation going.

"Was it just too late to save them?"

"Some of them. Others just..." Blake too a deep breath in, I could tell he was struggling to say the words. "some of them would've been killed either way. And if that was the case, I'd rather they die on their own will than by the hands of someone else."

Was that the right thing to do? I couldn't tell anymore. In some cases, was suicide the right choice? This world confused me, it took everything I was told about society and threw it away. 'Everyone deserved to live', that didn't exist here. 'Treat other people how you want to be treated', that didn't exist here either. 'Don't care about what other people think', that gets you killed here.

Suddenly, I hear light footsteps behind us. Blake froze but his eyes danced around me, searching for any escape route. Then his pupils enlarged, realization hit him like bomb. He shoved me out of the way as he leapt up the steps two at a time, racing across the wall to the other side.

I bolted after him to see what was going on, but my grip on the hand rail only grew tighter as the situation appeared in front of me. Someone was about to jump... and Blake was trying to stop him.

"Flynn..." I whispered to myself. "It's Flynn."

The situation was crystal clear from where I was. Flynn stood on the dangerous edge of the wall, ready to jump and Blake was trying to talk him out of it. Without a second thought, I rushed over to Flynn and grab his wrist pulling him down off the edge.

"Cassidy..." he said, his lips barely opening.

"What do you think you're doing, Flynn?"

Blake gave both of us confused looks, his eyes travelled between both Flynn and I to try and piece the puzzle together.

"He's from my room." I answered even though Blake was yet to ask his predictable question.

"Oh."

"Cassidy... you don't know what happening in those room, do you?" Flynn said with his head tilted towards the ground.

"Don't worry, I know, I know that people are killed to be fed to us." I whispered.

"No, not that. The company is closing everything down. That's why they sold everyone off so quickly. Everyone is being sold and the ones that no one wants... they're going to be killed."

"What? Say it again."

"They're all going to be killed, Cassidy. No one wants anyone from our room, anyone above the age of 30 will be killed without a doubt."

I stood there like a statue, every bone and muscle in my body froze with fear and shock. I took a step back as my mind took in everything Flynn had just told me.

"Can we..." but I was cut off.

"No, we can't Cassidy. We can't save them, we would barely make it inside the building. If I could save them, I wouldn't be up here right now."

Everything was a mess, that was the only thing I was certain of at the time. It was a reality I didn't want to accept though. Maybe that was always my biggest flaw, I believed that everything would be alright. I believed that I could change the world bit by bit. I wanted to save them, but how?

Flynn took a deep breath in and closed his eyes for a second. "Screw living."

Flynn suddenly leapt back onto the edge of the wall and stared at the blurry ground. I try to grab him so he wouldn't jump but Blake held me back. He wrapped his arms around my waist and turned around so I would face the wall.

"Don't do it, Flynn!" I screamed, struggling to get out of Blake's grasp. "We'll find a way out of this mess, I promise."

A corner of Flynn's lips curled as he turned around to face m. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Cassidy. It was nice knowing you guys." He turned back around only for his eyes to travel back and meet Blake's. "Protect her for me."

Blake gave him a sorrowful nod before making sure that Flynn was out of my sight.

"I don't want to die." Flynn said with teary eyes before he gracefully fell backwards and let the world take him.

I screamed out his name with all the energy I had left but Blake placed his hand over my mouth to muffle them. Even in this situation he was making sure we wouldn't get caught.

"Let's go back, Cassidy." Blake said. "We shouldn't stay here."

"Why did you stop me? Why did you not save him?!" I shouted, tears streaming down my face.

"You haven't done this before, Cassidy. But I have. I have watched dozens of people jump of this wall, I know when someone needs death to save them. You've been here a few days, I get that you don't understand how the world works. But don't ever correct people because your image of the world told you it was wrong. It's not wrong."