Eyes Shut (#OnceUponNow)

Chris's Departure (Chris's POV )

I was sitting in the car as my parents drove me to the Asleep drop off point. My dad was in the back holding my hands, not to comfort me, but to make sure I don't try to escape.

If I had been saying or trying to escape it would have been different because if a kid has a risk of attempting to escape they send a whole Special Ops unit to track them and bring them in. If the kid is deemed emotionally and mentally stable then the parents are in charge of bringing them to Asleep.

I looked out the window thinking about what it would be like to live when Asleep wasn't around.

That had to be amazing. Parents wouldn't have to do the one thing that they hate the most, picking a kid to love and sending one to die. It would also be great because I wouldn't be in this mess then.

As we turned down a country road I had my first glimpse of Asleep. A huge concrete building that looked like it had seen better days, and to the right of the building was a watch tower that looked like if enough people pushed, they could knock it over. It was surrounded by barbed wire and looked more like a prison then a government building.

I was shocked. You'd think with the amount of taxes we paid they could at least make Asleep more appealing in nature. After all, that probably is going to be the last thing I see before I die.

No, don't think about that. Those are just rumors meant to scare little kids. Your not even sure if they kill you, no one is. After all, it could be like a hotel with tons of snacks and kids your age.

I wasn't fooling myself, whatever they did in there was a closely guarded secret. Why have all the barbed wire if you didn't want someone coming in? It was because of that thought that made me know what I had to do.

When we pulled into all the security checks I smiled politely and didn't say a word except when asked.They had everyone get out of the car and scanned us all for any weapons.

That's when I acted. I jumped in our car and grabbed the keys my dad had left behind. I ignited the engine and that's when all hell broke lose. Shots rang out as the guards and personal tried to shoot either me or the tires out. For the first two heartbreaking seconds the car wouldn't start and it almost ended right then and there, but with a few curses and kicks I got the engine running.

"We have a subject escaping! Call in the Coppers!" One of the guards yelled in his microphone.

I turned the car around and slammed the gas, going back down the country lane. Shots were ringing out all around me, one even hitting the backseat window. I ducked and tried to focus driving with my heart pumping from adrenaline. I had only driven before two times so I kept swerving in and out of my lane almost crashing more then once. It was then I heard the pat pat pat of their helicopters. Shots rang out from above. They were aiming for the tires not for me.

I must be really special to them. They are making it so much harder for themselves by not shooting me right away.

They finally managed to hit one of my wheels making me swerve in a ditch. My head hit hard on the airbag,but because of adrenaline I felt nothing.

I opened the car door and took off running. Going who knows where.

Army trucks and the special opps showed up. They obviously did not want to kill me, they just wanted to steralize me. Well, I wasnt going to make it easy for them.Unlike most kids I actually liked running and I was pretty fast. Which gave me a head start since all their equipment weighed them down. As I ran I noticed a forest off in the distance.

Maybe I can lose them in the trees.

I changed my direction of running towards the direction of the forest.

Come on, come on...

The only reason they hadn't caught me yet was that they weren't trying to kill me. Also, I had a head start.

Pshhhhhhhh

A tranqualizer dart flew past me.

So thats what they resorted too.

I was so close to the forest I could almost touch it. I started zig zagging back and forth, so I wouldn't be an extremely easy target. The Special Ops were almost 10 ft behind me. One of them pulled out a tranqualizer gun and shot me in the forearm.

Ow, that's not good and I'm so close too.

I yanked out the dart and kept running. I needed a distraction and soon. The traquilizer had already hit my system and I started feeling woozy.

I had reached the forest and glanced back expecting them to be on top of me. Instead, they were on their mikes talking to what I assumed was their commander.

"Abort mission, some mother claimed that her daughter ran away to avoid going to Asleep. She is more of a threat then the boy because she is near civilization.We will get the boy later." It crackled from the microphone.

They drew back climbing back in their cars in almost ten seconds flat. It was like nothing had happened.

I kept walking though having to stop every once and a while because the tranqualizer effect was slowly shutting me down. I barely had time to climb into a tree. I was hoping they wouldn't look up when they came back for me.

Scared that I might fall out of the tree while I was knocked out. I tied myself to the tree with my jacket.

In the knick of time too because in seconds I was out like a light.