Citizen

Chapter twenty

The concrete was smooth and shiny underfoot, reflecting the grey skies above in its surface. Walls of metal rose up to waist height on either side of the wide path; to the left was Arabel, its distinct sections more clear from a distance; the factories and the city centre were separated from the housing sector by the river, followed by the small section of farmland.

To the right was a great line of mountains; the light dusting of snow they'd had a few days previous had melted after the cold front passed, and in its place was a sleek grey rocky face which seemed to blend with the overcast clouds. The ground was closer on the other side of the fence, as though the city was built further into the ground. A thin ring of dirt, then a fence of barbed wire, and then the sea of green began. The bushes of all shapes and sizes were beginning to lose their leaves in the forest between the peaks and the wall.

Kyra took a deep breathe and brushed loose strands of hair away from her face; no matter how many times she saw it, the view of the outside would always take her breath away. In the corner of her eye, a hint of grey could be seen sticking out of the thick forest.

Kyra walked around James with a frown, tracing patterns in the cool metal railing with her fingertips. "Is that the Control Centre?"

Silence answered her. She turned to face him with raised brows; he looked into the distance as though she wasn't there, his eyes set on something she couldn't see. As he shook his head strands of blonde fell into his eyes, but he didn't push them back. "No. It isn't."

"What is it then?"

He didn't reply.

Huffing, she followed the path towards the middle of the city wall. It was then that she saw it. From afar it was easy to mistake it for the Control Centre; they both had plants dominating their space. But the ones here were different. Row after row of plants, like students in a classroom, filled the enclosed square topped with barbed wire. In the middle was a small white building. And lurking between the rows were people, men and women of all ages and races. They picked at the plants like robots, trained to do the same job their entire life, never straying from their initial position.

"Do you know what it is?" The proximity of his voice made her jump. So swift, she hadn't heard him approach; James was less than a metre away, his eyes narrowed to slits. She shook her head.

"Take a closer look." He passed her the pair of binoculars attached to his hip. They were cool against her eyes as she adjusted the focus. The people were dressed in grey clothes that hung off their slim frames, and didn't seem to see anything other than the plants. If they did, they knew how to hide it.

As she watched a young girl examined the plants, picking those that were ready and putting them into a basket attached to her waist. Dirt coated her face like makeup as she wiped her forehead with her arm, her cheeks working hard to take in fresh air. She whipped her little head side to side, scattering the blonde braids at the back of her head, ripped a piece of lettuce off the nearest plant and shoved it into her mouth. And the she bent back down to work. Kyra sucked in a breath; it seemed as though no one had noticed the girl's small act of rebellion.

But then he came.

An Enforcer walked down the path, pushing the other - what were they? she wondered - people out of the way. The little girl could do nothing but stumble as the cloaked officer started towards her, one hand around a coiled whip and the other motioning for her to stop. She did, closing her little eyes in an attempt to block out the pain. The man flung his arm forward. A scream ripped through the air; for a moment Kyra thought it was the girl, but then James' hand was clamped over her mouth and she realised it was her own.

She ripped his hand away. "T-that man, he just... He attacked a little girl." She held her face in one hand and looked back towards the place, wondering if that faint sound she could hear was the whip finding its mark once again. "What the hell is that place?"

"Arabel's prison."

Kyra turned towards him, but her movements weren't hers; they were stiff and robotic, as though she was being controlled. And she was. Her shock turned her around to face him, dropped her jaw, filled her chest with an emptiness she'd never felt before.

In her Vinctures she'd seen Arabel's prison - but that was merely a room with three boxes built into it. The one below her must have held hundreds, maybe even thousands of Citizens. Kyra gulped, but it didn't remove the lump in her throat.

"I-I don't understand. They aren't all Citizens, they can't be. Right?" she added as an afterthought, looking to James for confirmation.

His face did nothing to calm her. "As far as we know all of the people down there are Citizens, all taken out of the city for one reason or another."

Kyra turned back to face the prison. "What could the reason be for taking a little girl away from her family?"

"I don't know." James' lips were set in a grim line as he crossed to her side. "But now you see what I mean. The people who run this place, they're corrupt. All they want is perfection and if you don't fit into that mold, well..." he gestured towards the prison. "So will you help us?"

The note of pleading in his voice made her look up. James' face was scrunched up, and for the first time that day his emotions seemed completely genuine.

He looked over her shoulder, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "Please Kyra... If not to take down the city, then to help Ashley. I can't lose her."

Her hand rested against his cheek, her thumb running lightly across his skin. Sighing, she stared down at her shoes, weighing her options. "I..." She looked up, biting her lip. "I need to think first."

James nodded and stepped back, towards the way they'd come. He turned his face away from her so that his features were unreadable.

"Do what you have to."

With that he turned on his heel, and walked away without a second glance.

— author's note —

Hey guys! How's it going? I'm a bit busy at the moment so this chapter has been very roughly edited, feel free to point out any errors. It isn't my best work so when I can I'll do a full rewrite. ☺️

What did you think of this chapter? What are your thoughts on Arabel's prison? What do you think Kyra should do - side with James or leave Ethan out of it?

Thanks again for reading! x