Seven (Completed)

CHAPTER 2 ~ An escape plan.

She unconsciously started humming the words of her favourite song, the one her father had taught her years and years ago. She checked her watch. It was still five minutes before the bell would ring again and so Sonia thought she would have enough time for a quick visit to the toilet.

Her fast pace led her in front of the door and she pushed the door handle inwards.

The door flew open and Edith jumped in alarm but Lucas barely flinched.

'Oh, hey guys I ... I didn't know you were here. I can come back later if you-'

'Actually don't. You don't have to. You'd better stay. I might as well tell both of you in the same time,' Lucas suggested with a friendly smile.

'Um, tell us what exactly?' Sonia asked raising her eyebrows. She shut the door and walked up to Lucas. 'So? What's the big deal?' Sonia's hands hid inside the pockets of her jeans.

'We can leave New Earth,' Lucas announced and Sonia dropped her books on the light blue tiles of the bathroom floor.

***

'What? What do you mean? Escape from like ... the school?'

'No, no, Anne. That's what I thought too, but no. We can leave the dome, New Earth,' he said quietly, trying to persuade himself this was more than an awfully realistic–looking dream.

At the sound of his words Anne's knees felt week, her limbs shapeless and trembling like the horrible-smelling blueberry jelly included in every Thursday's breakfast. She sat on the edge of her bed, avoiding to collapse on the floor. Her bright blue eyes were wide with confusion and a hint of fear.

'What-this ... this can't be true, I-' she struggled to speak by forcing a few words out of her mouth.

'Anne, look at me. Look at me, alright?' he said crouching in front of her. His hands climbed from hers to her arms and she finally looked right in his eyes. His touch awakened her, removing any cloud of sleep from her mind, clearing it.

'This can't be true, I-please tell me you're joking. I know it can't be real,' she finally mouthed.

'It's all true. Listen I-we'll be fine, okay? We can leave this place. Alex did. We'll be fine as long as we're out of here,' he insisted in the same calm voice while trying not to betray his own feelings of fear of the unknown. 'Don't you want to come with me? Out of this place? We'll be free,' he said.

'Free,' she repeated with a whisper. That word sure sounded wonderfully relieving.

'See how beautiful that sounds? Anne, are you coming? Yes or no?' he asked for one last time. He tilted his head and looked closely at her.

'Yes,' she said under a breath. 'I want to come with you.'

***

'Um, come again?' Sonia asked, wondering if she had heard right or not, as she kneeled down and started picking up the books she had previously dropped. 'You're serious, right?' she asked but she already had her answer. Of course he was serious; Lucas was always serious. He would not be joking around with something as important as this.

Edith was standing still; her legs froze at the sound of Lucas' words.

'This is real,' Lucas said. 'Do you want to come?' he asked quietly looking at Sonia and then turning his sight toward Edith.

'Yes!' Sonia yelled, almost jumping up. 'Let's leave this place!'

'What? Sonia! This is serious! It's dangerous ... and insane!' Edith said in sudden fury.

'Insane? We've lost any sign of sanity locked up in here,' Sonia fired back.

'How can you be so sure? We should give it more thought,' she insisted in a squeaky voice. Lucas remained silent, watching the discussion slowly turn into an argument. He had already predicted who would win.