The Fallen |BxB| ✓

26 | Sanctuary

↞[Ken]↠

A forever should've passed by now, but the skies were the same dark shade as ever, highlighting the glowing moon as thin curtains of clouds glided over it. The metal over my wrists had warmed now, but the edges stung more than before. Maybe from the constant pulling.

The guards had left me alone for too long. The initial peak of anxiety and adrenaline, when I heard their combined footsteps retreat, had faded after multiple failed attempts of freeing myself. The chains only clanged against the rusty mast and slid up and down. The pole was withholding the entire roofing of the bridge room behind me, so there was no opening. Pulling was fruitless. I couldn't break the chain or snap the rod.

There was a trapdoor almost a foot away from me, which blended effortlessly with the floorboards. A metallic looped handle — the only thing that discerned from the paneling. The silver handle gingerly rested just a little out of my reach. It probably led to the lower deck, which would be guarded. But still worth the try if I got out of these shackles.

I kept imagining scenarios where I was strong enough to break free or smart enough to have never gotten caught. As bitter as it sounded, I even wished that Luke and I never planned a date. At least then, someone would notice that I was missing. Luke was the only person who knew, but a gut feeling kept shouting that he was in bigger trouble.

Of course, he is. Polaris is going after him, not me. I leaned against the cold pole and sprawled my legs in front of me. It's useless. Luke will never find me here. In the middle of nowhere.

At least, he'll be safe.

Did Polaris have a backup plan? The more obvious answer was Luke never finding me. What would Polaris do to me then? I knew too much about them now. I was a threat to them. A shiver ran down my spine when the obvious answer crossed my mind. They cannot have a memory-erasure stick now, can they?

I sighed and looked up into the sparkling mess of the stars. I could be anywhere, probably sailing across the Pacific. How long would it take to cross the maritime boundary? Not too long. It helped my conscience that we were anchored right now.

My right leg below the knee had numbed entirely over time. I took consolation in the fact that it wasn't hurting anymore. Maybe it's too late for this leg, and I've lost it. A stinging pain rose in my chest as it dawned over me that I'll never get to play basketball again. If I ever make it out of this place.

But if I die here...

It was a possibility, wasn't it? Massive corporations like Polaris can cover the death of a nobody with zero efforts. I wondered how many people would cry at my funeral. Was it selfish to imagine people you loved crying when you die?

Christie would be disappointed over me not completing high school. It was her hard work that got me into Chesterfield High without repeating the semester. And well, my grades also helped, but it was still mostly her convincing skills.