Genesis

Chapter 4

I wake up, nervous butterflies already swarming in my stomach. I sigh. It's going to be a long day. 

It is a light day in the workshop. Normally, I would be grateful for the break, but today I would rather be overwhelmed with work so I'd something to take my mind off of my date tonight. After the foghorn sounds, the butterflies get worse and I almost feel like I'm going to be sick.  

I trudge up to my room in search of something to keep myself busy. Nothing seems to interest me, however. I end up sitting on my bed, staring at the wall while wild fantasies of Natlee fly through my head. I glance down at my parents' picture again, in need of advice. What would they do? I wish they could guide me through this. I'm a total newbie to the whole boy-girl scene. 

At this rate, I'm going to melt into a puddle of sweat as soon as I see Natlee. I have to do something. I have to take my mind off of my impending date... or doom. I think about my options. I could watch some TV, but that's not distracting enough. I could take a walk, but then I might run into her. I decide to take my buzzbike out for a spin with the knowledge that Treye and Avry are at the movies and Drayk is out with some girl. Hopefully Natlee is still in the dome preparing or something. 

On my bike, I race through the streets faster than usual. I'm probably breaking a few dome street rules but I don't care. I just need to get out of here as soon as possible. I screech to a halt in front of the gates and drum my fingers impatiently on the handlebars for the worker to give me my freedom. The though crosses my mind that he might have been asleep. He's lucky to be awake; this time, I might have slapped him to jolt him out of his slumber. 

As soon as I am outside the walls of the dome skimming across the burnt ground, I know that I've made the right choice. I'm feeling much more relaxed. My nerves float away as if they were filled with helium. 

Waves of exhilaration begin to course through my veins as I urge my bike to go faster. I reach our usual bike spot, but don't bother stopping. I'm going to go farther today. With the dome almost out of sight, I bob and weave through the unfamiliar sand dunes, not caring about the date, my friends, or life in general. All that matters is that I am free and I am on my bike with no restraint. 

A while later, I am resting on top of a sand dune when I hear a faint sound in the distance. It sounds like a foghorn. My eyes blow wide as I realize what it means. I have ten minutes to get back to the dome, otherwise the gates will shut and lock me out. Panic begins to set in and I fight to keep my thoughts straight. Focus. I can do this. 

I quickly start the engine and zoom off in the direction I came. I curse myself for not being aware of the time and for going so far beyond our usual spot. The dome looms in sight. If I'm estimating right, I have only two minutes to get inside before I am locked out. I push the engine harder. I can make it. I have to. 

With a just over a minute to go, I am only about 100 feet away from the gates. I heave a sigh of relief. I'm going to make it. I relax a little and start to make plans for what I'll do when I get home when I hear the earsplitting shriek of metal grinding on metal that makes my stomach drop into my toes. The gates are closing. And they're making their descent at a frightening pace. 

My heart pounds madly as I release a desperate spurt of speed, thinking that maybe I can dive under them. But, I am too late. The gates slam to the ground with a loud and definitive thud. 

I skid to a stop, inches from the gates. I failed. I'll miss my date with Natlee and I've broken our dome's only rule: to always be inside the dome at night. 

Once, I asked my teacher what would happen if I didn't make it back into the dome at night. She said that if I did, I'd be breaking the rules. And rule breakers would be punished.