I was running. Again.
There's been a week since my legs were bringing me to a safe house to another. Generally a slightly hidden door in the middle of nowhere. Nowhere could mean between the roots of a gigantic tree in a giant forest or behind a rock in the middle of a high mountain where I could barely breath.
No cities. No people.
Just me and the night, again and again and again. When I think that I can not make in time before the sunrise, I find the place I am looking for and hide from the light.
I was sneaking in the shadows of the night, just like the criminal I became.
The first days were hard. The strain and the pain from running made me throw up on the second day. The third day I fell at least 8 times, my legs not obeying my commands.
Now I was tougher. And faster. Not by much, but enought to maintain a nice and steady pace.
My mind, on the other hand, was getting weak. Each hour that passed I became more and more aware of the problem I was into. Each minute I recapitulated from "my" scaping plan, I realized that I had no clue of what Nibba and Heik wanted from me or for how long they would help.
The seconds ticked by and I felt like my hope was dimishing like a dieing star.
Being alone with no other thing to do other than run can be relaxing. But when it turns into a day after the other, your mind start to create problems.
The thing about get away is that you never know when you will be caught.
I tried to run and fight Nibba and lost. I thought I was smart enough not to let myself be killed but I let Heik slap me with no reaction. I really didn't want to admit it, but... I was powerless.
Every millisecond my brain kept repeating this. I have no strength. No power. No one.
I was alone.
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- Ok, let's make a quick stop in the story here. I told you about how I happily came to this planet, how I boldly deserted and how smartly I escaped.
The man in the chair in front of me kept staring. He just made one question to me the entire time: "How?"
- What else do you want to know?
I didn't have psychic powers to know what in the world he wanted to know, like in the sci-fi stories.
- How? - he repeated.
- How what? - I asked back. He had the audacity to shrug.
I had nothing to lose anyway. So I continued the history.
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In the nineth day, the glowing trail lead me to another abandoned city. When the lights became yellowish I decelerated and tried to pass unnoticed. Then they became orange and I actively sneaked close to the walls, looking at all directions, even bellow me, to make sure that there was no one around to see me.
The funny part was that I was going crazy for being alone but was avoiding contact with any person like my life depended on it. Because it did.
The safe house was inside a abandoned store. It was a clothe store and I took my time to search for some cloth to make a better mask. Mine was a nice and useful one to avoid pollution on the underground city but was really unaffective in keep my nose warm while I ran.
Thankfully there was neddles and sewing thread, both useful for a lot of things. So I took a handful of each and quickly entered the hidden trapdoor.
All places looked the same. The bed with a termal blanket was my favorite part. And the dried food looked more delicious as the days passed and my hungry was never too far away.
This time, however, there was something different. There was someone in there. Well, well, well. Seemed like there would be someone in each city hidden room. She had a purple-ish pink hair, was wearing a uniform from the explorer team and was taking a nap on the chair.
I just started to put my bags on the ground and threw my boots bellow the chair that the person was sleeping and she woke up. I fell on the bed before turning the light on. I definitely knew her.
- Oh, hi, Nibba! Nice seeing you again. I was worried that you would get in trouble for helping me run away. Please don't kick or slap me, yeah? I just need some hours of sleep and I'll leave.
- Hahaha - she laughed - nice seeing you in one piece, too. And, wow. You are awful.
- Nothing like have someone sincere in your life - I laughed too. I kinda liked her for that. - I had better days. And some were worst to. Running in the rain was NOT fun.
- And the nights are really cold as well, right? - she paused for a few seconds - I have to leave soon, just came to unlock the next part. Here, look at this image.
As I looked on the photo on her tablet a couple of files unlocked. It seemed like there were some documents that I could read there as well.
- So, when I enter a safe house on the city there will always be someone there? - I asked, since there seemed to be a pattern.
She gave me a doubtful look.
- From everything that you could ask, this is what you want to know? But, yeah, that's the idea. If you reach a safe house and you don't find anyone, wait 30 minutes. If no one show up, the place can be compromised.
- It's obvious that I have other questions, but this information was surely helpful. Imagine if I just thought that everything was ok, slept and woke up on the a prison cell before my public execution. Doesn't seem a nice end for this.
She rolled her eye.
- Sure. Come on, I have time for one more question. I don't know if I'll have the permission to answer, tho. I have to leave soon.
- Ok. When leaving the underground city, I saw the military motto on the displayer. What does that mean?
- Can't answer that, yet. Next question?
- How are we going to leave the planet?
- Can't tell. Next.
- Right... You told me that you were here for more that five years, but I was told that the planet was recently discovered five years ago, when they sent me here. So, the planet was discovered before that, right?
- Yes.
- Then why did they told me that was recently discovered?
- Can't answer as well. Sorry for that. Time's over, I need to go. Take care. - She put her mask and turned to leave. I sighed.
- It's ok. You too. - I waved goodbye.
She smiled and left. I hugged the thin pillow, all by myself. Then sighed again and went to sleep. Ten days on the planet and counting. Still no way to leave.