I got up before the alarm and listened for my mother, who always left the house around five a.m. Two weeks had flown by, between class and training and babysitting. I was finally getting used to waking up at first light, instead of going to sleep at daybreak.
I changed into the T-shirt and shorts that I’d scavenged from my mother’s closet. I stretched outside the apartment, then jogged in the opposite direction from the Quad. I preferred to be alone, since I didn’t wear shoes and my “silent” running technique drew stares. Running around with my mouth wide open made me look like a total weirdo, but it would be a useful skill if I made Guardian.
As I breathed in the humid air, I noticed how, even in the heat, it felt good to be outside. I loved the soft prickly sensation of the grass under my feet and the quiet in the outskirts of the town. I decided to run to the lake, knowing I would have to push it to get back in an hour. The last time I was late for training, Kay refused to even look at me and I spent the session on my own, trying to copy what the other Guardians were doing. Even so, I was relieved to have a focus, to have my days filled with purpose. I was even sleeping better, exhausted from all the physical exertion.
The ground felt cooler under my feet and I could tell I was nearing the lake. A twig broke, making me cringe at the sound in the relative quiet. Every day I had to remind myself that I was safe here. Vivian was right: being safe was worth living in a strange system. I kept telling myself this too.
When I reached the lake, I paused to take in the view, the serenity. A loud noise off to the right made me freeze, my heart jumping into my throat. Something was there; I heard it loping in my direction.
I almost panicked. It was daylight and I was completely exposed.
“Amy?”
I wheeled around and almost collapsed with relief.
“Rice.” Instantly I was back in New Hope and out of the world of the After. Rice wore his familiar white coat and jeans and carried a duffel bag.
“What are you doing?” he asked curiously.
My heart was still pounding from the adrenaline. I took a deep breath to calm myself. “I . . . um . . . was out for a run,” I explained. “I heard you coming this way and . . .”
He looked at me. “Am I really that loud?” he asked.
“Yeah, you are.” I laughed shakily. “I figured you were either a freight truck or a Florae.”
“At least I don’t snarl.” He grinned.
“Or, more important, eat human flesh,” I added, suddenly self-conscious of the way I looked. I was drenched in sweat from my run. I wiped my face with my sleeve.
He looked me up and down. “It’s nice to see you out here. . . . Why aren’t you wearing shoes?”
I shrugged. “It’s easier for me to run without them. Where are you headed anyway?” I asked, pointing to his duffel bag.
“I’m going to check on a couple of sonic emitters. I usually do four or five a morning; that way I can make the rounds in a week. . . .”
“Have they ever broken?”
“Once or twice the solar panels shorted. They’re strategically placed,” he assured me. “If one isn’t working, then the others will compensate.”
“But what if two stop working?” I asked, unnerved at this new information. No one else in New Hope seemed to think there was any chance the Floraes could break through the sonic shield. They didn’t even question it.
“There’s no Floraes around for miles anyway. It’s more of a precaution.” Rice adjusted the duffel bag, slinging it over his shoulder. “Do you want to come check them out with me?” I glanced at my watch. I had thirty minutes before I was supposed to meet Kay, which meant that I had to head back now.
My curiosity got the better of me, though. That and the fact that I really liked being with Rice, liked how he made me feel understood. Alive. “Sure,” I said.
He took off walking slowly and I followed him. He kept watching me as we walked, making me even more self-conscious.
“What? Why do you keep looking at me?” I asked finally.
“Nothing. It’s just . . .” He smiled. “You’re . . . um . . . so damned quiet. It’s amazing.”
I smiled. “You should see Baby sneak around.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, suddenly serious.
“She’s just very stealthy,” I tried to explain as we walked. “She knows how to move without making any noise at all. . . . You have to if you want to avoid the Floraes.”
“Did you teach her how to be quiet?”
“No, I didn’t have to teach her anything. Even as a toddler, she already understood. Plus we’ve had years of practice. I can try to make more noise,” I offered, “if that helps.”
“No, don’t worry about it. We’re here now anyway.” He led me into a clearing. “We keep all the emitters out in the open so the sun can get to their solar panels,” he explained. “They all have backup batteries that are good for forty-eight hours, and a distress beacon in case they are somehow damaged by a storm or an animal.”
I expected it to be more imposing, but the emitter was just a two-foot-high box with a satellite dish attached.
“The panels move to face the light,” Rice told me as he tinkered with the box panel. “This little guy can cover a four-mile radius.”
“Impressive,” I said. “I wish I’d had one of these at my house.”
“You seem to have done okay without one.” He stood, wiping his hands.
“It would have been nice to have neighbors.” I was overcome with a great sense of loss for all the years wasted, when I could have been in New Hope. I turned away and put my hands over my eyes but a sob still escaped.
Then there were firm arms around me and I was sinking into Rice’s chest. “I’m sorry.” I sniffled. “I guess I’ve been due for a breakdown since coming here.”
