Walking back out into the hall, he opened doors and after the second one, found the linen closet. There were several blankets and throws. He found a camel brown throw and pulled it out. It wasn’t as big as a blanket, but it would cover them adequately. It would also keep them hidden and blend into the ground. Folding the throw, he then rolled it up. He closed the closet and made his way back to the kitchen.
Megan was smiling holding a bag filled with food. He looked around and saw everything was still untouched. He looked down on the floor and saw their slight footprints in the dust on the floor. There was no help for that. He smiled and nodded.
“Let’s get out of here and head east. Do you think you can run for a while? We don’t have to run fast, just steady.”
“Do you want to see if they have bicycles? Maybe we could find us one or two along the way, at least that would move us faster.” She suggested. Ian grinned at her and waggled his eyebrows.
“That’s a damned fine idea. Let’s take a quick look around outside and around the property. Then, let’s get going.”
Closing the door to the house behind him, Ian and Megan quickly searched the exterior of the house and garage. They didn’t find anything. Ian did find an old barrel and tipped it up and shoved their bag of coveralls beneath. He grinned at Megan. Going back to the road, Ian took the bag of food and handed Megan the rolled-up throw. They began to jog at a steady pace, Ian’s eyes searching the fields around them. In the distance, he saw deer, perhaps a dozen of them.
The lavender sky was now bleeding into a cobalt blue and they could see the stars beginning to shine brighter. He looked behind him periodically, he knew their silhouettes could be seen clearly. But now, he would be able to see headlights of any vehicles approaching. Neither spoke, moving eastward. He wondered what was going on at the Hive and if Tilly were even now reporting their absence.
Ӝ
Tilly hadn’t realized her friends were missing until she’d been working for over an hour. She’d paused and had pulled her water bottle out of the side pocket in her coveralls. She had drunk a long series of gulps. She was glad that the two men fighting earlier, hadn’t spilled all the water. Then she realized that neither Megan nor Ian was there. She surreptitiously looked around, and the guards were standing in several clusters, chatting amongst themselves. She searched around but saw nothing but open fields and the other workers.
Tears filled her eyes as she got back to work, her heart breaking, because she knew she’d never see her friends again. She loved Megan like a sister and knew her life would be empty without her. She could make a new friend, but no one could ever replace Megan. She understood why Megan wanted out. She herself couldn’t leave the safety the Hive provided. Life was just too chancy out there. She’d heard tales of rape and murder outside the fence. People had turned into animals, when they should have been helping each other.
Life was easier as a cashier, but there were no cashiers in this new life. At least not at the Hive and she suspected, not out there either. Whatever news they heard was second or third hand. There was an information deficit in the Hive, and Tilly was sure most of what was going on out there, was out of her control and so she didn’t want to hear about it. No, at the Hive was routine, safety. But now, it would be very lonely without her friend.
She’d spent the rest of the day in mindless tilling, breaking for the late lunch and then back to work. She’d gotten on the bus, numb and heartsick. She would have to report their absence, or the administrators would hold her responsible and complicit in their disappearance. When the bus arrived back at the Hive, Tilly went to her room. She stood, looking around the empty apartment and broke down into tears. She went to the shower to cover the noise. She quickly cleaned up and buried her face in her towel, weeping bitter tears.
It took effort, but she pulled herself together. By now, it had been nearly an hour since their return. Her friend had been missing for hours now. She hoped it was enough time for the two to get where they needed to go. Getting dressed, she readied herself for the performance of her life and for those of her friends.
“Hello? Whoever’s listening, my roommates haven’t come up yet?”
“And this is a problem, why?” The voice asked, in a somewhat snarky tone.
“Well, I don’t know, but they are usually here about this time. Should I be worried or tell someone?” She asked, pretending annoyance and letting that seep through in her voice.
“One moment.” The voice said. Tilly went to her bed and sat on it, waiting.
“When was the last time you saw them?” The voice asked.
“This morning, I guess. I didn’t notice until now, like I said, they usually come up about now. It isn’t dinner yet, so I just don’t know.” Tilly said in her best worried voice.
“Where did you work today?” The voice asked.
“In the fields. On bus number forty-five.” She answered tiredly.
“Were they on the bus this morning?”
“I think so, I sat up front, so I could watch out the window. I also get car sick.”
“Did you see them at work?” The voice was now annoyed.
“Yeah, this morning. There were a lot of people, but I’m pretty sure they
