Chapter One: A Close Call

Chapter One of The Sneaker's Robot.

FOR MONICA

 

 

FULL PITCH:

Martie Frazier was only thirteen when she was asked to join the Sneaker Society. The rebellion only has one goal: take out the government. Armed with a computer and gun, she fights for freedom. But three years later, one small mistake starts a chain reaction. The government is after her. 

After narrowly escaping her death, Martie must flee from the home she knows and venture beyond the Wall and into a world she didn't know existed. She is on the run, and not from someone she can simply kill. Her escape is short-lived when Red, the government's newest creation, is charged with bringing her back. 

Martie's training with a gun is no match for Red and after testing her fate with heights, she is taken back to her home Circle. But the government's perfect robot has gone rogue. Red joins forces with the Sneaker's, and together they go after the root of the problem: Main.

Somewhere along the line, a bond is formed through blood and machine. And a heart made of wires suddenly beats for someone else.

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The sirens are right behind me now, getting closer with every step I take. At any second I am going to be tackled to the ground, chained up, and asked to choose between a public execution, or working for the government. I grind my teeth together; I will not fall like Leah and Old Willy did. I will fight until the end and have my body used for target practice like Joey and the rest of them. The thought makes me cringe. I don’t want to die, but if that’s what it takes…. Fear pulses in me, but I try to ignore it. The only think keeping me going is the constant chant in my head, Run, breath, run, breath, run.

My eyes franticly dart around, trying to find some way to escape, some way to hide. I want to stop running and blend into the crown, but I know that’s hopeless. My red hair would be the first give away among the blonds and brunettes. I’m not running long before my heart starts to beet too fast a burn up. Right after my breathing starts to come in gasps. 

I run into some and papers go flying everywhere. “Watch it!” the short man yells as he bends down to pick his fallen papers up. I mumble a sorry, but I don’t stop to help him.

I feel relief wash over me as the buildings around me start looking familiar. I can’t help but grin"I knew I would be able to get away. A Sneaker safe house is just around the corner. A new found energy surges through me, and I pick up speed again. I can feel my legs start to go numb as I run, and the sirens are getting louder with each step I take. My red hair is flailing wildly, whipping around and catching me in the eye a couple times.

A quick glance behind me shows that the Watcher is with no doubt still in his teens. I grin, luck is on my side then; new Watcher’s are cocky and always underestimate me. I let out an almost manic laugh"getting away would be just too easy.

“Martha Frazier, resistance is futile. Put your hands in the air and this will be done peacefully!” the Watcher’s voice booms from the small speakers on the roof of his car. I roll my eyes, does he really think I will give up because “resistance is futile”? I shake my head, almost laughing and I keep running.

People glare at me as I swerve around them, cutting them off. Only a few noticed that I am the one running away from the Watcher, and they don’t seem to care enough to try and stop me. No doubt, half of them at least are rebels.

The street I need to take is coming up just as the Watcher’s car starts to pull up next to me. It doesn’t help that I’m getting into residential area and the amount of people on the sidewalk is quickly becoming fewer. I am so concentrated on dodging the few people there are, I run right passed the alley I need to go down. I feel like an idiot. That was my one change of escape, and I missed it. I curse under my breath. My legs will soon shut down on me, and I won’t be able to run. I try to think of a way to escape, but my mind is flooding with fear and doubt, there is almost no room to think up a plan.

I try to take a deep breath to calm myself, but all I manage is a raspy gasp of air. My vision starts getting dark around the edges, and I have to squeeze my eyes shut for a second in order to clear it.

A plan. I need a plan, but my mind seems too cluttered to put together one. I need to take a break from running to put my mind together, but I can’t stop running. My feet pound against the sidewalk, but I can hardly feel it I am so numb. I glance up at the street I am on. It is narrow with a steady line of cars parked along the sides. It would be next to impossible for a car to turn around. I can’t help the smile that spreads over my lips, and I started to slow down once my plan is all put together.

I risk another glance over my shoulder at the Watcher again. His eyebrows are pulled together in determination, and a smirk is slowly spreading into a smile"he thinks I am giving up. He thinks that he has actually won. I want to laugh at him. He starts to pull his car closer to my side of the road, and slowly he is pressing on the break, while his other arm reaches over to unbuckle his seatbelt. Before the car comes to a complete stop, I suddenly stop my run and turn around as quickly as I can. My hair whips my face, causing it to sting, but I put it out of my mind. I know I should just start running. Every little second I’m not running, the Watcher comes that much closer to catching me. But I can’t help but mock him with a little salute before taking off again. I easily get through the crowd of people, making sure not to miss the ally this time. My lungs feel like they’re on fire, but I keep running. I don’t look back to check on the Watcher, I know he is stuck turning the car around. I finally reach the alley, turning the corner so quickly I almost run into someone. I mutter a sorry and go around him.

The brick walls on both sides of me are covered in graffiti. I don’t have to look closely to know that half of it would be things against the government. Colorful, bold statements, none too kind, mocking the government. The people that wrote them where no doubt two faced cowered who are the perfect criticize by day, and vandalizing government property by night.  Half the population of this quarter hated the government, but only a fraction were bold enough to act on it.

A throaty growl escapes me. If everyone could have courage for twenty second, we would be able to overthrow those in power. But as it is, people are weak and scared. They fear for their lives, and in doing so loose grasp of their freedom. I don’t slow down to take a look at the graphite, though. Soon the Watcher would get smart and realize to catch me he would have to come after me on foot.

Once I emerge from the alley, I run right for the public bathrooms that are closed under maintenance. Without pausing for a breath I rushed in, and started counting the stalls. My breath is raged and uneven, and I have to gasp in order to get any air. One… two…. six. I manage a smiled, and furiously swing the stall door open. The stall is huge with a lot of extra space. A large plant that somewhat resembles a small tree takes up most of the room. I rush to where the plant is perched; in the corner, pushed up against the wall, and pull it out of the way. I am barely able to move it, it was so heavy. My mind is racing, pumping itself full of fear. At any moment the Watcher could rush through that door, and I might be caught. I pull harder on the plant and it finally budges, squealing as I pull it over the floor.

A perfectly round hole disappears into the wall. I take a few breaths, trying to even out my breath. My legs feel like Jell-O, and my head is spinning. I only stop for a couple second before throwing myself through the black hole.

It smells foul"a mix of dirt and mildew. I try to push the smell out of my mind. Quickly, I turn back to the hole and grab hold of the plant. I push my feet against the wall, and pull until it’s finally in place.

I take a few blind steps; both of my hands are stretched far in front of me. It only takes me a moment before my hands hit wood. The door is thin and obviously flimsy. With hardly any effort it could be easily be broken down, but anyone who is stupid enough to do that would regret it immediately.

Without the security network turned off from the inside, anyone who opened the door would end up on the ground twitching in pain because of the electric shock they’d get. So I just use that knock. I think it is stupid, really, but people complained that there wasn't another way to know who was an active rebel and not. So a secret knock it was.

Knock twice hard, once quiet. Double tap. Stop for three second, than hard twice more. I finish the oh-so-secret knock, and start taping my foot impatiently

It doesn’t take long for the door to swing open and Marko to be standing there, looking down at me through his oversized round glasses. They make his eyes look huge and bulgy compared to his thin frame. I have to crane my head up to see him. His eyes seem to always be picking people apart bit by bit… almost as if he is piercing into your soul and gathering all of your secrets. I always thought he would make an excellent interrogator. He could make people crack by just one glance. I almost flinch as he stares me down, but cover it up with a yawn. I walk into the house, pushing Marko aside so I can get in. I don’t bother taking my shoes off even thought I know every muddy step I take is killing Marko on the inside. They needed to stay on though"if we were found and I had to make a fun for it (which was very possible) I wouldn’t have time to tie up my shoelaces.

I walked over to his couch, and dramatically throw myself onto it. I’m still breathing heavily, but I don’t pay any mind to that. The only thought going through my head is pure hate. Every moment I was beginning to hate them even more.

“Martie, mind telling me why you’re glaring daggers into my celling?” Marko asks, sounding amused.

“Oh, you know, I was going about my business when out of nowhere a Watcher came and was all bent-set on tackling me. When I started running, that guy didn’t have a chance at keeping up with me"“

“Can you just cut to the point?” He said, rolling his eyes and cutting me off.

I send a glare his way, but comply with his request. “Anyway, he must have radioed his buddy or something because out of nowhere a car is chasing me. Then I had to come here to get away,” I say, letting out an exasperated sigh as I finish. “Seriously though, how are those Watchers finding me?”

He laughs after I finish, "They found the great Martha Frazier? They found you again?” he asks, using my full name which I despise.

I make sure to glare at him for using it before moving on. "Yup. This is the third time since I became a Sneaker, and twice in one week. I just don’t understand how they are suddenly finding me! I’ve been invisible and always passing under the radar until now." My voice was full of aggravation. I sit up in my chair and looked at Marko who is suppressing a smirk.

"Maybe Willy said something?" he suggests after receiving a hard glare from me.

"No, don't think so. Willy and I were good pals; I don't think he'd do that.... Then again," I add as a second thought, "I didn't think he'd turn on the Sneaker's either."  We go silent for a moment, both lost in our own thoughts about how Willy betrayed us. After a moment I shrug. "So what does the great and infamous Marko have planned today?" I ask him as I lie back down on the couch and close my eyes.

"Nothing, really. The boss isn't replying to any of my calls so…." his voice trails off.

"Oh, it will come. You'll get in sooner or later, don’t sweat it." I say, keeping my eyes closed. I could never talk to Marko while looking him in the eye; they are so big that all concentration is lost the moment I have to look into his brown orbs.

"Easy for you to say," he scoffs. "They asked you to join."

"Only because I'm awesome," I tease, trying to lighten the moment.

"Yeah, whatever." I hear him moving around, but I don’t open my eyes to see what he’s doing.

"I don't know why you continue to live in your mom’s basement. That's the perfect cliché. Most kids these days are out on their own at fifteen," I comment.

"Yeah, I know. I'm a geek, go on," he said, knowing my exact thoughts. This conversation has happened before.

I am about to say more, but I think twice and shut my mouth. We are usually able to throw insults at each other without getting mad, but by the way he was acting, today wasn’t one of those days. I think is some way we actually hate each other. Not each other in whole, but more like envied what the other had. He envied me because I was a Sneaker, and I envied him because he wasn’t.

I silently roll onto my side and closed my eyes. 

Reviews

[SydneyLK]

Hello!
I think this is a great idea for a story, and this bit was very interesting.

I found a few edits to make in spelling and such:
1: "My heart began to beet." Should be beat.
2: "beat a burn up" I think you probably meant 'and burn up'
3:"if everyone could have courage for twenty second" ya need an s on there, twenty seconds.
4: "to take a look at the graphite" you spelled it right the first time 'graffiti'
5: "make a fun for it", probably should be 'run for it'
6: "I think is some way" most likely should be 'in some way'

These are just a few technical edits. Other than that the only thing I could come up with was maybe try to add a bit more description of setting as you go on. In an action scene like this you don't need as much, so this was fine, but make sure you don't keep that sparsity throughout the rest of it, or it may be hard to really get into the story, and see the world.
Like I said at the beginning, I think this is a really promising concept and I look forward to reading more!
Cheers!
SLK