Outside the Box - Chapter 7

7

The room behind the curtain is dark, but there are little sparks of light. Each individual person in the room is holding a lit candle, the tiny flames illuminating small bits of space and giving the air a peaceful ambiance. 

There are so many people here, more than I saw above the ground. It’s more than I’ve seen together in a group, besides when I lived in Boxland. 

We are standing on a small, wooden stage that appears to be set up just for today. The man steps into the audience, putting out his torch and instead lighting a candle like his neighbors. Miguel gives me a jab between the shoulder blades and forces me to step forwards. The audience is silent - they don’t know who I am, an they can’t see past my hood. 

Liliya makes her way to the front of the wooden stage and throws down her hood. Some of the audience gasps immediately, others take longer to recognize her. But no one can forget the face of someone who has been taken. Liliya stands there, still as a statue, until the whispers go silent and she ca speak. 

“As many of you know, I am Liliya Siren of the Emotional Clan. You know that I was taken four years ago to the Box, but you don’t know that I was rescued. A group called the Lost saved me, and they kept me safe.” She waves her hand at Gretchen, Miguel, and Aspen who throw down their hoods as well and blush. “But that is not the reason we are here today. 

“The Lost also managed to rescue someone special. Someone from the Box himself. So today, I bring to you Jake.” Liliya steps aside and grabs my wrist, dragging me to the front of the stage. She pulls off my hood, revealing my surprised expression. The crowd is silent from shock. I don’t think anyone has escaped the Box before.  

“Hi?” I wave nervously, unsure of what will happen. The reaction i get is definitely not what I anticipated. I expected silence and whispers. 

What I recieved was a few whispers, a few jeers, and a few cheers. They don’t believe it. And why should they? No one has ever escaped the Box before, why would someone escape it now? But what can I do to extinguish their doubts. 

“I’m Jake,” I say, my voice shaking a bit. These are real people, and they’re awake. They’re not just hiding. “Up until a few days ago, I was a prisoner of the Box. I lived in a city in my head - everyone was sedated and their minds were sent to live in the city. I’m sure you’ve all heard the tales of it…” 

“Tell us something we don’t know!” Someone shouts from the back. “Anyone could tell us that.” 

“How do we know you’re even from the Box?” Another yells. “If the Lost saved Liliya, surely they know more about the Box than we do, so this could all be a ploy. Prove you’re from the Box.” 

“How?” I stammer, but my voice is drowned out by the rising chants. 

“Prove it! Prove it! Prove it!” 

I don’t know how. If any knowledge I have could be blamed on the Lost having close relations with the Box, how am I supposed to show them? 

I get my answer mere moments later. 

I see the blade, glinting in the flamelight before I realize it’s coming. On instinct, my hand snaps into the air and grabs the hilt of the knife speeding towards me. It stops inches from my chest, grasped in my sweaty palm. 

At first there’s a roar of outrage as Miguel and Gretchen reveal hidden guns. Then the crowd begins to turn on itself, accusing each other of throwing the knife. I hand it to Aspen, how rolls the weapon in her hand. Aspen shows the knife to Liliya, who inspects the blade carefully. “This is a fruit knife.” She says at last. 

But the people don’t care about what the knife is meant for. They saw me catch the knife speeding towards my chest. They saw me save my own life. They saw my extraordinary reaction time. They see that I am who I say I am. 

And they see that someone tried to murder me. The people begin to fight amongst themselves, trying to discern who the assassin is. Biting, scratching, clawing. Pulling hair. Panic is rising in my chest. What if they turn on us? “Stop!” I call out suddenly. “Stop fighting!” 

To my amazement, the people listen. They turn to me, looking up expectantly. I still have no idea what I’m doing. Why I’m here and why Miguel, Gretchen, and Aspen aren’t stepping in. But I have the people’s attention now, they are listening to me. I turn to Miguel to see what he has to say. 

His mouth forms the word unite and I understand. We are here to make these people our allies. 

“People of the southern clan,” I begin, trying to keep my voice steady. Anyone in here could have a weapon. “I have come to talk to you. I have come from the Box - yes, the Box - all for the purpose of getting your help.” Any one of these people could be a traitor. “Today, I come to ask for that help.” Any of these people could be from the Box. 

“The Box isn’t just a place where they take your children and hold them. In the city, we are given the date of our death at fifteen years of age. It is a choice to view it, but those who don’t look aren’t seen again. People go insane trying to prevent their deaths. So why would the people controlling the Box give us our death dates? I have no idea, but it makes the people in the city almost murder each other.” I suck in a breath, surprised at how the people are listening to me, hanging on every word. 

“The Box isn’t a good place. The people who work there have more than enough food. If you are experiencing food shortages, then you must look towards the the Box. They have your food and your profit. Turn on them and you will see only gain.” I fall silent as the people begin to whisper once again. 

Aspen leans forwards, her lips brushing my ear. “We need them to unite. We must rebel against the Box. We must fight for what is ours - revenge, food, and the children.” 

“We must unite!” I cry out, getting their attention once again. “We must rebel - we must fight back against the Box. They take your food, your children, and your homes. We must avenge those who have fallen. We must take revenge on the Box. Let us take back what is rightfully ours!” 

And then the people cheer. They pump their fists in the air and I can see the children in the crowds. I haven’t just awoken the Lost and the Hidden. I have woken a group of rebels, I have shown them that defeat is possible. 

But then the bliss fades as a gun shot shatters the cheers. Aspen grabs my arm and pulls me back, yanking the hood over my head. The others quickly follow, pulling up their hoods and ducking into the crowd. Someone emerges from the curtain, and then another. The Ninjas have found us once again. 

“Run!” Someone in the crowd shouts, causing mass panic. 

“No!” Gretchen calls out to them. “We must stay put and hold our ground!” But her cries are drowned out by the noise of the people rushing to get their children. 

More shots ring out, and a man not far away from me falls. More Ninjas come from behind the curtain, each one holding a singular gun. These bullets aren’t the electric ones or darts or even normal bullets. They’re more like bolts of light that hit people, passing through them but knocking them out. 

“We need to go,” Miguel hisses to me. He pulls Quinn and Warner along, Caspian and Liliya following. Gretchen is trying to wake a child on the floor, Aspen attempting to make her move. I try to go back for Aspen, but Miguel grabs my hand. “We can’t lose you. Aspen can handle herself, and so can Gretchen.” 

I want to believe him, but Gretchen does not seem like she’s going to move any time soon. I dart away from Miguel and into the mass of scrambling bodies, leaping over people on the floor. 

Some people are fighting back - the man who lead us in and his dog. One of the folks who jeered at me earlier. But they are quickly subdued. More Ninjas filter in. Someone must’ve leaked the information. How else could they know? But the new Ninjas have different weapons. I watch as a woman is struck with a blast from one, and she gasps as a gaping hole spreads across her chest. She falls to the floor, dead. A Ninja kicks her aside. 

“Aspen!” I call as I run towards her and Gretchen. “We have to go!” 

Aspen nods to me, but she is still trying to make Gretchen move. The green eyed girl makes no move, still trying to shake awake the child. 

A flash of light flies above my head. The number of conscious people is dwindling - the Ninjas are running out of targets. A Ninja grabs Gretchen, holding his weapon to her. Aspen grabs Gretchen’s gun and shoots him in the leg. Sparks spread across his body as Aspen grabs Gretchen and drags the girl away. 

Gretchen is finally coming to her senses. She sees the Ninjas and freezes. I remember what Miguel said about her being held hostage by the Ninjas for a week. It must be traumatizing for her. 

I hurry Aspen, pulling her in front of me as she drags Gretchen along beside her. I grit my teeth as a man falls into my, unconscious like everyone else. 

Miguel is holding open a door at the end of the room. The candles have fallen. Some are catching clothing one fire, others pattering out. But soon enough, smoke is beginning to fill the chamber. I notice Gretchen has been hit, her eyes are closed. 

I hook my shoulders under her arm, supporting more of the weight. Aspen nods gratefully to me and we hobble towards the exit. 

The smoke is reminding me of the fire back in the city. I gag at the smoke, trying to ignore the heat of the flames on my back. “Hurry, Jake!” I hear Miguel call ahead. Aspen follows the sound of his voice. We navigate the smoke with challenge, but the Ninjas apparently have no problem seeing through the smoke. 

I spot Miguel just ahead, his shirt pulled over his nose and mouth to filter out the smoke. Once Aspen and I get close enough, he grabs Gretchen’s body and hoists it over his shoulder like she’s a sack of flour. 

I hear Miguel groan under the weight, but my own legs are threatening to give out from fear so I can do nothing to help him. 

I’m running up the steps now, the hidden door leading to the surface. I hear more and more shots being fired. Everyone else must be unconscious or dead. But then there’s a gasp from behind me. 

I turn as Aspen crashes into me, a bolt of light hitting her square in the back. 

“Jake, you need to go,” Aspen mumbles as her eyes flutter shut. I shake my head and grit my teeth. Aspen rescued me, it’s my turn to rescue her. 

A sudden burst of adrenaline reminds me that I am not a normal person. I lift Aspen off the ground - and although she’s heavy, she doesn’t weigh me down too much. I pick up my pace, nearly running. I can see the jeep ahead as I burst into the sunlight. 

Around the jeep are other vans, all black. Ninjas. 

Miguel is clambering into the driver’s seat. A door is propped open. I toss Aspen inside, her body landing on Gretchen’s. I slam the door and swing into the passenger seat as the Ninja’s emerge from the hidden tunnel. 

“Drive!” I shout at Miguel. He slams his foot on the pedal, sending Caspian sprawling into Quinn. Miguel can’t drive. 

I can’t drive either, but Miguel seems to know what he’s doing well enough. The jeep’s tires screech, clouds of sand appearing behind us as our car speeds off. The Ninja’s hop into their cars as well, but Miguel is already pulling away. 

“Will the car run out of juice?” I ask him as one of the cars behind us comes to a stop. 

“Nuclear battery,” Miguel mumbles, his white knuckles gripping the steering wheel. “Won’t die for a long while now.” 

I don’t respond, my heart still pounding in my chest. Liliya is squished in the seat with an unconscious Aspen and Gretchen. Quinn, Warner, and Caspian are all in the back, staring out the window at the cars losing behind us. 

“They’re catching up,” Warner says quickly, turning to face us, looking pale. 

Miguel smirks into the mirror. “Aspen added some surprises for them.” He presses a button on the dashboard and not long after, fiery explosions light up the sky behind us. 

“Welp, that was fun,” Liliya mumbles, staring out the window beside her.

“Most fun I’ve had in years,” Miguel says with a smile. And the sad part is, I know he’s telling the truth. 

Ezra slaps Miguel when we return with his sister knocked out. “You said this was an easy mission.” Ezra complains. 

“It was supposed to be an easy mission,” Miguel sighs, rubbing his shoulder. I never knew a kid like Ezra could be so fiesty - although I suppose his sister is in bed right now, still not awake. 

Gretchen came to about five minutes ago before passing out again. Miguel thinks she’ll need bedrest for a day or so. Ezra says she wouldn’t need bedrest if we would’ve taken him with us. The logic makes no sense, but it’s guilt, I guess. Miguel is the one who has devoted his mind to finding out how the Ninjas found us. 

He guarantees they can’t track me, but I’m not so sure. 

That night, after dinner, the kids decide to have a baking competition in the kitchen under Ezra’s supervision. Miguel tells me it normally provides enough food for a few weeks, even if some of it isn’t super tasty. 

Miguel and I are sitting over a map. Let me rephrase: Miguel is staring at the map while I stare at the while and contemplate my past. 

“So,” I say, trying to make an attempt at conversation. “How do you think the Box assigns people dates of death?”  

“It’s simple,” Miguel notes without looking up. “They assign a date based on when they think spots should open up. Then, during that day they unhook the person from the city while orchestrating a death. They have Box workers inside Boxland, you know. Then, they toss the person - sometimes killing them first and sometimes letting them freeze to death. Depends on their supplies.” 

“They can’t get more supplies, can they?” I ask him. “If we really are secluded due to the dam, how are we getting supplies from elsewhere?” 

Miguel shrugs, this time looking at me for a second. “Do you really think there’s something out there?” 

“Do you?” 

“The Box gets their supplies from the dam, most likely. There are storage units hidden around the base. That’s where we got some of our own supplies to start out at the bunker.” 

“Do you think there’s something out there?” I repeat, looking Miguel straight in the eye. 

“My father used to say that he would find a way out of here one day.” Miguel says quietly. “He wanted to make a ship and sail to the end of the world. Hovercrafts were too risky and too hard to build. But a boat? Those could carry supplies and peoples for a long ways. No fuel needed, just wind and a sail. He had a boat layout, he called it El Pequeño Dragón - The Little Dragon.” Miguel becomes silent for a second, smiling to himself. “That’s what he used to call me before…” 

“Before what?” 

“Look, amigo, I’ve been over this before. I’m not ready yet.” Miguel says, a hint of bitterness on the edge of his voice. “Maybe someday.” 

I wisely keep silent. Miguel is not someone you want to have as an enemy. There’s a gleeful scream from the kitchen, followed by laughter and Ezra declaring a “diaster, yellow zone alert”. 

“Jake, I need your opinion on something,” Miguel says at last, turning to show me the map. It’s a map of the four clans and the Box. 

“We’ve tried the emotional clan, and we ended up ambushed. If we were to plan another meeting, where would you put it? Which clan do you think we should try for a rebellion in first?” 

“I could help a lot more if I knew why we were doing this,” I pry. 

“Revenge, to save the children and the people. You know why,” Miguel looks at me, confused. 

“No, but what are you doing this?” 

“Drop it,” Miguel orders, voice low and dangerous. “It isn’t a subject I openly discuss, and the more to try to learn my secrets the more likely you never will. Curiosity isn’t exactly a good trait right now.” 

“Curiosity is what helped me escape the Box,” I point out. 

“Jake, I’m warning you…” 

“Is everything alright?” It’s a tender voice, and we both turn to see Gretchen a few feet away. She looks pale and shaky, still wearing our disguises from early. “I heard voices.” 

“Everything is fine, thank you,” Miguel growls, making Gretchen fold her arms across her chest. Her legs seem to be wobbling, and she’s biting her bottom lip. “Do you need something?” 

“I need to talk to Jake,” Gretchen answers quietly. 

“Go,” Miguel orders me. I can feel the anger seeping into his voice. Gretchen seems unsure, but I stand and follow her. 

Gretchen leads me to the bump in the ground that defines the top of the bunker. 

The metal is warm despite the chilly air, but I shiver nonetheless. Gretchen is staring at me, vivid green eyes probing deep into my soul. 

“You okay?” I ask her, raising an eyebrow. 

Gretchen blinks once, like she doesn’t realize I’m talking to her. But then she smiles nervously. “Oh, yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” 

“I mean you did get sedated earlier, so I think that’s an excuse,” I shrug, feeling a bit awkward. I’ve never really talked to Gretchen - she’s always been preoccupied. 

“An excuse,” Gretchen repeats quietly, gazing off into space again before focusing back on me. “The thing is, I feel like I know you from somewhere. I noticed it the moment I first met you, but I don’t know where I’ve seen you before.” 

“Maybe you saw me when you were hostage at the Box,” I suggest to her. 

“Hostage,” Gretchen murmurs, her head in her hands. 

“I’m sorry,” I apologise quickly. “I didn’t mean to trigger anything…” 

I see now that Gretchen has a knife. The silver knife from the southern clan earlier. “Gretchen? What are you…” 

Gretchen’s expression is blank. What in the world is she doing? I watch the knife rise towards her throat… 

I tackle Gretchen to the ground, not thinking about the fact that I can be stabbed too. Gretchen shouts gibberish at me, wrestling me for control over the knife. I roll her onto her back, pinning her with my knees on her arms. Gretchen’s eyes look panicked like a deer caught in the headlights. 

The door from the bunker opens and Aspen steps out, rubbing her eyes. She sees Gretchen and I, the knife in my hand, and screams. 

Miguel rushes up the steps next, and he runs at me, shoving me to the ground in a similar position as I had Gretchen in. Miguel has the knife now, pointed at my throat. “What were you planning on doing to her? Huh? What were you going to …” 

“Miguel!” Aspen calls from the door. “I don’t think Jake was trying to hurt her. Were you, Jake?” Aspen looks at me, terrified. 

“Gretchen pulled the knife!”I tell him hurriedly, the knife point digging into my throat. “She was telling me that she thought she saw me before and I mentioned the Box. Then she went all weird and pulled the knife out of nowhere, and she looked like she was going to slit her own throat.” 

“Is this true?” Miguel looks to Aspen, who is cradling a whimpering Gretchen in her arms. 

Aspen shrugs. “Gretchen isn’t stable - she’s probably having flashbacks. The Ninjas today probably overwhelmed her.” Aspen helps Gretchen to her feet, wiping the mud off her face and the twigs out of her hair. 

“Either that, or Jake knows something we don’t.” Miguel turns to me, staring straight at me with disgust. “Gretchen recognized him from somewhere - maybe the Box. Think about it, Aspen. He just happens to see your message and believe it? And once we have him, we get attacked several times out of the blue? I don’t exactly trust him…” I don’t know that I trust myself either, but still, I didn’t attack Gretchen.

And this time, no one comes to my defense.