The Luminosity Series (Book 1): Luminosity (12 page)

“But you know the only reason I’m alive right now is
because of you... I—I never thanked you for that,” I said. He paused,
swallowing as he remained quiet. His smile vanished, the same stubbornness
prevailing against the emotions wanting to return.

“Yeah, well, after I lost my father, I couldn’t stand
the thought of losing someone else. Turns out, I’ve had to say goodbye to more
people than I ever expected to in one lifetime. It’s just something you learn
to live with nowadays,” he said.

“Evan… please...” I sighed.

“This might sound naïve, but knowing about this should
have brought everyone together. It should have given us a bigger reason to
cherish the time we still had, or the people left in our lives. It’s sad that
all this has done to the world is torn us apart,” he snapped.

Moments passed as we exchanged glances in the
darkness. Evan sat against the wall, observing as I swayed back and forth
against the creaky rocking chair. I rested my head back, looking up at the
auroras through a gaping hole in the ceiling while the weight of the compass
rested in my left pocket, demanding I tell him.

“Can I trust you to keep a secret?” I asked. He
glanced up at me in uncertainty before nodding, his expression appearing
gentler now.

“What is it?” he asked in curiosity.

“I have to show you something,” I said, leaning
forward before pulling the compass into view.

“Holy shit. Is that real gold? Where did you find
that?” he asked, squinting at the antique-looking compass in my hands. I
nodded.

“I found it up on one of the old mountain trails by my
mom’s house.”

“What? Aren’t those trails blocked off?”

“Well… technically.” He now had a hint of a smirk
forming on his face, giving me a flash of acceptance as I avoided him. “I won’t
go back up there though. Not since the last time...” His smirk faltered as I
winced.

“Did someone see you?” he asked in sudden alarm.

“No. But someone put it there. The rocks by it had the
same symbols as the tunnel.” Suddenly, his eyes got wider.

“Do you remember what the symbols looked like?” he
asked.

“Why?”

“Well, we’re not sure, but we think it’s a language
the rebels use to communicate,” he said.

“No. I was in too much of a hurry. Why does it
matter?” I asked, shaking my head while he let out a distressed sigh.

“It might be a sign they’re planning an attack…
Something about it doesn’t feel right. We’re seeing more glyphs out here too.
And we don’t know who’s putting them there, but it’s been happening more
often,” he said. I swallowed.

“The symbols aren’t what worry me,” I said, closing my
eyes. He hesitated as I took in a breath.

“Then what is it?”

“A few weeks ago, my mom told me my father left behind
a compass for my sister and I. I guess it was some sort of memorabilia or
something. She said she didn’t have a chance to give it to me before I moved.
And then the guards confiscated it from her during inspections,” I said, frowning
in confusion.

“You think this belonged to your father?” he asked.

“Maybe… But why was it sitting at the top of a rock
cairn outside the military fence? It was in the same spot I end my walk on the
trail. Someone planted it there for me to find. But how would it have even gotten
there? My father died when I was five,” I said, dismissing the onset of
emotion.

“Well, maybe it’s a coincidence,” he said, looking
away from me quickly. I winced.

“It has letters etched on the back. A.R.E. And it has
these weird numbers carved into the side of it too. It’s a map. There’s no way it’s
coincidental, Evan,” I said.

“Let me see it,” he said with a curious eye. I
analyzed him, hesitant on handing it over. And as he reached to grab it, my
heart stopped as the door to the cabin flung open. We shot up from our
positions within the fragments of a second. Then, we locked eyes with Janelle,
the sound of her nervous, shrieking voice now unrecognizable.

“You guys, we have to get back to the tunnel! Now!”

“What’s going on? Where’s Jake?” Evan asked as Aaron appeared
behind Janelle.

“We don’t know! He hasn’t come back yet. We saw lights
in the distance so we put out the fire. And when I finally had a chance to
look, I saw a group of Humvees swarming the rocks just west of here. My guess
is they spotted rebels, and they’re herding them toward the border to trap
them,” Aaron said between breaths, gripping the night-vision binoculars around
his neck.

“What about Kylie and Nick? Where are they?” Evan
asked.

“They’re already on their way back. We can catch them
if we leave now,” Janelle said, striving to keep up with her gasps.

“Shit,” Evan sighed.

“Those trucks are heading in this direction. If they
detect us on their radar, we’re done,” Janelle said.

“What, so we’re supposed to let Jake get caught?” Evan
snapped.

“There’s no time for him. It’s him or all of us,”
Aaron said. Evan threw his head back in a huff.

“Evan, please. We have to go,” I said, clutching his
arm. He glared at me, evaluating my concern.

“You never should have come here, Aubrey,” he uttered
with a swallow. Confused by what he meant, I cowered in surprise as his words
pierced through me. And in the seconds he took to drag me out the door, a part
of me crumbled.

Running seemed to be useless. The rocks glowed under
the auroras, exposing the shadows my horrors were composed of. All that was
audible now was the repetition of breathing, entering and exiting my lungs,
propelling into leisurely motion. The quicker we ran, the slower the time
passed. And the nearer we drifted toward the fence, the farther it got. We’d
never pull away fast enough. In those moments, flashes from the collision
struck me. My body demanded surrender. And when I yanked my arm back to quit, I
lost my balance from the weight of Evan’s tug. I collapsed against the ground
while the onslaught of vertigo sent me into a spirally gaze upon the stars. The
shifting auroras sent me into a parallel dimension—a place I couldn’t depart
from no matter how many times I tried. Janelle and Aaron drifted farther away
as Evan darted backward to help me.

“Get up. Quick!” he said, lending his hand to spring
me upward. As I accepted his grip, the pressure of his strength launched me
vertical again. I remained short of breath, still holding onto him. He grasped
my hand tighter, compelling me to hurtle forward again. Pain exploded through
my ankle following each step, the growl of engines approaching. Evan’s eyes
shot to me in terror. We were over a mile from the tunnel. We wouldn’t make it
before they reached us.

On the horizon, the auroras put on a hypnotizing
dance. I couldn’t watch. Instead, I concentrated on running as far away from
the oncoming Humvees as possible. I sensed Evan’s panic by the way he yanked at
my arm, tighter and tighter, not allowing me to give up again. Then, the beams
of headlights shone in the vicinity as the military vehicles appeared over the
hills. He skidded to a stop in the dirt, whirling his head in every direction.
I flung back beside him, my long, dark hair blending into the air behind us.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“We can’t outrun them. We have to hide,” he said. His
eyes widened while fighting to recover his breath.

“What about Janelle and Aaron?”

“They’re far enough ahead of us to get to the tunnel
unseen. They’ll be fine. But if we keep running, we won’t make it without being
spotted,” he said, intent on being convincing.

“Okay,” I heaved on the verge of panic. He gripped my
hand tensely as I dwelled on the fear.

“I won’t let them catch us,” he said, peering up at
the headlights that neared our direction. I opened my mouth to ask where we’d
hide, but he put a finger to his lip and nodded to my left. There stood a
cluster of large rocks, all crumbled together, like the ruins of a lost
civilization that had been there for centuries. I swallowed the doubt as we
ducked our heads, pushing forward through the dying trees. When we approached
the boulders, a tiny, dark opening between two rocks came into sight. It was
the perfect place to hide. We crouched down as we caught our breath. My eyes
widened as I looked behind me.

“Here, get in. Hurry!” he said. I bit my lip before
groveling in the wet sand, wincing as I squeezed myself through. The air inside
was cool, still damp from a recent rain. Sitting with my back against the
rocks, I pushed my knees up against my chest, trying to make room for him. The
uttering of voices was imminent now. I grabbed his arm to help pull him in
faster, and as he made his way through, the faint flicker of headlights gleamed
near the opening. We had made it just in time.

The walls narrowed in on us, suffocating and cramped,
but claustrophobia was the least of my worries. His face glowed in the darkness
from a small beam of moonlight severing between the rifts of the two boulders.
We faced each other. I closed my eyes as his shaky breath reached my neck.

“Shh… It’s okay,” he said in an unstable whisper in my
ear, hardly audible. But he was equally nervous. As the seconds ticked away, we
held our breath, my heart racing as the silence broke.

“Call for reinforcements! When we find the rest of
them, we’ll need the chopper to transport them!” a man yelled. I winced at the essence
of his words.

“Sir, I’m picking up a signal from a heat sensor
toward the western border on my radar. Should we engage?” the other man asked.
Seconds passed, and within the silence, the muffled whimper of a young woman
impaled me.

“No. Notify border patrol. They can handle it. We’re
running out of time. The girl comes with us. If she doesn’t talk, we’ll send
her to the interrogation unit until she does,” he replied.

“And if she doesn’t, sir?”

“It won’t matter. They’re going to kill her anyway.”
Now, her panicked screams and crying amplified in volume. The snarls of
struggle, kicking, and thrashing were clear. Then, out of nowhere, there was
silence.

“Yes, sir,” the soldier said.

I squeezed my eyes shut. I wanted to belt out in rage,
but Evan held me back, his head trembling against mine in the shadows.
Desperate to keep quiet, he put one hand over my mouth, silencing my enraged breaths.
It wasn’t until that moment we grasped the danger we had put ourselves in that
night. And after their engines faded, Evan released his palm from my face. We
both let out an exhausted breath. I swallowed as my vision wandered to him,
shaken by our dangerous encounter, his expression now dark with rage and glossy
from fear. Just that one horrified glance was all it took to signify we couldn’t
risk coming out here again.

“Come on, let’s go,” he whispered, still cautious. I
held back nervously.

“No. Not yet,” I said in tears.

“You heard him. They’re calling on border patrol. The
sooner we beat them to it, the less likely we’ll be caught. Trust me,” he said.

“What did you mean when you said I never should have
come here?” I asked, looking up at him slowly. He expelled a heavy sigh, his
face still inches from mine.

“You know what I meant, Aubs,” he said, glancing at me
with sad eyes.

“No… I don’t. I don’t even recognize you anymore…”

“Look… I lost a part of myself that day too, okay?
It’s not fair for you to think you’re the only person who was messed up after
that. I fought, and I never gave up until I finally accepted I had no control
over this.”

“Never gave up on what?” I knew the answer, but I
needed to hear him say it.

“On you. You didn’t know I applied for a transfer to
Grand Junction? I waited for months only to be denied,” he confessed.

“What?” I asked, shaking my head in horror.

“I’m surprised you weren’t aware of that by now…” he
said in disappointment. I swallowed back tears as he crawled out into the
darkness.

After what felt like hours of running, we reached the
escape tunnel. The four of them waited for us on the other side, a flash of
relief ascending on their faces as our shadows reflected against the rocks.
Evan delivered a sympathetic glimpse before brushing the dirt off his clothes.
I let out a breath, barely able to exchange a glance before the force of
Kylie’s fist sent me back to the ground. Like a ton of bricks, the weight of
her punch stifled me, striking me off guard. Every bit of joy to be alive
transformed into hate, and in that second, I yearned to return the blow.

“She did this. She’s going to get us killed!” Kylie thrashed,
bolting forward to hit me again. But just as I prepared for another knock to
the face, the three of them dragged her back.

“You can’t blame this on me!” I called.

“Kylie, stop! She didn’t do anything!” Evan shoved her
away. Kylie’s gasps came heavy, heated, and delirious. And after just a few
seconds, she kneeled against a rock before breaking into tears.

“All of you be quiet or it won’t matter whose fault it
is anymore,” Aaron cautioned. I cradled my cheek as Evan helped me back up,
Aaron throwing me an intolerable stare, and Janelle, a blank expression.

“You okay?” Evan asked me. I cringed out a nod.

As the air calmed, he took a heavy sigh.

“Damn it. Did anyone see Jake?” he asked. We all
stayed quiet for a second.

“No,” Aaron said.

“Fuck…” Evan heaved.

“There’s nothing we could’ve done, man. They would’ve
found us if we hadn’t seen them coming,” Aaron said.

“He doesn’t know the route back to the tunnel. One of
us has to find him,” Evan snapped.

“No way. They’ll have surveillance choppers all over
out there. It’d be a death wish to go after him. Besides, it might already be
too late.”

“What do you mean by
that
?” I asked.

“What do you think I mean?” he asked. “This has to end
here. From now on, I’m not going out there. And it’d be wise if you followed my
example, before you get yourselves killed.” Aaron gave us a look. I grasped Evan’s
irritation by the way he clenched his fists.

“You realize what they’ll do if he’s missing during
roll call,” Evan said.

Roll call. The two most dreadful words that I’d never
forget. Once a week, soldiers entered homes to make sure each law-abiding
citizen was accounted for. If you were absent within two consecutive weeks, you
disqualified from the colony selection without warning. And of the homes whose
doors were branded with a red X, the military hunted for squatters. Refusing to
surrender themselves, many homeless became sitting ducks. They hid in plain
sight to avoid being forced into labor to work as slaves. If found, they were
taken to facilities where they’d be put to rest. I hadn’t missed a roll call
since this started.

“And you understand what they’ll do if you’re missing,
too. Come on, Evan. Let’s face it. Jake brought this on himself. And I’m not
letting you go past here again. Any of you. I’m telling the military about the
tunnel, not because I want to, but because I don’t want to see one of you die
out there,” Aaron said.

“No. We had an agreement. At least wait until Jake is
inside these walls!” Evan yelled, beaming from Aaron to Janelle.

“Evan… he’s right. It’s over. It’s too risky for any
of us anymore. It’s for our own good,” Kylie said. He stayed quiet. I stood
with a blank face, still nursing my cheekbone before speaking up.

“They captured one of them. A girl. They’re—they’re
planning to—kill her,” I said with a wince.

“Hey. That’s what they do. It’s what they have to do
to keep our cities protected,” Aaron said. I glared up at him in disgust.

“How is killing innocent people keeping us safe? They
don’t have to kill them. They choose to, like they’re hunting for sport or
something,” I lashed out.

“It’s the President’s order, so yes, Aubrey, they have
to. The military doesn’t have a choice. They’re just following orders like
everyone else. Besides, she wasn’t innocent. She’s part of the rebellion, and
that makes her an enemy. We understood the risks. And so did you. So just be
glad you made it out,” Aaron said.

“How do you know why that girl left the borders? None
of you have the right to justify someone else’s reasons for being out there,
especially since you were out there yourself. We know nothing about the rebels,
or what goes on deeper in the wilderness. Maybe she was just trying to find her
way home, like us!” I cried. I glowered at Evan, whose face stayed as hard as
stone, our eyes meeting.

“She made the wrong choice, something you’re
well-versed in,” Aaron said, pushing his short, spiky hair backward against his
scalp. I heaved, releasing a spiteful tear.

“You’re just as sick as they are… brainwashed into
believing that this is okay, just like they want,” I scowled at Aaron.

“So it’s fine if they attack us?” Aaron asked in
confusion.

“Enough. Let’s get out of here.” Evan tensed his jaw,
struggling to accept Aaron’s words, but even he couldn’t decide which side of
the argument he stood on. That night I witnessed something I thought I’d never
see in him—the same hopelessness and defeat I felt upon leaving this town. And silently,
it killed me.