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Authors: Kerry Wilkinson
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down at what appears to be a patch of rubble. A thin layer of gravel and a few larger stones have been stuck to the exit. Even close
up, it would be hard to detect this was anything but another patch of debris. I peer around to see the remains of the church and realise I probably stepped on this exact spot when I was here with
Faith. Even though they took us a longer route in the blindfolds, it was simply to hide their real location.
It’s not the best disguise but I scrape my silver streak backwards and pull the hat down until my head is covered and then we start to head north.
With a smaller group, I am happier about us travelling together but as soon as we cross into a field with a large overgrown hedge shielding it from the road, I tell everyone that I want to wait
here until it is dark and that we should travel at night and rest during the day.
‘How far away is Middle England?’ Jela asks.
‘Probably three nights depending on how quickly we go. If we’re walking at night, we won’t have the sun to guide us, so we’ll have to be smart. My watch is working, so we
can look for landmarks such as rivers.’
‘We’re going to be walking close to my village,’ Faith says, but doesn’t specifically ask if we can make a detour.
‘We can’t risk being seen by anyone that might recognise you,’ I reply. ‘Everyone knows you escaped with me and they’ll assume that if you’re around, then so
am I.’
‘You sent messages to all our parents about getting to safety before we escaped. I know where mine would have headed and they won’t be with other people. If they got it, we’ll
know that everyone else’s family should be safe too.’
I take a moment to consider this and can’t fault her logic. It would be nice to know that my mother and Colt got my instructions. The worst case scenario is that Faith’s family
didn’t get it. From what Knave told me, none of our families has been paraded on screen, which would surely have happened if they had been captured. In the faces of Jela, Pietra, Hart and
Imrin, I can see they would like to know if their loved ones are safe.
‘You’ll have to direct us on our final day,’ I say. ‘We’ll have to be careful.’
I catch Hart’s eye as he coughs and covers his mouth with his hand. I start to ask how he is and then remember how annoying it is when Imrin keeps asking me the same thing.
I tell everyone that even though it is daytime and we have slept recently, they should try to rest as much as they can. I then divide us into watch teams, pairing Imrin with Pietra –
knowing she is the weakest and he is the strongest – and Faith with Hart, thinking that her common sense will compensate for his injury. I take the first shift with Jela because I know she
won’t want to talk about what could happen next.
While the others nestle themselves into the tallest clumps of grass, Jela and I edge along the hedgerow until we are at the top of a slope where we can see for a few miles in each direction. The
sky is mottled with a grey haze of cloud that bobs gently in the breeze. We flatten a patch of grass and use the remaining tall stems to shield us from view. I check the stream that runs along the
length of the field against the map on my thinkwatch, making sure we are still heading towards Middle England and telling Jela which direction we should take that night, if only to clarify my own
thoughts.
‘How do you do it?’ she asks as we settle down to keep watch.
‘What?’
‘All of this. If I had everyone waiting for my next instruction and hanging on my words, it would drive me crazy, but it doesn’t even faze you. One minute we’re being led into
that place under the church blindfolded, and the next you have the main guy giving us food and wishing us well. That took less than a day.’
When she puts it like that, it does sound impressive.
I shrug, unsure what to say. ‘I don’t know. I’m just me.’
Jela smiles and lies on her front on
up, it would be hard to detect this was anything but another patch of debris. I peer around to see the remains of the church and realise I probably stepped on this exact spot when I was here with
Faith. Even though they took us a longer route in the blindfolds, it was simply to hide their real location.
It’s not the best disguise but I scrape my silver streak backwards and pull the hat down until my head is covered and then we start to head north.
With a smaller group, I am happier about us travelling together but as soon as we cross into a field with a large overgrown hedge shielding it from the road, I tell everyone that I want to wait
here until it is dark and that we should travel at night and rest during the day.
‘How far away is Middle England?’ Jela asks.
‘Probably three nights depending on how quickly we go. If we’re walking at night, we won’t have the sun to guide us, so we’ll have to be smart. My watch is working, so we
can look for landmarks such as rivers.’
‘We’re going to be walking close to my village,’ Faith says, but doesn’t specifically ask if we can make a detour.
‘We can’t risk being seen by anyone that might recognise you,’ I reply. ‘Everyone knows you escaped with me and they’ll assume that if you’re around, then so
am I.’
‘You sent messages to all our parents about getting to safety before we escaped. I know where mine would have headed and they won’t be with other people. If they got it, we’ll
know that everyone else’s family should be safe too.’
I take a moment to consider this and can’t fault her logic. It would be nice to know that my mother and Colt got my instructions. The worst case scenario is that Faith’s family
didn’t get it. From what Knave told me, none of our families has been paraded on screen, which would surely have happened if they had been captured. In the faces of Jela, Pietra, Hart and
Imrin, I can see they would like to know if their loved ones are safe.
‘You’ll have to direct us on our final day,’ I say. ‘We’ll have to be careful.’
I catch Hart’s eye as he coughs and covers his mouth with his hand. I start to ask how he is and then remember how annoying it is when Imrin keeps asking me the same thing.
I tell everyone that even though it is daytime and we have slept recently, they should try to rest as much as they can. I then divide us into watch teams, pairing Imrin with Pietra –
knowing she is the weakest and he is the strongest – and Faith with Hart, thinking that her common sense will compensate for his injury. I take the first shift with Jela because I know she
won’t want to talk about what could happen next.
While the others nestle themselves into the tallest clumps of grass, Jela and I edge along the hedgerow until we are at the top of a slope where we can see for a few miles in each direction. The
sky is mottled with a grey haze of cloud that bobs gently in the breeze. We flatten a patch of grass and use the remaining tall stems to shield us from view. I check the stream that runs along the
length of the field against the map on my thinkwatch, making sure we are still heading towards Middle England and telling Jela which direction we should take that night, if only to clarify my own
thoughts.
‘How do you do it?’ she asks as we settle down to keep watch.
‘What?’
‘All of this. If I had everyone waiting for my next instruction and hanging on my words, it would drive me crazy, but it doesn’t even faze you. One minute we’re being led into
that place under the church blindfolded, and the next you have the main guy giving us food and wishing us well. That took less than a day.’
When she puts it like that, it does sound impressive.
I shrug, unsure what to say. ‘I don’t know. I’m just me.’
Jela smiles and lies on her front on
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