The Broken Destiny (18 page)

Hours later, I woke to the sound of blaring music, lifted my head and rubbed at the cramp in my neck from falling asleep on the couch. Sam was dancing around in the kitchen, singing into a spoon – she was cooking again.

“Morning!” I yelled, and then made my way across the room toward the stairs.

Panic washed over me as realization came crashing down like a towering wave.

“Exams!” I shouted more to myself than Sam.

Sam threw the spoon at me. I watched it land at the foot of the stairs.

“Stop panicking.” She scowled. “You studied hard.” She beamed.

I waved her off. No matter how hard I worked, I never felt prepared. Additionally, the previous night’s nightmare had left me drained of all mental and physical ability. Slowly, I made my way to the bathroom, grimly staring at my reflection on the shower door as it slid shut; purple lasers scanning my body for any weaknesses in my immune system.

“Good morning, Ava.” Ox’s voice was clear and cheerful. “You seem tired. We can fix that.” The computer’s voice chimed in the same detached way it always did.

“Well, what do you know, my computer shows compassion,” I mumbled softly.

“I resent that,” Ox said. “Cheer up, Ava. Exams are less than an hour away. I know you are looking forward to them.”

“Bite me,” I spat as the shower turned on.

“Is that sarcasm I detect, Ox?”

“Maybe.” Ox chimed.

I chuckled to myself. I wondered if the Council knew that their precious systems were evolving into something more than just a program to keep tabs on us.

As the warm water flowed over me, I wished it would wash away the dreams and scrub away the haunting feeling that something was always coming after me. I pressed my face into my hands, letting out a huge sigh in hope that the grimness would leave me soon. I wanted it all to be over. I wanted to skip ahead ten years. The sound of Ox’s voice startled me.

“Would a specific song cheer you up?”

“No. Fix me, I just want to get on with the rest of this day,” I said bluntly, continuing to stare at my reflection as the water washed the bitter taste of the previous night’s nightmare away. Dark, distant gray eyes stared back – I hardly recognized myself anymore. I suddenly realized though, that I had woken myself up from the dream the previous night, and felt the credence of every daunting nightmare lift off of me, vanishing down the drain. This was the first time I had fought back in one of those dreams. My grimness swirled down the drain before me, too. I told myself that I was the master of my own life and motivated myself to take control, to get over every little piece of insecurity looming underneath, rolling deep down inside me. I wondered for a second if these thoughts were my own as they felt foreign to me, or a mere product of the biometric scanner influencing my sudden mood change?

As usual, heads turned and people stared as we walked down the corridors of our school, but this time they were staring with envy and jealousy. The foreign voice in my head spoke again, telling me that maybe they had been envious all along and I had failed to see it for some unknown morbid reason. I decided that it was easier to deal with not being liked than having to deal with jealousy. I couldn’t make jealousy issues go away. Somehow, it was worse. Before, I liked to believe that we were all the same, but I wasn’t so sure anymore. I briefly wondered where all those thoughts were coming from. All of a sudden, the feeling of being watched, tugged at my consciousness. I looked around. Sam and I were the only ones there. I thought I saw something move behind the wall and listened for footsteps before running to the stairs. I found nothing but a dark stairwell taunting me; no footsteps and no shadows, but I was almost certain there was a person there. I picked up a familiar scent. It was a mixture of sandalwood, the ocean, sweet smoke and rain. I smiled to myself.
I know that scent. He is following me.

“Ava?”

Sam stood next to me, arms folded over her dark, blue school bag, eyes wide and questioning.

“Did you see something?”

“Not quite,” I said, staring down the dark, narrow stairwell. I moved away, noticing the frost accumulating at the edge of the gigantic windows overlooking the park below. Just hours ago, I had been mingling with boys, something I hadn’t done, ever. Troy’s scent lingered before me. The frost was a small sign that the seasons were changing – it hadn’t been that cold in a very long time.

“We’re late,” she said dimly, pulling me toward the exam hall on the third floor. A couple of kids passed us and I caught the hint of a smile from one of the girls. I felt a strong glow growing inside me and a great power seeping through my pores. I looked at my reflection on the flat surface of every passing window as we made our way past a row of small, square lecture halls. I liked what I saw and they knew it. I felt different. It was as if I had had some kind of revelation. The fact that I had survived those terrifying attacks made me think that maybe I didn’t give myself enough credit. For once in my life, I was not breaking down.
Not this time. This time I was breaking out. Not only was I breaking out of my cocoon, I would be breaking out tonight.
Pushed by insanity, or by my “untouchable” revelation, I decided at that precise moment that I would risk everything to go and meet Enoch. With that thought, I felt myself come alive!

It was easier than I thought it would be to slip away from Sam. She was distracted by the buzz in the café. The sweet taste of the end-of-year break was on everyone’s lips as they sang along to a band that was playing. Music was only allowed to be played publicly during school break. I sighed inwardly in realization that I had made it through another cycle. Looking back one last time to make sure I was in the clear, I swiftly made my way out of the café. Once outside, I stared at the three moons’ glow; almost every inch of the lavender sky smothered by a blanket of dark and dangerous clouds. The intertwined silver branches of the trees led me onto the path. It was a breathtaking view painted on a canvas of change. My feet carried me hastily forward, their haste stimulated by a surge of adrenaline at the thought of why Enoch would want to see me. The large iron gate came into view. I wiped my hands on my jeans one last time and looked over my shoulder, but when I turned back, my two self-appointed bodyguards zeroed in on me, cutting me off from the path that led through the gates of the prison and onto the trail that wound through the forest. The one that led to where Enoch would be waiting for me.

“You didn’t actually think you could make it out of the grounds without us noticing, did you?” Dave asked in a very serious tone, his face wiped clean of emotion.

“Actually, I did.” I confessed bravely. “I’m not a child. I’m only going for a walk.”

“Well, then you won’t mind if we come with you.” Robert moved in front of me, obstructing my view of the path completely.

I stood looking down at my hands and pressed them against my sides to steady them.

“I’m sure you have something better to do with your time than to babysit me.”

A crooked smile appeared on Dave’s face. “Nice try, princess, but you’re not going anywhere.”

With Robert’s help, he picked me up and carried me back toward the café, where they carefully placed me on the steps. Arms crossed, they dared me to make a move.

“Fine,” I snapped, turned on my heels and rolled my eyes.

Making my way back toward Sam, I was already plotting my escape. Sam sat across from François, engrossed in a game of arm wrestling. Sam smiled triumphantly as she almost pushed his hand right into the table. I looked over at the other girls grouping around us. I had a plan. I took my iPod out of my pocket. 15:45 flashed across the screen. I had to execute my plan soon. Pulling two brunettes aside, I used my last coins to pay them off. I looked down at the coins resting in my palm. The last time I held them, I had almost died falling off the bridge. I would gladly have died, if I had had to choose between death or being taken by the Zulus. I waited a few minutes for my plan to start working. The girls were very good actresses. I watched with a huge grin as they led my bodyguards away. I was completely out of sight when I made my move. I slunk out of the café and down the stairs. The gate stood inches away from me – cold metal bars beckoning me to the other side. I glanced around. I was alone. I pushed my petite body through the bars of the gate and made a run for it, smiling mischievously at having escaped so easily. My boots hit the parched forest floor with such speed and force that dust rose up behind me. The sun wasn’t going to set for a while, but it was overcast, making the narrow path seem darker than usual. The cold air stung my cheeks as I ran. Once again, I was reminded of the presence of the thin scar on my cheek when I felt it tingle. A forceful gush of wind rushed between the branches overhead, and the speed of my heart matched the pounding of my feet on the ground below. The forest grew darker and my fear rose – somehow I felt exposed.
What the hell am I doing?
I asked myself. The idea alone propelled my speed and doubled my excitement. I could feel a presence bearing down on me.
Or is it my guilt?
I wondered. The forest seemed to close in around me.
Don’t panic
, I told myself.
You’re almost there.
I could hear the gush of the stream echoing off the stone boulders, the very same stream that ran past Maya’s backyard. I slowed down when the boulders came into view, drew in a deep breath upon seeing the outline of a tall figure standing on the bridge, his lean body resting against one of the posts, clutching a bow between his legs. I felt nervous. My heart was giving my chest a beating and it definitely wasn’t from being unfit. He looked up as he heard the crush of dry twigs beneath my boots. He stood up straight, suddenly looking unsure of himself. I almost caught a glint in his eyes that said “go back.” I fixed my eyes on him. A gust of wind gently swirled over the clearing picking up some forest debris, then throwing it into the air as it climbed over the bridge and rushed past Enoch. There was definitely something shifty about him; that was the thing that drew me toward him. Intrigued, I kept staring, my breath coming out in short wisps of fog before me. Even though Enoch was wearing a few layers of clothing, I could still see his body tense up as I neared. Then, he smiled. As he came closer, the bushes around me rustled restlessly. It wasn’t the wind. I could almost feel the pressure of an alluring presence squeezing down on me. A loud howl sounded throughout the clearing. My body jolted and my breath left me for a second. At least five figures leaped out of the trees overhead, landing between Enoch and myself. It was Robert, Dave and the rest of the gang, who I had not yet met. I swore under my breath.

“Ava.” A smooth voice spoke from behind me.

I was struck cold. I knew that voice. I spun around, surprised that there was someone behind me at all. It was Troy. I recognized his black gloves from the bike ride the other night, and I could smell his familiar scent. My eyes fell on his khaki army pants sitting a little too snug around his hips. I trailed my eyes over chiseled abs bulging through his gray vest, coming to rest on his very rock-hard chest. My stomach churned and my cheeks flushed. I wondered if he could smell both my fear and desire. Every time this boy stood in front of me, I felt like I was going to hurl. The intensity that radiated between us was unbearable. I desperately wanted to know him. My eyes fell to the ripple of muscles cascading down his torso as he took a step closer. When he folded his arms over his chest, I couldn’t help but gasp a little at his big biceps. I thought I saw him smile. I stood staring at his full lips, my eyes then followed the shape of his strong jaw-line, eventually coming to rest on his sparkling hazel eyes – the green sparks fading as I kept staring in awe. It was the first time I had seen his face. Those hazel eyes darkened as he looked over my shoulder, and then grimaced when he looked back at me. It might have been judgment, but I wasn’t sure.