Slate stands outside leaning against the railing in the dark with a cup of coffee in hand, the world only just glowing around him by the building behind him, the snow gently falling around him.64Please respect copyright.PENANAJD0MMavqAw
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They found a place to stop and rest for the night, but the bad news is they're out for fuel now for the helicopter so they'll have to go on foot from now on when they eventually leave this place.64Please respect copyright.PENANAGJ4SjsasOL
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The place they have sought refuge is some base in the mountains, it had a landing pad on the roof and luckily was stocked with some supplies, but not enough to last them for more than a few days so they will have to leave to find food and perhaps find other shelter plus in the current climate, it's very cold. They're not all rugged up warmly and are doing what they can to stay warm as when they escaped, they didn't think about the weather.64Please respect copyright.PENANA7qEljHCI3Z
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"Hi. Want some company?" A small voice whispers, a person come outside to join Slate on the balcony. He looks behind him to see Beth. "It's cold, you'll get cold out here. Go back inside to the fireplace." He tells her.64Please respect copyright.PENANAJ26dgunhlV
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"My head hurts, everyone else is inside trying to do maths to work out how old we are, but it's hard when we don't have all the figures we need. We we're downstairs for three years and we seem to be in our 20's somewhere, but what else in time are we missing? So, can I please stand out here with you?"64Please respect copyright.PENANA9ixVbzUZ4d
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"Sure, come here." He says, removing his insulated fighter coat. He has a really thick shirt on underneath anyway so he'll be fine, but Beth? She's in just a singlet, pink shorts with black leggings. He helps her put it on. "Thank you, Slate."64Please respect copyright.PENANAAtl2SksB4K
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"It's okay, you need it more than me."64Please respect copyright.PENANAupJpOsBYtl
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He takes a sip of his coffee and looks out at the dead world covered in a blanket of snow as she does the same. "Beth..."64Please respect copyright.PENANAdQYc19Z45i
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"Yeah?"64Please respect copyright.PENANAWIUv5vGtLp
64Please respect copyright.PENANA9r2bKZXnrU
"I just wanted to say-"64Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8u2WnPtqO
64Please respect copyright.PENANAFgH3NmPlzU
"Thank you for leading us, saving us."64Please respect copyright.PENANAgHzLpXSndf
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"Oh, sure. No problem, I'd have done it for anyone..." And then the intrusive memory starts creeping back. He killed him.64Please respect copyright.PENANATGOySiB5ie
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During escaping with Beth, he can't tell them. But he killed someone, he remembered. Murphy raped her and killed Hazel and Elijah on a mission. He wasn't punished by Solayo for the second one, the leaders covered it up.64Please respect copyright.PENANA9gSUaFMjhT
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Murphy got in his way, he was drunk and trying to pick a fight with him... He doesn't want to remember. He... He handcuffed Murphy to a railing with his own handcuffs. 64Please respect copyright.PENANA0XbCUwm6iS
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Then he looks down and for a second sees Murphy handcuffed to the railing. He jumps back, letting out a scream. He drops his coffee cup, but Beth only just catches it, burning herself. She cries, snapping him out of it. He takes the cup, sitting it on the railing and dumps out the remaining water in his flask, dumping it on her hands, taking them quickly in his. 64Please respect copyright.PENANAeNAtHnm293
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"But the water! We need that!"64Please respect copyright.PENANA6TYZG7sWZv
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"But your hands, this is more important." He tells her. "I'm sorry."64Please respect copyright.PENANAyQNXtwz50i
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"It's ok. Are you okay? What even happened to you? You're head, those bandages."64Please respect copyright.PENANAp9qda2x1NY
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"Uh, I don't know." 64Please respect copyright.PENANAY3Qb5DPsLV
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It's not a total lie. Now the memories of before what Ester and Mikey did are patchy, but he can't remember anything before living at The Compound. He just remembers living and training there. His been downstairs before, he was in solitary for a long time before he worked with Solayo rather than against him. 64Please respect copyright.PENANAizT5exB44f
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But why we're when they even downstairs for three years? He can't put his finger on it.64Please respect copyright.PENANAk3S6jZwavQ
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"Beth."64Please respect copyright.PENANAQnX4Rt8p4y
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"Yes?"64Please respect copyright.PENANA2ZyEyeyBYq
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"I just want to tell you I'm sorry there is no tablets to give you, I must have lost them somewhere. The others all have some of their memories and attributes back, but you-"64Please respect copyright.PENANAaQNqkIdwLf
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"It's okay, I don't need them." She tells him, turning back towards the railing, down. She touches her neck feeling the bandage around her neck and wrists.64Please respect copyright.PENANA9t9fjf5AH3
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"This was stupid, I don't even know why I did it... I'm sure remembering would only reveal the real reason and then... who knows what I'd do? Off myself?"64Please respect copyright.PENANAnY1B1JG4O7
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He chokes, coughs when he hears her say this. He pulls out the cigarrettes from his pocket and quickly lights one. "Want one?"64Please respect copyright.PENANAt45uNwcQpD
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"No." She declines, shaking her head. "Uh, so. What are we going to now?"64Please respect copyright.PENANAIDhleErAuH
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"Head out at first light and find some more food I guess."64Please respect copyright.PENANAKi8JfPRj1S
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"I mean where from now? We can't stay here forever. It's not a safe place. Not permanatly anyway."64Please respect copyright.PENANAY2nB5mWXaf
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"Nothing's going to get us. We're fine."64Please respect copyright.PENANAQvr3zptv96
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"Sorry. For some reason, I feel like someone or something is watching me-"64Please respect copyright.PENANAP2F6eVcgIH
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But she doesn't get to finish, Slate telling her to duck and he yells out to the others to cut the lights off inside. The lights go off a moment later and in the distance below the hill is a figure slowly walking along, it's leg half hanging off. 64Please respect copyright.PENANAJlbfr34Rma
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"What is that?" Beth whispers, gulping. "That is what I'm afraid of. I tried to get some sleep earlier inside, but I kept seeing something like that in my sleep.64Please respect copyright.PENANApHg3hngmRA
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The others talking woke me up."64Please respect copyright.PENANAxXNOYtnfGK
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"The hell if I know, but let's stay far away from it..."64Please respect copyright.PENANA9zYTjZpJWC
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"Guys?" A voice whispers, coming up behind them. Slate almost backhands them. "Sorry."64Please respect copyright.PENANAc0fLkAAGXv
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He sees it's Lyla. "Do you want to come back inside? You'll freeze out here."64Please respect copyright.PENANAHmfoYq3PRO
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"Come here, see that?" He gestures her to join them. She peers at it. "Is it a person?"64Please respect copyright.PENANAWthxImeUjS
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"It looks like one of us, but it's movements are weird and janky. And it's leg's hanging off, but it's walking mostly without it." Beth speaks up. 64Please respect copyright.PENANAA9sDx5oW9C
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Then a cold gust blows. "We should head inside." Lyla says quickly and they all run back inside to shelter.64Please respect copyright.PENANAmcP4QtaPW8
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"Hey, was it outside?" Gideon smiles.64Please respect copyright.PENANAEx9Y0kisIb
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"Cold." Slate responds. Gideon respomds, smirking and laughing.64Please respect copyright.PENANA9ZIfiS5ZlX
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"Well, duh!"64Please respect copyright.PENANAP6Pjjxnl5Z
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"Whatever, Gid. We need the bandages. I need to change mine and hers." Slate gestures to Beth. "Sure." Gideon says quickly, handing them over to her.64Please respect copyright.PENANAq3o5VqwA5j
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Slate takes them, pulling her after him into the bedroom so they can have some privacy from the others. This building is only two rooms and cramped. 64Please respect copyright.PENANA6oxKZxaB5W
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Lounge and kitchen merged together and then the bedroom seperatly. It barely fit the bed at all. 64Please respect copyright.PENANAtrzPJMlGQM
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"So, what do you think this place is?" She whispers trying to make small talk as Slate gently unwraps the bandage around her neck. "Ah." She whinces lately, the bandage slightly sticking. He whinces when he sees the cut. Thank god it wasn't deep so it was never life threatening, but seeing there was an attempt, it's scary.64Please respect copyright.PENANAoXAepbBrkI
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"Security jumped on me really quickly. Lyla ran into the hallway screaming and crying. They we're here in less than ten seconds."64Please respect copyright.PENANAKn9cizAqe9
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"I'm glad your alive though..."64Please respect copyright.PENANAW1CZ6OY8al
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"...Thank you. My arm... can you look at it. The guard who was on me, she was mean and pulled my arm behind my back saying she'd break it after last time so I could never do anything again. I don't know what she meant."64Please respect copyright.PENANAXQ7BHYNYN8
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"Did someone stop her?"64Please respect copyright.PENANAjLjRNUEOJm
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"Yeah, a colleague of hers."64Please respect copyright.PENANAQhQGioyHrs
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When Slate finishes wrapping fresh bandage around her neck and wrists, her burnt hand as well. He slips her sleeve up to inspect her upper left arm. "It's quite bruised. Does it overly hurt to move it?"64Please respect copyright.PENANAxPi1YGhgkq
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He gently moves it. "N-no." She breathes, removing his hand. "Turn around, I'll do your head." She tells him, removing the old bandage and wrapping a fresh one. It's hard to see the wounds beneath his hair.64Please respect copyright.PENANAx6b3V9lnd3
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"So, what did they do exactly anyway?"64Please respect copyright.PENANAOJ3jUHxIPg
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"Uh, I really don't want to talk about it."64Please respect copyright.PENANArQDl4GqFtd
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"Sorry."64Please respect copyright.PENANA3bja2u9JE3
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"It's okay. Just know it's the reason we're all here now. You all deserved better than the shit life we we're living there. It wasn't even really living."64Please respect copyright.PENANA75qkh0SjWI
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The mood is really down now between them and slowly she leans against his shoulder, head resting and he wraps an arm around her shoulder not making any other movements.64Please respect copyright.PENANAKgdYxksrx0
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After a while, one of them finally speaks. "Where are we going to go now?" She asks.64Please respect copyright.PENANA9rQhm2s7Q2
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"Anywhere we want."64Please respect copyright.PENANAzOUv7SBpSN
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"But where is that?"64Please respect copyright.PENANAoy58BFjm2Y
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"I... I don't know, I'm sorry. I didn't really have this all planned out, it was spur of the moment."64Please respect copyright.PENANAyxyw1U94eQ
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"It's okay. Better freezing in this mountain shack than tied to the bed for eight hours a day and injected for three years underground on floor 13."64Please respect copyright.PENANAPYiGX7scFX
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"That was hell."64Please respect copyright.PENANAWPPle5AvWW
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"It was..."64Please respect copyright.PENANARha5Lz9CXp
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"I fought so many times, told them they we're horrible people and even tried to escape a few times. It never worked, even single time he'd have them drag me to my bed and they'd secure me again, having her prep a needle.64Please respect copyright.PENANAqxPRGmuJ4n
64Please respect copyright.PENANAlbiz7ZQ4Ze
That didn't help or cure me. But at-least I didn't end up like Paisley out there. The first and only time she yelled at them, they took her away and cut her head open. After that, she rarely talks now and barely interacts with anyone. What's going on inside her head?"64Please respect copyright.PENANADFsQ0wyLwt
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"I don't know. And I think it was less about helping you than it was keeping you safe. It stopped you in the moment, but it was never actually help. I... I don't think they we're ever set up to actually help someone like you. I'm sorry, you deserved better treatment and actually some damn compansion and understanding than what you got." He whispers back, gently playing with her hair.64Please respect copyright.PENANANXizlfx45Y
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"I like that." She smiles. "It feels nice."64Please respect copyright.PENANAvPsqtFKH5R
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So he keeps playing with it, running his fingers through and brushing it. "Can I grow it out? We we're never allowed to."64Please respect copyright.PENANAWjSg7kG0qv
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"You can do anything you want, Beth."64Please respect copyright.PENANA0VJWmJ4meM
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"I want to grow it out."64Please respect copyright.PENANAbVudWeJK4x
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"Then you can grow it out."64Please respect copyright.PENANARYucWibdXL
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"....."64Please respect copyright.PENANA204Zz4OGll
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"....."64Please respect copyright.PENANAaW2q6N08hC
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Slowly they turn their heads towards eachother, lips touching for just a moment when she pulls away and starts slamming her arm on the bedside table, crying.64Please respect copyright.PENANA6bzR7yEEYv
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He grabs her, pulling her back, wrapping his arms and legs around her, cupping his hand over his mouth so Lyla, Gideon and Paisley don't come in here.64Please respect copyright.PENANAjaHUMCE7vS
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She stops straining and calms down slightly, albeit still crying. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He repeats all over and over. "Everything okay in there?" Lyla calls out from the other side of the door. "I heard a thump."64Please respect copyright.PENANAikQv42RJRe
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"I dropped a book! Everything's fine! Sorry!" He yells back, hearing Lyla's footsteps retreat. 64Please respect copyright.PENANATpJkaU09pe
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He turns back to Beth, gently removing his hand. "I'm an asshole, I'm sorry-"64Please respect copyright.PENANASDGqdWVDpA
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"It's fine, it's not your fault. Can we go a little slower is all?"64Please respect copyright.PENANAUXAo5g9W0l
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"Yes. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. We did only just escape today."64Please respect copyright.PENANAdQE8MAuvbM
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"It's not that."64Please respect copyright.PENANAO8Y7jTi9dn
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"I don't understand-"64Please respect copyright.PENANA0e85fN8uEA
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"Can you please let me go, Slate? I'll promise not to break my arm, okay. If I do then you have any every right to touch me, any of you. But that's it. You don't do it just because I'm maybe being difficult and a pain in the ass."64Please respect copyright.PENANAHt0aCUs8me
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"Hey, you're not a pain in the ass and you aren't being difficult on purpose. Did Solayo tell you that?"64Please respect copyright.PENANAkQwXGXvbs8
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And she nods slowly when there is yelling, well cheering from outside the door. 64Please respect copyright.PENANAyVTiC8fi0j
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"I think we're 28-29!" Lyla yells.64Please respect copyright.PENANAgt8G4o86lj
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"We're that old?! We don't even look that old in the mirror!" Gideon yells back.64Please respect copyright.PENANAvvsIUyzxk9
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"Where did you get those figures from?!" Paisley finally speaks. "Maths is complicated!"64Please respect copyright.PENANAyhWt36chKi
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"I think I need to go out there." Slate laughs. "Then go. I'm tired anyway, can I please just sleep? Alone." Beth responds.64Please respect copyright.PENANAOo9EtZu6L3
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"Okay. If you need me- us. We're right outside the door." He says, leaving the bed.64Please respect copyright.PENANAHZTtvr9Cqs
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His going to tuck her in when she shivers, "No."64Please respect copyright.PENANApKO9TNwZNh
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He backs off. "I'm sorry, I won't." And he leaves the room, switching the light off to go talk to the others and subject himself to a long lecture on equations and how they got to their age. Could they really be 28-29 years old?64Please respect copyright.PENANArmV9wPEjxJ
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They look barely over 21. It's proably the lack of food so their growth is stunted and everything, but... 28-29 is such a long time and they'd been with Solayo since... he doesn't know. He can't quite put his finger on it. But 28-29 years old? No way. Just not possible...64Please respect copyright.PENANAbvx2qWfe4d
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