Chapter 11: Freedom

Memory screamed. She watched as Bind’s limp form fell over the side of the wall, out of sight. She struggled against her captor, sobbing and screaming. The tears stung her eyes and burned her cheeks.

“WHY DID YOU DO THIS?!” Memory cried, falling to the ground. “We were no threat to you!” She felt the grass beneath her palms.

“You were a threat,” a familiar voice said. Memory looked up, seeing first the legs, then, the torso and arms… and finally that familiar face, the hot pink lipstick and thick eyeliner.

“…Snoop,” Memory breathed. “You… you were my friend! How could you?!”

“He was an Outsider, Memory,” Snoop said. “Insiders and Outsiders can never be together.” She grinned. “The Administration always wins. It is the absolute right. And he… will never be a part of it!”

Memory lunged at her, but to no avail. The officials grabbed her arms and dragged her away, kicking and screaming.

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The door bursts open. Dr. Odium charges in with his four thugs, commanding them to seize her. Memory feels herself thrown against the wall, pinned. Dr. Odium’s face is right in hers; it’s close enough for her to feel his hot breath on her cheek. Memory grimaces. There’s no way she can escape now.

“Why do you ask for such punishment?!” the doctor screams. “Why do you keep dwelling on the past? Why do you insist on loving him?” Memory glares daggers at him.

“Because I’m human,” she breathes.

“You know what the punishment is now, don’t you?” the doctor asks, his voice dangerously low. “You’ve been in here for two years. The Administration is tired of caring for you. You know what happens now, don’t you?”

“…If you’ll just let me go,” Memory says. “I’ll be out of your hair.” Dr. Odium strikes her across the cheek.

“I don’t want to do this,” the doctor shouts. Memory rolls her eyes. Of course he doesn’t. He doesn’t want the blood on his hands. The doctor jerks a thumb toward the door. The thugs holding Memory drag her there, and out into the cold hallway.

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She’s blindfolded, bound, and gagged as always. But now, she can feel the cool air on her face, something that she hasn’t felt for two years. She can feel the cement beneath her thin socks end suddenly in front of her. She guesses that the platform she’s standing on is narrow. She hears the men behind her fidgeting around with something. She hears the click of a gun. She knows she’s going to die. But she’s not afraid.

Until your past is so far behind it will never catch up…it will never make you sad, sings the voice in her head. Until you begin living in the present…that only exists because of the past. This time, it’s Bind’s voice in her head. She smiles.

“Fire!”

She feels a slight pain in her back. Her legs give out, and she plunges down into thin air.

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Memory will open her eyes. She’ll be lying on something soft. She will feel it with her hand. It will be like dust, but made of small rocks.

“Sand,” she will murmur, and she’ll remember what Bind had said about sand. With sand, there is always an ocean. Memory will sit up, blinking against the bright sunset.

There will be a silhouette down by the edge of the water. Curious, Memory will approach it.

He’ll turn around, know her face instantly. He’ll sprinkle a pinch of powder. They’ll become as they were meant to be. His eyes will be as they always were, light green blue, eyes that she’ll still be lost in.

He’ll take her hand, gently, silently. He’ll present her the ocean. She’ll smile, not because of the ocean, but because of him.

“I never forgot,” she’ll say, but he needn’t have heard it. He’ll already know.

As if to prove it, she’ll pull him into a warm embrace, sheltering him from the chilly ocean breeze. He’ll hold her tightly, and then touch his lips to hers.

“There it is,” he’ll say. “Freedom.” They’ll look out, past the ocean, at the horizon where the sun will be warmly welcoming them with its waning rays. He’ll look to her, she’ll nod. And then, they’ll jump together, free at last.

End

Kind of a bittersweet ending, but it was great fun writing this story! I’m so happy, my first completed work! Thanks to all who read and to all who reviewed! I hope you all enjoyed the story.

-Lefty