Yas, another chapter!

If you haven't figured it out yet, making up chapter titles is like the hi-light of my life.

• • •

Noah and I are led out of the building that has kept us captive for almost a month. The sun feels warm on my skin, and the brightness hurts my eyes.

Noah's fingers link with mine as Dr Harlin opens a gate in the large fence surrounding our building. We step out onto a road. It's a weird road though, made out of this shiny grey stuff that's slippery to walk on.

"Follow me," he smiles, walking ahead of us. For a short guy, he walks surprisingly fast. We walk past many more buildings that look similar to the one we live in, although most of these look to be used as storage warehouses, which suggests we're in the industrial part of the city. Only in the distance can I see the tall buildings made of glass that everybody was talking about.

After walking for about ten minutes we reach a platform, like the kind you stand on to catch a train. Only these aren't trains. White pods the size of cars with large windows and an automatically opening door, travel into the station. They travel along an almost transparent rail, making them seem a though they're floating in mid air.

"What the hell are those?" Noah asks in amazement, watching as one of the pods stops in front of us. Dr Harlin gives the security guard a white plastic token with a gold triangle on it.

That seems shady, I think to myself as we're ushered into one of the pods. As soon as the doors shut Dr Harlin starts talking.

"I've paid the security guard to delete the surveillance footage for this pod, so we have to be quick," he rushes. "Don't trust Farris, ever. Lying is his first language. He's a manipulator and always will be."

"I know," I reply. "I can tell when he's lying."

I wonder why he's helping us. It's not like he's knows us, or owes it to us.

"Good, and never give a blood sample. You're as good as dead if you do that. You haven't given him blood, have you?"

I shake my head. "No, but Robyn and Oakley have."

"I know it sounds harsh, but it's every man for himself. You two need to stick together, and look out for one another," he replies, looking out the window to see where we are.

"We always do," Noah says, squeezing my hand.

"Alright," Dr Harlin says. "What I'm about to tell you could get me killed, but you should know, and you can't tell anyone, not even Robyn and Oakley."

We both nod, not saying a word.

He lets out a breath. "Okay," he says to himself. "The system here is extremely corrupt. The people are slaves to the government. Those walls are to keep them in, they can't leave. The real reason that the people in Zarion won't have children is because they're terrified that their child will be born with powers, like you."

"What's so bad about that?" I ask defensively.

"The so called government which consists of people like Farris and Viktor, take those children. The public doesn't know what happens to them, and the parents never see their child again."

"What does happen to them?" Noah asks wearily.

"They take a blood sample," he says, looking both of us in the eye. "This is to make sure the blood is compatible."

"Compatible with who?" I ask, getting more and more confused.

"The members of the government. This is so they know that their own bodies won't reject the skin during a skin graft. They call it the harvesting. Sections of skin are cut from somebody with abilities, and grafted onto the body of somebody else."

My curiosity turns to horror. "Why would they do that?"

"Something in your DNA lengthens your lifespan. People like Farris, who are only immune, are jealous and have devised a way to match that. The thing is, once they start doing it, they can't stop or they'll die. That's why he wears those robes, to cover the scars," Dr Harlin explains, as I look at his arms and legs for scars.

"Don't worry Clover, I don't participate in such acts," he says, sounding genuinely disgusted.

"The whole point of the four domes project was to produce hundreds of genetically gifted individuals, but it didn't turn out the way they planned."

Noah, who has been mostly silent, rubs his temples. "So they want to skin us, what about the others?"

He winces, shaking his head. "They're treated worse than animals. All shoved into a big room and deprived of food until they have...intercourse. The girls who get pregnant are separated from the rest. The girls who don't, stay there until they do. From there the males are given citizenship in Zarion, the girls will get the same once they give birth too. It's just as bad as it sounds, rape is common because they starve them until every girl is with child. Apparently they need to replenish the population."

It sickens me that anyone could do that to another person.

"Out of everybody who needs help here, which seems to be pretty much everyone in this fucking city, why are you helping us?" Noah asks, voicing my thoughts.

"Because you two are a phenomenon. You don't know why yet, but you will," he nods. "This has only ever happened once before."

The pod comes to a halt. "You never heard that from me, and never give blood." He points to me. "Especially you."

I nod as the doors automatically open, and Dr Harlin steps out first. Unlike the first platform, which was barren, void of any people at all, this one is teeming with movement. People rushing to be places and do things.

Nobody notices us as we step out of our pod, following Dr Harlin through the crowd. It's difficult to keep track of exactly where he is because of the fact that he's vertically challenged, and he doesn't have any defining features except for his height, which doesn't help when you're trying to follow him.

Noah leads me through the crowd, still holding my hand so we don't lose each other. When we do finally cut through the crowd, we see a huge white building, which I have to crane my neck to see the top of. Dr Harlin waits at the bottom of a short flight of stairs that leads to the gigantic structure.

"This is the main surveillance centre in Zarion," he explains, waving his hands as we climb the stairs. "There are other stations set to monitor public places like restaurants and stores, but this building here is where all the data from anywhere important is sent."

We near the door and he turns around. "Keep your heads down and act normal."

We both nod, lowering our eyes. Although, when we step inside, it's incredibly difficult to keep my eyes trained to the floor. There's a grand entrance, where every wall is set with pressed metal. The floor itself is flawless dark marble as far as the eye can see. Looking up, there doesn't seem to be a ceiling at all. A spectacular void, filled with hundreds of floating orbs of light make the whole room glow.

Dr Harlin looks over his shoulder, noticing that we're still standing there. He turns towards us, gesturing for us to follow him. "Hurry up before somebody sees you," he whisper shouts.

A staircase made completely from glass is where we head to next. It's terrifying to walk on it and be able to see how long you would fall before you landed on the pristine marble below and broke your face open.

The staircase lands us in a narrow corridor with white walls, and black doors on either side. Dr Harlin walks for about ten paces, and then stops abruptly. I narrowly avoid falling on him.

"Sorry, sorry," he apologises while hurriedly unlocking the door. "I always forget which one it is."

The door swings open and he pushes inside. The walls are plastered with old band posters that I don't recognise, some of them even start to intrude into the ceiling.

"What kind of doctor are you?" Noah asks Dr Harlin, who is now seated at a shiny black desk at the front of the room.

"An under appreciated one," he replies, gesturing for both of us to sit in two comfy looking blue chairs in front of his desk.

"So, you have an office in a surveillance building, but you're a doctor, so what exactly do you do?" I ask in confusion, picking at a thread on the chair. It's the upholstered kind, so if I pull the thread, it might unstitch the whole thing. I seriously think about doing it.

No Clover, I mentally scold, forcing my hand into a fist so I can't destroy the chair.

"I have been assigned to watch you two through the security cameras in that prison of a building you live in. I used to work as a doctor high up in the government, but Farris caught wind that I didn't approve of his methods and he demoted me," he says bitterly.

"What bullshit," Noah replies, clearly not liking Dr Farris very much either. He isn't a very likeable guy if I'm being honest.

"Bullshit indeed," Dr Harlin agrees, but my mind is still caught on something he said earlier.

"There are cameras in our building?" I ask, gulping. I look at Noah, who is obviously just realising why I'm so worried about that.

"Yes, there are three cameras for every person in Zarion," he says with a nod. "On a more serious note, yes, I did see what you were doing. My job also requires me to analyse footage and send it straight to Viktor."

Noah tenses next to me and I sit up straighter in my seat, a lump growing in my throat at the mention of his name.

"But, Instead of sending him the real footage, I deleted it and sent him a loop of you sleeping."

I let out a breath of relief and sink into my seat. "Thank you."

He nods. "You need to be more careful, both of you. You can't let them even suspect that you're sleeping together. If you were to have a child, and the government knew about it, that kid would have a worse life than the both of your lives put together."

"If we have a kid, when we have a kid, I can promise you that they'll have a better life than the both of us ever had," Noah says determinedly, looking over at me, and then at Dr Harlin.

It seems odd to me, the idea of being a mother. I would like it to be a reality one day, not any time soon obviously. Not until we get out of this city at least. I'd probably be bad at it, being a mom I mean. I can barely look after myself, so how could I take care of a crying, pooping infant. I don't doubt that Noah would be a great father. People always says it's the mans job to be the provider for the family, but I don't see it that way. The father should be the protector, and Noah already protects me.

"Good," he says with a smile, which quickly turns to a frown.

"What is it?" I ask him.

"Your friends, Aaron and Cassidy, I was supposed to take you to see them." But he doesn't seem happy about this. Something's wrong.

"What's wrong? Are they okay?" Noah asks, sitting forward.

He gives a slight shake of his head. "No, they're not," he looks up. "You have to understand that I have no control over these things. If I had it my way there'd be no cameras, no Viktor and no Farris, but apparently my opinion matters to no one..."

"Our friends?" Noah prompts.

"Yes, yes. Farris wanted me to take you to see your friends, but I won't because you won't want to see. Viktor ordered to have your friends killed, and Farris thought you should see the bodies as a warning of what happens when you don't cooperate."

Before I can even comprehend what is happening, I feel droplets of salty water rolling down my cheeks. Tears. I'm crying about Cassidy. I highly dislike Cassidy. I think I talked about killing her on multiple occasions. But Aaron, poor sweet Aaron. The thought of such an innocent soul being killed because of me, causes more tears to fall.

Noah gets out of his seat and pulls me to his chest. "Shh, Princess."

"They're really dead because we wouldn't give some stupid blood?" I ask, my voice all croaky from crying.

"No, not because of you. It isn't your fault, that's just what Farris wants you to think. The real reason is because Cassidy was infertile, and Aaron had a very mild form of autism."

"So they just killed them?" Noah asks harshly.

"They would never let them have citizenship in Zarion," Dr Harlin confirms.

"Sick bastards," he replies as he strokes my hair. "We need to leave this fucking corrupt city," he whispers in my ear.

Moments later, the door is busted open, pieces of wood splintering the floor. Four stormtroopers march in, roughly grabbing Noah and I.

Dr Harlin points at them accusingly. "I demand to take your hands off them or I swear I'll-" His threat is cut short when one of the guards backhands him in the face, flinging him off his chair. I hear him hit his head on the ground with a loud thwack.

• • •

Soo, interesting things are happening.

I don't really have anything to add to this authors note, but I would really like to know what your favourite colour is. Mine's green (yes, I know, very original).

Please comment, vote, and follow. Oh, and comment any songs I should listen to. I listen to all the things, so any era is good.

Until next time.