Chapter 3: Bad Genes

I swear I heard Seven mumbling curses under his breath. Like me, he was shocked to see the man following us. We thought everyone was asleep when we left!

"P-please have mercy on me. I-I can't survive in here," he said, almost in tears. He gripped his beanie hat, removed it from his head, and clutched it to his chest. "Please--"

I sighed heavily and agreed.

Seven was shocked and gave me a dirty look. "Are you out of your mind? The plan is only for one. You cannot take anyone with you--"

"But he saw us!" I appealed. I hate to admit it, but I am soft-hearted when it comes to people who look harmless. Even if someone looks dangerous, I still feel pity.

"The more people escape, the higher the risk of getting caught!" Seven said firmly, turning to the man. "Hey, what's your name?"

"B-bean."

Ah, his beanie. I got the reference. Perhaps that was the name given to him inside.

"Hey, Bean, sorry, but it's not possible," Seven said without hesitation. "Go back to the hall and keep quiet about what you've seen."

I noticed Bean frowning, and it seemed to worsen his mood. "O-or... or I- I c-could report you."

No, he's not going to do that. He's too afraid. He’s just saying that to scare us. But Seven is having none of it. He pushed me towards the small space between the rocks.

"Just go," he said. "I'll deal with this guy."

I took a step but stopped when I heard Bean's faint sobbing. I turned to Seven and spoke with determination. "If I go alone, there's still the risk that I'll get caught. If I take him with me, the risk is higher. Can't you see, either way, there's still a risk? I've made up my mind. I will take him with me."

Seven sighed and massaged his head. He closed his eyes as if controlling his temper. When he faced me again, his gaze was cold. "Whatever happens to you two, I'm out of it."

I nodded at him. "The moment we take the raft, we're responsible for ourselves." I looked at Bean and called him. "Come here, be careful."

He looked as happy as a child but still had sadness in his eyes. Before we exited, Seven moved away from us in annoyance. Bean approached him with clenched fists. He opened his hand in front of Seven.

"I'm n-not sure if you will accept this, but this is all I have," he said. Seven looked down at Bean's outstretched hand, where a whistle tied to a black string lay. Seven just stared at it, so Bean took his hand and placed the whistle on it. "This is all I've got, and it's precious to me. But nothing is more valuable than freedom."

Seven just scowled and held the whistle tightly. "If you say so. You have no time left. Just make sure to heed all I've told you. When worse comes to worst, just save yourselves."

Bean descended first between the rocks. I was about to follow him but remembered something. I faced Seven, who gave me a 'what now' look.

"When you get out of here, you have to return my necklace," I reminded him.

He nodded slowly, not wanting to say more.

"Then you need my name to find me," I said.

He pursed his lips and gave a close-lipped smile. "No, I don't need that. I'm not going to find you. You need me, so you're the one who needs to find me."

"How am I supposed to find you?" I tried not to get annoyed. "Your name Seven is not even your real name."

"What's your favorite color?" he suddenly asked.

My jaw dropped. "How's that relevant?"

He shrugged and repeated the question. "What's your favorite color?"

"Pink!" I replied in annoyance.

He grinned as he gripped my necklace in his palm. "Then come find me when the skies are pink." He pointed up. "Up there, on the highest place."

I glared at him. The skies are pink almost every afternoon! It seemed like he had no intention of returning my necklace, and he was just making up stories! Ah well, I'll think about getting my necklace back once we get out of here. That's my priority first.

Bean and I descended into the small gap between the large rocks. It was like a tiny cave, and we couldn’t see anything around us. We felt our way through the darkness to avoid bumping into anything.

Every step I took made my heart pound. I knew Bean felt the same. We took more steps until we heard the sound of tiny waves. We must be near where Seven had hidden the raft he mentioned.

I moved to find the inflatable raft, and it was indeed between the rocks, safely tied. Even though the water soaked me and made the night even colder, I ignored it and followed Seven’s instructions on opening the raft.

"Miss, I'm nervous," Bean said. "What if we get caught? But I still want to leave that place."

I seriously didn't think about what fate I would face if everything failed. I could be shot dead in a second, detained for life in Zone Z for perpetual labor, or whatever. I didn’t want to think about it. I needed to clear my mind.

"Bean, don't think about that now. Did you hear all of Seven's instructions earlier?" I asked him once the inflatable raft was ready. I slowly boarded the raft, and he followed.

He nodded. "W-we just need to be mindful of the time. He said the beam moves approximately 83.7 meters per minute, right? So we need to avoid getting caught in the light."

Good, at least I have someone to do things as Seven instructed. I probably couldn’t concentrate out of nervousness if I were alone, trying to remember and follow Seven’s instructions. I handed Bean the other paddle, and we quietly rowed in the direction Seven indicated. I knew we hadn’t rowed far yet because I hadn’t seen the lighthouses, but it felt like I had been rowing for ages.

I couldn’t take the pressure of not knowing what would happen to me in the next few hours.

The silence between us made me even more anxious, so I decided to start a conversation.

"Bean?"

"Yes, miss?" he replied.

"Do you think... do you think we can survive?" I asked uncertainly.

"I don't want to be negative, but honestly, miss, I don't know," he answered sincerely.

"You can call me--"

"Don't give me your real name, Miss," he interrupted. "I think it's better not to know each other's real names for safety purposes."

Ah, he doesn't trust me.

"So Bean is a fake name too?" I asked.

He smiled and touched his beanie hat. "It's a name they called me here, and I like it. I prefer being called that over my real name." His eyes were sad, and even in the dim surroundings, I could see it. "May nabasa akong—" He quickly looked away and busied himself with rowing.

He mentioned reading, but knowing books are deemed illegal these days, he stopped himself from saying more about it.

"Give me a name too," I said.

He quickly looked at me.

"When we escape, I want you to remember me with a name."

This may seem like a nightmare, but I hope we can get out of here. And I want to have a name in this adventure.

"Then I will call you Hope because that’s what you gave me right this very moment," Bean said.

Hope. I like it.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" he asked after a while. He felt the need to elaborate on his question when I looked at him curiously. "I mean, we just met in Zone Z. What if I’m a bad person? I know... You're not an inmate of Zone Z. I don't mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard a bit of your conversation with Seven earlier."

"Not everyone in Zone Z is a bad person," I replied. "Besides, you seem kind."

"But do not be deceived by looks, Hope," he reminded me.

I asked myself, am I not afraid of him? Now that I'm giving it a thought, Bean could indeed be a bad person. But then there's just something in me that tells me he's harmless. His plea for help is genuine; I see it in his eyes.

I nodded at him. "Thanks for the reminder, Bean. By the way, can I ask something?"

"Sure, I’ll see if I can answer," he said. Although he looked at me, he continued rowing. At least now that we’re talking, we’re not as nervous about what we’re doing.

"Why did you end up in Zone Z?" I asked. It’s okay if he chose not to answer my question. I know it’s very personal, but I am curious.

"Bad genes," he replied. I waited for him to continue, but he didn’t. A moment later, his eyes widened slightly. "I see the lighthouses!"

I quickly turned around, and there in the distance were the lighthouses, just as Seven had said!

Now we just have to be mindful of how we row, we need extreme focus! When we got close to the area lit by the beams, I almost held my breath every time the light passed. Neither of us spoke, but I knew Bean was just as nervous as I was. The closer we got to the shoreline, the more my heart pounded.

Now we just have to be mindful of how we row, we need extreme focus! When we got close to the area lit by the beams, I almost held my breath every time the light passed. Neither of us spoke, but I knew Bean was just as nervous as I was. The closer we got to the shoreline, the more my heart pounded.

I lost track of the distance and speed of the beam from the lighthouses, calculated by Seven. I was right when I thought I would disregard his calculations. Now fear of getting caught dominated, so we moved cautiously, despite abandoning all of Seven's precise plans.

Just as we almost reached the safe side, Bean got caught in the light! He closed his eyes slightly as the light hit his face. I felt like my chest was about to explode, especially when a red light, a sign of emergency, suddenly appeared from one of the lighthouses. An alarm began buzzing, and I couldn't fathom the emotions running through us as our gazes met.

I saw a tear escape his eye. "Jump, Hope!"

Jump?

"What?"

The powerful beam continued its relentless sweep, illuminating the shore in eerie, sweeping arcs. My breath caught in my throat as the light skimmed my hiding spot, but I held my breath, my heart pounding in my chest.

"I'm the only one they saw, so you have to save yourself! They won't suspect that I am with someone. Even if you escape, they wouldn't know because you have no record in Zone Z. Now save yourself," Bean urged while trying to push me to jump.

Before I could react to what happened, he suddenly approached me and pushed me.

If I hadn't swallowed some seawater, I would have screamed in shock! I didn’t know if it was right to leave him, but Bean was determined to send me away, especially since, in just a few moments, there were already two helicopters in the sky.

Bean quickly rowed away from me. I wanted to go back and help him escape, but before I could get close to the inflatable raft, a long rope ladder fell from the helicopter above, and three soldiers quickly descended!

My heart raced in terror as I watched Bean being overwhelmed by the armed soldiers descending from the helicopter. His desperate attempts to resist their capture were futile, and soon, he was bound and helpless. I struggled with the urge to go back, to help him, but he had been resolute in sending me away. The deafening noise of the helicopter's rotor blades and the shouting of the soldiers made it impossible for me to hear what they were saying, but their actions spoke volumes.

I gently swam away, avoiding the beams of light. That was the only thing on my mind until I reached the shoreline Seven had mentioned. From there, I could escape the Zone C danger area and return to my district. Tears welled up in my eyes, and my fists clenched in frustration and despair. With shaking hands, I remained hidden in the shadows of the rocks, my only lifeline to freedom.

I waited and counted, as per Seven's instructions. It was a miracle I could still count despite the extreme cold, fear, and shock from what happened. Feeling a deep sense of helplessness and loss, I knew I had no choice but to continue my escape. The beams of the lighthouses still swept across the shoreline, and I needed to stay vigilant, knowing that the dangers of Zone Z were far from over. With heavy steps and a heavy heart, I moved forward, leaving Bean behind but determined to honor his sacrifice by reaching the elusive freedom that awaited me.

... Seven hundred ninety-six...

That's it.

The coast was clear; men in military uniforms had just passed a few minutes ago from their patrol in that area.

With shaking knees, I forced myself to get up and flee from the place.

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