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Authors: Helen Douglas
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through the shoebox of photos I kept under my bed until I found another photo of my parents, as well as one of me and my friends on the evening of the Year Eleven Ball.
I heard a noise from downstairs. Light footsteps. Like someone trying to move stealthily. I stood perfectly still, holding my breath. The footsteps were coming up the stairs. Quickly. I spun around, looking for something to use to defend myself. The atlas. Just as I reached for it, the door opened a fraction and the ginger cat padded inside. He glanced at me, before jumping on to my bed and curling up on my pillow.
Stupid cat. Of course – I’d left the back door open.
‘Sorry, Katkin,’ I said, picking him up. ‘You can’t stay here today.’
I left my room, Katkin in my arms. He purred loudly, not yet understanding that I was about to kick him out. I didn’t bother with keeping quiet any more. I just wanted out, back on the bus, back to the chalet.
I ran down the stairs, through the hall and into the kitchen.
I was not alone.
Sitting on one of the kitchen chairs, a gun resting on the table in front of her, was Lauren.
I stopped in my tracks. Katkin struggled and jumped out of my arms.
‘Hello, Eden,’ she said.
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out except a strangled, ‘What?’
‘Sit down.’ She nodded at the chair opposite her, a nod that managed to acknowledge her gun as well as the seat.
I glanced at the open door. If I ran, she’d have time to pump several shots in me before I crossed the threshold. But what if I screamed? Called attention to her. She wouldn’t like that.
‘I suggest you do as I say. Any other choice will not lead to a good outcome.’
I hesitated.
She picked up the gun.
I sat down.
‘I’m going to make this simple for you,’ she said, putting the gun back on the table. ‘You have a choice. You can lead me to Orion Westland . . .’
‘Never. I’ll never do that.’
‘Or I will kill everyone who has ever mattered to you.’ She reached behind her and pulled the slip of paper with Miranda’s contact details from the fridge. ‘Starting with your aunt. And then your friend, Connor. And I will continue killing your friends until you lead me to Orion.’
I stared at her. ‘What are you going to do with him?’
‘Take him back where he belongs. 2123. I won’t harm him.’
‘You won’t harm him? What about me?’
‘You will have to come with us. To 2123. You know too much to be allowed to remain in this time.’
‘And if I don’t?’
‘Then I will have to kill you.’
I rubbed my head. Could I trust her? She was a cleaner.
‘It’s a simple choice,’ said Lauren. ‘You and Orion come to the future with me and you get to be together. That’s what you want, isn’t it?’
I looked at her.
‘Or you refuse to help me and everyone you care about will be killed.’ She stood up. ‘What’s it going to be?’
He was in the kitchen, cutting a slice of bread, when I walked in.
‘Hey,’ he said, smiling.
‘Ryan,’ I said. ‘I’m sorry.’
He looked confused for a millisecond. Then, when the knife clattered to the counter and he raised his hands above his head, I knew she’d come in as well.
‘Why?’ he asked Lauren. ‘Why do I matter? Why can’t you just let me run? I won’t affect the timeline. You know that. You’re from the future.’
‘There’s a bounty on your head, Westland. Three million credits. Can you match that?’
He swore and looked away.
‘I’m sorry,’ I said again.
‘It’s not your fault. This is what she does.’
‘Actually, you were very hard to track,’ said Lauren. ‘My research told me that you would spend your first couple of weeks in the Perran area. After that you would disappear.’
‘That’s why you came so soon.’
‘That’s right.’
‘What about Eden?’
‘She’s coming with us. She knows too much.’
Ryan lowered his hands. ‘You know I won’t run. You have Eden. But please, can I leave some of our
I heard a noise from downstairs. Light footsteps. Like someone trying to move stealthily. I stood perfectly still, holding my breath. The footsteps were coming up the stairs. Quickly. I spun around, looking for something to use to defend myself. The atlas. Just as I reached for it, the door opened a fraction and the ginger cat padded inside. He glanced at me, before jumping on to my bed and curling up on my pillow.
Stupid cat. Of course – I’d left the back door open.
‘Sorry, Katkin,’ I said, picking him up. ‘You can’t stay here today.’
I left my room, Katkin in my arms. He purred loudly, not yet understanding that I was about to kick him out. I didn’t bother with keeping quiet any more. I just wanted out, back on the bus, back to the chalet.
I ran down the stairs, through the hall and into the kitchen.
I was not alone.
Sitting on one of the kitchen chairs, a gun resting on the table in front of her, was Lauren.
I stopped in my tracks. Katkin struggled and jumped out of my arms.
‘Hello, Eden,’ she said.
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out except a strangled, ‘What?’
‘Sit down.’ She nodded at the chair opposite her, a nod that managed to acknowledge her gun as well as the seat.
I glanced at the open door. If I ran, she’d have time to pump several shots in me before I crossed the threshold. But what if I screamed? Called attention to her. She wouldn’t like that.
‘I suggest you do as I say. Any other choice will not lead to a good outcome.’
I hesitated.
She picked up the gun.
I sat down.
‘I’m going to make this simple for you,’ she said, putting the gun back on the table. ‘You have a choice. You can lead me to Orion Westland . . .’
‘Never. I’ll never do that.’
‘Or I will kill everyone who has ever mattered to you.’ She reached behind her and pulled the slip of paper with Miranda’s contact details from the fridge. ‘Starting with your aunt. And then your friend, Connor. And I will continue killing your friends until you lead me to Orion.’
I stared at her. ‘What are you going to do with him?’
‘Take him back where he belongs. 2123. I won’t harm him.’
‘You won’t harm him? What about me?’
‘You will have to come with us. To 2123. You know too much to be allowed to remain in this time.’
‘And if I don’t?’
‘Then I will have to kill you.’
I rubbed my head. Could I trust her? She was a cleaner.
‘It’s a simple choice,’ said Lauren. ‘You and Orion come to the future with me and you get to be together. That’s what you want, isn’t it?’
I looked at her.
‘Or you refuse to help me and everyone you care about will be killed.’ She stood up. ‘What’s it going to be?’
He was in the kitchen, cutting a slice of bread, when I walked in.
‘Hey,’ he said, smiling.
‘Ryan,’ I said. ‘I’m sorry.’
He looked confused for a millisecond. Then, when the knife clattered to the counter and he raised his hands above his head, I knew she’d come in as well.
‘Why?’ he asked Lauren. ‘Why do I matter? Why can’t you just let me run? I won’t affect the timeline. You know that. You’re from the future.’
‘There’s a bounty on your head, Westland. Three million credits. Can you match that?’
He swore and looked away.
‘I’m sorry,’ I said again.
‘It’s not your fault. This is what she does.’
‘Actually, you were very hard to track,’ said Lauren. ‘My research told me that you would spend your first couple of weeks in the Perran area. After that you would disappear.’
‘That’s why you came so soon.’
‘That’s right.’
‘What about Eden?’
‘She’s coming with us. She knows too much.’
Ryan lowered his hands. ‘You know I won’t run. You have Eden. But please, can I leave some of our
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