Read Online Rise An Eve Novel by Anna Carey - Free Book Online
Authors: Anna Carey
Tags: english eBooks
Ads: Link
against it. “All of us. If we stay here much longer we’ll be trapped.”
“Eve,” Clara whispered. “Maybe they’re right. Maybe we just have to wait it out. We shouldn’t argue with them.” She watched the heavy soldier readjust his rifle as the crowd moved.
But I pushed forward, grabbing one of the chairs from the top of the pile and passing it back to her. Two tables were wedged against the door. I slid the bottom one sideways along the roof’s edge. The soldier hovered there, uncertain whether to stop me.
The hollow, popping sound of explosives was much louder than before. “We need to go now ,” another man yelled. He was in a waiter’s uniform, the vest undone. He pushed his way through to the front of the crowd.
The people behind him followed, knocking us forward. The soldier pressed one arm back against the man’s chest, trying to stop him, but the crowd kept moving. A woman fell into me, and we pushed toward the doors. She was so close I could smell the coffee on her breath.
My knees faltered. I lost hold of Clara’s hand. There was shouting as the crowd moved in one great mass. The doors gave suddenly, and everyone lurched forward. A younger woman with a red hat stepped over the chairs that had been propped against the exit. As we ran down the stairs, spurred on by the dense flow of panicked people, I looked up to see two of the men holding the soldier against the wall while the rest of the crowd passed.
It was quiet as we spiraled down the stairwell, watching our feet, our steps echoing on the concrete. An older man stopped in front of me, panting, his hands on his knees. A few people darted past him, nearly knocking him forward as they did. “It’s all right,” I said, taking him by the arm. “One at a time.”
We continued down until the stairwell spit us out on the bottom floor of the renovated hotel. The sprawling lobby was empty. The old gaming machines were covered with sheets. Each restaurant was closed, door after door locked. The crowd dispersed through the maze of hallways, trying the different exits while I waited for Clara. “Thank you, Princess,” the older man said as he started through one of the dark halls. I watched him go until he was a tiny speck, swallowed by darkness.
The silence terrified me. Beyond the glass doors the main road was desolate except for a lone, passing Jeep. A soldier ran by on the sidewalk, the sound of his footsteps receding, returning the world to its quiet place.
The stillness was broken by the quick popping of gunshots. A faraway voice called out from a side hallway, “Over here—I found an exit through the back!”
Clara ran out of the stairwell, holding up her dress so she didn’t trip. Watching her now, clutching the raw-silk gown that spread out at her waist, her delicate neck decorated with a ruby pendant, I understood how much danger we were in. We were so obviously from the Palace—our hair pinned up, our gowns in custom fabrics that were nearly impossible to find now, so many years after the plague.
A man pushed past us, his jacket slung over his arm. “Sir!” I shouted as he ran toward a dark hallway. He didn’t slow down. Instead he glanced over his shoulder, his face in profile. “Can we have your jacket? We can’t go out there like this. If a rebel sees us we’ll be shot.”
He slowed for a moment as he considered it. Then he took off down a dim corridor and just dropped the jacket, leaving it there on the floor for us to pick up. A few women filed past after him, darting around it, until Clara and I were alone in the empty lobby.
I draped the jacket over Clara’s shoulders. Then I unpinned my hair, letting it fall loose so it covered the sides of my face and top of my gown. It was only a fifteen-minute walk back to the Palace, maybe less, and we couldn’t stay here and wait. We followed the rest of the crowd down the empty hall, moving forward into the dark.
ten
THE MAIN ROAD WAS EMPTY EXCEPT FOR A FEW OTHERS WHO
“Eve,” Clara whispered. “Maybe they’re right. Maybe we just have to wait it out. We shouldn’t argue with them.” She watched the heavy soldier readjust his rifle as the crowd moved.
But I pushed forward, grabbing one of the chairs from the top of the pile and passing it back to her. Two tables were wedged against the door. I slid the bottom one sideways along the roof’s edge. The soldier hovered there, uncertain whether to stop me.
The hollow, popping sound of explosives was much louder than before. “We need to go now ,” another man yelled. He was in a waiter’s uniform, the vest undone. He pushed his way through to the front of the crowd.
The people behind him followed, knocking us forward. The soldier pressed one arm back against the man’s chest, trying to stop him, but the crowd kept moving. A woman fell into me, and we pushed toward the doors. She was so close I could smell the coffee on her breath.
My knees faltered. I lost hold of Clara’s hand. There was shouting as the crowd moved in one great mass. The doors gave suddenly, and everyone lurched forward. A younger woman with a red hat stepped over the chairs that had been propped against the exit. As we ran down the stairs, spurred on by the dense flow of panicked people, I looked up to see two of the men holding the soldier against the wall while the rest of the crowd passed.
It was quiet as we spiraled down the stairwell, watching our feet, our steps echoing on the concrete. An older man stopped in front of me, panting, his hands on his knees. A few people darted past him, nearly knocking him forward as they did. “It’s all right,” I said, taking him by the arm. “One at a time.”
We continued down until the stairwell spit us out on the bottom floor of the renovated hotel. The sprawling lobby was empty. The old gaming machines were covered with sheets. Each restaurant was closed, door after door locked. The crowd dispersed through the maze of hallways, trying the different exits while I waited for Clara. “Thank you, Princess,” the older man said as he started through one of the dark halls. I watched him go until he was a tiny speck, swallowed by darkness.
The silence terrified me. Beyond the glass doors the main road was desolate except for a lone, passing Jeep. A soldier ran by on the sidewalk, the sound of his footsteps receding, returning the world to its quiet place.
The stillness was broken by the quick popping of gunshots. A faraway voice called out from a side hallway, “Over here—I found an exit through the back!”
Clara ran out of the stairwell, holding up her dress so she didn’t trip. Watching her now, clutching the raw-silk gown that spread out at her waist, her delicate neck decorated with a ruby pendant, I understood how much danger we were in. We were so obviously from the Palace—our hair pinned up, our gowns in custom fabrics that were nearly impossible to find now, so many years after the plague.
A man pushed past us, his jacket slung over his arm. “Sir!” I shouted as he ran toward a dark hallway. He didn’t slow down. Instead he glanced over his shoulder, his face in profile. “Can we have your jacket? We can’t go out there like this. If a rebel sees us we’ll be shot.”
He slowed for a moment as he considered it. Then he took off down a dim corridor and just dropped the jacket, leaving it there on the floor for us to pick up. A few women filed past after him, darting around it, until Clara and I were alone in the empty lobby.
I draped the jacket over Clara’s shoulders. Then I unpinned my hair, letting it fall loose so it covered the sides of my face and top of my gown. It was only a fifteen-minute walk back to the Palace, maybe less, and we couldn’t stay here and wait. We followed the rest of the crowd down the empty hall, moving forward into the dark.
ten
THE MAIN ROAD WAS EMPTY EXCEPT FOR A FEW OTHERS WHO
Similar Books
