Authors: Sophie McKenzie
I put the pillow I was holding under my head and lay back again, trying to work out how we could escape. As my pulse gradually slowed, my mind felt like fog. I couldn’t think. The tiredness that had been with me all day was weighing my whole body down. My eyes felt unbearably heavy. I yawned.
The pillow was blissfully soft.
Maybe if I just rested my eyes for ten minutes, then I would be able to see what I needed to do . . .
Anger and adrenalin flooded through me. How dare Elijah do all this.
I didn’t care what I had to do. He was going to pay. And I was going to get away.
I looked round my room. Thick, reinforced glass windows with crisscrossing lines running through the panes. A bed with a flowery counterpane. A rickety-looking chest of drawers. A sink. No mirror. No glass.
Glass would’ve been better.
Still, I looked back at the chest of drawers. I strode over and pulled open the top drawer. It was made of cheap, thin wood. Nothing special. I ripped the front off. It was glued onto the sides of the drawer and came away easily in my hands.
Quickly I held one end of the long flat plank in my fingers, rested the other end on the floor and stamped hard in the middle. The wood snapped with a satisfying splitting noise.
I examined the jagged edge. It was sharp and splintery. It would do.
I drew the wood across the inside of my arm, just above the wrist. It grazed the skin, but didn’t break it.
I gritted my teeth and pressed down harder.
Yes
. A bead of blood bubbled to the surface.
Again. Again
. The graze deepened. A dribble of blood trickled down my arm.
I realised I was holding my breath and let it out heavily. This was no good. I needed to be bleeding badly.
I leaned back against the wall and braced my legs, wishing I had something sharper to use. Something quicker.
Then I sawed at my arm again. But this time it was Elijah’s arm I was carving into.
Harder. Harder. HARDER!
‘Aaaagh!’ I muffled a roar as the wood dug painfully across my already broken skin.
I could feel I’d left splinters in my arm. The wound was sore.
Do it again
.
I groaned and pressed down again, sawing into the bleeding gash.
Yes
. Blood – bright red – was seeping out of the wound.
Again
. My hand shook. I hesitated. The jagged line in my skin was already throbbing. I couldn’t hurt myself any more.
You have to.
I pressed gently on the wound.
Ow!
Do it. Do it now. Don’t think about it.
I tried to summon Elijah’s face again. But it wouldn’t come. All the hate seemed to be seeping out of me along with my blood.
Do it for Rachel. You know he’s only kept her alive to make you do what he tells you. Which means once you’re gone, he’ll have no more use for her.
This time I let myself roar.
‘AAAAGGH!’Adrenalin flooded through me as I sawed through the open wound. ‘AAAGGH!’ Blood poured down my arm.
I could hear movement outside. I raced to the door and banged against it.
‘Elijah. Elijah,’ I yelled. ‘Help me.’
I looked down at my arm. At the blood. I felt sick.
A key turned in the lock.
Elijah appeared in the doorway, his face lined and anxious. ‘What?’
I carefully held my hand over the wrist just below the cut. My arm was so covered in blood now it was impossible to see where the cut actually was.
‘I slit my wrist,’ I said hoarsely. ‘The blood’s pumping out. It hurts.’
Elijah’s eyes widened. ‘Sit. Hold your arm in the air,’ he ordered. He rushed to the bed and started ripping at the sheet.
My hands were still shaking and my cut arm was throbbing painfully. But this was my chance. I darted outside the room, slammed the door shut and turned the key.
‘NO!’ Elijah gave a great roar. ‘Open this now!’ He banged on the door with his fists.
I raced next door. ‘Rachel?’ I yelled.
No reply.
I turned sideways and hurled myself at the door. It shook, but didn’t give way. I threw myself at it again, putting all my weight behind my shoulder.
This time it burst open.
Rachel was lying on the bed, fast asleep.
For a second I stared at her incredulously. How could she be sleeping?
I ran over and shook her shoulder. ‘Rachel? Rachel?’
She opened her eyes and looked up at me blearily. ‘What . . . what’s . . .?’
Then she registered the open door behind me. She sat bolt upright. ‘Theo. We’ve got to meet—’
Bang
. The thud of Elijah hurling himself against my door made us both jump.
I pulled Rachel to her feet. ‘Get your shoes on,’ I said.
I ran out into the corridor, raced to the next room and heaved myself at Daniel’s door.
Ow
. My shoulder was really bruised and my arm was hurting so badly now it was painful to move it.
Boom
. Elijah must be close to breaking that door down. He was yelling too. Spanish. It sounded like swearwords.
‘Theo.’ Rachel’s voice cut sharply across the yells. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Door. Daniel.’
She pointed to the lock. ‘Try turning the key.’
I stared down. The key was in the lock. I reached out with my uninjured arm and turned it.
Rachel gasped. ‘Your arm!’ she shrieked.
I looked down. My arm was drenched with blood all the way down to the hand.
I stormed into Daniel’s room. He was asleep too, spread-eagled across the counterpane. I picked him up – ignoring the pain in my cut arm – and carried him outside.
Thud
.
Snap.
The frame of Elijah’s door splintered.
Rachel appeared in the doorway of her room. She held out what looked like a pillowcase to me. ‘Wrap this round your arm,’ she said.
‘In a minute,’ I nodded. ‘Let’s get out of here first.’
I pounded down the stairs, Daniel a dead weight in my arms. I was feeling faint now. I wasn’t sure I could carry him to the street, let alone any further. I stumbled to the front door, then stared stupidly at it. Locked. Of course.
Rachel ran up, the pillowcase over her arm, a bunch of keys in her hand.
‘They were on the table,’ she panted.
The sound of splintering wood echoed down the stairs.
‘Hurry,’ I urged. I rested against the wall, trying to shake Daniel awake. He didn’t even murmur.
Rachel was turning keys, pulling bolts. ‘God, it’s like a bank safe.’ Sweat beaded on her forehead.
Footsteps thundered along the landing.
Rachel turned a final key. Pulled the door open.
Footsteps on the stairs.
Rachel sprinted outside. I lumbered after her. I had no idea which way to go. My cut arm was bleeding furiously now, the wetness soaking into Daniel’s T-shirt. The pain of it was all I could think about.
Rachel hesitated for a fraction of a second, then turned left and raced along the pavement.
Breathing heavily, my head spinning, I chased after her.
All I could think about was getting away from the house as quickly as possible.
I flew towards the nearest corner. Whipped round it. Then took the next left. Quick. Then the next right. It was all houses. Old, brick houses with neat lawns. It was dark now. Hardly anyone about.
I had to find a main road and some directions. Or someone I could ask directions from.
Panting, I stopped and looked over my shoulder. Theo was a few metres behind me, half running, half staggering towards me. Daniel hung limply from his arms, half asleep.
With a jolt I realised that Theo’s arm was dripping blood onto the pavement.
‘You’re leaving a trail,’ I shrieked.
He stared at me in this weird, unfocused way.
‘Put Daniel down,’ I ordered.
Theo sank to his knees and deposited Daniel on the pavement. He sat back on his heels, breathing heavily. I knelt beside him and shoved the pillowcase into his hands.
‘Wrap that round the wound. Tight.’
I hauled Daniel to his feet and shook his shoulders. ‘Daniel. Wake up.’
He moaned a little.
In the distance I could hear running footsteps. Elijah wasn’t far behind.
There was no other option.
I drew my hand back and flung it against Daniel’s left cheek.
Slap
.
‘
Ow!
What?’ Daniel grumbled sleepily.
‘Wake up,’ I said. ‘Now.’
Daniel opened his eyes. ‘What
is
it?’
I glanced at Theo. His face was strangely pale in the street lights. I hauled Daniel to his feet.
‘Get up, Theo,’ I said.
He stumbled to his feet. Blood was starting to show through the pillowcase on his arm, but at least it wasn’t dripping out of him any more.
‘Now run,’ I said.
I dragged Daniel after me. He was still half asleep and having to run hard to keep up with me.
We reached another corner. I ploughed down it. But I knew we were going too slowly.
‘Come on, Daniel. This is a race,’ I panted. ‘Beat Theo and there’s a big prize.’
What?’ Daniel whined.
‘Anything you want,’ I gasped, clutching with my free hand at a stitch in my side. ‘We’ll go to a toy shop and you can choose. Anything you want.’
Daniel said nothing, but I could feel him running harder.
Suddenly we burst onto a main street. Smart shops and restaurants all lit up. Theo pounded up behind us.
‘I won,’ Daniel said gleefully.
‘Not over yet,’ I said.
I tugged him after me to the next crossing. I had no idea if we were heading in the right direction. My first aim was to make sure we’d lost Elijah.
A red light was flashing at me from the other side of the road. Beside it, also in red neon, numbers were counting down.
Four. Three. Two. One.
A green neon figure appeared.
Walk.
I tugged Daniel across the road and looked round. Theo was beside us, paler than ever. He leaned against a lamppost. A smartly-dressed woman passing by gave him a wide berth. I looked round. No sign of Elijah.
‘Wait here a sec,’ I said. I let go of Daniel’s hand and darted over to a couple holding hands outside the nearest restaurant. ‘Where’s the Jefferson thing?’ I said. ‘Please?’
The couple stared at me. The woman was young, blonde, pretty. The man older and wary-looking.
‘The Jefferson Memorial?’ The woman smiled at me.
I nodded.
She pointed up the road. ‘Follow M street up to Pennsylvania. Then hang a right down Connecticut and follow the signs.’
‘Thanks.’ I darted back to Theo and Daniel. Theo was bent over, his forehead beaded with sweat.
‘This way,’ I said.
He straightened up. We jogged on. I felt we should still be running hard, but it was obvious Theo was in no state to do so any more. Daniel was now wide awake.
‘What’s happening?’ he whimpered. ‘Where’s Elijah?’
We were at another crossing. The red neon numbers were counting us down again.
Ten. Nine. Eight.
I looked over my shoulder and gasped. Elijah was only a few shops away.
I turned back. ‘Hey, Daniel. Another race. Okay?’
Cars were still flying past.
Six. Five.
There was no time to wait.
‘Cross,’ I yelled.
Dragging Daniel after me I dodged between the cars, horns screeching in my ears.
On the other side of the pavement I broke into a faster run. I could hear Theo panting beside me. I didn’t dare look back. I whipped down a side road, then turned right and right again to come back out on the main road.
No sign of Elijah.
On and on we raced.
I followed the directions the woman had given me as best I could, weaving down and round what I hoped were blocks leading me back to where I’d been – small diversions, in case Elijah was still on our tail.
The area we were running through got quieter, then busier again. Cars whooshed past. The whole city was buzzing. Alive.
At last we arrived at a small park. It wasn’t enclosed or anything, just a patch of trees and bushes set off the main road.
‘Are we nearly there?’ Theo said hoarsely.
I bit my lip. The truth was I was lost.
‘I think so,’ I lied.
‘Good,’ he said. Then he slid to the ground and passed out.
I was lying on something hard. It smelled damp and earthy, rough against my face. And I was cold. Shivering with cold.
Something heavy was lying across my chest, like a thick rope. I tried to move but I was wedged between two solid objects. No. Not objects. They were too warm and soft for that.
I opened my eyes. Earth. I was lying on the ground. My arm was throbbing. Daniel was curled up in front of me, his breathing deep and even. I tried to twist round. Something was rustling above me. Green. A bush. It was really cold. There was frost on the leaves. The sky filtering between them was a greyish-pink colour.
I had no idea how I’d got here. I could remember slashing at my arm, getting out of the house. Running and running, with Daniel in my arms. And then . . . nothing.
I moved my frozen hand to touch the heavy rope across my chest. It was an arm. I twisted round some more. Rachel’s arm. And it was her whole body, I realised, that was pressed into my back. Her whole soft, curving body.
It felt good, her holding me like that. Safe.
But more than that. Much more.
She stirred. ‘Theo?’
‘Hey.’
‘Oh, Theo.’ Her voice dissolved into tears. I could feel the wetness against my neck.
‘Hey,’ I said again, trying to twist round to face her.
She tightened her hold on me. ‘I thought you were going to die,’ she sobbed. ‘When you collapsed I didn’t know what to do. I was so scared.’
With my uninjured arm I pushed Daniel forwards a little, so I had room to turn round properly. The side of my face that had been pressed into the earth felt ridged and gritty.
Rachel’s face was glistening with tears. As I turned towards her she buried it in my neck.
I stroked her hair.
I was freezing cold, my whole body stiff and sore, and my arm where I’d cut it was pulsing with pain. The man who had created me wanted to kill me to take my heart. If I escaped from him, an army of ruthless anti-cloner terrorists were waiting to tear me apart. My mother had lied to me. I could imagine nowhere in the world where I would be safe.