Chapter 1
It was just another ordinary day. I got up early in the morning, ate my breakfast, went to the classes that I took for the year, went to lunch with a friend and attended some more classes in the late afternoon. I was now very hungry, exhausted and trapped in an awfully full bus. It was so crowded that the driver stopped picking up new passengers. That didn’t help much since everyone was standing about an inch apart. It was something that we were quite used to on the busy weekdays, so no one wined. There was a tiny little problem, though, that appeared in a moment like this. That was the only and most important rule. No physical contact between human beings.
I glanced at my hand. There was some kind of essence wrapped around my skin, all over my body. It wasn’t always visible. I learned, in time, that it appeared when I sensed that the danger of touching someone was close. I couldn't touch it myself, even if I tried. To me, it didn’t make any difference, but if somehow I touched another person, it would make a barrier between us. Not that I tried doing it, though. Everyone knew what happened to the ones that tried to touch intentionally. But in case of bumping in another person or another similar mistake like that, we had this in order to prevent the worst.
But why? Why prevent something so ordinary? The truth is, I don't really know. No one does. The first and only thing I remember as a child is being placed at the dorm at the age of 10. I don’t know who my parents are or even if they’re still alive. I don’t know if I have any brothers or sisters, I don’t really know anything, except what they told me. And that could have been anything. The one thing I know that is completely clear, is that I have to stick to the rules.
As a child, I once found a picture of a woman and a man, holding onto each other closely and smiling. I brought it to my teacher to ask what it meant and she immediately took it away from me, scolding me and punishing me with a few whips on my fingers. I remember crying for days because of it, yet the picture has never left my mind. I’m still wondering what the persons on the picture were doing and why it upset the teacher so much. I soon realized that all I have to do to live calmly was to stick to the rules. And for the past 10 years, I was doing an excellent job.
I was counting the number of the stops to the one on which I have to exit, when the bus suddenly pulled a break. Not holding on to anything, I momentarily lost balance and prepared to land on the floor, when I felt a strange sensation around my wrist. Everything happened very quickly after that. I was pulled up and regained my balance, when I noticed someone’s hand wrapped around my wrist. To my initial shock of anyone touching me in the first place, the barrier between his hand and mine was gone. It was just his fingers wrapped tightly around my wrist. No line, no blue-ish tinge. I looked up and my eyes met with intensely grey ones, belonging to a man I guessed in his forties. He looked just as shocked as I was, but he regained control way faster. He let me go in the next second and whispered so silently, that I was only able to understand him by reading his lips.
“Stay calm. No one saw.” he straightened back up and looked away from me.
I tried to calm down and breathe as the bus finally pulled to a stop. I stumbled out and ran to my apartment, which was about 10 minutes away, never looking back. If anyone saw what happened, I was dead. There were so many questions appearing in my mind, but there was one that stood out. How on earth was he able to touch me?
My wrist still burned with a tingling sensation, as I took a few breaths and slowed down my steps. The evening was calm and the moon was shining brightly on the night star-lit sky. The street I was walking on was almost empty, allowing me to get lost on my thoughts. Tears started to form behind my eyes as I walked, remembering instances of strangers being dealt with after they touched. Images of youngsters being electrocuted, adults thrown to the ground and punched by the guards, women and men beaten to death and gunshots heard all around flooded my brain.
Soon enough, I reached the apartment. Closing the door behind me, I threw my bag on the floor and went to the bathroom. I splashed my face with cold water a couple of times, trying to wash away the uncomfortable feeling in my chest. It was as someone would try to squeeze my breath out of me. I’ve never been more afraid in my life and it was all because of a few stupid seconds. If I held on to something like a normal person, none of that would have to happen. Why was I always so careless? I sighed, trying to relieve some frustration. It was going to be okay. No one saw. 'Tomorrow will be a normal day.' I kept on repeating to myself. As I returned to my room, I noticed that the window was open. Before I could react in any way, my eyes stopped on a man from the bus, standing right next to me. A scream died in my throat as he pointed at me with a small gun.
“You will not scream.” He said with a silky voice. It was not a question or a warning. It sounded more like a simple statement. He sounded calm. Way too calm. I tried to nod or agree in any way, but my body completely froze and I was unable to do anything. “I’m not here to hurt you” he removed the gun and put it in its place behind his belt “but I need you to listen to me. Are we clear?” He asked. I managed to nod this time, my heart pounding in my chest like it was trying to get out of my body.
Even when the gun was safely put away, I had no death wish. Too many things have happened already and before I was sure the gun wasn't loaded, I wasn't going to risk it.
“My name is Alastair. What’s yours?” He asked, stepping backwards and giving me a bit more space to breathe. Not that it helped.
“Cat- Catelyn.” I heard myself answer automatically, the shaking from my voice moving to my body. I guessed that not doing what he said wouldn’t be a good idea. I felt like I was about to collapse.
“Catelyn.” He repeated, like he was searching for some resemblance. “I’m sorry for intruding your evening like this. You don’t need to be afraid. Sit down…” He pointed to my bed. “Your knees are about to give in.” He was damn right about it, I could hardly walk. I did what he said and he walked to the window, staring out at the dark and turning away from me. I was actually contemplating if running away was a good idea, but I realized he would probably catch me before I made it to the door. He also still had a gun, only the thought of which made my body shiver with fear.
“Have you any idea why I was able to touch you?” He asked after a few moments, turning back to me. I muttered a quiet ‘no’. Maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me, maybe not, but I saw his posture change to a more relaxed one. He took a deep breath.
“We don’t know why it happens, but on some of us, The Protection doesn’t work. If those individuals touch each other, it’s like it never existed.” He glanced from his hands to mine. “There is no real pattern, but you’re the first that I’ve found after a very long time. There’s quite a few of us. We’re trying to find out why touching is forbidden.” He explained briefly.
A knot formed in my throat. I didn’t want to be special. I liked my mundane life.
“You’re researching physical contact?” I asked after I found my voice again. A part of me became curious, remembering that picture from many years ago.
“No, sweetling. We’re practicing it, to understand it. To understand everything. And you’re coming with us.” He answered, his eyes filling with sparks. Sweetling? Who the hell even uses this word, especially when talking to a much younger female you've just met. And threatened with a gun. Another knot formed in my throat. I was sure that going with him meant torture or even death.
“I… I can’t.” I stammered again, trying to sound convincing. I only earned a smooth laugh from him.
“Oh, but you will. Your chances of survival are pretty damn low at the moment. Come with me and live or stay and… Well, we all know what happens to exceptions, don’t we?” He warned me, his voice dropping lower. I did know. Too well. One of the students was taken just last week and was brutally killed in front of the whole class. I did not want to end up the same way. Going with him sounded better, but still not convincing enough. As far as I knew, he could kill me the moment we step outside.
“But… I need to pack.” I said anxiously. Pack. Seriously? That’s all I could come up with? I stood in my room contemplating what to do. That’s when I heard my name being called by a voice that I knew quite well. It was a head of the building and her footsteps were drawing nearer on the corridor. Only that there weren’t only one person’s steps. She wasn’t alone. I felt the tension rise in the room, as I looked towards the man.
“There’s no time. We have everything you need, but we need to leave now. Come on! Let’s go!” he whispered harshly and practically pushed me out of the window. Everything was happening so quickly that I didn’t even have time to evaluate my choices. It was either staying here and having to explain what happened to me to authorities, which would probably end up with me, in a grave. Or go with the stranger and live. If he planned to keep his promise that is.
Luckily, I lived on the first floor, so that the ground wasn’t too far away. I stumbled on the ground with a quiet sound. He jumped right after me and landed with much more grace than I did. He placed his finger on his lips, signaling me to be quiet and to follow him. We ran across the park behind the building. Because of the dark, I couldn’t see where I was going and my foot landed on a branch. It broke apart with a loud crack.
“Who is there?” called the voice of a guard. I panicked a little but kept on following the man, who was now moving in a lot more cautious way. We stopped in front of a metal fence and I wondered if we were really about to climb it when a very bright light hit my eyes.
“Stay where you are! Do not move or I’ll shoot!” I heard the guard say, as he approached me slowly. This was the second gun that was pointed at me today. I froze on the spot, my body shaking slightly. I’ve seen guns being used on my friends many times and I couldn’t remember how many I’ve lost because of that.
“Leave her be.” I heard a voice behind me and the guard’s face filled with surprise. He thought I was alone. “There’s no need to do this. You’re just a boy.” The man said calmly. I looked up and he was right. The guard was probably even younger than me, just a boy in a suit. Yet, he was pointing at me with his gun, clenching his fingers around the trigger. He was debating what was just said. I could see it in his eyes, that he wasn’t about to just let me walk away.
“It is my duty. I can't let you leave." the boy said again and his fingers twitched. I heard a gunshot and my whole body shook with terror. I heard a scream, but I wasn’t sure it came out of my mouth. Closing my eyes, I waited for a sign of pain or for my legs to give in. There was a grip on my forearm, a feeling strange and similar to the one on the bus, pulling me away and I stumbled around, shaking awfully. I finally opened my eyes and saw the boy lying on the ground, his body clenched together in pain. I looked at the man with fear in my eyes and moved away from him. He has just killed someone. The thought echoed in my mind.
"He'll be fine. I went for the leg." he said, following my sight. "Listen to me. Catelyn." his deep eyes pierced into mine as I moved my attention to him. He took a step towards me. "Trust me. Please. That's all I ask." he pleaded.
I nod, not really sure why. Nothing made sense at that moment. The only thing I knew was that a stranger just got hurt because of me, and that I was the one breaking violations, not him. I was about to leave everything that I knew. The man was still watching me, waiting for an answer.
"Okay." I said in a silent whisper, but I knew he heard me.
"Okay? Good. Let's go." he moved his head in the direction of the fence and I climbed after him, with my thoughts too full to think rationally.