megatrash

APEX

As Kieran listed off his orders, Aura struggled to make mental notes of it all, her eyes lazily studying his face, shoulders, and arms as exhaustion had overcome her long before they ever crossed paths. Now, in a matter of an hour, he held her life in his large, rugged hands-

Snapping back into reality as his last statement was made, her eyes widened and she nodded rapidly. “Sleep, yeah.” She stood back up with a groan and dusted her black pants off vigorously to rid them of the dirt that settled long ago on the garage floor. “Don’t try anything,” she grumbled as she squatted behind him and began to work at the knot holding his wrists behind his back. Once loose, she gently tugged his arms until they were free of the rope.

“You run,” she sighed as she headed towards the cot in the corner and unfolded it from the wall until it cracked into place, “and I’ll have a hit out on you by dawn. Plus, I’m a light sleeper.”

While Aura made plenty of idiotic decisions in the past few hours, this may have been the dumbest, but in good conscious, she couldn’t let the man sleep in the position she had him. Hopefully her threat would be enough to keep him in place for the night.

As if a dog curling up on his blanket, she took her time wiggling about until she found a comfortable position to sleep in while being able to keep an eye on him. Once satisfied, she groaned and let her eyes start to flutter. “Good night, Kieran.”

***

Aura awoke completely startled and almost launched herself off the cot. Father’s garage? Oh yeah. Clothes drying on the chair? Yes, it was raining. Man asleep on the floor? She wished she could forget.

While he remained asleep, she quickly changed into the close from the previous nights and laced her boots quietly, using them to nudge him gently as she towered over him. “Let’s go.”

The walk though the fields was silent, more awkward than any morning she’d had before with a man, and her body remained on full alert the entire time. She had seen herself in the reflection of a glass just before leaving, and she had inconspicuously worked on removing the round smudges of coal that had blurred around her eyes as they stomped along. The sunrise began to peak behind them, and it drenched their surroundings in pink and orange. Aura couldn’t help but peer over her shoulder a few times.

The guard tower was finally visible in the distance.

“I have to stop here,” she panted, planting her feet apart and crossing her arms. Attempting to seem intimidating felt stupid in front of the skyscraper in front of her, but Gregor always said, ”Pretend to be the warrior you want to be.”

The thousands of thoughts racing through Aura’s mind made it hard for her to keep a steady breath and remain present in the moment, but she had fucked up enough to know that she couldn’t - at least in this moment - take back anything that transpired.

“I can meet you in the tunnels tonight,” she offered with a blank expression. “9:00 PM.” In defeat, her eyes shot down to the ground between them. “Bring food. Meat if you can get any. Ale works too.”

Without another word, Aura extended a hand to Kieran. A silent agreement that they both were bonded together by a mutual need. Once they broke off, she shoved his bag in his hand, complete with his gun and paperwork. "Please don't fuck me over, Kieran."

APEX

“Del’s not fucking -”

Aura’s knee-jerk reaction further proved why she often wasn’t trusted by the cause with situations like this. It took just a moment though to gain back what little composure she had previously.

“You must have some bad information. Del’s not involved in any of this.”

Guilt began to creep up her spine. Taking advantage of his niceness to cover her ass had obviously landed him on one of the AA’s list, and although Aura always knew it was a possibility, hearing it made it real.

Kieran presented her with an out, one that made the impossibly difficult situation she put herself even worse. While the cause was all she had left, she couldn’t leave if she wanted to. The only way out of the group was to die honorably, or die a traitor. Gregor and others high in the rankings did not have one ounce of trust between them all, and it only made sense to them that if anyone no longer wanted anything to do with the cause, they had to have an ulterior motive. Death was the only way to cover their own asses. And while they’ve taken great care of Aura, she had been on their bad side before. She was unsure if she’d rather be punished again by them or by an officer, but she at least knew the cause wouldn’t harm her family. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for the AE.

This was the only choice.

Most days, Aura just wished she could leave. To pack what little belongings she had and to head for the mountains in the middle of the night. Of course, she had heard rumors that it was only more grim out of Apex’s limits, that there is nothing out there for those that try to leave. But other rumors, those that there are groups of people living freely past the mountains. No authority, no enforcers...that was the fantasy that Aura desperately clung to when things got too heated in Unity.

“So, you want me to rat,” Aura sighed, pushing back stringy strands of black hair from her vision. “You know what they do to rats here, right?”

Remaining seated on the floor, she swiveled around and lifted her shirt to reveal pink scars that resembled lightning strikes down her back. “One of the times that Soren took one of our guys in, he made it sound like I had given them info. The officers like to stir shit up to try and dismantle us…”

Upon realizing that she was saying too much already, Aura’s face landed in her palms and a groan escaped her.

“Guess you got me. But, I need some guarantees.” She straightened up her posture and met his eyes. “If you name me in anything, they won’t hesitate to deliver my head to you in a package. If I help you, it has to be from an unidentified source.” It sounded ridiculous to be demanding anything knowing that Kieran could throw her to the wolves at any time.

“Second, if I’m figured out, I have to get out of F. I don’t know how much power you have and I don’t care. I’ll need new papers and a new subsection. And lastly,” she took a moment to catch her breath; the heat was growing unbearable whether from her nerves or the rain. Her voice trembled with emotion no matter how much she tried to control it. “I can’t be seen with you, now that I know who you are. Figure out where or how we can meet, and I’ll do it. I’m probably not welcomed back after this, so it can’t be here.”

A familiar feeling of penitence sat like a rock in her stomach, but this was her only option. Or at least, she couldn’t think of a better one.

“I’ll bring you to the west border of F in the morning. Do we have a deal?”

APEX

“Kieran,” she mumbled in response. His demeanor was the most unnerving thing about him. He was calm and smiling, while Aura did everything she could to choke down the nausea bubbling in her stomach.

She had taken a runner hostage. A runner. The weight of her actions began to sink deep in her stomach, the heat of the garage beginning to suffocate the oxygen from the room. Aura dashed to the window, threw it open, and allowed herself a deep gulp of breath from the cooler air that poured in.

Could she somehow get a message to Gregor? Explain she had fucked up and that she needed help?

The thought of his temper made Aura shut down the thought instantly. No, she’d have to figure a way out of this herself. She couldn’t lose her spot in the cause. They were her last chance of getting out of F for good. The only place she fit in.

But if the man got free, he would shoot her. If he didn’t shoot her, he’d run until he could report her.

She was dead in the water in every outcome imaginable.

Aura turned from the window and moved to stand in front of him, hiding her trembling hands in the pockets of Ion’s pants. “I won’t -” Due to nerves, her voice left her body as a whisper. Get it together.

“I won’t kill you,” she responded, now reflecting a more confident tone. “I just…”

How could she get him on her side, at least long enough for her to figure out a plan?

“You, the mystery man, catch me in the middle of a firefight with an AR in my hands.” She chuckled, wiping her forehead to rid it of sweat. “That would normally sound like a really fun night for me. But you’re,” Aura finally gained courage to look up at him, “you’re a runner. You may as well be an enforcer.”

Aura grabbed an empty pail from the corner and opened the garage door. “I’ll be right back.”

She soon returned, the pail now full of water. Before dealing with it, she plopped down and began to work her fingers at the laces of her sopping boots, groaning when each foot finally broke free.

“Thirsty?”

Without waiting for an answer, Aura grabbed the pail and approached him, lifting it to Kieran’s lips.

Once done, she took a few gulps of it herself before making herself comfortable on the floor across from him.

“You want to leave here alive. As do I. And if I’m reported, you may as well kill me now.” Aura scanned his face hoping for any hint of weakness, but the man was made of stone. Asshole. “So Kieran, what would you do if you were in my position?”

APEX

The trek to her father’s house was a blur, adrenaline and uncertainty pumping through Aura with each beat of her heart clapping in her ears. To keep her hostage from returning to her family home, she tossed her sweater over his head and guided him by looping one arm through his, while the other kept the gun pointed towards him. The rain had picked up, and the dirt floor of the crop fields had turned into a thick stretch of mud, causing her boots to stick with each step.

Bam. Bam. Bam.

The heavy wooden door only creaked open a couple of an inches with an eye peeking out.

“It’s me.”

Her father sighed, not opening the door any further. “What have you done?”

“I need the garage tonight. And two changes of clothes.” Moments passed, with only silence and the patter of the rain to fill the void. “Please… I’m sorry.”

“Be out by dawn,” he huffed, followed by snapping the door shut. The man returned moments later with a sack that he tossed to her, giving no time for another word between them before shutting the door once again.

Once entering the garage, Aura forced the man into a seated position on the floor and removed her sweater from his head. The garage, detached by a few hundred feet from the home, held a tractor and other machinery, along with an array of tools that lined the back wall, a fold out cot, and a wooden desk. She hastily lit a couple of candles until the garage was illuminated with a dim, yellow light, then she grabbed a retrieved from the wall and threw it over her shoulder.

“You’re changing first,” she instructed, shoving a plain, large t-shirt and cotton pants into the man’s hands, taking his bag in response and kicking it across the floor towards the cot. Her hand that held the gun trembled, unsure if it was from the frigid rain or her nerves, but her eyes shot to the ground in an attempt to give the man some privacy.

Once finished, she tied his arms behind him around a support beam that sat in the center of the garage, then grabbed her own change of clothes. These must have been Ion’s, her younger brother, who towered over her much like the mystery man. She put the large t-shirt on, then slipped the wet clothes beneath off of her, then slid on the pants, then took their wet clothes and draped them over a chair to dry.

What would her endgame be here? If she let him go, he could kill her - or worse, notify the AA of her treason. He knew her name already… that she had family. She should have just shot him in the street when she had the chance.

Aura felt around in his bag and removed the gun, placing it gently on the ground next to hers. Next his paperwork, which for now, she just glanced over before setting placing them on the cot.

So,” she sighed, crouching down in front of him. “A runner, huh?” Her eyes scanned him in curiosity. “Why are you in F?” Before continuing, Aura realized that she still hadn’t had her one question answered since she had seen the man in front of Mae’s tavern.

“What’s your name?”

APEX

5:00 AM. Another semi-warm shower. Another nod to Del. Another day on street clean-up.

The day was much more overcast than the last, with little pockets of rainfall pouring down throughout the day, causing Aura to take cover until they passed. One lasting particularly long, she took cover under a pawn shop’s awning, picking her nails and surveying the streets before her. If she was honest, she was hoping to sight the man from last night, but as the end of the day neared, she gave up hope.

A runner she recognized as friendly to the cause passed her, quietly mumbling “they’ve been released. Meeting in the fields at six.” As soon as he said it, he was gone around the corner.

Aura took a deep breath. While she had always admired Gregor’s passion, it sometimes led them down a darker path, especially when he felt wronged. The last time they had baselessly arrested some of their members, they had set fire to one of the buildings the AE used as a headquarters. There was no use in getting herself worked up, though; she’d have to wait until 6:00pm to see what he was planning.

***

“Thank you for gathering on such short notice,” Gregor spoke quietly, but sternly, his commanding timbre captivating those in front of him. The crowd around him sat or crouched in silence, allowing the tall wheat stocks around them to shield the group from any onlookers. The breeze whipped through the field, causing a continuous rustling around them.

“They tried to get whatever they could out of us last night. They got nothing, and finally released us when they realized they’d have to feed us if they held us any longer.” Gregor’s eyes, one donning blue and purple bruises, landed on Aura briefly, then continued to scan the rest. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to pick off more of us. We need to be more vigilant than ever. And for now, operations will be need-to-know for now.” Murmurs rose, but he put his hands up in response. “You know we are all about transparency. This is just to keep you safe in the upcoming weeks. The AE seems to be getting pressure from their bosses that they need to crack down, so we need to as well.”

The group nodded in response.

“Good. Now, I need about ten to fifteen volunteers. The rest of you, stagger out of here and go home.”

As much as her gut told her to leave, it wasn’t possible. She had worked too long to prove herself to Gregor and the others to back out now.

It took about ten minutes, each person leaving in a different direction and a minute apart to not draw attention. Her eyes met Mila’s, a woman close to her age, and she scooted towards Aura and wrapped an arm around her. The rest gathered closer to Gregor to await their instruction.

“Tonight, we attack.”

***

As Aura got dressed, Gregor’s directions played over and over in her head.

”Black, loose clothing. Cover your faces. Hide your hair in a hat. No visible tattoos or jewelry.”

Anticipation and nerves, along with the familiar feeling with hunger in her stomach had her feeling nauseous, but Gregor had promised some bread and a drink before they set out on their operation, and that would have to be enough. Aura stuffed her bag with a black bandana, a large black hoodie, and a knit black beanie, checked herself in the 6” x 6” mirror she had, then quietly clicked her door shut. It was two hours before curfew, and she was sure many of the buildings residents were fast asleep by now.

Click. Click. Click. her nails tapped on the cold steel

Del snapped opened his door and Aura tumbled inside.

“What does he have you doing?! You look - “

“I know, I know,” Aura whispered. “I may not be back before curfew. If not, I’ll find somewhere to sleep until the morning. Just don’t come looking for me, okay?”

“Aura, I -”

“Promise me,” she begged, sticking a pinkie finger out, and her friend reluctantly grabbed it with his.

“Fine. Just please be careful.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Del,” she nodded, gripping his shoulders. “Thank you.”

***

The group gathered at a fellow volunteer’s house, a quaint, slanted cottage close to her father’s. As promised, Gregor had brought them rum and bread, both most likely stolen. The warmth of alcohol pulsed through Aura’s veins, awakening the rebel deep inside her. She was ready to carry out their mission, to follow orders, to cause the AE to feel at least an ounce of pain that they had to endure.

Gregor approached her, snatching the bottle from her handles and taking a swig. “I can count on you, right?”

“O-of course,” she pushed out, unsure of the nerves that came with the sentiment.

“Good girl. You’ve been with me for years. I knew you wouldn’t fail me now.” Gregor placed the rum back into her hands and removed a stray piece of hair from her face, his eyes remaining locked on her as he did. “Be careful out there tonight.”

Aura quickly nodded, dismissing his attention and instead taking another drink from the bottle. The longer that it took for them to head out, the intenser her nerves grew, now sitting like a rock in her stomach.

About forty-five minutes after gathering, the first warning siren sounded throughout the subsection, heard from each corner of its limits. ”One hour until curfew,” a robotic voice boomed following a shrill alarm.

The group of eighteen poured out of the home, single-file, weaving through a field until they felt solid concrete beneath their feet. Thunder roared overhead, and Aura couldn’t help but think it was the sky cheering them on.

“Into positions,” Gregor whispered sharply. “Stop for no one. Only retreat when you’re out of ammunition.”

Without any response, the group quickly dispersed, heading to their appointed posts. Aura was assigned to the roof of Mae’s tavern, a spot she had only been for pleasure before. Was she desecrating it now by bringing her hatred there?

It began to drizzle as the next alarm sounded, ricocheting off the storefronts. ”Thirty minutes until curfew.” This was when many of the officers came out onto the streets, ready to punish anyone who wasn’t on their way home. Or really, ready to punish whoever they felt like that night.

Whether it was adrenaline or the mask, Aura was breathing heavily, her eyes darting back and forth as she watched the road below her. Citizens were bustling down the sidewalks, hoping to make it home without any trouble, an occasional officer shoving someone who they deemed to be walking too slowly.

It wasn’t long before the final siren went off, the one with no robot voice. Just the piercing, terrible note.

It was time.

The streets had mostly cleared, allowing a couple of officers to meet on the intersection, and Aura could hear their ignorant chortles over the thunder that boomed. She laid down on her stomach, swung her gun around, and positioned it so that only a couple inches of its barrel hung off of the lip of the rooftop. The officers were perfectly framed by her iron sight.

Gregor’s blaring whistle shot through the air, causing the officer’s to look around in confusion.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

Aura closed her eyes as she squeezed the trigger, not opening them until she heard a painful grunt from the ground. An officer sat on the ground gripping his arm. The others drew their guns, pointing their guns as they looked around, obviously not knowing where the assault originated.

Other officers that must have been shot at blocks down began to charge toward the group in front of her, and they created a circle around their injured colleague. “COME OUT! NOW!”

Their instructions prompted more fire, and the officers shot blindly in response. Aura ducked until there was a pause, and she anxiously peered over the lip of the roof. Three were down, nine still standing, but surely more were on the way.

From Gregor’s post catty-corner from her, shooting resumed, knocking down another two officers. Then silence.

In order to reposition herself, Aura grabbed the edge of the roof to hoist herself up, but the old construction crumbled from the pressure, and a chunk of concrete tumbled down to the sidewalk. Fuck.

“Up there!”

As gunfire began, Aura crawled hastily towards the ladder and slid down, breaking into a sprint as soon as she hit the ground. She had to get home, or at least, out of Atlantic, without getting a bullet in the back.

Six more blocks. Six more blocks then she’d be back to her room. Keep running. Keep running.

Between the rain and blackness of the night, Aura had not noticed a figure on the sidewalk until she had crashed into them, causing them both to tumble down on the wet concrete. “You shouldn’t go down there,” the woman huffed and puffed, “the officers…”

It took a moment, but she finally recognized the man she had tumbled on top of. Mystery man. The man who may as well have been an enforcer. Quickly, she scrambled to a standing position, pointing her gun at him and snapping her eyes between him and behind her.

What would she do? She had been caught red-handed. If she was linked to this attack, she’d be executed by dawn. Think, Aura.

“She’s down there!” A shout came from a block back. She had no more time.

Aura shoved the barrel of the gun into the man’s stomach, hoping her dominance would outweigh the fact that he towered over her. “Into the alleyway up ahead. Go!”

As they cleared its entryway, she dragged him by the shirt deep into the alley, pulling him behind a dumpster and instructing him to sit. “Don’t move.” She removed the mask from her face, enjoying her first unhindered breath, and she brought a sleeve to her forehead to remove the mixture of sweat and rain. The gun stayed trained on the man.

Where could she bring him? It’d be too risky to take him home. Too many witnesses. It took only a few moments until the idea, although it was horrible, came to her. She’d have to bring him to her father’s house until the morning. Or… at least she could convince him not to report her. Or kill her.

As soon as the group of enforcers that were tailing her had ran past the alleyway, Aura signaled for the man to get up. “Let’s go.”

APEX

The man’s demeanor changed significantly once recognizing her, causing her to wonder if she had just made a mistake, but it was too late now. She’d win the man over.

Realizing that she was admiring his face for a bit too long, she forced a grin. “I can show you,” she replied, tugging his damp shirt sleeve to lead him to the corner where the dart board was hung. As her heartbeat thumped in her ears, she gathered the darts in her hand and took a deep breath before positioning herself.

“So,” another breath, “you want to keep your chest aligned with the bullseye, so stand center. Then, you wanna put your dominant foot forward, for me it’s my left. Then my left shoulder is also gonna face the board.” Aura looked behind her to quickly read him, but his expression was hard to read, so she decided to just continue. “Then, with all your weight on your foot, you - “

The dart flew from her hand with speed, her wrist flicking, and it landed in the outer bull’s eye. She danced for a second before taking a few hefty gulps of her ale. “Your turn.”

Aura handed him a dart and shoved him towards the line that was painted on the floor, taking it upon herself to position him. “Righty, I’m assuming.” Once satisfied with her work, she stepped back. “Alright, go on.”

As she watched, she couldn’t help but begin to prod. “So, I’ve never met anyone in subsection F that didn’t play darts before. I’m guessing you’re from somewhere else.” Another swig of ale. “Your enforcer friend Soren’s a real piece of work. I have at least four scars and a cracked rib from him.”

Not getting anywhere, she handed him his drink once he had finished his turn and met his eyes. He might as well have been made of stone. “Where are you f- ?”

The door to the pub swung open, and as Aura snapped her head to see who had entered, Del burst in, looking panicked.

“Aura!” Her friend weaved through the crowd, pulling her close to him so he could whisper without eavesdroppers. “A runner just came to your door. I explained I was covering for you. Barn was raided. They got Gregor, Marlo, and Slate. They were the only ones left.” He panted for a moment; he must have been running. “They said you had left early. Mae’s was closed and I…”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she whispered back, gripping his shoulders, but before continuing, the sirens sounded down the streets of Unity, causing near silence to fill the bar. Fifteen minute warning. “I’m coming, just give me a second.”

There wasn’t enough time to get what she needed from the man. The perfect opportunity, and it was ruined, but it was possible with the arrests that Gregor would forget about her assignment...or at least she hoped. She approached the man once again, this time clinking her glass with his. “Well, that’s my cue. No trains run this late, so maybe I’ll see you tomorrow. Next drink’s on me instead of on you.”

“Come on, Aura,” Del urged her.

“Bye, mystery man.” And with that, Aura and Del fled the bar, walking speedily down the sidewalk.

“Who was that?” her friend asked, scanning the streets as they continued.

“I’m not too sure,” she responded, watching as well. Although there was a curfew, Unity’s streets became a dangerous place, especially for a woman to be. The last time she had walked alone close to curfew, she outran four men all the way to the front door of the housing unit. She was thankful Del found her.

“What did you hear about Gregor and them?” Aura got out between staggered breaths.

“Just took them in for questioning. The runner didn’t seem to think they had anything solid. Should be back tomorrow.”

“Then why were you so freaked out?”

“Because you have a mouth on you,” he chuckled, “and you’d make everything worse.”

Aura punched his arm. “Fuck you… but you’re right.”

With three minutes to spare before curfew, the two said their goodnights and went their separate ways. Aura scrubbed her face in the sink, then plopped into her cot to ruminate on the day.

It was going to be a problem that the runner spoke with Del. He shouldn’t have known anything about the cause, and now, he was possibly in danger thanks to her.

Then her mystery man that slipped through her fingers. She didn’t even get him name. It was pathetic, and the guilt of failing the cause sat heavy in her stomach. To save face, she wouldn’t even report the occurrence to Gregor and the others, not until she had something more concrete, if she’d even get that. It was a long shot she would even see him again, but the thought of disappointing the cause yet again was terrifying.

Aura had just been released from the AE, and before she could make it home, she was grabbed in the street and dragged to the back of Mae’s tavern, immediately tied to a wooden chair.

”What did you tell the AE?” Gregor began, cracking his knuckles.

“N-nothing, they just think I was taking money, I swear!” Fear had overcome her, and her body vibrated intensely.

The back of Gregor’s hand connected with her face, the familiar sting radiating to the back of her skull. “It’s better to spill now, Aura.” The other rebels in the room remained glued in their positions on either side of him. “What did you tell them?”

Aura shook her head, fighting back the tears that were welling in her eyes. “I swear, I didn’t say shit, Gregor, please - “ She was interrupted by a hand gripping her throat, squeezing tightly, causing her to gasp for breath.

Gregor studied her pleading eyes intensely for what felt like an eternity before finally releasing her. “She’s telling the truth, boys. Move along.” As Aura caught her breath, the two men left the room, and he started to work on the knots binding her to the chair.

“Good girl.”

Aura blew out the candle on her trunk that illuminated the compact room, allowing herself to succumb to the darkness and the ale she drank that evening, the face of her target clear in her head. I’ll find you.

APEX

If Aura wasn’t lagging before, the beer surely caused her pace to decline. She had only made it across the street and up a few storefronts before she heard commotion. After swivelling around to spectate, it became apparent what was transpiring.

The stranger who had just been sitting next to her had bolted from the tavern, causing Soren to bark something at him before the familiar, but still terrible pop rang in the air, causing the woman to instinctually plug her ears with her fingers.

Against protocol, Aura approached inconspicuously, remaining as flush to the storefronts as she could until she was directly across the street from the scene, picking a graffitied aluminum garbage can to crouch behind.

It was confirmed to be the same man whose brains and blood now covered the asphalt, glistening in the high noon sunlight like a red, rushing river. His body laid crumpled like the litter she’d be cleaning all day.

“What a waste of a dollar,” she mumbled to herself.

Soon, another man exited the tavern, one that had not been in there before. While the first man was a stranger purely for the fact that Aura had not seen him before, this man was a much different definition of the word. His street clothes were nice and cleanly, but they weren’t those of an official or an officer, plus much too understated for Subsection’s A or C. They loved to flash their wealth with every given opportunity. He was fit, and by the looks of it, well fed, and he towered over the other men he approached.

Aura, in her day dreaming, must have risen from her semi-crouched position, because she caught the eye of Soren.

“Holland! You want the baton, again?” He barked, quickly retrieving it from his utility belt and extending it with a quick flick of his wrist.

“No, thanks,” she replied snarkily, raising her hands in submission, the arm grabber still clutched in one. The last time he used the baton, he cracked one of her ribs.

Soren retracted the stick and stuck it back in his belt. “Then keep moving.”

Aura followed orders, retreating down the sidewalk, but not without a glance back to the group of men. Eye contact with the strange man was made, causing her to quickly snap her head forward and quicken her pace.

Why was he here? And what the fuck was happening in Unity?

***

Hours later, Aura was back in her room preparing for the meeting she had that night. Due to the event at the tavern earlier, the meeting had been moved out near the farming fields in a dilapidated barn. The cause had runners on their payroll, and one had found her on the street, informing her of the change without even stopping to speak to her.

Her hair was now braided down her back, and a coal pencil that Del had used for his art was used as a makeshift eyeliner. Her work suit was replaced with a pair of black pants, a black tank top, and an olive green utility jacket that had once been her fathers.

Before leaving, she lightly rapped on Del’s door. Once he answered, she scooted inside quickly and didn’t speak until the door clicked behind her.

“If the meeting runs late, I’m staying at my dad’s. He’s close to the spot and I don’t want to risk getting caught after curfew.”

Del nodded. “Got it.”

“You sure you don’t want to come?”

He chuckled. “You know I’m no vigilante.”

Aura smiled slightly. The cause made it clear to never speak of their efforts to those who were involved, but she figured it was better to have someone to cover for her than not. Plus, she trusted Del with her life. “Okay. If anyone asks, I’m at my dad’s.”

“You got it.”

Aura patted his shoulder before sliding out of the room and down the dark hallway, the excitement of another gathering vibrating throughout her body.

***

Around thirty people had filed into the barn which was illuminated by lanterns scattered along its walls. Everyone who could brought either bread, alcohol, or another favor to share with the group, and while having to remain quiet, the room was alive with warmth and camaraderie.

Once the meeting started, Aura found a cozy spot on a stack of hay, cradling a bottle of ale that Gregor had brought especially for her.

That same man was the one who began the meeting, taking a spot in the center of the semicircle that had formed. “We are short quite a few people tonight. Calin, along with a few others, couldn’t be found by any of our runners. Milo and Seena are on duty in subsection C. And last we heard, the same ten we’ve been missing are still jailed. Alive though.”

The crowd sighed in relief at the news. Many times, those from subsection F didn’t make it out.

“There was an unidentified man shot today outside of Dean and Mae’s tavern. According to Mae, another man came in to question him, the man who was shot attacked him, then ran outside to meet the enforcers waiting for him.”

Aura looked down, hoping to not be called on. Mae was usually the only one who got so lucky.

“Aura?”

She sighed, looking up at the room who now had all eyes on her. “Both men I’ve never seen before. The one who was shot looked rough. If not a citizen of Unity, he may have been from B or E. But the other man…” she took another breath, “definitely was not from around here. He was speaking with the AE after the incident.”

The group began to murmur, and Gregor raised his hands as a sign to quiet down.

“We don’t know how long he’ll be in Unity, so, Aura?”

Damn it.

“You’re the only one who could recognize him besides Mae. We need you to do some recon.”

“Yes, sir,” she nodded, her eyes burning a hole in the dirt floor beneath her. Though she’d do anything for the cause, watching someone who was working with the AE seemed like a good way to get another strike, or worse.

The rest of the meeting continued on, detailing other recent events in Unity, along with some future plans of retaliation against the AE and the AA, soon to come to fruition. But for now, they just relied on gathering intel, which is the job Aura was on before she had gotten caught “stealing money.”

Many of the members had a deep seeded hatred for the government, for the AE, for those who lived in luxury and comfort in subsections A and C, and it was all justified in Aura’s eyes. While they lived off tiny rations and were worked to the bone, the other two subsections ate feasts and enjoyed games and hobbies. While subsection F were brutalized and heavily monitored by enforcers, A and C lived with much more freedom and power over their lives. The AA officials were only plucked from those subsections, so the nepotism continued while the poorer subsections crumbled.

The focus of the cause was to find a way to bring balance to the factions, whether through negotiation or by force.

The meeting went on for another half hour or so, then the group was free to partake in some revelry before curfew hit. Aura, not feeling particularly social, remained on her stack of hay, sipping the bottle of ale frequently.

Gregor plopped down next to her, throwing an arm around her shoulders. “How’s it taste?”

“Delicious,” she nodded, wiping a drop of the beverage from her lips. “Thank you.”

“Of course. I don’t play favorites, but if I did, you’d be up there.”

Aura rolled her eyes as a smile began to form in the corners of her mouth. “You’re full of shit, Gregor.”

“Oh come on,” he smiled back, turning his body towards her. “What do you say we have some fun like old times, huh? You can stay at my place again. I scored some eggs that I can make in the morning.”

“It’s tempting,” she sighed, patting his head, “but I have work tomorrow. I need to get back to my room.”

“Want me to walk you?”

“I’ll be okay, Gregor.”

***

Aura had made it back to Atlantic with an hour to spare before curfew, and with Mae’s tavern closed early for the meeting, she decided to go to another pub across town.

It was packed, many of the patrons playing darts and other games as they powered through as much alcohol as they could before closing.

Aura found the last seat at the bar, and squeezed herself between two other people to grab it. The bartender quickly took her order, setting down a mug larger than her head filled to the brim with frothy ale. She lifted it and took four to five gulps.

In her observance of the others across the bar, her eyes spotted the man from earlier, her new objective given to her by the cause.

Serendipity.

Aura left her money on the bar and got up, holding the large mug carefully as she weaved through the crowded pub until closing in on her target. Don’t fuck this up. Don’t fuck this up.

Just as she began to pass him, she allowed about a few gulps worth of ale to shoot from the glass, landing right on the man’s shoulder and chest.

“Wow, I am so sorry,” Aura called out, hastily setting her mug down and grabbing a rag from the bar to drag across his shirt in a fake attempt to help mop up the liquid. “I was just gonna throw some darts over here,” she continued to explain, pointing to the corner behind the man. When their eyes met, the acting job continued. “I saw you earlier! At the other tavern. I’m Aura.”

She stuck a frail but confident hand out to the man to greet him.

“You like darts?”

APEX

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

How was it 5:00 AM already?

Aura groggily slapped the alarm clock, causing it to topple onto the floor and disappear somewhere underneath her cot. “Sorry,” she groaned at the machine as she stood up and stretched.

Though getting up that early wasn’t necessary for work, if she wanted a decent shower in the community bathing room, it most certainly was. The 24th floor housed 18 other 10’ x 10’ apartments, or more accurately described, concrete blocks, half of them with children, and Aura’s ideal morning routine didn’t include fighting over the hot water.

The ‘high rise’ she lived in was rumored to once be a high-security prison from hundreds of years ago, but the melancholic, towering building served as housing for many of subsection F’s residents. Each room had a toilet and sink, but the bunk bed frames were taken during the construction of Apex’s new prison closer to the beach. The prisoner’s had a nicer view than they did, and she was sure that the senate had a laugh over the matter when they picked the location. It was a surprise it hadn’t been bulldozed yet, but she assumed the AA didn’t want to deal with the daunting task of relocating them all.

Armed with a towel and her toiletries, Aura slipped out of her room and quietly closed until until she heard it click; the Murphy’s had already complained about her slamming her door twice, and being more careful was much less of a nuisance than hearing Mrs. Murphy’s shrill voice berating her about being more ‘considerate.’

Del, her next door neighbor, was unlocking his door as she exited. He was a sweet, humble man, around her age, who became a friend to her after years of living alongside each other. They had come up with the early morning shower routine together one evening after he had scored some wine from a coworker.

“Save some hot water for me, Del?” she whispered, sticking a tongue out after.

He bowed and grinned. “As always.”

***

“Listen up!” the short, bulky man barked to the small cluster of workers in front of him who had not yet been assigned their daily duty. Surprisingly, you even had to work your way up in Sanitation and Maintenance to get a routine job.

“Keating, you’re doing maintenance for public transportation. One of the rail cars is malfunctioning again. Mayfield, you’re helping him.”

They’d never let her work on the trains again, but she always was hopeful.

“Del, Campos, you’re on roadkill again.”

Aura looked to her friend and stifled a grin. “You shouldn’t have pissed him off last week,” she whispered, getting a jab in the ribs in return.

“And Holland, you’re on street clean up.”

Damn it.

An hour later, she was in the heart of Atlantic, the innermost square of subsection F, lazily using a grabber to pick up litter as she ambled down the sidewalk. The streets were bustling with citizens, mostly mothers not assigned job duties getting food for the week and the normal trouble making teens dipping in and out of alleyways. She got along with most of them out of sympathy; it wasn’t long ago that she was one of them.

One of her favorites, a sixteen year old named Sim - which she assumed was short for something - had been caught stealing from a market, his third offense. Once the AE arrived, they dragged him out into the street and shot him in the head.

”This is a reminder to all of you!” one of the enforcers barked through a megaphone. “We forgive three times.”

Aura was now on her second strike for stealing, along with a few different first strikes in other categories of ‘unacceptable behavior.’ It was said that one wasn’t truly for the cause if they didn’t at least have one.

Time went by slowly as she went from block to block, humming as she daydreamed most likely of the beach or the mountains. It was interrupted abruptly by a familiar voice, immediately causing her eyes to roll.

It was Soren, an enforcer that she knew all too well, along with a couple of others that she hadn’t bothered to learn the names of.

“Hey, Holland,” he greeted her, his voice dripping with disdain. “How’s our favorite garbage man liking her new career?”

“Fuck off, Soren,” she groaned, pushing past the men.

“Is that disrespect towards an enforcer? That’d be a second strike in that category.”

Aura stopped in her tracks with a deep breath, and swiveled around, displaying a fake smile. “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”

“That’s what I thought,” he replied, crossing his arms in satisfaction. “Now get back to work.” Soren and the other gaggle of men chuckled until they disappeared around the corner, leading to the woman finally unclenching her fists with a sigh of relief. “Asshole.”

Midday had come along with the intense sunshine, and sweat began to bead on Aura’s forehead. Six more hours to go. In her aimless wandering, picking up litter from the streets, it surprised her when she wound up in front of the tavern owned by Dean and Mae, a couple in their mid-fifties deep into the cause.

Aura checked her surroundings to make certain no enforcers were around, and once confirmed, she quickly disappeared behind the heavy wooden door and into the dark bar, greeted by a few of the daytime regulars she had gotten to know over the few years. Once her eyes adjusted, she greeted them back by name until sitting down on a stool, Mae swiveling around from cleaning a glass to greet her.

“Aura,” the woman said warmly, “you’re early today.” Her eyes looked her up and down. “And on the job I see.”

“I know,” Aura sighed, resting her face in her hands. “It’s just so hot out. I got street clean up again.”

“Well, that’s what happens when you’re caught stealing,” Mae chuckled, speaking so quietly that Aura had to strain to hear her. “You’re lucky they thought it was just money you were taking. If they knew what you were really doing, you’d be dead in the street like Sim.”

“For the cause,” Aura groaned, but her demeanor changed when Mae slid her a glass of ale. “Thanks Mae.”

Three months ago, Aura had been assigned to clean a large home in B, the subsection of many of Apex’s elite either born into it or earned through work in the AA or AE. The owner of the house, in particular, was a high-ranking enforcer who was particularly close with elected officials, and she had been tasked with gathering any information on the plans to deal with the rumored uprising in Unity, but when caught, Aura admitted to looking for money in the man’s office.

“Is the meeting still on for tonight, Mae?” she asked after taking a particularly large gulp from her glass. It was the time of those who were actively gathering intel to notify the rest of the cause of their findings, and from there, devise their new plan for the month ahead.

Mae’s eyes widened, telling her that she had done something wrong, then darted to the left to signal Aura where to look.

When she did, she realized. An outsider. How could Aura not have noticed? After mouthing an “I’m sorry,” she chugged the rest of her ale, she left her coins on the bar and thanked Mae. Before leaving though, she needed to cover her ass.

“Hey,” she greeted the stranger quietly, leaning against the bar to his right and sliding a single bill towards him. “It’s not much, but if you’re one of their spies, I can’t take another strike.” As she finished her sentiment, she studied his face for the first time and cocked her head to the side in curiosity. “And if you’re just a new alcoholic… drinks on me.”

She patted the top of the dollar as a reminder to him, then continued until she was back out onto the city streets, snapping her arm grabber closed a few times as if to get used to it again. If I’m on street clean up for one more week, I’ll explode.

APEX

AURA

Nickname(s)

None, other than being called by her last name, Holland, which her family called a “name of the old world.”

Age

24

Appearance

She stands at average height - around 5’5” - with straight, black hair that hangs down to her waist which she ties up in a knot or braid most days. She's thin like most in Subsection F, as having extra weight is a luxury that they can’t afford, but working has given her some muscle she’d never had previously. If not in her work suit, she normally dresses in black to not draw attention to herself, especially with what's happening in the District. Among random scars, she has a few tattoos in hidden places as well as her ears stretched, a trend that had resurfaced in the subsection when she was a teenager.

Job Duty

Aura, as of three months ago, was demoted to Sanitation and Maintenance as a form of punishment. Originally, like her mother, she was in Service and Housekeeping, often traveling to the wealthier districts to serve as a maid. A family down by the beach had chosen her mother as their permanent maid two years ago, and Aura hasn’t seen her since.

Faction Information

Although its officially named subsection F, many of its inhabitants refer to it as its previous name, Unity, chosen many years ago during the first rebellion, but the AA refuses to acknowledge it as such. It’s the heart of the district, its epicenter, with its downtown area called Atlantic. Most of the job opportunities in the subsection are to be of service to other subsections - some among them being Service and Housekeeping, Sanitation and Maintenance, and a new opportunity, Apex Enforcement. It was the first time in years that the AA ever thought to recruit anyone from subsection F, but with how desperate some of its citizens are getting, its sold as a fantastic chance of leaving poverty. Most of Unity’s inhabitants, though, frown upon anyone joining the AE. Rumors of rebellion rumble through the underground, but the AA hasn’t had any solid proof...yet.

History

Aura grew up with her mother, father, and little brother Ion in a small home on the outskirts of the district, and though it was humble, it was full of love. Her brother and father still occupied the home, now growing crops for the entire District. She still visits often, especially when she needs a home-cooked meal, and her dad always insists on giving her an extra serving even though there isn’t much to spare. Her father, though rebellious in his youth, was now a reformed man, insisting that things were the way they needed to be. This continually caused a riff between them, until Aura realized that he wasn’t going to change. Talks of the second rebellion were no longer had at the dinner table.

While Aura was never a well-behaved child, her actions were to help her family. Since caught stealing bread at the age of 13, she had been under the eye of the AE, and has had numerous run-ins with them since.

Shadows Among Us

condolences :-(