There were shouts behind them, but a moment later they were in the trees, ducking under branches and leaping over roots. The three of them fanned out but kept within sight of each other. After about ten minutes they came back together and stopped, heaving for air. Their heavy breaths were mixed with relieved laughter.
“I don’t think they’re chasing us,” Leo said after he caught his breath. He searched the trees and listened carefully for noises.
“Or they haven’t caught up yet,” Sigrid suggested.
“You could have told us what you were going to do,” James said.
“It was spur of the moment,” Leo admitted. “Good thing, too. If I’d spent any time thinking about it, I would have thought of a thousand reasons it wouldn’t work.”
They spent the rest of the morning outside, climbing trees and exploring the woods. They found a small creek and washed their faces in the water.
“Here,” Sigrid said, pulling out three granola bars from her pocket. “I swiped these at breakfast.”
They sat down beside the creek as they ate the bars. Leo had to admit this felt better than being crammed into a tiny tent with everyone else.
“What now?” Sigrid asked.
“I guess we should go back to the base,” said James.
“We might be in a lot of trouble,” said Sigrid. “With our families and with those guards.”
“I don’t want to go back,” Leo admitted.
“What?”
“I have this crazy idea.” He took a deep and breath told them what he’d told his parents, about going deep into the wilderness and learning how to survive.
“I know it sounds really dangerous . . .” He started.
“Actually,” Sigrid said quietly, “it sounds like the best idea I’ve heard yet.”
“At least out here we get to choose for ourselves,” James said. “But what about our families?”
“That’s the hard part,” Leo said, nodding. “Obviously I don’t want to leave my parents behind. But maybe if the three of us spend a little time outside the base and then come back—if we prove we can survive out here—maybe then we can convince them that staying at the base is a bad idea.”
“But we don’t have any gear,” said Sigrid.
“Or really know how to live in the wild,” said James.
“Wendell’s store has stuff,” Leo explained. “Sleeping bags, camp stoves. Maybe he’d even come with us. I bet he knows all about living outdoors. We can do this.”
As he talked a shadow fell over them. It was too quick to be a cloud and too big to be an airplane. Not that airplanes were flying anymore.
“Don’t look up,” he whispered. The shadow passed. A shiver went through his body.
“It’s heading toward the base,” Sigrid said. Her eyes were on the grass. She didn’t dare look up either. But her voice was strained with fear. Leo’s thoughts flashed to his parents—his other friends—even Sandy the dog. In the same instant, he realized there was probably no way to help them. And that more than anything, their families would want them to find safety.
“What’s gonna happen?” James asked.
“I don’t know,” Leo said. “But I guess now there’s no going back.”