Sage and I run to a less populated area. I try to catch my breath and wrap my mind around what just happened. I look around and notice everything sounds and smells different. I have never traveled outside of Dandux, so I’m not sure what other cities in my Sphere look like.

“Orion, look out!” Sage yells, slamming herself down on the ground. I hear something loud and immediately fall to the ground as well.

“What the hell was that?” I ask as we crawl on our bellies to hide behind a building.

Sage starts crying and says, “I don’t know, but someone had something pointed at you!!!”

“You mean someone controlled that loud noise?” I start frantically looking around.

Sage sits up with her back against the building. She is hyperventilating and looking at me for answers. “What do we do now?”

I sit up and place both hands on my head as I try to think of a plan. “Sage… Do you think this is Earth or another city in our Sphere?”

She is crying, and I can barely understand what she is saying. “I… I… H-h-how am I supposed to know?”

I hear footsteps, and I tell Sage to run. We quickly get up and start running. I have no idea where I’m going, but anywhere other than here seems like a good choice. I hear the footsteps following us and men talking in hushed tones. I begin to think that we have lost them, but we haven’t. Shit. I see a door slightly cracked open and motion for Sage to follow me in. She looks hesitant but follows anyway.

I move cobwebs out of my way as I try to find a spot to hide. There are wooden boxes everywhere, and it’s obvious no one has been in here for years. I find another door and slowly open it, not-so-gracefully knocking boxes over. Dammit, Orion!

Sage and I immediately fall to the ground at the sound of the men talking. I put my finger to my lips, trying to remind her to be quiet. She is crying and breathing loudly. She is going to get us caught if she doesn’t calm down.

“They came in here. I saw them,” one of the men says, purposefully knocking boxes over.

“They are probably tricking us. I think we should continue searching outdoors.” A male voice replies.

“We should split up. You look out there, and I will look in here.” I look at Sage and notice she is holding her breath, trying to keep quiet.

I wipe sweat from my forehead before telling Sage my plan. I look at her and nudge her a bit to get her attention. When she looks at me, I motion for her to scoot closer.

In a whisper, I say, “He’s alone. See that thing in his hand? I think he’s going to try to harm us with that. Since there are two of us and one of him, we need to take him down.”

She is shaking her head, refusing my plan. I grab her face so she has to look at me. “Dammit, this is our only chance!”

We stand up but remain in a crouched position. Sage has tears pouring from her eyes, and I wonder how I’m staying so calm. We sneak up on the male, and I kick him hard in the back of his legs, causing him to plummet to the ground.

I scream at Sage to sit on him. She is completely losing it and refuses. I quickly jump on top of him and try to stop him from moving. He is definitely stronger than I am. Before I even realize it, I’m no longer on top of him, and he is now on top of me. He has my hands pinned to the ground—laughing at me. I look to where his eyes just shifted, and I see the thing he had in his hand.

“Sage! Get it!” I shift my eyes to the object.

She runs over to the object and picks it up with shaky hands.

“What the hell am I supposed to do with it?” she screams.

“Point it at him!” I yell.

The man who is sitting on top of me looks wide-eyed at Sage. I look at the object in her hand and notice it has some sort of lever to pull.

“Sage! Pull the lever!”

Sage looks at the object and places her shaky finger on it. As she begins to pull it back, keeping the thing pointed at the man, she freaks out and stops. The man pounces on her in less than a second, and Sage quickly kicks the object with her foot. The man is strangling Sage, and she is fighting to breathe. I quickly jump up and grab the object. I’m not sure what the hell I’m doing, but I point the object at the man and pull the tiny lever. Sage gasps for air when the man’s body falls on top of her—releasing his hold on her neck.

There is blood pouring from his back, and I realize that I have just killed him. My whole body begins to shake as I drop the object that saved our lives. Sage pushes herself out from under him and runs to me.

She is rubbing her neck where his hands were a moment ago and says, “What the hell just happened?”

“I don’t know, but there was another one. We need to get out of here!” I grab the object I killed the man with and place it safely into my messenger bag. I have a feeling I’m going to need it again.