Glitch

Markan. How
    long would it be before we could reinfi ltrate the city to get
    him out? And Max. What would become of him? Would he
    go back to the Chancellor? Was she hurting him even now as
    we drove away to safety? Or had she instantly put him under
    her compulsion, making him do what ever she told him to
    without question?
    “Hey.” Adrien’s voice broke into my thoughts. “You’ve
    got that look on your face again— the one that says you’re
    worrying about all the things you can’t control.”
    “I just can’t believe he didn’t come,” I whispered, still
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    Heather Anastasiu
    staring out the window. My voice sounded strange coming
    through the oxygen mask.
    “Max made his own decisions,” Adrien said, “and he’s
    the one who has to live with them.”
    I shook my head, wanting to argue, but Adrien put his
    hands on both sides of my face mask and turned my head
    gently away from the window to face him.
    “We’re out. We’re safe.” His voice was rough and earnest
    and suddenly I could see that the past few days had taken
    their toll on him as well. “Can’t that be miracle enough for
    today?”
    The blue- green of his eyes caught the fi rst rays of the
    morning sun, shining out brilliance like a beacon. The radi-
    ance of color and life in his eyes made my breath catch in
    my chest. I suddenly thought of all the things he’d taught
    me about the world, and about love, joy, and pain— about
    what it meant to be fully alive, for better and for worse.
    I nodded. “Yes,” I said, my voice high and almost break-
    ing. “It’s more than enough.”
    I managed a wan smile, then settled my head down against
    his chest, snuggling underneath the crook of his arm. He put
    his arm over me, rubbing my back occasionally.
    “Look.” He pointed out the window at the sun. “Your
    fi rst dawn. In the Old World, they used to think dawn was
    a symbol of hope.”
    I entwined my hand with his, looking out at the rolling
    hills as the rays of sunlight splashed outward, slowly erasing
    all the night’s dark shadows.
    I didn’t know what kind of future we could possibly have
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    G L I TC H
    in such a dangerous world. I didn’t know if I’d be able to
    survive on the Surface, if we’d be able to fi nd a safe place for
    me to live free of allergens and the Chancellor’s detection. I
    didn’t know if we would be able to save Markan, or Max. I
    didn’t know what to expect from the Re sis tance, or its band
    of glitching misfi ts. I didn’t know if it would ever be pos-
    sible to stop the Chancellor or upend the Link system so
    people in the Community could be free forever.
    For the moment I felt safe, but the battle was only just be-
    ginning, and not even Adrien could tell me how it would
    end. I turned from the window, choosing to focus on the
    things I did know. I loved Adrien, he loved me, and for now,
    that was enough.
    “Hope, huh?” I thought about it, then slowly nodded. “I
    think they were right.”
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