In the After

hand. She hadn’t even bothered to open her eyes.
    See you before school . She turned and fell back asleep. I stared at her for a moment, her blond hair barely covering the scar on her neck. I reached out and combed her hair with my fingers, arranging it over the mark, though I wasn’t entirely sure why.
    I changed into the T-shirt and shorts that I’d scavenged from my mother’s closet. I stretched outside the apartment, then jogged in the opposite direction from the Quad. I preferred to be alone, since I didn’t wear shoes and my “silent” running technique drew stares. Running around with my mouth wide open made me look like a total weirdo, but it would be a useful skill if I made Guardian.
    As I breathed in the humid air, I noticed how, even in the heat, it felt good to be outside. I loved the soft prickly sensation of the grass under my feet and the quiet in the outskirts of the town. I decided to run to the lake, knowing I would have to push it to get back in an hour. The last time I was late for training, Kay refused to even look at me and I spent the session on my own, trying to copy what the other Guardians were doing. Even so, I was relieved to have a focus, to have my days filled with purpose. I was even sleeping better, exhausted from all the physical exertion.
    The ground felt cooler under my feet and I could tell I was nearing the lake. A twig broke, making me cringe at the sound in the relative quiet. Every day I had to remind myself that I was safe here. Vivian was right: being safe was worth living in a strange system. I kept telling myself this too.
    When I reached the lake, I paused to take in the view, the serenity. A loud noise off to the right made me freeze, my heart jumping into my throat. Something was there; I heard it loping in my direction.
    One of Them .
    I almost panicked. It was daylight and I was completely exposed.
    “Amy?”
    I wheeled around and almost collapsed with relief.
    “Rice.” Instantly I was back in New Hope and out of the world of the After. Rice wore his familiar white coat and jeans and carried a duffel bag.
    “What are you doing?” he asked curiously.
    My heart was still pounding from the adrenaline. I took a deep breath to calm myself. “I . . . um . . . was out for a run,” I explained. “I heard you coming this way and . . .”
    He looked at me. “Am I really that loud?” he asked.
    “Yeah, you are.” I laughed shakily. “I figured you were either a freight truck or a Florae.”
    “At least I don’t snarl.” He grinned.
    “Or, more important, eat human flesh,” I added, suddenly self-conscious of the way I looked. I was drenched in sweat from my run. I wiped my face with my sleeve.
    He looked me up and down. “It’s nice to see you out here. . . . Why aren’t you wearing shoes?”
    I shrugged. “It’s easier for me to run without them. Where are you headed anyway?” I asked, pointing to his duffel bag.
    “I’m going to check on a couple of sonic emitters. I usually do four or five a morning; that way I can make the rounds in a week. . . .”
    “Have they ever broken?”
    “Once or twice the solar panels shorted. They’re strategically placed,” he assured me. “If one isn’t working, then the others will compensate.”
    “But what if two stop working?” I asked, unnerved at this new information. No one else in New Hope seemed to think there was any chance the Floraes could break through the sonic shield. They didn’t even question it.
    “There’s no Floraes around for miles anyway. It’s more of a precaution.” Rice adjusted the duffel bag, slinging it over his shoulder. “Do you want to come check them out with me?” I glanced at my watch. I had thirty minutes before I was supposed to meet Kay, which meant that I had to head back now.
    My curiosity got the better of me, though. That and the fact that I really liked being with Rice, liked how he made me feel understood. Alive. “Sure,” I said.
    He took off walking slowly and I followed him. He kept watching me as we walked, making me even more self-conscious.
    “What? Why do you keep looking at me?” I asked finally.
    “Nothing. It’s just . . .” He smiled. “You’re . . . um . . . so damned quiet. It’s amazing.”
    I smiled. “You should see Baby sneak around.”
    “What do you mean?” he asked, suddenly serious.
    “She’s just very stealthy,” I tried to explain as we walked. “She knows how to move without making any noise at