April Kelly Editing and Writing

They ran at breakneck speed, not stopping until nightfall.

“Gia!” The girl shouted breathlessly as she jostled the baby into a more comfortable position. “I can’t run any longer. It’s dark now, can’t we stop? He’s probably too old to have night vision anyway.”

“You might be right.” Gia was bent over, hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. “Only the young were automatically given the upgrade.” She squinted at the girl, trying to ascertain her age. “Do you have it?”

“No. It wasn’t introduced until the year after I was born.” Her blue eyes darted downward, as if being born a year too early was a character flaw.

Gia rested a comforting hand on the girl’s arm. “Shae, we can do this; we must. The future of our species depends on it. Your brother must not be upgraded; you know this. Your mother knew it. She died to make sure he and I could escape.” Gia felt a heavy sadness as she remembered that day. Had it really been only a month ago?

“Gia, I’m not going to make it.” Jetta’s voice had been barely audible. She had had insisted that Gia not take her to the medic tent when labor began. The baby would have been automatically upgraded. There had been complications during delivery, though, and Jetta was hemorrhaging badly. “Tell the medics to come quickly, and the two of you can slip out during the commotion. He won’t realize the baby is missing until it’s too late. I have a daughter, Shae, in Greenville. He doesn’t know she’s still alive. Find her. She can help.”

Her voice had been barely a whisper at the end.

“I know.” Shae absentmindedly stroked the baby’s fuzzy head, then turned tear-filled eyes on Gia. “If he finds us, he’ll kill me. He tried before.”

“I won’t let that happen. We’ll find a new place, hopefully somewhere very far from any portal, and you and the babe will be safe. Don’t worry. I won’t let him find you.”