Total pages in book: 210
Estimated words: 200837 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1004(@200wpm)___ 803(@250wpm)___ 669(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 200837 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1004(@200wpm)___ 803(@250wpm)___ 669(@300wpm)
This is the only thing I can think to do tonight. This door is the only out-of-place thing I’ve found during my short stay.
It’s a long shot, but I’m taking it. Because my only other choice is to stay in bed and get some sleep. And while I would prefer that choice, I don’t think Auntie would be very forgiving if I came to her with nothing the next time we meet.
I need something.
This door is my something.
I let out a long sigh as I walk over to it, then mutter, “At least it’s a start,” as I take a pin out of my hair and pick the lock. Even if I wasn’t part of the Rebellion, I would know how to pick a lock on a door like this. Everyone down-city knows how to pick a simple lock.
It only takes a few tries, then I hear the telltale ‘click’ of the locking mechanism releasing.
I take one last look behind me, then pull the door open.
It’s dark inside, but when I move forward a little, small lights pop on along the floor. Just a few. Just enough for me to gather my nerve, look over my shoulder one last time, step in, and allow the door to close behind me.
My heart is beating wildly at this point, so much so I’m nearly out of breath even though I’m standing still.
Fear, Jasina. That’s fear you’re feeling.
I don’t like the fear, but I can control it. So I take a moment to close my eyes, slow my breathing, and think of the mission and what I’m actually trying to accomplish here.
The standard line is freedom. That’s what we’re after. To be free of this god and his tower. To stop the Extractions. To make the future brighter for all the people of Tau City.
Normally, most people don’t think about the Spark Maidens. They have been tricked into accepting them through the use of this clever Choosing campaign and by celebrating, as well as envying, the luxurious decade of extravagance that will be bestowed on the nine women who will be spared.
But this time it’s not going well, this delusion Tau City has talked itself into. Nine women have been ritualistically sacrificed to the god in the tower and people are beyond nervous now. They’re on the verge of panic, as is evident from the outbursts on the tower stage tonight by Gemna and Finn.
Of course, Tau City should’ve been this unsettled about Imogen and all the other number ones who came before her. But people are slow to accept that they are stupid. And I suppose the god has done us a favor by calling all the Spark Maidens in like this. It puts the whole thing right up in people’s faces.
When I open my eyes again, my heart has slowed and my feet move forward.
The lights pop on as I move. I’ve seen them act this way in a few places up-city, so while it’s not common, it’s not completely foreign to me.
The lights are helpful. Especially when I come to a stairwell leading down. As I descend, I can detect a hum. And by the time I get to the bottom, the hum is more of a rumble. Like there are machines down here.
I’m barefoot, and the ground down here is flat, and hard, and a little bit wet. When I look up, there are pipes—some of which are leaking, and explain the wetness. The passage at the bottom of the stairs only leads one way. I take a moment here to orient myself and decide that I am under the canal and the passage leads across it. Not a bridge, but a tunnel.
Right to the Extraction Tower?
Makes sense, so I follow it until I come upon another stairwell, which goes up. A long way up. And after climbing many flights of stairs I realize that there are no doors to exit out. There are no choices to make, so I keep climbing.
Finally, when I am winded, and exhausted, and ready to just sit down and take a nap—damn the consequences—I realize this is the end of the stairs. I’m at the top. And when I arrive on the landing, there is a door to my right.
I pause, catch my breath, try to stop the fear, fail, and then just keep going. Walking right up to it and reaching for the handle.
What is on the other side of this door? I have no clue. But I push it open anyway. Just a crack. Just enough for a tall, thin beam of light to enter my darkness.
I hear voices. Muffled, but recognizable. It’s Finn and his friend—or whatever he is these days—Mitchell Davies.
Finn is being loud. “She’s gone, Mitch. And I did that!”
“You had no choice, Finn. Just… you’re tired, man. You’re beat. You need to rest. It’s been a really fucked-up week. And the next Choosing will be here before—”