G is for Getaway

Here we all are on week two of the A - Z Blogging Challenge. Are you feeling the pressure yet? I know I certainly am! Anyway onward and upward of course. Some of you seemed to enjoy the piece of flash fiction I posted for D last week, so I thought I would post a bit of a continuation. Hope you enjoy.




The young man pulled her out from under the bed and said "I'm going back in the other room to make sure the thieves stay out cold for now, so be quick. Pack a change of clothes and anything that you think you might need for the journey, but keep it light. I know you have the diamonds, that will pay to have your chip nullified at the spaceport and your interstellar passport stating that you are free citizen, but you will need credits. Have you any savings here?"

Leah's mind raced, she had some credit saved from her Authority Allowance, but it was meager. "I have about 200. Not much. Dad's credit counter is here too, there is about 500 on there. Will that do?" she replied. She was starting to shake as the realisation of escaping the Low Society and a lifetime of slavery crept into her mind. "Dad's counter is locked to him though," Leah said, stuffing clothes into a canvas duffle bag. She started to notice how little she had. A change of clothes, a small box with some keepsakes from her mother who had passed away when she was six. An accident at the mill, the Authority had said. They never even had the chance to see her body, far too disfigured by the metal presses. They were given three diamonds and two weeks of her mothers Allowance. Her father was given two days off work. During which he wept constantly. Leah had a small, cheap data reader too, which didn't work properly half the time, but she tossed that in the bag too along with some fruit and other snacks from the kitchen. She put on her work shoes, that were comfy and warm. She had heard that it was cold on planetary shuttles. Lastly her coat and father's cloth cap that smelled of him.

"Dad's credit counter. It has fingerprint security, we'll have to leave it. I can't access it." She repeated.

She heard a thump, a groan and another heavier thump from her fathers room as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. The young man came out of the room and started down the stairs. "Don't worry about that Leah," he smiled "I know people. We can access that and get the money moved to your counter. We have to move quickly now though. I have your Dad's counter in my pocket."

Leah looked at the young man. She saw that he had a ragged canvas jacket on, threadbare at the elbows and a bit too small for him, a dirty shirt that might once have been sky blue. Uniform for the mill workers. His trousers were also mill uniform and he wore strange shoes that looked like they had rubber soles, like an athlete at the Galaxy Games might wear for running. They made little noise on the concrete floor. He also had in his hands a pair of her fathers trousers and a shirt that was clean and in much better condition than his. He was stuffing them into a bag. He saw her quizzical look. "You don't mind do you? My clothes have seen better days. Your father won't need them now." She shook her head. "Thanks, it seems that your Dad is about the same size as me. "You mind if I take the jacket there too? It looks really warm. I could do with that where we are going." He nodded towards one of Leah's father's prized possessions. It was a genuine leather flying jacket that was about two hundred years old from the late twenty first century. It was from Earth before the Great Divide.

She gave him her most severe look. "That was one of my Dad's favourite things. You had better look after it. It's really old you know."

The young man smiled at her, "I know exactly how precious this was to him. He told me."

Leah was taken aback "You know my father?"

"Of course I do. You don't think me arriving here tonight is all happenstance do you?" He bustled her out of the front door into the concrete street of Three Block. There was a rickety looking air-cycle outside the front door of her house. She stared at it as he started it up. Low Society people weren't allowed their own transportation. The young man must be living outside the law somehow, to have one of these. She had never been on an air-cycle. It hummed quietly and rose from the ground.  She looked at the house and then back at the young man.

"Who are you?" she said.

"People call me Jake. Now get on, we don't have much time!" he said urgently.

"One last thing, how do you know my Dad?"

"The people I know, all know your Dad. He is shall we say, quite famous in a way for people like me that live outside Low Society. Especially for me though, as he is my father too." He paused as Leah's mouth fell open in shock. "I'm your brother Leah. Now get on the 'cycle, we can talk more later and I'll explain everything. We have a lot to do if we are to get you off this planet to somewhere safe."

Leah, open mouthed and staring at Jake, sat on the 'cycle. Her mind boggled. She couldn't take it all in.

As they sped down the street Jake said with a smile over his shoulder as she clung on to him "Close your mouth Leah, you'll catch flies."


There. Hope you like it. Also, Rocco's Random Number is 827 which takes you to Every Day is a New Day. Go over and say hello why don't you?

Rock on,

W.