The Red Line

A woman and her children are trying to leave the city before they are closed in on. She's nervous, because her family's appearance has always stood out in the past and made them a target. Lin knows that they will be watched.

Lin gathered her two daughters, the clothes on their back, and one black backpack of provisions. She dressed them in dark colors, and braided their hair tightly the night before so it wouldn't be in the way. The younger girl cried for her things, but the older one understood why they couldn't take anything with them.

Lin looked out of the high-rise window for one last time. She knew better than to look for her husband, no one had seen him for weeks, and she had already accepted the worst. His face appeared in her mind. He smiled, brown eyes, his autumn skin shined. She went to move her hair dark hair out of the way, but remembered that she had cut it the night before, so that she could move easier for today. Today. Everything had been building up for today. She had to let go of feeling good.

The sky was overcast, so the apartment was as well. The electricity had long gone out, and light only lasted during the day, when the sun was up. Lin could see drifters on the street covered in heavy coats and blankets below- no cars and no city hustle. Nothing ominous came to her mind, but it was getting colder, and they were almost out of food, the pressure to leave the high-rise was building.

"C'mon. We're leaving now." She faced her girls who were sitting on the couch, quiet, and solemn. They had his skin and her eyes, they knew how to speak without talking.

"Where are we going? I can't take anything?" Lyra was still a fresh 8 years old, and couldn't grasp the danger that they were in. She only understood, that she had to leave behind everything.

Lin sighed and finally yielded, "Okay, you can each take ONE thing."

"Yay!!" They both busted out in joy and ran back to their room.

Lyra came back with her stuffed elephant that she'd had since she was a baby, and Lark came back with a makeup palette that she'd gotten for her birthday.

'...At least they are happy for one last time...' Lin had a deep fear, that her children would lose their innocence and no longer be the who they were right now.

"Ma, where are we going?" Lyra asked again, "Are we really moving?" "Whats gonna happen to all of our stuff?"

Lin was far away from the questions and could only focus on the journey ahead, she stayed silent.

"Put your things in the backpack. Put your coats on. Let's go."

They stepped out into the hallway and closed the door for one last time. Lin locked the door, even knowing that they weren't coming back, and the keys echoed through the emptiness. They all felt it.

"C'mon. Down the stairs." She put the keys in the backpack, even though she knew she should throw them away; this was her last item she would take with her.

She let the girls lead but as soon as they got to the bottom floor she told them to stop.

Lin spoke calmly and quietly, "Remember what I told you last night. Outside is dangerous now. Its not the same anymore. We have to stay very close together. We always keep our hands together. No matter what. You never leave my eyes. Okay?"

"Yes, Mama." They answered in unison. Lin knew this is where they would start changing, because for the first time, they were afraid.

"Okay." Lin grabbed their hands, one on each side, and tapped her thumb on their knuckles, a signal to pay attention, a signal of stress. They walked out the empty lobby and through the front doors.

The stale air hit their faces. There was no wind, no change. Abandoned cars lined the city street. Lin wanted the advantage of the early morning light, so she tugged at their hands, and they walked briskly.

They passed wandering eyes, and noises from strangers, but hardly any trouble. Lin kept a steady pace, and focused on their destination. There were no birds to greet them in the mornings anymore, so only the soft drumming of their shoes kept the time. Eventually they slowed when other travelers started to come into view, and a busy above ground train station with a sign that said, "The Red Line" had a train already running below it. The girls weren't allowed out anymore, so seeing the train meant they were going places. Even though the entrance to ticketing was already spilling into the square it was still a small crowd. Lin, Lark and Lyra found a place in line and stayed put for a while.

Lark looked around to see the faces behind her and they all looked like they needed to be on the next train. She couldn't understand what the benefit was of everyone was going, if everyone was going to die anyway.

"We're all going to die anyway..." she muttered under her breath

Lyra looked up at Lark. She understood from the way her sister said it, that it was true. Lark told Lyra so many times that eventually the world would run out of food and everyone would turn on each other. They learned it in school. Everyone knew this is how it went. She was so angry at everyone for waiting until it was their turn.

She had heard it on the news, that the train was the only safe form of traveling, and more importantly, it was free. Lin knew though, that "free" meant danger.

New York was no longer New York, but in a way, the chaos made it an evolved version of itself. People heavy with their families and belongings pushed and shoved their way up the narrow ticketing entrance. The platform only had enough people on it to board the Red Line. Lin looked down at her daughters and tapped their knuckles, reminding them to hold on tightly.

"Everyone here is just like us."

Lark and Lyra looked nervous, but they had their mother's determination.

Lin positioned her family behind another, and made sure to push forward so no one cut in front of them. They were at the steps of the ticketing booth when an argument broke out on the platform ahead. A woman in a black bubble coat was pushed from the train car doors. Lin watched her, almost in slow motion, land and hit the ground in pain while the doors closed on her. When she recovered she chased the train screaming and crying, but it already starting running with her banging on its sides. Lin could see panic in the eyes of the passengers through the windows. Everyone just stood by and watched.

....That could be any of us....

She squeezed her daughters' hands, Lark squeezed back.

Lin Lark and Lyra made it to the platform after watching the clouds make it from one end of the sky to the other. Lyra noticed a vending machine on the platform. It was out of place, but it was the city, nothing belonged where it should.

"Oooh! Can we have one, Ma?"

Lin look at the machine, if you gave it a penny, it gave you back a necklace. Lin shook her head and faced forward.

"I want one too, can we get one Ma, pleeease?" Lark and Lyra were all hands on the machine. Lin saw an opportunity to distract them from what just happened.

"Okay." Besides, it was just a penny.

Three golden necklaces came out, each made with small links and a thin golden heart. The girls were so happy, and Lin smiled too, they all had something to share.

....If anything happens, we'll always have these necklaces....

This small amount of joy kept them busy, until they had approached the train doors. Lin beelined for the last car and yanked open the connector doors. There was barely anyone back there.

....Perfect....

Lin sat her family against the wall and crossed her arms over the bookbag close to her chest.

"We have a long ride. We're going to the other side of the city.

Lin rested her head over her arms, which signaled Lark and Lyra got comfortable. Lark pulled her notebook out of the bag and started to flip through the empty pages. Lyra held the elephant and looked out the window.

Only a few minutes into the ride a group of Sinisters appeared through the gangway with big smiles on their faces.

"Ooooh! There's a party back here!" A woman dark skin, long waves and silver earrings made eye contact with Lin.

"What's going on back here?!" A young man with spikey blonde hair and sallow skin propelled his body forward off the aisle seats.

There was about 5 or 6 of them, full of energy and terror. Lyra had stood up and was frozen in place watching the passengers get robbed.

There was no way Lin could fight them back so she calmly opened the book bag and took out Lyra's makeup pallet and slid it behind her back. The Sinisters were so busy harassing everyone they didn't notice her.

"Lyra." Lin, grabbed her attention and Lyra sat back down and grabbed her had.

The woman came straight up to Lin and snatched the bag,

"Give me this. What's in here?"

The woman flipped the bag upside down and the keys and all of the provisions and first aid items scattered the floor.

"Bullshit." The woman frowned at Lin.

"Wait what's the that?" Spiky hair snatched the necklace off of Lyra.

Lyra gasped and Lin put her arm across her daughters.

"That's gold!" The woman's eyes were hungry.

She put out her empty and towards Lin and demanded the necklaces,

"We could sell those. Give them here."

Lin and the girls shot a quick glance at each other, and then quickly undid the necklaces and handed them over.

"Thank you." The woman snatched her hand back and the posse left cackling.

Lin exhaled,

"Everything is okay. They're gone. We're going to be okay."

She put the makeup pallet back inside the bag.

"Oh." Lark was so happy she still had it.

The girls relaxed, Lyra wanted to laugh at how stupid they were, but was afraid they would come back and see her happy.

They rode the rest of the way in silence and when they came close to the last stop, Lin woke up Lyra, and they disembarked to the open air platform.

"This is the airport?" Lark looked around confused, "Are we getting on a plane?"

Lyra jumped up and down, "Oooh, oh! Remember that time we got on that pl-"

"Stop it!" Lin hissed. "This is why people are watching us!"

Many people were waiting behind a barred door to step onto the platform. A few of them looked enviously at the family leaving the train.

They crossed under the platform through an underground tunnel and walked to out to an empty runway. There was a small crowd of people already waiting.

Lin's husband had purchased these tickets months ago, at the first sense of danger. His cousin had a large house with her own family and an empty room for them. Lin had lost contact with them, but they had discussed the plan long ago. This was there last chance, there were only a few flights left scheduled to leave the city.

A jet pulled up and the crowd was able to board. The flight was short to Boston, and Lin could only concentrate on getting them to their final destination.

When they landed, Lin reminded her daughters that they would be walking to the city and to stay close by. However, so was everyone else; at least they weren't alone. It was only about a 40-minute walk to the city and then another 30 to his cousin's home.

When they finally arrived, it was pitch-black, and all the lights in the house were on.

"C'mon girls. We're here, we made it."

Lin knocked on the front door, and a white man with orange hair opened the door.

"Hello?" He said with a confused smile

"Hello..." Lin's heart dropped. She had no idea who this man was

"Is Cassie here? I'm her cousin."

"Oh! Her cousin!...Yea..." The orange haired man seemed like he was searching for an answer.

"We are supposed to meet her here." Lin couldn't blink she was so nervous thinking about what would happen if he didn't know them

"Well, come on in! I'm not sure where Cassie is now, but you are more than welcome if you are her family!"

"Oh, thank you!" Lin exhaled in relief and the three of them entered the home to warmth.

Lin looked around, it seemed like there was a dinner party going on. There were many strangers inside the home.

"Are you guys hungry. We have an amazing dinner going on right now."

"Oh yes. We are hungry. We're going to go to our room first."

"Oh." The orange haired man stopped her, "The rooms are taken right now..."

Lin was visually disappointed, "Why? Who is here? Where is Cassie?"

The orange-haired man stayed polite, "Um, I have to find her, but why don't you guys sit down and eat right now, and I will try and get this figured out."

The girls and Lin were tired, but they were also starving. Lin noticed the back door was open and that more tables with food were in the backyard. She passed through a large living room and decided to look for Cassie's family photos there. There were multiple frames of her and her family, but none showed any of Cassie's family.

....Something isn't right...., Lin felt it. She didn't feel safe.

She and the girls sat on a bench in the backyard, and the table was filled with dishes of meat and desserts. Lin wondered where they got the food from and why there were so many people in the house.

The orange haired man came back, "I just want to let you know you can stay as long as you like! You don't ever have to leave. You guys are safe here."

"Stay close to me." Lin had an eerie feeling she couldn't let go.

"I made one of our guests get out and-

"Where is Cassie and Seno?" Lin interrupted him

The orange-haired man frowned. He had a square face and a thick mustache. He wore a half-open Hawaiian button-up and khaki shorts. He looked like the bar help.

"I'll be honest, I don't really know who they are. We found this house empty and took shelter here. I mean, do you even have proof that they're your family? I mean, this house isn't even theirs anymore technically..."

Lin felt an air of hostility filling up their space quickly.

...It must be the alcohol, I'll leave him alone for now...

"I do have proof, but I'm sorry for the trouble. Thank you for letting us in."

Orange Hair relaxed his shoulders.

"Okay, that empty room down the hallway is yours." He turned and left, spitting something nasty.

Lin and the girls found their room after opening every wrong door. Some of the doors were locked, and the other rooms were trashed.

They took off a layer of clothes and washed up in the bathroom. Lin kept waiting for the water to stop working; she let out a breath every time it worked. The girls washed their faces and then Lin last. When she came out of the bathroom, Lark was sitting on the edge of the bed trying out her makeup palette, and Lyra was gone.

"Where is your sister?" Lark's eyes shot up, remembering her sister existed.

"She was just right here."

"Where is Lyra?" Lin was upset at this point.

She grabbed Lark, and they ran downstairs. Lin darted straight outside and looked for Lyra.

"Lyra!" Lin's fear was loud- she knew something was wrong

"Lyra--!" Lark went to the other side of the hut and there was a table set banquet style with beautiful foods. Lark was starving and sat down at the table and grabbed whatever she could. When she looked to her left, she saw the gate door open in the back. When she went through it, she saw what looked like a human-sized kennel. A man was holding her sister down with one hand and a giant cleaver in the other. He came down and sliced her arm off her torso. Lark looked into her sister's eyes and knew she was gone. Lark couldn't move- her mouth dropped, and she backed up in terror.

Lin grabbed Lark from behind and covered her mouth.

Lin spoke in a low calm voice, "Listen to me! We have to leave right now-Don't say anything! Don't let them know we know. We have to go."

Lark looked into her mother's eyes for sanity and felt the amount of hidden pain she had instead. Lark knew, that they had to leave Lyra.

Lin and Lark went back upstairs to the room, put their clothes back on, and ran out from the home. No one stopped them.

Lin couldn't cry, because she knew if she did. They would never survive.