Page 87 of The Commons

“Please. Doctor Val is my aunty. I know all about your family and everything. I also know you’re the only kind Patron and the greatest Patron to have ever lived,” Swin pleads as Pesh grabs mine and Levon’s hands.

“Two.”

Pesh holds our hands tighter in an iron-strong grip. Swin looks at us, chasing to keep up with our speed, erratic and confused, eyes widened in horror.

“Wait. Where are you guys heading? Into the water? What the fuck!”

“One.”

We are surrounded. All eyes on us. There is no escape now. What can we do?

“The question is. What the hell is he doing!?” the guard responds to Gihard.

“Runnnnnn!” Pesh screams.

We all run toward the edge of the cliff in haste. Swin follows us despite his confusion and grabs onto Levon to her imminent resistance. As the crowds roar and the guards look our way in confusion, we jump toward the water, Swin screaming his last words of plea to Pesh in our plunge.

“I know about The Begon!!!”

CHAPTER 20

The Escape

I take a quick gasp of air before crashing into the water. The icy water shocks my skin. I don’t know why, but I didn’t expect the ocean to be so cold. Kicking my legs as fast as I can, I part the water with my arms, realizing I have lost track of Pesh. We cannot surface, even for a second, in order for the guards to believe that we had drowned and intentionally sought to kill ourselves. My eyes sting from the saltwater, but I try to focus to find Pesh. I notice him swimming toward me. He turns my way and grabs a hold of my hand. I look for Levon, but she is not in sight. I feel hands from behind grab onto me. I turn and realize it is her. I smile, extremely relieved. Pesh directs us with his hands, pointing toward a direction. We follow him and swim toward the North. He points toward the distance, and we look at him, confused.

“T. R—” he shouts, fully submerged in the water. I strain to read his lips. “U. S. T… M⁠—”

Trust me?

Levon seems reluctant, but I swim toward the direction of his hands… Freezing underwater is not my preferred way to die, so I follow through with his hand signals. I try to imagine an underwater door in my mind. I jump through it headfirst, and I feel my head merge with a rush of flooding water. I crash down onto a water slide. It hardly lasts for a second before I begin to fall into a dimly lit room. I look to see water under my feet, black glass walls all around, and I hear an engine sound. I also hear whispers, so I stand up. Glancing to the right, I see a student in a puffed-up jacket reaching out toward the doors with glasses and headphones as though monitoring the waters. She doesn’t even turn to me. She is too focused on the outside; I think she’s trying to help Pesh and Levon navigate their way into the vessel.

“Are they gonna make it?” I ask.

“If she’s brave enough to trust!”

“Levon. Please. Please,” I mutter.

I cross my fingers, my clammy hands shaking, my fists clenched in hope and anticipation that Levon will come through.

Swoosh…

Someone falls down.

I look.

It is my sister.

It is Levon.

She turns to me.

Our eyes collide.

Like a dream.

My best friend, standing right in front of me.

I had gone through deadly tests to come to this. I had almost died for this.