"Outside"

I’ve never hated time more.

At most, I’ll have eight minutes before someone gets suspicious, and ten before they send someone after me. I need to move quickly if I’m going to do this.

The chimney is my best bet - the door’s hinges could wake the dead, and I’m not tall enough to jump out the window. I press my back against one side of the fireplace, plant my feet on the opposite wall, and slowly inch my way up, never taking my eyes off the sky above me. Only five more feet. Three. One.

Standing above the chimney, staring out at the town, I realize what I’ve just done. For a moment, I contemplate jumping back inside, but the floor below me is solid concrete. There’s no turning back now.

Alex, my roommate, will wake up in the next few minutes. I need to get off the roof as quickly as possible - he’d sell me out immediately if he knew what I was doing. That boy couldn’t break the rules if his life depended on it, and in a town with one rule - no one leaves - he wouldn’t hesitate to sound the alarm.

I trust the large oak tree next to the chimney more than I trust the roof - if you’re awake at night, you can hear a squirrel run across it. At least I won’t be directly over Alex’s head.

As I climb off of the house’s roof and onto the tree, I remember everything I was told as a child. “This is the safest place ever.” “Outside this town, no one stands a chance.” “The forest is full of bears and snakes and murderers.” I might be going to my death, but I need to know what’s really outside. It could be the most beautiful place in the world. I’d rather know than remain blissfully ignorant of what’s there… at least, I think so.

I remember Caleb, my childhood best friend. He used to talk about what was outside. Our peers, teachers, and families all tried to scare his adventurous spirit out of him, but the constant horror stories weren’t enough. He planned to sneak out on a night much like tonight, twelve years ago now. I haven’t seen him since. I wonder if I’ll see him wherever I’m going. As we grew, Alex and the others all thought he’d lose some of his curiosity, but he never did. He had to know what lay beyond. And so do I.

I slide down the tree and onto the ground. We live close to the edge of the town, so I don’t have far to go. Walking is my best bet - running could startle someone’s dog, and if anyone hears barking, it’s over. I count my paces in my head. I’m getting so close. I can’t let anything stop-

A twig snaps behind me. I freeze, but don’t jump, before slowly turning my head to look behind me. To my relief, it’s a squirrel running around. I glare at it, but stifle a giggle when I notice the fig in its mouth. The neighbors hate it when the squirrels raid their fig tree.

Turning back around, I take a deep breath. A pile of rocks surrounding the town is all that stands between me and the outside world. It’s probably been five minutes since I was in the chimney. Alex is definitely awake now, and will notice that I’m gone soon. I need to be quick. Scampering across the rocks, I don’t allow myself to look back. Before I know it, I’m halfway there.

When I get across the last rock, I jump off onto the land and begin to run. I’m out. I did it. I did it! A smile spreads across my face as I go deeper and deeper into the woods. I’m really going to see everything. I’m so excited that I don’t see the shadow growing behind me until I feel a cold, clammy hand cover my mouth, muffling my scream as something pulls me into a ditch.

“Hey, hey, hey, I’m going to let you go, but you can’t scream or run, okay?”

I only hear the voice after squirming for a few minutes. It’s familiar, and oddly comforting. Could it be Caleb? No, Caleb’s voice was deeper…

I nod, more curious than afraid at this point. I can see that it’s a person, wearing a dark-colored coat with a hood that covers their face. They cautiously draw their hand away from my mouth, clearly much tenser than I am. I’m still; I don’t want to freak them out. Slowly, they move their hand to their hood and pull it off of their head. When I see them, I’m shocked, but that shock is soon replaced with understanding. So much makes sense now. It’s unmistakable; I’m looking at Alex.

“I should’ve known you’d come, Raina.” A smirk slowly spreads across his face. “You’ve always been just as drawn to this place as I have.” His expression isn’t unkind; there’s a sort of understanding within it.

Alex. The one no one ever suspected. The one I never even suspected myself. The one who never tolerated mention of the outside world. The one whose constant eagerness to clean out  the chimney and to work near the rocks was never questioned by anyone. Alex.

The next few minutes are a blur as Alex confirms the theories swirling around my head - for months, he’s snuck out under cover of darkness, taking the same route I did, in order to see what’s beyond the rocks. He tells me of the outside world’s beauty - of plants and animals beyond my wildest imagination, of people with so much knowledge to share, of stories that remain with a person long after they’ve concluded. It’s real. It’s all real. And I want to see it so  badly.

“Eventually, when I’m sure that no one will follow me, I can leave the town and live outside forever. But unfortunately, some remain who are just a little too curious for their own good,” Alex says, side-eyeing me.

I laugh quietly. “Sorry about that, but I suppose we can be a team. Look out for one another.”

Alex’s expression changes completely; he goes from somewhat amused to stone-faced in five seconds. “They threaten to expose me, and the truth about this place,” he says.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “What are you saying?” My voice is much quieter than usual, and I have to force the words out.

He stares at me for a minute, silent, before he speaks.

“Give my regards to Caleb.”

In an instant, the world goes dark.