Run Away With Me

The city of Liem, Frugia bustled with life as the traffic brought the citizens together. Cars filled the streets in a orderly manner, the streets paved in grey with not a single crack. Foliage tinged the dull colour scheme with a hint of colour, and workers snipped the sprouting grass between the concrete. Under the glaring eyes of the Government, the city was relatively safe, for some. Lilith looked down at her wrist, the watch embedded in her tan coloured skin and continuing to tick down to its final minute. A giddy feeling grew in her chest as she fixed her posture while waiting for the familiar blue and white bus to arrive. The bus stop was crowded in the heart of the city, with the sun dipping below the horizon, a orange glow illuminated the cityscape.

How romantic, she thought. Her watch displayed there was only a matter of seconds until she bumped into the man of her dreams. While lost in her mind the bus arrived, and the crowd of bus waiters shift to form a path. Passengers poured out from the two glass doors, avoiding the dazed figure standing in their way. When a resounding alarm blared, she was shaken from her thoughts and greeted by reality.

Hushed whispers spread through the crowd of people like a wildfire. Lilith’s eyes flickered to the figure. Lips parted and wide blue eyes bore into her own hazel. Tall like the famous Liem citadel, she, a woman, towered over her. Lilith looked down at the woman’s watch, flashing the fated zero on the digital screen. In front of her stood her soulmate.

Lilith’s excitement turned to dread; a seed of fear planted itself in her stomach. Soon bystanders pulled out their phones, snapping photos and calling numbers. Lilith stood rigid. Frozen in fear, her soulmate leapt into action. Grabbing her by the wrist she yelled out in a panic.

“Run!”

The pair stumbled, squeezing past the throng of people. They make a run for the hills. Lilith’s heart pounded against her chest. Her heart beat pounded in her ears; minutes of endless running later the two women hid in a empty park. Leaning against a great oak tree the two caught their breath. Out of the panic, Lilith managed to get a good look at her. She’s stunning. Curls of chestnut brown flowed down like waves around her shoulders, gold dangled from her ears and sparkled under the sunset glow. Her eyes were striking, blue as the clear skies, and her skin was a russet colour, like the autumn leaves of the trees.

“Who are you?”

“Your soulmate,” she stated.

“Yes I know that, but what’s your name?”

“Suria Mishra,” she said curtly. “And yours?”

“Lilith. Lilith Corazón.”

“Alright, listen, Lilith, we have to leave,” Suria stressed, standing up straight. She began to walk and Lilith rushed to catch up.

“I know,” she muttered quietly, lip trembling. “Where should we go? Is there anywhere safe for us?” she questioned.

They continued to hide away from the Government eyes, only the moon looked down on them. The streets were quiet as citizens trickled into their homes, Lilith and Suria cautiously scoped the scene.

“It may be fake, but...” Lilith perked up at her words. “There’s a city far from here called Cronos where same sex couples take refuge,” Suria explained.

“We have no choice,” Lilith admitted in fear. “Do you know how to get there?”

Suria pursed her lips. “Sort of, I’ve heard rumours, but never a clear route.” She kneaded her hands together nervously, “It’s worth a shot though.” Lilith nodded. It was either escape or die trying.

“I have a plan,” Suria revealed, motioning Lilith to follow. “But first, do you need anything from your home? We might never come back.” The cold hard truth stung but Lilith nodded, words caught in her tightened throat. “We’ll go to your place first; I’ll explain my plan in private.”

Suria followed in silence to her soulmate’s apartment. Lilith unlocked the door to her home and rushed to find a duffel bag. Suria stood by the front door waiting.

“What should I bring?” Lilith’s complexion was one of sand, tawny in colour and littered with freckles. Her dark brown hair unkept and messy, just like her apartment with clothes strewed about. Eyes mellow and warm, Suria stood a few inches shorter than herself right below her chin. She still couldn’t believe it but the watch on her wrist proved it. Lilith waved a hand in front of her face, breaking her thoughts.

“Anything sentimental. Clothes, trinkets, I have a lot ready,” Suria shrugged. With a skip in her step Lilith ran off into her corridors. “Seriously how do you live like this?” Suria muttered under her breath, out of ear’s reach.

Ten minutes passed and Lilith emerged from what Suria presumed to be her bedroom, duffle bag over her shoulder. Suria’s eyes followed her, watching as Lilith’s eyes widened and she hopped over a mountain of clothing in the hallway and bounded towards the kitchen, ripping a photograph from the fridge.

“Can’t forget this,” she whispered to herself, slipping the image into her belongings. She stood rigid for a moment, eyes glazed over. Hands balling into fists she gave a silent goodbye to her home, shutting the door behind them.

Leaving the apartment building the air was thick and tense. Lilith’s lip trembled and her eyes are glassy, lagging behind Suria. Holding the photograph in her shaky hand, Suria frowned upon hearing the woman choke back a sob. “Family?” Suria asks quietly, slipping her calloused hand into Lilith’s and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Suria’s eyes flickered down to the printed photograph, depicting a young Lilith and two women by her side.

“Are they―”

“No they're alive,” she reassured Suria, and rubbed away trailing tears. “They ran back to Midna when they had a chance.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Yes, but I just wish to see them again,” she cried.

Blue eyes meets hazel and Lilith’s grip tightened around her fingers. “Perhaps after we get out of the blasted city we could visit them,” she hummed, swinging their hands playfully. Lilith smiled warmly, eyes puffy from tears.

“What about you? Family?” she questioned.

“My parents passed away when I was young,” Suria murmured. “My adoptive dad passed away a few years ago too,” she added.

“I’m sorry,” Lilith apologized.

“It’s fine,” Suria assured her. “You didn’t know.”

Wind whipped pass them, leaves of the great oak trees rustled and leaves danced in the wind. They walked past the dull grey infrastructure, courtesy of the Government. The once booming city had greyed once conquered. That’s when everything changed. It was as if the city of Liem was torn down, and rebuilt to its new boring structure. As laws were passed, the environment changed as well. Liem now stood as the most frightening city to live in. Frighteningly religious, cameras on every corner, rules on rules that restricted one’s basic activities, Lilith understood why her parents didn’t want to visit her.

The sky grew darker, the sun dropped behind the horizon line, they moved fast. On foot, they reached Suria’s apartment half a hour later. Suria opened the door, Lilith’s eyes turned to saucers as she enters the room. Minimalist furniture in black and white occupied the apartment space, colour splashed here and there with potted plants and stained glass vases. Lilith rushed to seat herself on the plush couch, giving her sore feet a rest as she placed her duffel bag beside her.

“So here’s the plan.” Locking the door behind her, Suria trailed off to her room. Returning with a black chest, her nimble fingers undoing the lock, she lifted the lid. Lilith peeked in, eyes scanning the contents inside. A backpack, first aid kit, loads of dried food, the list went on.

“Damn you’re prepared for this,” Lilith gawked.

“When you notice you never liked boys I think you have to be.” Lilith let out a snort of laughter. Clothes, money, maps were already prepacked. “Here’s the plan,” she rolled out a train route map. “We'll be following the purple line, taking the subway, we’ll go north east to the city of Nish,” Lilith’s eyes followed Suria’s finger across the map. “Then we'll hide on a cargo train until we’re out of Liem. Nish is a huge exporter to other countries so we should be able to make our escape,” Suria reassured her, her plan bringing a glimmer of hope.

“Oh, give me your phone,” Suria said. Lilith pawned the item off to her. “To avoid being tracked, I have two brand new ones,” Suria added, pulling the devices out from the chest. “That I modified. The perks of being a engineer technician,” she smiled, placing the chip from Lilith’s phone into a newly modified one. Graciously accepting the gift, Lilith held it delicately like a newborn child.

“As for an escape plan, we―”

“Federal Police! Open up!”

Her words abruptly cut off by a sharp knock on the door, followed by a loud yell. In a flurry, Suria tossed Lilith her bag, pulled her backpack over her shoulder and flung the door to the balcony open. “Ok, so not really any time to explain.” Her motions swift and precise as if she’d done practice runs. “Ever been ziplining before?” she asked, digging to the bottom of the chest.

Lilith shuffled to the balcony. “No I haven't.”

“Well you’re about to,” she handed Lilith a leather belt.

The seed of fear began to sprout in Lilith’s stomach, the autumn wind howled in the empty night. The man yelled on the other side of the door and bodies collided with the door after receiving silence. She jumped as if her heart was hammering against it. Using her core strength Suria lifted herself onto the concrete slab of the balcony wall, offering a hand. She was hesitant, hands shaking. Her eyes darted to the frightening drop below and powerful gusts of wind caught her hair. Suria stood motionless, eyes flickering to her apartment door which was near its end.

“Lilith,” her voice soft but frantic. “Do you trust me?”

Lilith bite her lip harshly, taking a deep breath. Her legs felt like jello but her heart was strong. “More than anyone,” she admitted, only hours had passed, but something about the woman was magnetizing. Taking ahold of her hand, Lilith lifted herself up.

“This is how you do it,” she demonstrated. Lifting the belt over the electric wiring, the wires bent under her weight, but not enough to snap. “Then you push off the wall,” she said. Lilith nodded briskly, adrenaline in her veins. Tightening the strap of her bag, she looped the belt over the wire, her grip like steel.

“Don’t I get a departing kiss?” she joked and Suria rolled her eyes. Suria pecked the woman’s cheek quickly before pushing her off the ledge. Lilith gasped in surprise, letting out a flurry of nervous laughter as she made her grand escape. Suria followed her shortly after, leaving behind some very confused policemen. Reaching the end of the pole line, Lilith climbed down the painted pole and soon Suria followed. Leaving behind the belts, the two darted to the underground subway.

Ignoring the employee’s calls, Suria swiped her FRG subway line card twice on the machine and rushed to the subway platform. Suria’s lungs burned and she regretted not snatching a bottle of water before their escape, they rested against the tiled walls. Scanning the platform, not a soul insight. The walls of the station rumbled as the subway carts bolt in through the tunnel. The subway slowed down to a halt. Taking Lilith’s hand into her own, Suria squeezed it tightly as the doors slowly opened, their boots echoed in the empty platform. They step into the subway cart hand in hand, until Suria felt a force to be reckoned with.

“Suria!” Her heart dropped like stone at Lilith’s shrill tone. Suria spinned to face her, only to be greeted by a mysterious man who certainly wasn’t on the platform before. Lilith shrieked, caught by the hood of her jacket. The man wrapped an arm around her neck as she kicked and screamed, tears threatening to fall.

“Let her go!” Suria bellowed, attempting to pull her into the cart. The warning lights of the door flashed and Suria shoved her boot into the doorway. “Lilith!” she gasped. “God please just let her go! Let her go and you’ll never see us again!” she pleaded but the man merely smirked, holding Lilith back. Jaw clenched tight, she looks up at Lilith. Filled with hopelessness and despair, her glimmer of hope faded into nothingness, her grip loosened.

“No! Lilith, please, I need you!” she proclaimed, she could see all hope dimming in her eyes as her sight blurred with tears.

“Please,” Lilith’s voice cracked, palms slippery with sweat. “Run away.”

Lilith’s fingers slipped away, the doors snapped shut and the subway cart began to move. A blood curdling scream escaped from her lips as she banged against the glass windows. She rushed to the backdoor, only for it to be locked. Suria screamed out her name. A crowd of policemen now stood on the platform.